Iowa high school football Class 1A semifinals: MFL MarMac, Grundy Center meet again
CEDAR FALLS – As his MFL MarMac football team ascends to uncharted territory, head coach Dan Anderson is quick to praise the 2019 team that first changed the Bulldogs' trajectory.
The consolidated Northeast Iowa school had endured 26 consecutive losing seasons before Anderson’s 2019 squad, at the midpoint of his current 10-year tenure, broke through with a 10-1 campaign that ended at the hands of Grundy Center, 35-20, in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. That season marked the first of Grundy Center’s current run of five consecutive title-game appearances.
MFL MarMac's Bryce Radcliffe rushes the ball in Friday's semifinal win over Underwood. ML finished the game with 408 rushing yards to secure the program's first title-game appearance. (Photo by Nick Petaros)
Four years later, No. 4 MFL MarMac secured a breakthrough 41-28 win over No. 2 Underwood on Friday afternoon inside the UNI-Dome. The Bulldogs will fittingly reunite with top-ranked Grundy Center in the 1A title game on Thursday at 4 p.m.
“We don’t forget that,” Anderson said, addressing the long-awaited rematch. “Grundy Center is an excellent team. We’ve watched them play and we’re excited about that opportunity.”
Grundy Center dominated Waterloo Columbus Catholic, 42-7, in Friday’s 1A semifinal opener, extending Iowa high school football’s longest active win streak to 25 games.
MFL MarMac had been eliminated in four consecutive quarterfinal rounds prior to Friday’s UNI-Dome debut.
“The 2019 team really started it all,” Anderson said. “Every team since then wants to outdo them. This senior class is really talented. A lot of these guys have been playing and starting since they were sophomores and even a few of them as freshmen. The lights weren’t too big for them today. They came out here and they were confident.”
BULLDOGS OVERCOME ADVERSITY
Anderson is a proud member of what he calls a Wing-T fraternity, maintaining networking connections with high school programs from New Jersey to Wisconsin. His Bulldogs ran their multi-dimensional rushing attack to perfection against an Underwood team that had held its previous three playoff opponents to a total of 14 points. MFL MarMac amassed 408 yards on 63 carries and more than doubled an advantage in time of possession, 33:58 to 14:02.
“We have a lot of Zooms with them (Wing-T programs), and we talk about ways to get better,” Anderson said. “We didn’t throw the ball great today, but we didn’t need to because we were able to grind the clock.”
MFL MarMac compiled its impressive rushing performance despite losing the team’s leading rusher, Wyatt Powell, to an elbow injury after he recorded 42 first-quarter yards. Fullback Quinn McGeough stepped up with most of his 26 runs between tackles for 139 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Carter Blietz-Bentien rushed for 158 yards on 16 carries and Bryce Radloff added 69 yards on 16 attempts.
“If you would have said your running back that has rushed for a thousand yards and 15 touchdowns goes out in the first quarter, are you still going to be able to win that game? I’d probably say that’s going to be a tough row to hoe,” Anderson pointed out. “But everybody stepped it up. Quinn ran hard. A lot of credit goes to the linemen up front. … Our kids took pride in their back-side blocks, we call them touchdown blocks, getting to the safeties, and that’s what springs those runs that would be a five to six-yard run and turns them into touchdown runs.”
MFL MarMac answered touchdowns on Underwood’s first two possessions with drives of 80 and 78 yards that lasted a combined 12 minutes. The Bulldogs' defense came up with a turnover on downs following a pair of incomplete passes, and MFL MarMac ate up 3:29 of the first half’s final 3:43 with an 11-play, 66-yard drive capped by McGeough’s 2-yard touchdown run for a 21-13 halftime advantage.
Facing an Underwood offense that features the state’s top passing attack, MFL MarMac used timely blitzes to create three second-half turnovers. The fittingly named Blietz-Bentien, rushed Underwood’s sophomore standout quarterback Garrett Luett on the first play of the second half, and Bryce Radloff jumped the route for a 34-yard interception return touchdown. Blietz-Bentien later sacked Luett and the ball popped loose for a fumble recovery by Kade McElwaine that set up a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 34-21 fourth-quarter lead.
“I enjoy it a lot, man,” Blietz-Bentien said, addressing the opportunity to pressure opposing quarterbacks. “That’s our brand of football. Hard, physical football. That’s what we do around here.”
