Playoff Football Notebook: Williamsburg rebounds with upset of PCM

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Williamsburg Raiders went from No. 1 to reeling in a matter of a couple of weeks. Things have at least stabilized.

They rallied from a 14-0 hole in the first quarter Friday night to upend fourth-ranked Prairie City-Monroe, 18-17, in a Class 2A first-round football playoff thriller at Monroe.

The win wasn't secured until a 24-yard field-goal attempt from PCM in the final minute went wide.

'It's one of those wins where this group needed one like this,' said Williamsburg Coach Curt Ritchie. 'They've worked hard, they just haven't been able to overcome the tough games. It was fun to watch them have a little success ... They deserve it, for sure.'

Williamsburg rolled to six straight wins to begin the season, then was upset by West Liberty, 14-9. Mount Vernon beat the Raiders last week in the regular-season finale, 42-14, and came into the playoffs limping pretty badly.

Roundup: Scores, stats and coverage from the first round

PCM (8-2) scored on its first two offensive possessions Friday night, but Williamsburg hung around, forced five turnovers and outscored the Mustangs in the decisive fourth quarter, 12-0. Gage Hazen-Fabor's 47-yard touchdown run provided the winning points.

Ritchie said he underestimated PCM's quality a bit, not to mention how difficult it would be to get his team back emotionally from losing two of its final three regular-season games.

'I think it was harder than I expected it to be,' he said. 'It's amazing how you can just be going along there, and everything is going well. It's nice to have a challenge to get ready for the playoffs, but at the same time, it's funny how it shakes your confidence in all areas. I just don't believe you can play the game with a lack of confidence. You've got to be confident in your game plan, confident in your training. That got sick a little bit.

'But it was good to see them overcome that. I think you find out what kind of leadership you have in these situations. It was fun to watch them get that one. It was a good game.'

Williamsburg (8-2) gets a rematch with Mount Vernon (9-1) in Friday night's second round.

HLV TURNS AROUND REGULAR-SEASON LOSS

Kevin Smith looks back at it now, and there's no question. A loss to Lone Tree in the third game turned around his HLV football team's season.

'In the second half of that game, we played with a fire and energy we hadn't played with up to that point,' Smith said. 'I think that was kind of a turning point for us, to get some things going for the remainder of the season. I think there was a realization that, hey, we can play pretty well if we can eliminate mistakes and do the things we're supposed to do.'

The Warriors exacted some postseason revenge by beating Lone Tree, 59-22, in an 8-Player first-round game Friday night at Victor. The Lions won in September, 39-24, dropping HLV to 1-2.

Brackets: Updated playoff scores, pairings

It's been nothing but wins since. Kevin Schafbuch had 188 rushing yards and five touchdowns for HLV in the rematch.

HLV (9-2) has the uneviable task of having to play No. 1 Don Bosco (10-0) in this Friday's second round.

'After the game last night, we talked about it,' Smith said. 'I told them 'If you don't think we have a chance, guys, leave your stuff in the locker room and don't come back Monday (for practice).' We've got to look at it that way. We're not going up there just to show up. When you get to this point, everybody is a good team.'

VALLEY GOES DOWN

Probably the biggest upset of the first round belonged to Lewis Central in Class 4A.

Junior quarterback Max Duggan, a high-level college recruit, scored on a sneak in overtime, which proved to be the winning points in a 21-14 win over third-ranked West Des Moines Valley.

Duggan missed games this season with an injury, including the Titans' lone loss to Urbandale, 13-7. After his OT TD, Valley gained eight yards on first down of its ensuing possession but never made it to the end zone.

Other ranked teams to fall included 4A No. 7s Cedar Rapids Prairie and Waukee (they were tied in the final Gazette poll with Southeast Polk and Ankeny Centennial).

Losing in 3A were teams 7-10: Webster City, Waverly-Shell Rock, Carlisle and Glenwood.

Seventh-ranked Sioux Center and eighth-ranked Aplington-Parkersburg were beaten in 2A.

Three ranked teams in 1A fell: No. 5 West Branch, No. 7 Bellevue and No. 9 AHSTW.

In Class A, unbeaten third-ranked Southwest Valley was upset by LeMars Gehlen and undefeated No. 4 Algona Garrigan fell to West Hancock. Also losing were ninth-ranked Wapsie Valley and No. 10 East Buchanan.

There were two first-round games in 8-Player involving ranked teams, with second-ranked Audubon edging fourth-ranked Newell-Fonda, 45-33, and No. 10 Tripoli brushing past ninth-ranked Riceville, 28-18. Sixth-ranked Stanton also lost.

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