Mt. Pleasant gets set to face Oskaloosa

Mount Pleasant’s defense has lifted it to a pair of victories to start the 2025 campaign. The Panthers allowed just 22 points in wins over Mediapolis and Knoxville.

That defense will once again be tested in a road matchup against Oskaloosa. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Lacey Sports Complex. Oskaloosa leads the series 6-2 since 2006.

The Panthers have developed a strong ability to create negative plays and get to the quarterback this season. They have 19 tackles for loss, which ranks No. 4 in Class 3A, and 11 sacks through two games, the best mark 3A.

Sophomore Isaiah Lange leads the way with four sacks this season. Lange is also the team’s leading tackler with 11, including 6.5 for loss.

After a 17-14 win over Mediapolis in Week 1, Mount Pleasant turned up the offense and paired it with another strong defensive showing to defeat Knoxville 42-8. Quarterback Grayson Walker completed 9 of 13 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers also totaled 149 yards rushing.

Oskaloosa enters the game in search of its first win this season. It has seen vastly different scorelines in its first two games, as it lost 7-0 to Ottumwa in Week 1 before a 45-31 barn burner against Burlington last Friday.

Junior quarterback Tyler Edgar has completed 21 of 39 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. He’s also the teams leading rusher with 143 yards. Senior Kayne Boender is Osklaoosa’s standout receiver with 172 yards and two touchdowns.

Oskaloosa has tallied 63 tackles on defense this season. Though it hasn’t taken down opposing quarterbacks at the same rate as Mount Pleasant, it has eight tackles for loss and a pair of takeaways.