ST. LOUIS – The Pioneer Football League opened the 2026 season Thursday with five games, highlighted by home-opening wins by St. Thomas and Presbyterian.
PFL Scoreboard: Week 1
South Dakota Mines def. Drake, 38-35
Ohio Dominican def. Morehead State, 42-40, 3OT
Concord def. Davidson, 41-35
Presbyterian def. UVA Wise, 47-37
St. Thomas def. Winona State, 15-9
PFL Recaps: Thursday, August 27
South Dakota Mines def. Drake, 38-35
DES MOINES, Iowa – South Dakota Mines defeated Drake 38-35 at Drake Stadium on Thursday night, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 1:56 remaining after the Bulldogs rallied from a 31-13 deficit.
South Dakota Mines led 17-13 at halftime and added two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 31-13 advantage. Drake then erupted in the fourth, with Riley Warzynski throwing touchdown passes of 80 yards to Willis Nofsinger and 73 yards to Hank Foley before a blocked punt was recovered by Kaden Kindred for a touchdown, putting the Bulldogs ahead 35-31 with 7:52 remaining.
South Dakota Mines answered with a 16-play, 79-yard drive that consumed 5:49. Dawson Dunbar finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, and the Hardrockers then forced a turnover on Drake’s final possession when Riley Warzynski was intercepted by Gabe Frerichs at the South Dakota Mines 48-yard line with 1:50 remaining. South Dakota Mines finished with 527 total yards, including 221 rushing yards.
Gage Baker completed 19 of 31 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns for South Dakota Mines, while Dawson Dunbar rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 94 yards and a score. Warzynski threw for 535 yards and three touchdowns for Drake, while Willis Nofsinger caught 10 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown.
Ohio Dominican def. Morehead State, 42-40, 3OT
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Ohio Dominican defeated Morehead State 42-40 in three overtimes at Jayne Stadium on Thursday night, rallying after Morehead State erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit and tied the game with 1:07 remaining
The Eagles' 22-point rally was capped by Anthony Ice’s 9-yard touchdown reception with 1:07 left in regulation. Ohio Dominican missed a 31-yard field goal in the first overtime, but then intercepted a Morehead State pass to force a second overtime.
The Eagles took a 40-34 lead in the second overtime when David Parsons connected with Anthony Ice for a 10-yard touchdown, but Ohio Dominican answered when Carson Parker found Conner Campbell for a 27-yard touchdown. Both teams failed on their two-point attempts, sending the game to a third overtime, where Parker ran for a two-point conversion while Parsons’ pass attempt fell to the turf.
Parker completed 23 of 48 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns for Ohio Dominican and rushed for 84 yards. Mekhi Jenkins added 101 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Luke Hess caught four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Parsons threw for 463 yards and four touchdowns but was intercepted three times, while Ice caught eight passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Concord def. Davidson, 41-35
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Concord defeated Davidson 41-35 at Richardson Stadium on Thursday night, using a 13-point second half and holding off a late Wildcats rally.
The teams traded touchdowns throughout the first half and entered halftime tied 28-28. Concord took the lead for good when Stanley Horn Jr. returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown with 13:59 remaining in the third quarter. Christian Torres added field goals of 26 and 23 yards, giving the Mountain Lions a 41-28 lead with 10:29 left.
Davidson answered with a 75-yard drive that ended with Casey Bullock’s 17-yard touchdown run at the seven-minute mark, cutting the deficit to six. The Wildcats moved into Concord territory again late in the fourth quarter, but Concord’s defense stopped the drive on downs at its own 39-yard line with 1:01 remaining.
Devin Kargman completed 17 of 34 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown for Concord, while Greg Burrell rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Dom Collins had three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Bullock threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and another score for Davidson, while Jacary Lightsey caught 10 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Presbyterian def. UVA Wise, 47-37
CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian defeated UVA Wise 47-37 at Bailey Memorial Stadium on Thursday night, turning a three-point halftime lead into an 11-point advantage after a 21-point third quarter.
The teams were tied 7-7 after the opening period, and Presbyterian took a 17-16 lead into halftime. The Blue Hose then scored three touchdowns in the third quarter, including touchdown runs by Landon Sharpe and Damion Moate and a touchdown reception by Caleb Johnson, to build a 38-30 lead.
UVA Wise answered with a fourth-quarter touchdown to pull within 38-37, but Presbyterian added a field goal and a late touchdown to secure the victory. The Cavaliers mounted one final 99-yard drive, with McCalan Beason’s 1-yard touchdown run cutting the deficit to 10 with 55 seconds remaining, but Presbyterian recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.
Sharpe completed 30 of 43 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown for Presbyterian. Anton Smith caught six passes for 105 yards, while Caleb Johnson had seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Beason threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 99 yards and two scores for UVA Wise, while Hunter Purdue caught six passes for 163 yards and a touchdown.
St. Thomas def. Winona State, 15-9
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas defeated Winona State 15-9 at O’Shaughnessy Stadium on Thursday night, scoring the winning touchdown with 58 seconds remaining after the Warriors tied the game with 3:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Winona State took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter, but St. Thomas answered with a touchdown and carried a 6-3 advantage into halftime. The Tommies added a third-quarter field goal to make it 9-3 before Winona State pulled even on a fourth-quarter touchdown run.
St. Thomas responded immediately, with Andrew Policare connecting with Liam Schuler for a 45-yard gain on the ensuing possession. Schuler fumbled as he was being tackled, but Patrick McCrary recovered the loose ball at the two-yard line and ran it into the end zone for the decisive touchdown.
Policare completed 13 of 22 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown for St. Thomas, while Gavin Abel led the Tommies on the ground with 75 yards on 13 carries. Jahmani Muhammad rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown for Winona State, while Jackson Flottmeyer passed for 116 yards.