Run game, defense help Cardinals slide past No. 8 Gilbert

Cody Klein had a career night on the ground, but the Newton defense was once again the story on Friday night.

The Cardinals hosted Gilbert in a huge Class 4A District 4 showdown, and Newton’s defense limited the No. 8 Tigers to 1-of-11 on third down and held their run-heavy offense to 3.6 yards per carry during a 21-2 triumph at H.A. Lynn Stadium.

The victory essentially locked up a playoff berth for the Cardinals as the only team left on their regular-season schedule is 0-8 Des Moines Hoover.

“It felt awesome. Clinching a playoff spot is really what we came out here to do,” Newton sophomore linebacker Caden Klein said. “We weren’t going to be excited to play Hoover if we didn’t clinch it so it was awesome.”

Caden Klein’s older brother Cody ran for a career-high 322 yards on 26 carries. The Cardinal offense threw the ball just four times on a wet and rainy Senior Night.

The Cardinals ran the ball right down the field on their opening drive and Cody Klein capped it off with a 23-yard touchdown run.

His 47-yard TD run on the team’s first drive of the second half made it 14-0 and his 90-yard sprint late in the fourth capped Newton’s third straight victory.

The Cardinals (5-3, 3-1 in the district) have won four of their last five games and can now win the district title with a win over Hoover and a Bondurant-Farrar loss to Carlisle.

The injury-plagued Bluejays suffered their first district loss of the season on Friday, falling to Pella 40-13.

“The kids came out and competed really well,” Newton head football coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “Our defense was lights out again. The only folks that scored points for Gilbert was our offense.”

Gilbert came into the game sitting in the top 10 in the 4A RPI standings. The Tigers (6-2, 2-2) left town most likely needing a win over Pella in their regular-season finale to make the playoffs.

It was Gilbert’s second straight loss. The Tigers have been outscored 59-9 in those losses.

After the Cardinal defense forced a Gilbert punt at about midfield, the offense drove right down the field. Caleb Mattes and Cody Klein took turns running the football and Klein capped it with a 23-yard TD run.

Newton drove inside the Gilbert 10-yard line later in the half. They elected to go for it on fourth and goal from outside the 5-yard line, but Gilbert’s defense was up to the challenge.

Swedenhjelm chose to go for it instead of attempting the field goal because of the wet conditions and the placement of the football.

“The conditions were weird and if something happens down there, we would just rather get the touchdown or keep them pinned deep,” Swedenhjelm said. “If we miss the kick or it gets blocked, they start on the 20 not where the ball was. It was a hard angle inside the 5-yard line and on the hashmark.”

As time ticked away in the second quarter, Gilbert marched inside the Newton 30-yard line. Facing a fourth down and long, a hook and ladder to Will Hawthorne came up just short of the first down.

The Cardinals continued to ride Cody Klein and Mattes in the second half.

A “punch in the mouth” kind of drive to open the second half ended with a 47-yard TD run by Klein. He got to the second level with ease and then broke several tackles before reaching paydirt.

“This weather makes it fun and it felt good to punch it down their throat every play,” Newton senior offensive lineman Andrew Boothe said. “Our style of play is just to be physical and our five guys up front are playing well.”

Newton was 4-of-11 on third down in the win and averaged 8.6 yards per carry. Mattes added 85 rushing yards on 19 carries to Klein’s 322.

“I think we have one of the best offensive lines in the state,” Cody Klein said. “That shows week in and week out. It’s not that we can’t throw it, but we also want to just do what we’re good at.”

Gilbert’s only points came off a safety with 3:40 to go in the game. An impressive punt by Gabe Fierce pinned Newton inside its own 5-yard line.

A pair of false start penalties pushed the Cardinal offense closer to the goal line and Cody Klein was eventually tackled in the end zone.

The Cardinals were flagged for eight penalties in the win.

“We have a few things to clean up, and that includes penalties,” Swedenhjelm said.

