Football Leads Early, Rallies Late in Win at Culver-Stockton

Canton, Mo., (Sept. 20, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College football team traveled to Canton, Mo., for a cross-divisional Heart of America Athletic Conference game against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) Saturday evening.  The Vikings built up an early lead, and scored a late touchdown to secure a 48-41 win.

Missouri Valley opened with the game's first possession, and needed only one play to put points on the scoreboard.  Junior Quarterback Tomele Staples (Kanakee, Ill.) connected with Junior Wide Receiver Adonis Whitley (St. Louis, Mo.) for a 75-yard touchdown pass to give MVC the early lead.  Sophomore Kicker Bruno Kincaid (Madrid, Spain) made the extra-point, and the Viking went in front, 7-0.  The defense followed with a big play, as Freshman Defensive Back Kingston Cramer (Houston, Texas) intercepted a Culver-Stockton pass and went on a 25-yard return into the end zone to extend the team's advantage out to 13-0.

The ensuing kickoff was fielded by a Wildcat for a return, but a fumble was forced and recovered by Sophomore Linebacker Kendal Beard (Lilburn, Ga.) at the CSC 23-yard line.  Two plays later, the Viking advantage grew on an eight-yard run from Sophomore Running Back Silas Morton (Strafford, Mo.), and Kincaid's extra-point made it a 20-0 score with just over two minutes played in the contest.

Culver-Stockton responded with a long offensive drive, going 70 yards in 13 plays, eventually scoring a touchdown to cut the deficit to 20-7 with less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter.  The Vikings came back with a long drive, converting a pair of third-down situations to extend the possession going into the second quarter.  Facing a third-and-one, Senior Running Back Bryce Jackson (Columbia, Mo.) ran into the end zone on a 10-yard rushing attempt to stretch out the lead.  Kincaid made the extra-point and the score sat at 27-7 just seconds into the quarter.

More points were scored on the following Wildcat drive, as CSC went 82 yards in eight plays to drop the team's deficit to 27-14 with less than five minutes played in the second quarter.  Missouri Valley followed with another scoring drive.  Staples completed all four passing attempts on the drive, connecting with Senior Wide Receiver Nate Pouliot (Clearwater, Fla.) twice for a total of 31 yards, and hitting Jackson for a gain of 28 yards.  The drive was capped on a one-yard touchdown run for Morton, and Kincaid's extra-point put the advantage at 34-14 with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

Another scoring drive followed, as the Wildcats cut the gap down again, this time running off 11 plays that covered 71 yards to make it a 34-21 score with only seconds left to play before halftime.  However, the ensuing kickoff was returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Junior Wide Receiver Jesse Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.).  A two-point conversion attempt failed and the Vikings went into halftime holding a 40-21 advantage.  The 40 points is the most scored in a first half since Oct. 27, 2012, when the Vikings scored 43 points against Peru State (Neb.).

The third quarter began with a Culver-Stockton possession, but the Viking defense forced a punt after CSC reached midfield.  The initial possession of the second half for Missouri Valley ended with Freshman Punter Ben Bullock (Perth, Australia) kicking a 48-yard punt near the midway point of the quarter.

Culver-Stockton worked down the field on its ensuing possession, traveling 62 yards in 11 plays to cut the gap down to 40-27 with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter.  The Vikings were unable to move the ball on its next possession, and a 43 yard punt from Bullock allowed the Wildcats to start a drive at its own 26-yard line.  Culver-Stockton took this possession into the fourth quarter, but faced a fourth down situation at the MVC 31-yard line.  Sophomore Linebacker Jayden Maggert (Concordia, Mo.) stopped a CSC receiver short of the line-to-gain, and the Vikings gained possession.

Missouri Valley moved towards midfield after the turnover-on-downs, as Morton picked up 17 yards rushing, and Jackson added a 21-yard gain on the ground.  However, Culver-Stockton forced and recovered a fumble for a turnover to start a drive at its 38-yard line with nearly four minutes played in the fourth quarter.  The Wildcats took advantage of the turnover, and scored again to shrink the deficit down to 40-34 less than two minutes later.

The Vikings were unable to move the ball on its next possession, and were forced into a punt, but the kick traveled 14 yards and allowed CSC to gain possession on the Missouri Valley side of the field.  The Wildcats quickly worked on the short field, and ran off five plays that ended in a touchdown.  Culver-Stockon added the extra-point and moved in front, 41-40 with under five minutes to play in the game.

The next possession for MVC began at its own 25-yard line, and the Vikings drove down the field.  The Vikings faced a third-and-long near midfield, and a roughing the passer penalty on the Wildcats extended the possession.  Three plays later, Staples found Junior Wide Receiver Khalil White (Decatur, Ga.) for a 26-yard touchdown pass to put Missouri Valley back in front.  Staples then completed a two-point conversion pass to Whitley, and MVC made it a 48-41 score with less than two minutes remaining.

Culver-Stockton had one more possession in the final moments of the game.  The Wildcats completed only one pass on the drive, and the Viking defense forced a stop on fourth down, gaining possession.  Morton sealed the victory with a final 23-yard rushing attempt, and Missouri Valley earned a 48-41 win.

Staples finished 14 of 21 passing for 239 yards and two touchdowns.  Morton had 95 rushing yards, on 18 attempts, and two touchdowns.  Jackson added 54 all-purpose yards and one touchdown.  Whitley led with 81 receiving yards and one touchdown, while White had four receptions for 52 yards and one touchdown.  The offense gained 389 total yards.

Senior Defensive Back Octavious Griffin (Decatur, Ga.) and Maggert led with 11 tackles apiece.  Junior Defensive Back Eric Potts (Lee's Summit, Mo.) added seven tackles.  Senior Defensive Lineman Ryan Greenwood (Beaumont, Texas) and Freshman Defensive Back Nick Carlisle (Apex, N.C.) each had a tackle-for-loss.  Cramer had the interception returned for a touchdown.

Johnson finished with 177 kickoff return yards, including the 93-yard return for a touchdown.  Bullock had a punting average of 35 yards on three punts and Kincaid made four of his extra-point attempts.

The win moves Missouri Valley to 2-1 on the season while Culver-Stockton falls to 2-2.

Up next, the Viking football team hosts Baker (Kan.) for Family Weekend, Sept. 27, with kickoff at 1 p.m., inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium. 

Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.