Coe moves the ball at will, holds Luther to 21 total yards in 64-2 win

CEDAR RAPIDS — Coe’s offensive line subscribes to an interesting philosophy.

The “fist” mentality emphasizes unity, meshing all five positions together to form a powerful unit.

Behind that balled up fist of an offensive line, the Kohawks punched Luther right in the face, amassing 571 offensive yards and escorting six rushers to the end zone for seven TDs on the ground in a 64-2 win over the Norse in an American Rivers Conference football game Saturday at Clark Field.

“We play as a fist,” senior right guard Nick Mattran said. “We ran the ball. It felt great. Threw it around a little bit. I’m proud of us. We did well.”

Coe rushed for 328 yards and increased its average to an American Rivers-best 199 per game. The Kohawks managed 6.1 yards per carry and moved the ball at will. They showed no rust from the bye week.

“That was a big focus for us this week,” Coe Coach Tyler Staker said. “Get the ground game going and establish the run. We did that.

“I was proud of our guys. Right from the get-go we were locked in and ready.”

The linemen were motivated to improve a lackluster performance in a 28-0 win against Simpson two weeks ago. They made corrections during the bye week.

“We were hungry to get back,” Mattran said. “Simpson wasn’t our best performance. We knew that. We watched film. We just went back to the basics.”

The Kohawks (7-1, 5-1) have a stable of dynamic backs that have seen considerable action this season, but Saturday it didn’t matter who was toting the rock. Six of nine players to record a carry scored, including running backs Ray Seidel, Trenton Barnes and Jacob Brecht.

Seidel opened the scoring with a 3-yard run on the first possession. Barnes followed with a 2-yard TD run on the next drive to make it 14-0 just 7:38 into the game. Barnes added another 2-yard TD in the second quarter and Brecht broke a 28-yard score for a 44-0 halftime lead. Jarin Sanders contributed to the running back outburst with a 2-yard run in the fourth.

“Coe has always been a run the football school,” Mattran said. “I feel like we did that again. I’m proud of all our running backs. They work their butts off and I’m happy they get the end zone and we’re happy to help them get there.”

Seidel, Barnes and Brecht have split carries, giving the Kohawks a varied attack of power and explosiveness. They combined for 170 yards on the ground led by Seidel’s 74. Brecht finished with 50 and Barnes 46. Quarterbacks Carter Maske and Caden Mata scored on TD runs of 15 and 13 yards, respectively.

“We’ve been rotating running backs through,” Staker said. “All of those guys have done a good job when they’ve had their opportunities, so it’s nice to be able to reward those guys with touchdowns.”

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As impressive as the offense was, Coe’s defense and special teams were equally good. The Kohawks set a program record for fewest yards allowed in a game, holding the Norse to just 21 offensive yards. Luther managed two first downs.

“It was just pretty dominant,” Ridenour said. “It was a pretty boring day for me because our defensive line was getting through every time. That’s why they only had 21 yards.”

Luther had three rushing yards and 18 through the air. The Norse’s only score came on a blocked extra-point kick that was returned 82 yards by Geremiah Brown with 10:11 left.

The defensive outing was a product of the work leading up to Saturday, a formula that has made it one of the top defenses in the conference.

“We try to hold each other to that standard every time,” said Ridenour, a middle linebacker who is tied for second on the team in tackles. “Today was dominant, but it starts in practice. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are physical. Thursdays are mental and Fridays are fast. Just doing everything right and being in the right spot.”

LaDainian Linnear provided defensive points for Coe, intercepting a pass and returning it for a 25-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He had two interceptions before halftime, doubling his season total to four.

“I can’t say enough things about our defense,” Staker said. “They played lights out. They’ve been playing great all year, but it was a dominating performance.”

Luther fell to 0-8 overall and 0-7 in the conference. Coe plays at the University of Dubuque next week.

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