Some of the Best Eight Man Games of All Time

This week, the Missouri Eight Man Coaches Association asked which Missouri eight man game was the best anybody had ever seen. Here are some of the posts from readers, along with some of our picks, in no particular order:

2020 North Shelby 94, Pattonsburg 88 – Pattonsburg put together a frantic rally in the fourth quarter to make this one close. This game showed that the teams outside the Highway 275 and the Grand River Conference had arrived. 

2015 Stanberry 46, North Andrew 42 – Stanberry made a goal line stand with seven seconds left to clinch the state title. They played many good games against each other during that stretch.

2011 Mound City 50, St. Joseph Christian 48 – The Panthers had the Lions’ number in previous years, but Christian almost pulled off this state semifinal game. Down six with less than a minute left, Mound City ran back a kick to tie and converted the extra points to win it and go back to state.

1988 Miami 22, North Andrew 14 – The Eagles were the Cinderella team that year, on a roll after dropping their first seven games. They invaded North Andrew for the right to go to state and the Cardinals were threatening to tie, aided by three offsides penalties. But the Eagles held and went on to go to the first ever Eight Man State Title Game.

2003 Mound City 20, West Nodaway 18 – Mound City marched down the field by completing several passes in a row from Zach Scarbrough to Zach Sharp and scored on a quarterback sweep by Scarbrough as time expired to get the win.

2018 North Andrew 56, South/Nodaway-Holt 54 – In this district playoff game, the Spartans came from a long ways down and were driving for what would have been the winning score. But North Andrew intercepted them in the end zone to preserve the win.

2018 Mound City 36, Worth County 32 – Worth County led much of the way after digging themselves into a 14-0 hole early, but Mound City completed a long pass in the last minute to set up their winning score.

2020 North Andrew 50, Albany 46 – North Andrew would go on to play in the State Championship game, but this game was a big confidence booster for Albany, who felt they could finally play with the big boys. Unfortunately, COVID shut down their season.

1990 Worth County 18, Mound City 12 – Nobody expected Worth County to win more than one or two games that year, but the Tigers made a goal line stand at the 1 yard line against a good Panther squad to get their first ever eight man win. This was the first of many such games between the two schools.

1995 Worth County over South Holt – South Holt was the powerhouse team of the early 1990’s, and games in that decade between the two schools were just as intense. Worth County made a late goal line stand against the Knights to preserve the win, and would go on to win their first ever state title.

2001 Worth County 48, Miami 40 – The Eagles had a star runningback and plenty of other weapons to challenge Worth County with. But the Tigers got ahead and then kept scoring to hold off Miami. With one minute left, Tiger Quarterback Chris Healy dove ahead for a first down to preserve Worth County’s third state title in four years.

1989 North Nodaway 24, West Nodaway 18 – The Rockets built up an 18-0 lead in the first half, but then North Nodaway chipped away, finally taking the lead in the fourth quarter as they bent, but didn’t break on defense. Finally, they used a late interception to preserve the win. They would go on to win state that year.

2007 Worth County 30, Mound City 22 – Worth County fell behind in this district semifinal game, but Logan Dignan, a reserve who ran out onto the field when Coach Borey needed an end, made a key one on one tackle on dual threat Taylor Sharp on an extra point try to keep Worth County’s deficit at one possession. Worth County took the lead in the third quarter, only for Mound City to tie it at 22. But in the closing seconds, a Drew Yarmer punt return set up a Kyler Hiatt run to put the Tigers ahead.

2019 Southwest Livingston 74, Pattonsburg 68 – This game featured one of the best all-time passers in Steven Willhite against one of the best all-time rushers in Mack Anderson. The game followed the South Shelby script; Pattonsburg got behind by a long ways, but then came to within six points before Southwest picked off Willhite in the end zone in the closing seconds to preserve the win.

2019 North/West Nodaway 58, LeBlond 52 – The Muskets moved up and down the field against LeBlond, as Karson Oberhauser broke the North Nodaway school single game rushing record, getting over 300 yards rushing. But LeBlond had a chance to win it at the end, driving down to the Musket 5 in the closing seconds before Tyler Bix got a pick in the end zone to preserve the win. This ended a 20 game losing streak for the Muskets.

2011 Sacred Heart 31, Mound City 26 – Sacred Heart, a Nebraska powerhouse, became the first team in six years besides Worth County to beat Mound City as they held them off in the final seconds.

