The Fields of Fall - Small-Town High School Football in Iowa

The Fields of Fall Small-Town High School Football in Iowa by Todd Weber Book now available! Visit my web site www.webwrites.com or click here to order.

The 2011 Season
11/23/11 - State Playoffs, Championship Games World peace wasn’t achieved in Cedar Falls this past weekend; the country’s economic problems weren’t solved; and (thankfully) none of the presidential candidates were there to weigh in on the proceedings. But the significance of the championship games should not be downplayed. For the kids involved, it marked the culmination of years of hard work just to get to this place and time. These games most likely mark one of the most important days of their young lives. For the players on the teams that won, it was the achievement of the utmost glory. For the players who fell just a little short, it was the ultimate pain. The contrast of emotions that play out after these games is incredible: the faces of the fans, coaches and players who are carrying home the championship trophy are filled with pure joy; while the players hoisting the runner-up hardware struggle (unsuccessfully, most of the time) to fight back tears. In a quote I used in The Fields of Fall, Madrid head coach Randy Hinkel best described the temporary plight of the runners-up: “One thing I try to remind people is that when you invest a lot into something and it fails, it hurts more than if you didn’t. But these kids—and not necessarily our kids, but across the gamut—when they don’t achieve and they threw everything into it, it hurts. You see more emotion out of the kids that have invested the most.” And there was much invested by the players on the 12 teams that gathered in the UNI-Dome last Friday and Saturday for the state title games. I was only able to see one of the games live - Union's win over Decorah for the 3A championship. The Vikings hung tough with a very talented Union team, but eventually tasted the bitterness of defeat when they fell 21-14. I'm already looking forward to next August and another terrific football season. But for now, bring on the basketball...





11/16/11 - State Playoffs, Semifinal Round West Hancock Defeats Madrid For two teams that are so adept at running the ball, it was a couple of explosive pass plays that proved critical in deciding the outcome of this game. The first came off the arm of West Hancock quarterback Eric Cox, who had completed only 13 passes all season coming into this game. With his team down 18-6 in the first quarter, Cox hooked up with Ryan Fedders for an 80-yard touchdown to get the Eagles back within one score in this back and forth affair. The second crucial pass play came at the end of the first half. Madrid quarterback Nick Novotny was hit hard by an Eagle defender as he was throwing long downfield and his pass floated into the hands of Josiah Eckels, who then took the ball 88 yards for a West Hancock score and a 34-24 half time lead. As usual, Madrid had success running the ball, totaling 368 yards on the ground. But West Hancock was even better, piling up 512 yards, and they went on to win 48-38. Coach Randy Hinkel and his staff dealt with some player issues and injuries early in the season, but they righted the ship after an 0-2 start and the Tigers reeled off 10 straight wins to make their seemingly annual November trip to Cedar Falls. Emmetsburg Falls to St. Albert I recently got an email from an Emmetsburg alumnus that said simply, "I played for Duane Twait in '74 and '75. What a great guy and legend. Mike Dunlap is carrying on the tradition." Coach Twait won seven state titles. Then the guy that took over for him (Tom Steen) won one. Enter Coach Dunlap. No pressure there, right? But Coach Dunlap is not only carrying on the E-Hawk tradition, he and his staff are writing their own chapters in the Emmetsburg history book. But the E-Hawks came up a little short in their bid for yet another state championship this season when they lost to St. Albert, Council Bluffs, 24-6. Over the last several decades, Emmetsburg has run the ball better than just about everybody, and this season they ran for over 4,000 yards. On Saturday, however, the Falcons just wouldn't allow the E-Hawks to get the run game going. There was a crowd of white shirts surrounding the ball just about every play and there was just nowhere for E-Hawk runners to go. The E-Hawks will bounce back and they'll be running the ball again next season just like Coach Twait always did, and don't be surprised to see them in the Dome in 2012. Decorah Beats Harlan Not to get all mushy or anything, but both the Decorah and Harlan football programs hold a special place in my heart. I followed them both closely last year while researching The Fields of Fall and got to know several of the folks in and around both programs and communities. So if there is such a thing as a win/win—lose/lose situation, that’s what I was facing as I watched their semifinal game Monday afternoon from both sidelines. Both teams entered this game familiar with the surroundings. Since the playoff structure began in 1972, Harlan has made it to the semifinals an average of every other year and Decorah one in every four years. Scoring two quick touchdowns, Decorah looked like they might make a rout of this one. But Harlan tightened up their defense and hung tough into the second half. The Vikings relentless, punishing running game eventually took its toll on the Cyclones and Decorah won convincingly, 35-14. Some teams that don’t lose very often tend to be a little bitter in those rare defeats. The Cyclones aren’t one of those teams. Led by legendary head coach Curt Bladt, Harlan is one of the classiest programs in the state. After the game as both teams gathered at midfield, Coach Bladt was shaking hands with as many of his players as he could and giving “way to go” pumps of his fist to the Decorah players. The Vikings have advanced to their first title game since 2008 and will be seeking their fifth state title ever. They’ll take on Union, LaPorte City, who handled previously unbeaten ADM 42-28 in a wild, exciting game Monday night. The title game will be a rematch of a week 1 game when Union edged the Vikings 20-17 in LaPorte City. Great athletes and great drama will not be in short supply in this one on Saturday afternoon.






