Photo Courtesy of Clint Dye- Tag Team Photo Social Media
The latest chapter in the Sigourney-Keota and Mid-Prairie football series was as good as any of the previous Friday, as a full house at Dwight G. Sattler Field in Wellman, watched the Cobras come back late to get a 21-14 win on the Hawk’s Homecoming. SK climbed in the driver’s seat first, after each team was turned away on their first two possessions, the Cobras went 49 yards on six plays, finished with a four yard Ike Molyneux scoring run to go up 6-0. Mid-Prairie would grab the lead on their final possession of the half. Set up by their first takeaway of the year, a Hudson Ehrenfelt interception, the Hawks would cover 62-yards on five plays when Ehrenfelt returned the favor with a four yard touchdown run of his own. After a Kale Miller PAT it was 7-6 Golden Hawks at the break.
The Hawks extended their lead after half, after an SK 3-and-out, Mid-Prairie went 90 yards on two plays, including an explosive 86-yard connection from Brady Weber to Ehrenfelt to make it 14-6. Things stayed that way into the fourth when the Cobras made their move. A methodical 12-play, 49 yard march finished with Isaac Bruns in the end zone to pull within a pair and SK topped it with a beautiful jump pass from Brayden Wood to Brody Greiner for two to tie things at 14. In the game’s final five minutes, each team had a chance to mount a game winning drive but were stopped. Just as it looked like overtime was imminent, the Snakes special teams stepped up. Cobra senior Billie Kindred flew in with his Superman cape on, and blocked a Mid-Prairie punt with under three minutes left, and the Cobras recovered inside the red zone. Six plays and 18 yards later, Bruns found pay dirt again with under a minute to go for the game winning score. Mid-Prairie’s final drive ended at their own 30. Following the contest, Sigourney-Keota head coach Jared Jensen joined the locker room show on KCII to talk about the win.
Jensen said, “Both defenses came to play tonight. Our guys stepped up to the challenge. I’m just proud of our kids man, that was a big win for us! One of the most proud moments and wins that I’ve had here, just because the fashion in which we did it. We had to battle. We had to fight, and we took care of business. I said at half ‘be ready to run the ball every single play’ and our guys, when they hear that they love it. The offensive line did a great job tonight. (Isaac) Bruns and (Ike) Molyneux step in. Brady (Clark) got carries. That’s a big deal for us. I think our kids just felt like, late, I have to make a play. All 11 guys on the defense knew they had to make it happen. Put pressure on the quarterback, make him scramble, running with their wheel routes. That blocked punt was huge! Billie Kindred did a phenomenal job! The kid is just a player, I don’t care what sport it is. I’m proud that we stepped up. Our guys are mentally and physically built on playing four quarters of football. I think that’s what you saw tonight.”
Mid-Prairie won the total yards battle 250-175. SK won the ground game 173 to 70 and the Hawks owned the skies 168-2. Mid-Prairie won the turnover battle 1-0. Bruns put together a hard-nosed 116 yards on 27 carries with a couple of scores, Molyneux added a touchdown on 10 carries and 59 yards. Kindred and Jace Chalupa each had six tackles to the lead the Snakes on defense. Weber was eight of 18 through the air for 180 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Hawks. Ehrenfelt finished with 19 touches for 163 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Kaden Kos had 11 tackles for the Golden Hawk defense Cobi Hershberger had eight. The win moves SK to 2-1 going into district play on Homecoming at Sigourney next week against Cardinal. The Hawks wrap up non-district at 0-3 and travel to West Burlington Notre Dame Friday.