CMB’s historic season could get toughest challenge yet

If the Collins-Maxwell/Baxter football team wants to stay alive in the playoffs and continue on its historic season, the Raiders will need to bring a hard hat and a lunch pail.

Well, not really, but the seventh-ranked Raiders can certainly plan on Monday night’s Class 2A showdown with No. 6 Hampton-Dumont being a physical battle from the opening kickoff to the final snap.

“They are a very physical team and they won’t fool you,” said CMB coach Rob Luther. “They are a power-running team that uses multiple backs. We won’t be able to key on one guy and we’ll need to know our assignments.”

The Raiders are 10-0 for the first time since Collins-Maxwell and Baxter consolidated their high schools. They also are one of four 2A schools still unbeaten.

The Bulldogs have lost just once though, and that came at the hands of top-ranked Clear Lake, 20-7. They have only been held to less than 28 points in two games this year. The other came in a 14-7 win over Estherville Lincoln Central.

The District 2 runner-up Bulldogs recorded their first playoff win since 2007 on Wednesday when they easily advanced past Southeast Valley.

But Clarion-Goldfield-Dows is the only team with a winning record that Hampton-Dumont has defeated. And it was eliminated in round one.

CMB is in the same boat though. District 7’s only other team with a winning mark is Albia, and the Raiders won that game 21-20. Hampton-Dumont opponents combined to finish just 38-57. CMB’s opponents combined to win 24 games.

“They play in a tough league and they have lots of experience with lots of seniors,” said Luther of the Bulldogs. “I like that we are at home. That’s a good thing for us.”

The home field this time around will be in Baxter. And kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs have six rushers that have gained more than 130 yards, led by Isaiah Noeleck’s 821 yards and seven touchdowns. Kendrick Suntken has 542 rushing yards with six scores andBailey Miller also has scored six times with 519 yards.

That trio averages morethan six yards per carry between them and Luther said if his team wants to be successful Monday, it will have to slow down the Bulldogs on first down.

“If they get into second-and-four or second-and-three, that’s where they are good,” said Luther. “They love to run it right at you. So we really need to limit their yards on first down.”

If the Raiders slow down Hampton-Dumont’s run game, Bulldog quarterback Cole Miller can beat you, too.He has 1,419 passing yards as well as 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Hampton-Dumont’s offense ranks second in 2A with 4,142 yards and the Bulldogs have scored 53 touchdowns in all.They are sixth in 2A in rushing yards at 2,626.

The Bulldog defense is pretty good, too. They have 17 picks as a team as well as eight fumble recoveries and 19 sacks.

The leader of the defense is Suntken, who has 48  tackles and two sacks. Trevor Eiklenborg also has 45 tackles and five interceptions.

“We will do what we do offensively,” said Luther. “We think we have two guys on the outside in Bryce Kemp and Brady Stover that are tough to handle. But we also need to run the football and will try to be balanced.”

Contact Troy Hyde at
641-792-3121 ext. 6536
or thyde@newtondailynews.com.