11/8/11 - State Playoffs, Quarterfinal Round Friday night I passed on seeing the compelling 4A games in the Des Moines metro area and made the short ride out to Adair-Casey to see the Bombers take on the Murray Mustangs in an 8-man quarterfinal contest. Murray avenged a regular season 80-40 loss to A-C with a thrill-packed 70-54 win to send them to the semifinals in Cedar Falls for the first time ever. I still run into football fans that have never seen an 8-man game, and if you haven’t, do yourself a favor and check it out. Purists might balk at the small field and the high scoring—yes, it’s not exactly “old-school football.” And I’ve seen some 8-man games that get into the 60s and 70s just because the teams can’t tackle. But this game was just a showcase of exceptional athletes making great plays—over and over. These are two physical football teams that really got after each other, but both offenses just got the better of the defenses on this night. The atmosphere was electric, with both teams’ fans lining the field from end zone to end zone and as close to the benches as the rules would allow. Since I was calling in scores and highlights to The Iowa Sports Connection’s Friday Night Live radio show, I had “press credentials” and was right on the sidelines for the whole game. I spent the first half on the home side and heard more “f-bombs” and berating of the officials (at one point the line judge was labeled a “fxxxing idiot” by one genius) than I have heard in a long time. It seemed to be just a handful of fans, but a greater number than there should have been. It’s knuckleheads like this that can ruin things for all the decent fans and spoil the reputation of a school and an entire town. Congratulations to the Mustangs and the 700 residents of Murray, most of whom were in attendance Friday. For the record, the Murray sideline was almost void of any negativity (and it wasn’t because they were winning the whole time), and I certainly enjoyed my two quarters over there much more. The semifinals in the UNI-Dome are set and four of “my teams” featured in The Fields of Fall are in. As fate would have it, two of them—Decorah and Harlan—will face each other on Monday. This is an intriguing matchup of classy, well-coached programs with divergent styles. Harlan’s offense is keyed by quarterback Zach Osborn, who leads 3A with over 3,000 yards passing, and a host of good receivers. Decorah has been running the ball with great success since Gerald Ford was president and is third in 3A this season with over 3,000 yards rushing. Madrid overcame two rare early season losses this year (to 2A West Marshall and PCM, both of which were undefeated until West Marshall beat PCM in the quarters) and they find themselves back in the semifinals for the fifth year in a row. Madrid faces West Hancock on Friday afternoon. Passes should be at a premium—Madrid is the top rushing team in the state among all classes this year (as usual) and West Hancock is third. A After winning a state title under Coach Mike Dunlap in 2008, the Emmetsburg E-Hawks are back in the semifinals. The E-Hawks defeated West Lyon in the title game that year, 3-0. The two old northwest Iowa rivals found themselves in the same district last year, and the Wildcats upended the previously unbeaten E-Hawks in the quarters on their way to the state championship. The E-Hawks turned the tables on the Wildcats this season and defeated them in the quarters to advance to a semifinal date with undefeated St. Albert of Council Bluffs on Saturday at noon
11/1/11 - State Playoffs Rounds 1 and 2 Kyle and I drove west to Avoca for Earlham's round 1 playoff game with AHST. We stopped into the Subway in Stuart for a pre-game meal and had an impromptu pre-game pow-wow with a few of the other patrons. There were fans from four other schools - Martensdale-St. Marys, Bedford, Tri-County and Treynor - all heading to games in the general vicinity. Plus a few guys on the West Central Valley team were in there because they didn't have a game that night. (Sorry Wildcat fans - I had to mention it!) It reminded me of round 1 last year when Kyle and I traveled to Parkersburg. We had stopped at a little truck stop on highway 30 before and after the game and it was jammed with busloads of fans traversing the state for games involving their teams. We decided that the gas stations, restaurants and bus companies across Iowa didn't mind that the playoffs got expanded a couple years ago. Perhaps the U.S. economy could be saved by sending every team to the state playoffs and making it a double elimination tournament. I get kicked to the curb on Earlham road games and Kyle broadcasts the game with the "real" color man. So I watched the game from the sidelines and was pleased and energized by the fine play of the third-seeded Cardinals as they defeated the Vikings handily. The victory meant that they'd get a re-match with the Madrid Tigers in The Jungle in round two. The regular season game with Madrid simply was not pretty, and realistically, most of the Cardinal fans were just hoping the boys could keep this one close. I toyed with the idea of watching the first half and then sliding down the road for the second half of the Woodward-Granger/St. Ansgar game. But I brought my daughter with me and, with her social obligations, she wasn't interested in my idea. Plus, these guys had worked hard all year to improve and deserved full attention. I'm glad I stayed for the whole thing, because the Cards put up a good fight, nearly matching Madrid's outrageous touchdown output in the first quarter. After five minutes, five touchdowns were on the board and Earlham had two of them. Madrid ended up stretching out the score as the game wore on, but Earlham battled to the very end and walked off with their heads held appropriately high. This is completely unofficial and researched rather quickly, but of the 96 round 1 games across all classes, 18 teams seeded lower than their opponents won in upsets. That's nearly 19 percent. Of the 48 round 2 games, 16 of them were "upsets." (33 percent.) There are certainly no "gimmes" left at this stage for anybody. Great games await and the action resumes Friday. I'll be out there somewhere...
10/24/11 - Hail to the Seniors Last Friday was "Senior Night" all over Iowa. For the teams not fortunate enough to make the playoffs, those seniors have played their last game ever. It's a bittersweet moment for young men who have left their blood, sweat and tears on fields all over the state - some of them since they were only grade schoolers. The Earlham Cardinal seniors will have a game they can remember forever thanks to a stirring comeback win over Martensdale-St. Marys on Friday. I was helping Kyle broadcast the game again and it was looking like it was going to be another long night in the booth. We had had the displeasure of calling a couple of bad losses together this season and our hopes of working an exciting game looked to be dashed when the Blue Devils stretched their lead to 27-7 in the second half. But the Cardinals rallied back thanks to big plays on both sides of the ball. They pushed over the go-ahead touchdown and a two-point conversion with under a minute to go. The only thing that could doom the Cards was a huge play by the Blue Devils, and the visitors got one on the ensuing kickoff when their return man brought the ball back about 80 yards. MSM eventually got the ball down to the 4-yard-line with just four seconds left. They elected to run on the last play of the game and the inspired Cardinal defense held them out of the end zone, sending the home crowd and the two guys in the radio booth into a frenzy. It was great to see this group of seniors play so well in their last home game and get to serenade the fans with the school fight song afterward. This is Kyle's class and I've had the pleasure of watching these young athletes compete since they were just kids. They are fine young men who work hard and they truly deserved this moment. I became the flag football coach by default back when they were in third grade and got to coach many of them for a few years. By the way the played Friday, it was clear that I didn't do them too much harm. Along with Earlham, 191 other teams around the state will compete in a playoff game on Wednesday. By mid-November, only 24 will survive to play in the UNI-Dome. It'll be a great ride. Good luck to all the teams.	(Photo by Quinn Weber.)
	(Kyle wouldn't pose with me above but here's his picture anyway.)
10/17/11 - Week 8: Harlan Rolls; Winterset Band Rocks I spent all day in Kansas City this past Friday and got home around 7. That wasn't much time to get to a football game, but fortunately there was a good one just 18 miles down the road in Winterset where the Huskies were taking on the Harlan Cyclones. I got into town and realized I didn't have any cash, so by the time I got some at a convenience store and parked (a long way from the stadium), the first quarter was already several minutes old. I walked in just as the Huskies had tied the score at 7, and that was the one of the last football-related events for which the big home crowd would get to cheer for a while. Like Madrid - who I saw last week - Harlan has lost two regular season games already this year. And that's two more games than they normally have lost at this point in a season. But also like Madrid, there certainly doesn't appear to be much wrong with the Cyclones now. Led by quarterback Zach Osborn, the Cyclones unleashed an aerial assault on the Huskies and built a 35-7 half time lead. I couldn't find any stats for this game, but the strong-armed and accurate Osborn launched three TD passes of over 50 yards in the first half. The defense will need to tackle better to beat a good Creston team this Friday and to make a deep playoff run, but the Cyclones appear to be peaking at the right time. Music is as big a deal in my house as sports and I believe that being in the marching band is a lot like playing football - the kids in the band just wear really cool hats instead of shoulder pads and helmets and they don't have to hit anyone. Many of the things that go into making a football team great - practice, teamwork, dedication, sacrifice - are necessary to make an excellent band. While I'm always eager for the half time shows on Friday nights, I'm just not as familiar with the state's bands as I am the football teams. Apparently the Winterset band has a pretty good reputation, and after seeing them for myself, their reputation doesn't do them justice. The hundred or so kids - including eight xylophonists - put on one of the best performances I have ever seen at a high school game. While the Cyclones had silenced the home fans in the first half, the Marching Huskies had the Husky faithful literally standing in the aisles clapping, cheering and shouting during their performance. I dashed to my car for a warmer hat after they were finished, and as I was walking back I heard someone shouting from inside the stadium. It was the band director with all his kids surrounding him and he was giving the best Knute Rockne impression I have seen since the movie "Rudy." I stood and listened and was moved by the passion coming from him and his band. He was talking about things like tradition, attention to detail, and hard work paying off. He'd shout out a question and they'd all shout back, "Yes!" They did a really cool chant and a couple of cheers and went there separate ways; and my night was complete. I did find some stats on the Marching Huskies - they got a 1 rating on Saturday at the state marching band festival. And so did the Earlham Marching Cardinals; the only 1A band in attendance at the festival in Waukee! (Photos are of the Earlham band. Oh - my Freshman daughter Kristen is a percussionist...)

10/9/11 - Week 7: Madrid Beats Earlham To be completely thorough, I probably should have tried to look up the last time a Madrid team started a season 0-2. But having just finished my book, my "research engine" is a bit worn out, so let's just say it's been a very long time. Both teams that beat Madrid to start the year are faring pretty well this season. West Marshall is undefeated and is the number 1 ranked team in 2A according to the Iowa Sports Connection, while Prairie City-Monroe is also undefeated and ranked eighth in 2A. And Madrid was making due without some key starters who were ineligible or injured. Still, the Tiger faithful aren't used to being in that position. Flash forward five Fridays and the Tigers have reeled off five straight wins, the latest coming this past week over Earlham, 67-19. The Cardinals are a better football team than they showed Friday. They shot themselves in the collective foot every way imaginable. Still, the Tigers dominated on both sides of the ball and ran out to a 60-0 half time lead before resting most of their starters for the entire second half. Defensively, Madrid has put up three shutouts during their five-game winning streak. Offensively, they are hitting their stride. Their vaunted 'Bone formation is putting up numbers that have become commonplace for them over the years. New quarterback, sophomore Nick Novotny, looks more than capable of running this show and they have their usual stable of backs that can go the distance on any play. Van Meter played Madrid within two touchdowns, and a couple of teams in District 8 (EHK-Exira and Bedford) look tough, but don't be surprised if Madrid reels off three wins come playoff time and find themselves back in the UNI-Dome. It was a really rough night for the home team and thus a rough night for Kyle and me in the radio booth calling this game. The Cards did a nice job of putting the ball in the end zone three times in the second half so we did get to make a few exciting calls. But the most "color" I could add, especially in the first half, was a few plugs for my book. Perhaps I've been watching to much ESPN. Order my new book, The Fields of Fall, by clicking here! Thanks...


