After Prairie View’s JV team scored its third touchdown in about four minutes to go up 18-0, Iola JV coach Dana Daugharthy wondered if his squad really wanted to be there on the field in the first place.
He wasn’t shy about his thoughts, letting his Mustangs know a day of retribution was waiting for them in the following practice if they did not start to turn the tide.
“We’re going to be running tomorrow,” Daugharthy said.
Three minutes later, Iola scored. Daugharthy had finally woken his team up. The Mustangs even carried that momentum into the second half, scoring three more times and livening up the home crowd.
But unfortunately for Daugharthy and his Iola squad, the effort proved to be too little and too late as the Buffalos JV team came away with a 38-24 victory on Monday night.
Iola’s untimely slumber in the first two quarters allowed Prairie View to grab a 26-6 lead by halftime, which was a lead that proved to be too daunting despite the Mustangs’ eventual awakening on the field.
Daugharthy saw his squad surrender a 64-yard touchdown pass, cough up a fumble and then allow three more scores of at least 26 yards all within the first half. Iola’s lone bright spot in the midst of Prairie View’s incessant scoring was its own touchdown, a 21-yard pass from freshman Kane Rogers to sophomore Nik Peterson in the middle of the second quarter.
But that score along with a forced fumble on defense gave Iola at least a shred of momentum heading into the break.
Twenty-five seconds into the third quarter, the Mustangs began their comeback attempt with a 78-yard touchdown run by freshman Tayton Driskel to cut the lead to 26-12.
When Prairie View went on to throw an interception that eventually led to Iola driving up the field to convert an 8-yard touchdown run by sophomore Cale Barnhart, it was evident that Daugharthy’s second-half team was not only awake but also thriving.
The comeback, which seemed far fetched and improbable after a 20-point deficit, was imminent once Iola was within one score of a tie.
But then reality set back in for Prairie View, whose varsity squad stomped Iola 43-14 on Friday. The Buffalos scored on a 65-yard and 43-yard run within a five minute stretch in the second half to seal the game.
Even another Driskel touchdown for the Mustangs — a 65-yard touchdown run with 9:53 left in the fourth — wasn’t enough to overtake the Buffalos lead.
Still, Daugharthy was able to walk away from Monday’s 38-24 loss with some bright spots to focus on. Driskel finished the day with two scores, topping 100-yards on the ground in just his two touchdown runs.
The Iola defense stepped up by forcing three turnovers, including an interception by senior Alex Garber and a fumble recovery by Isiah Shaughnessy.
Daugharthy takes his Mustangs on the road for their next matchup against Labette County on Monday.
Iola JV drops to 0-2 after comeback attempt
