Prep Football Rewind: Decorah wins an overtime thriller over Dubuque Wahlert

CEDAR RAPIDS - Surely there will be some extra work done in practice this week on special teams. That’s both schools.

But at Decorah, that extra work will come after a win instead of a loss.

The Vikings got a 10-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, then an interception three plays later to beat Dubuque Wahlert, 19-13, in a prep football thriller Friday night at the Rock Bowl in Dubuque.

Decorah (3-0) is ranked fourth in Class 4A, Wahlert (2-1) fifth in 3A. The Golden Eagles were last season’s 3A champs.

“It was just a gritty game by both teams,” Decorah Coach Mike Tangen said. “We’re both very similar in how we play, and we knew that going in. They’re super physical, they run the ball, they have a pass game. They play really good defense, kind of take the top off and make you earn your way down the field, which is how we play. So I knew the game was going to be just like that, and that’s exactly how it was.”

Trevor Kuennen had what turned out to be the winning touchdown in OT, taking a screen pass from quarterback Tanner Caddell to the house. Ian Giddings then got the pick that ended things.

The teams traded touchdowns in the game, which was tied at halftime at 7. Caddell scored on a 5-yard run to put Decorah on top, 13-7, a bobbled snap foiling the extra-point attempt.

Wahlert countered with a 23-yard TD pass from J.P. Elbert to Brody Creighton with 2:43 to go. But Decorah blocked the extra point, which eventually forced overtime.

Wahlert blocked Decorah’s extra-point kick after the Kuennen touchdown in overtime. Decorah also missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt in the game.

“The game was so well played,” Tangen said. “But the execution on the extra points for both teams is something we’re both going to be working on.”

Decorah rolled to wins in its first two games over Waukon (42-16) and Crestwood (49-6). Next up for the Vikings is another tough game against a team from Dubuque County, this time Western Dubuque.

Certainly Tangen has some concerns about his guys getting back up emotionally (and physically) for a second straight week. But there are 26 seniors on his team who have been through the wars.

Decorah won its first 10 games last season before falling to North Scott in a 4A quarterfinal playoff game, 28-24. It was a game played without injured starting quarterback Louie Bucksa and one the Vikings felt they still should have won.

They call that motivation.

“We have a good senior group,” Tangen said. “So when you’ve got a nucleus like that that’s been playing together, and now you add a few guys ... We do have good football players, I’m not going to lie. We’ve got some good players on our team. But I think just that continuity and that leadership that we have is what makes us a good team.”

Elsewhere

– Iowa Valley threw three passes Friday night in its Class 8-Player top-10 matchup against Montezuma, completing one for 10 yards. And scored 83 points.

The fourth-ranked Tigers got 353 yards rushing and nine touchdowns from running back Nolan Kriegel in an 83-64 win at No. 7 Montezuma.

Iowa Valley (4-0) ran the football 61 times in the game for 511 yards and 11 TDs. That’s an average carry of 8.4 yards.

– Quarterback Anthony Harrington passed for 108 yards and rushed for 197, accounting for three total touchdowns as Midland beat East Buchanan, 36-20.

The Eagles are 3-0 in their re-debut in 11-player football, as a Class A school. Midland had been playing the 8-player game since 2010.

Previous wins this season were against Postville (32-10) and North Cedar (25-7). Midland plays this coming week against eighth-ranked Wapsie Valley.

– Marion was limited to just 118 yards offensively in a 28-0 homecoming loss to Davenport North.

– Brothers Griffen and Owen Hammersland each rushed for 145 yards in Elkader Central’s 42-14 win over Calamus-Wheatland. Griffen had three touchdowns, Owen two.

Central is 3-0, matching its win total of last season. It went 0-8 in 2023 and didn’t field a team in 2022 because of low numbers of participants in the program.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com