Former Panthers in snowstorm finales

Two former Creston linemen saw their football careers end in NAIA playoff snowstorms.

Avery Fuller was an offensive tackle for the Benedictine College Ravens, who ended their 12-2 season in a 17-10 playoff loss to national champion Grand View on Dec. 13 at Williams Stadium in Des Moines. The Des Moines metro area received 8 inches of snow that weekend, much of it falling during the game.

Derek Paup was a defensive lineman for Dordt University’s 10-1 team that lost in the NAIA playoffs second round on Nov. 29 to Marian University, 26-18, during a snowstorm in Indianapolis, Ind. (Dordt was 9-1 going into the game. Marian’s win was later ruled a forfeit because of the use of an ineligible player. However, Keiser (Florida) advanced to the semifinals over Marian by forfeit. Dordt was not allowed to advance to the quarterfinals in place of Marian, but was officially awarded a forfeit win.)

It was the best season in the 18-year history of Dordt football, including a share of the Great Plains Athletic Conference title with Morningside. Dordt had never broken Morningside’s and Northwestern College’s hold on GPAC supremacy, and picked up its first ever win over Northwestern during its 9-1 regular season. Morningside edged Dordt, 34-28, in overtime in the final week of the regular season.

Harlan native Joel Osborn, former Northwest Missouri State assistant coach, led Benedictine to a 42-10 record during Fuller’s four seasons with the Ravens. Osborn was named NAIA Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

Benedictine’s road

Fuller, a 6-5, 270-pound offensive tackle, started the Clarke and Graceland games for Benedictine this season. In the Graceland game he faced Graceland freshman running back Weston Trapp of Creston, who carried the ball four times in Benedictine’s 52-29 win.

Fuller was mostly used as an extra lineman in goal line and fourth down short-yardage situations this year, as well as protection on field goals and extra point kicks. He was the starting left tackle as a sophomore, but suffered a knee injury in fall camp as a junior that limited him to four games. That season the Ravens also reached the NAIA semifinal round, losing to Keiser, 42-38. Keiser was runner-up to Grand View in both 2024 and 2025, falling 22-16 in this year’s title game.

Fuller said a turnover proved costly in this year’s 17-10 semifinal loss to Grand View in the driving snowstorm.

“We had a muffed punt return they recovered in the red zone in the third quarter, and that was big for them in a tight game like that,” Fuller said. “We would march down the field and end up stalling. We tried three field goals and made one. They have a really tough red zone defense.”

“It snowed until halfway through the third quarter,” Fuller added. “They were constantly shoveling the yard lines to figure out where we needed to be. They had a Gator with a blade to keep it manageable. The actual temperature was barely over 10 degrees and feels-like was in single digits. We had been practicing in Atchison in weather in the 40s and 50s. We brought a lot of cold gear to stay warm, and our training staff brought four industrial size heaters for our sideline.”

The Ravens generated high hopes early in the season with a 38-34 victory over NAIA traditional power Morningside, and a narrow 27-24 loss to national champion Grand View, in a preview of the playoff semifinals. The Ravens won their fourth straight Heart of America Conference South Division crown at 6-0.

Dordt’s playoff loss

Paup, a 6-2, 265-pound senior, was in a three-man rotation with two other interior defensive linemen for the Defenders and always on the field in third-down passing situations. Playing that position wasn’t easy in the Indianapolis snow on Thanksgiving weekend against Marian.

“It didn’t snow until right before the game,” Paup said. “We went inside after warm-ups, and when we came back out the whole field was covered. It snowed about two or three inches. Rushing the passer is a lot more difficult. You’re trying to more or less juke them out instead of using finesse. Or bull rush. Marian had a solid running back that got to the edge on us in their outside zone.”

Dordt fought back from a 20-0 deficit to trail by eight, with possession, in the fourth quarter.

“We got the ball back with 53 seconds left to score eight points,” Paup said. “The drive took too long and we ran out of time.”

Dordt coach Joel Penner continued to hold practices the following week after it was ruled Marian used an ineligible players, in hopes NAIA officials would allow the Defenders to advance. However, on Thursday of that week the news came that NAIA by-laws allowed Marian’s next opponent, Keiser, to advance automatically, but Dordt would not be allowed to face Keiser in that quarterfinal game.

Paup had been a part of one other playoff team his sophomore season. That year, the Defenders beat Ottawa in the playoff opener before falling 7-0 to GPAC rival Northwestern in the second round.

Dordt went 7-3, 8-2 and 9-2 in Paup’s final three seasons, although technically this year’s mark shows as 10-1 with the Marian game declared a forfeit win. Paup said it was rewarding to be a part of an NAIA powerhouse in the making.

“When I went on my visit, I could feel some momentum building,” Paup said. “They were getting the right people in, and a great culture was being built. They were winning, but also working for excellence in other areas, like the classroom, and off the field in becoming men.”

The Dordt team included kicker Stephen Leinen of Harlan and center Joel Akers of Winterset, who both earned All-American recognition.

Creston background

Paup and Fuller are two of 10 former Creston Panthers under head coach Brian Morrison playing collegiate football. Steve Shantz was Paup’s primary position coach for the defensive line, and Fuller worked under Casey Tanner and Nate Haley as an offensive lineman.

“The best part about that coaching staff is that they’re passionate about football,” Fuller said. “They love football and want to teach it to others.”

Among other former Panthers in postseason play, Cael Turner was a reserve redshirt freshman quarterback on the Northwest Missouri State team in the NCAA Division II playoffs, falling to national runner-up Harding University, 38-16. Ty Morrison redshirted this season as a junior transfer linebacker at Morningside, which lost to College of Idaho, 38-16, in the NAIA playoffs. Brayden Schoon redshirted as a freshman lineman at NJCAA national champion Iowa Western Community College.

Also, the trio of former Panthers Brennan Hayes (running back), Quinten Fuller (offensive line) and Max Chapman (defensive line) saw duty for Wayne State’s 7-4 team that won the last four games and narrowly missed the NCAA D-II playoffs.

Avery Fuller said he was able to see his brother play for Wayne State during his bye week, and Quinten got to watch him in the playoffs. Likewise, Paup’s sister Doryn attended six Dordt football games and he’s been able to see her Simpson College basketball team play twice this season.

Future plans

Paup, son of Chad and Jodi Paup, will graduate in May with a major in business entrepreneurship. Fuller, son of Paul and Margo Fuller, had planned to graduate with a major in exercise science and general health care, with an eye on a nursing school. However, he may pursue a master’s degree at Benedictine if a fifth year of NAIA eligibility is approved next spring.

“It’s a five for five proposal at the NAIA meetings in April, where you could have five years to play up to five years,” Fuller said. “Now, we have 10 semesters or 15 quarters in NAIA to complete four years of eligibility. If that’s approved I’ll probably decide this summer on whether to play a fifth year or not.”

Paup said he does not plan to play a fifth year, but he treasures the memories.

“I will miss it,” he said. “I’m ready for that next step now, but I know next fall I’ll miss being out there competing at that level.”