For the second straight season Mid-Prairie needed a week nine win to clinch homefield advantage. Just like last year the Golden Hawks got the job done, this time on the road at Memorial Field with a convincing 46-17 win. A quiet first quarter saw Mid-Prairie put the game’s only points on the board to that point when Austin Errthum drilled a 29 yard goal. Four minutes later West Liberty drove their ensuing possession into the redzone but settled for a 30 yard Raul Fierro field goal to tie the game. The Golden Hawks would respond as Nolan Faselt returned the next kickoff 55 yards setting up an Austin Errthum 33 yard touchdown run. The PAT attempt banged off the right upright leaving Mid-Prairie in the lead 9-3.
In the biggest momentum shift of the night West Liberty drove the field, all the way down to the Mid-Prairie one yard line, with their spread and triple option attack. On second and goal Brett Becker kept the ball on a quarterback sneak. Becker ended up in the endzone with his arms in the air signaling touchdown, along with his center. However, out of the 20 man pile came Mid-Prairie’s Nolan Faselt with a fumble recovery. It was ruled on the field that Becker lost possession before crossing the plain.
The Golden Hawks took the turnover and made West Liberty pay dearly, marching 90 yards and finishing the drive with Eesaa Baylor blasting in from six yards out to make it 16-3. West Liberty struck back quickly when Becker went up top to wide out Kyle Miller who hauled in a 54 yard touchdown pass to bring the Comets back within six. From there Mid-Prairie buckled down and outscored West Liberty 30-6 the rest of the way. Mid-Prairie made it 23-10 right before the half on a gutzy 4th and 6 play from the West Liberty 34 when Reid Miller found Zach Schwartz on a slant. Schwartz broke a tackle and raced in for the score. The Hawks took a 23-10 lead into the locker room.
In the second half Mid-Prairie made it 30-10 when Reid Miller called his own number on a two yard quarterback sneak for six. The Comets did nothing with their next possession turning it over on downs at the Golden Hawk 34 and Mid-Prairie went for the kill shot. Miller went up top to Canaan Powell who lined up in the slot and the two connected on a 66 yard bomb to effectively end the game at 37-10. West Liberty would put together a drive to get within 37-17 but Mid-Prairie answered with an Errthum 46 yard field goal and a late Ryan Cortum to Dustin Yoder 38 yard touchdown pass.
Mid-Prairie was led offensively by Eesaa Baylor’s 25 carries and 175 yards, Baylor eclipsed the century mark in the first half alone. Through the air Reid Miller was 10 of 17 for 191 yards and two scores. With the win Mid-Prairie clinches the two seed in class 2A district five and homefield in the first round of the playoffs. The Golden Hawks will host the Davis County Mustangs Wednesday night at Dwight G. Sattler field in Wellman. KCIIradio.com will have all of the coverage for you with pregame beginning at 6:30 and kickoff at 7 on the one to count on for today’s local sports coverage AM and FM KCII and KCIIradio.com.