Decorah gets revenge over West Delaware for semifinal berth

DECORAH – Revenge and a state semifinal berth was a perfect recipe for a Decorah Vikings celebration.

The Vikings owed West Delaware after two straight losses, including one in last year's state quarterfinal, and they paid it back in full Monday night.

Decorah tallied 275 yards on the ground, controlling most of the game, to knock off the seventh-ranked Hawks, 24-14, in Class 3A state quarterfinal matchup at Viking Stadium. The Vikings will return to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2008.

Plenty of incentive existed for the Vikings (10-2).

“They beat us earlier in the year and that really stung,” Decorah running back Josey Jewell said. “It was right up there with it. We just knew we wanted to get to the semifinals. We haven't been there for a long time. We knew we had to get back there and gave it our best shot.”

The Vikings came out delivering shots on both sides of the ball, dominating the first half with timely stops and a ball control offense.

The first two series were indicative of the entire game. On 3

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-and-4 from Decorah's 46, Gavin Nimrod picked off West Delaware quarterback Trey MacTaggart, ending the opening series.

The Vikings offense then efficiently marched 61 yards on 13 plays, eating up 5 minutes and 56 seconds. Decorah quarterback Blake Moen capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run, pulling back a handoff and going around right tackle before diving into the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 3:53 left in the first.

They got key runs of 11 and 16 yards from Kyle Hove, who carried the ball six times for 41 of his 81 rushing yards on that drive.

“We just got the big runs when we needed them,” Jewell said. “The line moved them every time, on third down at least.”

Decorah added another long, time-consuming drive in the second quarter after stopping the Hawks on fourth down at the Decorah 11. Moen finished a 16-play, 89-yard drive with a QB sneak from 1-yard out, set up by his 10-yard run off a great fake on 4

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-and-2 from the West Delaware 37, putting the Vikings up, 14-0 3:29 remaining in the half.

Fourteen of the 16 plays were runs, as the Vikings methodically moved the ball, a signature of the team all season.

“Ground and pound,” Jewell said. “We got three or four yards each play. We knew we had to come in with that attitude.”

West Delaware (10-2) knew what to expect from the Vikings defense, but couldn't stop it.

“When they're clicking like that, and they were the better team tonight, it was difficult to stop them,” West Delaware Coach Doug Winkowitsch said. “I have to give them all the credit. They played terrific.”

The Vikings defense bent in the first half, allowing 113 yards, but didn't break. They forced three turnovers, stopping West Delaware on fourth down twice including its final possession of the half. They had a strong formula to limit MacTaggart and running back Sam Lahr, who had combined to rush for almost 3,000 yards this season - keep them off the field and stiffening on key plays.

“That's what we've been doing all year long,” Decorah Coach Bill Post said. “I was really proud of our guys.”

The Vikings were in control but they weren't content with the two-score lead at halftime.

“We knew we had to keep on going and playing,” Jewell said. “We knew they're a good second-half team and could come back easily.”

Decorah received a jolt in the start of the second half, adding a Josh Lee 32-yard field goal on its first possession for a 17-0 lead. Jewell broke a 60-yard run to West Delaware's 16 on the first play from scrimmage to set up Lee

“We were excited to get out there,” Jewell said. “That helped us all. We all got up and rose to the occasion.”

West Delaware answered with two Lahr touchdown runs in the second half, but never closed within 10 points of the Vikings, but couldn't get the big play when needed against the Decorah defense. Trailing 17-7 in the fourth and facing another fourth down, MacTaggart was sacked ending the last serious threat.

“It was unbelievable,” Jewell said. “We knew we had to do some of that stuff to be close or win. We had to get in the backfield every once in awhile and be disruptive.”

Jewell, who ran like a man on a mission, provided the nail for the Hawks' coffin, scoring on a two-yard run with 2:50 remaining. He finished with 143 yards rushing.

Lahr had 91 yards rushing while MacTaggart had 73 on the ground and 107 through the air. It was a lack of execution on important plays that hurt the Hawks.

“You have to convert those,” Winkowitsch said. “We didn't get it done.”

TEAM STATISTICS

W. Delaware

Decorah

First downs

16

17

Rushes-yards

42 - 169

48 - 275

Passing yards

107

23

Comp-Att-Int

9 - 14 - 1

4 - 7 - 0

Total yards

276

298

Fumbles-lost

0 - 0

0 - 0

Punts-average

0 - 0.0

1 - 31.0

Penalties-yards

2 - 11

1 - 10

Rushing:

 W. Delaware –

Sam Lahr 25-91 ,

Trey MacTaggart 15-73 ,

Ryan Dudak 1-4 ,

Jack Curley 1-1

 Decorah –

Josey Jewell 17-143 ,

Kyle Hove 18-81 ,

Blake Moen 10-44 ,

Michael Peter 1-10

Passing:

 W. Delaware –

MacTaggart 9-14-1-107

 Decorah –

Moen 4-6-0-23 ,

Jewell 0-1-0-0

Receiving:

 W. Delaware –

Tyler Morrison 4-38 ,

Jacyn Goebel 2-12 ,

Ryan Dudak 1-24 ,

Michael Bohlke 1-18

 Decorah –

Jacob Humpal 2-14 ,

Kyle Kregel 1-8 ,

Jewell 1-1

W. Delaware

7

7

–

14

Decorah

7

7

3

7

–

24

DEC - Moen 2 run (Josh Lee kick)

DEC - Moen 1 run (Lee kick)

DEC - FG 32 Lee

WD - Lahr 1 run (Bohlke kick)

DEC - Jewell 2 run (Lee kick)

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WD - Lahr 2 run (Bohlke kick)