The safety gave the ball back to Gilbert, and the Tigers got inside the red zone. Leading 14-2, Caden Klein and the Cardinal defense made a play as Klein’s strip-sack on fourth down ended the drive.

The officials determined the ball was fumbled forward. It was recovered by Gilbert but short of the first down. Tiger quarterback Connor Rash also bobbled the shotgun snap.

“Those defensive coaches put in a lot of work and the kids were flying around tonight,” Swedenhjelm said. “We’ve seen quite the variety of offenses this year, but they’ve done a good job morphing our base to be able to defend all of those things.”

If Caden Klein didn’t officially end the game with his sack, Cody Klein certainly did with his 90-yard TD run in the final minutes.

Klein ranks seventh in 4A with 1,010 rushing yards and his 11 rushing TDs rank tied for seventh.

“Every time he breaks loose, I’m thinking touchdown,” Caden Klein said about his older brother. “I hold up my arms thinking he’s going to score. Sometimes he does. Sometimes he gets caught. I’m always hoping he scores. It’s fun seeing him come back to the sideline screaming and yelling.”

Cody Klein thought the smarter play would have been to go down and milk the clock. He also didn’t expect to get loose on an inside zone play. It was the second time this season Klein capped a district victory with a 90-plus yard TD run.

“I wasn’t expecting to break one off, but it was cool to put the game away like that,” Cody Klein said.

Gilbert’s best drive of the second half came midway through the fourth.

Trailing 14-0, Rash threw his first interception of the season in the red zone as Nate Lampe covered Ean Eldred like a blanket and snagged the ball in the end zone.

It was Lampe’s fifth pick of the season, which ranks second in 4A.

“That was huge and that’s why he’s an all-state player,” Swedenhjelm said. “That’s it right there. He’s a returning all-state player and all-state players make plays like that.”

Lampe and Eldred had plenty of one-on-one battles in the game. Eldred finished with 62 yards on four catches, but Lampe mostly held up against the Tigers’ top receiver.

“I heard the sidelines yell pass, to be honest,” Lampe said about the fourth-quarter interception. “I heard the receiver break down and I was just in the right position at the right time and made the play.

“We don’t get these Friday nights back so these ones are special, and I’m trying to give everything I have and leaving it all on the field. It was a big game. We knew the winner would clinch a playoff spot.”

The only other Cardinal to possess the ball on offense was Curtis Payne. He finished with one catch for 2 yards and had a 3-yard run.

Peyton Rozendaal led the defense with 6.5 tackles, while Caden Klein added six tackles and Nathan Milburn chipped in 5.5 tackles. Milburn (47) and Klein (46) rank 1-2 in tackles on the team this fall.

Eli Stewart registered five tackles, Blake Schilling secured 3.5 tackles and Lampe and Kaiden Rogers each tallied three tackles.

Christian Lawson booted four touchbacks and now has 22 for the season. That ranks tied for third in 4A. He also averaged 42.5 yards on his two punts.

Hawthorne, Gilbert’s best player, gained 51 yards on seven carries and grabbed three passes for 95 yards. He also led the defense with 12.5 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Rash threw for 184 yards and ran for 38 more.

Notes: Both teams had 11 possessions. Newton held a 14-12 advantage in first downs and outgained the Tigers 412-305. … Gilbert came into the game with 25 sacks and 64.5 tackles for loss in seven games. The Tigers had one sack and four tackles for loss against Newton. … Gilbert started 6-0 but those wins came against teams with a combined record of 13-35. The two losses were against squads with a combined mark of 11-5. … The Cardinals began last week ranked 17th in the 4A RPI standings. Including Hoover, Newton’s opponents’ record this fall is currently 36-36. BCMoore’s website has the Cardinals as a 61-point favorite against the Huskies. “This is such a blessing to be a part of this team,” Boothe said. “This is a great group of guys, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”