Prep football rewind: Last-second field goal lifts CPU over Union

The Stormin' Pointers had their own fun beating the 2011 Class 3A state champion Knights in their season opener.Brayton Brandt kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired, giving CPU a 45-42 2A non-district game win over Union Friday night at La Porte City.The Stormin' Pointers celebrated briefly after the winning kick, shook hands huddled, and then shared a moment with fans. CPU Coach Dan Burke said his team tried to act appropriately, and with a “act like you've been there” approach.“They jumped up and down,” said Burke, noting his players didn't want to risk showing up their host. “It was pretty chaotic. It was cool (and) fun,”The kicked capped a seesaw affair, resulting in six ties and 13 changes in advantage.The Knights talented offense features skill players Jay Scheel, who has received scholarship offers from Big Ten and Big 12 programs, and Trev Hadachek. Union's 492 yards of offense wasn't enough. Scheel rushed for 244 yards and a touchdown, throwing for 100 yards and two more scores. Hadachek ran for 143 yards and three TDs.CPU traded offensive punches and delivered a knockout blow thanks to its defense.“We knew they were going to get their points,” Burke said. “We had to come up with certain stops. We finally got one in the fourth quarter.”Union was forced to punt, giving CPU the ball at midfield with 3:20 left and three timeouts.The Stormin' Pointers drove to the Knights 17 and set up the win with :02 to go. Burke had faith in Brandt, who had attended multiple camps in the offseason.“We knew in our minds if we got close we had a chance,” Burke said. “We just positioned ourselves in field-goal range.”Burke praised the offensive line, winning the line of scrimmage. Last year, they were bullied by the Knights up front in a 56-7 loss.“We were getting a push on them,” Burke said. “We never gave in. We were not intimidated at all.”Brandon Roseberry was efficient running behind that line, tallying 101 yards on 26 carries. Roseberry scored three times, putting CPU up 7-0 with a 9-yard run. He added second-half scores from two and five yards, tying the game at 28-28 and 35-35.“That doesn't look real big, but they were a lot of hard yards,” Burke said. “He had a lot of three to four yard gains.”Senior wide receiver Josh Jirak posted big numbers, 174 yards on seven catches and touchdowns of 65 and 67 yards.“He had a huge night,” Burke said. “We knew he was going to be good but he was breaking tackles.”Quarterback Ryan Wilkin threw for 274 yards, adding 41 including a 21-yard TD on the ground.“It was a lot of fun,” Burke said. “It was a great opening night.”

MARION RACKS UP POINTSMarion fired on all cylinders in its opening-game victory over Mount Pleasant. The Indians lit up the scoreboard for what is believed to be a school record 70 points, winning by 63 in a Class 3A non-district contest.Marion exploded for 44 in the second quarter and coasted after a 57-7 halftime lead."When it comes together like that, you're kind of in awe, because it doesn't happen a lot, especially in the first game," said Marion Coach Tony Perkins, who couldn't confirm it was a program record. "You sit back and realize things are listening to what you're teaching. It gives you a sense of pride."The Indians amassed more than 350 rushing yards, getting two touchdowns apiece from Trev Biery and Tyler Gunderson. A big cohesive unit in the trenches powered the Marion offense."Our offensive line was in unison in what they wanted to do and how they were blocking," Perkins said. "We didn't have a whole lot of mistakes at all."Biery and Gunderson each scored outside of the offense. Biery returned an interception for a touchdown, while Gunderson returned a punt 75 yards for a score. Marion capitalized on Mount Pleasant errors and constantly applied pressure, which led to the huge second-quarter advantage."It was nice to put up those points. It's even better to see your kids play that well," Perkins said. "The amount of pure hustle out of them was fantastic."Marion hosts 2011 state runner-up Decorah, which opened with a 35-7 win over Waverly-Shell Rock. It promises to be an entertaining game with two physical teams."It's old-fashioned football," Perkins said. "You're going to see two smash-mouth teams going at it."You hope you stay healthy, all the things come together and you have a little bit of luck on your side."

TIPTON WINS FIRST OPENER SINCE 2007The Tipton Tigers won their season opener for the first time since 2007, beating Wilton, 28-21, on Friday night.The Tigers won one game all of last season and one in 2009. In 2010, the Tigers won two, and are above the .500-mark since ending the 2008 regular season with a 5-4 record.Tipton's last opening-week win was a 34-6 victory over West Liberty. The Tigers were 8-1 in the regular season that year, advancing to the state quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion Solon. It was also the last time Tipton earned a postseason win, beating Wilton, 21-20, in the first round in 2007.