Hawks ‘Crush’ Walnut, 56-8

BV, AWV LOSE; EG CLINCHES PLAYOFF SPOT

East Greene rolled over Walnut in Grand Junction tonight, 56-8, to move its season record to 6-1overall and 4-1 in District 7.

The win over Walnut with Ar-We-Va’s loss to Woodbine guarantees EG a spot in the playoffs as the Hawks are in third place at 4-1, just behind co-leaders Coon Rapids-Bayard and Glidden-Ralston at 5-0. GR rolled over Boyer Valley 46-6 to drop the Bulldogs to 2-3 in D7.

The top four teams in the 8-team division qualify for the playoffs.

Ar-We-Va and Woodbine entered tonight’s game with 1-3 records in the division standings, which made the matchup an “elimination round” game as the loser would end up with 4 division losses and even with two more wins to close out the year, would still end up at only 3-4, making it nearly impossible to the get the fourth playoff  spot.

If BV had upset GR, moving to 3-2 in the league, and then won its final two games to finish 5-2, and Ar-We-Va had beaten Woodbine to go 2-3 and then win its next two games (Walnut, EG), and EG were to enter that AWV game at 4-2 having lost to Coon Rapids-Bayard the previous week, then AWV and EG would tie at 4-3 for fourth. And BV could easily finish in third place at 5-2 since its last two games are against Woodbine and Walnut. Glidden-Ralston and Coon Rapids-Bayard would finish in first and second depending on the winner of their matchup the last week of the season.

AWV would have gotten the fourth playoff spot based on beating EG which is the tie-breaker (head-to-head competition) when two teams tie. If more than two teams tie, and each as a loss to one of the other two teams, then the point differential is used.

If GR were to have actually been upset by BV and then beat CRB in the finale, they would get the No. 1 seed in D7 as both teams would finish tied at 6-1 but GR would get the top spot because the tie breaker between two teams is the winner in head-to-head competition. And if CRB were to win in that game under the same circumstances, then the Crusaders get the top seed.

Ar-We-Va had put a scare into GR last week before falling by just 11 points, and that coming just a week after GR had drubbed then undefeated EG by 32 points. GR, ranked No. 7 in the state, seemed vulnerable again tonight, leading BV by just 16-6 at the half, but the Wildcats prevailed by outscoring BV 30-0 in the second half to win 46-6. Meanwhile, Ar-We-Va trailed Woodbine by just 8 points in the first quarter, 14-6, but Woodbine put 12 points on the board just after halftime to go up 26-6 and hang on for the win, 34-20.

BV’s loss to GR drops the Bulldogs to 2-3 and even if BV wins its next two games and ends up 4-3 and the above scenario of EG losing its last two games were to happen, EG would finish at 4-3 and still get the tie-breaker because EG beat BV in head-to-head competition. Another concern, though, was if this same scenario had played out but Ar-We-Va actually beat Woodbine, and then won out for the season, going from 1-3 to 4-3 and beating EG, then then all three teams would have tied for third, and the No. 3 and No. 4 spots would be determined by the points differential.

Fortunately, for the Hawks, the Woodbine win over Ar-We-Va means that EG has already beaten the two teams in the No. 4 spot, and has a two-game lead over them, 4-1 vs. 2-3.

EYE ON GJ SAYS: The Hawks actually still have a chance for the Division 7 title despite their loss to GR two weeks ago. If EG gets by CRB next week, and then the Crusaders should beat GR in the season finale—while EG gets by Ar-We-Va—then GR, EG, and CRB all would finish in first place with 6-1 records. The tie-breaker invoked then in is the points differential, and that final number would not be determined until the games are played and the margins of victory and defeat calculated for all three teams.

EG’s biggest challenge right now is Coon Rapids-Bayard. The game is in Coon Rapids, so the Crusaders have the home field advantage. They bring a high-powered passing game into this showdown of longtime Central Valley and West Central conference rivals. CRB’s Michael Schwenk set a new state mark in an 85-12 drubbing of winless Charter Oak-Ute last night— scoring 9 touchdowns in the first half.

The Hawks will need to put the breaks on the Crusader offense and make sure they keep their own offense in gear. The Hawks have scored 52 and 56 points in their last two games, while the defense has given up an average of just 10. For the season, the Hawks are scoring at a 41.7 average while holding opponents to just 13.1. CRB has a whopping 58.9 per game scoring average and a 24.1 defensive average.

