Freshman running back Pat Gray (West Des Moines, Waukee HS) erupted for a career-high 178 yards on two touchdowns as the Dutch (6-3 overall, 4-2 Iowa Conference) rolled up 321 rushing yards and 514 yards of total offense.
Central mustered just 49 rushing yards in the first half. The Dutch scored on their second possession, a nine-play, 76-yard drive, punctuated by a 5-yard running back pass from Kohle Helle (sophomore, Guttenberg, Clayton Ridge HS) to tight end Mitch Boerm (junior, Traer, North Tama HS). But they were stymied the rest of the half and surrendered an 82-yard Buena Vista TD pass with just 43 seconds left to make it 7-7 at the break.
"Give Buena Vista some credit," coach Jeff McMartin said. "They came out and showed us some different things and we had to make some adjustments because they were very different from what we'd seen on film in a number of scenarios offensively, and especially defensively. That kind of slowed things down.
"So the message was, 'Hey, let's play Central football. Take care of the ball and let's get the running game going.'"
The Dutch struck quickly with a 32-yard field goal from Aaron Marcellus (junior, Hudson) to start the second half and came back with touchdowns on their next two possessions to make it 24-7 after three periods.
The teams combined for a three-touchdown flurry in 1:37 in the fourth quarter. Gray's 10-yard score was quickly answered by a 22-yard Tony Beger TD pass for the Beavers (1-8 overall, 0-6 conference), set up by a 68-yard kick return. But just two plays later, Gray struck again with a 53-yard TD dash that extended Central's advantage to 38-15.
Central lost what would have been another score on a fumble that went out of the end zone. Buena Vista followed with its final score with 1:49 left in the game.
Gray wasn't the only effective back. Running back Adam Lindell (senior, Denver, Colo., Arapahoe HS) added 58 yards on 12 carries while Helle ran for 45 yards on seven attempts as quarterback or on wide receiver jet sweeps.
"Pat's doing a great job this year," McMartin said. "Both he and Adam have been fantastic for us. Adam ran hard as well.
"If you can establish some things in the running game, it makes everything better. You can control the ball, you can control the clock and it loosens up some stuff on play-action passes that can be good for you."
Boerm made a career-best seven receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
"Each week you look at who your weapons are and how you can get them the ball," McMartin said. "Mitchell's a weapon. He went up and got that first touchdown. Someone not as tall or who couldn't jump as well and was not as good of an athlete as he is, is not going to make that catch, but he did. And in the second half, he made another great touchdown catch in traffic. He just went after it."
Quarterback Nate Boland (freshman, Iowa City, West HS) got the starting nod for the second straight week in place of injured starter Riley Gray (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS). He completed 19 of 31 passes for 188 yards with one interception and one TD.
"Nate had a couple passes that were a little high and the wind was a little bit of a factor for him, but for his second start and where he's at, he's doing a great job," McMartin said. "I couldn't be happier with Nate. He knows where he wants to go with the ball. He's a very smart kid."
Gray was able to make a brief appearance, going in for two plays and powering his way for 1-yard third-quarter touchdown.
Central outgained Buena Vista 514 yards to 341. The Beavers threw for 341 yards but were limited to just 34 rushing yards on 21 carries.
"We got some great stops in the second half," McMartin said. "Early in the game, we couldn't get off the field defensively. But in the second half, the defense picked it up. They did a great job on third down of getting the ball back to (our) offense."
Linebacker Mitch Schroeder (senior, Lowden, North Cedar HS) had another big day with two interceptions, giving him five for the year to take over the team lead. Linebacker Drew Carlson (junior, Ankeny) had a team-high seven tackles, including six solos. Linebacker Tyler Peters (sophomore, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) had six stops while linebacker Sam Norgaard (junior, Naperville, Ill., Neuqua Valley HS) and linebacker Jessie Peterson (junior, Coralville, Iowa City West HS) each had five tackles.
The contest marked the finale at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium for 12 Central seniors.
"These seniors, to walk off their home field for the last time with a win, they can keep their heads up," McMartin said. "The 12 seniors we have here are loyal and did a great job from a commitment standpoint. They've set a great standard for us with their work and helped keep the legacy of this program very strong. They have a lot to be proud of."
Central wraps up the 2015 campaign next Saturday by traveling to Dubuque to take on the league leader, the University of Dubuque. The Spartans, ranked No. 24 by d3football.com are 7-2 overall and 6-0 in conference play after a 37-21 victory at Coe College Saturday.