The Spirit Lake Indians are Class 2A Football Champions, for
the first time in school history, after they knocked off Mediapolis, 17-15, in
the title game at the UNI Dome, Friday afternoon.
Mediapolis scored first, when senior Chase Miller returned a
blocked punt 25-yards for a touchdown, and gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead, which
they would hold through the end of the first half.
The Bulldogs had the ball first in the second half, but that
possession came to a quick end when senior linebacker Paul Brown intercepted a
pass from Mediapolis quarterback Drew Foster, and set up a 20-yard field goal
from Brett Cochran-Bray, which cut the Medapolis lead to 7-3.
On the Bulldogs’ next possession, Foster was intercepted
again. This time by Indian senior Nick
Amundson, who would then score on Spirit
Lake’s next offensive
play, after he hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brown. That touchdown gave the Indians a 10-7 lead.
Spirit
Lake would go up 17-7,
later in the third quarter, after Brown scored on a 3-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, Mediapolis capitalized on a Spirit Lake
turnover and running back Dalton Scott scored on a one yard touchdown run. After an unsuccessful extra point try, Spirit Lake’s
lead was cut to 17-13.
The Indians went 3-and-out on their next possession, and
Mediapolis had one last chance to take the lead in the final minutes. One 4th down and 6, deep in Spirit Lake
territory, Foster’s pass into the end zone was incomplete, which gave the
Indians the ball for four more downs.
With 5 seconds left, on fourth down, deep in their own territory. Cody Poock took a direct snap and ran out the
clock, in the Indians’ end zone, resulting in a safety on the final play of the
game.
Spirit
Lake wins 17-15, and
claims the state title. Mediapolis
played without senior quarterback Jesse Ertz, who was out with an injured leg.
