Demons looking for title

KEOKUK - Certain goals were agreed on before the season by the Washington Demon football team and Friday's game against the Chiefs at Calvert Stadium is a chance to cross one off the list: a Class 3A District 5 championship. It would be the first district title since 2013.

The Demon defense has been stout, but Keokuk's strength is its offense and its chief weapon - four-year starting quarterback Corey Skinner - will present a challenge. Skinner is sixth in Class 3A in all-purpose yards (103 carries for 885 rushing and eight TDs, 44-for-84 for 591 passing and eight TDs with a single interception).

'He can do it all, really dangerous in the run game and can make all the throws,” WHS coach James Harris said.

Skinner has two big reliable targets in seniors Anthony Potratz, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, and Callum Tackes, 6-2, 225.

'Potratz may be the best we have seen all year,” Harris said. 'He runs great routes and can win 50/50 balls. Tackes is a do-it-all back, who does a great job blocking but also runs good routes.”

Count the Potratz and Tackes as one and that player's stats are first in TD catches (8) in 3A, second in yards (628) and fourth in receptions (35).

Keokuk runs a spread gun/pistol mix with a variety of formations. Keokuk's right tackle, junior Trace Hackaday at 6-5, 250 is 'a good player,” whose blocking is crucial to the yards Keokuk accumulates, Harris said.

Defensively, Keokuk runs a 4-2-5 formation with Tackes and Hackday at defensive ends and 'they do a good job,” Harris said. Keokuk's leading tackler is junior linebacker Kolbe Barnes (5-10, 180), who also plays center.

Keokuk's offense has the stats but not the points. The Demons have 137 points in the last two games while Keokuk has 131 in five games.

Washington's quarterback, Trashaun Willis is 27th in 3A in all-purpose yards, fifth in touchdowns. Skinner is 12th with 16.

The Demons have Jacob Miller first in punt return yards in 3A with 186 and Spencer Sotelo eighth at 123. Ethan Zieglowsky tied for eighth in interceptions.

'We have to limit our mistakes and execute in all phases of the game,” Keokuk head coach Josh Roberts. Roberts has been a member of the Keokuk football staff since 2017 as offensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach. This is his first year as the head coach and Keokuk has a 3-2 record with a 21-14 loss to Fort Madison and 27-26 to Knoxville. Fairfield beat Knoxville but Keokuk owns a 52-22 win against Fairfield.

In the last 10 meetings, Keokuk has won twice, 16-12 in 2016, and 35-28 in 2011. In the eight wins, the Demons have averaged 55 points, scoring 48 or more six of the last seven.