Newell-Fonda ends HLV playoff run

CEDAR FALLS - HLV attempted to pave its way to a football title game for the first time.

Unfortunately the Warriors' impressive playoff path ran into a roadblock from another team looking to make its own debut in the finals.

Newell-Fonda reached its first championship game with a 40-18 win over sixth-ranked HLV in an Iowa High School Athletic Association 8-player semifinal Thursday at the UNI-Dome. The Mustangs (10-3) will face No. 4 Fremont Mills (13-0) in the finals next Thursday.

The Warriors (11-2) knocked off No. 2 Janesville and No. 5 Elkader Central for their fifth semifinal appearance in school history and first since moving to 8-player competition. All but two starters return to learn from this experience.

'We'll hit the weight room in the off-season,” HLV junior quarterback Dalton Kriegel said. 'It will be part of our motivation. We wanted a state championship the whole time, but we were one game short.”

The Mustangs, who won a 10th straight game after going 0-3 to start the year, rumbled for 251 yards on the ground, including 123 from quarterback Brady Dicks and 103 from running back Cole Wise.

Most of the damage came via big pass plays, helping Newell-Fonda overcome an early 6-0 deficit. Dicks hit Connor Wolterman on similar flag routes for touchdowns of 34 and 25 yards on consecutive possessions for a 14-6 first-half edge.

The tone was set and the Warriors were forced to play catch-up.

'They hit us with the big play over the top,” HLV Coach Kevin Smith said. 'It got us on our heels and that took away a lot of things wanted to do or could do otherwise.”

Newell-Fonda's defense also forced three turnovers and held HLV to less than 200 yards of total offense. Kriegel led the team with 49 rushing yards and threw for 77 yards, including 38 to his cousin, Louis Kriegel.

The Mustangs gave an unfamiliar look.

'They had zone coverage,” Kriegel said. 'I haven't really seen a whole lot of that this year. It was a lot different.

'Up front, they were pretty big and physical.”

The Mustangs added a 16-yard scoring strike from Dicks to Dustin Johnson for a 21-6 lead after its opening drive of the third. Dicks threw for 135 yards.

Wise ran for the first of two touchdowns less than two minutes later when the Mustangs turned a fumbled kickoff into a 28-6 lead.

'They are fundamentally sound,” HLV senior Tanner Strudthoff said. 'They were hard-hitting, physical and fast. We knew that coming into the game. We didn't do the things we needed to do to get the win.”

Strudthoff jump-started the Warriors, returning the game's opening kickoff 70 yards for the score.

'I thought the team needed to get out to a fast start,” said Strudthoff, who has battled an ankle injury this postseason. 'We knew they liked to kick it to that corner. It put me there. I got great blocks up front and saw green field. I just followed my blocks and went.”

It was the only score until late in the third when Strudthoff caught a 14-yard pass from Kriegel. The Warriors pulled within 28-18 when Louis Kriegel ran for a 25-yard TD with 7:48 left.

'That's the nature of this team all season long,” Smith said about the Warriors rally. 'There is no quit, they show a lot of heart and they play together.”

Dicks helped Newell-Fonda regain momentum. He stepped out of a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and dashed 65 yards for a score on the Mustangs next offensive play, sealing the win.

'I'm sure later on and look back to realize how lucky we are and how great of a ride this has been,” Strudthoff said. 'Obviously, it stings. I was expecting to play next Thursday and we won't be. It's been a hell of a ride.”

Fremont-Mills advanced to the title game, scoring with 1:09 remaining and completing a two-point conversion pass for a 30-27 win over Marcus MMC (10-3).

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