It was week 5 for middle school sports in Allen County. Here is the roundup from Thursdays action:
Iola
Football
The seventh-grade Ponies took care of business versus Prairie View, earning a 20-6 win. Cole Mathes paced the Ponies on the ground, picking up 182 yards rushing on 17 carries to go along with 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Kyser Nemecek added 49 total yards, going 5 /6 through the air for 20 yards. Mathes also led the defense with 7 tackles and a sack. Shaun McLaughlin complimented Mathes on the Pony defense adding 3 tackles and a sack.
I am proud of the boys with the big win, head coach Scott Ellis said. I thought we did a lot better job tonight on blocking and moving the sticks. Defense did their job allowing only 6 points. This game was big for us tonight. Prairie View is a tough team to battle.
After watching the seventh-graders earn a victory, the eighth-grade Ponies followed in their tracks. Iola cruised to a 40-16 win over Prairie View, with big plays coming through the air and on the ground. Gage Skahan carried 15 times for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing, and Drayden Reiter added 45 yards rushing on 8 carries along with a touchdown. Quarterback Landon Weide displayed his best passing performance of the season, going 6 /9 for 81 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. Danny Boeken kept the Prairie View offense in check with 7 tackles and 1 sack.
This was a huge game for us tonight. Prairie View came out more aggressive than us, and scored first, Ellis said. But, We kept our heads up and responded right back. Our boys executed some big plays tonight spreading the ball from passing to rushing. We got several key blocks from the offensive line, and defense was much improved as well. I thought the boys did a lot better job reading and making tackles.
Humboldt
Football
Thursday was a learning experience for the Cubs, as they lost their first game of the season 36-0 against Eureka. The Cubs drove down to the Eureka 12-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs and never recovered. Eureka cruised to a 30-0 lead by the end of the first half, and returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown to conclude the scoring. Rushing leaders for Humboldt were Sam Hull (7 for 21 yards) and Blake Ellis (9 for 51 yards). The Cubs intend to rebound next week at Caney Valley.
Marmaton Valley
Football
The Wildcats cruised to victory over a combined team of Altoona-Midway and Yates Center students, 58-12. Marmaton Valley jumped all over Altoona/YC early with defense. Daniel Fewins recorded 2 fumble recoveries, along with Kody McVey, Brayden Lawson, and Jaedon Granere each recovering a fumble. Lawson and Granere led the Wildcat offense with multiple touchdown games, and Cooper Schmidt added a score to his name.
We blocked much better tonight, but we need to protect the ball better, head coach Dan Ulrich said. It was nice to see the athletes rewarded for their hard work.
Volleyball
All Wildcat volleyball teams earned a victory over Altoona-Midway. The C team won in three sets by scores of 25-16, 21-25, and 15-4. Lesleigh Cary led the Wildcats offensively with 13 points, and Bella Dwyer along with Elizabeth Lewis chipped in seven points apiece. The B team also won in three sets, via scores of 25-22, 19-25, and 15-9. Braelyn Sutton and Zoe Sneed propelled the Wildcat offense by combining for 15 points. The A team handled Altoona-Midway with ease, winning both sets by large margins of 25-8 and 25-9. Janae Granere had a team high 16 points, and Raveyn Kegler followed with 13. The Wildcats will have a busy week coming up, with the A team in action Monday at Yates Center, and all three teams travel to Northeast next Thursday.