1996 Stanberry 20, West Nodaway 12 – West Nodaway was supposed to be a juggernaut that year, but this was a big breakthrough win for Dan Collins’ squad. This was the year they established themselves as an eight man power.

2006 North Nodaway 26, West Nodaway 20 – West Nodaway had just beaten Worth County two weeks before, and just had to win in order to get into the playoffs. But North Nodaway, who was battered and bruised following a 38-24 loss to Worth County the week before, rose to the occasion and denied the Rockets. Worth County would beat Stanberry to get into the playoffs, where they would go on to become state runner-up.

Tiger Team of 2017 Rated Among Best Eight Man Teams

The Missouri Eight Man Coaches Association asked about some of the best eight man football teams ever. Worth County’s team of 2017 was listed by several people on Facebook as one of the best teams they have seen. That team went unbeaten and beat Sacred Heart in the State Championship game. They were ranked as one of the top six, eight, or nine man teams nationally on Max Preps.

Among other teams listed, along with some of our picks:

–North Andrew 2020;

–Mound City 2005, 2008, and 2016-19. One poster stated about the 16-19 teams, “You could keep up for a quarter or two, and it was over after that.” He mentioned the Poppa boys, T.J. Hopkins, the Marrs boys, Dylan George, and Walker Ross.

–Worth County 1995 and Nodaway-Holt 1995; the Trojans had been down for the last few years after their state title runs of 1990 and 1991; however, after losing their first game to Worth County, they didn’t lose another game for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Worth County, behind P.J. Sanders, rewrote the passing records along with receivers such as Nate Combs, Daniel Gladstone, and Ben Fletcher. The two teams met in the playoffs in the snow, and Worth County prevailed and went on to beat North Andrew for the state championship.

–Miami 1988; that team started off 0-7 and had five kids kicked off for grades and were down to 17 players. But the playoffs brought a shocking turn of events. First, they beat DeKalb and Missouri School of the Deaf to win districts. Then, they successfully invaded North Andrew before falling to South Holt in the finals. 

–1990 and 1991 Nodaway-Holt, 1994 Fairfax, and the South Holt teams of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

–Southwest Livingston 2020; that team completely rebuilt after losing the top rusher in the state in Mack Anderson from the year before and won state.

–Worth County 1998; Bobby McCutcheon posted that was the best eight man defense he ever saw or played on, and the offense was strong as well. That squad shut out five different opponents that year. That team started a dynastic run in which they won the 2000 and 2001 titles and won 28 straight games.

Not Posted On, but Deserving of Mention:

Not mentioned in the Facebook comments, but deserving of a shoutout were the 2007 and 2011 Tigers. Kyler Hiatt and the 2007 squad faced Taylor Sharp and Mound City in the cold and won 30-22 on a last-second score by Hiatt. In 2011, Worth County went to the Dome in St. Louis and beat Mound City again.

Pattonsburg 2019; Steven Willhite and the Panthers rewrote the passing recordbook along with receivers Cameron Jones, Brett Emig, and Dakota Eaton. He was ranked both statewide and nationally.

North/West Nodaway 2014; that squad dropped its first two games, but then proceeded to tear up the league behind quarterback Kobe Reynolds and receivers Trevor Meyer, Jakob Cordell, and Dakota Smyser. 

North Nodaway 1989; that team had a devastating line and backfield. Observers kept thinking that squad could be beat, until they actually played them and learned the hard way. In the District Championship game that year, they fell behind 18-0 against archrival West Nodaway, only to turn around and win 24-18 after stopping a last minute drive. 

Stanberry and North Andrew 2012-16; In 2012, Stanberry finally broke through and won a state title after Worth County had barred the way for so many years. That started off a series of rivalry games between Stanberry and North Andrew, in which North Andrew won in 2013, 2014, and 2016 while Stanberry won in 2012 and 2015. The closest game between the two was the 2015 game, in Stanberry made a goal line stand at the 1 to preserve the win.

West Nodaway Drops North Nodaway Cooperative

On Wednesday, December 9th, the West Nodaway School Board voted by a 6-1 vote to drop the football cooperative agreement with North Nodaway that had been in place since 2014. West Nodaway will enter an all sports cooperative agreement with Nodaway-Holt, which is leaving its cooperative with South Holt. That will leave both North Nodaway and South Holt on the drawing board as far as a football program is concerned. On Thursday, the Nodaway-Holt school board approved a five year cooperative agreement with West Nodaway that covers all sports.

