Mid-Prairie survives Sigourney-Keota

WELLMAN — Everyone in attendance in Wellman on Friday night knew the type of game they had in store. Two of the most run-heavy teams in the area were set to due battle, and fans of ground and pound football were not disappointed.

In a physical back-and-forth showcase, it was Mid-Prairie that had key moments in the passing game to anchor a 23-20 win over a Sigourney-Keota squad that had beaten the Golden Hawks the last two times they got together.

“They're a really good program, a good team, and they got us the last two years,” said Mid-Prairie head coach Pete Cavanagh. “We kind of circled this date as a game we really wanted.”

But alas, it wouldn’t be easy for the Golden Hawks, as a little Cobra magic cursed Mid-Prairie early. The Golden Hawks fumbled away the opening kickoff and two plays later, Sigourney-Keota’s Jake Moore was darting into the end zone for an early score to make it 6-0.

But after the early hiccup, it was time for the Golden Hawks to strike. After a redzone stop, Braden Hartley started off a 219-yard performance with a 64-yard dash that ended at the Sigourney-Keota seven. On the next play, he rushed into the end zone to tie the game, and it was 7-6 Mid-Prairie after the extra point.

The two teams traded turnovers and defensive stops for the rest of the half, that is until the Golden Hawks came up with one of two game-changing touchdowns through the air.

On fourth down at the 3-yard line with less than 30 seconds on the second-quarter clock, Mid-Prairie quarterback Collin Miller rolled out and hit Grady Gingerich in the end zone to give Mid-Prairie some breathing room. At the break, the Golden Hawks led 14-6.

Sigourney-Keota’s offense woke up in a big way at the start of the third quarter. The Cobras marched downfield and scored on a touchdown run by Cole Kindred, and although the two-point try fell short, the deficit was back to two points, at 14-12.

On the other end, it was Mid-Prairie’s passing game once more. This time, Miller hit Cain Brown on a deep ball. With the defense playing up, Brown sprung open down the sideline and darted downfield for a 79-yard score.

“I knew it had to be big,” Brown said. “Grady had a really good route to set me up for that. Collin threw a great pass in stride, and I let my legs do the rest of it.”

A missed PAT kept the Cobras in striking distance, but the Cobras would make a costly mistake and give the ball back on a fumble at the 14-yard line, which was recovered by Gingerich. Mid-Prairie capitalized on a 33-yard field goal from Brown, and it was 23-12.

“Every time we responded and were able to do something good, there would be a mental breakdown, or a coaching mistake, or whatever the case is,” said Sigourney-Keota head coach Jared Jensen. “At times I felt really good, and at times I was pulling my hair out. The reality of it is, we've all got to get better.”

Isaac Bruns would score on a long touchdown run the next time Sigourney-Keota got the ball, and the Cobras had a couple of shots to take the lead back in the fourth quarter. One of those drives ended on an interception by Mid-Prairie’s Cobi Hershberger, and another fell short after a fourth-and-long pass sailed out of bounds, sealing the win for the Golden Hawks.

“It was a gut-check,” Coach Cavanagh said. “I'm happy because the last couple of years, we may not have responded in these situations, and we did tonight.”

Miller finished with just three completions for the Golden Hawks. The only two positive gains went for touchdowns.

Mid-Prairie is now 2-0, and the Golden Hawks will have their hands full with a road game at Iowa City Regina (1-1) this Friday. Sigourney-Keota (0-2) will look to bounce back in a home contest against 2-0 Centerville.