Friday, Oct. 8 games:

East Greene 56, Walnut 8

Coon Rapids-Bayard 85, Charter Oak-Ute 13

Glidden-Ralston 46, Boyer Valley (Dunlap) 6

Woodbine 34, Ar-We-Va (Westside) 20

Standings, Division/Season Records, Pt. Diff. Average

Coon Rapids-Bayard 5-0, 6-1             (13)

Glidden-Ralston 5-0, 6-1                    (12.6)

East Greene 4-1, 6-1                           (7.8)    

Boyer Valley 2-3, 4-3                         (-5)

Woodbine 2-3, 3-4                              (-2.6)  

Ar-We-Va 1-4, 2-5                              (-5)     

Walnut 1-4, 1-6                                   (-7.8)

Charter Oak-Ute 0-5, 0-7                    (-13)

Hawks Win Big Over Woodbine 52-12!

CLINCH FIRST WINNING SEASON SINCE 2001

East Greene beat the Woodbine Tigers, 52-12, in Woodbine tonight to move to 3-1 in District 7 and 5-1 overall. The Hawks are in sole place of third place in District 7—the “Lincoln League”—and the win guarantees a winning season with just three games left on the 2010 schedule.

East Greene hosts Walnut (1-3, 1-5) next Friday, Oct. 8, at Karber Field for Parent’s Night.

Tonight’s District 7 Games and Updated League Standings:

East Greene 54, Woodbine 12

Glidden-Ralston 24, Ar-We-Va 13

Coon Rapids-Bayard 76, Walnut 0

Boyer Valley 62, Charter Oak-Ute 8

Coon Rapids-Bayard 4-0, 5-1

Glidden-Ralston 4-0, 5-1

East Greene 3-1, 5-1

Boyer Valley 2-2, 4-2

Ar-We-Va 1-3, 2-4

Woodbine 1-3, 2-4

Walnut 1-3, 1-5

Charter Oak-Ute 0-4, 0-6

GR Spoils EG Homecoming

HAWKS LOSE FIRST GAME, NOW THIRD IN D7

Glidden-Ralston put the clamps on East Greene, 40-8, in a District 7 showdown last Friday night in Grand Junction.

The loss put a bit of a damper on East Greene’s Homecoming activities. GR remained in first place in D7, the “Lincoln League,” with a 3-0 mark, tied with Coon Rapids-Bayard, which beat Boyer Valley, 67-44. EG dropped into third place in the district with a 2-1 mark.

EG, GR and CRB are each 4-1 overall for the season. The win helped push GR to the No.10 spot in the Des Moines Register’s 8-Man state football rankings this week.

The Hawks put forth a solid effort. It tied the lowest point total the Wildcats have been held to all season (40 in a 3 OT loss to Newell-Fonda, 46-40) but the GR defense was unyielding and the offense got off to a fast start. GR rolled to a 34-0 halftime lead and upped that to 40-zip early in the third quarter.

The Hawks did get on the board with a touchdown run by Scyhler Bardole and run for the 2-point conversion by Reed Ostrander in the third quarter. Despite a poor first-half showing, the Hawks did play the Wildcats even for the second half, and actually outscored them 8-6.

East Greene was able to move the ball—racking up 237 yards and 11 first downs—but just could not punch the ball across the goal line. GR had only 25 more total yards (262) and just two more first downs (13) but the Hawks hurt themselves with three turnovers—an interception and two fumbles.

Bardole racked up 128 yards on 21 carries while Nic Nicolaisen ran 5 times for 23 yards. Bardole also led the receiving corps with 3 catches for 18 yards. QBs Tyler Cooklin and Tory Beger passed for 85 yards against the GR defense, but it took them 20 attempts and only 8 of those passes were completions. Cooklin completed 1 of 6 passes for seven yards, while Beger connected on 7 of 14 for 78 yards and one interception.

GR unleashed a running back “triple threat” with Taylor Hackett, Mitchell Lensch and QB Wade Hoyle each scoring two running touchdowns. Hackett had 13 carries for 114 yards and Lensch added 99 yard on 17 carries.

Despite his scoring two TDs, the Hawks did hold QB Hoyle pretty much in check, limiting him to just two completions in six passing attempts for 12 yards, and just 33 yards on the ground in 9 carries.

East Greene travels to Woodbine tonight while the Wildcats host Ar-We-Va.

EYE ON GJ SAYS: Well, there are baseball towns and there are football towns. Clearly, Glidden is a football town, and with EG having made the substate in baseball the last two years, Grand Junction and Rippey are baseball towns.

