7th Grade Football vs. Newton
Oskaloosa Indians
The Oskaloosa 7th grade football team won the “A” Game vs. Newton last night 32-0. The game started out with defense setting the tone and holding Newton to get the ball back. Once Oskaloosa was on offense the boys up front opened some big holes for the running backs. Jackson Blythe helped convert a huge forth and long conversion by taking the ball thirteen yards on a counter for the first down. Later in the drive Riley Miller pounded the ball up the middle on forth and one for five yards to get inside the Newton five. Casey Hill was then able to run in for the touchdown, and Cole Kraber helped by converting the two-point conversion to put Oskaloosa up 8-0. Shortly into the second quarter the defense made a big stop on forth down and Oskaloosa got the ball back with great field position. Kraber then hit Jacob Hacker for a big 34-yard touchdown pass with Hill punching in the two to give Oskaloosa the 16-0 lead. Right before halftime Oskaloosa had their back against the wall, as Newton was about to score. The Indians found a way to stop Newton five consecutive times (after a penalty) on their own goal line to prevent Newton from scoring as time ran out in the first half.
About three minutes into the third quarter the Oskaloosa defense once again shut down Newton on forth down. The Indians once again were driving down the field after another connection from Kraber to Hacker for thirteen yards but the drive came to an end a few plays later after Oskaloosa turned the ball over. The forth quarter was no different for the defense from Oskaloosa who again stopped Newton on forth down for the third time to help set up the Oskaloosa offense inside the forty of Newton. Kraber then hit Nik Dykstra for seventeen yards. The offensive line provided some great lanes for the runners and Riley Miller then carried multiple defenders nineteen yards on his back to get inside the five of Newton. Cole Kraber then ran in the touchdown with Casey Hill converting the two-point play to give Oskaloosa the 24-0 advantage. With little under three minutes left in the game Miller recovered a fumble on defense and then also ran in a touchdown with under a minute left. Jackson Blythe converted another two-point conversion and the Indians were up 32-0. The game ended with the defense making one final play, this time Nik Dykstra intercepted a pass from the Newton quarterback and took it back twenty-two yards. The offense then came on the field and took a knee to end the game with a 32-0 victory.
The B-game ended with a tie 12-12. In the first quarter the defense continued the tone from the A-game and provided a nice defensive stop. Once on offense Drew Marolf was able to help set up a nice drive with some great runs and also by hitting Tommy Coon for a twenty-six yard completion that was helped set up by a monster block from RaShaun Braggs. Unfortunately the drive came to a halt as Oskaloosa turned the ball over as the first quarter ended. As the second quarter started to play out, Shea Besco and Jon Hendrickson made some big plays on defense but Newton was able to score a touchdown on a long pass play to put Newton up 6-0. When the offense got the ball back they were determined to score and the o-line made some key blocks to help set up a seventy yard touchdown run by Marolf to tie the game 6-6 as the half came to an end.
About midway into the third, Braggs took a catch seventy-two yards to the house to put Oskaloosa up 12-6. The defense continued to battle as they held Newton scoreless in the third quarter. Shortly into the forth Newton scored a touchdown and were able to tie the game at 12-12. The Indians got the ball back with little time left and Austin Hafner helped lead a drive down the field to try and win the game. Hafner got a big first down by making defenders miss as he weaved his way up the field. RaShaun Braggs then took a reverse forty-five yards to get inside the ten of Newton, but Oskaloosa was unable to score before time ran out in the game. After the game, Coach Sheeley commented “The kids came to play from the first play of the game until the last, they bounced back after a tough week last week and proved they have a lot of heart and character.”
