Prep Football Rewind

He may not be from Ork, but Tanner Mork's performance Friday night was certainly otherworldly.The North Fayette running back “Nanu Nanu-ed” his way to a Week 8-best 332 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his team's big 40-19 win at fifth-ranked Cascade (7-1). The victory wrapped up the District 4 championship for Class 2A's second-ranked team.“It didn't seem like I had that many,” Mork said. “If you would have asked me, I would have said I had about 180, maybe 200 yards. It was weird.”Mork broke loose for a 75-yard TD run on the first play of the second half to give North Fayette (8-0) a 27-6 lead. He had two TD runs in the first half as the Hawks built a 21-0 advantage.“All the guys just did what they were supposed to do,” said Mork, who has 1,169 yards and 22 touchdowns. He ran for 1,543 yards last season.“We had actually planned to throw it a little bit,” said North Fayette Coach Bob Lape, whose team had 434 rushing yards. “But we were getting chunks of yards - 10, 15, 20 yards at a time. So we just stayed with it.”North Fayette finishes the regular season next week at home against Jesup. Then it's the playoffs. The Hawks were beaten in last season's first round by Sumner-Fredericksburg, 14-7.All the talk in 2A, as it should be, has been about Solon and its 35-game win streak. But this team feels it's good, too. “I think we can compete well with them,” Mork said.

BGM doing A-OKIn 2008, they had their first winning season since 1977. In 2009, the BGM Bears are proving that was no fluke.Running back Mike Long rambled for 300 yards and three touchdowns as BGM surprised previously unbeaten and Class A sixth-ranked North Mahaska, 33-0, at New Sharon. The victory improved the Bears to 7-1, surpassing last season's win total by one.“We've just got great kids,” said Coach Jerod Burns, the architect of this turnaround. “That's what it comes down to. I can't take much credit for it.”One of those good kids is Long, a fullback who became a tailback Week 4 after leading rusher Cameron Farmer broke a leg. Long's rushing total has increased each game: 111, 151, 201, 249 and 300.“He's getting better every week,” Burns said. “It's scary.”

More gridiron gossip

• Jordan Andera had 306 yards rushing on 23 carries to help South Winneshiek top Aplington-Parkersburg, 36-13.
• Clear Creek Amana quarterback Kevin Delzell had PlayStation numbers again, throwing for 484 yards and six touchdowns in his team's 52-8 win over Fort Madison. The yardage total is the seventh-highest in state history. Receiver Ted Hergert had four catches for 177 yards.
• If Highland can beat Eldon Cardinal this week, it would qualify for the Class A postseason for the second straight year despite a 3-6 record.
• Jesup hasn't scored since winning its season opener Aug. 28 against Don Bosco, 27-12.
• Olin won its first game of the season, knocking off winless East Central, 41-32.