Don Bosco seizes state title from Spartan’s grasp in defensive grind

Don Bosco rallies past Exira-EHK on two-minute drill to win 18-14; Dons earn first ever-state state football title

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 22, 2013

CEDAR FALLS – Don Bosco led for only 1:13 in Thursday’s 8-Man State Championship game against Exira-EHK.

But, it proved to be the only minute and 13 seconds that counted.

Don Bosco scored three times in the final quarter-and-some-change and took the lead at last on a two-minute drill led senior All-State quarterback Jake Hogan, who plunged in the final score from one-yard-out.

Hogan also intercepted a pass on defense in the waning seconds to kill the Spartans’ final drive and set up one play of victory formation.

So went the Dons’ dramatic 18-14 come from behind victory over a stunned Spartans’ squad that watched a two-touchdown second-half lead evaporate. 

“It’s a tough loss,” Spartans’ head coach Tom Petersen said afterwards. “It was a tough defensive day for both sides, and we came up just a little bit short.”

Exira-EHK led 14-0 at the half after long scoring runs by senior Trey Sander and junior QB Drew Peppers set the tone early. The Spartans shut down Hogan in the first two quarters while holding the Dons to 80 yards and two first downs.

Exira-EHK had minus 10 yards rushing on its first three possessions before Sander broke loose through the middle and went 35 yards for a touchdown. Peppers then went 40 yards for a score in the second quarter, and the Spartans were sailing.

Peppers carried the ball 27 times for 100 yards and completed 9-of-23 pass attempts for 106 yards.

In the first half, Hogan was limited to 40 yards on 15 attempts, a sliver of the 9.5 YPC average he brought into the final.

But Hogan got his offense moving in the second, and finished with 111 yards on 32 carries while adding 172 yards on 8-of-21 passing. He carried the ball on nine of the game’s final 10 plays.

It truly was a tale of two halves.

“We missed some opportunities and didn’t make enough plays (on offense),” coach Petersen says of the second half. “But the defense kept us in the game the entire time.”

The way this matchup unfolded was a stark contrast to the 110 points per game (combined) the two squads had averaged during the season.

Bounces shifted from the Spartans’ fortune to the Dons in the second half and the defensive line play from Don Bosco found a way to plug the running lanes and gaps that were there for EEHK in the first half. 

And then there was the remarkable.

Twice the Dons started drives on their own 1-yard-line, and drove the length of the field in the second half to eat up a significant portion of clock and redirect the winds of momentum. 

“We changed things up a little bit and went to some pitch and catch,” coach Don Bosco coach Colby Yoder says. “Jake settled down for us in the second half and threw the ball well for us. To get pinned down on our 1-yard line twice and then go down and score on both of those drives…how resilient is that?”

Don Bosco was able to get its passing game going in the second half, and picked at weak spots in the Spartans’ man coverage. 

The final drive capped off in 12 plays on the eventual winning score that secured the Dons’ first-ever state football championship in 10 years of competition.

Exira-EHK finishes the season 12-1, and the program’s only two losses over the past two seasons have come at the UNI-Dome to the (eventual) State champion.

“The kids executed really well on both sides of the ball,” coach Petersen says. “They’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just one of those days. Unfortunately one team has to lose, and our kids came up on the short end. But what a group to have.”

#iahsfb   #exira-ehk

NT Sports Commentary: For whomever was going to triumph in 8-Man this year, “defense wins championships” mantra becomes fact

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 22, 2013

CEDAR FALLS – A beautiful thing happened Thursday on the UNI-Dome turf.

No, the hometown Spartans did not win the state championship, they fell short by four points to Don Bosco 18-14. 

But it was how this game played out that can provide some solace to followers and fans of the 8-Man game in Iowa.

In 8-Man, the width of the field is a bit less wide, and the full length of the field is shorter (80 yards) than the 11-player version. In the past, teams have found success playing up-tempo, employing trickery, and simply trying to outscore the opposition. 

Adair-Casey and Newell-Fonda came into the Dome last week scoring 68 and 54 PPG respectively. But when faced with what proved to be the two toughest defenses in the state, the flashy offensive numbers they’d grown accustomed to dried up like a puddle in the sun, and both sides of this year’s State Semifinal games were decisive.

Don Bosco sliced through Adair-Casey by scoring a season-high 78 points (78-21), and EEHK hammered Newell-Fonda 56-7 a short time afterward. 

For the 2013 state championship game, co-No. 1’s according to the last Associated Press’ rankings (Exira-EHK broke tie on overall first place votes) battled it out old school, and left the gadgets for a less disciplined opponent.

Last year’s 8-Man Championship game final score was 51-16. Two years ago, Fremont-Mills beat Murray 81-0. Not since 2006, when Northeast Hamilton defeated Essex 24-6, has less points been scored in a state final.