The upper limit for an eight man football cooperative for Missouri is 150 students. The combined enrollment for West Nodaway, Nodaway-Holt, and North Nodaway is 155, which would put them over the limit, unless they wanted to go 11 man. 

North Nodaway Superintendent Chris Turpin said that he would be looking at all of North Nodaway’s options. Worth County and Northeast Nodaway border North Nodaway to the south and east, but both schools are happy with their current cooperative. Maryville borders North Nodaway to the south, which means that North Nodaway is free to pursue an agreement with Platte Valley, consisting of Jefferson and South Nodaway. A cooperative of those three schools would be close to 130 students, which is below the threshold of 150 students. Similarly, North Harrison is bordered to the south by South Harrison, an 11 man power, meaning they were free to make their cooperative agreement with Pattonsburg.

The other option for North Nodaway would be to strike out on their own. That would involve figuring out how many students would be needed to field a competitive program. Back in the 1970’s, North Nodaway dropped their football program for a few years due to lack of numbers and restarted it when interest revived later that decade.

Previously, North Nodaway had conducted a survey regarding interest in an all-sports cooperative. Responses were receptive to the idea, but less receptive if West Nodaway were involved. Most students were willing to be part of such a cooperative. 

MSHSAA member schools can have cooperative agreements with different schools for different sports. For instance, Worth County can continue their football cooperative with Northeast Nodaway and enter into a basketball cooperative with North Nodaway. The complication is that a basketball cooperative agreement with North Nodaway would force Worth County to compete in Class 2 in basketball, since the combined enrollment for the two schools is 129, and the cutoff for Class 1 is 78. Such a cooperative with Northeast Nodaway would also require a move up to Class 2 in basketball, since the combined enrollment would be 105. 

However, schools can compete in Class 2 in basketball and still offer eight man football. That is because the cutoff for Class 1 (78) is much lower than the cutoff for eight man football (150). The new West Nodaway and Nodaway-Holt sports cooperative would compete in Class 2 in basketball, since their combined enrollment is 105 students; however, since their combined enrollment is less than 150, they can still compete in eight man football.

Three Mustangs Win Fall Postseason Honors

 Three North Nodaway athletes got postseason honors. Two volleyball players and one football player was honored.

Saylor Brown was named Honorable Mention All-275 Volleyball. She was one of the team’s best hitters for the squad. Jadon Dobbins was named 2nd Team All District Volleyball; her serving sparked a lot of big runs for the Mustangs. Karson Oberhauser carried the football team at quarterback and was one of the strongest players on the team. Last year, he set the single game rushing record against LeBlond, and he improved on his passing game this year as the Muskets improved to two wins and played a lot of teams tough. His efforts laid the groundwork for future success from the Muskets.

North/West Nodaway Beats DeKalb 54-8 for First Halftime Win Since 2016

North/West Nodaway posted its first halftime win since the 2016 season when they beat DeKalb 54-8 Friday. Their last halftime win was in 2016, when they beat DeKalb 52-0. It was their second win of the year; with the win, they have already exceeded their win total for the last two years. DeKalb had the Muskets’ number for the last few years, and had established themselves as one of the most physical teams in the conference. But all those players had graduated, and the Tigers are winless and in rebuilding mode this year.

The Muskets were down three players for Friday’s contest, but it did not matter as three other players had been paying attention to what was going on in practice and were ready to go. 

DeKalb won the opening toss and pulled off a successful fake punt as Zander Matson picked up a first down, getting 16 yards to the 38. They tried to ride Matson, but he met a brick wall in James Graham at the Musket 36. A false start moved them back to the Tiger 39, and the Muskets took over on downs after an incomplete pass. 

Karson Oberhauser picked up carries of 4 and 5 yards, and Michael Goff ripped off a 19 yarder on the drive. A false start set up second and ten at the 17, but then Oberhauser’s short pass to Aydan Blackford went to the house and they were on the board up 6-0 with 5:36 left.

DeKalb had a chance to get back into the game with a long kickoff return, but shot themselves in the foot with a costly block in the back penalty that set them all the way back to their own six. A fumble set them back to their own four, Caiden Jarrett ran into a blue wall, and then a fumble was pounced on by Will Cordell at the 2. On the next play, Oberhauser was in the end zone to put the Muskets up 12-0 with 4:05 left.

