MONROE

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks playoff push ended when they played the No. 9 ranked PCM Mustangs on Friday, Oct. 27 for a Class 2A round-two matchup. The final score was 36-0.

PCM rose to 8-2 and will continue their playoff push while Mid-Prairie finished at 5-5.

After forcing a punt, Mid-Prairie was off to a promising start when sophomore Hudson Ehrenfelt began to heat up. Ehrenfelt would finish the game with 158 yards on the ground.

“The first half, we did a good job of moving the ball on drives offensively but ultimately struggled to finish drives,” Golden Hawk head coach Daren Lambert said.

“We were seeing some things from [PCM’s] alignment defensively that we felt we could take advantage of on early drives. Defensively, we did a good job in the first half, gang tackling their talented back and playing assignment football.”

The first quarter was swift, ending with no score.

PCM did not let the scoreboard hold goose eggs for long, scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter from an Adrien Robbins 49-yard run and a 66-yard catch-and-run from Griffin Olson.

Robbins is the 2A leader in all-purpose yardage (2,371) and rushing yardage (1,978). His 13 receiving touchdowns also lead 2A receivers.

The Mustangs were threatening to score once more before the half ended but lost a fumble inside the redzone. This ensured the Hawks would only be down by 14 entering halftime.

PCM had an explosive third, scoring 22 points to reach the final score of 36-0. The first score was an Olson 39-yard reception. The second was a 25-yard run from the Mustang quarterback, Gavin VanGorp. The third was a VanGorp 1-yard run.

PCM also successfully converted a two-point-conversion after a Mid-Prairie penalty was called on a PAT attempt, giving the Mustangs a one-yard try.

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

“In the postgame, we discussed how only one team in Class 2A gets to end their season happy. Unfortunately, that was not us. Although Friday did not end the way we wanted, I am extremely proud of this group and their accomplishments,” Lambert said.  “From a start of 0-3 to finishing as a state qualifier and receiving a state participant trophy it is a testament to the players relentless effort to get better each and every week. This group faced adversity and continued to work and fight throughout the entire season to reach their goals.”

Individual efforts

Mid-Prairie junior Brady Weber played a tough, physical game against the Mustangs. Despite finishing with under 60 yards of total offense, his performance inspired the team to continue pushing forward.

“Brady is a leader and a warrior on the football field. He did a good job of leading the offense and audibling plays at the line based on the defense alignment. He is a competitor and even after taking some big hits, he got back up and kept fighting for our team,” Lambert said.

Weber finished the year with the most passing touchdowns (20) in school history. This mark was the fifth most in Iowa at 2A. Weber’s six-passing-touchdown performance against Albia tied a school record. Weber’s six-total-touchdown performance against Northeast tied a school record as well.

Weber’s 1,497 passing yards is second best in school history. To this point in his football career, he has 1,571 passing yards which is already sixth best in school history.

“Brady did a great job of getting better each and every week. It’s a credit to his work, his teammates, and his competitive nature. We knew he would be a great quarterback for us at the beginning of the season, but his growth throughout the season provided our offense another dimension on top of an effective run game.”

Hudson Ehrenfelt led the team with 1,336 rushing yards (fifth at 2A competition) and 16 touchdowns. His 1,977 all-purpose yardage was third most among those in 2A. Ehrenfelt was second with 355 yards receiving.

Sophomore Kaden Kos was the team’s leading tackler with 74 on the year. His 4.5 sacks also led Mid-Prairie. Kos was the teams fifth leading receiver with 276 yards and had the longest reception of the year, an 80-yard touchdown.

Junior Cobi Hershberger was the third leading receiver with 331 yards.

Senior finale

Mid-Prairie rosters 12 seniors: Landon Sullivan, Landon Fox, Dylan Henry, Lukin Rediger, Jarron Thomas, Case Whetstine, Jack Greiner, Kurt Schneider, Parker Ehrenfelt, Jackson Miller, Grady Miller, and Beau Flynn.

Most serve a crucial role on the defense. Rediger has 46 tackles, the second most on the team. His two sacks are tied with Parker Ehrenfelt and Jarron Thomas for the teams third most.

Grady Miller is second on the team in sacks with four.

Landon Sullivan and Dylan Henry lead the team with two interceptions apiece.

Beau Flynn was the kicker, converting 19 of 31 PATs and having 1,971 yards through his 49 kickoffs, four of which resulted in touchbacks.

On the offensive side of the ball, Henry is the team’s leading receiver with 375 yards and seven touchdowns. Henry also served as the team punter.

“The program thanks these seniors for their commitment to our program. This group was a part of multiple playoff appearances and had successful individual careers,” Lambert said. “We appreciate their time and efforts while in our program and appreciate their dedication.”

GAME SUMMARY

MID-PRAIRIE 0, PCM 36

M-P 0 0 0 0 0

PCM 0 14 22 0 36

PCM: Adrien Robbins 49 rush, 8:19 2nd (Dominic Witt PAT)

PCM: Griffin Olson 66 pass from Gavin VanGorp, 3:46 2nd (Witt PAT)

PCM: Olson 39 pass from VanGorp, 4:10 3rd (Witt PAT)

PCM: VanGorp 25 rush, 2:36 3rd (VanGorp 2pt rush)

PCM: VanGorp 1 rush, :48. (Witt PAT)

STATS

PASSING: Mid-Prairie: Brady Weber 8-19-35, 1 INT. PCM: Gavin VanGorp 9-10-170, 2 TD.

RUSHING: Mid-Prairie: Hudson Ehrenfelt 38-158. PCM: Adrien Robbins 15-113, 1 TD; VanGorp 10-69, 2 TD.

RECEIVING: Mid-Prairie: Cobi Hershberger 2-15. PCM: Griffin Olson 2-105, 2 TD; Gabe Hobbs 5-35; Robbins 2-30.

TACKLING: Kaden Kos 7.5; Hershberger 6.5; Landon Sullivan 5.5. PCM: Evan Jones 11.5; Brevin DeRaad 10.5; Allias Nolin 8.