Mount Pleasant Hands Oskaloosa 34–20 Loss Despite Late Indian Rally
Oskaloosa quarterback Tyler Edgar scrambles from Mt. Pleasant defenders on Friday night.
OSKALOOSA — A furious fourth-quarter push wasn’t enough to erase three quarters of frustration for the Oskaloosa Indians on Friday night. Mount Pleasant built a commanding halftime lead and held on for a 34–20 victory at Statesmen Community Stadium.
Mount Pleasant (3–0) jumped ahead early and never trailed, capitalizing on Oskaloosa miscues and punishing defense. Quarterback Grayson Walker got the visitors rolling in the first quarter with a 20-yard touchdown strike to Isaiah Lange. Running back Ramzy Davis did most of the heavy lifting, pounding his way to three rushing scores, while Ryan Helling added another on the ground. By halftime, the Panthers led 27–6, aided by two Indian turnovers that set up short fields.
Oskaloosa (0–3) struggled to find rhythm offensively in the first half. Quarterback Tyler Edgar was under constant pressure, going down six times behind the line of scrimmage. Mount Pleasant’s front, anchored by Lange and Kellen Kohorst, combined for 6 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. The Indians managed just one yard on the ground as a team, leaving Edgar to shoulder the load through the air.
The one bright spot before intermission came midway through the second quarter, when Edgar connected with wideout Heavon Knox on a 39-yard touchdown strike down the sideline. That score pulled Oskaloosa within 20–6, but Davis quickly answered with his second touchdown to restore a comfortable Mount Pleasant cushion.
The third quarter saw more of the same, as Davis finished off a 47-yard march with a short scoring plunge to extend the lead to 34–6.
Then came the late Oskaloosa rally. Edgar capped an 8-play, 63-yard drive with a determined 13-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, and later added a 19-yard scoring toss to Knox. Those two strikes cut the deficit to 34–20 with just under three minutes remaining, giving the home crowd reason to stir. Knox finished with 6 catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
But the rally fizzled when Mount Pleasant recovered a late fumble, sealing the outcome.
For Oskaloosa, Edgar completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kayne Boender added 51 receiving yards, while Kolby Williams and Oscar Chambers contributed short grabs. On defense, Brock Beerbower’s 12 total tackles and half a sack stood out, while Chad McDonald-Playle and Parker Jordan each logged tackles for loss.
Mount Pleasant controlled the trenches, rushing for 91 yards and four touchdowns while protecting the football. Walker threw for 147 yards and a score without a turnover.
