Mustangs stampede Tigers

LENOX – Lenox finished their season in the second round of the playoffs Friday night, when they fell to the Newell-Fonda Mustangs 39-14.

The first quarter seemingly belonged to the Tigers, until a fumble on the Mustang 2  late in the first quarter delayed scoring for both teams until halfway through the second quarter.

The visiting Mustangs got on the scoreboard first when quarterback Mason Dicks scored on a 35 yard rush with 5:54 left in the second quarter. The PAT for Newell-Fonda went high and wide left.

Dicks, who had a combined passing and rushing yardage of 2,566 yards and a combined passing and rushing touchdown count of 40 added four more rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown after Friday night’s game.

Issac Grundman scored a rushing touchdown from 16 yards out 3:18 later. Grundman also scored the 2-point conversion which gave the Tigers their only lead, 8-6.

Mason Dicks’ legs reclaimed the lead with 30 seconds left before half when he ran for a 13 yard score and successful 2-point conversion to put the Mustangs up 14-8 at half.

“We came out struggling on offense, a great defensive game in the first half,” Lenox head coach Cole Bonde said. “Our kids played great, their kids also played great in the first half.”

Wyatt Kreft extended the Newell-Fonda lead to 13 when he caught a 14 yard pass from Mason Dicks.

Dicks, a junior, scored two rushing touchdowns from 14 yards and 1 yard out respectively three minutes and six seconds apart to make a 21-8 game a 33-8 game with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing Tiger possession, Ryan Greenfield snared a Gabe Funk pass and returned it 27 yards to the house.

“They made some good adjustments in the second half, and we had a couple turnovers.” Bonde said. “We didn’t play our best in the second half, we had some missed tackles. They’re a really good team, but ultimately it didn’t go our way.”

Issac Grundman had a one yard rush which finalized the scoring Friday night.

Finishing their Lenox football career were Duncan Marshall, Conner Fitzgerald, Johnathan Weaver, Hernan Castor, Devin Whipple and Dawson Marshall.

“The senior class, they’re a great bunch.” Bonde said. “When we first became head coaches, that was the fresshman class that we had and the strides that they made. Those seniors laid the foundation of what Tiger football is and those kids know how much they’ve done for the program.”

Lenox won nine games for the first time since 2015.

“This one is going to sting for awhile,” Bonde said.

Newell-Fonda (9-1) plays in the quarterfinal round 7 p.m., Friday at CAM (Anita) (10-0). CAM defeated Fremont-Mills 46-20 Friday in the second round.

Newell-Fonda 39, Lenox 14

Second quarter

N-F — Mason Dicks 35 run (PAT failed), 5:44

Len — Issac Grundman 16 run (Issac Grundman run), 2:26

N-F — Mason Dicks 13 run (Mason Dicks run), 0:30

Third quarter

N-F — Wyatt Kreft 14 pass from Mason Dicks (PAT successful), 7:48

Fourth quarter

N-F — Mason Dicks 17 run (pass failed), 9:30

N-F — Mason Dicks 1 run (pass failed), 6:24

N-F — Ryan Greenfield 27 interception return from Gabe Funk (run PAT failed), 5:35

Len — Issac Grundman 1 run (Funk rush failed), 3:43

Rushing — Lenox: Isaac Grundman 20-113, 2 TD; Keigan Kitzman, 13-47; Johnathan Weaver 5-25; Gabe Funk 8-25.

Passing — Lenox: Gabe Funk 1-5-2 for 11 yards.

Receiving — Lenox: Keigan Kitzman 1-11.

Tackles (solo) — Johnathan Weaver 11.0 (5), Samson Adams 10.0 (5), Isaac Grundman 6.0 (4), Hernan Castor 4.0 (2), Dawson Marshall 4.0 (1), Caeden David 3.5 (2), Keigan Kitzman 2.5, Trayce Miller, 2.0 (1).

Tackles for loss — Lenox: Castor 2.0, Marshall 1.0.