Iowa high school football rewind: Mount Vernon gets it done at Algona in state quarterfinals

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sleep is not an option right now for Brad Meester.

The first-year Mount Vernon head football coach got home at roughly 2:30 Saturday morning following his team’s 31-28 Class 3A state playoff quarterfinal win Friday night at Algona. It was a three-hour trip each way.

There was a volleyball match Saturday afternoon at Kirkwood Community College in which his daughter Emma played. The Eagles won a marathon over DMACC in five games, by the way.

Another younger daughter has a tournament Sunday that he’ll be attending. He spent three different days in Coralville watching daughters Chloe and Sophia win a state high school championship with Mount Vernon.

Saturday night he was planning to watch a lot of film on upcoming opponent Humboldt and begin to put a game plan together. The man has got to be tired.

“But it’s a good tired,” he said. “I knew this was going to be the busiest week of the year. It’s been never ending, but it’s good.”

Meester’s Mustangs fell down 22-0 to Algona in the first half of Friday’s football game. But they got a touchdown right before halftime, took a lead in the third quarter, fell behind again in the fourth, yet rallied with a clutch drive that finished off with a winning 7-yard TD pass from Kellen Haverback to Michael Ryan with 1:38 left.

A successful 2-point conversion provided the final score.

“We just kept playing,” Meester said. “It was the same message as always. When the season started, one of the big things we talked about was playing four quarters. We are a team that whether it’s play one or play 40 or play 120, we’re going to keep coming. We’re going to find a way, really stress the fourth quarter.”

That was something he remembered from his prep playing days at Aplington-Parkersburg from legendary head coach Ed Thomas. Mount Vernon actually stopped on its way to Algona at the field affectionately known as the Sacred Acre and put in a little work before reclimbing the bus.

Perhaps the late Thomas had some sort of divine intervention for the Mustangs.

“I felt like we needed to do something,” Meester said.. It was kind of meant to be. It was about midway, so we stopped at the Sacred Acre, got out, did a walk through, kind of a practice on the field and stuff. Went through some meetings, grabbed our stuff and took off. It was nice.”

Mount Vernon’s semifinal opponent is No. 3 Humboldt (10-1), which forced six turnovers in a 35-3 quarterfinal win over Solon. Ninth-ranked Solon handed Mount Vernon its only loss this season, 7-6, in late September.

Top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert beat No. 8 Independence, 24-7, in another Friday night 3A quarterfinal. Tom Scherr had two touchdown runs for the Golden Eagles (11-0), who draw Sergeant Bluff-Luton (11-0), co-ranked No. 1, in the semis.

Iowa City Liberty is the only other Gazette-area winner

Dallas Miller’s pick-6 with under two minutes to go cemented Iowa City Liberty’s place in the Class 5A state semifinals.

His 43-yard return with 1:58 left gave the Lightning a 21-7 lead. They went on to down Ankeny, 21-13.

“I knew they were going to run that play. They ran it all game,” Miller said. “I know that receiver is just going to stop like that, and I just took it away from him.”

This is Liberty’s seventh year of existence, and it plays three-time defending champ Southeast Polk (7-4) in a 5A semifinal Friday night at 7 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said Liberty Coach Scott Chandler. “Our defense was kind of maligned early in the season and those guys just kept their nose to the grindstone, kept getting better week by week by week, and they showed up tonight.”

Fifth-ranked Liberty (10-1) limited No. 8 Ankeny (6-5) to 232 total yards. The Lightning’s other touchdowns came on a 4-yard Sutton Koller run and a 27-yard pass from Reece Rettig to Collin Decker.

Iowa City’s other 5A quarterfinalist didn’t fare as well. Southeast Polk scored on its first four offensive possessions in a 42-15 victory over Iowa City West.

West’s touchdowns came on a Butali Butali run and a pass from Jack Wallace to Mason Woods. The Trojans end their season 6-5.

Heartbreak everywhere else

* In Class 4A, Chase Smith threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kye Smith (no relation) with 29 seconds left to lift No. 8 North Scott past second-ranked Decorah, 28-24. Smith had 351 yards passing in the game and three TDs, catching a touchdown pass from receiver Cash Bowe on a reverse pass.

Decorah (10-1) scored on its first offensive possession and never trailed until the dying seconds. Quarterback Tanner Caddell, subbing for injured starter Louis Bucksa, ran for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Vikings, who led after the first three quarters.

“Obviously these games go down to a couple of plays here and there,” Decorah Coach Mike Tangen said. “Of course, all of us are going to be questioning this and questioning that. But you have to give credit to those guys. Those guys executed well, their quarterback was throwing well.”

The semifinal opponent for North Scott (9-2) is top-ranked North Polk (11-0), which literally ran to a 35-0 lead en route to a 35-14 quarterfinal win over No. 9 Cedar Rapids Xavier. The Comets rushed for 304 yards, including 146 and a touchdown by Henry Feldman.

Xavier ends its season 7-4.

“Give credit to North Polk,” said Xavier Coach Duane Schulte. “That’s a really good football team: well coached and tough.”

* The three area teams in 2A quarterfinals were decided underdogs and lost accordingly.

No. 2 Monroe PCM pulled away from a 14-0 game after three quarters to beat Mid-Prairie, 41-0. Ninth-ranked Anamosa turned it over four times in a 31-0 loss at No. 4 Van Meter.

Caden Landt threw four touchdown passes in No. 3 Spirit Lake’s 42-13 win over No. 6 North Fayette Valley.

* In 1A, Owen Hassell scored on a 10-yard TD run with 29 seconds left to cap No. 7 Wilton’s 21-14 comeback win over No. 8 Iowa City Regina. Hassell’s 14-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left brought the Beavers (10-1) within 14-13, but Regina (9-2) stopped the ensuing 2-point attempt.

Wilton then recovered an onside kick near midfield and drove for the winning score.

* Saint Ansgar is known as a run-dominant football team but got 182 yards passing and a touchdown from quarterback Jayce Schiesow in its 44-13 Class A quarterfinal win over Maquoketa Valley.

The third-ranked Saints (10-1) still were able to rush for 259 yards en route to taking a 30-7 halftime lead. Rogan Heidt had a 14-yard TD run for MV (10-2), ranked No. 7.

Recommended Reading

Schedule, matchups set for Iowa high school football state semifinals

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