TAMA — The Spartans closed out the regular season by rolling over the South Tama Trojans 54-6 Friday. Eddie Johnson started the rout with a 41-yard dash for a touchdown in the first quarter, which was followed by Eli Kampman taking a Ty Bell pass 38-yards to score for a 12-0 lead. Owen Einwalter scored on a five-yard pass from Bell with a PAT kick from Collin McKie to make it 19-0 in the second quarter.
Johnson picked up his second score of the game on a 20-yard rush to make it 25-0. McKie again split the uprights making it 26-0. Johnson got his third score on a fumble recovery and McKie struck again for a 33-0 lead at halftime. Owen Einwalter took a one-yard pass from Bell in the third quarter with a McKie PAT for a 40-0 advantage. With the continuous clock running, Brady White scampered nine yards to score with McKie’s kick putting the Spartans up 47-0. White struck again in the fourth quarter on a three-
yard rush with McKie splitting the uprights for the sixth time and a 54-0 lead before the Trojans scored in the closing minutes on a two-yard rush.
“I was pretty pleased with our execution against South Tama with the exception of our PAT/FG operation early in
the game,” said Head Coach Lucas Stanton. “Sometimes vs lesser competition it’s easy to just glide by but I was proudof the guys’ response last week. We again were able to get a lot of guys in the game, which is always a good thing.” The win put the Spartans on a collision course with Benton Community in the Round of 16 this Friday in Van Horne. It’s a familiar destination and team as Solon and the Bobcats tangled on October 4 with Benton pulling out a 21-20 win. “We are very excited about seeing Benton again,” said Stanton. “They are obviously a good football team and we have enjoyed the games we have had with them the last two years. Our boys felt like we let one slip away last time and are ready for the challenge and the opportunity. It’s not often you get a chance at redeeming yourself against a quality opponent.”
For Stanton and his Spartans, making the postseason has become an expectation. “It takes a lot of hard work to do it consistently. Hard work by the players, coaching staff, managers, supportive parents and a supportive community. We are lucky to have all that
here. The work the players put into this starts in the weight room and playing multiple sports. People forget winning is hard and it takes a lot of special people working together.”
TheRound of1 is set
Round of 16 games for all classes are scheduled for Friday,
Nov. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Pod A – Clear Lake at Humboldt, Solon at Benton
Community
Pod B – MOC-Floyd Valley at Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Bishop
Heelan, Sioux City at Nevada
Pod C – Assumption Catholic (Davenport) at Wahlert
Catholic (Dubuque), Williamsburg at Independence
Pod D – Harlan Community at Algona, Carroll at Mount
Vernon
Alook to the rest ofthe postseason
Quarterfinals – 7:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. Brackets will be
set after the Round of 16.
Semifinals, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls – Saturday,
Nov. 16, 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Finals, at the UNI-Dome – Friday, Nov. 22, 1:00 p.m.