No. 4 Mustangs earn road win with strong second half

MITCHELL, S.D. — Morningside extended its Great Plains Athletic Conference unbeaten streak Saturday with a 49–17 win over Dakota Wesleyan.

Jaylen Burch rushed for three touchdowns, and Drew Sellon had both a receiving and a punt return touchdown as the Mustangs (5-1, 5-0 GPAC) rolled to their fifth straight victory.

After a slow start, Morningside found its rhythm late in the first quarter when Burch's 6-yard run put the Mustangs ahead for good. He added scoring runs of 1 yard in the second and third quarters, finishing with 64 yards on 12 carries.

Quarterback Zack Chevalier was sharp again, completing 19 of 31 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns. His 18-yard strike to Lennx Brown just before halftime gave Morningside a 21–10 lead, and he later connected with Sellon for a 15-yard score and Kyle Sisler for a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Sellon also swung momentum midway through the third quarter with a 58-yard punt return for a touchdown that stretched the lead to 35–17. He finished with 97 receiving yards on five catches.

Morningside's defense limited the Tigers to 293 total yards and just one offensive touchdown in the second half. Jack Brickhouse led the Mustangs with seven tackles, while Cole Reilly and Teyel Lowe each recorded sacks. Reilly also forced and recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.

"Our guys were assignment sound," said head coach Steve Ryan on the KMNS-AM postgame show. "We've gotten Cole Reilly on the field a lot more since the Hastings game. The thing about Cole is every week, we talk with the defensive staff, is that he's getting better on a day-to-day basis."

The Mustangs outgained Dakota Wesleyan 457–293 and averaged 6.4 yards per play.

Morningside stays on the road next week, facing Northwestern next Saturday at 1 p.m.