CARBONDALE — The Iola Mustangs were their own worst enemy on Friday after turning the ball over four times in their regular season finale 32-14 unraveling at Santa Fe Trail.
The Mustangs (2-6; 0-2) served up four turnovers to the Chargers in an ugly offensive showing as Iola produced their 14 points on a pair of Courtland Carson touchdown rushes.
The scoring began early and often for Santa Fe Trail.Theron Berckefeldt rushed in a 55-yard touchdown for the initial 8-0 lead after a successful two-point conversion.
Iola quarterback Jordan Kaufman began his slew of turnovers early when he was intercepted by Santa Fe Trail’s Kyle Strother around midfield to set up another Charger touchdown score. The sophomore is starting for the injured Landon Weide.
“They definitely hurt us, especially when we’ve got a young quarterback, he’s not used to turning the ball over in games so it affects his mentality,” said Iola head coach David Daugharthy. “It’s a tough learning curve for a young offense, a young quarterback and guys who haven’t seen much playing time.”
Berckefeldt found the end zone again on the next Santa Fe Drive when he rushed in from a few yards out for the 14-0 Charger advantage nearing the second quarter.
Kaufman flung up his second interception when he was looking for a deep pass which was hauled in by Santa Fe Trail defender Trenton Sleichter at the Charger 14-yard line.
Charger quarterback Luke Edwards quickly capitalized and connected with Strother on a 37-yard touchdown pass down the home sideline. Santa Fe Trail however missed the two-point conversion and led 20-0 in the beginning of the second quarter.
One of the few positives happened for Iola in the second quarter was when Mustang Danny Boeken jumped on a forced fumble for Iola to take back possession of the ball.
Carson rumbled into the end zone a few plays later from four yards out for his first touchdown carry of the night and the 20-7 Iola deficit.
“I think it speaks to what momentum does in a struggle of any sports team and really in life too, what you’re going to do to bounce back,” Daugharthy said. “That gets our momentum going and believing in what we can actually do and truly believe it as we execute it.”
Following a successful Iola onside kick recovery, Kaufman tossed another interception which was snagged by the Charger Strother for his second interception of the night. This would send the teams to halftime with Iola trailing Santa Fe Trail, 20-7.
Santa Fe Trail came out firing in the second half as Edwards connected with one of his receivers for a 73-yard touchdown pass on the second snap of the half for the 26-7 edge.
The fourth and final Mustang turnover came on a Charger Matthew Coltrane forced fumble.
Berckefeldt struck for his second touchdown rush of the game on a 30-yard scamper to propel his Santa Fe Trail unit to a 32-7 advantage near the end of the third quarter.