Once again, DeKalb got a long runback for a score, and once again, it was wiped out, this time by a block in the back penalty, and they started off on their own seven. The Muskets nearly got a safety with a sack in the end zone, and the referees initially called it as such, but then changed the call to an incomplete pass. It didn’t matter, as DeKalb tried the fake punt once too often as Preston Bateman dropped the kicker at the six. For the second time in a row, North/West started inside the Tiger 10, and once again, they converted as Oberhauser’s cutback run got them on the board with 1:56 left to make it 18-0. 

DeKalb went three and out on its next series, and North/West set up shop on its own 34. They only needed two plays to get into the end zone, as Michael Goff weaved his way to the DeKalb 33 for 13 yards, and then Aydan Blackford’s catch and run went the rest of the way. Michael Goff ran in the extra points to make it 26-0 with 11:29 left in the second quarter.

DeKalb started off on their own 15, but then Will Cordell got his second fumble recovery of the night at the 16 and Michael Goff bounced outside for a score with 11:11 left, for North/West’s second score in 18 seconds. Jordan Jenkins caught a short pass and found his way into the end zone to make it 34-0. 

Consecutive runs by Drake Miller picked up a first down to the Tiger 31, but then Cole McElfresh got dropped after a two yard gain, and consecutive incompletions set up fourth and ten. This time, DeKalb went for it and tried a screen pass, but Caiden Jarrett was tacked five yards short of the first down at the 38, and once again, North/West Nodaway had a short field to work with. Aydan Blackford’s catch and run went eight yards to the 30. A long run by Michael Goff was called back to the 29, but after an incomplete pass, Goff picked up ten yards to the 19. Blackford took a 16 yard catch and run to the three, and Goff was in the end zone next play. Cody Cline ran in the extra points to make it 42-0 with 7:39 left in the half.

DeKalb tried to follow Albany’s lead when they totally changed up what they were doing; they put Brett Henderson at quarterback and moved Drake Miller to wide receiver and went to a spread formation. Nothing mattered at first; after initial success, a holding penalty wiped out a first down run, and consecutive bad snaps gave North/West the short field at the Tiger 10. The Muskets tried some trickery as they lined up Michael Goff at quarterback instead of Karson Oberhauser and it backfired, as Goff was tackled at the 20. It didn’t matter, as Aydan Blackford’s catch and run went to the house with 4:51 left to make it 48-0.

Finally, DeKalb got untracked and got a seven yard catch and run from Henderson to Miller and then a long pass from Henderson to Harrison Lofland that went for 48 yards to the Musket 13. A ten yard pass to Lofland overcame a sack, and a defensive holding set up fourth and inches. Miller pulled off a sneak to convert it to the two, and two plays later, Miller was in the end zone with 28 seconds left to make it 48-8 after Lofland’s extra point pass.

But just as it looked like DeKalb would follow Albany’s lead when the Warriors switched quarterbacks and formations in the middle of their game and rallied before falling 56-54 to Worth County, North/West Nodaway answered the bell. DeKalb tried an onsides kick, but it fooled nobody as Michael Goff alertly scooped it up and took it to the house to make it 54-8, and DeKalb only had two desperation passes at the end.

Muskets Seeking to Stay Healthy, Climb Out of Highway 275 Cellar

The North/West Nodaway Muskets are looking to climb out of the Highway 275 cellar after having won one game the last two years. They finally beat LeBlond 58-52 thanks to a last minute pick by Tyler Bix in the end zone in the closing seconds.

The Muskets, under new coach Alan Calfee, have the tools to do it, starting with quarterback Karson Oberhauser, who holds the single game rushing record, having gotten over 300 yards in the win over LeBlond. But every year for the last few years, the preseason has started off well for the Muskets, only to lose key players to injuries. If he can stay healthy, Gabe Goff can provide a nice 1-2 punch for the Muskets along with Oberhauser. Cody Cline, who has put in a lot of time and effort during the offseason, has emerged as another guy that is tough to bring down despite his small stature. Michael Cook, a freshman, will back up Oberhauser and impressed with his speed and got the hang of the position quickly this year.

Calfee has several people to choose from at the receiver slot. Preston Bateman can block, catch passes, and is strong enough to break tackles and get yards after the catch. Ethan Rohr showed some nice speed, catching one pass for 60 yards, and getting behind the defense on some other occasions. Will Cordell returns with some experience; he took one for a 65 yard catch and run in Friday’s scrimmage. Damian Dailey has a big vertical leap and made one sensational catch Friday. 

