Week 3 gridiron roundup

Columbus routs Highland

COLUMBUS JUNCTION ? Big plays and turnovers helped Columbus cruise to a district victory on Friday night.

The Wildcats forced five turnovers in the game, as they went on to defeat Highland 51-18 in the first district match of the year.

The Wildcats were strong offensively in the game, as senior Mauricio Ramirez ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns, including catching four balls for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Ramirez added seven tackles (three going for a loss) and also returned a kick 85 yards for a score.

Columbus quarterback Carter Colby tossed three touchdowns in the game, completing 50 percent of his passes for 190 yards.

For Highland, junior quarterback Jake Wood showed off his speed, rushing 11 times for 68 yards, including two long touchdown runs of 30 and 59 yards.

Wood also added a touchdown pass, while completing 14-of-18 passes for 193 yards.

The Wildcats jumped on the board first, with a Ruben Paz 25-yard field goal, but Wood?s 59-yard touchdown gave Highland an early lead with 8:45 left in the first quarter.

Ramirez answered that play with a 15-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, followed by a 21-yard touchdown run to start off the second quarter.

Abel Mena hauled in a pass from Colby for a 29-yard score, and the Wildcats were quickly up 24-6 in the middle of the second quarter.

Highland answered with Wood?s 30-yard touchdown run, but Ramirez answered again, this time returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a score, making it 31-12 at halftime.

Highland opened up the third quarter strong, as Trent Lasek hauled in a Wood pass for a 25-yard touchdown, but Columbus put their foot on the gas with Ramirez scoring on a 45-yard pass, a 29-yard pass and on a 37-yard run to put the Wildcats up 51-18, and give them a district victory.

Defensively, Columbus was led by Nick Hernandez, who had 12 total tackles and a fumble recovery. Mena had 11 tackles and one interception for the game.

Columbus will host Wapello, while Highland will travel to West Marshall on Friday night.

WACO rolls over New London

WAYLAND ? The WACO and New London football teams tried to break the scoreboard on Friday night in a showdown between two high-powered offenses. The Warriors, led by an unstoppable rushing attack, defeated the Tigers, 52-35.

The game started out with a bang as New London?s Austin McBeth took the opening kickoff return all the way back to the end zone for a 95-yard return touchdown. The Warriors answered back on a drive that ended with a Gabe Black 3-yard touchdown run and the first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.

In the second quarter, WACO?s Colton Horak took a 43-yard pass from Jackson Roth to the house to make it 14-7. New London?s Dallas Bell hit right back with an 88-yard kick return touchdown, for the Tigers? second score from the return game in two quarters. The extra point was no good though, and WACO held onto a 14-13 lead.

The WACO offense pounded it out on the ground for two more touchdowns in the second quarter, one by Black and the other by Bryce Achen. Kicker Colton Horak, who was already 4-4 on extra point attempts, hit a 39 ?yard field goal at the end of the second quarter and the Warriors led 31-13 at the break.

Achen scored two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter. Sandwiched between the two was a 10-yard Tiger passing touchdown from Reno Chiri to Jayden Flowers. The Warriors led, 45-21, going into the fourth quarter, but the offenses were far from finished.

Achen scored his fourth touchdown of the game with a 3-yard run to push the lead to 52-21, but New London would score on two more big plays to cut the lead. McBeth ran 94 yards, and the Tigers connected on a two-point conversion to make it 52-29, and Flowers caught a 68-yard touchdown pass to make it 52-35 before a missed two-point attempt.

Achen led the victorious Warriors with 232 yards on the ground and four scores. Black had 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns and Jorge Chacon added 36 yards to the total.

Roth finished the game 5-10 with 89 yards and a touchdown. Horak led in receiving yards with 74. Achen and Black each caught one pass, for 8 and 7 yards respectively.

Achen also led the defense, with seven tackles. Chacon was second on the team with five. Achen and Chacon also had one fumble recovery each, as did Colton Horak. Black and Duncan Pickard each had one interception.

For New London, McBeth finished with 120 yards and a touchdown on the ground, as well as 24 yards through the air. Flowers was the leading receiver with five catches for 82 yards. Tyler Stevenson caught two passes for 13 yards.

Defensively, Tyler Mettler had 9.5 tackles and Stevenson finished with nine. Mason Porter had 7.5 tackles and McBeth added on with seven. Flowers and Cole Helmerson each had 6.5 tackles respectively.

Both WACO and New London now sit at 1-2 overall in the season. The Warriors are 1-0 in district play and the Tigers are 0-1. Next week?s schedule sees WACO traveling to play Van Buren (0-3) on the road, while New London comes home to host Pekin (2-1).

?WACO roundup courtesy of Andy Krutsinger, Mt. Pleasant News

Mid-Prairie defense pushes Hawks to victory

LETTS ? An injury impacted the offensive game plan for Mid-Prairie on Friday night, but the Hawks found a way to win, utilizing a stingy defense to stifle Louisa-Muscatine.

Despite losing their starting quarterback in the first quarter, a pair of touchdowns from junior Ricky Vargas was all the offense the Hawks would need, as they took the district game 13-0.

Vargas rushed 23 times for 194 yards in the game, adding the two scores, including a long of 31 yards.

Before leaving the game, senior quarterback Ryan Cortum completed three of eight passes for 32 yards. Sophomore Karson Gingerich completed one pass after the injury for 27 yards.

Senior Nolan Faselt had 12 carries in the game for 42 yards, and Blake Schwartz finished the contest with three catches for 32 yards.

Defensively, Mid-Prairie was led by senior Cameron Tolander?s eight tackles, with one going for a loss, while Karson Duwa had six total tackles in the game.

Paul Hawbaker picked off his third pass of the season for the Hawks, as they improved to 3-0 on the season.

Mid-Prairie will celebrate homecoming on Friday night against West Burlington, Notre Dame at 7 p.m.

Regina topples Sig-K

SIGOURNEY ? The top-ranked team in the state proved too much for Sigourney-Keota on Friday night.

The Cobras fell to Regina 52-6 in the game, and were led by Peyton Crawford?s 63 yards rushing.

Luke Greiner found some open space against Regina, rushing eight times for 61 yards (7.6 yards per carry), while Nate Sieren reeled in three catches for 48 yards in the game.

Defensively, Lane Boender led the team with 9.5 tackles in the contest, while Crawford added 6.5, with two going for a loss.

The Cobras will look to right the ship on Friday when they travel to Pella Christian.