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Washington Evening Journal
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Mid-Praire falls short against Van Meter
Golden Hawks lost 28-21 in Class 2A quarterfinal
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WELLMAN - Mid Prairie football didn’t have enough in the tank against one of the most experienced postseason sides in Class 2A. The Golden Hawks lost 28-21 to Van Meter on Friday, ending a second straight season at the 2A quarterfinal stage.
Mid-Prairie entered the game eyeing its ever first trip to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Van Meter came in having reached the 2A semifinals last season and winning the 2A state championship in 2023 as well as back-to-back 1A titles in 2022 and 2021.
The Bulldogs leaned on their experience to overcome a 21-7 Mid-Prairie lead in the first half. The Bulldogs wore down the Golden Hawks defense to find the end zone three times, and had three interceptions on defense, including two in the final 24 minutes.
Golden Hawks quarterback Brooks Weber nearly found a response when he launched a pass to Carson Humphrey in the back of the end zone after Van Meter tied the game at 21. Humphrey attempted to make a contested catch over a Bulldogs defender, but the referee near the play ruled the pass incomplete after Humphrey crashed to the ground.
Mid-Prairie’s defense initially held up in response. It forced Van Meter to punt on its next drive. Then, after Golden Hawks punted right back, the defense generated some pressure in the Bulldogs backfield on a first-and-10 at the Mid-Prairie 43 and forced Bulldogs quarterback Henry Lounsbury into a quick heave down the field that was picked off by senior Hudson Ehrenfelt.
However, the Golden Hawks couldn’t cash in the takeaway or rediscover their offensive groove after a strong first half. The Bulldogs stopped the run and Weber wasn’t able to connect on a late-game deep shot. Van Meter put the nail in the coffin by way of a 15-yard run by Christian Williams with 1:32 left and picked off Weber on Mid-Praire’s next drive.
Weber did complete a pair of touchdown passes in the first half to build Mid-Prairie’s early lead. He found Kendrick Kos on a 23-yard touchdown to make it 21-7 in the second quarter, and hit Kaden Kos on a seven-yard pass to give Mid-Prairie a 14-0 lead in the first.
The Golden Hawks second score was set up after a high snap on a Van Meter punt attempt that give Mid-Prairie the ball on Van Meter’s 17-yard line. The Bulldogs didn’t reach Mid-Prairie territory on offense until there were 11 seconds left in the first quarter.
Ehrenfelt, who became Mid-Prairie’s all-time leader in career touchdowns earlier this season, ended his tenure with the football program with a few explosive plays. He put the Golden Hawks up 7-0 with a 48-yard punt return touchdown after he spun away from a defender then raced through a crowd to the end zone. He added a 53-yard catch on Mid-Prairie’s next drive and later did a tightrope act on the sideline on a catch-and-run to pick up a third-and-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Hawks season comes to an end at 9-2. Despite the defeat, Mid-Prairie matched its best record since the 2013-14 season and showed it remains a contender in class 2A after it upped its win total by two games from last season and reached the 2A quarterfinals for a second straight campaign.
