I-S now 11-0 after playoff win
By Greg Seubert
Coleman held the Iola-Scandinavia football team to six points in the second half of their WIAA Division 6 playoff game.
It didn’t really matter, however, as the Thunderbirds led 36-0 at halftime and went on to hand the Cougars a 42-6 loss Oct. 26 in a Level 2 matchup at Thunderbird Field.
The T-Birds improved to 11-0 on the season with the win and will host 10-1 Abbotsford at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2. The Falcons advanced to the third round of the playoffs Oct. 26 with a 54-6 win over Auburndale.
The T-Birds built their 36-0 halftime lead by scoring on five of their first six possessions.
Bryce Huettner capped the opening drive with a 27-yard run 53 seconds into the game. His 20-yard run with 6:58 to go in the opening quarter gave the T-Birds a 14-0 lead and Connor Kurki wrapped up his team’s third drive with a 15-yard quarterback keeper with 1:33 remaining in the quarter.
The T-Birds’ fourth drive of the game ended with a fumble, but Iola-Scandinavia soon had the ball back after Brye Hardel’s intercepted Caden Bintz’s pass. The interception led to Alex Sharp’s 24-yard touchdown run with 9:10 remaining in the first half.
Coleman turned the ball over on downs on its next drive and Kurki capped a 50-yard drive with a 5-yard run with 56 seconds to go before halftime.
Carter Kurki ended the first half with an interception and the T-Birds went into the locker room with a 36-point lead.
Huettner’s third touchdown, a 12-yard run, came with 44 seconds to go in the third quarter. Coleman avoided the shutout with Payton Nelson’s 18-yard run with 8:07 remaining in the game.
The T-Birds outgained the Cougars 262-173 on the ground and 103-51 through the air. Huettner led all rushers with 147 yards on 11 carries and Connor Kurki completed all five of his passes, including three for 59 yards to Sharp and two for 44 yards to Will Cady.
• In other games involving area teams, Amherst defeated Cedar Grove-Belgium 37-19 in Division 5 and Pittsville ended Almond-Bancroft’s season by handing the Eagles a 17-7 loss in Division 7. Amherst will now face top-seeded St. Mary Springs Nov. 2 in a rematch of a regular-season game that Springs won 34-0.