Fans arrived at the Riverside Park football stadium expecting a football game Thursday.
What they saw was a veritable Mustang stampede.
Iola Middle School opened the 2020 season with a 58-14 romp over visiting Osawatomie, racking up 276 yards on the ground in the process.
Leading the way was Cole Mathes, who rushed 10 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Cortland Carson was next with 102 yards on five carries.
Jaedon Granere made the most of his three rushes, scoring two touchdowns and covering 27 yards, to go with the team’s only reception, a 29-yard pass from Kyser Nemecek. Nemecek also had seven yards on his only carry of the game.
Mathes and Granere keyed the Mustang defense as well, each racking up nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Carson added five stops. Isaac Hopkins also recovered an Osawatomie fumble.
Thursday’s tilt was the first one for IMS since the USD 257 school board changed the team’s mascot from Ponies to Mustangs.
Iola travels to Fort Scott next Thursday.
