Simpson football opens fall-to-spring slate at Central

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- The day has finally arrived to watch the Simpson College football team don the Red and Gold on the gridiron once again. The Storm travel to Pella to take on Central for a 1 p.m. contest Saturday afternoon.Simpson's fall slate was cancelled due to COVID-19 and as a result, the American Rivers Conference released a spring schedule for the league's nine teams. The original season opener was slated for last Friday at Buena Vista, but the matchup was moved to a scrimmage.

GAME 1
Simpson (0-0 A-R-C) at Central (0-0, 0-0 A-R-C)
Saturday, April 3 | 1 p.m.
Schipper Stadium | Pella, Iowa
Live Stats/Video | Live Audio (KNIA)

FIRST AND 10
Simpson opens up its two game fall-to-spring slate on Saturday with the defending American Rivers Conference Champions, Central ... the Storm garnered a 5-5 overall mark and went 4-4 against league foes in 2019 ... after a tough opening day loss to Bethel last year, Simpson reeled off four-straight victories against Chicago, Buena Vista, Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan.

500 DAYS
It's been a little over 500 days since the Simpson football team last played an opponent ... the Storm won 16-10 on Nov. 16, 2019 to send the seniors out in style without knowing that would be the last time the squad would suit up after the 2020 fall slate was washed away due to COVID-19.

CENTRAL SERIES NOTES
The two squads meet for the 98th time on Saturday with the Dutch owning a 68-26 advantage and have won the last six meetings ... since 2014, just two contests have been decided by a touchdown or less, most recently the game in 2018 ended in favor of Central, 17-16.

ABOUT THE DUTCH
Central and 17th-year head coach Jeff McMartin enter the season as the defending A-R-C Champions after sharing the crown with Wartburg in 2019 ... the Dutch compiled a record of 10-2 and 7-1 against league foes for McMartin's fifth conference crown ... Central reached the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs after a 38-37 overtime win against Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the opener ... the season came to a halt with a 49-13 loss to Wheaton.

HEAD BALL COACH
Head coach Matt Jeter begins his fifth season at the helm of the program in 2020-21 ... Jeter has recorded a 20-20 overall record and was named the A-R-C Coach of the Year in 2018 after guiding Simpson to a 7-3 mark and six league wins to tie for second in the standings ... Jeter was a two-year starter for the Storm in 1996-97 and helped the squad win two IIAC Championships to secure two trips to the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 22-2 record during that span ... the 1997 team set school records for most wins in a season and made an appearance in the national semifinals.

ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
After the 2019 campaign was finished, Simpson tallied 13 all-conference selections, including four first-team members ... Mason Spree returns as a first teamer after being a key cog in the rushing attack from his offensive line spot ... Ian Bootsmiller (OL), Jack Bootsmiller (DL) and Ben Schiltz (TE) all return after landing on the honorable mention squad.

UP NEXT
Simpson will host Coe next Saturday, April 10 for its lone home contest of the season. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside Buxton Stadium.