Willmott's game-winning field goal lifts Broncos to 23-20 over Mount Marty

YANKTON, S.D. — You could hear it — and see it — the moment the ball left Colton Willmott's foot. 

If you were listening to Hastings College play-by-play voice Mike Will's radio broadcast, you heard his color man Jimmy Pursell in the background immediately proclaim the result of the Broncos' 40-yard game-winning field goal attempt — "It's good!" — followed by Will's exclamatory call.

If you were watching the game, you knew the kick was true, too.

Willmott's boot — his longest field goal of the season — sailed through the uprights as time (nearly) expired to propel Hastings College to a 23-20 win at Mount Marty Saturday.

"It got over that cross bar, maybe not by much," said a jubilant Matt Franzen, HC's head coach. "(Willmott) is a freshman, and that's the only thing that's kind of scary. When you've never been in that situation in a college football game, a good kicker can miss badly. And he is a good kicker, but making a kick like that is gonna boost his confidence... That's how you build confidence."

Mount Marty attempted to freeze Willmott, who had made two prior field goals Saturday to help HC into a 20-20 tie with the Lancers. They were granted a timeout just before the snap.

Willmott still went through with the attempt, which was much more safe than his second try, which counted.

"The second one didn't look like the first one, but it got over the bar, so big credit to him and credit the guys up front," Franzen said.

Willmott also scored Hastings College's first six points, field goals of 28 and 20 yards, during a slow first half. 

"I think that's just who we are at this point," Franzen said. "We're gonna feel things out early on offense, play really good defense... We had a couple big splash plays in the first half, but we went in 7-6 and it's anybody's game."

Dalton Armbruster finally gave the Broncos a touchdown with 3:34 left in the third quarter when he broke off a 25-yard score to make it 13-all.

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Mount Marty (4-4) answered midway through the fourth quarter to take its final lead. Lancer quarterback Rugby Ryken threw for his third touchdown as he finished 38-for-48 and 267 yards on the day.

The Broncos (4-4) knotted the scored with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Eli Nappe from Jarrett Synek, who had not played since Sept. 13. 

Mount Marty tried a go-ahead field goal from 28 yards with 2:28 to play, but the Broncos blocked it, which started their game-winning drive.

"On both ends of the last two drives of the game — the big block and then coming back for the field goal at the end," Franzen said. "Credit ourselves for getting into field goal range."

It didn't matter that the Broncos were flagged for excessive celebration after Willmott's game -winning kick. The points — and the win — counted to improve the Broncos' record to 4-4 entering another big home game against No. 7 Dordt.

HC has lost nine straight to the Defenders.

"I think Dordt is probably the cream of the league right now," Franzen said. "They're the only undefeated team left, anyway. We'll be plenty motivated for the next one. Dordt has put us in our place the last four years-plus."

Armbruster finished with 128 yards on the ground. Synek, who was injured in Week 3 and "gimpy" Saturday, was 7-for-11 for 154 yards through the air.

Hastings (4-4)............0 6 7 10 — 23

Mt. Marty (4-4)...........0 7 6 7 — 20