Big plays were for the most part eliminated when Exira-EHK’s defense matched Don Bosco’s offense, and likewise.

Earlier this week, I asked Spartans head coach Tom Petersen if he thought the game could go the way of a 20-12 final score…would he take the under? He chuckled and said no way, “both offenses are pretty explosive.” 

But it might have been an at-the-time un-noteworthy defensive stand that turned the tide.

With 10:34 remaining, Exira-EHK was stopped on a fourth-and-one at the Don Bosco 22 yard-line. Following the turnover on downs, the Dons march down the field and tied the game. 

Failure to convert that first down might have sealed Exira-EHK’s fate.

Don Bosco went about chipping away at the Spartans, who met their match physically for the first time. Hogan suddenly had a bit more time to throw, and that opened up the Dons’ ability to move the ball through the air.

A reporter asked coach Petersen shortly after the final, that if he was told beforehand that his team would hold Don Bosco to 18 points, would he like his chances to win?

“Absolutely,” he said. “But I expected that our defense would have an opportunity to do that. I know that some people thought that we have a good defense, and I think we’ve demonstrated that it all season long. I think we showed it again today. It’s just a few big plays here and there in the second half, and that’s how it goes.”

“What do they average…60 points per game?” coach Petersen quipped. “I think we held our own on defense today. We just came up short…there is not a lot more you can say about it. I’m just proud of them, is all. Very proud.”

This year, the Spartans and Dons have restored a bit of order to the 8-Man game, reversing (at least for now) the previous trend that better resembles basketball scoring.

“I tip my hat to our defense,” Don Bosco coach Colby Yoder says of his Dons. “We preach defense wins championships, and it did today. We came up big on the defensive side of the ball.”

#iahsfb  #exira-ehk

No. 1-ranked Exira-EHK finally arrives at eve of main objective

Top-ranked Spartans will face No. 2 Don Bosco Thursday at UNI-Dome for 8-Man State Championship

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 20, 2013

CEDAR FALLS - Needless to say, there has been a lot of build up to Thursday’s State Championship game.

It is after all, the pinnacle of 8-Man Football in Iowa, and we are promised that something will get settled somehow on the UNI-Dome Turf in a long-awaited match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2.

For the top-ranked Spartans, the spark to right a wrong caught on a year ago this week after Exira-EHK made its first ever trip to Cedar Falls and dropped its semifinal match to eventual champion Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn. A week later in the State Championship game, MMC handed Don Bosco a similar fate, seizing the 2012 crown for the Eagles with a perfect 14-0 run through the 8-Man game.

In 2013, there will be a familiar kind of different when it comes to who will hoist the championship banner, as MMC bowed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. What’s left is two hungry teams loaded with seasoned veteran players, guys who have risen to every occasion on every week to combine to go 25-0 and score 1,385 points. And just as importantly…they’ve both been here before.

“When you get to a state championship game, obviously the best two teams are there,” Exira-EHK head coach Tom Petersen said this week. “It’s going to be big challenge for our kids, but it’s one that I expect we will be up for.”

The intrigue of putting perhaps the state’s best offense on the field with the best defense could trace as far back as August, when camps came together. All four of the teams that reached the dome last year returned more than they lost. On the east side of the state, Don Bosco has been throttling all opposition, scoring 60 points or better half a dozen times, and just once (a 36-0 win over Rockford), the Dons failed to hang half a hundred points on the board.

In the west, Exira-EHK has developed a reputation as a two-way team that prides itself on its defense, an effort that shows on paper with its state-best 10.9 points allowed per game. The Spartans defense is physical, fast, and smart…and they hit hard.

“We spend so much time on our defense, maybe to a fault,” coach Petersen says. “But (against Newell-Fonda) the defense carried out their assignments the entire game, and we were continually in good position to make plays.

“Now, we are going to have to make sure we are in the right places at the right time, because we are going up against the best quarterback in the state.”

Don Bosco senior quarterback Jake Hogan scored six touchdowns and racked up 256 yards rushing in last Thursday’s win over AC, pushing his season total to 2,459 yards on the ground and 1,434 yards passing with 68 total TDs on the season. 

“We are going up against a special individual, Jake Hogan is the real deal,” coach Petersen says. 

“With him, we NEED to get more than one person to the ball. Our defensive front is going to have to play its best game if the year and they are going to have to be extremely physical when the opportunity is there. I’ve always felt that you are able to slow speed down if he can get enough hits on him. But that’s just it, we need to make sure we play physical when we can, and the big plays…we will have to take them with a grain of salt.”

Don Bosco has a better scoring average this year at 59 PPG, though the Spartans are not far behind at 52. Moreover, EEHK’s defense is allowing about half (10.42) as many points as does DB (19.31), and the Spartans defense might provide the wild card the team needs to fend this contest in its favor.

