COLUMBUS — Dominating the line of scrimmage much of the game, Iola High’s junior varsity football team defeated host Columbus High’s Titans 46-16.
John Whitworth, a freshman, scored three rushing touchdowns in the first half. Whitworth rushed for 174 yards on 14 carries, most of it (164 yards) coming in the first half as Iola staked a 40-8 lead.
The Mustangs took the opening kickoff down the field and Whitworth capped it with a 10-yard run to the end zone. Sophomore quarterback Mason Coons ran in the two-point conversion.
Whitworth got loose for a 15-yard touchdown run with 2:29 left in the first quarter. He tacked on the two-point conversion.
Iola’s offensive line opened another hole for Whitworth, who raced 33 yards to paydirt, at the 9:46 mark of the second quarter. Coons passed to Zeph Larney, a sophomore, for the two points.
The Iola defense turned away Columbus twice on fourth-down plays.
Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Mustangs used one play to score. Coons connected on a short pass to the flat with freshman Jacob Rhoads. Rhoads ran away from the defense.
The scoring pass play covered 80 yards. Whitworth scored the two-point conversion. Iola led 32-0 with 6:53 left in the first half.
Columbus scored four minutes later on a six-yard run by Trent Martin. Martin ran in the two-point conversion.
Iola answered back but lost its starting quarterback. Coons returned the kickoff and sprained his ankle. He didn’t return to action.
Freshmen Tyler McIntosh and Adam Kauth filled in. McIntosh guided the offense down the field but had to come out with an equipment problem.
Kauth went in and made a run up the middle to score from 11 yards out. Kauth flipped the two-point conversion pass to sophomore Tyler Clubine.
Columbus drove to a score a touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Travis Jones capped the drive with a five-yard run and Martin scored the two-point conversion.
Iola took over the football with about five minutes left in the third quarter. The Mustangs used most of the time before scoring.
Jesse Zimmerman hauled in a pass from McIntosh that covered 37 yards for the touchdown. It came with 36 seconds on the clock.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
Coons was 3 of 5 passing for 99 yards and McIntosh was 4 of 4 for 82 yards. Kauth had 43 yards on three caries while Clubine had 21 yards on 10 hauls and McIntosh carried the ball seven times for 23 yards.
Rhoads caught three passes for 99 yards and Larney had two catches for 36 yards. Zimmerman had one catch for 37 yards and Clubine caught two for 12 yards.
Leading the defensive charge was sophomore linebacker Stephen McDonald with eight unassisted tackles, five assisted, a quarterback sack and a forced fumble. Junior defensive end Zach Crawford recovered the fumble and had four assisted tackles.
Junior linebacker Braden Larson had three solo stops and two assisted, plus he batted down a pass. Rhoads had two solo tackles and five assisted tackles and Whitworth had two solos and three assisted tackles.
Kauth made two solo stops. Juniors Corey Taylor and Blake Appling and Coons each had one unassisted tackle and four assisted tackles.
Larney had three assisted tackles and Clubine had two assisted tackles. Freshmen Derrick Weir and Bryce Misenhelter and sophomore Devon Burton each had one solo tackle and one assisted tackle.
Zimmerman made an interception. Credited with one assisted tackle each were Shelton Reno, Eric Heffern, McIntosh, Kody Mullins and Joe Myrick.
The Iola junior varsity is 3-1 and goes to Chanute next Monday. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.
Mustang JV runs over Titans
