Tate Riang

DES MOINES — Tate Riang was right on time with the performance of his career.

Marshalltown’s senior tailback totaled 308 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns to help the Bobcat football team defeat Des Moines Lincoln 27-14 on Friday night at Mediacom Stadium.

Marshalltown (2-6) piled up a season high for yards and never trailed after Riang took a handoff 82 yards on the first play from scrimmage, leading the Bobcats to their second win of the season.

Riang ended the night with 16 rushes for 141 yards and that opening touchdown as well as three receptions for 167 yards and two scores. He averaged 16.2 yards per touch and all three of his touchdowns covered 70 yards or more.

“It’s awesome,” MHS head coach Adam Goodvin said of Riang’s first touchdown run. “Tate hit the hole well and it was blocked up, too. We practiced that, just a simple power play, and credit to Caleb Kusserow. He was the one on number 41, their best player, and sealed him off and away we went.”

Riang’s first of two pass receptions from sophomore quarterback Jacob Hayes covered 92 yards early in the second quarter, giving the Bobcats a 13-0 lead, on a wheel route along the right sideline. He caught a second touchdown pass, this one from 70 yards, on the same play call in the third quarter.

“They didn’t adjust and we needed a big play,” Goodvin said of Lincoln’s defense. “That second time was on a third down, we had to make something happen and went back to it and executed.”

Marshalltown’s first-half advantage ballooned to 20-0 on a 1-yard TD plunge by Hayes.

Des Moines Lincoln (3-4) leaned on its tailback Javon Sanders to do its heavy lifting, and he did that and more. Sanders finished the game with 34 carries for 284 yards and a touchdown, hitting paydirt on a 65-yard run late in the second quarter, but he was in and out of the lineup due to nagging injuries.

“You’ve got to play hard, tough and wrap up when you’re playing against a running back like him,” Goodvin said. “He was beat up all night, it’s late in the year, but it’s not flag football and we learned that pretty quick. It was a lot of bend but don’t break tonight except for one play he broke loose, but I’m proud of the effort our guys put forth.

“We didn’t help ourselves out a lot tonight, we put ourselves in some pretty tough situations, but we fought through it.”

Marshalltown totaled 197 yards on the ground and 199 through the air. Hayes completed 6-of-10 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. Xayvion Anderson ran 10 times for 62 yards while also forcing and recovering a fumble for the defense.

The Bobcats lost one of their three fumbles and committed 10 penalties for 70 yards but still managed to persevere for the victory.

Marshalltown’s season ends with a home game against West Des Moines Valley next Friday night at Leonard Cole Field.

“It was a fun night all around,” Goodvin said. “We’re going to be out at the MFL (Marshalltown Youth Football League) fields tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. to support the young guys, then we’re going to go get their shakes after victories at Taylor’s, then it’s back to work on Monday.

“The process doesn’t change Week 1 to Week 9, (whether we’re) 0-9 or 9-0.”