Cedar Valley Christian earns first victory

Cedar Valley Christian opened its season in memorable fashion.

Simply, the Huskies made history.

Cedar Valley Christian earned its first prep football victory Friday night, beating Harmony, 30-20, in a non-district 8-man contest at Farmington.

'We're very proud of them,” Cedar Valley Christian Coach Ed Betsworth said. 'They really worked hard over the off-season. They got in shape during the summer and football camps. They were ready to go.”

The win was a longtime coming, enduring some tough losses since establishing the program three years ago. The senior class was part of that inaugural group that played an abbreviated four-game schedule the first year. Perseverance paid dividends against Harmony, playing its first year after a recent sharing agreement with Central Lee.

'I was really happy,” Huskies senior Eric Gustafson said. 'It was fun. I'm glad I got to have the win with all my friends.”

Spirits weren't quite so high at halftime, trailing 8-6. The Huskies received a boost to start the second half and never looked back. Senior Tom Scroggs fielded the kickoff after the break and returned 68 yards for a touchdown. The Huskies added a two-point conversion for a 14-8 and never surrendered the lead.

'We were a little down because this was our big chance,” Gustafson said about the halftime deficit. 'Once we returned that kickoff, we knew we weren't going to let this go. We were all really pumped.”

Quarterback Kenan Ulmer led the offense with 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for 93, connecting with Gustafson on a scoring strike. Apollo Betsworth added a two-point conversion, while Jackson Fields recorded a safety for the defense that allowed just 61 passing yards.

'I'm proud of everyone on our team for doing their best,” Gustafson said, 'It gets you really excited for games to come. We know what we can do.”

All their energy was spent securing the milestone victory, but there was a little left for a brief postgame celebration.

'We were excited, jumping around and stuff,” said Gustafson, the Huskies leading tackling from last season. 'We didn't really do anything afterward. We were really tired after that long game and had a long bus ride home.”

Hopes were high for this moment after a good 7-on-7 campaign in the off-season and a larger roster of 21 players. Getting the first one is an important building block and increases confidence trying for a second. The Huskies host Clarksville (1-0) at La Salle next Friday.

'it helps validate what they've been working toward,” Ed Betsworth said. 'They've had three tough years. They've gotten beaten handily and that is frustrating to go that long without a win. It gets them excited and say we know what it takes to win and now we have to carry through and keep applying it every week we're going to play.”

Stahl racks up yards for Raiders

Williamsburg senior running back Mitchell Stahl had a career night, helping the Raiders to a 56-6 home win over Class 1A sixth-ranked Wilton on Friday night.

Stahl amassed 215 total yards and three touchdowns, 171 rushing yards on 10 carries with two scores, including a 66-yarder. He tallied his first receiving statistics on the varsity level, finishing with 44 yards on two catches and a TD. Stahl averaged more than 17 yards per play.

In one game, Stahl has threatened to overcome his total production from last season. He rushed for 449 yards and four touchdowns in 2013.

Allyn Francis added 121 rushing yards and a TD for the Raiders, who dropped down to 2A this season. Williamsburg Jacob Holub threw for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

North Fayette Valley stifled Vikings

North Fayette Valley returned key components to a strong defense that posted four shutouts and gave up a little more than 13 points a game.

The TigerHawks continued to be stingy, shutting out Decorah 14-0. It was the first time in 83 games Decorah was held scoreless, dating back to a 2007 to Waukon, according to KDEC radio journalist and Gazette correspondent Darin Svenson. Decorah rushed for 95 yards, marking just the third time since 2007 the Vikings did not reach the 100-yard mark.

Only two defending champs win

Defending state champions experienced a rough beginning to the 2014 prep football season, combining for a 2-4 record Friday night.

Class 4A second-ranked West Des Moines Dowling and Don Bosco, ranked fourth in 8-man, were the lone 2013 champions to win. The Maroons topped Cedar Rapids Xavier, 24-2, in a rematch of last year's 4A championship game. The Dons blanked Midland, 38-0.

The most notable loss was Regina's 29-28 overtime setback to Solon, ending a state record 56-game winning streak that also tied the state's longest unbeaten mark. Regina has won four straight state titles, including the last two in 1A.

Sioux City Heelan (3A) fell to Sioux City East, 31-21. Carroll Kuemper (2A) was shut out by Carroll, 34-0, and Central Lyon/George-Little Rock handled defending Class A champ West Lyon, 49-14.

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