Skip To Main Content

Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

Aragon vs COI '25
Nicole Reynolds
31
Winner Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY MO 1-4 , 1
21
Valley City State VALLEY C 3-2 , 0
Winner
Rocky Mountain (MT) ROCKY MO
1-4 , 1
31
Final
21
Valley City State VALLEY C
3-2 , 0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ROCKY MO Rocky Mountain (MT) 14 7 3 7 31
VALLEY C Valley City State 7 7 7 0 21

Game Recap: Football | | Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

Rocky Football Defeats Valley City State 31-21

VALLEY CITY, N.D.- Tuff Adams nearly eclipsed 100 yards on the ground, and Darius Haskin totaled two touchdowns to lead Rocky Football's victory in the divisional opener.

An offense that has been centered around the aerial attack controlled the game on the ground, as Tuff Adams and Brock Ping combined for 157 yards rushing on the day. Defensively, five different Battlin' Bears recorded sacks in the winning effort.  

How it Happened
Things didn't go Rocky's way to open the game, as their first offensive drive ended in a turnover, and Valley City State got their first points of the day on Rocky's next drive, as the Battlin' Bears fumbled the snap on a punt, which allowed the Vikings to scoop and score from 22 yards out. 

The early mistakes didn't deter Rocky, as Darius Haskin returned the following kickoff 97 yards untouched for a touchdown, the first special teams touchdown on the season for the Battlin' Bears, to tie the game at 7-7 early in the first quarter.  

After Rocky forced a three-and-out, Tuff Adams made quick work of the Vikings' defense, breaking out for a 43-yard rush and following up with a 15-yard touchdown run on the following play, making for a blink-and-you'll-miss it two-play, 58-yard drive that took just 29 seconds off the clock to give the Battlin' Bears a 14-7 lead.  

Valley City would sustain a long drive that would bleed into the second quarter and result in a game-tying touchdown, as quarterback Joey Cave passed to Jake Deutsch for eight yards and the game-tying score. 

The Battlin' Bears would take the lead back before the halftime break, as quarterback Trent Nobach, returning under center after missing the previous two games, led a 10-play drive that finished with an acrobatic 12-yard touchdown pass to Darius Haskin to put the Battlin' Bears up by seven going into halftime. 

The Vikings began the second half deep in their own territory following a special teams miscue. Still, they did not waver, again putting together a 90+ yard drive that concluded with a passing touchdown from Joey Cave. 

After a short kickoff gave Rocky favorable field position, it was again Tuff Adams who led the offense, rushing seven times for 33 yards on the drive to get the Battlin' Bears into field goal range, and allowing Austin Drake to give the Battlin' Bears the lead with a 35-yard field goal. 

The Battlin' Bears would add to their lead early in the third quarter, as Trent Nobach connected with Eric Lira for 31 yards to get Rocky into the redzone, and again found Lira from 16 yards out for a touchdown to extend their lead to ten with 8:19 remaining. 

Rocky's defense sealed the deal in Valley City, holding Valley City to just 27 yards of offense in the fourth quarter on their way to the first win of the season and a 1-0 start to divisional play for the Battlin' Bears. 

Notable Statistics
Quarterback Trent Nobach made his return to the lineup, finishing the day passing 12-of-20 for 162 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line in front of him held well, as Nobach was not sacked a single time in the win. 

Tuff Adams rushed 13 times for a career-high 98 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Brock Ping added 59 yards rushing on 19 attempts, along with two catches for 19 yards. 

Darius Haskin totaled four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown, as well as his 97-yard kickoff return touchdown. Eric Lira caught three passes, all of which were in Rocky's final touchdown drive, for 47 yards and a touchdown.  

Defensively, Mason Browning totaled seven tackles, which included a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Trey Smith finished with five tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup as well. Other Battlin' Bears to record a sack included Dakota Sage, Jabari Madison Jr., Nathan Beard, and Jalen Saintil. 

Austin Drake was perfect on the day, going three-for-three on PATs and making his lone field goal attempt. 

In total, Rocky outgained Valley City State 293-211 offensively, including 131-96 on the ground and 162-115 through the air. Rocky's rushing total was a season high. The Battlin' Bear defense was in the backfield frequently on the afternoon, totaling ten tackles for loss. 

Up Next
Rocky Football (1-4, 1-0 conf.) enters a bye week next weekend before hosting (RV) Dickinson State on Herb Klindt Field on Saturday, October 18th. 
 
Print Friendly Version