10/3/11 - Weeks 5 and 6 I’m pretty sure my part-time gig as a color man for the Earlham Cardinals Internet broadcasts isn’t going to lead to a spot in a network booth next to Joe Buck or Al Michaels, but it’s a lot of fun and great quality time with my senior son Kyle, who deftly handles the play-by-play. On a cool and breezy night on Week 5, the job in the simple but comfortable press box also served to keep me out of the elements. The Cardinals did not fare well on my previous trip to the radio booth, but their Homecoming contest with Southeast Warren went much better. In both teams’ district opener, the Cardinals jumped on the Warhawks early and won 36-20. It was Homecoming night in Van Meter in Week 6 when the Cardinals traveled to take on the Bulldogs. After a couple of early three-and-outs by both teams and an exchange of punts, the game looked like it was going to be a closely-played, defensive contest. But Van Meter got their prodigious passing game going and started lighting up the scoreboard, eventually winning 40-0. Homecoming games can be tricky. Homecoming week can serve as motivation or a distraction to the home team. Last year while I was researching The Fields of Fall, one of the best stories about Homecoming came from Falcon coach Alex Pollock. It seems he broke his nose at the dance. “Somebody thought it would be a good idea if we got a mosh pit going,” he explained. And one of my favorite quotes of the year came from Falcon assistant coach Mark Wiegmann at half time of their Homecoming game. “They don’t belong on the field with you! Just kick their axx, go home, that’s it. Then take your girls to the dance.” For many more great nuggets like this, be sure to order The Fields of Fall! Just click this line! I was planning on a perfect ending to week 6 by taking in the Earlham/Madrid 6th grade tilt in The Jungle in Madrid on Sunday afternoon. My plans were derailed when I had to take my freshman daughter into the emergency room. (Just a knee sprain, as it turns out!) But the rugged Earlham 6th graders stayed undefeated with a hard fought, 13-6 win. The varsity Cardinals will need some of the that karma when they take on the Tigers this Friday in Earlham!
9/11/11 - Week 4: Carroll beats Harlan Harlan suffered a rare home loss Friday when a talented and determined Carroll Tigers team came into beautiful Merrill Field and handled the Cyclones 42-20 in a game full of exciting action. What's even more rare is that the Cyclones already have two losses through four weeks of football. Under Coach Curt Bladt's leadership for the past 33 years, the Cyclones have averaged just over one loss a season. Perhaps this team from top to bottom is not as strong as some recent Cyclone teams, but don't count them out. Coach Bladt and his staff didn't get to where they are by panicking. Maybe it's an apples and oranges comparison, but the 2011 Harlan baseball team was having a "down year" until they hit playoff time - and they made it all the way to the title game. These kids know how to compete. My youngest son Quinn (11) attended the game with me. On Thursday he was on the fence about whether or not to go, but I told him how awesome the Merrill Field concession stand was and described the thunderous cannon they shoot during the National Anthem and he was sold. I had completely forgotten the stand that serves fresh baked cookies, so that was a bonus on Friday. We had eight cookies between us. If the Cyclones win or lose, the game experience at Harlan is one that any high school football fan should have on their bucket list. You'll be able to read more details about the Cyclones and Merrill Field in The Fields of Fall, my new book that will be out this week if all goes according to plan. Quinn and I sat with Ron Tryon, former Iowa high school official and all-around good guy, for most of the game. Tryon retired from officiating two years ago and now observes and grades officiating crews for the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Long-time referee Randy York and his crew was officiating and I'm guessing they got a good score - and not just because Tryon used to be the umpire for this crew. York and company are one of the top crews in the state. York and two of his crewmates, Jan Fletcher and Tom Fuller, are on their "farewell tour" and will be retiring after this season. In another shameless plug for my book - you can read more about officiating and officials in The Fields of Fall. I had the opportunity to interview current NFL official and former Iowa high school official Scott Helverson (he's worked two Super Bowls), national Hall of Famer Gary Christiansen from Mason City, along with many other officials. To many of those who haven't worn the stripes, officials are the enemy. But trust me; we're really just a bunch of stellar, funny guys!


9/11/11 - Weeks 2 and 3 My book isn't even out yet and I've already made the move from writer to radio color man. Temporarily, anyway. For week 2 I joined my son Kyle on the Internet broadcast of the Earlham-Panorama game in Earlham. (I was the second option as a fill-in.) I guess I'm glad that I make my living writing as opposed to speaking - that's hard work. But there wasn't enough positive action for either of us to describe from the perspective of the home team for very long. Panorama scored early and often and I don't even remember the final score. But it was a beautiful football evening and a great time. This past Friday was another beauty and as close to football perfect as it gets. I hadn't been to a regular season 4A game in many years, so my wife Jennifer and I attended the Waukee-Ottumwa week 3 matchup in Waukee. Besides having to walk about a half mile from the parking lot to the stadium, the "jumbo-tron" scoreboard, and more advertisements spinning on the video board than the Disney Channel airs, this game and environment was pretty typical - exciting and fun. The home team won big. I capped off week 3 by taking in the Earlham-Van Meter 6th grade game in Van Meter on Sunday. You can throw out the records when these two teams get together! Even on a very hot afternoon, the two teams played hard and with plenty of energy. Both teams managed a defensive touchdown, but Earlham prevailed this time, 7-6. Then they sang. (They play football better than they sing.) My book will be available some time around September 21. I'll keep you posted! Meanwhile, read below for the text from the back of the book and the cover art.

The Fields of Fall - available soon
*Back cover text:* Across the state of Iowa there are towns where high school football is less a game and more a way of life. Bigger schools certainly have their traditions, but in some of Iowa’s smaller towns, football is the heartbeat of the community; a center of activity; an object of intense passion for both the school and the community as a whole. In these football epicenters the game has been turned into an art form, young men who excel at it become local heroes, and winning is second nature—but never taken for granted. Not only are the young men in these towns learning the game of football, they are being taught valuable life lessons that will pay dividends long after their playing days are over. By teaching their players how to work effectively as a team and the importance of dedication, sacrifice and discipline, coaches are primarily concerned with developing the character of their players—and thus winning football games becomes the result. The Fields of Fall follows several of the best known football dynasties in Iowa—as well as some lesser known programs—for an entire year. The book is an enlightening and entertaining ride through the 2010 season; dissecting the teams’ philosophies on football, education and life in general; and telling the stories of the people and the communities that make high school football in Iowa so special. The Fields of Fall captures the emotional power of the game as it details the teams’ journeys through a season of incredible highs and corresponding lows—and describes the sheer fun that everyone surrounding the game was having.
8/26/11 - Week 1 Every team has a long-time rival or two on their schedule every season, with the rivalries originating because of geography or some epic games played in the past - or perhaps both. Some rivalries are based on respect and some are based on good old-fashioned dislike for the opponent. The Earlham/West Central Valley rivalry is somewhere in the middle, perhaps leaning toward the side of dislike. I've forgone the impartial journalist role the first two weeks of the 2011 season and have proudly donned bright red in following the Cardinals, and this week I ventured west to Stuart as the Cardinals took on the dreaded - I mean, the stalwart - Wildcats. I have no reason to dislike West Central. As a matter of fact, I know some of the kids on the team and I know them to be fine, upstanding young men. I am proud to call several members of the West Central community my friends and they are some of the friendliest people I know. My daughter played on softball and basketball teams with a couple of her friends from those parts for several years, and my wife Jennifer and I had a terrific time watching the games and socializing with the “purple parents.” But that doesn’t stop me from hoping we kick their butts really bad every time we play them – in anything. Many years ago when I was coaching my son’s 8-and-under soccer team, I once exhorted them at halftime of a game in which they were behind with, “C’mon! We’re playing West Central! Don’t you get it!” This rivalry is just one of those that goes back such a long time that perhaps nobody really remembers why both sides are so eager to get the better of the other. A cheap shot here or there; perhaps a “bad call” that decided a game; an occasional taunt by a player or some trash talking. They all add up over the years. As long as the rivalry stays fun – who cares? West Central got the better of Earlham this year. The game was tied 13-13 at halftime, but the Wildcats dominated the second half and the scoreboard got ugly. I don’t remember the final score and I don’t even care what it was. I’m already practicing my heckling for the next youth soccer game against these guys... I went all last year without forgetting any equipment I needed on Friday nights, but last week I failed to put a memory card in my camera and had no spare. So - no photos this week.
8/19/11 - Week 0 My oldest son Kyle (a senior at Earlham High) said it best. "Weird," he deadpanned as we were standing in our kitchen after we had watched Earlham beat GMG 62-20 in Earlham. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, so he expounded, "It's weird having you home on a Friday night." It had been a while. Between my officiating and my adventures researching my book last year (read below in case you've forgotten about that!), it had been since about 2003 that I had seen a game in my hometown. What a game it was. The Cardinals, under new head coach Chris Caskey, gave the huge home crowd plenty to be happy about with a terrific performance. The Earlham Band delivered as well, and I'm not just saying that because my daughter is a member this year. And I had been so secluded in my bunker finishing up my book recently that I wasn't even aware that Dan Severidt, Scott Tryon, Mike Mallberg, Brad Fuller and Dom Giegerich were officiating the contest. This was the crew I "interned" with when I was just starting out as an official. Great to see them - though Brad lasted just two plays before he was blindsided and went down and out with a knee injury. I walked back to the locker room with him (I tried to limp a little bit, too, to make him feel better) and when we got there he said, "The first thing I thought about when I was lying there was, 'I'm going to have grass stains on my butt.'" Grass stains or not, he certainly made good money on the night - that's about 40 bucks per play. Well, I had hoped to have my book available by now, but I'm still finishing up. I'm about 99 percent done and I hope to be at a 100 percent by the time anyone is reading this. Stay tuned in the coming weeks - it won't be long now! In the meantime, read The Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story. It's out now.