Underwood’s Luett finished 19 of 35 passing for 282 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted twice in the second half. Mason Boothby led the Eagles’ talented receiving corps with five catches for 183 yards and two scores.
“It’s a pride thing,” Blietz-Bentien said, addressing his program’s first finals appearance. “Coming up short (of the UNI-Dome) every year that I’ve been in high school, we’re doing for the guys that didn’t make it. They put so much time into this program. They were the ones that turned this around. We’re seeing the effects of it right now. It’s really humbling and exciting.”
SPARTAN STRONG
Head coach Travis Zajac knows what it takes to reach the title game. He’s grateful that his program has been able to continue its winning ways following a move from Class A to Class 1A.
“The amount of sacrifice that so many people put into our program to get our kids back and compete on the biggest stage, I have an overabundance of pride and gratitude,” Zajac said.
Grundy Center (12-0) featured a balanced offensive attack that controlled the line of scrimmage and time of possession, 29:26-18:34, against Columbus Catholic. Grundy Center scored touchdowns on six of seven drives before running out the clock.
Grundy Center head coach Travis Zajac addresses his team following the semifinal win Friday. (Photo by Nick Petaros)
The Spartans have certainly hit their stride over the past two weeks by dominating rematches of regular season games. Grundy Center snuck past Dike-New Hartford, 7-6, in Week 1 and Columbus Catholic, 21-14, in Week 5 before blowing those two schools out by a combined total of 82-7 in the quarterfinal and semifinal round of the playoffs.
“I think towards the beginning of the year we just struggled physicality-wise,” said Trent Cakerice, a 6-foot-5, 241-pound senior anchor on the Spartans’ line. “That’s a testament to our coaching staff for getting us locked in. They kept reassuring us that we can compete with the best football teams in the state.”
Do-it-all playmaker Colin Gordon led Grundy Center Friday. Gordon completed 17 of 20 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns to go with 13 rushes for 71 yards and two more scores. Gordon also recorded an interception on defense, was perfect kicking PATs, and delivered his team’s lone punt.
“I’m a little bit biased, but I think he’s the best player in the state regardless of class,” Zajac said. “He does everything for us. He kicks the ball, he punts the ball, he throws the ball, he intercepts the ball. There’s nothing else you can ask for from a kid.”
Brody Zinkula finished with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown for a Grundy Center ground attack that accumulated 227 yards. Justin Knaack, Tate Jirovsky, Tiernan Vokes and Laube each recorded over 30 receiving yards.
Columbus Catholic, making its first trip to the UNI-Dome since current head coach Brad Schmit quarterbacked the Sailors’ 2004 championship team to a state title, was held to 85 passing yards with two interceptions. The Sailors managed just 56 yards rushing on 20 attempts.
Scoring summaries
GRUNDY CENTER 42, COLUMBUS CATHOLIC 7
Columbus Catholic;0;7;0;0 - 7
Grundy Center;14;7;7;14 - 42
GC – Justin Knaack 9 run (Colin Gordon kick)
GC – Tate Jivorsky 14 pass from Gordon (Gordon kick)
CC – Carter Lockert 5 run (Thomas Steele kick)
GC – Tiernan Vokes 20 pass from Gordon (Gordon kick)
GC – Gordon 3 run (Gordon kick)
GC – Gordon 4 run (Gordon kick)
GC – Brody Zinkula 1 run (Gordon kick)
MFL MarMac 41, UNDERWOOD 28
MFL MarMac;7;14;7;13 - 41
Underwood;6;7;8;7 - 28
Underwood – Mason Boothby 9 pass from Garrett Luett (Kick failed)
MFL – Quinn McGeough 11 run (Ben Krambeer kick)
Underwood – Graham Jensen 6 run (Gus Bashore kick)
MFL – McGeough 2 run (Krambeer kick)
MFL – McGeough 2 run (Krambeer kick)
MFL – Bryce Radloff 34 interception return (Krambeer kick)
Underwood – Mason Boothby 66 pass from Luett (Jack Vanfossan pass from Luett)
MFL – McGeough 3 run (kick failed)
MFL – McGeough 35 run (Krambeer kick)
Underwood – Maddox Nelson 6 pass from Luett (Bashore kick)