Spartans coaches say they can hope to expect a shutout for every game, though Petersen admits this week that Don Bosco isn’t really a team you can reasonably expect to shutdown.

“It’s pretty obvious when you see a team scoring 59 points per game, that is probably a team that is going to get big plays,” he says. “But with our guys, we talk about short term memory, regardless of what happens, we need to bounce back and make plays. Chances are, we will make some mistakes, but we can’t let those (fester).”

The Spartans continue to be led offensively by junior QB Drew Peppers, who has run for 2,043 yards, passed for 3,904, and scored 57 offensive touchdowns this year. EEHK also maintains a stable of backs equally effective at moving the football in seniors Trey Sander and Nick Peppers.

Sander is knocking on the door of 1,000 yards this season (915 on 99 carries) despite missing almost 12 quarters of the season, and Nick Peppers leads the Spartans in yards-per-touch at 9.8 (390 yards on 40 attempts) in limited action as well.

Now the Spartans are healthy and eager to take this next and final step for a remarkable football season for Exira-EHK. Win or lose Thursday, the Spartans have broken new ground for the program in a new era of 8-Man Football.

“It’s been a long journey, but one this group has definitely earned,” coach Petersen says.

“I felt confident that if our kids did everything to the best of their capability, then I figured we could reach this position. Obviously, to get here, you’ve got to have a lot of things go your way. But this is something (our players) have worked extremely hard for…they’ve put in the time and effort needed to get to this position. This opportunity is something they have earned.”

#8-manfootball   #iahsfb    #exira-ehk

8-MAN: Staunch Spartans defense might be the key to stopping high-powered Don Bosco

Exira-EHK’s defense leads the state with 10.4 points allowed per game

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 20, 2013

EXIRA – After Exira-EHK coaches were able to sit back and watch film to really evaluate what went well in the Spartans’ one-sided 56-7 victory over Newell-Fonda in the State Semifinal, one aspect of the game spoke loudly to head coach Tom Petersen.

It was the same song, different verse for the Spartans defense, who boast the best unit in the 8-Man game, supported by their 10.4 PPG surrendered and the two shutouts pitched in four playoff games.

Exira-EHK nearly had another shutout Thursday at the UNI-Dome, though a breakdown allowed a big play for touchdown for NF, and instead the Spartans just melted away the Mustangs with a running clock.

“The biggest thing was we were able to carry out our assignments on the defensive side,” coach Petersen says. “We spend so much time on defense, probably too much to a fault at the expense of our offense, but the defense did its job the entire game.”

Perhaps making the biggest impact against Newell-Fonda was the Spartans’ defensive line. Sophomore Martin Olson played physical up front on the UNI-Dome turf, as did junior Austin Moeller. Senior Brett Johnson will be moved up front against Don Bosco from linebacker after he had 10 tackles, a sack and an pick-six against NF, and he is expected to solidify the front line for the Exira-EHK defense.

Collectively, the unit took a step forward last week against a top tier opponent, and coaches are counting on the group to maintain that level of intensity.

“We HAVE to have that again,” coach Petersen says of the play from the defensive front. “I felt Martin Olson felt his best game of the season by far because he was aggressive. For being just a sophomore, he has come a long way from a year ago. Austin was tough on the interior front, and Brett was all over the place.”

Johnson’s impact on the defense has been a tremendous surprise for the Spartans coaching staff. After sitting out from football since his freshman season because of medical issues, he’s made an immediate impact for the top-ranked Spartans, not just starting but starring.

Johnson has racked up 86 total tackles this season, and leads the team in tackles for loss (14) and solo sacks (8).

“For him to come back and see how well he has done on both sides of the ball is extremely special,” coach Petersen says of Johnson. “With what he has been through, I don’t think a lot of kids would have stuck with it, and I think that says a lot about his character and what he has meant to our football program.”

Moreover, Drew Peppers leads the team with 122 tackles, and brother Nick Peppers has 114 despite missing a couple weeks. Senior Joe Harris is third on the team with 88 tackles, and the Spartans have eight players who have 40 tackles or more on the season.

In general, Exira-EHK has hung its hat on its defense, and only five times in 12 has the opposing team scored more than once against the Spartans.

The Spartans have 30 takeaways this season (8 fumble recoveries and 22 interceptions), which compares favorably against Don Bosco’s 28 takeaways (16 fumbles recovered and 11 picks).

In the 8-Man game, where defense is very much overshadowed by gaudy scoring totals and gadget offenses, defense has almost developed into an afterthought in some circles.  

Both side boasts top-shelf defenses, and obviously both teams can score. So in this match-up…what will win out? Will each side make its pitch that defenses can win championships? 

Can we realistically expect to see something like a 16-6 final?

