Iola Middle School’s eighth-grade Ponies dominated Labette County Middle School’s Grizzlies Thursday night to the tune of 34-0.
The IMS seventh-grade football team had to fight to the final minute to claim a 22-18 win.
Nate Evans had a monster game for the IMS eighth-grade team. Evans rushed for 181 yards on 20 carries and scored three touchdowns. Ethan Scheibmeir had 43 yards on 11 carries.
Scheibmeir had a touchdown called back on a penalty by the Ponies. A few plays later he bulled his way over the goal line from two yards out. A two-point conversion pass from Ben Cooper to Garrett Wade had Iola up 8-0 with 1:26 left in the first quarter.
Iola scored 20 points in the second quarter on its way to a 28-0 halftime lead. Chase Regehr hauled in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Cooper at the 6:30 mark.
Cooper was 4 of 7 passing for 48 yards on the night. Regehr caught three passes for 45 yards.
Evans scored on runs of 17 yards and 20 yards in the last three minutes of the second period. Mason Snavely had a two-point conversion run after the second touchdown.
In the third quarter, Evans had a five-yard touchdown run.
“It was a very good effort from these kids. They controlled the game from start to finish. Nate ran like a running back tonight,” said Marty Taylor, IMS head coach.
Regehr and Seth Sanford each had six tackles. Evans made five stops while Scheibmeir and Gage Cleaver had four tackles each. Wade made two interceptions.
Iola’s seventh-grade team was down 12-8 at halftime.
A one-yard quarterback run by Evan Sigg tied the game at 6-6. Sigg connected with Ethan Holloway for the two-point conversion.
That was with 6:05 left in the second quarter. Labette County took the lead on a 44-yard pass play.
The Ponies came out and drove down the field for the go-ahead score in the third quarter. Sigg had another one-yard run.
The Ponies stopped the Grizzlies and took control of the football in the fourth quarter. Iola was driving and protecting its two-point lead, 14-12.
Labette County recovered an Iola fumble at the Grizzlies’ 19-yard line. Iola’s defenders jarred the football loose from quarterback Tanner Russell.
