Elkader Central does it again

CEDAR RAPIDS - The 2013 season may be over on the field, but an echo continues to ring through the Elkader Central prep football program.

The ringing continues through every Warrior game of the 2014 season, including a 94-7 win over Cedar Valley Christian last night.

Sure, the hollow voice keeps reminding the Central players what might have been a season ago, but Nathan Fitzpatrick and the Warriors refuse to dwell on it.

'The 6-5 record ... we kind of just forget about it,” Fitzpatrick said. 'It's a learning point from last year. It's something you look back on and know you don't want to have that happen again. The success we could have had last year, could be what we have this year.”

The Warriors notched their fourth win of the season, scoring north of 70 points in every win. Fitzpatrick has played an integral part in the Warrior's success. The senior has 875 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns this season after rushing for 96 yards and scored two TDs last night.

'In practice we have to challenge ourselves to be better for every game,” Fitzpatrick said.

An experienced offensive line has contributed to Fitzpatrick's success this season. The starting line for the Warrirors against Cedar Valley Christian played half of last season together, which is paying dividends this year.

'They understand the plays,” said Elkader Central Coach Tom Wilwert. 'And it's not just that they understand the plays, but they understand the nuances of the plays and how each other is going to play.”

Also lining up in front of Fitzpatrick is sophomore quarterback Derek Ehrhardt. According to Wilwert, Ehrhardt is no ordinary sophomore quarterback. Instead of protecting him with a strong running game, Wilwert feels the passing game can help the running attack.

'His age is a sophomore, but we don't think of him as a sophomore,” Ehrhardt said. 'With Ehrhardt and being able to stretch out the field, it's helped Natahan quite a bit. It's helped open things up in the middle.”