Newton football now 6-0 after rout of Oskaloosa

For the first time since 2017, Newton’s football team is 6-0. And the Class 4A No. 7 Cardinals dominated in all three phases of the game in their latest victory.

Newton rushed for 335 yards on offense and the defense forced four turnovers in its 56-10 home win over Oskaloosa during a 4A District 4 contest at H.A. Lynn Stadium.

The Cardinals compiled 460 total yards, averaged 15.2 yards per carry and four different players scored rushing touchdowns in the win.

“Our team speed is as good as it’s been in several years. And that comes from working hard in the offseason and playing other sports,” Newton head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “Being 6-0 feels awesome.

“A lot of guys play multiple sports and have seen success in those sports. State track, state soccer and even some other sports were good that didn’t make state. They are starting to get used to winning and it has spilled over into football.”

Cody Klein ran for 174 yards and two scores on just 10 carries. He opened the scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and then added a 95-yard TD run on his final carry of the night with 47 seconds to play in the second.

Klein ranks third in 4A with 924 rushing yards and the Cardinal rushing attack is sixth with 1,499 yards.

“It’s pretty easy handing the ball off to Cody,” Newton senior quarterback Brody Bauer said. “He’s a stud running back, but you would never know it by talking to him. He carries himself so humbly.

“Teams will always have to focus on a running game that is that strong. That opens a ton up in the passing game. It gives us good balance.”

Bauer answered an Oskaloosa field goal with a 35-yard TD run with 3:29 to play in the first.

He also threw for a pair of touchdowns. His first TD pass was a 59-yarder to Christian Ergenbright and then he found Nate Lampe for a 39-yard TD. Both scores came in the second quarter.

Bauer finished 7-of-10 through the air for 125 yards and two scores and he gained 64 yards and scored one TD on his three carries.

“What makes him good is how smart he is,” Swedenhjelm said about Bauer. “He sees things going on out there. It’s like having a coach on the field. He does extra work and extra film study and stays with the receivers after practice to work with them and all of that has paid off.”

The other first-half touchdown came on a 12-yard interception return from Carson Satterfield. It came 27 seconds after Bauer’s TD pass to Lampe and was one of three interceptions on the night by the Newton defense.

“I was playing defensive end and was coming off the edge. He threw it right to me,” Satterfield said. “I was just going out there to make the tackle. It was a bad throw off his back foot, and I was there to make the play.”

Leading 42-3 at halftime, Newton (6-0 overall, 2-0 in the district) outscored the Indians 14-7 in the second half.

Clayton Wickliffe gained 23 yards on his six carries and scored on a 1-yard TD plunge early in the third.

With 5 minutes to go in the game, Reilly Trease used his speed to get outside and then sprinted down the home sideline for a 72-yard touchdown run. He gained 74 yards on his three carries.

Oskaloosa (1-5, 0-2) scored on a touchdown pass from Parker Lewis to Waylon Bolibaugh late in the third. Bolibaugh led the Indians’ offense with eight catches for 153 yards.

Ergenbright finished with two catches for 72 yards and the long TD. Lampe’s 39-yard TD catch was his only reception of the game, but he finished with three tackles and snagged his team-leading third interception of the season.

Alex Thomason led the Cardinals with eight tackles and he also grabbed his team-best third pick of the year. Nathan Milburn added 7.5 tackles and Wyatt Weter and Caleb Mattes each had 4.5 tackles.

Mattes recovered an Oskaloosa fumble on the first snap of the second half, too.

Jake Ingle registered 3.5 tackles and Satterfield and Wickliffe chipped in three tackles apiece. The Satterfield pick-six was his first interception of the fall.

“We have a lot of guys making plays,” Satterfield said about the Cardinals’ defense. “Everyone does their job and it just works. Being 6-0 feels great. We have a lot to work on, but we’re looking forward to next week.”

Newton’s special teams was strong, too. Bauer’s only punt covered 42 yards and Jordan Killmer’s only kickoff return went for 35 yards.

Christian Lawson tied the school record for touchbacks in a game with seven. It was the second time this fall he booted seven kickoffs into the end zone.

Lawson leads 4A and ranks seventh in all classes with 26 touchbacks in 31 kickoffs this season.

Notes: Newton’s 2,903 total yards rank fourth in 4A. … Through six games, the Cardinal defense has registered 11 sacks, 38.5 tackles for loss and eight interceptions. “They fly around and are a pain in the butt to go against in practice,” Swedenhjelm said about the defense. “They play with extremely high energy and win a lot of the effort plays.” … Newton was in the largest class (4A) when it last started 6-0 back in 2017. The Cardinals also began the 2006 season 9-0. “It’s a testament to the work we put in in the offseason,” Bauer said about the 6-0 start. “We haven’t played perfect by any means but have capitalized off what we’ve needed to. We put ourselves in a good position to make the playoffs and hopefully make a playoff run.”