Iowa high school football rewind: ‘We’d been close,’ and this time, the close call went Benton’s way

Kal Goodchild calls the offense. Jeff Zittergruen handles the defense.

But it’s not as if there’s a chasm between the two units for the Benton Community football team. Nor the two co-coaches.

“When Kal calls plays, he likes to stand a bit behind, so I signal them in for him,” Zittergruen said. “So we’re both pretty in-tune to what’s going on.”

With the game on the line Friday night, Goochild called a winner, Zittergruen signaled it.

And the Bobcats executed it.

Carson Nolan connected with Logan Upah on a 66-yard touchdown pass with 1:10 remaining, and Benton upset No. 1 Solon, 21-20, in a Class 3A District 5 thriller Friday night at Van Horne.

“I slept really good,” Zittergruen said Saturday morning. “I was back up early, because it’s right back to work.”

Benton (4-2 overall, 2-0 district) hosts Grinnell next week, then welcomes Williamsburg in Week 9. The Bobcats probably need to win at least one of those two games to make the postseason.

In addition to the thrill of knocking off a top-ranked team, Friday’s outcome was refreshing departure from close-game losses the last two seasons.

Benton dropped two games by three points or less in a 5-4 ledger last year, then came up short against Mount Vernon, 7-6, and Clear Creek Amana, 21-10, in Weeks 3 and 4 this fall.

“We’d been close,” Zittergruen said. “It was really good for these kids to get over the top (Friday) and get that win.”

The Bobcats took a 14-12 third-quarter lead on Dylan LeFebvere’s 3-yard TD run, then a goal-line stand at the 1-yard line made it stick, for a while.

A lost fumble led to a touchdown (and two-point conversion) by Solon’s Eddie Johnson with 2:29 remaining.

Nolan and Upah followed with their connection, and the Bobcats went home winners.

Shutout strings

When Maquoketa Valley visits North Linn in next week’s Class A District 4 showdown, it will be a matchup of two extremely stingy defenses that haven’t allowed anything in quite some time.

Maquoketa Valley (5-1, 5-0) has posted five consecutive shutouts after a 10-9 loss to Cascade in its season opener. That includes a 35-0 victory over Bellevue on Friday.

The Wildcats have won their five district games by a margin of 223-0.

“The kids are doing a really good job swarming to the ball,” first-year coach Andrew Christensen said. “They’re keeping things in front of them, playing through the whistle.”

Sophomore Rogan Heidt ran for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 10 North Linn (6-0, 5-0) earned its fourth straight shutout Friday, 39-0, over Clayton Ridge. The Lynx have outscored their opposition 217-12, including 205-6 in district play.

“They’ll do a lot of the same things that we do,” Christensen said. “They play fundamental defense and get everybody to the ball.”

Maquoketa Valley is ranked No. 1 in Class A scoring defense at 1.7 points per game; North Linn (2.0 ppg allowed) is No. 2.

Next week’s game will determine sole possession of first place in the district. All four automatic postseason berths from the district have been determined: Starmont (5-1, 4-1) and Bellevue (4-2, 4-1) also are playoff-bound.

All wrapped up

Three area 8-Player teams have clinched district championships.

* Edgewood-Colesburg (6-0, 5-0) is the District 5 champ after defeating Springville, 42-14.

* The District 6 champion, potent Iowa Valley (6-0, 4-0) eclipsed the 70-point mark for the fifth time this season with a 72-30 victory over Winfield-Mount Union.

* And in a winner-take-all encounter in District 7, Montezuma (6-1, 4-0) edged Belle Plaine, 28-24.

Wallace is West’s best in TD passes

Jack Wallace set Iowa City West’s record for touchdown passes in a game, throwing six in the Trojans’ 48-6 romp over Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

A four-year starter, Wallace connected on scoring strikes to Mason Woods (44 and 18 yards), Julian Manson (76 and 29), Ethan Headings (32) and Henry Elser (30).

He completed 11 of 14 passes for 271 yards with one interception.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com