'It’s good to get it back:' Mustangs celebrate GPAC Championship

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For the 14th time in Morningside University football history, the sixth-nationally-ranked Mustangs are Great Plains Athletic Conference champions. The Mustangs celebrated that feat and Senior Day on Saturday after a 56-3 win over Dakota Wesleyan.

The Mustangs ran the table in the league schedule, winning all 10 games starting with Concordia and ending Saturday against the Tigers. The Mustangs clinched the conference championship last week with a win over Waldorf, and a Northwestern win over Dordt.

"We just really put our nose to the grindstone," said senior Laken Harnly, who was one of several seniors honored in the regular-season finale. "It's special. We're used to it being here, and then last year, not having it, that sparked a fire inside this team. We didn't want to end it like that, so coming back and culminating together, it feels awesome."

Morningside has won the GPAC title in 13 of the last 14 years. The Mustangs missed not having the trophy last year, and motivated them to work even harder to make sure heartbreak didn't happen again.

"They worked hard for it," said head coach Steve Ryan. "It feels really good to see them step up and earn this again. It's good to get it back. Our guys have always done a great job of working hard."

The celebration for Morningside started early on Saturday, as the first touchdown came 69 seconds into the game. Quarterback Zack Chevalier found Drew Sellon for a 46-yard pass play.

Max Hough scored the next four Morningside first-half TDs. The sophomore running back from Graettinger, Iowa, scored thrice from inside the 20-yard line, while his longest scoring scurry was from 53 yards.

Hough was the Mustangs' leading rusher for 168 yards on 14 carries. Nolan Feller, Trent Lane and Nick Colvert each carried the ball during the win.

The three second-half scoring plays all came in the air. Chevalier found Sellon and Jakob Nelson from 15 and 43 yards. Both of those plays came during the third quarter.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Cash Parker found Larnly in the back of the end zone with 8:58 left in the game, and that play was good from 13 yards.

"I came out of my break a little bit and I slipped, but I saw the cornerback was dropping off on the ball, and Cash dropped me a dime," Harnly said. "It's a great feeling to get in the end zone on Senior Day."

Chevalier led the passing attack with 21 completions on 30 attempts for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Dallas Kluender had 14 passing yards on his lone pass attempt, while Parker was 2 of 3 for eight yards.

Lennx Brown and Sellon both caught seven passes. Brown had 137 receiving yards, while Sellon had 95.

Defensively, Cade Harriman and Isaac Pingel each had eight tackles. Both also had a tackle for loss for one yard.

The Mustangs' defense also had four total sacks. Cale Pittenger and Riley Dowler both had a solo sack. Pittenger also recovered a fumble.

Landry Phipps – who had five total tackles – earned an interception.

The Mustangs will be a part of the NAIA Football Championship Series, and will have their name called at 6 p.m. Sunday. They will earn a first-round bye in the first round next week.