Another classic edition of the Mid-Prairie and Sigourney-Keota football rivalry played out Friday night at Dwight G. Sattler Field in Wellman with the Golden Hawks holding off a late SK push for a 23-20 victory. Things started solidly for the Snakes when Aiden McGuire recovered a fumble on the game’s opening kickoff and two plays later Jake Moore was in the end zone on a 13 yard touchdown run, leaving the score 6-0 SK after a missed extra point.

After a Golden Hawk three and out and an SK drive that stalled in the red zone, the Hawks got it back and marched 91 yards on just four snaps, the biggest, a 61 yard run by Braden Hartley. He finished the drive with a nine yard scoring run and Cain Brown’s extra point gave the Golden Hawks a 7-6 lead they wouldn’t give up the rest of the night. The Cobras were turned away next time with the ball before Mid-Prairie turned it over a second time, this fumble recovered by Will Carlson, but SK was unable to do anything with it. The Golden Hawk defense forced it’s first turnover of the night when Dylan Henry picked off Cole Clarahan in the end zone and the Hawks would put together a 19 play, 80 yard march the other way, finishing with a scoring pass from Collin Miller to Grady Gingerich on fourth and goal, to go up 14-6 headed into the half.

Sigourney-Keota had the answer after halftime with a 13 play 55 yard drive of their own, that finished with a Cole Kindred four yard scoring run. After a missed two, it was 14-12 Mid-Prairie. Next drive for the Hawks on third and 10 they went up top for an 80 yard scoring strike from Miller to Brown to make it 20-12. SK fumbled the ball back to Mid-Prairie on their first snap of series, recovered by Grady Gingerich and Mid-Prairie turned that into a 33 yard Brown field goal as the Cobra defense held. Down 23-12, SK climbed back in when Isaac Bruns supplied the fireworks, a 66-yard touchdown run, to make it 23-20. Down the stretch, Mid-Prairie did enough on both sides of the ball to bleed the clock and hold Sigourney-Keota off the board as Kobi Hershberger scored an interception, and the final Cobra push came to an end with under a minute to go from the Mid-Prairie 41 when a fourth and 12 pass was incomplete.

Unofficially, Mid-Prairie outgained Sigourney-Keota 336-321 in total yards, with the Hawks winning the turnover battle 3-2. Hartley had 32 carries for 201 yards and a touchdown. Miller threw for 135 yards and a score each to Grady Gingerich and Brown. Brown had eight tackles for Mid-Prairie, Lukin Rediger had four solo tackles for loss. Sigourney-Keota was paced by Cole Clarahan with 18 carries for 132 yards. Bruns was a spark with six carries for 134 yards and a touchdown. Kindred and Moore added scoring runs. Clarahan had six tackles for the SK defense. Mid-Prairie is now 1-0 as they travel to Iowa City Regina in Week 3, the Cobras return home to meet Pella Christian Friday.