(Peru, Neb.) – Second-year head football coach Casey Creehan had a successful year at the helm of the Peru State football program. The 'Cats won the most games since the 2017 season when they also went 7-4.
 
The Bobcats finished 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division. Peru State's biggest win of the season came at home on Sept. 11 when they beat the then-#17-ranked Benedictine College Ravens 45-21 in the Oak Bowl.
 
Peru State would have two losses to the eventual division champions. From the south it would be Central Methodist taking the title and from the north it would be Grand View. Both made the NAIA National Football Championships.
 
Peru State won on Senior Day against Graceland 51-7. This would be the first time all season that the 'Cats hit the 50-point mark. In addition, Peru State had two shutouts against Clarke and William Penn. This was the first time in 15 years since this has happened. In 2006 the Bobcats had three shutouts – one of which was a forfeit.
 
Offense
 
The Bobcats averaged 260.7 yards per game with 137.5 rushing yards and a 123.2 passing yards. The 'Cats averaged 24.7 points per game on the year.
 
The Bobcats had five players on the all-conference teams and in addition had one individual award winner. Quinton Hawkins (Richmond, Va.) would win the Freshman of the Year of the Heart North Division.
 
Devin Adams (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) would be the lone first team selection as he was selected as the punter. Adams registered 45 punts on the year for 1,868 yards for an average of 41.5 yards per punt. His longest punt was 65 yards and he placed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.
 
Hawkins, Mario Locke (Chickasaw, Ala.), Jackson Gilbert (Omaha), and Shane McInerney (Galway, Ireland) were second team all-conference. Hawkins had 161 carries for 642 yards and 11 rushing TDs and had 151 yards and five TDs in the 51-7 win against Graceland.
 
Locke and Gilbert were offensive linemen selections while McInerney was the field goal kicker as he went 12-14 on the year for field goals for 86%. He was perfect on PAT tries going 28-28. McInerney was also named special teams player of the week twice throughout the year.
 
Joe Dominguez (Von Ormy, Texas) led the team in passing yards with 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. Dominguez was third on the team in rushing with 84 carries for 211 yards and one score. Ki'Jana Owens (North Platte) was second on the team in rushing with 124 carries for 479 yards and one score.
 
Dremel Jackson (Kansas City, Mo.) led the team in catches (30), receiving yards (371), and was second on the team in touchdowns (3). Jarrius Anderson (Cordova, Tenn.) was second on the team in catches (21). Anderson had 190 receiving yards and one touchdown.
 
Garry Fleming (Saint Petersburg, Fla.) had 19 catches on the year for 248 yards. The 248 yards would be good for second on the team. He led the team in receiving touchdowns with four.
 
Defense
 
Peru State had one of the best defenses in the country during the regular season. The 'Cats gave up 211.3 total yards per game with was second in the NAIA at the end of the regular season. Teams only were able to gnarl 154.3 passing yards per game which would be good for fourth best in the NAIA.
 
The team was dominate against the run only giving up 57 yards on the ground which was tops in the NAIA. The defense would be tied for fourth in sacks during the regular season with 36 on the year. Teams they tied with would be College of Idaho, Kansas Wesleyan, and Morningside.
 
The Bobcats would have nine players named to all-conference defense selections and one individual award winner.
 
Adams won the Defensive Player of the Year for the Heart North Division. In addition, he was a first team all-defensive selection as Adams was third on the team in tackles with 43. He also led the team in sacks and tackles for losses with seven and 17.5.
 
Armunz Mathews (Quincy, Fla.) tied for most interceptions with four for 29 yards. Mathews had 31 total tackles and three pass break ups. Second team on defensive selections included Travis Reed (Hickman), Delonte Hood (Washington, D.C.), Gerald Smith (Baltimore, Md.), and Nick Andrews (Ruston, La.).
 
Reed led the team with 85 total tackles with a 7.7 tackles per game average. He also registered 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Hood on the year had 21 total tackles and led the team in pass break ups with seven. Hood also blocked one kick.
 
Smtih was second on the team win sacks with six and returned a fumble for a 27-yard score against Benedictine. Andrews had 5.5 sacks and was second on the team in tackles for a loss with ten. Andrews had 31 total tackles on the year and forced one fumble.
 
Craig Jones (Philadelphia, Penn.), Michael Lombardi (Peru), and Ethan Skarmas (Palm Desert, Calif.) were all-conference honorable mention selections for the defense. Jones tied for team high in four picks for 29 return yards while adding 21 total tackles with two pass break ups.
 
Lombardi was fourth on the team in total tackles with 40. He had ten tackles for a loss which would place him in a tie for second on the team. Lombardi recorded 4.5 sacks during the campaign. Skarmas had 31 total tackles with two sacks and five tackles for a loss.
 
Clayton Thrasher (Mandeville, La.) was second on the team in assisted tackles (36) and second on the team in total tackles (59). Thrasher averaged 5.4 tackles per game and had 1.5 tackles for a loss and two fumble recoveries on the year.
 
Peru State will say goodbye to 12 seniors with eight being on the offensive side and four on the defensive side of the ball.
 
The Bobcat will look to continue to improve on the impressive year to try and take the North Division title and make it to the NAIA D1 Football Playoffs.