“I don’t foresee that happening, both offenses are too explosive,” coach Petersen says. “It’s going to come down to turnovers and penalties, and who can value the football.”

#8-manfootball    #exira-ehk

Defense shines again as Exira-EHK works its way into state title game

Top-ranked Spartans hammer Newell-Fonda 56-7; will face Don Bosco next

By Drew Herron- NT Sports Editor / Nov. 14, 2013

CEDAR FALLS – Any concerns that the Spartans might fall flat once they hit the UNI-Dome turf (like they did last November) was quickly put to bed Thursday afternoon.
Top-ranked Exira-EHK put on another defensive clinic while the offense racked up enough points to enact the continuously running that left no doubt who the better team was in the second game of Thursday’s 8-Man state semifinals.
Exira-EHK rolled up a 56-7 victory over Newell-Fonda, and with it clinched a return trip to Cedar Falls next Thursday (Nov. 21) to play in the state championship game.

“They always ask…does experience help? Absolutely it does,” Exira-EHK head coach Tom Petersen said afterwards. “When you have the opportunity to come up here and play before, it makes a world of difference. To see our kids jump out...obviously you want to see that. We were fortunate enough to do it, and I thought we played well in a number of areas.”

Spartans’ junior quarterback Drew Peppers scored five rushing touchdowns and threw for another in helping lead Exira-EHK to victory.  Peppers scored on runs from 7, 16, 60, 10, and 1 yard, while also connecting with his brother Nick for a 43-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Drew Peppers carried the ball 20 times for 185 yards, and he went 7-of-10 passing for 94 yards.

Exira-EHK struck first, a little less than three minutes into the game, after recovering a NF fumble deep in Mustangs’ territory. Moments later, Drew Peppers brook loose for a seven-yard TD run, and the Spartans were out in front for good.

Newell-Fonda, who boasted the state’s third-best offense coming into the semifinal, was overwhelmed by the Spartans’ defense, who held the Mustangs to just 93 yards of total offense in the first half. Exira-EHK’s line dominated up front, and the secondary effectively blanketed the backfield with stiff coverage.

 “Our goal is to get a shutout every time out, and we made one mistake that cost us,” coach Petersen says. “I realize they average 55 points-per-game, but that’s where we set our standards. I thought we had a game plan coming in, and I am very happy with the way we did things on the defensive side. The guys up front, Martin Olson and Austin (Moeller) played a great game to open things up for our linebackers, and Brett (Johnson) and Nick (Peppers) were all over the place.”

The Spartans moved the sticks 15 times to NF’s four, as ball control became an asset as well.

On defense, Nick Peppers led the way with 12 tackles, and Olson added 10. Johnson collected six tackles, one sack, two for loss, and an interception returned for a touchdown.

With the victory, Exira-EHK improves its record to 12-0, and the Spartans will now set their sights on next week’s State Championship game against Don Bosco of Gilbertville. The No. 2-ranked Dons are in the title game for the second straight year after soundly defeating Adair-Casey 78-21 in the first game Thursday morning at the UNI-Dome.
“We will celebrate this one for tonight, and then tomorrow we will start preparing for Don Bosco,” coach Petersen says. “They are a very good team with the best quarterback in the state, and it’s going to be a handful.”

That said, coach Petersen stresses that his team will try to enjoy the journey and not completely fixate on the final destination.

“Enjoy the moment, you don’t get this opportunity very often,” he says. “It’s a special group of kids, and we wanted them to come out here and have fun. Win or lose, that’s what we were hoping for.”

#iahsfb    #exira-ehk

Don Bosco too explosive for Adair-Casey, Dons prevail 78-21

Bombers wrap up season after State Semifinal loss

By Drew Herron- NT Sports Editor / Nov. 14, 2013

CEDAR FALLS – Don Bosco quarterback Jake Hogan ran for six touchdowns, and threw for a pair to help lift the No. 2-ranked Dons past Adair-Casey in Thursday morning’s 8-Man State Semifinal at the UNI-Dome.
The Dons rallied past the Bombers in convincing fashion 78-21, and will advance to face top-ranked Exira-EHK in the 8-Man State Championship game next Thursday (Nov. 21).

“We just got beat up front, offensively and defensively,” Bombers’ head coach Wade Anderson said afterwards. “Against a power team like this, you are not going to be able to win when that happens. Hats off to them, they played a great game, and we just got beat today.”

Adair-Casey found the end zone first, when senior quarterback Traeton Jensen scored on a one-yard keeper a little less than eight minutes into the first quarter, and it provided a short-lived 7-0 lead for the Bombers.
Don Bosco would go on to score the next 38 points with a punishing ground attack that left AC searching for answers.

Hogan alone had 422 yards of total offense at the half (236 pass and 186 rush), and the Bombers simply couldn’t keep pace.