The 2010 Season
11/22/10 - State Finals Six teams were crowned as champions Friday and Saturday in the UNI-Dome, while six others went home thinking what could have been. Solon won their fourth title in a row, while Madrid fell short in bringing home their second title.
Solon Wins Again The expression on Solon coach Kevin Miller’s face after he emerged from an embrace with his brother Curt said it all. It was a look of equal parts joy and relief – with just a little contentment mixed in. In the Spartans first year in Class 3A, Miller guided his team through a rugged district schedule and ran a five-game playoff gauntlet where they outscored their opponents by an average score of 32-7. And it was finally time for him to enjoy the moment. At the risk of hyperbole, history may someday suggest that the run Solon is on is one of the greatest achievements in Iowa high school history. Five straight final game appearances; three straight 2A titles; and, after making what is arguably the toughest jump in classes, a 3A championship. And the ride isn’t over yet.

Madrid Falls There was no consoling the Madrid Tigers after their loss to North Tama in the Class A title game last Friday. This was not the way it was supposed to end for this team this year. This was a big, nasty, talented group with experience and this was going to be the year they carried the championship trophy back to Madrid for the first time since 1991. But it didn’t happen. Madrid played hard in this game and they played well. But North Tama did just a little bit more and they got the win and the big trophy. But that’s just the nature of the playoffs. Only one team in each class leaves Cedar Falls happy. The Tigers will be back, but this one is going to sting for a while.

Stay Tuned I've had a blast driving around the state this season watching great football and meeting some terrific people. One simple conclusion I've come to is that we're lucky in Iowa to have such a terrific game. It's a combination of talented athletes, fans, moms, dads, and dedicated professionals that are determined to teach our kids the game of football, and, most importantly, life lessons that they'll use long after they've hung up their cleats. Now that the season is over, my real work begins. I'll be finishing up interviews, combing through my notes and putting it all together. If all goes according to plan, I'll have my book done by next football season. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, here's a few more pictures from the finals and semifinals.





11/17/10 - State Semifinals Twenty-four teams rolled into Cedar Falls for the semifinals and 12 will be back this weekend hoping to take a championship trophy back home. Three of "my teams" were in action and did their schools and communities proud.
Madrid beats Le Mars Gehlen The Madrid sideline will frequently chant in rhythm, "Pound it! Pound it!" It usually happens when a few tough yards are needed for either a first down or a touchdown. The sideline made the demand often during this game, and the Madrid linemen and running backs delivered more times than not against a Gehlen defense that isn't used to yielding much ground. While Madrid didn't spring any of their legendary 75-yard touchdown jaunts, Coach Randy Hinkel stayed patient by running fullback Timon Bell up the middle over and over and was content with three-, four-, and five-yard gains; and a lot of first downs. Holding onto a precarious 24-21 lead and in possession of the ball in middle of the fourth quarter, the Tigers' "see if you can stop us" mentality was put to the test again. And Madrid put together a drive for the ages that not only clicked precious minutes off the clock, but ended with a touchdown as well, effectively ending the game. Madrid will most assuredly be pounding it Friday afternoon in the Class A final versus North Tama.


North Fayette falls to Iowa City Regina Iowa City Regina's reputation has preceded them everywhere they have gone this year. And with good reason. They ended Solon's epic win streak in week 2 and basically ran roughshod through their 2A schedule. So North Fayette Coach Bob Lape knew what he was up against. In speaking with him the night before the game, I used the term "on paper" since I hadn't seen the Regals in person this season. "On paper they look like a college team!" he remarked. And on the field against the Hawks last Saturday they were dominant. North Fayette is a fast, athletic, well-coached team, but on this day they were no match for the steamroller Regals. But one loss won't put a damper on the Hawks for too long. With their string of district titles, numerous semifinal appearances and one championship, they are on the short list of preeminent programs in the northeast. This is a program and a staff that oozes class from top to bottom and can X and O with the best of them. They'll be back, and some time soon they'll bag their second state title.


Solon over Pella On the surface it may look like the Solon Spartans got a few fortuitous bounces the other night in their semifinal game against Pella. Well, they did. But the fact that the kids knew how to handle those bounces tells you everything you need to know about the powerhouse that is the Solon athletic program. Punting from midfield in the third quarter with Solon leading 12-0, Marshall Koehn had the snap zoom over his head. The ball bounced all the way to the 15. What would most 17-year-olds do in that situation? Panic, most likely. But not Koehn. He calmly corralled the ball, checked the oncoming rush, stepped into his kick and creamed a low liner that ended up bouncing and rolling all the way to the other 10 yard line, avoiding a potential catastrophe. Later on with the score still 12-0, Brian Jedlicka was finishing of a fine 14-yard TD run when he was stripped of the ball. As the ball conveniently caromed along into the end zone, Jedlicka, with no sense of panic, ran behind it until he could fall on it for 6 points. Those were two plays that if they had turned out differently, the game could have swung the other way. But they were two plays that they Spartans knew how to handle when the lights were at their brightest. “These kids are unfazed,” says Coach Kevin Miller. “Several of them have already been in championship games in baseball, basketball – as well as football. They know how to handle themselves on these big stages.” Another big stage awaits Solon Saturday afternoon when they go for an unprecedented fourth straight state title in a row against Heelan.


11/9/10 And then there’s the pain of defeat. Knife-in-the-gut, heart-wrenching, soul-draining pain. The Harlan Cyclones gave everything they had Monday night in an attempt to overcome a stout foe that played almost flawlessly. And after 48 minutes of football, the Cyclones came up a little short and were left to deal with the pain. Some shed tears; others went to one knee and stared blankly ahead; and others smacked their teammates on their shoulder pads in support. In the end – after shaking hands with their opponents – they walked off the field with their heads held high. Just as they should have. There was no shame in this loss, but it did hurt. When two big-time programs like Harlan and Bishop Heelan get together, only one of them will have a victory to add to their legacy after the game. With their exciting 28-21 win at a packed Merrill Field in Harlan on Monday, it’s Heelan’s turn this year. This marked the fourth season in a row that the two teams have met in the quarterfinals. Heelan beat Harlan in both 2007 and 2008 and went onto win state titles those years, while the Cyclones beat the Crusaders last year on their way to the state championship. Of the teams I have been following this year, two others felt the cold dagger of defeat on Monday: Emmetsburg and Decorah. Three teams – North Fayette, Madrid, and Solon – are still in the running for the big prize to be handed out in Cedar Falls. Stay tuned. With the semifinals kicking off Thursday, there’s more joy – and more pain – ahead.


