MID-PRAIRIE FOOTBALL

Golden Hawks capture district title with 48-14 victory

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 10/12/24

WELLMAN

Mid-Prairie wasted no time Friday night.

Junior running back Hudson Ehrenfelt danced into the end zone with the first of his four touchdowns less than four minutes into the game. A …

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MID-PRAIRIE FOOTBALL

Golden Hawks capture district title with 48-14 victory

Posted

WELLMAN

Mid-Prairie’s Senior Night turned into a party.

And it’s a party that the Golden Hawks hope doesn’t stop until they crash a state playoff party in November at the Uni-Dome in Cedar Falls.

The Golden Hawks’ 48-14 win last Friday against Central Lee clinched the school’s first district championship in 16 years. So now, they’re thinking big.

“The Dome. We know we can do it,” said senior receiver Ace Peck.

“Winning the district is the first big part of it,” senior quarterback Brady Weber said. “Yeah, the Dome, for sure.”

After losing its first three games of the season, all to teams ranked in Class 1A, Mid-Prairie has won four consecutive District 2A-5 games, and clinched the district title and a 2A home playoff game.

Friday at Albia, the Golden Hawks will go for an unbeaten district finish. One week later, the 2A playoffs start.

When last Friday’s game ended, Mid-Prairie students stormed the field in a wild celebration with the Golden Hawks.

“Just proud of those guys and the success that they’ve earned,” head coach Daren Lambert said. “It’s a group of guys that truly love each other, care about each other, are tough on each other.

“Senior Night, all of that happening here tonight, just excited for those guys,” he said.

The celebrating began early.

Two minutes after an interception robbed the Golden Hawks of a touchdown in the game’s opening minute, Mid-Prairie quarterback Brady Weber handed the ball off to running back Hudson Ehrenfelt to begin the Golden Hawks’ second possession.

Then, again.

And again.

Ehrenfelt danced into the end zone with the first of his four touchdowns less than four minutes into the game, scoring on a 20-yard run.

The Golden Hawks drove 53 yards for the touchdown on just three plays, all of them runs by Ehrenfelt. It was merely a preview of what was to come.

Ehrenfelt ran for 220 yards on 16 carries and also caught a pass. He scored on runs of 20, 2, 11 and 13 yards, eventually retiring to the bench in the fourth quarter because the job was done. His 19 rushing touchdowns this season rank second in Class 2A.

“He’s a great weapon,” Lambert said. “It’s great to have him on our side. He allows other guys to go and find their moments, as well. He’s got guys keying on him, so it opens up bubble screens and things like that.”

Weber passed for 129 yards, including a 22-yard scoring strike to senior receiver Cobi Hersherberg. Another senior, Conner Wiles, picked up a fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter.

Ehrenfelt’s second touchdown, a 2-yarder, gave the Golden Hawks a 20-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter. Hershberger’s touchdown catch with 2:29 left in the second quarter made it 27-0. Just 1:12 later, following Blake Swart’s second interception, Weber scored from 6 yards out for a 34-0 lead.

An 11-yard touchdown run by Ehrenfelt 1:36 into the third quarter expanded Mid-Prairie’s lead to 41-0, and began the winding down of a running clock.

Central Lee’s Chase Johnson, who ran for 126 yards on 40 carries, put the Hawks on the board with a 58-yard scoring run late in the third quarter.

Until then, the Golden Hawks defense was threatening a shutout. Swart had two interceptions and Keegan Bauwens had one. Wiles scored the first touchdown of his high school career on a fumble. Kaden Kos, the sixth-leading tackler in Mid-Prairie history, had a team-high 9 tackles.

While Mid-Prairie’s offense is averaging more than 40 points a game in district play, the Golden Hawks defense has yielded just three touchdowns in the last three games and nearly scored shutouts the last two games.

“It’s a program effort. It’s a brotherhood of guys that are fighting together,” Lambert said.

 

GAME STATS

MID-PRAIRIE 48, CENTRAL LEE 14

Central Lee       0     0    7     7   --  14

Mid-Prairie     14   20   14   0   --  48

M-P: Hudson Ehrenfelt 20 run (Kale Miller kick)

M-P: Conner Wiles 15 fumble return (Miller kick)

M-P: Ehrenfelt 2 run (kick failed)

M-P: Cobi Hershberger 22 pass from Brady Weber (Miller kick)

M-P: Weber 6 run (Miller kick)

M-P: Ehrenfelt 11 run (Miller kick)

M-P: Ehrenfelt 13 run (Miller kick)

CL: Chase Johnson 58 run (Colton Taft kick)

CL: Kayden Calfee 4 run (Taft kick)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Passing: CL, Kayden Calfee, 1-8, 1 yard, 3 INT; M-P, Brady Weber, 8-11, 129 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; Brooks Weber, 1-2, 6 yards.

Rushing: CL, Chase Johnson, 15-126, 1 TD; Calfee, 19-98, 1 TD; Kegan Damico, 4-26; Max Jones, 1-3; Ward Fraise, 1-1; M-P, Hudson Ehrenfelt, 16-220, 4 TD; Ryan Henry, 6-51; Peyton Fox, 3-47; Brady Weber, 2-9; Tatem Telfer, 1-4.

Receiving: CL, Damico, 1-1; M-P, Blake Swart, 4-69; Cobi Hershberger, 1-22, 1 TD; Ace Peck, 1-19; Telfer, 1-17; Miller, 1-6; Ehrenfelt, 1-2.

Tackling leaders: M-P, Kaden Kos, 9; Hershberger, 5; Shay Myers, 3.

This week: Mid-Prairie at Albia.

mid-prairie, football, district championship, Central Lee