Several players from Northwestern College in Orange City were injured Saturday in a wreck on the way to a game in Sioux City.
Five players were hospitalized after one of the Northwestern buses carrying the team’s offensive players to Sioux City for a game against Briar Cliff struck a light pole near the entrance to Briar Cliff’s football field. One of the players taken to the hospital has a broken sternum, and another suffered a broken nose. Several other players suffered facial injuries when their heads hit the seat in front of them.
The start of the game was delayed for four hours, but 10 players, including several offensive linemen, were unable to play. Northwestern was able to rally for a 28-0 win over the Chargers.
After the game, Northwestern Football Coach, Matt McCarty, said: “We talk a lot about mental performance and how we handle adversity. It’s times like this when it shows up,” McCarty added. “I’m so proud of our guys for really digging in and rallying around each other and playing for one another. That’s maybe the best football game we played this year under those circumstances. I’m so proud of them. I love these guys so much, and just the way that they competed for each other.”
