Third straight trip to UNI Dome

High school football doesn’t get any better than last Friday night’s Class 3A state playoff quarterfinal between Mount Vernon and Williamsburg.

The Raiders turned two Mustang turnovers into touchdowns and used those points to help score a thrilling 38-35 victory at Bob Murphy Stadium, earning them their third straight trip to the state semifinals this Saturday night at the UNI Dome, Cedar Falls.

Williamsburg (11-1) will play Solon (11-1) in the second of two semifinal games beginning at 7 p.m. The Spartans dealt the Raiders their only loss in October, 21-14.

Bishop Heelan Catholic (10-1), Sioux City, faces Creston (11-0) in the other semifinal. Winners will play for the 3A championship Friday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m.

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“I’m super happy for this group,” said Williamsburg coach Curt Ritchie. “Any adversity they have faced, they have overcame. It’s great to be going back to the Dome.”

Mount Vernon senior Joey Rhomberg, the best quarterback Williamsburg has faced this season, made several big plays throughout the game to give his team a chance to win, but he also threw two interceptions at key moments that cost them.

Rhomberg, who connected on 18 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns, led a scoring drive on his team’s first offensive possession which culminated with a 10-yard TD pass to Evan Brase.

Bennett Harp kicked the point after and with 6:25 left in the first quarter, Mount Vernon led, 7-0.

It took the Raiders just 2:35 to get three of those points back. Senior quarterback Derek Weisskopf and junior tailback Nile Sinn ripped off back-to-back runs of 21 and 28 yards to put the ball deep in Mustang territory, but Williamsburg had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Logan Rethwisch.

After forcing a Mount Vernon punt, Williamsburg took the lead for the first time on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Weisskopf to Rayce Heitman.

Rethwisch’s PAT kick ended the first quarter with Williamsburg on top, 10-7.

Back came the Mustangs, getting into the end zone on the first play of the second period on a 60-yard pass from Rhomberg to Watson Krob.

Harp’s PAT kick made it 14-10 Mount Vernon.

Williamsburg answered with a 70-yard touchdown drive, capped by Weisskopf’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Clayten Steckly.

The lead changed hands again on Williamsburg’s next offensive possession when Weisskopf hooked up with Clayten Steckly for a 28-yard touchdown pass. Rethwisch was good on the PAT kick making it 17-14 Raiders.

Mount Vernon returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards into Williamsburg territory, Rhomberg completed a 40-yard pass to Krob inside the Raider two-yard line and Rhomberg sneaked it in from there.

Just like that it was 21-17, and the Mustangs had a chance to build on that lead after recovering a Raider fumble.

That’s when Williamsburg’s Carson Grier was injured. Grier laid on his back for about 15 minutes while medical personnel attended to him, and he had to be removed from the field by a stretcher.

Grier's injury was a fracture, and he will miss the rest of the season but is expected to make a full recovery.

Following a short warm up, the teams resumed play with Mount Vernon in possession of the ball at the Williamsburg six-yard line.

Rhomberg attempted a pass to the end zone but didn’t see Heitman who had stepped in front of receiver and picked it off at the goal line.

He returned it to the 13 and on the Raiders’ next play, Weisskopf burst through the middle for a 40-yard gain to the Mustang 47.

A 30-yard pass from Weisskopf to Braden Wetjen got the Raiders closer, and with 29 seconds left in the first half, John Eichhorn, with two Mount Vernon defenders draped all over him, hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Weisskopf to send Williamsburg into the locker room leading 24-21.

Mount Vernon coach Lance Pedersen said Heitman’s interception turned what could have been a 28-17 lead into a 24-21 deficit.

Regardless, the Mustangs came out in the second half and drove the ball 87 yards for a score, highlighted by Rhomberg’s 43-yard pass to the Williamsburg 4-yard line, putting them ahead 28-24.

The Raiders quickly answered with Weisskopf’s second TD pass of the night to Heitman covering 54 yards.

Leading 31-28, Williamsburg’s Simeon Armbrecht made a big play, picking off a Rhomberg pass at the Mustang 17. A few plays later Heitman scored from one and after three quarters Williamsburg led, 38-28.

Mount Vernon opened the fourth quarter with a long drive inside the Raider 15-yard line but missed a 25-yard field goal attempt.

Mount Vernon got the ball back and put together a 90-yard touchdown drive to pull them within 38-35, and then attempted an onside kick, which the Raiders recovered and ran out the clock.

Weisskopf accounted for 255 of Williamsburg’s 374 yards of total offense, completing 10-of-15 passes for 147 yards and four TDs, and rushing 12 times for 108 yards.

Heitman caught four of Weisskopf’s passes for 90 yards and two scores, and Steckly had three catches for 35 yards and one score.

Once again Heitman led Williamsburg’s defense with 12 tackles, including 11 solos, and an interception.

This will be the Raiders’ seventh trip overall to the Dome, the fourth time in the last five years and five of the last seven.