Albia Moves On To The Dome

Albia Junior Tony Leshen comes up with a big reception in the endzone to help solidify Albia’s lead over South Tama on Friday night.

Albia, Iowa – It was billed as the biggest football game of the year in Class 2A. Number 1 Albia was squaring off against Number 2 South Tama.

The move to have the two teams square off outside of the dome was questioned, but for Albia, having home-field advantage for the contest may have proved to be a deciding factor in defeating the tough South Tama Trojan team.

The first half was a defensive showing for both teams, with the lone score being a field-goal by the Albia Blue Demons.

The second half opened up with a shocker when South Tama returned the opening kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was no good, and the effort seemed to wake a Blue Demons team that was learning to play without one of their key players, Senior Carter Isley.

Albia Head Coach Jerry Staton spoke with Oskaloosa News after the game. Staton said that the win at home was important for the Blue Demons, “We don’t really believe in big wins and little wins, because if we didn’t get last week’s [win] we wouldn’t be at this week’s [game].”

“It is an important win, because it keeps us playing football,” said Staton.

Staton said he’s not surprised by the level of support the Albia community has given to him and the team, since “they’ve been supporting us since day one”.

Of that support by the community, Staton said that, “The spirit is there. They believe in the kids and we have a really good support from the community and the administration.”

The Albia Blue Demons will put their 12-0 record on the line when they travel to the UNI Dome on Saturday to take on Mt. Vernon at 7pm.