“They were able to cutback and find some open lanes on us while we over-pursued,” coach Anderson says. “Our defensive tackles got beat and driven back into our linebackers, so all in all, they blocked great, they ran hard, and they made plays.

“They are a great team, and there is a reason they are where they are. They are going to be a tough team to beat in the championship.”

Bombers’ senior running back Clayton Plowman, the nation’s second all-time leading rusher in 8-Man Football who brought in a career total of 7,552 yards and 147 touchdowns, was kept in relative check by the Dons’ defense.

Plowman ran for 102 yards on 14 carries by the half, then finished with 116 yards on 22 carries for the game.
Thursday’s State Semifinal was the 10^th ever for Adair-Casey (seventh in 8-Man), and the Bombers are 124-34 since moving to the 8-Man game in 1998. AC has won state titles in 2000 and 2001, and was runner-up in 2003 and 2004.
AC says farewell to a senior class of six that has averaged 10 wins per year and reached the state quarterfinals three times and the semifinals once over the course of their career.
The loss to Don Bosco was not the way the Bombers had envisioned this ride to end, but coach Anderson says it ought not spoil the journey.
“It’s not about this (final game) scoreboard, that game doesn’t reflect what these guys are all about, as football players or as people,” coach Anderson says. “This ride was great and these guys earned their trip here. I am proud to be a Bomber, and I don’t want to be any other place.”

#iahsfb    #adair-casey

Spartans shutout Glidden-Ralston to score return trip to UNI-Dome

Top-ranked Exira-EHK blanks G-R 41-0; will face Newell-Fonda Thursday in state semifinal

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 9, 2013

EXIRA – There might be something unique about this year’s Spartans’ squad.

In the 8-Man game, where points are put on the board at a pace that better resembles basketball than gridiron football, top-ranked Exira-EHK is getting it done with defense.

Friday night’s 41-0 shutout over No. 10-ranked Glidden-Ralston offered more testament to that, as Exira-EHK pitched its second shutout in three playoff tests this tournament run.

The opening round win over CAM 65-0 was one thing, but keeping an opponent off the scoreboard in the state quarterfinal is a different kind of animal.

“Our defense did its job, and everyone took care of their own responsibilities, and did what we were coached to do,” senior linebacker Trey Sander said afterwards. “When all that happens, good things tend to happen.”

Exira-EHK was able utilize the fast start they’d been hoping for, needing just three offensive plays to jump out 14-0. 

After that, the Spartans defense went to work both in the trenches and the backfield, frustrating Glidden-Ralston and stalling drives with three turnovers on downs in the opening half. 

“We pressured their quarterback on a consistent basis and the kids were there to make plays,” Spartans head coach Tom Petersen says. “It’s assignment football.”

Seizing the early lead put pressure on G-R’s offense to play catch-up, and the physical hammering both sides was applying to the line of scrimmage coerced the Wildcats to try work through the air.

“We wanted to try to make them one-dimensional, we wanted to make them pass the ball,” coach Petersen says. “That was our goal, get out of the gates and then hopefully they would have to throw that ball. That’s what happened.”

Exira-EHK took a 21-0 lead into the halftime break, and scored twice more in the third quarter after Sander punched one in from one-yard-out at 5:20, and Nick Peppers caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from his brother Drew with 3:18 left in the frame. 

About two-and-a-half minutes into the fourth, Drew scored on a quarterback keeper from one-yard-out to drive the Spartans ahead 41-0 and kicked in the continously running clock.

The victory moves Exira-EHK’s record to 11-0 on the season as the team returns to the UNI-Dome for the second straight season. Last year, the semifinal ended in disappointment, and the first loss of the season. Eventual champs Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn outran the Spartans 61-22, and afterwards coach Petersen questioned whether his team’s mindset that day was to play football, or vacation in Cedar Falls.

That will be an underlying theme of the week for the Spartans, no doubt.

“Don’t be content,” coach Petersen says. “When you get up there, it’s a little bit different feeling. Hopefully, we are going up there with a purpose, rather than just to experience it.”

“I’m proud of our kids. Glidden-Ralston is a heck of a football team, and we are fortunate to be where we are at. But also, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I expected us to be in this position. The kids have worked extremely hard to get here, and just hope they are not content.”

Sander echoes his coaches beckon to take things a step further this November at the UNI-Dome.

“This was a goal from the beginning,” he said. “But when we go there (this time), we don’t want to come back empty handed. Last year, it was really surreal going in there, but now we know what to expect.”

#8-manfootball    #iahsfb    #exira-ehk

Bombers’ sights set on Wayne

Adair-Casey heads into Friday as the state’s top scoring team, regardless of classification

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 7, 2013

ADAIR – The Bombers are right where they want to be in early November.