11/7/10 A scene of sheer, unadulterated joy swept through "The Jungle" after Madrid's convincing win in Round 3 of the playoffs last Friday. Coaches were hugging players; moms were hugging players; moms were hugging moms; young, future Tigers gathered around their heroes. While this was a genuine celebration of what they had accomplished, it was tempered with the fact that this team still has plenty of work to do. No one was thinking, "Gee, we sure are happy to get to the Dome." Rather, this group of Tigers' mandate was echoed by one of their seniors in the pre-game huddle before entering the field: "I haven't lost three years in a row in the semifinals for nothing! We're going all the way this year!" For the past three years, the Tigers' quest for a second state championship has been derailed by heartbreaking semifinal losses. If there is a team to break that string and bring home the championship trophy, this might be the one. Their offensive and defensive lines are big by any high school standard, but giant in the world of Class A; they have a host of running backs that hit holes and defenders with equal aggression; and they are led by a group of seasoned seniors with a singular focus bent of bringing a championship back to Madrid. Against a talented Bedford team that had allowed no more than 14 points in any game this season, Madrid rolled up 58 points and almost 500 yards rushing. Having seen Madrid play a handful of times over the years, their ground game appears almost unstoppable at times. It's a combination of good 'ol fashioned smashmouth and sleight-of-hand deception that typically ends up with huge gains - and defenders either flat on their backs or scratching their heads wondering what happened to the ball. Madrid's bus driver certainly won't need a map to find Cedar Falls. The Tigers have spent more weekends there than a lot of UNI freshman. This time they just hope the return trip is a little more satisfying. Monday I'll be in Harlan as the Cyclones take on Bishop Heelan. I circled this date on the calendar before the season even began in anticipation of this one!


11/3/10 There was just a different feeling in the air when I walked into Viking Stadium on Monday. As usual, I was plenty early, and on most nights this season that meant walking into a virtually empty stadium. But not on Monday. The home side was already about half filled and the visitors’ stands were brimming with two busloads of fans from Waverly-Shell Rock. This early gathering of fans was milling pensively, and when the stone-faced Go-Hawks strode intently to the locker room under the stands, tensions rose a little more. As the Vikings made their long, slow march from the school to the field, cleats clacked on the blacktop, cameras clicked and flashed, and a few folks shouted well wishes to their boys. As the steely-eyed home team passed the main gate, a lady dressed in blue and red smiled and said to anyone listening, “I have goose bumps!” And as the Vikings entered the field to some dramatic NFL Films music, I got them, too. And if the fans sensed there was a lot on the line in this second round playoff game, both teams certainly played like it. The “wump, wump” of pads hitting pads resonated through the stadium on the opening kickoff and continued all night. The kids were playing like it was their last game ever, and for a few of them it certainly would be. In the first half, every inch of ground was well-earned. While both teams put together some long drives, the defenses got stout when it counted and Decorah led the low-scoring game 10-7 at half time. The physical play continued in the second half and Decorah's running game started to wear down the Go-Hawks. Where they were getting short gains in the first half, the Vikings started popping longer runs in the final two quarters and they racked up three rushing touchdowns. The Viking defense put a lid on the Go-Hawks passing game - which had been effective in the first half - and smothered the running game, and Decorah finished the dominating effort with a 31-7 win. Having reached the quarterfinals last year, Decorah will look to take the next step to the Dome when the take on district rival West Delaware Monday at home. A couple of "my teams" have been eliminated from the playoffs, but congratulations go out to both of them. Coach Alex Pollock led the Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons to a 10-1 record in his first year as coach. Pollock has the moxie and the work ethic to succeed at a place like A/P, plus he's surrounded by a terrific staff and has the support of a special community. They'll be back. After going 0-8 in 2009 and on the bad end of a lot of lopsided scores, Coach Todd Dale and the Meskwaki Warriors rebounded with a 4-6 record and a playoff berth this season. With a team still short on experience as well as actual players (they dressed just 10 on most nights), Dale is certainly worthy of Coach of the Year consideration.


10/30/10 “I think we’ll take the wind tonight,” was Coach Alex Pollock’s answer when I asked him before the game what he would do if they won the coin toss. With gusts of over 60 mph from the east, that seemed like a logical choice. And it turned out to be a good one. Two three-and-outs by the A/P defense and two hopelessly fluttering Eagle Grove punts (including one that went backwards about 11 yards) led to terrific field position and two quick TDs by the Falcons. And the gale blew on. Wind-whipped leaves and plastic hand warmer packages were moving so fast over the grass they looked like hockey pucks zipping across the ice. Not only was the flag blown completely stiff, the top of the pole itself rocked several feet back and forth all night. Players on the sidelines huddled together in jackets diligently passed out by the managers, but not everybody was lucky enough to get one. But the game Eagles, coached by A/P alum Kelly Williamson, weren’t about to wilt this night. Faced with the quick deficit and the gale still blowing in their collective face, they responded with two first quarter touchdowns of their own to tie the score. With the teams switching sides for the second quarter and A/P having to navigate into the wind, momentum had swung to the Eagles. But A/P answered with two more touchdowns, grinding out well-earned yardage on the ground. In some more wind-related weirdness, their last kickoff of the half spun high into the air and and was blown right back to a Falcon. With a 28-14 lead, a few minor half-time adjustments helped put the game away. Offensive coordinator Todd Thomas mapped out the Eagle Grove defense, tweaked the blocking assignments, and told half back Jason Grill, "Trust your blockers and hit the hole and you'll run forever." It wasn't exactly forever, but Grill ran for about 65 yards on just three carries during the first drive of the second half, and his touchdown essentially put the game out of reach. The Eagles never got closer than two touchdowns and the Falcons prevailed 48-27. A/P will take on Dike-New Hartford in round two of the playoffs in a rematch of their brilliant regular season contest. (See my entry dated 9/26.)


10/25/10 As I was listening to Earlham Coach Scott Driskell’s pre-game speech last Friday, I got so fired up that I wished that I was suited up and going into battle – and I haven’t snapped a chin strap since 1975 as a seventh grader for Mexico (MO) Junior High. He addressed the underclassmen specifically – "Don’t wait until next year. Next year starts tonight!" Then the appeal to the seniors – "It wasn’t that long ago that you were the size of some these ball boys and wanting to be Earlham Cardinal football players. Look how fast it’s gone. Don’t waste this opportunity!" Everyone was cheering and hollering as they filed past me into the autumn twilight – including the aforementioned ball boys. And while it didn’t exactly blow a hole in the coach’s speech, I couldn’t help but notice that some of the varsity players STILL AREN’T the size of a couple of them. And that’s not a knock on the size of the Cardinals. They have a few guys that could play for anybody. But one of the ball boys – a seventh grader – goes about 6-1, 200. Another – a fifth grader – could suit up right now and fit in with some of the freshman. So I jotted down the following line in my notebook: "2015 Cardinals O-line looking good." As I watched the game between Earlham and Martensdale-St. Marys unfold, there were a few noticeable differences from the games I have been to in my travels this season. The tackling wasn’t as sure; there were a few more turnovers; a few more mental errors; and there was actually a kickoff that went backwards. (No, it wasn’t because of the wind.) But in many ways this game was no different than any other I’ve had the pleasure of watching this year. Both teams, despite having no chance for post-season play, were giving everything they had. If the execution wasn’t there; the effort was. The kids sweat, they bled, and they wanted to win just as badly as players on any of the undefeated teams I have seen. These two rosters – while a little thinner than those of playoff contenders – are filled with kids no less deserving of success than anybody else and they all proved themselves worthy of victory on this night. The joy that the Blue Devils exhibited in winning their first game of the year was priceless. The pain Earlham felt in dropping their eighth game in ten tries was real. Both of these schools have tasted playoff success recently and my guess is that they will taste it again.


10/18/10 One thing I have learned in looking into some of the best football programs in the state this season is that they aren’t necessarily growing elite athletes on trees. Even coaches of the larger 3A schools don’t have the luxury of plucking a herd of students out of the halls that are all 6’6”, 250 or who can run a 4.5 40. What they do have, generally, is good “quantity.” And then the staffs take those numbers and do an excellent job of “coachin’ ‘em up” to play certain roles, contribute, and, more times than not, to reach their potential and go beyond. But to go deep into the playoffs, teams certainly do need stand-out athletes. Having visited Harlan twice now, I can tell you that the Cyclones definitely have their share. And the athlete that stood out the most last Friday when Harlan took on Winterset for the district championship was tailback Dylan Barrett. In the most outstanding individual effort I have seen all season, Barrett shredded a good, physical Winterset defense for 234 yards on 20 carries - plus a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. In the previous seven games, Winterset had allowed an average of just under eight points per contest. On Friday, they surrendered 30 to Barrett alone. Due mostly to Barrett's Herculean efforts (he also scored on TD runs of 54, 48, 52 and 17 yards), Harlan prevailed 55-34. And on top of all that, Barrett became the all-time leading rusher for Harlan, breaking a record that had stood for nearly 40 years. After the game Barrett said that the Cyclones made some half time adjustments to what Winterset was doing on defense and “figured out how to block it.” Block it they did in the final two quarters, but anybody wearing black and gold that wasn’t blocked, Barrett either ran through, over, or around them in a gridiron display that would have made Jim Brown grin. He just wouldn’t go down. And - as usual - it'll take a heck of team to take Harlan down this year. Two weeks in a row I got to see two of the best 3A football teams in the state - and also two of the best marching bands in Iowa. I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so I thought I'd look it up to see what the experts thought. It turns out both Harlan and Solon both received "1" ratings at the state festival on Saturday. I don't think there's any overtime in music, but I'll settle for the tie. Next week: Earlham versus Martensdale-St Mary's.




