Southeast Polk ran the ball down the Bobcats’ throats as the Rams roughed up Marshalltown 56-7 in Friday’s Class 4A District 2 clash. Southeast Polk rumbled for 327 rushing yards led by quarterback Josiah Cole, who carried the ball for 127 yards and three touchdowns, in a game that got away from the Bobcats early on.

“I think it just comes down to they beat us in every aspect of the game tonight,” said Goodvin. “We came out real slow and didn’t have the fire I’ve seen out of the kids all season, and the results of that showed tonight.”

Marshalltown (4-4, 1-3) fell behind in the first quarter and never recovered, giving the ball back to Southeast Polk on a botched punt snap after the Rams had just scored the first points of the game. Cole’s 62-yard keeper run set up Southeast Polk (3-5, 2-2) in the red zone, and Gavin Williams punched it into the end zone from 2 yards out.

After the special teams snafu, Cole cashed in from 33 yards and the Rams were off and running, 14-0.

T-R PHOTO BY REESE STRICKLAND - Marshalltown linebacker Jonathan McKeever, left, takes on Southeast Polk ball carrier James Simon during Friday’s Class 4A District 2 football game in Pleasant Hill.

Deveyon Montgomery made it 21-0 Southeast Polk with his 7-yard touchdown scamper, and the Bobcats fumbled the ensuing kickoff return at their own 29-yard-line. Williams scored again, this time from 3 yards away, just more than a minute later to make it 28-0.

Another Cole touchdown run preceded the Bobcats’ only points of the night, as Marshalltown wide receiver Dylan Eygabroad made a highlight-reel catch of a Jacob Smith pass and finished it off for a 49-yard touchdown. Jake Vaughn’s extra-point made it 35-7 Rams with 3:50 left in the first half, but Southeast Polk wasn’t done yet. Montgomery got his second touchdown, too, on a 2-yard run and the Rams carried a 42-7 lead into the halftime break.

Southeast Polk’s backups got on the board in the second half, as Jaxon Dailey connected with Jace Christensen on a 16-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and Mason Fairchild found paydirt from 6 yards away in the fourth quarter to bring the score to its final.

“[Southeast Polk] have played probably the toughest schedule in the state, they’re a very talented football team, they do a great job, they’re well coached and they played hard,” Goodvin said of the host Rams.

Marshalltown’s rushing attack was grounded by Southeast Polk’s defense, as a pair of reverse runs made Jonathan Hernandez the Bobcats’ leading rusher with 44 yards. Derrick Garth was held to 25 yards on the ground, and Giorgio DiIorio was bottled up for 10 yards on 12 carries.

T-R PHOTO BY REESE STRICKLAND

“We were trying to get Giorgio loose on a couple plays but he couldn’t find a seam to get up the field,” said Goodvin. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to execute the way we wanted to.

“It’s kind of a chess match. We would call a playaction pass and they’d call the perfect defense to stop it. That’s on me, we’ve got to get better in all aspects and hopefully get a win next week.”

As lopsided as the final score and statistics were, the game wasn’t a total loss for the Bobcats, according to Goodvin.

“Our effort’s been great, I’m very proud of them in that aspect,” he said. “That goes a long way. Sometimes that’s going to put us in position to win a football game and tonight it didn’t.

“I think the one positive thing is the kids were upset. Losing is no fun and they get that. The only thing you can do is move forward and get back to work Monday and prepare for Fort Dodge.”

The Dodgers (6-2, 3-1), who clobbered Sioux City West 68-13, close out the regular season with a Week 9 showdown at Leonard Cole Field next Friday night.