A week has passed and area football teams are looking to build momentum or correct early mistakes.
Messengerland teams went a combined 9-7 in their first week games, and with only two area vs. area matchups, Messenger’s game in week two is against West Bend Mallard at Bishop Galligan.
The defending eight-man champion Golden Bears (1-0) racked up 312 yards of total offense in a 48-22 win over St. Edmond last Friday, while the Wolverines (1-0) outscored Newell-Fonda (0-1) 86-56 and rushed for an impressive 534 yards.
In the highly competitive Class 3A, District 2, all six teams were undefeated in Week 1 with a combined points differential of 186-91.
Before league play begins, three schools from the area that will be ranked and qualify for the playoffs in 2023 will again be outside the district.
Humboldt and Webster City will host Ballard (0-1) and Spencer (0-1), respectively.
Algona (1-0), coming off a 42-40 win over 2023 state semifinalist Spirit Lake, will now travel to Forest City (0-1).
The lone all-region matchup is Southeast Valley vs. Eagle Grove, with both teams looking to bounce back. The Jaguars are coming off a last-second touchdown loss to Munson Northwest Webster.
Clarion-Goldfield/Dows (1-0) will travel to Hampton-Dumont/CAL (1-0) while South Central Calhoun (1-0) will open district play against Southwest Valley (1-0).
West Bend Mallard (1-0, 0-0) vs. Bishop Garrigan (1-0, 0-0)
This will be the fourth all-eight matchup between the North Central Iowa Region rivals, with the Golden Bears winning last year’s matchup and tying the recent series.
The state champions ran for 182 yards and threw for 130 in last week’s season opener. Quarterback Tate Folch was 8 of 14 and included a 54-yard touchdown pass to Michael Joyce.
Ethan Marson ran for 69 yards and three touchdowns, and Treyton Cink ran for 66 yards on the ground, reaching the end zone twice.
Owen Murphy scored on a 61-yard punt return.
Newell Fonda led the sprinting battle for the Wolverines, while West Bend Mallard’s Austin Schmidt and Cole Fair were great on the ground.
Fair ran for 279 yards and six touchdowns, while Schmidt ran for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Fair also returned the kickoff 78 yards for a score.
WB-M’s defense struggled in the passing game, with Newell-Fonda’s Max Carlson throwing for 418 yards and six scores.
Jacksyn Hogreif had 11 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and Trevor Tauber had two touchdowns.
Algona (1-0) vs. Forest City (0-1)
Future Iowa State quarterback Alex Manske had a great game for the Bulldogs in the win over Spirit Lake.
Manske ran for 122 yards and four scores and also threw for 167 yards and another TD.
William Weichert rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown, and Tate Slagle had a receiving score.
Forest City lost its season opener to Clear Lake, 41-14. Quarterback Ty Dillaborough passed for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Spencer (0-1) vs. Webster City (1-0)
Webster City has won the past six meetings with Spencer, with the Lynx winning four of the past five, including a dominating 34-7 victory last season.
Webster City rushed for 331 yards in a stunning 41-13 win over Fort Dodge last Friday. Webster City used its back four effectively.
Jackson Griffith rushed for 145 yards and one score, Luke Estlund rushed for 88 yards and reached the end zone three times, and Jayden Weinzel also scored.
Griffith also returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to start the third quarter, and Webster City scored 28 points the rest of the way after the score was tied at halftime.
Spencer lost to Humboldt 27-10. Cale Bruning completed 10 of 20 passes for 145 yards.
Ballard (0-1) vs. Humboldt (1-0)
The Wildcats lost three straight against Ballard in 2021 before winning three straight in the series.
In last Friday’s 27-10 win over Spencer, Cohen Matson threw for 188 yards and set up a scoring play for Keegan Groat, who caught three balls for 115 yards, the longest being 75 yards.
The Wildcats rushed for 113 yards, with Matson and Trey Al-Hameed scoring rushing touchdowns.
Chase Flaherty returned the kickoff 88 yards for a score.
The Bombers are coming off a 29-17 loss to Pella. Mason Gatchell completed 11 of 24 passes for 146 yards. Tucker Wittsam and Gatchell each scored rushing touchdowns.
Southwest Valley (1-0, 0-0) vs. South Central Calhoun (1-0, 0-0)
The only meeting between the two schools came in 2023, when the Titans beat the Timberwolves 47-0.
Last week, the Titans beat Pocahontas Area, 35-12, with 417 yards of total offense.
Kayden Dorman rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, while Andrew Anderson rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown, reaching the end zone twice. Anderson also returned an interception for a score.
The Timberwolves shut out Red Oak, 13-0. Wyatt Mendenhall had 154 yards through the air and a touchdown on a pass to Gavin Wetzel.
Wetzel had five catches for 93 yards, while Mendenhall rushed 25 times for 152 yards and a score.
Southeast Valley (0-1) vs. Eagle Grove (0-1)
Southeast Valley High School is fresh off a heartbreaking 28-26 loss to Munson Northwest Webster High School.
After starting quarterback Logan Moline was injured on the penultimate play of the game, Matt Condon took the final snap. The MNW senior connected with Coy Moline for a 27-yard walk-off touchdown.
Brady Hanson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars, and Cale VanSickle threw for 132 yards and a score to Logan Yeschke.
The Eagles are fresh off a 48-8 loss to Clarion-Goldfield/Dows.
The Jaguars have won two straight games in the series and five of the past six.
Clarion-Goldfield/Dows (1-0) vs. Hampton-Dumont/CAL (1-0)
Last week, Hampton-Dumont/CAL beat Eagle Grove, while the Cowboys shut out Iowa Falls-Alden, 13-0.
CGD was led by Selvin Gonzalez, who rushed for 383 yards. The junior ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Charlie Campbell rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns, while Collin Sesker and J.D. Morrical also found the end zone.
Sophomore JD Morical threw a touchdown pass to Huxley Lingenfelter.
The Bulldogs rushed for 260 yards, with Collin Byrd adding 101 yards and a touchdown, and Arden Keene scored a rushing TD.
Other area matches: Greene County (0-1) vs Perry (1-0); Ogden (0-1) vs Munson NW (1-0); Okoboji (1-0) vs Pocahontas Region (0-1); East Sac County (0-1) vs OABCIG (1-0); Estherville LC (0-1) vs Emmetsburg (1-0); North Union (0-1, 0-0) vs St. Ansgar (1-0, 0-0); West Harrison (0-1) vs Newell-Fonda (0-1).
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