Cyclones suffer 9-7 defeat in playoff opener at DC-G

 GRIMES (Nov. 1) -- In a playoff battle of two great defenses Friday night, the outcome boiled down to mistakes.
 Dallas Center-Grimes played a clean game with just one turnover - a harmless first-half interception that pinned Harlan Community at its own 5-yard line.
 HCHS essentially turned the ball over four times on two interceptions and a pair of punt snafus that set up all nine Mustang points.
 The miscues ultimately led to the Cyclones’ demise and early postseason exit as DC-G prevailed 9-7 in a first round playoff game held at Grimes.
 The Mustangs (9-1) won their ninth straight and played a Class 3A quarterfinal at Lewis Central (9-1) on November 8. LC beat Oskaloosa 44-0 in first round action. Ninth-ranked HCHS closed its season at 7-3 overall.
 “We figured it was going to be a low-scoring game and we really worked on PAT just because we knew how important every point was going to be tonight," said HCHS interim head coach Todd Bladt. "When you have those kind of mistakes and you look on the board and you’ve got (four) turnovers to one, you’re not going to win very often. That bit us in the butt and that’s the opposite of what we were trying to do. We said we had to take care of the pumpkin and we didn’t.”
 The Cyclones led 7-0 at the half after a 77-yard option run by quarterback Johnathan Monson set up Thomas Frederick’s four-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. HCHS had 164 first-half yards but netted just 16 the rest of the way and converted only two first downs in the second half.
 DC-G, meanwhile, totaled 188 yards but was held scoreless until Ty Walker’s nine-yard TD pass to Isaac Boley (on third-and-6) knotted the score at 7-7 with 2:52 left in the third quarter. The Mustang scoring drive was set up by a Cyclone special teams error when punter Matt Kloewer - facing some pressure to his left - was unable to connect with the kick. DC-G recovered the fumble at the 13-yard line.
 The Mustangs’ next drive reached the Cyclone 9 before stalling on downs when Zach Brand was stopped shy of the line to gain on fourth-and-three. HCHS continued to fizzle on offense, though, and the ensuing punt snap from the 8 sailed over the head of the punter and through the back of the end zone for a safety that proved to be the game-winner for DC-G.
 “It’s disappointing. I don’t know what to say other than that,” Bladt said. “But our guys played hard. They’ve played hard all season. I think they’ve overachieved from what everybody thought we were capable of in the preseason."

Dallas Center-Grimes 9, HCHS 7
HCHS: Thomas Frederick 4-yd. run (Ashton Lyon kick) - 1st qt., 3:25.
DC-G: Isaac Boley 9-yd. pass from Ty Walker (Simano Goncalves kick) - 3rd qt., 2:52.
DC-G: Safety, HCHS punt snap out of end zone - 4th qt., 9:24.
HCHS Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Johnathan Monson 13-76, Alex Schechinger 11-25, Thomas Frederick 6-20. Passing -- J. Monson 8-19-2, 71. Receiving -- Will McLaughlin 3-42, Connor Frame 2-20.
    Tackles -- Jameson Bieker 4s/7a, McLaughlin 2s/7a, Joseph Fah 6s/2a, Chandler Leinen 2s/5a, Jacob Schechinger 0s/7a, Bartley 3s/1a, Allen Fries 3s/0a. Tackles for loss -- Bieker 1s/3a, Jacob Schechinger 0s/2a. QB Sacks -- Fries 1s, Bieker 1a, Jacob Schechinger 1a. Interception -- J. Monson.
DC-Grimes Individual Stat Leaders
    Rushing -- Zach Brand 26-135. Passing -- Ty Walker 4-14-1, 35. Receiving -- Brand 2-20. Tackles -- Blake Willey 9s/2a, Brody Burgher 6s/4a. Interceptions -- Dawson Lego 2.

 
 

 

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