10/10/10 As I was going through my notes from the Solon/Williamsburg game last Friday, one phrase kept popping up over and over: three and out. That's what the unflappable Solon defense forced the heretofore prolific Williamsburg offense into time and time again in the Spartans 22-7 Homecoming victory. Averaging almost 48 points a game coming into Friday's contest, the Raiders managed just one touchdown, that coming on a ten-yard drive that was set up by a long punt return in the third quarter. Solon boasts a bevy of talented skill players, but the stars of this game were the young men on their active defensive line. The D-line's measurables don't jump off of the pages of the program at you, but assistant coach Brad Wymer said it best after the game: "Their great technicians." The group showed quickness and agility all night in shedding Raider blockers, snuffing out the run game almost entirely and harassing the quarterback all night. It sounds somewhat ridiculous to think that maybe the Spartans had something to prove coming into this game. They are, after all, defending 2A champions three years running. But having made the move up to 3A this year, having their 42-game win streak stopped by 2A rival Iowa City Regina in week 2, and having fattened up on opponents with a combined record of 9-23 this season, Solon may have been carrying the proverbial chip on their shoulder going into this contest with the AP number 1 team in the state. Any critics out there should be satisfied after this dominating performance. They belong in 3A and they have the talent, moxie, and coaching to make a deep playoff run. The Spartans have definitely outgrown their stadium. The stands on both sides were packed well before the freshman game ended, and those that couldn't get a seat pushed about have a dozen deep up to the fence lining the field - all the way around the field. The students packed the small hill in the end zone and pushed so far up to the three-foot chalk line that the PA announcer had to keep reminding them to stay of the playing field. While a new stadium is under construction, the Spartans should take full advantage of this one while they have it. The crowd is so close that if feels like a basketball game and the noise is certainly disconcerting for the opposition. The din nearly caused a problem for the home side, however, when the Spartans lined up for a long field goal with seven minutes left in the game. Coach Kevin Miller attempted to call a time out, but no one heard him. So the ball was snapped - and kicker Marshall Koehn drilled a 46-yarder right through the uprights. No harm done. Great kick; great game. And a great band! There were as many people taking pictures of the band during their pre-game performance as people shooting the game. And after hearing them play, it was easy to understand why. Next week I'll be in Harlan for their game with Winterset - a contest that will most likely determine the District 1 champion in 3A.


9/26/10 I'm looking forward to seeing the Harlan football machine in action, but I chose to put off my trip to western Iowa for a couple weeks. With three of the teams I'm following all standing undefeated in district play and playing unbeaten teams last Friday, I thought I should attend one of those games. I picked the right one. Aplington/Parkersburg and Dike-New Hartford squared off in Dike in a game that will be talked about in both communities for a very long time. The A/P folks will just talk about it a little longer. A/P won in overtime 42-34. There are way too many thrilling details to describe in this small space, but hopefully you can catch the game this week on Mediacom if you have it. But the amount of plot twists and heroic feats in this contest between two very good (and potentially great) football teams would have made John Grisham blush. Mistakes were few, effort was maximum; and the will and fortitude displayed by both teams made this one of the most satisfying football games I have seen in a long, long time. After the Wolverines fleet and nimble Eric Joblinske ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run with under seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter to put his team up by two touchdowns, the hundreds of fans on the visitors' side went numb. But when most teams would have gotten disheartened, A/P responded with a long - and fast - touchdown drive. Then on Dike-New Hartford's next possession, the A/P defense - which had had trouble all night with the Wolverines' perplexing arsenal of ground and air weapons - responded with a three-and-out and got the ball back with just over three minutes left in the game. Putting together another long drive for a touchdown, A/P tied the game. When the PAT was blocked and DNH couldn't score on a late desperation drive, the game went into overtime. A/P scored; DNH didn't - and this game could already be deemed an instant classic. While A/P mixed in some passes in the last two drives, they never panicked and didn't deviate much from their game plan. And that includes a lot of running between the tackles - not exactly a recipe for scoring quickly. When I expressed my admiration and amazement about not abandoning the ground game to offensive coordinator Todd Thomas afterward, he just smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's just the way it's always been." I had planned to sit in the stands Friday to get a different perspective, but found most seats already taken about an hour before game time. So I just walked the sidelines with the dozens of other folks in SRO. The A/P folks travel well! And with most everybody in the community at the game, there isn't anyone left to do any babysitting, so the kids come along, too. After devouring pre-game meals and maybe tossing around the football a bit, many of the younger kids were tucked into their makeshift SUV beds by the middle of the third quarter. Surely they won't remember much of tonight's game - or any game this season, for that matter - but it's all a part of growing up Falcon.


9/26/10 I told myself I'd take this writing project "one game at time." But as I was driving to Parkersburg last Friday to see A/P take on the West Fork, Sheffield Warhawks in their Homecoming game, I turned north off of highway 20 onto 14 and noticed a sign pointing to Dike - just 9 miles to the east. So I started thinking not of my "next week;" but A/P's. They'll be taking the short ride to play their long-time rival Dike-New Hartford on the first Friday in October in a game that will go a long way in deciding the 1A District 3 champion - depending on what would happen this Friday, of course. Even the pre-game discussion in Tom Teeple's barber shop in downtown Parkersburg drifted to the Wolverines. Sure, there was talk of the Warhawks big, talented quarterback; their spread offense; and their 3-1 record. But then Teeple said, "Well, if we can just take care of business tonight..." and the conversation was all Dike-New Hartford and "next week" after that. "It's something you worry about," Coach Alex Pollock told me earlier in the week about the dangers of looking past an opponent, especially during Homecoming week with all of its distractions, "but West Fork is 3-1 and we know if we don't play well and they do, we're going to get beat. We'll worry about next week when that comes. But I'm sure it's in the back of a lot of players' minds. They know who we're playing next week." And to accentuate his week-long message to the team, Coach Pollock's emotional pre-game address to his squad in the pitch black wrestling room was unequivocal that "tonight" had better be the only thing on their collective mind. So when the Falcons fumbled on the second play of the game and allowed the Warhawks to score on an easy touchdown pass two plays later, were they guilty of "thinking ahead?" Hard to tell. Even having spent four years as a high school boy myself, I can't even begin to tell you what's on the mind of my own high schooler, let alone about 100 young men on a football team that I've only seen practice one time over the summer. But I do know that Pollock and his coaches manage to right the ship, even if it took a little longer than they liked. A/P looked a little lackluster for most of the first half, even as they moved out to a 35-20 lead. But a couple of locker room speeches that could have been heard all the way to Kesley seemed to grab the players' attention. In the second half, the defense started swarming Warhawk ball carriers and the offense was virtually unstoppable as the Falcons hammered their way to a 61-20 win. So the moral of this story is that even on an "off night," A/P still managed to beat a quality opponent by six touchdowns. They have plenty of quality - and quantity. With the non-players lining the sidelines solid between the thirty yard line markers, there hasn't been that much red in one place since a missile parade in downtown Moscow, circa 1982. So with Dike-New Hartford winning on Friday as well, next week is officially on. And I guess it's okay for me to start thinking about where I'll be next week. I travel to Harlan for their Homecoming against Atlantic.



