The assignment is simple, but immense.
           
For Central College (6-1 overall, 4-1 conference) to remain in the American Rivers football race, the Dutch must do what no other team has done since 2018 and that's defeat Wartburg College in Waverly. Central tackles the No. 3-ranked Knights (8-0 overall, 6-0 conference) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Walston-Hoover Stadium. Wartburg, which is riding an 18-game regular-season winning streak, steamrolled Loras College at Dubuque last Saturday 62-7 while Central raced past Nebraska Wesleyan 72-0 at Pella.
           
The series—Wartburg outlasted Central at Pella last year 35-28 and the Dutch haven't won at Waverly since 2009. But Central holds a 45-26 lead in the teams' series.
           
Due to a quirk in the conference schedule rotation and the cancellation of the 2020 fall slate due to the global pandemic, Central hasn't played in Waverly since 2018. Yet McMartin notes that it won't be unfamiliar terrain for many Dutch players.
           
"One of the nice things about how we do things with Wartburg is we also play in JV," he said. "When they've come down here for varsity games, we've gone up there for JV games. So a lot of our guys have played up there two or three times. They understand what the locker room is like and what the field is like. We know it's going to be a tough environment. We understand that. But it's also something where, if you're doing it right, you're focused on the play on the field and the guy in front of you. We try to keep things consistent. We've tried to focus on the field and not on everything else around us."
           
On the air and online—The Voice of the Dutch, Trevor Castle, calls Saturday's action on KRLS-FM (92.1), with retired Central defensive coordinator Don DeWaard providing the color. The KRLS pregame show will air at 12:35 p.m. The broadcast can be accessed through www.kniakrls.com or directly at rdo.to/krls. It's also accessible via mobile device with the KRLS app available through iTunes and other outlets.
           
The Knights—It's a Wartburg squad oozing with experience. The projected starting lineup includes 11 5th-year players, seven seniors, three juniors and a sophomore. The defense is especially dominant, ranking third in the NCAA Division III in rushing defense (43.5 yards per game), seventh in scoring defense (9.4 points) and 14th in total defense (233.1 yards). But the Wartburg offense also ranks10th in fewest sacks allowed (0.5 per game), 12th in scoring offense (45.2) and 28th in total offense (454.5 yards).
           
"They're a really veteran team on defense and very physical," McMartin said. "They're very sound in what they do and they make it a challenge. A lot of teams want to run the ball inside the tackles and they really take that away from you and then they've got great speed, so anything that does get outside can get swallowed up pretty quickly. They've been really effective."
           
All-American running back Hunter Clasen, a fifth-year player, is the offensive catalyst. He ranks first in Division III in rushing touchdowns (15), fourth in scoring (12.8 points per game), sixth in rushing yards (951), 14th in rushing yards per game (118.9) and 16th in yards per carry (6.4).
           
"He does a really good job," McMartin said. "They have a good offensive line that complements what he does extremely well. He breaks a lot of tackles. You're not going to arm tackle him. He's got good speed, good strength, good balance and good vision, all the tools you look for in a running back."
           
Meanwhile, fifth-year quarterback Nile McLaughlin is 14th in Division III in TD passes (22) and 21st in passing yards (138).
           
"He's very experienced and he throws a good ball," McMartin said. "They're well coached and they can attack in a lot of different ways. So if you try to load up and stop one player, they'll expose you."
           
Next game—Last Saturday's victory was Central's fourth in a row, but McMartin said the Dutch can't divert their attention from the next play and next game.
           
"One thing we've learned about our team is that we're a better team when we focus on one day at a time and one game at a time and just go out, execute and just do our job," he said.
           
Balance—Last week's one-sided win let Central showcase its depth. Twelve players caught passes for the Dutch and eight players ran the ball. For the season, in seven games, four different players have led Central in rushing while five others have led in receiving.
           
"It's nice to see some of the younger guys that have come along this year to replace some guys that we lost in graduation," McMartin said. "I think we have good depth in a number of positions and that affords us the opportunity to play different people and keep people fresh and fast."
           
An example surfaced Saturday in freshman tight end Jacob Birch (Harlan). The Dutch have some veteran receiving standouts but Birch led the Dutch with five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.
           
"He was a great player in high school in three sports," McMartin said. "We knew we were getting a tremendously talented player and it's good to see him keep growing. He's had good mentoring and good coaching. He's got excellent hands and tremendous speed. You have to credit our tight ends as a group. All of those guys have really worked well together to help each other improve and grow."
           
Multi-threat—The Dutch are finding additional ways to plug quarterback Keegan Glover (sophomore, Benton, Ill.) into the offense. Saturday he completed a pass for 16 yards, was Central's top rusher with 44 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and also had his first four pass receptions for 24 yards.
           
"He's tremendously versatile," McMartin said. "We are trying to utilize all of his skills. It's good to get the ball in his hands."
             
Among the leaders—Central is 11th in Division III in blocked kicks with five in seven games. That includes two by linebacker Reid Pakkebier (junior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS), who is eighth individually.
           
"Give a lot of credit to our guys," McMartin said. "Coach (Max) Race and Coach (Michael) Chorowicz spend a lot of time on special teams and they've done a very good job, along with Coach (Matt) Paulsen. They've put our players in positions to be successful. Our guys have really bought in and execute their techniques well."
           
Meanwhile, Central is third in Division III in defensive touchdowns (4), third in fewest fumbles lost (1), fourth in interceptions (14) and fifth in turnovers gained (21). Individually, kicker Logan Sunvold (senior, Monroe, Southeast Polk HS) is eighth in field goals per game (1.1) and 16th in field goal percentage (.800, 8-10) cornerback Gavin Smith (sophomore, Audubon) is fifth in passes defended (1.8) and receiver Ryan Neu (senior, West Des Moines, Valley HS) is 12th in touchdowns (12) and 13th in scoring (10.3).
           
Notes—Central's junior varsity plays Wartburg Monday at 6 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium on campus…Neu's two touchdowns catches Saturday marked the third time this season he's had multiple TD receptions…Saturday's shutout was only Central's second since 2016…Sunvold extended his school career extra-point record to 180 with seven Saturday. Sophomore Grant Kruse (Oxford, Clear Creek-Amana HS) took the game's final three tries. Sunvold has climbed to fifth in school history in career field goals (27) …Central has run the ball more than 40 times in three games this season while exceeding 40 passes four times…Saturday marked the first game this season that the Dutch failed to intercept a pass. They've had multiple interceptions in five games.