We’re In

NEVADA — Newton High’s Cardinals did the work they needed to do Friday night. They overpowered host Nevada, 56-30.

The Cardinals are happy that Ballard got the job done on the road in Class 3A District 6 play. The Bombers’ 31-28 overtime win against Grinnell clinched a playoff berth for Newton.

“We’re in!” shouted NHS senior quarterback Tyler Wood, as the team headed off the Nevada football field into the fog.

“This is great. We went (to the playoffs) our sophomore year, but to go as seniors, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” said senior defensive back Jeff Stanton. “We’ve worked hard as a team all season and this is tremendous to get this win and find out we got into the playoffs.”

In they are for the first time since 2012. The Cardinals found out early Saturday morning they travel to Amana to play Clear Creek at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Winners of Wednesday’s games move to the second round on Nov. 4.

“I’m really happy for all of the seniors. This group of kids have been so much fun to be around and to coach,” said Ed Ergenbright, Newton head coach. “Until right at the end of our game, it looked like maybe we might not make it into the playoffs. I’m glad we did and glad we went out and won this game like we did. We get to keep playing and see what we can do in the playoffs.”

Friday night’s game did not start out well. Nevada’s senior running back Chase Dodson had the Cardinals chasing him. Dodson capped a three-play drive with a 32-yard touchdown run. The Cubs led the Cardinals 7-0 at the 10:45 mark of the first quarter.

“We had trouble lining up defensively on that first drive. Our coaches did a great job of making adjustments to put us in the right spots after that,” said Brett Wolf, senior linebacker. “To get to the playoffs in our senior season is awesome. We’re just going to continue to work hard and play hard.”

Newton made the adjustments defensively to shut down the running game, which is Dodson, the rest of the first half. In the meantime, the Cardinals did all the running, piling up 340 yards on the ground and scoring 49 unanswered points in the first half.

But it was the defense that evened the score early. The Cubs were forced to punt deep in their own territory. The snap sailed over the Nevada punter’s head. In the scramble for the football, Newton senior linebacker Michael Barr scooped it up and scored the touchdown from three yards out.

“I was proud of the way the guys responded to that first drive by Nevada. They just answered and answered again and answered again,” Ergenbright said. “It became obvious that we were a lot better of a team than they were. Nevada battled, but did not have the players to match up with us.”

Senior Nick Easley’s kick made it 7-7 with 8:08 on the clock. By the 2:48 mark of the period, the Cardinals’ lead was 28-7.

Tristan Peters and Deonne Harris ripped off runs of 29 yards and 28 yards to put the Cardinals in the end zone. Harris rushed of 112 yards on nine carries on the night and scored three touchdowns.

Easley set a Newton school record for most kickoff touchbacks in a single game. He had seven touchbacks, which meant the Cubs started drives at their own 20-yard line each time.

It was three plays and punt for the Cubs after the Cardinal touchdown. Newton had a short field — 32 yards — to navigate and they did so in two plays again. Harris gashed the Cub defense for 22 yards and Wood scored the first of his three touchdowns in the game.

Dodson fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff with Newton’s senior Mason Bowes recovering the ball at the Cardinal 19. Four plays later, Wood scored on a 3-yard run.

Just before the end of the first quarter, a long touchdown pass from Wood to Easley was called back because of penalty on the Cardinals. Another long run to the end zone by Harris was wiped out by another penalty during a drive to open the second period.

Harris did find the end zone two plays later on a 22-yard dash through the fog. Easley’s kick made it 35-7 with 5:02 left in the second quarter.

Nevada fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Stanton recovered the football at the Cub 33. Peters got loose for 17 yards and Harris capped the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.

After two negative-yardage plays, the Cubs fumbled the ball again. This time Reese Rosenquist made the dive for the football and came up with it for Newton. The Cardinal offense took over on the Cub 9-yard line. Wood ran right up the middle for the touchdown.

Nevada had to punt again but Peters fumbled the football and the Cubs recovered. Nevada’s Jake Kapustka kicked a 28-yard field goal with 7.8 seconds left in the first half to make it 49-10.

