PELLA, Iowa—The No. 13/15 Wartburg football team (2-1 overall, 1-0 American Rivers Conference) defeated Central (2-1, 0-1) 10-6 Saturday in the conference opener.

Top performers:

• Conner Grover: fumble return for a TD
• Cael O'Neill: 36-yard field goal
• Carter Markham: 137 passing yards
• Carter Henry: 62 receiving yards
• Dawson Rud: 67 rushing yards
• Keenan Tyler: 11 tackles
• Mac Watts: 10 tackles

Notes:

• On Central's second drive, the quarterback fumbled the ball which Conner Grover recovered and returned for the score.
• On their ensuing drive, the Dutch threw an interception and Thane Alexander came down with the ball.
• That drive for the Knights would result in a 36-yard field goal by Cael O'Neill.
• On Central's next drive, this time it was Conner Grover that had the INT.
• The Dutch would score in the second quarter, but the two-point conversion failed.
• Leo Dodd saw his first action of the season at quarterback.
• Rud's season high for rushing yards
• Fifth career INT for Alexander
• First career INT for Grover
• Third-straight game in triple digits passing for Markham
• Season-high field goal distance for O'Neill
• career-high tackles for Watts
• second-straight game with double digit tackles for Tyler
• Central owns the all-time series lead at 45-28, but the Knights have claimed the last three-straight. 
• Wartburg has tied the school record for consecutive conference wins at 19. This was previously achieved in 1998-99-2000

Next event
The Orange and Black return to the field next Saturday for their home opener against Nebraska Wesleyan at 1 p.m.