March 28, 2024

Early turnovers hamper Nodaway Valley/O-M in homecoming loss

Despite a couple of bright spots, Nodaway Valley/O-M struggled to gain any momentum on either side of the ball and fell to Interstate 35 in homecoming football action Friday, Sept. 16 in Greenfield.

The Roadrunners came away with a 35-0, starting Class 1A, District 7 play with a win. Nodaway Valley/O-M dropped to 0-4, 0-1 in district play.

“We saw a lot of things that were good as well as some things that we know are uncharacteristic of our team that we’re going to get adjusted,” Wolverine head coach Seth Comly said. “I wasn’t displeased with the performance considering everything that’s gone on that we’ve gone through.”

NV/O-M suffered turnovers on its first two drives, which led Interstate 35 having good field position for its first two scores. Eli Green scored on an 11-yard run with 9:48 left in the first quarter and again on a 1-yard plunge with 6:31 left in the opening quarter as I-35 went up 7-0.

With very little going in their favor offensively in the first quarter, senior receiver Avery Phillippi did have a big 47-yard first down catch in the second quarter, but the Wolverines weren’t able to finish the drive.

“That was really refreshing. That was one of the plays that left me feeling relieved because that that point we were struggling,” Comly said. “We will were struggling offensively, but that reassured me that we’re capable of making plays. We’ve gotta get back in the groove of how we do things and I think that will be great for us.”

In the second quarter, the Roadrunners added scores by Green and Nick Steinlage to go up 35-0. The entire second half was played under a running clock.

NV/O-M had three first downs on the night and 16 yards of total offense. I-35 amassed 142 yards of total offense in the win.

Boston DeVault and Dax Kintigh shared the role of quarterback for the Wolverines. They each had six carries in the rushing game. DeVault was 2-for-8 for six yards passing with two interceptions. Kintigh was 2-for-5 for 47 yards. Phillippi’s one catch led all receivers.

DeVault led the defense with six total tackles. Phillippi had 4.5.

The Wolverines play at Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center Friday, Sept. 23. The Chargers are off to a 3-1 start, having won three games of five points or less in a row.

“It’s one day at a time, one practice at a time, one week at a time, and let the chips fall where they may. We just want to put ourselves in the best position to be successful,” Comly said. “We’re just looking to get that first ‘W’ of the year. We’ve gotta let things go that have happened in the past and get back to being as good as we can be.”

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson has served as News Editor of the Adair County Free Press and Fontanelle Observer since Oct. 2017. He and his wife Kilee live in Greenfield. In Greenfield and the greater Adair County area, he values the opportunity to tell peoples' stories, enjoys playing guitar, following all levels of sports, and being a part of his local church.