March 29, 2024

Friday football roundup (week 9): I-35, Mount Ayr and Lenox earn playoff spots

Panthers prevail in overtime; Mount Ayr travels to Interstate 35 to open the postseason; Lenox heads to Fremont-Mills

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Playoff qualifiers

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced late Friday night the playoff football qualifiers.

In Class 1A, Interstate 35 earned a playoff spot with an undefeated regular season and Distric 7 title. Also in Class 1A, Mount Ayr earned a playoff spot based on its RPI ranking.

Mount Ayr (7-2) and Interstate 35 (9-0) will open the postseason with a Week Two rematch, this matchup will take place in Truro. I-35 topped Mount Ayr 28-13

Lenox also earned a playoff spot in Eight-Man based on its RPI ranking after a Week 9 win over Moravia.

Lenox (7-2) will head to Fremont-Hills (8-1) to open the playoffs on Friday, Oct. 26.

Creston/O-M 20, Glenwood 12 OT

A spectacular offensive play punctuated a game of defensive stands as Creston/O-M defeated Glenwood in overtime, 20-12, at Panther Field Friday night.

On the first play of overtime, Creston/O-M senior receiver Kylan Smallwood made a leaping grab of Eli Loudon's pass in the back of the end zone. Loudon scrambled to his right and found Luke Latham open in the end zone for the two-point conversion for the final 20-12 margin.

Glenwood gained 6 yards on the first two plays of its overtime possession, and then 215-pound running back Noah Carter was stopped for no gain at the 4-yard line by Panther defenders Beau Barncastle and Eli Hartman. On fourth down, Zach Carr's pass was incomplete, igniting a huge Panther celebration on senior night.

The victory leaves Creston/O-M with a final 3-6 record and 2-3 in Class 3A District 9. Glenwood slipped to a final mark of 4-5 and 1-4 in the district.

The defensive battle was never separated by more than six points until the overtime period.

Creston/O-M came out with an effective short passing game to take a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 21-yard scoring connection from Loudon to Cael Kralik, who was later sidelined by a possible concussion.

Glenwood answered with a 3-yard run by Dominic Robertson Jr. and the teams went into halftime tied at 6-6.

Glenwood fumbled the second-half kickoff, and Loudon ran 15 yards for a Panther touchdown on the first play from scrimmage for a 12-6 lead.

Barncastle's punt was blocked near his own end zone late in the third quarter, and the Rams capitalized on a 3-yard scoring run by Carter. The kick was wide, leaving the game tied 12-12.

Both teams threatened in the fourth quarter but the defenses held up, including a stand by the Panthers on their own 16 with 6:04 left in regulation.

Mount Ayr 43, AC/GC 14

MOUNT AYR – The Raiders needed a win to keep their postseason hopes alive and from the opening kickoff on senior night you could tell Mount Ayr wasn't messing around, toppling AC/GC 43-14.

The scoring started right away as Hunter Haveman returned his fourth kickoff return this season for a touchdown. The Raiders added a 2-point conversion to go up 8-0, 14 seconds into the contest.

Keelan Klommhaus had two touchdown runs of 57 and 45 yards, the latter putting the Raiders on top 29-6 with 6:57 left to go in the first half.

Myles Greene punched in a touchdown on Mount Ayr's first drive out of the locker room on a 5-yard run to give the Raiders a 36-6 lead.

The Raiders defense didn't surrender another score until late in the fourth quarter, continuing to lock down opponents offensive outputs.

Other area scores

Riverside 42, Southwest Valley 0

AHSTW 19, St. Albert 14

Lenox 42, Moravia 20

Van Meter 49, Clarinda 7

Mormon Trail 61, Murray 16

East Union 80, Seymour 8

Harlan 28, Winterset 0

Atlantic 35, Red Oak 14

Kuemper Catholic 51, Shenandoah 13

Southeast Warren 65, Lamoni 22

Interstate 35, Truro 21, Pella Christian 18

Earlham 62, Nodaway Valley 14

CAM 34, Audubon 32

Lewis Central 52, ADM 7

Treynor 35, Cherokee 20

Fremont-Mills 70, Stanton 18

Bedford 60, Griswold 52