Graceland Football Falls in Season Finale Shootout to Baker, 41–38
LAMONI, Iowa — In a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair to conclude the 2025 football season, Graceland University dropped a narrow 41–38 decision to visiting Baker University on Saturday afternoon at Huntsman Field. Despite a career day from quarterback TJ Shanks and a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive that temporarily gave the Yellowjackets the lead, Baker's explosive offense responded in the final minute to seal the win.
Graceland finishes the 2025 season with a 3–8 overall record and 1–6 mark in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The game marked the final appearance for a group of dedicated Yellowjacket seniors who helped push the program forward during a competitive conference slate.
"I loved the way we fought till the end today," said Graceland head coach Phil Staback. "We rebounded well after how poorly we played last week, but we came up a few plays short today. Hats off to Baker, they are a tough team. It was a great atmosphere, the fans were loud, and it was a heck of a football game by two good teams. These seniors are going to be missed, and they did a heck of a job helping get Graceland to where it is now. The future is bright here at Graceland. We are going to build something special."
Offensive Shootout in Lamoni
The game featured a combined 865 yards of total offense and 11 touchdowns. Graceland quarterback TJ Shanks led the way with a commanding 410-yard, four-touchdown performance through the air, completing 30 of 45 pass attempts. His favorite targets were Gerald Monroe, who caught five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and Aaron Bullock II, who added seven receptions for 95 yards and a score. Isiah Rivers-Roberts contributed six catches for 57 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown reception that briefly gave Graceland the lead with just under two minutes to play.
On the ground, Javon Minor led all Graceland rushers with 70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, including a 49-yard scoring burst in the second quarter that helped shift momentum.
Game Recap
After trailing 14–3 midway through the second quarter, Graceland stormed back with two touchdown drives in less than six minutes. Minor's 49-yard run and a crisp six-play, 74-yard drive capped by Bullock's 11-yard reception from Shanks pulled the Yellowjackets within four at 21–17 heading into halftime.
Graceland kept pace through the third quarter as Shanks connected with Monroe on a 55-yard strike to make it a 28–24 contest. After Baker added a field goal early in the fourth, Shanks engineered a 72-yard touchdown drive, finishing with a 20-yard scoring throw to Monroe to knot the game at 31–31.
Following another Baker field goal, Graceland answered yet again, this time with a nine-play, 65-yard drive culminating in the 16-yard touchdown pass to Rivers-Roberts, which gave the Yellowjackets a 38–34 edge with 1:51 left on the clock.
Unfortunately for Graceland, Baker's Truman Juelsgaa led a quick four-play, 70-yard drive, finishing with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Gaige Warren that ultimately decided the contest with under a minute to play.
Graceland attempted one final possession, advancing to the Baker 38 before a pass was intercepted by Zac Kramer, sealing the win for the Wildcats.
Team & Individual Performances
Graceland outgained Baker through the air 410–175 and posted 478 yards of total offense, one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season. Despite losing the turnover battle (two lost fumbles and one interception), the Yellowjackets matched Baker with 69 total plays and edged them in yards per play (6.9 to 6.1).
Defensively, Zion Trimboli and Jacob Morales led the Yellowjackets with eight total tackles apiece, while Marcus Miller recorded a team-best two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Tamon Dukes forced a critical red zone fumble in the second quarter, halting a Baker scoring threat just before halftime.
Senior Class Sends Message of Progress
Saturday's contest served as Senior Day for the Yellowjackets, honoring a group of players who played a pivotal role in Graceland's development under Coach Staback's leadership. The class helped navigate a tough Heart schedule, competing closely in multiple contests throughout the season, including Saturday's three-point margin.
"These Seniors are going to be missed," said Staback. "They did a heck of a job helping get Graceland to where it is now."
Looking Ahead
With the 2025 campaign officially in the books, Head Coach Phil Staback now begins the process of building Graceland's 2026 football roster. With returning talent on both sides of the ball and a renewed focus on depth and development, the Yellowjackets are poised to make strides toward becoming a perennial contender in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and across the NAIA.
The future is bright for Graceland football.
For more information on Graceland football and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com