ST. PAUL, Minn.- It was a special night at Reynolds Field as UNW Football honored their senior class in the season finale against Crown College. The Eagles responded in a big way as the seniors shone brightly, leading UNW to a 59-20 win.

Ryan Flanigan (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) got the start for Northwestern on Wednesday night (the first Wednesday night game in program history). The senior was making his first start since week three where he sustained an injury that kept him out for a majority of the season. Flanigan played nearly the entire first half, and the offense was unstoppable to start the game.

The Eagles scored a touchdown on each of their first three possessions to jump out to a 21-0 lead. The first touchdown came less than five minutes into the game, when Flanigan and the offense faced a third down from Crown's 15 yard line. The senior hung in the pocket and delivered a beautiful ball to fellow senior, Damon Clapper (Dallas Center, Iowa/Dallas Center - Grimes). Clapper ran a corner route to the back of the end zone and pulled in his first touchdown catch of the night. It would not be his last.

Following a Crown fumble, forced and recovered by Brad Kulinski (Milwaukee, Wis./Martin Luther), the Eagles' offense went to work again. Flanigan found another senior wide receiver for a touchdown, this time it was Caleb Sieben (Anoka, Minn./Anoka). Sieben made a fantastic adjustment on a back shoulder throw and hauled in the touchdown to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead.

The first quarter scoring did not stop there. Less than three minutes later, Flanigan threw another touchdown pass. The Eagle offense executed perfectly, and sprung Damon Clapper (Dallas Center, Iowa/Dallas Center - Grimes) loose down the middle of the field. The senior hauled in the pass for a 36 yard touchdown, and UNW was in control early.

The Storm would start to fight back, scoring a touchdown with 5:43 remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 21-7. However, the Eagles would respond with a Keegan James (Brooklyn, Iowa/IBGM) seven yard touchdown run and a Blake Mitchell (Watertown, S.D./Watertown) 39 yard field goal before the half to take a 31-7 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) took over at quarterback and picked up right where Flanigan left off. The second half started with a highlight reel touchdown grab from Damon Clapper (Dallas Center, Iowa/Dallas Center - Grimes), his third touchdown reception of the night. Drinken threw a jump ball down the middle of the field, and Clapper climbed the ladder over his defender to haul it in. Jeremiah Staten (South Elgin, Ill./Wheaton Academy) would close out the third quarter with an eight yard touchdown run of his own, and the Eagles led 45-7 entering their final quarter of the season.

Crown would score a touchdown to make it a 45-13 game, and was forced to kick it deep to the dangerous return team of the Eagles. The Storm tried a squib kick but Keegan James (Brooklyn, Iowa/IBGM) was still able to get his hands on the football. The senior delivered a senior day highlight he will remember for a lifetime as he took the kick back 82 yards for the final touchdown of his career.

Brad Kulinski (Milwaukee, Wis./Martin Luther) had a fantastic day defensively for the Eagles, adding a 46 yard pick-six with 1:49 remaining in the game to go with his forced fumble and fumble recovery. This was the final touchdown of the 2021 season for the Eagles. UNW would win the contest 59-20.

Ryan Flanigan (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) and Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) were a lethal duo at quarterback in the contest. Flanigan finished the final game of his career going 10-18 for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Drinken finished 8-12 for 106 yards and one touchdown.

Damon Clapper (Dallas Center, Iowa/Dallas Center - Grimes) has done a little bit of everything for the Eagles in his career and he went out with a bang on Wednesday night. The senior had nine catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Caleb Sieben (Anoka, Minn./Anoka) added six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

The Eagles were effective on the ground as well, led by Jeremiah Staten (South Elgin, Ill./Wheaton Academy) who had 82 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Keegan James (Brooklyn, Iowa/IBGM) added to his kick return touchdown with 41 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Luke Malamisuro (Cambridge Isanti, Minn./Cambridge Isanti) had 12 tackles and a pass break up, and Sam Schlabach (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) added eight tackles.

The Eagles end the season at 3-7, and finish with a UMAC record of 3-3. Head Coach Matt Moore and his coaching staff say goodbye to a fantastic group of seniors, and are excited about the legacy and foundation for the future this group has established. UNW Football has a lot of talented young players and Eagle fans should be excited for the future.
 

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