2 Roussell runs carry West Delaware to Class 3A quarters

MANCHESTER - At halftime of Monday night's second round Class 3A state football game, West Delaware held a 14-7 margin and Solon had scored in a two-minute drill to end the first half.

The Hawks and Spartans had gone back and forth and neither could really gain a foothold offensively, either because of mistakes or penalties. West Delaware Coach Doug Winkowitsch said his team made a few small changes at halftime. They had big results.

Leading rusher Coy Roussell took his first carry of the third quarter 66 yards for a touchdown. He took his second 65 yards for another. In less than one minute of possession, the No. 2 Hawks went from a battle to essentially having a quarterfinal berth wrapped up.

'It was penalties, it was poor field position. We made just a couple adjustments at halftime with our offensive line (because) we knew what we had, we just weren't getting it done,” Winkowitsch said after his team's 37-14 victory. 'Just getting a chance to take a deep breath and talk to the kids about execution was the big thing.”

Roussell entered the game with 224 carries for 1,950 yards and 24 touchdowns. He added 23 carries, 241 yards and those two touchdowns to his tally, breaking the 2,000-yard mark this season and moving his yards per carry mark to 8.9.

He's been talked and written about a lot late in this season, and for obvious reasons. But turning up the wick in the playoffs makes him a different kind of special. Even when Winkowitsch has things to address, he keeps silent. Roussell is a kid, he said, who can figure it out.

'Coy is amazing. When he brings it like he did tonight, he is really tough to stop,” Winkowitsch said. 'Sometimes he'll cut across the grain and we don't coach that, but with a kid like him you've just got to let it go and let him figure that out. Early on (Monday night) had he not made a cut here and there (a big run) would've happened, but it's one of those things where you don't tell a kid with that many yards not to do it.”

From his perspective, Roussell said the adjustments were simple ones. It was a matter of finding the hole and making the cut. Once he did, and was off to the races, he said it was almost hard to believe.

Especially the second one.

'We knew what they were doing; we just had to get it done. It finally opened up like it's supposed to,” Roussell said. 'Some holes opened up more; I took my time a little more and read it.

'It's a crazy feeling. It's kind of like running a 400 (meter run). At the end (of the second one) you're kind of like, ‘Holy crap, I've got to keep running.' But it's a great feeling to go out there and do that.”

Roussell hasn't gotten a ton of recruiting interest - most likely due to missing last season - but he said Monday night things have picked up a little for him as he's approached (and now passed) the 2,000-yard mark.

It's still not heavy interest, but it's interest - and that's the important part.

He mentioned Northwest Missouri State and some other Division II schools in Eastern Iowa, and also has talked with and visited Iowa State. At this point it's mostly just email and phone conversations.

'I've gotten more people sending me emails, mail and calling me,” Roussell said. 'I like it that they're showing some interest in me. I kind of would like to go out and maybe play in school and stuff.”

Those two long runs broke the game open midway through the third, but the game was sealed by a 39-yard touchdown pass from Max Ridenour to Sam Maloney, plus a 25-yard field goal from Aaron Thole.

The Hawks got their 11th win of the season and advanced to the quarterfinals against Decorah.

'Now, really, you've just got to prepare the kids for what we do,” Winkowitsch said. 'It's just execution at this point. Staying healthy and being able to execute the best you can. You don't have a lot of time to prep for the other team, so you've just got to work on what you do well.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com