On the line, the Muskets have some size. Both James Graham and Mason Chitwood return; they have developed a lot more mobility this year, both blowing up plays Friday. 

The talent is there for the Muskets this year. Michael Trautz, who is heading up the junior high program this year, said that this summer was the best participation he had seen in the weight room since he had been there; even kids who were not going out for football were participating. He was optimistic for the junior high as well; he said that a pleasant surprise was seeing that they already knew the playbook. The varsity players also had a much better grasp of the plays this year, knowing exactly where to go.

All will depend on the little things this year. Calfee said that Mound City, East Atchison, and South/Nodaway Holt will be teams to watch in the conference this year. Most of the other teams will return key cogs as well, meaning that the Muskets will have to bring their best game every play and every night in order to move up the ladder this year.

North/West Nodaway Football Stats

Stats have been released for the North/West Nodaway Muskets, who finished with a record of 1-10 this year.

Karson Oberhauser had 32 completions in 106 attempts for 340 yards with 5 touchdowns and 11 picks.

In rushing, Karson Oberhauser had 203 carries for 1,186 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gabe Goff had 34 carries for 143 yards, Austin Bird 64 carries for 88 yards, Cody Goff 11 carries for 37 yards, and Cody Cline 9 carries for 29 yards.

Austin Bird had 16 catches for 126 yards to lead the team in receiving. Tyler Bix had 6 catches for 91 yards, Will Cordell 4 catches for 32 yards, Cody Goff 2 catches for 46 yards, and Preston Bateman 2 catches for 38 yards.

Cody Goff had 295 kickoff return yards. Preston Bateman had 122, Jordan Jenkins 45, Tyler Bix 24, and Dalton Smyser 17.

Karson Oberhauser led the team in tackles with 60. Tyler Bix had 46, Will Cordell 41, Andrew Blackford 39, Wyatt O’Riley 37, Cody Goff 28, Austin Bird 27, James Graham 21, Preston Bateman 12, Dalton Smyser 11, Jordan Jenkins 9, Mason Chitwood 7, Cody Cline, Gabe Goff, and Peyton Stahl 5, Gabe Hevelone 2, and Cameron Wilson 1.

Tigers Beat Muskets 46-0 in Rare Breather Win

Worth County beat North/West Nodaway 46-0 and got a rare breather Friday. Their next game will be much tougher, as Albany will come to town much improved from their 82-42 loss to Worth County from earlier in the season. Albany won much more convincingly 76-32 over Platte Valley Friday than they had in the first meeting between the two schools, when Albany trailed for much of the first half before they came back and won 70-42.

Worth County won the toss and Jaxon Anderson ran back the kickoff all the way back to the Musket 27 to set up their first score. Karson Oberhauser broke up a pass, and another pass from Aydan Gladstone sailed incomplete, and a third down run from Alex Rinehart only netted six yards. But on fourth and four from the 21, Aydan Gladstone kept it on an option and found daylight for a score with 10:57 left and Alex Rinehart dove into the end zone for the extra points to make it 8-0.

North/West Nodaway fumbled on the handoff and Aydan Gladstone pounced on it at the 21. Alex Rinehart bulldozed his way through traffic to the 14, caught a short pass to the 10, and took an option pitch to the house with 8:50 left. On the extra point try, he bowled over the last man to stand between him and the end zone as the Tigers took a 16-0 lead.

Rinehart, pressed into full time service as a runningback after Andrew Alarcon went down, has shown improvement each week; with Austin Welch’s shoulder injury from the Stanberry game healed to the point where he could play and Chase Atkins stepping up, the line play was there.

On the ensuing kickoff, Preston Bateman tried to pull off a Dante Hall act as he dodged a Jackson Runde tackle that would have pinned the Muskets at the 9 and scrambled up to the 24 before being brought down. Karson Oberhauser then bulldozed his way all the way from the 26 to the Tiger 37 before being brought down, dragging a black shirt several yards before being brought down. But a false start and a pair of incompletions killed the drive and Worth County took over on the 40.

Jaxon Anderson caught one over the middle for 14 to the 26. Aydan Gladstone scrambled to the 24, and Rinehart walked the tightrope down the left sideline and somehow stayed inbounds until he got to the 7. Another crack got him to the one, and then he took a solid shot from Cody Goff, but managed to muscle his way in anyway to put the Tigers on the board with 3:46 left. Jackson Runde was all alone for a pass from Aydan Gladstone to make it 24-0 on the extra point play.

