Iowa Valley head to playoffs

MARENGO — Nolan Kriegel scored six touchdowns, and the Iowa Valley football team put the hurt on Belle Plaine, 70-12, in the final game of the regular season last Friday night at Marengo.

It was the second straight win and fourth victory in the last five games for coach Casey Krull’s Tigers, who improved their record to 6-2 and will face BGM (5-3) in the first-round of the 8-man state playoffs this Friday night at Brooklyn.

Iowa Valley and BGM opened the season against each other Aug. 18 at Marengo with the Tigers winning, 48-30. The Plainsmen (4-4) also are in the postseason.

Iowa Valley’s offensive line of Garrett Hoyt, Mason Hoyt and Taite Peach paved the way for a 339-yard rushing attack against Belle Plaine, with freshman quarterback Kriegel capitalizing the most from their work up front.

“All of the credit for the success of our skill people goes to our linemen,” said coach Krull. “Those guys did a great job blocking.”

Kriegel called his own number 15 times for 182 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff 65 yards for a TD.

Senior Dawson Smith complimented Kriegel, rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and freshman Chance Hoyt and junior Owen Bral each ran for one TD.

The first of four fumble recoveries by the Tigers’ defense led to Smith’s first touchdown, a one-yard run, for an early 6-0 lead.

Belle Plaine junior Lane Voukon returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to tie the game, 6-6.

It stayed 6-6 until the second period when Iowa Valley erupted for 32 unanswered points and a 38-6 halftime cushion.

Smith started the flurry with a 54-yard TD run. Kriegel followed with scoring jaunts of 37, 23 and 16 yards. All four 2-point conversion attempts were good.

Kriegel continued to have the best game of his young career in the third quarter, returning the opening kickoff of the second half 65 yards for a touchdown, and then scoring on runs of 39 and 3 yards as IV extended its lead to 58-6.

The Tigers sealed the Plainsmen’s fate in the fourth period on TD runs of 9 yards by Chance Hoyt and 2 yards by Bral.

Belle Plaine also scored in the quarter on a six-yard run by Voukon, but the Plainsmen had little success all night against the Tigers’ defense, totaling just 110 yards and fumbling four times.

Layne Peska recovered two of BP’s fumbles and Garrett and Mason Hoyt pounced on one each. Smith collected a team-high 12 tackles, including five solo stops for lost yardage and one sack.

Belle Plaine’s loss left the team with a 4-4 overall record, but by finishing 3-2 in its district, Belle Plaine earned one of two at-large berths for the state playoffs beginning Friday.

Unfortunately for the Plainsmen, they have to make the long bus trip to Winfield-Mount Union to face the unbeaten and top-ranked Wolves. W-MU has outscored its eight opponents this season, 405-100.