Football Downed in Season Opener

CRETE, Neb. – The Doane Tigers opened their 2025 campaign Saturday night at Memorial Stadium/Al Papik Field, dropping a 20-7 decision to longtime rival Hastings in the 124th meeting of Nebraska's longest-running football rivalry.

The Tigers battled throughout but were unable to overcome a decisive second quarter that saw Hastings score all 20 of its points. The Broncos struck first with a six-yard touchdown run by Kaiden Merryman early in the period. Hastings then capitalized on a turnover when Brice Chaplin returned an interception off a tipped pass 16 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 13-0. The final score was setup by a blocked punt. Quarterback Jarrett Synek added to the momentum in the closing seconds of the half with a one-yard scoring pass to Jude Smith, sending Hastings into the break ahead 20-0.

Doane's defense stiffened in the second half, holding Hastings scoreless over the final 30 minutes. Andrew Brown provided a highlight with a 34-yard interception return in the first quarter, while linebacker Tanner Simdorn led the Tigers with 10 tackles. Reece Zutavern and Chris Kimp each chipped in eight stops as the defense forced two fumbles and came up with three red zone stands.

Offensively, quarterback Sam Hartman paced the Tigers with 264 yards through the air, completing 20-of-28 passes. His top target was Andrew Waido, who hauled in six receptions for 121 yards, including a long gain of 37. John DeRiso added five catches for 79 yards. Doane's lone score came midway through the fourth quarter when Hartman capped a 77-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Ivar de Jong added the extra point to bring the Tigers within 20-7.

Despite generating 341 yards of total offense to Hastings' 281, the Tigers were undone by nine penalties and two turnovers that led to 13 Broncos points. Doane also missed opportunities to cut into the deficit in the third quarter when a 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked and twice the Tigers were stopped at the one-yard line on fourth down.

Hastings relied on a strong ground attack, rushing for 195 yards. Merryman led the Broncos with 109 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Dalton Armbrust added 103 yards on 20 attempts. Defensively, Jake Lambert anchored Hastings with a game-high 12 tackles, and the Broncos blocked a punt and a field goal to tilt momentum their way.

With the result, Doane falls to 0-1 (0-1 GPAC) while Hastings opens 1-0 (1-0 GPAC). The Tigers will look to rebound next week when they play on the road at No. 21 Concordia.

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