9/19/10 One of the oldest clichés in sports for two old rivals is that "you can throw out the records" when they get together for their yearly contest - it's going to be a good game no matter what. That was certainly the case, for a half at least, on Friday when Decorah battled the Waukon Indians. Separated by just 18 miles, Decorah and Waukon have been playing each other since 1898 - when even leather helmets were a luxury and "the shotgun" was something Dad used to help supplement the dinner table. The first half featured one of the fastest varsity quarters I have ever seen (22 minutes), some of the biggest gnats I have ever had the joy of accidentally inhaling, and one of the best quotes I've heard all year. After Decorah missed a field goal, Waukon took possession at their own 20 and one of the Decorah players on the sideline optimistically shouted, "Come on guys - let's get a safety!" (The gnats thankfully and mysteriously disappeared for a while - only to return again late in the fourth quarter.) With the Vikings leading just 7-0 at half time, the Decorah coaches made one major adjustment - and it was to their players frame of mind: get more physical. The Vikings did just that by stopping the Indians on their first possession and then taking the subsequent punt back 73 yards for a touchdown. That was the big play that they needed to assert control of the game and it seemed to suck the life out of the Indians, who surrendered four more second half touchdowns, leading to the 38-7 final score. A senior-dominated team last year, Decorah has plenty of first-time starters who are taking their place in "the system" this year and are continuing the program's winning ways. And like many of the teams I'm following this year, the Vikings certainly have plenty of talent waiting in the wings. At half time of the varsity game, I was speaking to freshman coach and varsity assistant Scott Pierce, saying how much I enjoyed the sophomore game, which the Vikings narrowly lost to the Indians. Pierce said, "That's the first game that class has ever lost." Pierce must have sensed that I didn't fully grasp what he had said as the conversation continued, and indeed the word "ever" escaped me the first time around. He stopped me and said, "No. EVER." It turns out that that class hadn't lost from 7th grade on until Friday night. And with over 40 freshman out for football this year - and a close-knit coaching staff that has been together since only slightly after the leather helmet era - northeast rivals might have to wait a while for a down year from the Vikings. Next week I get to experience Homecoming at Aplington/Parkersburg, as the undefeated Falcons take on West Fork, Sheffield.


9/12/10 No offense to the Beckman Blazers of Dyersville - they are a talented, athletic team that should win plenty of games this year. But the worst peril that that the North Fayette Hawks were in during their game with the Blazers was probably at halftime. Somebody asked somebody if they wanted a Gatorade. There was a "yes," followed by another affirmative, then another, and another. Suddenly there were enough Gatorades - the heavy liter bottles, I think - flying around the room that it looked like a circus act. I feared for the players as the bottles went zipping by their helmet-less heads, but an assistant coach playfully but sternly chided the non-players and water boys responsible for the aerial display and order was restored. A few halftime adjustments followed, and then the Hawks went out and continued their domination of a fine football team in the second half. For North Fayette, that domination begins in the trenches with their offensive linemen. There's plenty of size on the line, but what makes them special is an unfailing dedication to technique. Head coach Bob Lape, who closely oversees the O-line play, and his staff teach old-school shoulder blocking and practice footwork more than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The result on a high percentage of their plays is defenders either getting shoved out of the way or pancaked completely, creating gaping holes for the Hawks "skill" players to run though. And led by Reid Nuss, a third-year starter at quarterback (#7 pictured below), there are plenty of those to go around. On Friday the Hawks churned out almost 400 yards with their ground assault taken straight from the Delaware Wing-T playbook, with most of those yards earned running right between the tackles. And all that yardage added up to five touchdowns and a 34-6 victory in the opening game of district play. Hawk coaches and their wives (and a few of the "coaches' kids") frequently gather at volunteer coach Gary Bemiss' house after home games to unwind and, most of the time, celebrate a hard fought victory. Last Friday while reviewing the game stats hot off the presses, someone noted that the Hawks had connected on only three of six passes for 98 yards. Gary looked at Bob and joked, "Man, you really aired it out!" I flashed back to summer camp when Coach Lape had told me that his coaches frequently joke about how little the Hawks pass. He went on to say that he prefers to throw when he wants to, not because he has to. So my thought is - when a team has that much success running the ball, why throw? But having seen Nuss and his receivers work during summer camp, I believe they'll be alright when Coach Lape decides he "wants to." Next week I travel back to the northeast to see Decorah take on Waukon.


9/6/10 I was confident of the answer when I posed the question to the gentlemen keeping stats on the Emmetsburg sidelines last Friday night. After all, the E-Hawks practically invented the wing-T offense in Iowa high school football back in the day. And when I had talked to coach Mike Dunlap in the summer about his prodigious offense, he had said they are "about 90 percent run." But the E-Hawks were slinging the ball around more than the Montana-era Niners, so I had to know for sure - was this normal? The stat men both laughed knowingly and one of them said, "This is a LOT more passing than normal!" Playing against their arch-rival Spencer on a nearly perfect football evening, the E-Hawks found themselves in a struggle, down 17-14 in the first half. The vaunted ground game wasn't exactly being thwarted by the Tigers, but turnovers, missed assignments, and penalties were keeping Emmetsburg from performing in the manner that they knew they should. Then during a Spencer possession, quarterback Cody Schultes began throwing with a teammate on the sidelines right next to me. I didn't think about it at the time, but that turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. While they didn't exactly go into a shotgun with five receivers every play, several well-timed pass plays did result in big gains and served to throw the Spencer defense into a dither from which they never recovered. The passing opened up the running game and the E-Hawks basically gashed the Tigers for the rest of the night. And when the defense suddenly remembered how to tackle, it was a recipe for a blowout, and they went on to win 48-23. While Emmetsburg has two nice wins under their belt already, they don't look like they've quite hit their stride yet. When they do - watch out. Adding to the pre-game pageantry before the game was 92-year-old Charles John Stillman, who was named as honorary captain for the game. Mr. Stillman had played for the E-Hawks in 1934 and 1935. Here is an excerpt from the game program regarding his football career at EHS: "This was the time of the Great Depression and the only way he could play football for EHS was if he either found a ride home or walked the 5 miles home. If he hurried to the bank after practice, he was able to catch a ride part way home with a bank employee. He would only have to walk the 1 1/2 miles. If practice ran late and he missed his ride, he would have to walk the full 5 miles home. He says that football was worth the extra exercise... Charles always attended the games until he was 75 years old, but for the past 17 years he has been a faithful listener of the games on the radio." Judging by his beaming smile, Mr. Stillman looked like he was more than happy to be attending this game in person. This Friday I'll be in West Union as North Fayette takes on Dyersville-Beckman in what should be an excellent 2A District 4 matchup.


8/31/10 Just like they do on five or six Fridays every August through October, Tiger faithful jammed the home side stands of "The Jungle" in Madrid on Week 1. Others that elected not to sit or arrived too late to get a seat pushed up four and five deep against the ropes that separated the track from the field. Still more overflow - mostly kids clad in any combination of orange, black and white - spilled underneath the ropes onto the grass on either side of the bench. Trojan fans from State Center and beyond filled the visitor's side to complete the scene. Both sides left no doubt who they were rooting for, and nobody left the premises disappointed - even those from West Marshall - who fell just short in the 37-33 thrill fest that had more back and forth action than a good game of ping pong. The heroics of Trojan Dalton Ferch - four touchdowns and over 350 entertaining yards from scrimmage - were not enough to offset the relentless Madrid ground attack. With a deadly combination of deft faking and the power of a panzer attack, the Tigers rolled up over 400 rushing yards against a game West Marshall defense. While media-generated high school polls generally do nothing more than sate fan appetites for such things, Madrid certainly left no doubt they were worthy to be considered for such a lofty consideration as "Number 1," and served notice that they are likely to be a contender for the Class A title come November. With his large physical stature, confident and demanding coaching style, and game management skills that have added up to over 260 wins, Madrid's Randy Hinkel commands a great deal of respect from his players, fans and peers. But the surprise of my evening was that he may not have been the most imposing figure on the Madrid sidelines Friday. That title may belong to a diminutive grandmother named Dode White. A custodian at the school by day, she spends her autumn Friday nights making sure that her boys are toweled off and watered during any breaks in the action. Absolutely nothing got in the way of her duties and she made sure everyone else was towing the line as well. Once when she was trying to get cups of water to some coaches, she shouted, "Make a hole! Make a hole!" and the few non-players on the sidelines that were in her way moved quicker than some of the players that were actually in the game. Another time she chastised a couple more of the guys on the bench who had taken some full cups out of the water tray while the water boys were shuttling them out to the players: "You 'so-and-so's' that aren't playing can get your ass over there and get your own water!" After the game when I asked her how long she had been performing her magic, all she would say is "a long time." I can't wait to get to Emmetsburg next Friday for their rivalry game with Spencer. From what I understand, fans my be parking their cars in the prime spots around the stadium already.

