With the football season coming to a close, Iola Middle School played its last home games of the year Thursday against Wellsville.
The seventh-grade team jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after Kale Pratt caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Crooks.
Wellsville controlled the rest of the game, however, scoring 20 unanswered points.
With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Iola began to mount a charge, spurred by an interception by James Hunt.
But Iola fumbled the ball late on Wellsville’s side of the field. That fumble led to Wellsville’s final touchdown to give the visiting Eagles a 20-6 win.
“I could definitely tell Wellsville has been keeping up with their scouting,” said Iola Middle School head coach Scott Ellis. “Wellsville had us as far as what we try to do offensively. The kids played aggressively. We were in the game until the end. We just came up a little bit short.”
In the eighth-grade game, Wellsville scored early in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead before Iola’s Tre Wilson scored on a 65-yard return on the ensuing kickoff.
Both teams traded the ball back and forth for much of the game.
Both sides had a few turnovers and both defenses got a few key fourth-down stops.
Wellsville took the lead 14-6 after a 42-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Iola had its chances to come back but couldn’t, resulting in a 14-8 win for Wellsville.
“I think Wellsville running the clock out slowed us down and kept the ball out of our hands,” Ellis said. “They ran on us and had too many first downs and we just couldn’t stop them tonight.”
Next up for IMS is a road game at Wellsville on Monday.
