Pony squads fall to Bobcats

A disastrous end to the first half spelled trouble for Iola Middle School’s seventh-graders Monday.
Trailing 12-8, The Ponies were eyeing a go-ahead touchdown when Burlington Middle School’s Brannon Nordstedt intercepted an Iola pass at the Bobcat goal line. He snaked his way past a cluster of Iola would-be tacklers, found a seam down the sideline and raced 100 yards to score a touchdown with 4 seconds left in the half.
Burlington kicked a short squib kick that bounced off an Iola receiver.
There to retrieve the pigskin was Burlington’s Jordan Torrez, who did much the same as his earlier counterpart, rumbling, past, around and occasionally over Iola defenders on a 48-yard touchdown return.
Just like that, Iola headed into the locker room trailing 26-8.
Burlington tallied the only second-half score in its 32-8 victory.
In the eighth-grade game, Burlington jumped out to a 25-8 lead through three quarters of its 25-14 victory.
Iola’s seventh-graders fall to 3-2 with the loss. The eighth-graders drop to 2-3.
Iola head coach Marty Taylor said the late breakdown was too much for the seventh-graders to overcome.
“Burlington was a physical team, and we certainly didn’t match them,” Taylor said.
Tayton Driskel led the Ponies with 115 yards rushing and a touchdown, while completing 1 of 2 passes for 10 yards. His two-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter gave Iola a brief, 8-0 lead. Burlington scored to cut the gap to 8-6 on its next play from scrimmage.
Kane Rogers was 1 of 2 passing for 9 yards. He rushed once for two yards. Matt Karr had a pair of receptions, covering 19 yards. He also rushed for four yards. Cole Regehr also had a yard rushing.

IN THE eighth-grade contest, Burlington led 12-0 before Iola’s Evan Sigg tossed a 66-yard scoring strike to Isaac Vink. Cale Barnhart added the two-point conversion run.
That was it for the Ponies until Matt Komma scored on a three-yard run with a minute left in the contest.

Sigg was 7 of 13 passing for 66 yards.
Komma rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown. Barnhart had 22 yards on the ground, while Nik Peterson rushed for 17 and Sigg for 15. Vink also had a five-yard carry.
“Give Burlington credit,” Taylor said. “They came out and took it to us. We didn’t do a very good job of matching their intensity.
“We have a whole week of practice ahead,” he continued. “We’ll use it to get better and come out ready against Coffeyville.”
Iola travels to Coffeyville Oct. 17.