A long run from Karson Oberhauser on the next series was wiped out by a holding penalty, and the Muskets tried unsuccessfully to go for it on their own 26, and the Tigers took over on downs from the 24. Two plays later, Alex Rinehart caught a short pass and broke three different tackles and took it to the house with 1:06 left. Aydan Gladstone’s keeper for the extra points put Worth County up 32-0.

North/West Nodaway went three and out on their next series after a bad snap pinned them on their own 7, and Worth County got the ball back in good field position at the Musket 24. They were faced with fourth and 12 on the Musket 36 following a sack by Mason Chitwood and Will Cordell, but then Aydan Gladstone threw a perfect pass despite being leveled on a called Roughing the Passer penalty to Jaxon Anderson. Jaxon had Cody Goff draped all over him, but somehow managed to haul it in and take it to the house with 10:26 left. Alex Rinehart took it in on the option to make it 40-0.

Karson Oberhauser ripped off a 15 yard run to the Musket 38 on the next play and picked up six more to the Tiger 36. But then Austin Welch scooped up a fumble and leveled someone with the very shoulder that he got hurt the previous week, bulldozing it all the way down to the North/West 30.

Alex Rinehart spun his way for six down to the 24. The Musket defense stiffened as Wyatt O’Riley and Cody Goff stopped Rinehart for no gain, but Gladstone picked up a first down to the 17. A holding wiped out a score and set the Tigers back to the 27, but Alex Rinehart’s option went for six to the 21. On the next play Aydan Gladstone laid out a blue shirt at the end of a 12 yard keeper, causing the whole Worth County sideline to erupt.

Rinehart picked up three more to the nine and then dove into the end zone with 5:10 left for Worth County’s final score. Wyatt O’Riley and Will Cordell hurried Gladstone into an overthrow for a rare missed extra point.

But to show the futility of the night for North/West, Oberhauser had his second long run called back by a penalty, and a fake punt direct snap to one of the upbacks fooled nobody.

The Muskets stopped the Tiger JV, and Oberhauser ripped off 13 yards and Cody Goff 21 more to the 34 with 8 seconds left before half. But a long pass was incomplete and Aydan Gladstone got a pick to seal the game.

Muskets Make Goal Line Stand, End 21 Game Losing Streak

North/West Nodaway made a goal line stand Friday and ended a 21 game losing streak, beating LeBlond 58-52. The Muskets had not even scored more than 14 points in a game this year. But they showed improvement against DeKalb the week before, threatening to make a game of it before they lost 42-14.

In Friday’s game, North/West Nodaway passed that mark in the first quarter, jumping out to a 20-0 lead. It was the first time the Muskets had led all year. But then LeBlond was sparked by a punt return for a score in the second quarter and tied it at 20 before North/West Nodaway moved back in front 28-20 at halftime. The third and fourth quarters were back and fourth, with neither team being able to stop each other.

LeBlond went up 52-50 with four minutes to go, only for North/West Nodaway to march down the field and score with 40 seconds to go back up 58-52.

But there was still football to be played, and LeBlond completed two long passes to set up first and goal at the five. It looked like a repeat of the DeKalb game from last year, where the Muskets led the whole game, only for the Tigers to complete a long pass to set up their game-winning score and win 42-40.

But this time, the Muskets drove LeBlond back to the 15 thanks to a false start and a sack, where the Golden Eagles attempted a pass into the end zone on fourth down. Tyler Bix picked it off in the end zone and the Muskets were able to kneel down. It was Bix’s second pick of the night.

Karson Oberhauser scored seven touchdowns for the Muskets, but he was quick to deflect credit to his teammates afterwards. The team attempted to douse coach Anthony Christian with the water bucket afterwards, but he ran away before they could get him. It was his first win as Head Coach of the Muskets.

Tyler Bix and Abigail Ferguson were named North Nodaway Homecoming King and Queen afterwards.

The game was the first home win for the Muskets since 2016, when they beat DeKalb 52-0.
Karson Oberhauser completed 6 of 12 passes for 62 yards. Austin Bird had three catches for 17 yards, while Preston Bateman had 1 catch for 19 yards, Will Cordell had 1 catch for 16 yards, and Tyler Bix 1 catch for 10 yards.

