IOWA FALLS — The sixth-ranked Iowa Central football team gets to stay within their borders this weekend, making the relatively short drive to face ICCAC rival Ellsworth.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.

The Tritons (2-1 overall, 0-0 in league) suffered their first loss of the season last week, falling inside Dodger Stadium to top-ranked Hutchinson, 27-2. Iowa Central had started the year off with back-to-back wins over Independence and No. 14 Garden City, but the offense was held to just 255 yards.

An early safety gave the Tritons a lead on Hutchinson, but mistakes kept them from taking advantage of situations to build on it. Hutchinson scored 10 points in the second, seven in the third and 10 more in the fourth to seal the deal.

“We probably moved the ball better on offense compared to the first two games, we just had turnovers, penalties and mistakes that hurt us once we crossed the 50,” ICCC head coach Jesse Montalto said. “We’ve worked these last few days on getting ourselves better in all areas of the game.”

Justin Silverstein threw for 148 yards but was picked off three times while Trevon Taylor had 46 yards with an interception. Mario Sanders continued his strong season, catching nine passes for 129 yards.

This past week also allowed the team to get on their brand-new turf practice field, which is located on the campus.

“It was absolutely motivation for the kids,” Montalto said. “They were excited to be out there and we are just so appreciative of all the support we’ve received from the school to have something like that.”

Ellsworth (1-2, 0-0) got in the win column with a 29-0 shutout over Community Christian of Michigan last Saturday after back-to-back losses to top-ranked (Div. III) College of DuPage and Hutchinson. That win snapped a 14-game losing streak dating back to 2021.

Brycen Davis has 186 yards passing and two touchdowns while also leading the Panthers with 76 yards rushing and a score. Jaali Parker has two receiving scores and Jaylon Banks has the other.

Last year, Iowa Central won, 66-32, racking up over 530 yards of total offense. Silverstein had three passing touchdowns in the game.

Prior to joining the Tritons, Montalto served as head coach at Ellsworth, leading them to four bowl wins in four seasons.