‘WE’RE BOTH COMPETITORS’: TWO QUARTERBACKS FIGHT FOR 2019 STARTING NOD

RYAN REEBENACKER, TRUMPET SPORTS WRITER, KV NEWS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Immediately following the final career play of All-American quarterback Matt Sacia ’19 last season, competition for the quarterback position heated up between the two backup quarterbacks. Noah Dodd ’20 and Jace Moore ’21 were immediately eager to fill the void under center.

“Whatever comes of this, or whoever does end up being the starter, will definitely be better than if one of us weren’t here,” Moore said. “I don’t think either of us would be in the position where we are right now without each other.”

“Me and Jace, we’re both competitors, but above all we’re both team-first guys.”

— NOAH DODD, SENIOR QUARTERBACK

While Dodd has started the first four games of the season, Moore leads the team in offensive touches. 

“It’s obviously been a big transition,” Dodd, the newly minted starter for the Knights, said. “Preparation wise, [starting] is different a little bit. It’s something I have been looking forward to obviously, so I was pretty ambitious about this year and taking over the reigns.”

Moore described the two’s relationship as healthy. While there is clear and present competition, Moore believes that harnessing the competition has ultimately been to the benefit of the team.

“Me and Jace, we’re both competitors,” Dodd said. “But above all we’re both team-first guys. We help each other out, and we have a good working relationship. Having Jace has definitely pushed me to be a better quarterback than I would be had Jace Moore not come to Wartburg.”

The two quarterbacks also share a skill set different than Sacia, which has changed the offense in return. 

“I think we have a lot of similarities [in our skill sets],” Dodd said. “I’d say that me and Jace are closer to each other than me and Matt were. We defer to our feet a little bit more than Matt would have.”

In Wartburg’s most recent game against the Buena Vista Beavers, Dodd went 12-for-19 passing for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Moore, who received the start, went 9-for-19 for 118 yards and one touchdown. 

Wartburg’s next game will be at 1:30 p.m., Oct. 12 at home against Nebraska Wesleyan.