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Tritons host Panthers

After two long road trips, the eighth-ranked Iowa Central football team makes their Dodger Stadium debut here Saturday afternoon.

The Tritons welcome in Gordon Fine Arts for a noon kickoff.

Originally, the contest was to be played in Oklahoma but was moved due to stadium issues.

“It feels great to be preparing for a home game,” Iowa Central head coach Jesse Montalto said. “We’ve had a couple of tough games here on the road to begin, and I think our kids are ready to play at home.”

Iowa Central (2-0 overall) opened the year by besting ranked Lackawanna at a neutral site in Indiana. They followed that performance up with a win over then-No. 1 (NJCAA Div. III) College of DuPage in Illinois.

“We’ve been tested here early that’s for sure,” Montalto said. “Our kids have done a great job of locking in and getting after it. We’ve just got to continue getting better each day and each week.”

Byron Jarrett, offensive MVP of the Graphic Edge Bowl in the spring, has thrown for 514 yards with five touchdowns, adding another score on the ground. Desna Washington has been his favorite target, catching 11 passes for 207 yards and four scores.

Cal Weidemann and Madison Ridgeway each have a TD catch and a combined 12 receptions for nearly 200 yards. On the ground, Daylen Boddie leads the way with 129 yards, including an 82-yard score last week vs. DuPage.

“We’re a little banged up, so we’ll be giving some kids long looks this week,” Montalto said. “We’ve got to have some guys step up and play more, especially to get some game experience heading into Iowa Western.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tritons have forced six turnovers with CJ Christian, Bilhal Kone, Major Williams, Noah Epley and Bryant Barrier all have recorded over 10 tackles. Epley leads the team with three tackles for loss.

The defense is allowing just 17.5 points and 72.5 yards rushing per game.

Gordon Fine Arts was created by Kenneth Gordon, a former coach in the United States Basketball League. The Panthers opened the season at Snow and Air Force Academy.

“We’ve just got to worry about what we do and who we are,” Montalto said. “If we do that, everything else will take care of itself this week.”

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