Both Oberhauser and Austin Bird had career nights rushing the football. Oberhauser had 43 carries for 348 yards. Austin Bird had 15 carries for 97 yards. The Muskets had 507 total yards in offense. Cody Goff added a 57 yard kickoff return.

Andrew Blackford led the team in tackles with 9. Cody Goff and Tyler Bix had 8, Austin Bird 6, Will Cordell and Karson Oberhauser 5, James Graham 4, Preston Bateman 3, Jordan Jenkins and Cody Cline 2, and Wyatt O’Riley 1.

Muskets Hope Continuity, Health Lead to Wins

The North/West Nodaway Muskets hope that continuity and health this year will lead to some wins. They have 17 out for football this year and hope to improve on their winless mark from last year. They dropped three close games last year.

Anthony Christian is back at the helm for his second year. Michael Trautz returns for his second year as an assistant. Brandon Phipps comes in as an assistant; he is the Athletic Director at West Nodaway and will coach basketball there.

Christian’s primary rule is, “No walking on my field.” The players seem to be taking it to heart and buying in after a winless season ended with a crushing 72-0 halftime defeat to East Atchison in districts. It took a while for people to buy in, but Christian said that a lot more people have been hitting the weight room during the offseason. He said that practices were much better than during the same time a year ago.

Last Tuesday, during the second day of practice, they were doing blocking drills, plays, and wide receiver drills to get themselves into shape. Christian said that Gabe Goff, who missed most of last year (knee), was completely healthy this year and that Wyatt O’Riley was going to be a force along the line this year. After trying three different people at quarterback last year, Karson Oberhauser looks to have that slot locked in this year.

Two of the best newcomers this year include Andrew Blackford, who comes in with a lot of athleticism, and Jordan Phillips, who made a nice catch during receiver drills with a defender in his face. Tyler Bix will compete for one of the skill positions, while Jordan Jenkins will return as a kick returner. Will Cordell showed some explosiveness on the line.

Christian said that teams to watch this year would be Mound City, East Atchison, and LeBlond. “They have someone in Eric Fairchild, who knows how to coach eight man, so he’ll be able to show them the ropes,” said Christian.

Dylan Carden Named to All-State Squad for Muskets

Dylan Carden was named to the 2nd team All-State Squad for the North/West Nodaway Muskets as a kicker. Carden, who battled injuries during his junior year, finally was healthy for most of the year. He was one of the most versatile athletes in the area, able to do almost anything his coaches asked him to. He played runningback and wide receiver last year, and played quarterback and punter this year. Although he will graduate after this year, his work ethic will help lay the foundation for future Musket squads as Coach Anthony Christian seeks to build the program.

Mound City Reaches the Top; Stanberry Survives Scare, Worth County Rebounds, Pattonsburg Cruises

#1 Mound City 52, DeKalb 6
Mound City reached the top of our football rankings this week, beating down DeKalb in the third quarter. The Panthers led 30-6 at the break against a team that most observers felt was one of the most physical around despite their record. But then Mound City tacked on 22 more points in the third quarter to end it. Both Mound City and Stanberry beat East Atchison, but while the Panthers took out the Wolves in dominating fashion, Stanberry barely beat them.

Mound City does not do anything fancy with the ball, but if you give them an inch, they will take a mile, similar to their state championship teams of the last decade. T.J. Hopkins had 18 carries for 152 yards, Landon Poppa had 12 carries for 94 yards, and Dylan Marrs had 11 carries for 89 yards. Mound City rushed for 316 yards and Poppa threw for another 63, for a total of 379 total yards. Hopkins did it on the other side of the ball as well, getting four tackles for loss. Blake Hayes had 2 and Dylan Marrs 1.

Mound City held DeKalb to 87 total yards. DeKalb only had two plays go for over 10 yards – an Ashpaugh 10 yard run, and a Tyler Matson 37 yard score.

#2 Stanberry 24, #7 East Atchison 20
Stanberry had all the trouble in the world putting away the Wolves, the second time they were in trouble in two weeks. East Atchison led for much of the way before Stanberry finally got a late tally to go on top. Trey Schieber had 22 carries for 191 yards, Cole Durbin completed three long passes for 138 yards, but that was it for Stanberry. The Bulldogs host Worth County this Friday. A win gives Stanberry the GRC Title outright. If Worth County wins, they will tie with Stanberry for the title. Pattonsburg can join them with a win over Albany.