8/27/10 While three of the nine teams I’m following this year kicked off their seasons last week, the rest will play their first games tonight. Week 1 is always fun because the kids finally get to hit somebody besides their teammates for a change. But it’s a little nerve-wracking for coaches, because there is only so much about their teams that they can glean from summer practices. Building a team’s identity starts tonight. No pressure there, right? The coaches I talked to this week were more than ready to get it on: Alex Pollock – Aplington/Parkersburg “You never know how good or bad you’re going to be because you see the same matchups at practice every day. So the guys are just excited to get out there and play in front of a crowd and see what we have for sure.” Kevin Miller – Solon “It’s like playing cards. You don’t know what hand you hold. You might think that you have a pretty good hand, but you don’t know what anybody else has, because you haven’t had a chance to see anybody.” A/P hosts Humboldt while Solon travels to Central Clinton, DeWitt. Nobody seems to be scheduling light for their non-district games. In fact, most are playing up a class or two the first couple weeks of the season: Randy Hinkel – Madrid “If you’re playing somebody weak, you can go out and just overwhelm them, and you really don’t gain a lot of insight into your team. In fact, sometimes you get some false impressions of your team. But when you play good opponents, they exploit weaknesses – they show you what you need to work on and shore up.” Madrid hosts West Marshall tonight and West Marshall = “good opponent!” Some notes on last week’s action: Coach Todd Dale of Meskwaki checked in via email and I wrote that he certainly wasn’t disappointed with his team’s effort last Friday, and, “I think things will get a little better each week. We will have at least three more players (this) week and that should make a huge difference.” The Warriors travel to Tripoli tonight, who was a 28-14 winner over West Central, Maynard last week. If everything goes according to plan, here are the games I’ll be attending the rest of the season: Tonight: Madrid v. West Marshall, State Center 9/3: Emmetsburg v. Spencer 9/10: North Fayette v. Beckman, Dyersville 9/17: Decorah v. Waukon 9/24: A/P v. West Fork, Sheffield (Homecoming) 10/1: Harlan v. Atlantic (Homecoming) 10/8: Solon v. Williamsburg (Homecoming) 10/15: Earlham v. Guthrie Center 10/22: not sure yet!
8/22/10 The rainstorms that looked very ominous at mid-day blew through and served to cool off the football evening without making too much of a mess of things, and the Meskwaki Settlement School rolled out the red carpet to a big home crowd, large media contingent and the visiting Central City Wildcats for their first home football contest ever. The Meskwaki Flag Song followed the National Anthem and concluded a modest but still moving pre-game ceremony that had everybody on the premises primed for football. After eight long road trips last year, this game was a perfect opportunity for the school to take pride in their beautiful new facility and their hard-working team. With just 11 players dressed, the Warriors were definitely not suited for a track meet, but that's what they got from the very first play from scrimmage when Central City's John Kerscher tore though the defense for a 54-yard touchdown run. The Warriors responded nicely with a touchdown of their own, and the game see-sawed back and forth during the first period. But fatigue clearly started to settle in late in the first half and the Wildcats took advantage, stretching the lead to 40-26 at half time. The game essentially ended when do-it-all Stacy YoungBear (pictured below) twisted his ankle returning the second half kickoff and sat on the bench for most of the half. Several of the Warriors were cramping badly, creating more substitution woes for Coach Dale and his staff. At one point during a second half time out, seeing his sidelined littered with players on their backs getting their legs stretched out, Dale shouted, "If you're not down, you're in!" Central City went on to beat the game home side 62-26. The Warriors are short on quantity, but definitely do have some quality. YoungBear is a legitimate star. He's an accurate and strong-armed passer (he threw for over 300 yards) and a fast, elusive runner with more slinky moves than Travolta in his prime. I didn't see any final rushing stats, but I'm guessing he ran for at least 100 yards. The overall inexperience and fatigue led to plenty of mental errors that need to be cleaned up before they can hang with a good team for four quarters, but with YoungBear at the helm and plenty of guts and heart, this team definitely has some potential and will be interesting to watch. Next Week I'll be in Madrid as they take on West Marshall, and the week after that I'll travel to Emmetsburg for their annual throw-down with rival Spencer.

8/14/10 I visited Harlan last night for their soap game. I don't want to offer up a scouting report here, but it isn't surprising that they are talented on both sides of the ball, physically imposing, and play with purpose - even in a scrimmage. The post-scrimmage wind sprints were unique, to say the least, but you're going to have to buy the book the hear more about that...because I'm still trying to figure it out. (The crowd loved it!) I have a schedule of my season mapped out, but it's still a little tentative so I can stay flexible. But I do know that on week 0, this Friday, I'll be at the Meskwaki School for their first ever varsity home game. Should be memorable. The Warriors take on Central City. On week 1 I'm planning to be in Madrid for the Tigers versus West Marshall. Madrid will take on 2A opponents in the first two weeks.

8/8/10 I got back Saturday from a week-long "camp tour" of several of the schools I'm going to be following this year: Emmetsburg, Aplington-Parkersburg, the Meskwaki School, Solon, North Fayette, and Decorah. Had a great time talking to coaches, alums, concerned citizens, etc. Didn't talk a lot of X's and O's or "how's your team going to be this year?" - just mostly about the programs in general. The highlights:
Emmetsburg Their trophy case is about 75 yards long! Since I'm not much of a wrestling fan, I had no idea they had so many state titles in that sport as well. Impressive. Coach Mike Dunlap is carrying on the great tradition started by the legendary Duane Twait - no easy task! Their version of the "wing-t" offense has been copied by many, perfected by few. A terrific town.

Aplington/Parkersburg Many positive things have been written and said about Parkersburg over the last few years - believe them all! A very warm and friendly place that happens to be home to a whale of a football team. The quote of the week came from Tom Teeple, town barber and all-knowing insider about new coach Alex Pollock, "I think I'm a good judge of character, and I think Alex is the man for the job."

Meskwaki School Do yourself a favor and check out this amazing new facility. Think of the nicest mall you've been in and that's what this school looks like. Brand new last year, it's not lacking anything needed for academics or athletics. Planning to play a JV schedule last year, they ended up playing eight varsity games instead - all on the road, and none of them close to home. Coach/AD Todd Dale has this team heading in the right direction - and they'll even play some games at home this year.

Solon With three 2A state titles in a row, they'll be playing 3A this year. Don't bet against them. Having won a gazillion games in a row in 2A, they should be up for the challenge. Coach Kevin Miller's theory of developing good citizens first and good football players second is working. And have you noticed that Solon seems to be winning state championships in everything?

North Fayette Coach Bob Lape's camp had a real family atmosphere - but like any good dad, he wasn't afraid to crack the whip when he needed to. This team has won six district titles in a row, without a huge number of players. Lape is another coach who has kept the ball rolling started by another successful long-time coach (Ron Wymer - 219 career wins.)

Decorah I'm glad this team happens to have a good football tradition, because it's a great place to visit! The stadium is nestled into a bluff with the pristine Iowa River rolling close by. This is a solid, stable program that just keeps churning out playoff berths. Coach Bill Post and his staff have been together as is for the past eight years.

7/30/10 High school football is a uniquely American experience. And in Iowa that experience is uniquely Iowan. From tall, gleaming, city and suburban stadiums to small-town gridirons bordered by fields of corn and soybeans; players, students, coaches, parents, officials and fans gather on fall Friday nights in an exuberant display of pageantry, sportsmanship, brute force and high athleticism. Having worked as a football official in Iowa the past 9 years or so, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the game from an angle that most people never get – or even want for that matter! But this year – instead of dodging fleet linebackers and enduring occasional acrimonious critique of my performance from coaches and fans – I’ll be following some of the best football programs in the state, from summer workouts all the way to the UNI-Dome, to see what makes them tick. And while teams that win games will be an important part of my project, I want to focus on those that win the right way, helping young men become better people and not just good football players. 4A teams? Maybe that will be my next project. For now I’m going to focus on small-town programs (3A and under) where winning has become a way of life and where football is woven deeply into the fabric of the community – and a few programs that are working hard to get there. The result of all this research will be a book, hopefully in finished form about this time next year. My working title – “Picking the Corn.” Why? Well, I've already spoken to two successful coaches from both ends of the state this year who have compared their player development to farming – and “harvesting their crop” every year. Hey, it doesn’t get anymore Iowan than that! So I’ll be posting my adventures here intermittently this year. Next up, my camp tour the week of August 2 of some of the programs I'll be covering: Emmetsburg; Aplington/Parkersburg; Solon; North Fayette; Decorah; and more. While I'm not visiting them next week, Harlan and Madrid will also be a part of my narrative. Come back soon and feel free to drop me a line.