Bobcats pop Polar Bears, 30-14

MHS ends fall with four-game winning streak

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Marshalltown senior linebacker Allah “Ace” Holmes (1) flattens Des Moines North halfback Kinnick Dutcher (11) after a 3-yard run during Friday’s football game at Leonard Cole Field. Holmes rushed for a Marshalltown touchdown as the Bobcats ended the season with a 30-14 victory over the Polar Bears.

Marshalltown head football coach Adam Goodvin has enough on his schedule next week, but the Bobcats’ first playoff berth since 2012 would have been a welcomed problem to deal with.

Expecting the birth of his second child in the coming days, Goodvin’s reaction was bittersweet when his Bobcats closed their season with a fourth consecutive win — Friday’s 30-14 triumph over Des Moines North at Leonard Cole Field.

In front of another fervent hometown crowd, Marshalltown used a 15-point third-quarter advantage to take control of Friday’s finale. Too far down the state’s Class 5A RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) rankings, not even a convincing win over another .500 football team was going to be enough to propel the Bobcats (5-4) into the playoffs.

Instead, Goodvin reflected on the 22 seniors that helped lead the Bobcats on a four-game winning streak after the start of the season seemed bleak at 1-4.

“We put ourselves in a tough position to start the year and I think having the seniors that we do, the leadership they provide on a daily basis just kinda jumpstarted everything else,” Goodvin said. “It jumpstarted the quality of football we’ve played the last few weeks and it’s been a ride. It’s been a ride.”

MHS junior quarterback Dalen Huston ran for 83 yards and three touchdowns, and senior tailback Allah “Ace” Holmes had 147 yards and one touchdown to help the Bobcats put the finishing touches on a four-game win streak to end the fall.

Marshalltown jumped out to 15-0 advantage on 1-yard Huston touchdown plunges before Des Moines North (4-5) answered with a quick strike. Senior halfback Aron Gonkaryon got the corner and turned it into a 55-yard touchdown dash to bring the Polar Bears back within striking distance, 15-8, heading into halftime.

But the Bobcats regained control right out of the gate, stymieing North’s opening possession of the second half and forcing a punt after four plays. Field position didn’t favor the Bobcats after North’s punt rolled to a halt at the Bobcat 4, but it only took three plays for Marshalltown to put the Polar Bears on notice.

Holmes took a direct snap 63 yards right up the middle, Huston had an 11-yard scamper and Holmes finished off the drive with a 22-yard run that flattened a North safety at the goal line.

The Polar Bears tried to counter but lost the ball on downs on the ensuing possession, and MHS capitalized on much better field position this time. It took the Bobcats just three plays again to reach paydirt from 39 yards away, highlighted by a 12-yard reverse run for Treshaun Brooks and a 26-yard touchdown run for Huston.

North’s time-consuming run-first offense finally found the end zone again on the game’s final drive, but the outcome had long since been decided.

“We had a pretty good idea of the direction of (North’s) play just based on film and I told the guys before the game we’ve got to be tougher than them both mentally and physically, and if we’re able to do that I liked our chances,” Goodvin said. “I told them to prove it. They said they were, and sure enough they didn’t leave any doubt out there.”

Marshalltown outgained North 350-313 offensively, but the Polar Bears threw two interceptions and lost their only fumble. Brayden Weatherly and Nick Rebik pulled down interceptions and Rogelio Ceren scooped up Gonkaryon’s first-quarter fumble in the end zone as he lunged for the goal line.

The early turnover set North behind schedule after the Bobcats found paydirt on their next drive, and the Polar Bears’ run-first offense had trouble playing catch-up.

“It was huge that third quarter that we were able to put a couple scores up on the board,” Goodvin said. “With the offense that they run, they can go on the ball and snap it as fast as they can but you’re going to get three or four yards a carry and that’s not going to do it. So those 15 points in the third quarter were absolutely huge and gave us a lot of momentum.”

Marshalltown’s all-senior offensive line — David Santacruz Renteria, Nick Lucas, Clay Goecke, Jaden Dhyne and Kunian Kuany — helped pave the way to their team gaining 280 rushing yards on 31 carries, an average of 9 yards per carry, against a North defense that features a future University of Iowa recruit in three-star defensive end David Caulker.

“I was just telling every single one of the seniors that the effort they put in, the time and commitment, the leadership they provide on a daily basis has been phenomenal,” Goodvin said. “They’re just an outstanding group of guys. I realize it’s got to come to an end at some point and there’s never the right words to say to them other than just thanking them for everything. What we’re really going to miss is that daily grind together and going through those highs and lows together as a group and we’re going to miss them.”

Marshalltown 30, Des Moines North 14

Score by Quarters

DMN 0 8 0 6 — 14

MHS 8 7 15 0 — 30

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

MHS — Dalen Huston 1 run (Allah Holmes run), 8:50.

Second Quarter

MHS — Huston 1 run (Johan Gomez kick), 5:24.

DMN — Aron Gonkaryon 55 run (Jayden McGregory pass from Nick Crispin), 3:52.

Third Quarter

MHS — Holmes 22 run (Gomez kick), 8:37.

MHS — Huston 26 run (Huston run), 5:50.

Fourth Quarter

DMN — Gabe Gunn 1 run (run failed), :25.

TEAM STATISTICS

DMN MHS

First downs 18 13

Rushes-yards 54-222 31-280

Passing yards 91 70

Comp-Att-Int 8-12-2 5-11-0

Total offense 66-313 42-350

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 2-12 8-70

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — DMN: Gonkaryon 24-131, Gunn 20-60, Kinnick Dutcher 7-23, Crispin 3-8; MHS: Holmes 12-147, Huston 12-83, Tate Riang 3-44, Treshaun Brooks 1-12, Nick Rebik 1-0, Team 1-(minus-1), Malachi Holmes 1-(minus-5).

PASSING — DMN: Crispin 8-11-91-1, McGregory 0-1-0-1; MHS: Huston 5-11-70-0.

RECEIVING — DMN: McGregory 7-77, Dutcher 1-14; MHS: Brooks 2-57, Rebik 3-13.

: T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE – Marshalltown senior linebacker Allah “Ace” Holmes (1) flattens Des Moines North halfback Kinnick Dutcher (11) after a 3-yard run during Friday’s football game at Leonard Cole Field. Holmes rushed for a Marshalltown touchdown as the Bobcats ended the season with a 30-14 victory over the Polar Bears.