Tradition-rich Adair-Casey is unbeaten, ranked No. 3 in the state, and sits one step away from its first trip to the UNI-Dome since 2009.

As the Bombers have ripped through their schedule, and through the first two tests of the playoffs, few teams in the state have displayed the kind of offensive might that AC has shown.

Now, on the cusp of reaching another team goal, talk of playing indoors at the UNI-Dome is in play for the Bombers, who can punch their ticket with a win over Wayne of Corydon Friday night.

“It was definitely a goal we set earlier in the year, but once the season started, we haven’t really spoken of it,” AC head coach Wade Anderson says. 

“Once we started with CAM in Week Zero, we haven’t mentioned the Dome since then. But now, we talked to the guys this week, and they have earned the right to start to discuss it again because that’s the prize ahead of us if we beat Wayne. We need to come out and play a great game against Wayne if we want to get there.”

Adair-Casey comes into Friday night as the state’s top-scoring offense (747 points) regardless of classification, and the fifth most effective rushing team with 3,746 yards on the ground through 11 games.

Senior running back Clayton Plowman is knocking on the door of 2,000 yards for the season, having already amassed 1,855 and 36 touchdowns on the ground with a yards-per-carry at 9.2.

If any team hopes to defeat the Bombers this season, they might have to score 100 points to do it.

“Offensively, we are executing awfully well,” coach Anderson said this week. “Our line, our wingbacks and fullbacks are really creating some lanes for our running backs and quarterback to run through. We are able to throw the ball as well, (Traeton) Jensen has shown that, and that’s going to be more important as we progress along. We are going to have to be more well-rounded, and it starts with Wayne.”

Jensen has somewhat quietly racked up 1,192 yards through the air with 57 percent completion (55-of-97) and a tidy 23 touchdowns to three interceptions. He’s also ran for 851 yards and 15 TDs on the ground, making for a true dual threat under center for the Bombers.

On deck for AC is Wayne, perhaps the hottest team in 8-Man right now. After starting the season 2-2, the Falcons have gone on to avenge a pair of previous losses to Murray and Victor H-L-V to reach their state quarterfinal matchup with the Bombers.

Wayne’s offense is a balanced one, equally capable of moving the ball through the air as it does on the ground. 

Junior running back Clayton Kiefer (10) has 1,509 yards and 34 touchdowns with a YPC of 7.9, and senior quarterback Dillon Lain (12) has passed for 1,164 yards on 45 percent completion (53-of-117) with 22 TDs to three picks.

“They are a well-rounded and athletic team,” coach Anderson says of Wayne. “They have a very good running back in Kiefer, he runs hard and he’s very fast. But they also have a quarterback and a couple ends who are very good as well.”

Stopping both the run and the pass presents its challenges for any defense at any level of football. In 8-Man, that balance might even put more stress on a defense.

“It’s definitely a challenge, you can’t just focus in on one guy,” coach Anderson says. “We need to depend on our brothers to do their individual jobs, and go out there and perform to the best of our ability. They are going to come right at us, they are the hot team right now, so we need to play good, sound football.”

Should the Bombers knock off Wayne and advance to the UNI-Dome, they will face the winner of Don Bosco and Springville next Thursday in Cedar Falls.

But don’t expect AC to go looking too far ahead. The next step here is Wayne, and the Bombers count on a physical battle that is likely to be won or lost in the trenches.

“We need to win at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” coach Andersons says. “That’s the case for us every week, but ultimately (Wayne) is a lot like us, they love to run the ball, but they are able to throw, so it’s going to be won at the line of scrimmage.”

Glidden-Ralston stands before Spartans in road to the UNI-Dome

Top-ranked Exira-EHK looks to defeat another District 7 mate in state semifinal

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 7, 2013

EXIRA – Top-ranked Exira-EHK endured what was most likely its toughest storm yet Monday night against Coon Rapids-Bayard.

Penalties hurt, key figure Trey Sander was on the sidelines without a helmet or shoulder pads, and victory wasn’t secured until late in the fourth quarter.

Afterwards Spartans head coach Tom Petersen stressed that a piece of work similar to the 44-20 win over CRB would not suffice in the next round against Glidden-Ralston.

“Glidden-Ralston is going to come hungry, and why not?” he said. “We are going to have to play a lot better for us to have a chance Friday night.”

The cold may have affected the Spartans’ focus at times Monday, as the thermometer could have dipped by as much as 20 degrees from kickoff to final whistle. Though coach Petersen said strongly that he didn’t think that was an excuse or something to point to.

“When you’re out there playing it’s not cold,” he said. “It was just undisciplined.”

Now, Exira-EHK will try to beat another team twice this season. Glidden-Ralston comes in at 10-1, and has had a fine campaign in 2013.

