Photo Courtesy of Clint Dye (Tag Team Photography) Social Media

The Sigourney-Keota Cobra football team welcomes the Pleasantville Trojans to the Snake Pit Friday for a Class 1A District 6 contest. SK has rattled off three straight wins by a combined 104-21 total to stand at 3-1 on the season, 1-0 in district play. Their most recent victory, a Homecoming hammering of the Cardinal Comets a week ago in Sigourney 60-0, leading 34-0 after one quarter. The Cobras outgained Cardinal 300-29 including 219-11 on the ground, and 81-18 through the air. Isaac Bruns had 132 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, Brayden Wood two scores and 74 total yards. Ike Molyneux, Keegan Clarke, Blake Baker, Hunter Sellers and Carson O’Rourke all had touchdowns. Brady Clark added a pick six and Sellers recovered a fumble. This year, the Cobras average 30 points per game and give up 19, putting up 267 yards per night, 229 on the ground. Individual leaders include, Bruns with 487 yards and seven touchdowns on 74 carries. Wood is six of 11 in the pass game for 72 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Top target is Ayden Galindo with one grab for 55 yards for a touchdown. Sellers also has a scoring catch. Caden Clarahan leads the defense with 16 stops, four for loss. John Berg has picked up two fumbles and Clark has picked off two passes. SK ranks in the top 10 of Class 1A in 13 different team and individual categories. The Cobras are ranked No. 10 in Class 1A in this week’s poll issued by the Associated Press.

Pleasantville is 3-1 this season. The Trojans topped Pella Christian a week ago 20-13 to open district play. Pleasantville posted 267 yards on offense, including 150 through the air. Braylon Bingham had 193 all-purpose yards including nine of 23 passing for a pick and a score and another 43 on the ground on 10 touches for a touchdown. JJ Phillips had 21 carries for 98 yards and a score. Caylor Jones caught four balls for 85 yards and a touchdown. Cooper Kennedy  had six tackles to lead the defense. Pleasantville scores 28 points per night and gives up 24, posting 327 yards per game, 222 through the air. Individually, the Trojans are led by Bingham with 1,064 all-purpose yards, 889 passing on 53 of 101 with nine touchdowns and four picks with 175 on the ground on 29 carries. Phillips has 261 yards rushing on 54 carries with two scores. Brayden Kennedy has 16 catches for 292 yards and a touchdown. Logan Roff has four scoring grabs. Zane Mullenix leads the defense with 26 tackles, five for loss. Kennedy and Blake Rowson each have a fumble recovery and Bingham has four interceptions. Pleasantville ranks in the top 10 of Class 1A in 17 different team and individual categories. The Trojans are receiving votes in this week’s Class 1A poll from the Iowa Association Press. This week, SK head coach Jared Jensen joined the KCII Radio Coaches Corner to talk about the keys against the Trojans.

Jensen said, “We’re going to have to be really good with our pass defense. The quarterback we’re going to see is only a sophomore. His first game starting last year was against us, and he took it to us a little bit. We are going to have to be ready for a gunslinger, athletic quarterback. I don’t think any of the receivers he has are really really talented, they are good receivers, he just puts it in places for them to catch it. We are going to have to put pressure on him, make him feel uncomfortable, and on the back end we have to make sure we don’t have any broken coverages. That’s what happened to us last year, we broke down in coverage a couple times and that ended in points. We have to keep fine-tuning what we are trying to do. The ability to line up, not have to think, and just play, is going to be crucial.”

SK has won three-in-a-row in the series including a 31-24 overtime victory on the road in 2023. Action starts Friday at 7p.m. in Sigourney.