Oskaloosa Fails to Take Advantage of Turnovers in Road Loss to CR Washington
by Wade Steinlage
Cedar Rapids–The Indian football team was able to force four turnovers Friday, but unfortunately could not cash in on those opportunities in a 21-6 Class 4A District 4 loss to Cedar Rapids Washington.
OHS (1-7, 0-4 District 4) was outgained 319-179 overall by the Warriors (5-3, 3-1 District 4), but permitted just three scores as it claimed a season high in takeaways (previous high was two).
Witnessing the first drive of the game, one would not have believed the final score to be so close as CRW marched down the gridiron in just five plays for a 7-0 edge only 2:21 into the evening.
The Indians could not respond in kind, while the Warriors doubled their advantage in their next possession to lead 14-0 after the opening quarter.
The Indian defense finally got sorted out in Cedar Rapids Washington’s next two drives with back-to-back punts. OHS’ offense, however, continued to be limited, but the defense and special teams came to the rescue as the groups recovered three fumbles before intermission.
Unfortunately, the Indians were turned away each and every time and Oskaloosa went into the locker room down 14-0.
Both squads punted in their opening possessions of the third period, but Oskaloosa was proficient in its second stab at it, going 48 yards on six plays to score its lone touchdown. Trevor Willett, who was active all game with 44 total pass attempts (20 completions for 151 yards), hooked up with Dom Piersel for an 11-yard score. The extra point was unsuccessful, but OHS was on the board and within a score at 14-6 with more than 18 minutes remaining in regulation.
Another stop meant another chance for Oskaloosa to get even closer, but the Warriors would not budge. Meanwhile, the hosts rattled off a long run, which set up a short dash that gave CRW a 21-6 advantage late in the third.
The defenses controlled the remaining minutes, headlined by a pair of redzone denials by Oskaloosa and its fourth and final fumble recovery. OHS advanced onto Cedar Rapids Washington’s side of the field twice in the last quarter, but came up empty on both occasions.
Three of Willett’s targets tallied at least six receptions. Wyatt Grubb led the way with seven grabs for 50 yards, while Piersel hauled in six for 59 yards. Waylon Bolibaugh added six catches for 33 yards as well.
OHS’ fumble recoveries were tallied by Chase Holmes, Jaden DeRonde, Donavan King, and Kaden Johnson. Defensively, Grubb’s 10 tackles were the most for the Indians, while Maddux Ashman finished with nine stops.
Jarrod Parks had his name called eight times as the Oskaloosa punter, including having a long attempt of 38 yards.
“We stepped on the field and played with pride tonight for the name on the front of our jerseys,” Head Coach Brett Doud said. “We competed together as one team. Our veteran players led the way and our younger guys stepped up and competed at a high level. We lost the game, but walked off the field knowing we left everything out there. Our guys should be proud of that.”
“Next week, our seniors get the chance to take the field one last time,” Doud added. “This year did not go as we would have liked, as we have faced an enormous amount of adversity. With that said, our seniors are a special group that has been instrumental in bringing a lot of younger guys along with them throughout this journey. Tonight, we moved forward because of their leadership and blue-collar mentality.”
Next Up: Oskaloosa closes the year next Friday by traveling to Cedar Rapids to face Xavier at 7:30 p.m.
