St. Bonifacius, Minn. — Crown opened its 2026 season at home on Saturday afternoon and held a second‑half lead, but Hamline used a dominant fourth quarter to rally past the Polars 31–21 in the season opener.
Hamline struck first midway through the opening quarter, but Crown answered with two explosive scoring drives in the second. Judah Davis powered in a 6‑yard touchdown to tie the game, and on the next possession Zach Brown found Teegan Bartok for a 60‑yard touchdown, giving Crown a 14–7 advantage. Hamline responded just before halftime, scoring with two seconds remaining to send the teams into the break tied 14–14.
Crown regained the lead early in the third quarter. After a defensive stop, Davis broke free for a 28‑yard touchdown — his second of the afternoon — putting the Polars ahead 21–14. But Hamline controlled the fourth quarter, stringing together three scoring drives while keeping Crown off the board the rest of the way.
Even in defeat, Crown produced several strong offensive performances. Davis led the ground attack with 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Brown threw for 160 yards, highlighted by Bartok's 77‑yard, two‑catch performance. Jakhari Jones added three receptions for 54 yards, and Juymill Lewis, Rox Reiman, AJ Shaffer, Michael Sarych, and Bryce Ternes each contributed in the passing game.
Crown's defense delivered a physical, high‑effort performance throughout the afternoon. Nathan Tomlinson led the Polars with 11 tackles and added two pass breakups, consistently disrupting Hamline's passing rhythm. Maguire Keller finished with 10 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Brian Amune Jr. added eight tackles and a tackle for loss.
Eddie Hallowanger recorded six tackles and forced a fumble, and David Hernandez matched him with six stops and a pass breakup. Keivon Davis also tallied six tackles. Up front, Jakayln Roy delivered one of the day's top defensive performances with four tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and Crown's lone sack, along with two quarterback hurries. Tel Frisinger, Travis Moore, and Kyjuan Simmons each added pressure in the backfield, combining for additional tackles for loss and quarterback hits. Xavier Bueno and TJ Nelson also contributed to a defensive unit that stayed active across all four quarters.
On special teams, Tomlinson added 78 kickoff‑return yards, including a 35‑yard runback that set up strong field position.
Crown now turns its attention to Week 2 as the Polars travel to Indianola, Iowa, to face Simpson College on Saturday, September 12.
