Battle of unbeatens for Class A football state title

Class A State Championship Game: AHSTW (12-0) vs. Hudson (12-0)

 CEDAR FALLS (Nov. 15) -- Of the six state championship football games set for later this week at the UNI-Dome, only one involves a pair of unbeaten teams.
 Second-ranked AHSTW (12-0) and No. 1 Hudson (12-0) will play for the Class A state title on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Both teams advanced with semifinal wins last Friday.
 Hudson, a state runner-up last year, nearly let a three-score halftime lead evaporate before holding off No. 9 West Hancock 35-28. AHSTW overcame a slow start with a flurry of second-quarter points to down No. 5 Edgewood-Colesburg 39-12.
 The Vikings are making their first championship game appearance since A-H-S-T lost to Madrid 14-3 in the 1991 Class A final, but team confidence should be high following Friday’s impressive showing. Head coach Davis Pattee’s squad practiced at Merrill Field in Harlan last week to get a feel for playing on turf, and they now have the added benefit of experiencing the unique conditions of a game inside the UNI-Dome.
 “The kids got a great feel for the environment,” said Pattee. “Once you get that feel of being in the Dome and on the turf, that helps a lot. I think the kids are still going to be nerved up, but they at least have that experience under their belt - something to fall back on - and it’s not completely foreign to them anymore. Just the climate of it all, the lighting, all that stuff, is way different than you’re used to.”
 The Pirates started fast against West Hancock, using three first-half takeaways to build a 35-14 lead. The Eagles returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, however, and later scored on a long passing play to make it a seven-point game. West Hancock then drove inside the 10-yard line in the final minutes before losing a fumble and Hudson was able to run out the clock.
 Pattee says Hudson “is just a little more physically mature across the board” than the Ed-Co team the Vikings just faced. The Pirates also have very good team speed.
 AHSTW, boasting the top-ranked offense in Class A with 4,781 total yards and 64 touchdowns, will need to be mindful of protecting the football against a Hudson defense that has forced 33 turnovers by the opposition.

Championship Showdown

AHSTW (12-0)
Regular Season Results
at Underwood - Won 47-14
vs. Shenandoah - Won 45-0
at Westwood - Won 48-27
at Martensdale-SM - Won 65-8
vs. Riverside - Won 48-3
at Earlham - Won 35-7
vs. Nodaway Valley - Won 50-0
at Southwest Valley - Won 32-13
vs. St. Albert - Won 19-14
Playoffs
vs. Alta-Aurelia - Won 30-28 (3 OT)
vs. Newman Catholic - Won 31-14
vs. Edgewood-Colesburg - Won 39-12 (at UNI-Dome)
Individual Stat Leaders
 Passing: Blake Osbahr 108/169, 2,203 (20.4), 30 TDs, 5 INTs.
 Rushing: Gabe Pauley 225-1,710 (7.6), 27 TDs; B. Osbahr 70-356 (5.1), 2 TDs; Jackson Woltmann 33-156 (4.7); Korbin Martin 15-121 (8.1), 1 TD.
 Receiving: Drake Partridge 40-1,113 (27.8), 16 TDs; Brayton Tuma 27-535 (19.8), 6 TDs; K. Martin 20-241 (12.1), 4 TDs; Gabe Madsen 8-153 (19.1), 2 TDs; G. Pauley 11-145 (13.2), 2 TDs.

Hudson (12-0)
Regular Season Results
at Jesup - Won 46-8
at Waterloo Columbus - Won 14-0
vs. GMG, Garwin - Won 35-0
at North Tama - Won 24-21
vs. BCLUW - Won 49-0
vs. Saint Ansgar - Won 27-12
at Wapsie Valley - Won 24-20
vs. Grundy Center - Won 55-21
at East Buchanan - Won 42-20
Playoffs
vs. Lynnville-Sully - Won 44-22
vs. Highland, Riverside - Won 41-14
vs. West Hancock - Won 35-28 (at UNI-Dome)
Individual Stat Leaders
 Passing: Jacob Murray 78/157, 1,187 (15.2), 14 TDs, 5 INTs.
 Rushing: Christian Seres 285-1,914 (6.7), 30 TDs; Ethan Fulcher 73-647 (8.9), 9 TDs; Alec Staebell 7-101 (14.4), 1 TD.
 Receiving: E. Fulcher 21-347 (16.5), 4 TDs; Trey Jochumsen 9-192 (21.3), 1 TD; A. Staebell 11-182 (16.5), 2 TDs; Jackson Lehr 7-171 (24.4), 3 TDs.

 
 

 

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