DAKOTA - It was Matt Wenger and Tyler Olsen in 2005, and Chad Goeke and Curt Daughenbaugh in 2007.
In 2008, Dakota’s playmaker is Evan Dornink.
“The sky’s the limit for that kid,” Lena-Winslow coach Ric Arand said about Dakota’s junior running back.
The latest in the recent list of Dakota’s all-star running backs, Dornink had two touchdowns and 189 yards on 18 carries to lead Dakota to a 23-15 home win against Lena-Winslow Friday. Dornink scored the game-winning touchdown on a 29-yard run with 5:25 remaining and followed it with the two-point conversion run.
A first-year starter, Dornink joined the varsity team at the end of last season and was a fourth running back for the Indians in their state title run.
“I played mostly freshman/sophomore last year,” Dornink said. “It was good to get a lot of experience at the end of last year, and all of those older guys really helped me.”
Dornink, who had 155 rushing yards in last week’s season-opener, started the scoring in Friday’s matchup between two state-ranked teams.
His 15-yard TD run in the first quarter followed by a Todd Rupnow kick put the Indians (2-0, 1-0 NUIC NW) up 7-0. Lena-Winslow answered in the second quarter with a 6-yard run by Ryan Werhane, and Wes Ertmer’s conversion run gave the Panthers (1-1, 1-1 NUIC NW) an 8-7 lead at halftime.
Dornink, who had four carries for 38 yards in the first half, took over in the second. He had five carries for 56 yards in Dakota’s first drive in the third quarter. It ended with a 6-yard TD pass from Austin Oberbrunner to Cody Jacobson.
Lena-Winslow QB Kolton Kempel tied the game at 15 apiece early in the fourth quarter on a 39-yard run, but Dornink’s break-away run in the next series ended the scoring.
“It’s between (Dornink) and Tyler Olsen,” Arand said when he compared Dornink to former Dakota running backs who led the Indians to state titles in 2005 and 2007. “He’s just as fast as Olsen. Olsen might have been a bit better of an inside running, but he was also a senior, and Evan’s a junior. Unfortunately for us, he’s still got another year.”
Tommy Bowers added 32 yards on 12 carries for Dakota. Werhane (64 yards on 17 carries) and Ertmer (73 yards, 19 carries) led the Panthers.
- Emily Tropp, rrstar.com
JOHN F. ELBERS | RRSTAR.COM
Dakota's Evan Dornink breaks through the line during a first quarter touchdown run Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, in Dakota. See a complete gallery from tonight's game here.
