Bulldogs run past Mustangs

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Sports

September 3, 2011 - 12:00 AM

Iola High’s Mustangs gained six-yards on their first offensive play of the 2011 season opener.  Then things went south.
A miscommunication between quarterback Mason Coons and a receiver ended up in an interception. Independence High’s Easton Julian returned the interception 27 yards to the Iola 18-yard line.
Three plays later, Iola’s game plan got blown up. Junior linebacker and fullback Stephen McDonald injured his knee at the 9:38 mark of the first quarter.
“We focused on a power running game this season because we had a good power fullback. Stephen has worked hard and we really liked the power running offense we went to,” said Rick Horton, Mustang head coach, following a 27-0 defeat Friday night.
“When Stephen went out with the injury, we had to revert back to our spread offense. I take on myself that I didn’t prepare our guys for such an injury happening.”
Senior tailback Jerrik Sigg had a combined offensive total of 84 yards for the Mustangs. He carried the football for 58 yards, 46 coming in the first half.
Sigg also caught four passes for 26 yards. The Mustangs ended up with a total of 108 yards offensively.
Coons was 9 of 22 for 79 yards passing and had three interceptions.
The Bulldogs capitalized on that first interception. On the next play after the delay for McDonald’s injury, Demonta Clark busted a fourth-and two for a nine-yard touchdown run. Courtlan Hayes kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Iola came right back. Behind the running of Sigg marched  from its own 39-yard line to the Bulldogs’ 11-yard line. Sigg had a 22-yard run on a third-down play to keep the drive going.
Then on a fourth-and-seven, senior tight end Corey Taylor pulled in an eight-yard pass from Coons.  Coons connected with Sigg for 13 yards.
That put Iola at the Independence 11. But the Mustangs got no closer. They couldn’t convert on a fourth-and- 10 and had to hand the ball over to the Bulldogs on downs.
Iola hand only one other scoring threat. It came with 7:46 left in the third quarter. The Mustangs trailed 21-0 and Independence had taken the second-half kickoff down to the Iola 10.
Sigg intercepted a pass by Independence quarterback Dalton Shaffer at the goal line. Sigg returned the interception to the Bulldog 40-yard line.
Sigg broke off runs of eight and 11 yards. Again the Bulldog defense held.
topped the Bulldogs in their track right there. They forced Independence to punt but Iola muffed the punt. Independence’s Dallas King recovered the football at the Iola 49.
A steady diet of running by wide receiver T.J. Reed moved the Bulldogs down the field. Reed scored on a 15-yard run with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
It was Reed’s second touchdown of the night. He had taken a screen pass from Shaffer 27 yards at the 1:30 mark of the second quarter.
“Our kids did not lay down. They fought to the end. Independence is a good, physical team,” Horton said.
“We came out and delivered some hits early but in the second and third quarters, we didn’t. We played hard but had way too many mental mistakes tonight.”
Horton noted that Independence’s first two touchdowns came on fourth-down plays.
“We step up and make the stops, we have the football. We didn’t do that tonight,” Horton said.
Clint Heffern had five unassisted tackles and three assisted tackles for the Iola defense. Devin Culler and Zach Crawford each had five solo stops and two assisted tackles.
Kaden Macha recorded eight assisted tackles and two solo stops. Jacob Rhoads had the lone quarterback sack for the Mustangs plus had four unassisted tackles and three assists.
Derrick Weir had four solo tackles and two assisted tackles.
“We were one tackle away from stopping all four of those touchdown plays,” Horton said. “We know what we did wrong and we can correct those things.
“Hopefully, we get Stephen back. But if we don’t we’ll go to some personnel packages and get the job done.”
McDonald was taken to the hospital for X-Rays during the game. Stephanie McDonald, his mother, told the Register nothing was broken but he could have suffered a strained ligament in his right knee.
“They put him in a knee brace and on crutches. He will be evaluated early next week,” Stephanie McDonald said.
The Mustangs (0-1) travel to Parsons for another SEK game next Friday. Parsons beat Columbus 20-12 Friday night.

Iola    0-0-0-0—0
Independence    7-14-6-0­—27
Indy — Clark 9 yd run (Hayes kick)
Indy — Clark 28 yd run (Hayes kick)
Indy — Reed 27 yd pass from Shaffer (Hayes kick)
Indy — Reed 15 yd run (kick failed)
    Iola    Indy
Frist downs    6    14
Rushes-yds    24-29    49-188
Passing yds    79    147
Totals Offense    108    335
Passing    9-22-3    7-11-1
Fumbles-lost    3/2    2/0
Punts-Avg    3-30    4-26
Penalties-yds    2-10    4-36

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