“This wasn’t the best game for me, but it’s great that I get to come back out and play a better game next week in the playoffs,” Peters said. “Going to the playoffs as a senior is the best feeling. We’ll work hard to get another win and continue in the playoffs.”

The second half began with a running-clock under the 35-point lead rule.

Duncan Lee forced a fumble by Nevada quarterback Traye Pelzer and Lee recovered the football with 5:30 left in the third quarter. Newton began substituting reverse players on both sides of the football after halftime.

At the end of the third quarter, Dodson had a long run then a 14-yard touchdown run. It was 49-16 heading into the final quarter and stopped the running clock.

With 6:09 remaining in the game, Nevada’s Peyton Sharp scored on a 31-yard run.

Newton’s starting offense went back on the field, putting together a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive. Junior Joseph Banfield scored the touchdown from three yards out with 1:28 left on the clock. Josh Gulling kicked the extra point for a 56-23 lead.

Sharp broke off a 65-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds remaining.

Rosenquist was credited with four unassisted tackles, three assisted tackles, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery for the Cardinal defense. Junior Bryce Tish made three solos stops and three assisted tackles. Wolf had three solo stops and two assisted tackles, plus he forced a fumble. Dalton Nevels had a quarterback sack.

Playing in foggy and wet field conditions, the teams have much success passing the football. Newton didn’t need its air attack and Wood was only 1-of-2 for 11 yards. Jordan Travis had the reception. The Cubs were 1-of-8 for eight yards passing.

Wood ran for 86 yards on 11 carries and Banfield had 83 yards on 11 carries. Nevada’s Dobson had 222 yards on 18 carries, most of it coming in the second half.

Newton   28-21-0-7—56

Nevada   7-3-6-14—30

Nevada — Dobson 32 yd run (Kapustka kick)

Newton — Barr 3 yd fumble return (Easley kick)

Newton — Harris 28 yd run (Easley kick))

Newton — Wood 10 yd run (Easley kick)

Newton — Wood 3 yd run (Easley kick)

Newton — Harris 22 yd run (Easley kick)

Newton — Harris 16 yd run (Easley kick)

Newton — Wood 9 yd run (Easley kick)

Nevada — Kapustka 28 yd field goal

Nevada — Dobson 14 yd run (kick failed)

Nevada — Sharp 31 yd run (Kapustka kick)

Newton — Banfield 3 yd run (Gulling kick)

Nevada — Sharp 65 yd run (Kapustka kick)

Newton   Nevada

17   First Downs   11

47-340   Rushes-yds.   40-278

11   Passing yds   8

351   Total Offense   286

1-4-0   Passing   1-8-0

5-3   Fumbles-lost   5-5

7-63   Penalties-yds   2-25

4-26.5   Punts/Avg.   6-32

Individual Leaders

Rushing: Newton-Harris 9-112, Wood 11-86, Banfield 11-83, Peters 5-32, Rosenquist 7-33, Nevels 1-6, Thongvanh 2-5, Schuster 1-(-6). Nevada-Dobson 18-222, Sharp 3-96, Avalos 2-(-3), Pelzer 15-(-6).

Passing: Newton Wood 1-2-11-0, Schuster 0-2-0-0. Nevada-Pelzer 1-8-8-0.

Receiving: Newton Travis 1-11. Nevada-Mitchell 1-8.

Punting: Newton-Easley 4-106 (26.5 avg.). Nevada-Sharp 6-194 (32 avg.)

Newton Defense

Tackles (Solo/Assisted): Rosenquist 4/3; Tish 3/3; Wolf 3/2; Nevels 2/1; Lee 2/2; Streeter, 2/2; Barr 1/3; T. Peters 1/1/; Bowes 1/1; Jacobsen 1/1; Geerlings 1/0; Kite 1/0; Travis 1/0; Wood 1/10; Murphy 1/0; Gulling 0/2; Stanton 0/2; Patterson 0/1; Bennett 0/1; C. Peters 0/1; Hansen 0/1.

Quarterback sacks: Rosenquist 1, Nevels 1.

Fumbles (forced/recovered): Lee 1/1, Barr 0/1, Bowes 0/1, Rosenquist 0/1, Stanton 0/1.

Interceptions: None.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com.