Scoring was quiet through the first quarter, as neither team managed points on their first two offensive drives. The Battlin' Bears found momentum when Bergen Mysse and Schwahn connected four times on Rocky's third drive of the day, setting up the offense in the red zone. While it seemed the Battlin' Bears might run out the clock and move to the second quarter, Rocky caught the Trojans by surprise. Schwahn connected with Ty Battle for a 15-yard touchdown pass to put them up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams traded punts to open the second quarter before Rocky's defense forced a turnover on Dakota State's first play of its drive. Wayne Queen punched the ball out on a run up the middle, setting the Battlin' Bears up inside the 15-yard line. It took just one play for Rocky to convert, as Jhett Schwahn connected with Javonte King, who hurdled his defender on his way to the end zone to extend Rocky's lead to 13-0.
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The Trojans found the end zone for the first time on the ensuing drive, putting together a 12-play, 87-yard march capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 13-7. Unfazed by the Dakota State response, the Battlin' Bear offense picked up right where it left off. Ty Battle broke free for a 31-yard reception to flip the field on Rocky's next possession. Bleeding the clock down to under a minute to play in the half, Schwahn threw his third touchdown pass of the day, this time finding Jae'sean Pete for a 29-yard catch-and-run to give the Battlin' Bears a 19-7 halftime advantage.
Rocky's offense put together another strong drive out of the halftime break, as a 12-play, 61-yard drive culminated in a 22-yard field goal from Jordan Legg to push Rocky's lead to 23-7. The Trojans responded with a long drive of their own, amassing 91 yards over 12 plays and ending in a 10-yard touchdown pass. Dakota State converted the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to one score at 23-15.
A solid kick return from freshman Nolan Kamerman gave Rocky excellent field position. After a 24-yard completion to Mysse set the Battlin' Bears up in the red zone, Schwahn zipped a pass into a tight window, finding Tyler Abbott for a 15-yard touchdown to give Rocky a 30-15 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Dakota State needed to respond quickly, and did. It took only three plays and 1:07 of game time to cover 75 yards to match Rocky's touchdown, bringing the score to 30-22 with 13 minutes left. After the Trojans forced a Rocky punt on their next possession, two pass interference calls against the Battlin' Bears put Dakota State in the red zone. The Trojans eventually converted a 10-yard touchdown pass and the ensuing two-point conversion to tie the game at 30-30.
Ty Battle sparked Rocky's response on the next drive, recording back-to-back runs of 15-plus yards to set the Battlin' Bears up in Trojan territory. The offense stalled, but Legg stepped in and converted a 47-yard field goal to give the Battlin' Bears the lead back with 4:53 to play.
Dakota State got off to a fast start on its final offensive drive, beginning with a 20-yard completion to get the ball near midfield. Rocky's defense stood strong, however, making plays when needed most. Throughout Dakota State's 15-play drive, the Battlin' Bear defense totaled four pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. While the Trojans made key plays on third and fourth down to extend their drive, Wayne Queen got into the backfield on third-and-2 with just 17 seconds to go at Rocky's 12-yard line, forcing Dakota State to call a timeout and settle for a game-tying field goal attempt. While the 29-yard field goal try seemed like a chip shot, Jayson Cady broke through the Trojan defense and blocked the kick as time expired to secure a Battlin' Bear victory on Senior Day.
