Golden Hawks strategy: take the ball

WELLMAN

Mid-Prairie is blowing up a time-tested football strategy.

While many teams, including just about everybody in the National Football League, defer an offensive possession to the second half when winning the pregame coin toss, the Golden Hawks instead take the ball.

What has happened?

The Golden Hawks have scored touchdowns to open the game all eight times this season, including in last Friday’s 35-21 win over West Burlington/Notre Dame in the regular season finale October 16.

Mid-Prairie’s opening drive ended with a 13-yard scoring pass from senior quarterback Brooks Weber to senior tight end Kale Miller. The Golden Hawks never trailed in the game and won their 17th consecutive district game dating back to 2023.

“We feel like that momentum is huge for us,” head coach Daren Lambert said.

The game openers have helped the Golden Hawks become the third-highest scoring offense in Iowa 2A with an average of 39.3 points per game. Only Van Meter and Alburnett have scored more.

The Golden Hawks scored on their first two possessions against West Burlington/Notre Dame to take a 14-0 lead, and added two more touchdowns in the second quarter on Oliver Miller’s first career TD catch, a 17-yarder from Weber, and his first kick return for a TD, a 73-yard jaunt in just his second game of the year after recovering from a knee injury sustained in track season.

Mid-Prairie has scored 147 points in the last three games alone, and Weber has emerged as the top passer in Iowa 2A with 2,079 passing yards and 25 passing TDs.

This Friday, the Golden Hawks (7-1) begin the 2A playoffs with a first-round game against Chariton (3-5) at Mid-Prairie.

“I’m ready to get to the playoffs,” Weber said.

The Golden Hawks, who have won three consecutive district titles, are attempting to get to the semifinal round of the playoffs at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls for the first time. Last year, they fell just one game short, falling to state finalist Van Meter in the quarterfinals.

Led by running backs Jayden Nanthan (124 rushing yards, 1 TD) and Sam Dzawo (98 yards, 2 TDs), West Burlington/Notre Dame challenged Mid-Prairie in a physical game after the Golden Hawks took a two-touchdown lead. Dzawo’s first TD run from 7 yards out in the first quarter trimmed Mid-Prairie’s lead to 14-7, and Nanthan added a TD in the second quarter.

“We knew we were going to get their best shot,” Weber said.

Deciding not to defer an opening possession to the second half worked out just fine. After stopping West Burlington/Notre Dame to begin the third quarter, Weber connected with Nolan Jergens for a 6-yard scoring pass to complete a 72-yard scoring drive with 1:57 left in the quarter.

The touchdown gave the Golden Hawks a 21-point lead, 35-14, and all that was left after that was a 1-yard TD run by Dzawo with 9:34 left in the game.

Oliver Miller, who had been helping with footballs along the sideline until returning to action Oct. 16 against Mediapolis, displayed his speed in his kick return, cutting to the sidelines and sprinting past WM/ND’s defenders. A member of two state-qualifying sprint teams last spring, Miller scored touchdowns on his only pass reception and only kick return. He had six tackles on defense.

BY THE NUMBERS

MID-PRAIRIE 35, WEST BURLINGTON/NOTRE DAME 21

WB/ND            7      7     0     7  --  21

Mid-Prairie    14    13    8     0   -- 35

M-P: Kale Miller 13 pass from Brooks Weber (Kale Miller kick)

M-P: Ryan Henry 15 run (Kale Miller kick)

WB/ND: Sam Dzawo 7 run (Garrison Reid kick)

M-P: Oliver Miller 17 pass from Weber (Kale Miller kick)

WB/ND: Jayden Nanthan 3 run (Reid kick)

M-P: Oliver Miller 73 KO return (kick failed)

M-P: Nolan Jergens 6 pass from Weber (Carson Humphrey pass from Weber)

WB/ND: Dzawo 1 run (Reid kick)

PASSING LEADERS

WM/ND, Kellan Porter, 9-20-132; Mid-Prairie, Brooks Weber, 15-16-149, 3 TD, 0 INT.

RUSHING LEADERS

WM/ND, Jayden Nanthan, 17-124, 1 TD; Sam Dzawo, 14-98, 2 TD; Porter, 2-39; Mid-Prairie, Ryan Henry, 27-178, 1 TD; Weber, 2-21; Bronx Miller, 1-4.

RECEIVING LEADERS

WM/ND, Jezden Nupp, 3-36; Tatum Warner, 2-43; Hank Humphrey, 2-43; Garrison Reid, 1-8; Dzawo, 1-2; Mid-Prairie, Kale Miller, 5-39, 1 TD; Bronx Miller, 3-42; Nolan Jergens, 3-27, 1 TD; Henry, 2-9; Oliver Miller, 1-17, 1 TD; Carson Humphrey, 1-15.

TACKLING LEADERS

WM/ND, Dzawo, 14; Humphrey, 7; Garret Bence, 6; Mid-Prairie, Tommy Miller, 7.5; Caedyn Huston, 6; Oliver Miller, 6.