Photo Courtesy of Sigourney-Keota Football Social Media
The Sigourney-Keota Cobra football team overcame adversity Friday, making their own breaks late in a wild 31-24 come-from-behind overtime win in Pleasantville on Homecoming. It was the Trojans getting into the end zone first, riding that Homecoming momentum to paydirt, on a three yard Caleb Cook touchdown run to go up 6-0 midway through the first. SK answered with a Jake Moore scoring run, followed by the PAT to go up 7-6 at the end of one. Pleasantville retook the lead 90 seconds into the second when Cook pounded his way in from four yards out to go on top 12-7. The Trojans took an 18-7 lead in the final minute before half when Braylon Bingham went up top 63 yards to Trent Jolly for a touchdown connection.
Out of the locker room, the Cobras cut into the lead at 9:06 third quarter, on Moore’s second scoring run, this one a 17 yarder, to make it 18-14. The Trojan answer came in the waning moments of the frame when Bingham went to the air to find Dayson Leerhoff for a 36-yard touchdown to send the game to the fourth at 24-14 Pleasantville. SK didn’t wilt under the pressure. Ike Molyneux delivered an eight yard rushing score with just under five minutes left in the game to get the Cobras within three. The SK defense got the stop it needed to give the offense one more chance. The Cobras put together a late drive that got them in field goal range and Caden Clarahan drove through a 25-yard kick to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Kale Clarahan got to the end zone on a one yard dive to put the Cobras up 31-24. On Pleasantville’s possession, they looked to have tied the game on a touchdown pass that was called back for holding and the Snakes secured the win later in the series when a fourth down pass fell incomplete. SK head coach Jared Jensen joined the KCII Radio Coaches Corner Saturday to talk about the win. “Our backs were against the wall and our guys responded. We didn’t play as well as we needed to all game. I don’t think we played bad, we just had some breakdowns. Being down 18-7 at half, it’s easy to fold. We talked with them and said ‘Hey, you just have to win the second half’. Four minutes to go, I told the offense you’ve got to put a drive together and score. We found a way. Defense stepped up and got a stop, got us the ball back. We marched down the field and got a field goal right before the end of the game to tie it. OT, we got down to fourth and one and knowing what they were doing offensively, we needed the touchdown. We went for it, scored the final touchdown there and then the defense got a big stop at the end to seal the victory!”
Stats were pretty even with the Cobras winning the total yards battle 331 to 315 including 265 to 99 on the ground while the Trojans controlled the air 206 to 66. Kale Clarahan finished with 116 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. Moore added two rushing scores and Molyneux one. Sawyer Stout had 100 all-purpose yards, 66 through the air. Caden Clarahan had a key interception. Cole Kindred led the way with six tackles. The win is the fourth straight for SK, their second in district and moves them to 4-1 on the season, Pleasantville is now 2-3. The Cobras are back in action Friday against Pella Christian.