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WACO, Audubon play for the Dome
No. 7 Warriors put unbeaten streak on the line against No. 5 Wheelers
Andy Krutsinger
Nov. 3, 2021 10:15 am
The road to the dome all comes down to this.
On Thursday night, the No. 7 WACO Warriors (10-0) will host No. 5 Audubon (9-1) in the Class 8-Player quarterfinals. Six days later, one of those two teams will be living out the dream of playing in the UNI-Dome.
For Audubon, that means a chance to get back and get some redemption after making the state final two years ago. In the big game, the Wheelers were defeated 35-19 in the state title game, and they were eliminated in the quarterfinals last season.
For WACO, it means a shot to get back to the Dome for the first time since 2010. The Warriors had last made the playoffs in 2013, and are experiencing by far their best season in the 8-Player era.
The Warriors have made it this far with discipline and defense. It’s no secret that WACO wants to run the ball, and they’ve done so incredibly well, finding in the end zone 46 times.
Junior Simeon Reichenbach has led the charge. The Warrior running back has now rushed for 1,255 yards and 21 of those touchdowns. He also coleads the team with 11 receptions, and has scored on one reception.
The Warriors have two more players who are north of 300 in yards. Jon Rice has powered to 374 yards and nine scores, and Reece Oswald has ran for 302 yards and three.
Quarterback Isaac Oswald has done a bit of everything for the Warriors, find success through the air and on the ground. Oswald has thrown for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns, and run for 277 yards and six scores.
Something Oswald has not done much of is turning the ball over. He has thrown for zero interceptions, a big reason why WACO has been able to win every game on its schedule so far.
On the other end, the WACO defense has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses. The Warriors have picked off a ridiculous 22 passes, second-most of any football team in the state of Iowa. They’ve also recovered 11 fumbles.
Junior corner back Mason Miller has been a ballhawk all season. miller coleads the state with nine interceptions, tying him for the WACO Class 8-Player record and putting him two off the school record in general.
The WACO defense is led in tackles by Drew Diers, who has 50.5 takedowns on the year. Colton Leichty leads the team with four fumble recoveries, and Tyler Sutton has three.
WACO’s defense has given up just 14.2 points per game this season. The offense has scored 42.7 points per game.
Of the Warriors’ 10 wins, just two of them have come by single digits; a 7-0 win at New London and a 39-36 defeat of Edgewood-Colesburg in the first round of the playoffs.
In the second round, the Warriors dominated Martensdale-St. Marys, 50-8, to push themselves through to the quarterfinals.
But as good as WACO has been this season, they haven’t faced anyone as good as the Wheelers.
Audubon comes into Thursday night’s game ranked ahead of WACO in The Gazette’s 8-Player rankings. The Wheelers have lost just one game, a 58-42 road defeat at the hands of No. 1 Anita CAM.
Since then, the Wheelers have been untouchable. Audubon has scored blowout wins in every game not played against the top-ranked team in the class, including a 55-20 thumping of Stanton-Essex in the first round, and a 62-14 skunking against No. 2 Montezuma, a team that came into the postseason as one of the state title favorites.
WACO coach Chad Edeker said he wasn’t cheering for Audubon or Montezuma in the game that decided who the Warriors play next, but looking back, it is clear Audubon is a scary team.
“We wanted that home game, but I wouldn’t say we were cheering for anyone,” Edeker said. “In hindsight, obviously, seeing what happened, we’d rather play Montezuma.”
Audubon is led by one of the best players in the entire state of Iowa, senior quarterback Gavin Smith.
Smith has done most of his work on the ground. He has run for 1,992 yards, fourth best in the state and second in Class 8-Player. He has found the end zone 42 times on the ground, which is second-best in the state.
Smith has went 47-for-94 throwing the ball, burning defenses for 12 touchdowns, while throwing just four interceptions.
The Warriors also will have to watch out for another Audubon senior, Carter Andreasen. The running back is second on the team in rushing, with 712 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has also caught nine passes for 147 yards and three scores.
The Wheelers’ leading receiver is Braden Wessel, who has caught 19 passes for 311 yards and five touchdowns.
Audubon’s defense has given up just under 21 points per game, but that isn’t too bad considering the offense scores 52.7 points per game. The Wheelers’ leading tackler is Andreasen, who has 49.
Smith paces the defense with four interceptions and 70 return yards. Manny Beisswenger has picked off three passes for 53 yards. Altogether, Audubon has intercepted 14 passes and forced six defensive fumble recoveries.
If WACO can be successful on Thursday night, the Warriors will have a world of momentum going into the Dome. That contest will kick off at 7 p.m. at WACO High School.
WACO’s Isaac Oswald rolls out to throw a pass during WACO’s win over Winfield-Mount Union on Oct. 8. Oswald has thrown for 10 touchdowns this year, and has yet to throw an interception. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)
Jon Rice breaks outside for a long gain in WACO’s 55-22 win over Lone Tree Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. (Doug Brenneman/Union)