Once Iola High’s Mustangs cleared away the homecoming cobwebs, they produced a strong second half Friday night.
The Mustangs posted a 27-16 victory over the visiting Prairie View High Buffalos in a Pioneer League clash. Iola improved to 2-0 in Pioneer action while Prairie View dropped to 2-1 in league play.
Trailing 8-7 at halftime on homecoming night, the Mustang seniors had the floor in the locker room.
“We let them take it at halftime. It’s their homecoming. Their senior year,” said Doug Kerr, Mustang head coach. “The players responded and we had a great team win.”
Mason Coons, senior quarterback, finished off two Iola drives with touchdown runs in the second half. Eric Heffern, senior linebacker, had one of three quarterback sacks.
“We just had to realize it was homecoming and everything was on the line for us seniors,” Coons said of the halftime talk. “We had to start playing as a team. No one’s head was in the game in the first half.
“The second half was one of the best team halves we’ve had all season.”
The Mustangs took the opening drive of the second half on a 69-yard march. It was 12 plays, finished off by a 13-yard run to the end zone by Coons. The extra-point kick was blocked but Iola led 13-8.
Prairie View was powered by sophomore running back Blake Barnes. Barnes accounted for 128 of the Buffalos’ 142 yards of total offense.
Barnes had back-to-back runs that pushed his team down the field on the ensuing possession. On a fourth-and-goal play at the Iola two-yard line, quarterback Shey Spears pushed over the goal line for the Buffalos. He flipped a two-point pass to a teammate, putting his team up 16-13.
There was just over five minutes left in the third quarter. Iola had a three-and-out then stopped Prairie View on seven plays, taking over the football on downs at Iola’s own 24-yard line.
The Mustang go-ahead drive began with 1:31 on the clock in the third quarter. It consumed nearly almost 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
Iola had 12 plays on the march of 76 yards. Coons found senior Jacob Harrison for a 17-yard pass play on the final snap of the third quarter.
A 15-yard face mask penalty against the Buffalos moved the Mustangs further down the field. John Whitworth, Coons and Kaden Macha had runs to keep the ball moving closer to the Prairie View goal line.
Coons made a six-yard run to paydirt with 9:06 left in the game. Isaias Macias kicked the extra point.
