March 28, 2024

Tigerhawks can’t slow down Pella Christian ground game

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COLFAX — Execution was the biggest factor in Colfax-Mingo’s 56-14 loss to Pella Christian on Friday night, according to Tigerhawk football coach Jeff Lietz.

The Tigerhawks weren’t executing with their blocks offensively and the defense had more issues with tackling.

The Eagles rushed for 461 yards, led 42-0 at halftime and won their third straight Class 1A District 7 game to improve to 3-4 on the season.

“We didn’t execute,” Lietz said. “There was numerous times when we had them in the backfield. Poor tackling has plagued us all year. It got us again tonight.”

Brady Berkey put Colfax-Mingo on the board in the fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run. His 15-yard TD pass to Trystin Ross in the final minute made it 56-14.

Ross finished with 101 receiving yards and one touchdown on 10 catches. His 12 TD catches this season ties Blake Summy for the single-season record at Colfax-Mingo.

Ross now has 55 catches on the season, which is nine away from passing Jake Lietz’s single-season record for receptions in a season.

The slow start was too much for the home team to overcome though.

After C-M’s first punt, the Tigerhawks (2-5 overall, 0-3 in district play) got the ball back after Andrew Meinhart recovered an Eagle fumble.

The offense gave the ball right back to Pella Christian though, and the Eagles went 65 yards in eight plays and went up 7-0 on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jase Amelse with 6:08 to play in the first quarter.

After another three and out by C-M’s offense, The Eagles went 57 yards in four plays. Amelse gained 39 yards for a first down and then capped the drive with another 5-yard TD run.

Amelse finished with 118 rushing yards and three scores on 11 carries.

The Eagles added to their lead after holding the Tigerhawks without a first down on their next two drives. Pella Christian went up 28-0 on a pair of TD runs by Eagle quarterback Dan Jungling.

Jungling’s first TD run covered 21 yards. His second one was an 11-yarder. Jungling led the Eagles with 122 passing yards, 169 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

Another three and out for C-M led to another scoring drive for the Eagles. Amelse capped another Pella Christian drive with a 12-yard TD run. That drive started on the Eagles’ 19-yard line and featured a 29-yard run by Jungling and a 22-yard pass by Jungling to Jack Vermeer.

Colfax-Mingo got its first first down in the game when Berkey connected with Ross on an 8-yard pass play in the second quarter. Berkey then hit Ross for nine yards on the next play, but Pella Christian ended the drive with back-to-back sacks.

The Tigerhawks were sacked four times, rushed for 69 yards and had 246 total yards.

“We just weren’t executing,” Lietz said. “They lined up in some gaps and we struggled up front to block them. We weren’t communicating and sliding our protection to where we needed to go. That’s a credit to them and their scheme, too. That’s also a good football team.”

Colfax-Mingo got the ball back on another fumble by the Eagles. This time, Zach Steenhoek jumped on a Jungling fumble.

The Tigerhawks next drive was their best of the first half. An 11-yard pass from Berkey to Meinhart was followed by a 23-yard pass play from Berkey to Steenhoek. But a 1-yard run, two incomplete passes and another sack turned the ball over on downs.

The Eagles started their drive on their own 25-yard line, but Jungling made it 42-0 with a 53-yard TD pass to Vermeer. The points came with 27 seconds on the clock.

C-M forced Pella Christian to punt on the first offensive series of the second half. And a 28-yard run by Jayden Horrach on a fake punt gave the Tigerhawks a first down. But that drive stalled three plays later.

Jungling’s 46-yard TD run on the Eagles’ next drive made it 49-0.

Colfax-Mingo’s first scoring drive started late in the third quarter and finished in the fourth. The drive covered 85 yards in eight plays. Tanner Gorman’s 28-yard run gave C-M a first down. Then Berkey hit Ross on back-to-back passing plays that netted first downs.

The second completion went for 28 yards. Berkey finished the drive with a 4-yard TD run.

“We told them at halftime that we weren’t executing anything offensively or defensively,” Lietz said. “That’s what we harped on. I thought we did better in the second half. It’s a different scenario with a running clock though.”

Pella Christian’s final touchdown was scored by Isaac Kacmarynski. Kacmarynski started the drive with a 27-yard run and capped it with a 16-yard TD run.

Berkey and Ross continued to pick up first downs together, but the Tigerhawks’ next drive ended with a turnover on downs.

The Eagles lost a fumble on their next drive. Colfax-Mingo scored two plays later. Berkey hooked up with Jesse Allen for a 29-yard completion then found a wide open Ross in the end zone for a 14-yard TD. Berkey threw for 177 yards in the loss.

“We moved the ball better in the second half and there’s stuff to build on,” Lietz said.

Gorman rushed for 51 yards on nine carries, Horrach tallied 35 yards on four carries and Allen finished with 35 yards on a pair of catches. Steenhoek and Meinhart also had two receptions on the night.

Defensively, Berkey led the Tigerhawks with seven tackles. Ross had 6.5 tackles and Meinhart had five tackles and one fumble recovery.

Despite the loss, 11 seniors made the traditional 100-yard walk on their home field after the game. Berkey, Ross, Meinhart and Allen were joined by Andres Villegas, Trinity Schroeder, Tim Carroll, Wyatt Gull, Will Thornton, Jakob Chapman and Ethan Martin.

“It’s a tradition that they’ve been doing a long time here,” Coach Lietz said. “It’s fun for the seniors. We wish we could have had a better night and sent them off with a win, but they have a lot to be proud of.”

Colfax-Mingo plays Woodward Academy (0-7) at 7 p.m. on Friday in Woodward.

Pella Christian 21-21-7-7 — 56

C-M 0-0-0-14 — 14

PC — Jase Amelse 5-yd run (Jack Fancher kick)

PC — Amelse 5-yd run (Fancher kick)

PC — Dan Jungling 21-yd run (Fancher kick)

PC — Jungling 11-yd run (Fancher kick)

PC — Amelse 12-yd run (Fancher kick)

PC — Jack Vermeer 53-yd pass from Jungling (Ty Hugen kick)

PC — Jungling 46-yd run (Hugen kick)

C-M — Brady Berkey 4-yd run (kick missed)

PC — Isaac Kacmarynski 16-yd run (Hugen kick)

C-M — Trystin Ross 14-yd pass from Berkey (Berkey run)