With a partially blocked punt setting them up in Coffeyville territory late in the third quarter, it appeared Iola Middle School’s eighth-grade Ponies were on their way to grabbing the lead back Thursday night.
The drive stalled as the fourth quarter began leaving Coffeyville up 26-22. The visiting Roughriders scored with about four minutes left in the game to make the final 34-22.
“We completely rebuilt what we do on offense this week and these kids played hard,” said Marty Taylor, IMS head football coach. “We didn’t tackle very well but never quit.”
Iola’s seventh-grade football team broke away from a 6-6 tie, scoring two touchdowns in the final minute of the second quarter. The Ponies rolled to a 36-12 win over Coffeyville.
The Pony eighth-grade team opened the scoring of its game. Drew Faulhaber connected with Isaiah Grover for a 25-yard scoring pass at the 7:45 mark of the first quarter.
Coffeyville scored twice in 25 seconds to go up 14-6. After that the Iola defense stiffened up for the rest of the first half.
Faulhaber hooked up with Grover for two more touchdown passes in the second quarter. A 16-yard play plus a Faulhaber two-point run tied the game at 14-14 with 5:15 on the second-quarter clock.
Three minutes later, the two players put Iola in front with a 21-yard strike. Faulhaber flipped the two-point conversion pass to Alex Bauer.
Coffeyville scored 50 seconds before halftime. Iola was up 22-20. Coffeyville got the go-ahead touchdown midway through the third period.
Grover finished with 31 yards on 11 carries for the Ponies. He caught three passes, all touchdowns, for 62 yards. Faulhaber was 6 of 12 passing for 88 yards and had 26 yards rushing.
Alex Bauer made three catches for 26 yards and had one carry for three yards. Trey Colborn had 20 yards on six carries.
“Alex, Isaiah Trey and Calob Cleaver did a fantastic job of adjusting to different roles,” Taylor said.
On the defensive side, Bauer recorded five unassisted tackles, one assisted tackle and recovered a fumble. Colborn had three solo stops and three assisted tackles.
Shane Walden had two solo tackles and three assisted stops. Brock Peters had two unassisted tackles and one assisted tackle.
The eighth-grade football team is 2-4.
IOLA’S SEVENTH-grade football team ran its record to 5-1 with the win over Coffeyville. The Ponies had four players score touchdowns in the game Thursday.
Brett Taylor scored on a quarterback keeper for one yard with 1:30 left in the first quarter. Coffeyville tied the game at 6-6 early in the second period.
Keanan Badders used a four-yard run to the end zone to put Iola back in front. Taylor threw a two-point conversion pass to Brice Aiello.
On the final play of the first half. Aiello went 37 yards on a reverse to score a touchdown. Brandon Donnell ran in the two-point conversion. Iola led 22-6 at intermission.
Badders, who had 13 carries for 104 yards in the game, scored on a 22-yard run in the third quarter. Donnell tacked on the two-point conversion
Coffeyville scored on the ensuing kickoff, making it 30-12.
At the 6:10 mark of the fourth quarter, Donnell broke off a 23-yard run to the end zone. Donnell had 93 yards on 18 carries.
Aiello had one carry for 37 yards and caught Taylor’s only pass for 11 yards. Jake Kress had five carries for 12 yards.
Aiello also led the Pony defense with six unassisted tackles and three assisted tackles. He had three quarterback sacks and a blocked punt.
Ethan Sigg made two solo stops and one assisted tackles. He recovered two fumbles and blocked a punt.
“Brice was outstanding on both sides of the ball and Ethan came to play tonight on defense. He did a great job against the wishbone,” Taylor said.
Donnell had four solo tackles and two assisted tackles. Taylor had three solos and one assist. Kress had a fumble recovery.
The IMS teams go to Parsons next Thursday for final games.
