Graceland Falls to Ottawa in Conference Opener at Huntsman Field

LAMONI, Iowa — The Graceland University women's flag football team fell to Ottawa University 33-0 on Saturday afternoon at Huntsman Field, as the Braves capitalized on key scoring drives and defensive pressure in Heart Conference action. The loss moved the Yellowjackets to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play, while Ottawa improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference standings.

Ottawa controlled the tempo throughout the contest, using a balanced offensive attack and efficient passing game to generate scoring opportunities. The Braves opened the scoring late in the second quarter with a five-play, 41-yard touchdown drive, followed by a three-play scoring possession with five seconds remaining before halftime to take a 13-0 lead into the break.

Ottawa continued to extend the advantage in the second half. The Braves added two touchdowns in the third quarter, including a nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive, before finishing the scoring with a 10-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter to secure the 33-0 victory.

Graceland generated 172 yards of total offense across 45 plays, with the majority of production coming through the passing attack. Quarterback Karissa Garcia completed 26-of-41 passes for 170 yards, targeting multiple receivers across the short and intermediate routes. The Yellowjackets recorded seven first downs and attempted to sustain drives through quick passing concepts and underneath routes.

In the receiving game, Makayla Brown led the Yellowjackets with seven receptions for 47 yards, while Aiyanna Hannah added six catches for 45 yards. Sierra Flores contributed four receptions for 25 yards, and Grace Jensen recorded three receptions for 25 yards as Graceland spread the ball across multiple playmakers.

Defensively, the Yellowjackets were led by Grace Jensen, who recorded eight total flag pulls, while Sadie Lee added six tackles and Ahmari Byrd contributed five tackles and a sack during the contest.

Following the game, Graceland head coach Aaron Richardson emphasized the importance of improving execution moving forward.

"Ottawa executed well and forced us into difficult situations throughout the game," Richardson said. "We had some opportunities offensively, but we need to be more consistent with our route timing, ball security and finishing drives. Defensively, our players continued competing and making flag pulls in space, but against a strong opponent you have to limit explosive plays and execute every assignment. We'll use this game as a learning opportunity and continue focusing on fundamentals as we prepare for the next conference matchup."

Graceland will return to action on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. CDT when the Yellowjackets host William Woods at Huntsman Field in Lamoni, Iowa as conference play continues.

For more information on the Graceland women's flag football team and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.