Six of the Wildcats’10 wins have come against teams that made the playoffs, and G-R’s only blemish this year has been at the hands of Exira-EHK. When the two teams met earlier this season in Week 5 on Sept. 27, the Spartans rolled to a 47-7 victory. Drew Peppers finished with 238 yards rushing, and Trey Sander added another 130 as the two combined for five TDs on the ground.

Friday night, the Spartans defense will prep for a run-oriented team, led by senior Jake Bruggeman’s 1,152 yards and 14 TDs.

Exira-EHK’s ground game is still led by junior QB Drew Peppers, who has 1,779 yards and 34 TDs rushing, though Sander has been an important piece when utilized (10.9 YPC for 792 yards and 12 TDs), and senior Nick Peppers continues to get more carries (259 yards on 21 attempts for a team-best 12.3 yards per touch) in the ever-evolving Spartans offense.

The prize the Spartans and Glidden-Ralston are fighting for Friday night is a trip to the state semifinal round to be held at the UNI-Dome next Thursday (Nov.14). Exira-EHK reached that level last November, taking a 12-0 record to Cedar Falls before falling to eventual champions Marcus-Meridan-Cleghorn.

#8-manfootball  #exira-ehk

EXIRA-EHK: Spartans far from perfect, but still potent enough to knock out CRB

No. 1-ranked Exira-EHK wins 44-20, will host Glidden-Ralston in quarterfinal

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 5, 2013

EXIRA – It was sloppy, inconsistent, uncharacteristic, and at times lacking self-control, but the final product will fit just fine.

No. 1-ranked Exira-EHK knocked off Coon Rapids-Bayard Monday night in second round playoff action, topping the Crusaders 44-20 in a game that perhaps was closer than the final score indicates.

In all nine of the previous wins this season for the Spartans, they’ve eventually been able to find a way to dominate their opponent.

But on Monday night, the Spartans just kind of slid by. Or as much so as a 24-point playoff victory can be considered close.

“Overall, I thought we played OK, but really, really undisciplined tonight,” Exira-EHK head coach Tom Petersen said afterwards. “It was uncharacteristic of our football team, and I can promise you one thing, if we play like this Friday, we won’t have to worry about practicing Saturday.”

The Spartans never trailed against CRB, but after a fiery start, Exira-EHK’s attack waned at times, along with the team’s focus. Penalties plagued both teams, as did turnovers on what turned out to be a very cold night on the Top of the Hill.

Five days after what might have been the finest performance of the season for the Exira-EHK offensive line, the unit took a step back against CRB, and that made the Spartans look almost average at times.

“We went from playing one of our best games against CAM to playing one of our worst games (tonight) up front,” coach Petersen says. “We got dominated. We really did. Hats off to Coon Rapids-Bayard, because they came ready to play. They gave everything, and then some.”

Exira-EHK started the game with a show of force, coercing a safety on CRB’s opening possession and then scoring a touchdown two plays later with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Drew Peppers to Jared Hansen.

When EEHK got the ball back, they needed just three more plays to score again, this time on a 34-yard run by Drew Peppers off a quarterback draw.

On the first play of the second quarter, Nick Peppers hauled in a 61-yard pass from his brother Drew to drive the Spartans ahead 23-0, and things were shaping up to be another rout for EEHK.

However, CRB scored on their next two touchdowns, and stopped the bleeding on defense to dig in for the long haul.

After the Spartans went ahead 36-13 on a two-yard TD run from Nick Peppers late in the third quarter, CRB answered on the next play from scrimmage when QB Brett Carstens raced up the Exira-EHK sideline for a 65-yard touchdown run, and the maroon defense started to look human.

Exira-EHK senior Trey Sander left the game in the first quarter with concussion-like symptoms, leaving a gaping hole for the Spartans that had to be filled by a collection of talent.

“It was done by committee,” coach Petersen says. “We needed to spread the field and bring in different personnel, but we’ve fought the adversity thing all season long. Obviously, it hurts when you have one of your leaders on the sideline. But at the same time, the other kids stepped forward.”

Taking a 36-20 lead into the fourth quarter, Exira-EHK scored again with 10:03 left, this time from 11 yards out on an option pitch to Nick Peppers. With a successful two-point conversion to follow, the Spartans built their most commanding lead at 44-20, the eventual final score.

The victory pushes Exira-EHK into the state quarterfinal round, where they will host Glidden-Ralston Friday night in Exira. The Spartans have already defeated G-R once this season during District 7 play, but coach Petersen says his team needs to make strides this week if they want to ensure that another trip to the UNI-Dome becomes reality.

“We are going to have to play a lot better for us to have a chance,” he says. “We know Glidden-Ralston is going to come here hungry, and why wouldn’t they. It’s short term memory, we have to regroup and get back at it tomorrow.”

