MARSHALL, Minn. – Valley City State opened the 2026 season with a tough hard fought 10-7 loss in a defensive battle with Southwest Minnesota State at Mattke Field in Marshall, Minnesota.
The Vikings are 0-1 on the season. Southwest Minnesota State is 1-0.
Southwest Minnesota State got on the board first on its second possession of the game. The Mustangs went 68 yards on ten plays, taking 3:53 off the clock. Shaun Walrath scored on a four-yard touchdown run to cap off the drive. Landon Hubbard added the extra point to make it 7-0 SMSU with 4:07 to go in the first quarter.
The Vikings drove into SMSU territory on a 41-yard completion from
Eli Leaver to
Jake Deutsch to the Mustang 45-yard line. But the drive would stall and VCSU turned the ball over on downs at the 34-yard line. The Mustangs would go on a ten play, 58-yard drive culminated by a 24-yard field goal by Hubbard to make it 10-0 SMSU with 4:55 to go in the first half. That was the score at halftime.
The Vikings had the ball to start the second half. They got two first down, then had to punt the ball back to Southwest Minnesota State. The Mustangs drove deep into Viking territory, but the Vikings held SMSU to a 35-yard field goal attempt by Hubbard that was no good.
Neither team did much of anything in the third quarter and the game was played between the 20s. It was 10-0 SMSU heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs drove to the Viking four-yard line, but on fourth and one, they were called for a false start. Hubbard came in for a 27-yard field goal attempt and missed his third field goal of the night.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Mustangs were driving again, and again, the Vikings' defense held them to no points. On a fourth and nine from the Viking 22,
Caleb Torke picked off a Macloud Crowton pass at the ten-yard line.
On the ensuing Viking drive,
Brayden Medeiros hit
Tyson Ball with a 43-yard completion, setting up Valley City State at the Mustangs 31-yard line. Then on a fourth and twelve, Medeiros kept the play going with his legs, then found a wide open
Exavian Westbrook for a 33-yard touchdown pass.
Walker Brondos added the extra point, making it 10-7 Mustangs with 3:23 to go in the fourth quarter. The drive covered 90 yards on nine plays and took 4:26 off the clock.
Southwest Minnesota State did nothing on their next drive. A sack by
Scot Rohde on third down, forced the Mustangs to punt the ball back to VCSU with just over a minute remaining. The Vikings set up shop at their own 37 with 55 seconds to go and no timeouts. On third down, Medeiros hit Westbrook with a 21-yard completion to the Mustangs 39. But on fourth and 2 at the Mustangs 31, the Vikings came up short on an incomplete pass. One knee by SMSU and the opener was in the books.
Freshman
Brayden Medeiros, who was pressed into service when starter Eli Leave went down with an injury in the first half, completed 17 of 31 passes for 218 yads with one touchdown and one interception.
Tyson Ball had five catches for 86 yards.
Exavian Westbrook had three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Jake Deutsch had four catches for 55 yards.
Laggarius Marshell led the ground game with nine carries for 30 yards. As a team, the Vikings had 285 total yards, 147 coming in the fourth quarter.
Aiden Russel led the defense with 15 total tackles.
Caleb Torke had ten tackles and an interception.
Dorian Sandness,
Bayette Akaka-Folau, and
Scot Rohde all had sacks for the Vikings.
Next up for Valley City State is the 8
th Annual Ag Bowl Presented by First Community Credit Union when Dickinson State comes to Lokken Stadium/Dacotah Bank Field Thursday, September 3
rd. Kickoff is set of 6pm.
