Lesa Turnquist | Staff Writer

The Buena Vista University (BVU) 2013 football season ended on Saturday, Nov. 16 with the Beavers’ fourth straight win. The Beavers ended the season 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the conference, which tied them for third in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).

“The start of the season didn’t go the way we planned, but when you have the number one toughest schedule in the nation, you have to be prepared for a long, tough road. I am glad we were able to string the four wins together at the end just like last year,” senior Tanner Collins said.

The Beavers fought hard at a home conference match-up against the Dubuque Spartans.

The Spartans took the lead early with a touchdown in the first quarter. The Beavers didn’t answer back until the beginning of the second quarter when senior Bobby Brown passed it off to junior Dylan Barrett for a touchdown. Freshman Tyler Stolen got the extra point.

The Beavers scored again with five minutes until halftime from a pass into the end zone from Brown to sophomore Jalen Henningsen. With a missed extra point, the score was 13-7.

Dubuque came close to scoring in the last minute of the half, but the Beavers held their position keeping the score 13-7.

In the third quarter senior Mason Nielsen had his second interception, but BVU was unable to take advantage of it. Dubuque scored again, taking the lead for the second time with a score of 14-13. A Beaver turnover in the third quarter lead to another seven points for the Spartans.

In the beginning of the fourth, Brown passed it to junior Adam Cave, who ran it in for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was missed for a score of 21-19 in Dubuque’s favor.

The Spartans scored with five minutes left in the last quarter taking their biggest lead, 28-19. Under pressure, the Beavers answered back with 2:47 to go in the game when Brown ran it in himself to bring them closer with a score of 28-26.

Stolen made the onside kick, and Nielsen recovered it for the Beaver possession. In the next play, Barrett ran it to the eight-yard line. BVU was unable to get into the end zone, but Stolen made the field goal for the win and a final score of 29-28.

There were 11 seniors this year: Gary Balk, Matt Best, TJ Bruch, Tanner Collins, Christian Cottingham, Mason Nielsen, Jay Nissen, Schuyler Radke, Brady Randall, Matt Sefcik, and Mack Snelling. A couple of them left with a few last words about the 2013 season.

“The past two weeks with us beating Simpson as time expired and us beating Dubuque in the same fashion has made for two of the most memorable games since I’ve been here! More importantly, though, for having a young team, I am proud of these guys for battling the way they have this season. We took on many teams with a lot of talent and veterans and knocked them off the hunt for a conference title,” Collins said.

“[Saturday’s] game was a great ending to my career at Buena Vista. Although the season didn’t start out like anyone had hoped, our team stayed together and we ended on an exciting four-game win streak. It was truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of this team for four years,” Sefcik said.

“It’s been a great four years here, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to play with, and I’m proud of the way that we battled through adversity this season,” Bruch said.

Photo by Makensie Brown