Beem, swarming defense power Storm past Buena Vista

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Jordan Beem scored three touchdowns, the defense forced four consecutive turnovers in the second quarter and the Simpson football team beat Buena Vista 43-13 on Saturday afternoon.

The Storm (2-2, 1-0 Iowa Conference) snapped a seven-game conference losing streak with the win, earning their first win against the Beavers (1-3, 0-1) since 2011.

"It's good to get back in the win column," head coach Jim Glogowski said. "We've got a long way to go, but its good to get the win."

Beem enjoyed a career day, racking up 254 all-purpose yards. He ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 54 yards, including a 42-yard screen pass for a score.

The junior got stronger as the game wore on, breaking runs of 35, 38 and 40 yards in the second half. The 40-yarder was his third touchdown of the day, putting an exclamation point on the win in the final minutes.

"He's a tough kid and he runs hard," Glogowski said of Beem. "That long run he broke at the end is also a testament to our kids on the line."

The Simpson defense never let Buena Vista get comfortable, forcing four turnovers on consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Chris McKinnon forced two fumbles and interceptions by Patrick Steffen and Reid Ryan led to 21 points for the Storm and a 28-0 halftime lead.

Sophomore quarterback Caleb Frye had the best day of his young career, going 15-for-20 for 161 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to the screen to Beem, Frye hooked up with Nathan Russell on a 7-yard toss to start the scoring and went up top for a 29-yarder to Matt Burrell to give Simpson a 28-0 lead.

A week after missing the first extra point of his career, Drew Jensen went a perfect 5-for-5 and hit field goals of 37 and 40 yards.

Clay Finley had a pair of sacks, including wrapping up Tory Beger for a safety with 6:23 left in the game. McKinnon added a sack and Cole Cook led the team with nine tackles.

"The last couple weeks have been tough, but the kids hung in there and played hard. I just love coaching these guys," Glogowski said.

NOTES
Glogowski passed R.G. "Hap" Miller for second on all-time wins list with the 35th of his career ... Simpson improved to 36-34 all-time against Buena Vista ... Beem's 184 yards rushing is the most by a Simpson player since 2008, when Adam Reutzel ran for 236 yards against Dubuque on Nov. 1. 

UP NEXT
Simpson hosts its third straight home game next Saturday, Oct. 10 when Dubuque visits Buxton Stadium for Homecoming. The Spartans (2-2, 1-0) beat Luther 16-14 on Saturday.