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Iowa high school football rewind: MFL MarMac rebounds with big win in unforgiving Class 1A District 3
Bulldogs bouncing back from first loss with 34-14 win over No. 6 Dike-New Hartford among Week 6 highlights
Sep. 30, 2023 2:39 pm
MONONA — Any questions MFL MarMac football coach Dan Anderson had about his team’s fortitude were emphatically answered.
Coming off a tough loss to Sumner-Fredericksburg, the Bulldogs pulled together and made a major statement with a dominant victory.
Ninth-ranked MFL MarMac rebounded with 239 rushing yards and scored 34 straight points to knock off No. 6 Dike-New Hartford, 34-14, in a Class 1A District 3 game Friday night at Dike. The Bulldogs moved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the district, matching three other teams with just one loss.
Anderson was concerned about the team’s demeanor throughout the week, stewing about the 13-9 loss last week after holding the Cougars to minus-34 rushing yards. The Bulldogs were locked in against the Wolverines.
“I didn’t really see them switch it on until 10 minutes before kickoff,” Anderson said. “I gave them a good pep talk and saw the fire in their eyes. They came out and played a really good ball game.
“It was good to see our kids respond to that tough loss. They took it hard. Harder than they probably should have.”
MFL MarMac endured an ominous start. The Wolverines broke an 82-yard TD run on the second play of the game.
“We were down 7-0 before we could blink (but) that was on me,” Anderson said about a defensive call. “After that, we settled in.”
The Bulldogs answered and remained in control of the game with a rush attack that averaged 5.2 yards over 46 carries. They scored on the next possession with the first of four rushing scores.
“We grounded and pounded them,” said Anderson, noting DNH allowed just seven points to top-ranked Grundy Center and perennial power West Branch. “We were able to knock them back. We weren’t getting any chunk plays but we were getting 5 yards a crack over and over, wearing them down. You could see the (DNH) kids with their hands on their thigh pads.”
The offense was running back by committee. Seven Bulldogs had at least one carry and four surpassed 50 rushing yards. Bryce Radloff led the way with 74 yards. Wyatt Powell was next at 60, while Carver Blietz-Bentien and Quinn McGeough added 55 and 54, respectively. Powell had two TDs and Blietz-Bentien and Radloff had one each.
“A lot of credit goes to those guys up front,” Anderson said. “They just kept their legs driving and leaning on them.”
MFL MarMac iced the game with an 8-minute, 80-yard scoring drive that began with two minutes left in the third.
“The offensive linemen took over and backs ran hard,” Anderson said. “We ran 14 plays and didn’t throw the ball once. We just pounded for first down, first down and another first down.”
The defense pressured DNH, forcing five turnovers, tallying five sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Powell had an 80-yard fumble return for a score. All-state linebacker Kade McElwaine had an interception, returning it 11 yards to the Wolverine 15 and leading to a score for a 13-6 lead. The Bulldogs built a 27-7 lead at the break.
Nose guard Tristen Koehn led MFL MarMac with 9.5 tackles, including four sacks and five tackles for loss. At 5-9, 180 pounds he is a unique difference maker on the defensive line. Despite his size, he owns the MFL MarMac bench press record and has 6.5 sacks the last two weeks.
“The kid plays like no other kid I’ve ever had,” Anderson said. “He has a relentless motor. He’s strong.”
The district includes four ranked teams with No. 8 Sumner-Fredericksburg, which beat No. 4 Denver, 19-7, Friday. The Bulldogs face Denver next week.
“We just have to take care of business,” Anderson said. “You expect tough competition. You want tough competition, but I hope the state rewards our district and I hope separates us.”
Derek Weisskopf passes for Williamsburg
Williamsburg senior Derek Weisskopf has caught his share of touchdown passes, but he found himself on the other end of scoring strikes in a 56-14 victory Friday night at Fairfield.
After starting quarterback Kellen Cockrell aggravated an ankle injury and was sidelined, the versatile Weisskopf moved from receiver to under center. The University of Iowa recruit responded by passing for three touchdowns. His first pass was a scoring strike to Braylon Wetjen.
“We have found that Derek has always been willing to play and do whatever the team needs him to do,” Williamsburg Coach Curt Ritchie said. “He is talented enough to not only fill in but be very good at what we need him to do. He gets prepared and learns the position. Then, he just competes to win.”
Weisskopf completed 7 of 12 passes for 153 yards. This came after he caught a 16-yard TD pass from Cockrell for the Raiders’ first score. Weisskopf also returned an interception 52 yards for a TD.
Top-10 wins for 42nd Street rivals Kennedy and Xavier
Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Xavier are rivals located about a mile apart on 42nd Street. Both celebrated a top-10 victory Friday night, albeit in different ways.
Class 5A No. 7 Kennedy trounced No. 3 and previously unbeaten Bettendorf, 34-14. Xavier, ranked eighth in Class 4A, came from behind to beat No. 4 North Scott, 26-20.
Kennedy’s Jacob Doyle rushed for 150 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown and Trevor Scott went for 105 yards on 12 rushes with three scores. Vincenzo Gianforte passed for 150 yards on 11-of-14 passing. The Cougars have won four straight, improving to 4-2 overall.
“I’m very happy,” Kennedy Coach Brian White told The Gazette. “Bettendorf is a very good, physical football team. They’re back.
“But we made a lot of plays. Our running backs were dynamite. Our offensive line was dynamite. Our quarterback was dynamite.”
Xavier (4-2) trailed by double digits early but climbed back into the game. The Saints took the lead on a Ronan Thomas’ 2-yard run with 1:56 to go in the fourth. Thomas also had a 1-yard sneak late in the third to tie the game. Noah Schimberg rushed for 134 yards, including an 11-yard TD.
“You’ve been around me long enough,” Xavier Coach Duane Schulte told The Gazette. “We’re never going to say we’re satisfied. We’re happy with the win, the kids had a great week of practice, and it’s nice to see that it paid off for them.”
Mount Vernon wins in new venue
Mount Vernon christened its new activities complex on Friday, beating No. 3 Davenport Assumption, 24-7, in a Class 3A District 4 game. The sixth-ranked Mustangs improved to 5-1 overall and sit atop the district at 2-0.
The Mustangs moved from the old First Street Field in town to the Martha Parsons & Family Activities Complex close to the high school. Mount Vernon held Assumption to 166 yards of offense, intercepting a pass in the Homecoming victory.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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