Sigourney-Keota defeats Durant to open playoffs

SIGOURNEY — In the first quarter of Friday’s Class 1A playoff game, Sigourney-Keota ran three plays and punted. With 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Durant scored to get within 13-8 of the Cobras.

The football game was a rematch of the season opener when the Cobras needed 10 fourth-quarter points to win 23-20 at Durant. It was 21 fourth-quarter points this time to win 34-8.

Sigourney-Keota had seven yards in the first quarter, and 32 yards in the third quarter, 39 total yards of offense in half of the game. Was Cobras coach Jared Jensen worried at any point? “The whole game.”

Lineman Zack Smithart said Cobras do not get worried, “We stay level-headed and do our job.” The second (147 yards) and fourth (100) quarters also had an interception in each. Both interceptions (Evan Vittetoe, Karson Weber) were difference makers.

The Cobras second possession of the game ended in a fumble. The second Durant play after it, Vittetoe got in the backfield, made a great read on a quick pass, tipped it, snatched it and took off running. The next play after the 28-yard return was an eight-yard touchdown run by Cade Molyneux. With 9:40 in the half it was 7-0 Cobras.

Colten Clarahan rumbled 39 yards on third-and-3, then topped off the seven-play, 72-yard drive with a touchdown dive and it was 13-0.

“Our line is so huge for us every week because they developed so much,” Clarahan said. “Cade does what he does. I’m just the counter play up the middle.”

Three Cobra plays and a punt to start the second half gave Durant a chance to run 16 plays, 10 by Nolan DeLong, who scored and ran in the conversion. DeLong was hurt on the play. The Wildcats lost their starting quarterback in the first quarter.

“We shifted around our defensive line a little bit,” Jensen said in preparation of DeLong, who is second in Class 1A in yards rushing. Molyneux is first.

Durant tried an onside kick. Nine plays and 56 yards later Molyneux made it 21-8 with 8:45 remaining. Three-and-punt for Durant was followed by Molyneux for 39 yards, Clarahan for 11, Levi Crawford for eight, then a Molyneux score from the 4. With 4:55 remaining it was 28-8.

The Wildcats went 47 yards in four plays but Weber played his pick-6 ticket to put the game out of reach with 3:12 left.

Colten Clarahan and Cade Molyneux each ran for two touchdowns. Molyneux finished with 150 yards on 22 carries, Clarahan 106 on nine carries. Levi Crawford added 21 on four carries.

“We’ve fixed so many things since that first game. Now we have the offensive line blocking hard, opening holes,” Smithart said. “The defense hitting hard and special teams working.”

DeLong had 115 yards on 27 attempts.