#exira-ehk    #8-manfootball

STATE XC: Topham wins third straight state crown

Griswold junior puts up fastest time of any class at 13:56 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 2, 2013

FORT DODGE – Revenge…how sweet it can be.

Griswold junior Rebekah Topham finished first in the girls’ Class 1A race at the state cross-country meet Saturday in Fort Dodge for a third straight year, easing her way past her top rival in business-like fashion.

For the better part of the 4K race, Topham raced side-by-side with Leah Seivert of Sibley-Ocheyedan, the runner who defeated her in the 3000M last May at the state track meet in Des Moines.

This time around, Topham wouldn’t take a back seat, dashing past the senior from up north down the final stretch to secure her third straight individual state championship in the sport.

Topham’s time of 13:56.3 proved to be the fastest in any of the four classes, repeating a feat she accomplished two years ago as a freshman.

It’s the third time Topham savors the gold in Fort Dodge, though this one felt a little different.

“I had to work harder for this one, Leah really pushed me,” Topham says. “It was more of a race, rather than just me running all by myself. I was racing her the whole way.”

Topham has battled through a nagging foot injury for the past month or so, and sat out both the Western Iowa Conference Meet and an invitational at Woodbine the following Saturday leading up to the state qualifying meet last Thursday (Oct. 24) in Treynor.

Strictly a precautionary measure, Topham returned to the course and picked up where she left off, not just winning races, but dominating them.

On Saturday in Fort Dodge, Topham slipped into another gear down the home stretch to leave Seivert in the dust. Topham’s time was 14 seconds faster than second place.

“That was Rebekah executing the game plan 100 percent,” Griswold XC coach Jane Chaillie says. “Stay right with her, hang on, and then take off right at the end. She’s a three-time state champion…how cool is that?”

“Rebekah has an incredible sprint speed at the end. We knew if it came down to a foot race that she could get it done. We told her that all week…stay shoulder-to-shoulder and right on her hip, and then that last 400 meters, give it everything she has.”

From the onset, the two jumped to the front and led the pack the entire way. On the final turn, Topham got the separation she had been hoping for.

“I planned to follow her until the end, but with about 800 (meters) left, she let up a little, so I thought I may as well make my move now,” Topham says.

Topham will add this most recent medal to a decorated career. On top of the three championships she has won in cross-country, she also has a slew of medals during two trips to the state track meet that include five gold medals and second-place finishes.

Saturday provided another feather in the cap for one of Iowa’s top prep athletes.

“It was very rewarding to see all the hard work pay off,” Topham says.

STATE XC: Griswold places seventh as a team

No repeat for Tigers, but young squad gets taste of top-flight competition 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Nov. 2, 2013

FORT DODGE – There was no repeat for the Griswold girls’ cross-country team this year.

The Tigers didn’t even make their way onto the deck at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge as one of the top three squads in Class 1A. But, Griswold XC coach Jane Chaillie is cool with that.

What she saw unfold Saturday meant more to her than another trophy.

“These girls are a team, and though we didn’t have the team finish we had hoped for, the compassion and the way these girls care for each other is so much more important than anything else,” she said. “I am so proud of these girls.”

Pekin (81) ran incredibly strong and placed its top three runners in the top 10 to handily take the team championship in 1A, while Pocahontas Area (113) and Central Elkader (126) rounded out the top three.

Griswold, who won last year’s title led by individual champion Rebekah Topham and a group that included three seniors, faced an uphill climb with its roster of underclassmen.

And when the Tigers’ No. 2 runner Leah Lappe struggled with the effects of dehydration, dropped to second to last in the field of 127 runners, and ultimately ended up in the medical tent, the rest of the team attempted to pick up the slack.

“As we watched the race unfold and we knew (Lappe) wasn’t at 100 percent, the rest of the girls kind of picked it up and went after it,” coach Chaillie says.

Junior Alyx Flippin finished No. 20 overall (16:14.8), and a pair of freshmen (Alyssa Wyman – No. 47 at 17:12.7 and Joanna Topham – No. 65 – 17:41.1) filled in spots three and four for the Tigers.

Although those numbers don’t stack up favorably at the top this year, it makes for an encouraging sign of things to come for a Griswold team that won’t lose a single runner to graduation from this year to the next.

“The most exciting part is that we don’t graduate anybody,” coach Chaillie says. “We’ve got 13 kids coming back to run here next year…we’re deep that way.”

Of course, getting to the state meet and competing in it could very well pay dividends in the future as a more seasoned lineup will return to the course next year.

Most of these Tigers have ran in crowded races before during the season, but there is nothing quite like the meet in Fort Dodge.

“We only have three girls with state running experience. The rest of the girls, this is their first time here, and this is always a little bit overwhelming when you race here for the first time,” coach Chaillie says. “Just the experience of running here and getting that experience under your belt is going to get these girls fired up to finish it out.”