But, that being said, it really was disappointing to see GR win by a such a large margin when it seemed both teams were pretty evenly matched, and especially since last year, when EG came so close to beating GR, losing a hard-fought battle, 14-6. That game showcased how much improvement the Hawks have made over the last several years, considering GR drubbed EG 48-8 in 2007 and the Hawks pulled closer in 2008, 34-14, and then the loss by just a touchdown last year.

The Hawks will need to re-group as they have a long road trip this week to Harrison County to take on Woodbine, now 1-2 in D7 after rolling over Walnut last week, 52-12. The Tigers are 3-2 on the season, but their losses are to very strong teams—D7 co-leaders GR and Coon-Rapids Bayard (combined records of 8-2) and East Mills (3-1) which is in third place at 2-1 in District 8, just behind co-leaders Stanton and Fremont-Mills (3-0). East Mills’ only losses this season have been to top ranked Lenox (5-0) and No. 5 Stanton (4-1) whose only was to Lenox in the season opener.



Woodbine's Kyle Kuhlmann heads down the sideline

in last week's game at Walnut. Photo by Dawn Powers

of the Logan Herald Observer/Woodbine Twiner.



The Hawks will need to get their offense back in gear while the defense will need to stop the Tigers’ Kyle Kuhlman (see photo) and QB Zach Archer. Archer has thrown for 393 yards and 8 TDs and passed for 313 yards and 5 TDs through the air so far this season, while Kuhlman has rushed for 647 yards and scored 9 running TDs along with 118 yards receiving and 2 passing TDs.

EG has its own offensive weapons with Bardole now having racked up 823 yards for the season, a hefty 164 yards per game average, and a 1-2 punch at quarterback with Beger and Cooklin.

Tonight’s matchup with Woodbine begins a key stretch of four key games for the Hawks that mark the back half the season. After the road trip, EG returns to face Walnut (1-4) in Grand Junction on Parents’ Night on Oct. 8, and then the Hawks go on the road to finish the season with tough games at Coon Rapids against CRB and in Westside against Ar-We-Va the final two weeks of the season, Oct. 15 and 22.

The Hawks will need to make sure there is no letdown after losing in a big game that was even bigger because it was against a longtime rival like GR and that it came at homecoming.

It should be noted that when the Hawks scored that impressive victory over Boyer Valley on Sept. 10—even more important when tallying up the District 7 standings as BV went on to beat Ar-We-Va, a solid team year-in and year-out—it also matched all of last year’s EG win tally (3). And the thrashing of Charter Oak-Ute the following week moved the EG season win total to 4, which surpassed last year’s mark and equaled the four wins of the 4-5 record of the team two years ago. That 2008 season was the best EG grid showing since its first year of 8-man football in 2001, when EG went 6-2 with its only losses to the same team—state champion Adair-Casey.

One more East Greene win will clinch a winning season, the first since that 2001 campaign.

It’s a bit premature to begin talking about a berth in the substate in the postseason, as there are still 4 of the 7 total district games to be played, but it’s not at all out of the realm.

First things first, and that’s the road game at Woodbine. This will be a night where the lights are really shining bright on the Lincoln. Not only do “Lincoln League” schools EG and Woodbine faceoff in a key game in Woodbine, but Ar-We-Va travels east “on the Lincoln” to the other side of Carroll to Glidden to take on GR in another key battle of LL teams—these two being the smalls school rivals who are the east and west neighbors of county seat Carroll and its 2A schools Kuemper and Carroll public.

Ar-We-Va rolled over Charter Oak-Ute by 54 points last week and will no doubt be psyched to knock GR off its first-place D7 perch and out of the state-wide rankings. Last year GR squeaked by with a 20-19 win while Ar-We-Va had the upper hand in 2008, winning 32-12.

District 7 Standings
Coon Rapids-Bayard 3-0, 4-1
Glidden-Ralston 3-0, 4-1
East Greene 2-1, 4-1
Boyer Valley 1-2, 3-2
Ar-We-Va 1-2, 2-3
Woodbine 1-2, 2-3

Walnut 1-2, 1-4

Charter Oak-Ute 0-3, 0-5

Sept. 24 Results:

Glidden-Ralston 40, East Greene 8

Coon Rapids-Bayard 67, Boyer Valley 44

Ar-We-Va 56, Charter Oak-Ute 2

Woodbine 52, Walnut 12

Tonight’s Games:

East Greene @ Woodbine

Ar-We-Va @ Glidden-Ralston

Boyer Valley @ Charter Oak-Ute

Walnut @ Coon Rapids-Bayard