#3 Pattonsburg 66, K.C. East Christian 0
Pattonsburg had little trouble with winless K.C. East Christian ahead of their GRC showdown with Albany that could vault them into a conference title if Worth County also wins. Steven Willhite completed 9 of his 17 passes for 262 yards, while Kaden De Jong completed 6 of 17 passes for another 123 yards.

Dillon Gannan led the team in tackles with 10. Gage Sperry had 6, Logan Huitt 5, Kyle McChesney, Dakota Eaton, and Collin Briggs all with 4, Jimmie Nallie and Gavin Garrett with 3, Trevor Ireland, Skylar Todd, Blake Hulett, and Logan Craig all with 2, and Lane Huitt with 1. Skylar Todd, Lane Huitt, and Dillon Gannan had 1 sack each. Collin Briggs and Carter Crone each had 1 pick. Logan Huitt and Logan Craig had fumble recoveries.

#4 Worth County 60, #8 North Andrew 14
Worth County came back from their loss to Pattonsburg with a beatdown of North Andrew to get back on the winning track. The Tigers have plenty to play for in the final week of the season. If they beat Stanberry, they vault to the top of district standings and will host Rock Port. If they lose, they would host East Atchison, which would be a much stiffer test if recent form holds, or North/West Nodaway. Being the #2 seed means that Worth County would travel to Stanberry should the Bulldogs be the top seed for the District Finals. North Andrew will have to regroup after their worst loss of the year.

#5 King City 52, Albany 6
Albany was on the rebound, having gotten their record to 3-3 at one point. They went the distance against North Andrew. But without quarterback Harrison Kerchner, they struggled badly against King City and were bounced in a halftime game.

For King City, Collin Breckenridge completed 5 of his 12 passing attempts for 116 yards. King City gashed Albany on the ground as Jacob Moen had 8 carries for 106 yards, Breckenridge had 8 carries for 103 yards, and Parker Muff 4 carries for 43 yards for a total of 20 carries for 252 yards, an average of 12.6 per carry. Kagen Barnett had 4 catches for 97 yards. Albany turned the ball over three times.

For Albany, Dawson Butterfield had 15 carries for 63 yards. King City had 368 yards to 123 for Albany.

#6 Southwest Livingston 56, North/West Nodaway 8
After coming tantalizingly close to wins their last two outings, the Muskets played one of the top two teams of the 275 close, trailing only 16-8 after one. They still had a chance late in the second quarter, but then Southwest scored three times in the last two minutes to end the game at halftime.

Mack Anderson had 184 yards through the air for Southwest and 209 more on the ground in only 14 carries to account for 393 of Southwest’s 398 yards. Wyatt Maddux caught two passes for 98 yards, while Caleb Eddins had 2 catches for 33 yards, Matt Daniels 2 catches for 28 yards, and Nate Reith 1 catch for 25 yards. Maddux added a 60 yard scoop and score. Balazs Sturgeon had 10 tackles and three tackles for loss. Dagun Bassett had 5 tackles and three tackles for loss.

For North/West, they were limited to 76 total yards. Karson Oberhauser completed a 38 yard pass to Dylan Carden. Mason Chitwood caught an 11 yard pass. Parker Ogle had 7 tackles along with Alex Roderick. Dylan Carden had 4, Cody Cline and Wyatt O’Riley 3, Dalton Smyser 2, and Karson Oberhauser and Will Cordell 1 each.

#9 Rock Port 40, South/Nodaway-Holt 12
Rock Port broke this game open in the second quarter against the short-handed Spartans, who were playing without prize quarterback Drew Quinlin, who had thrown for 1725 yards this year. They took control with a 20-6 second quarter to lead 28-12 at the break and tacked on two more scores in the fourth quarter for the win.

For Rock Port, Gavin Abbott had a monster night, getting 28 carries for 270 yards. Joey Herron added 10 carries for 45 more. Gabe Abbott had 10 tackles to lead the Blue Jays. Taran Clark rushed 23 times for 126 yards for the Spartans.

#10 Orrick 84, Osceola 30
Orrick got back on the winning track after a shocking loss to St. Joseph Christian last week.

OTHER GAMES
St. Joseph Christian 30, Braymer 8
Christian got its second win in a row, knocking off Braymer and holding them to 142 yards. The Bobcats remain winless and must face North Andrew.

Platte Valley 60, Stewartsville 26
The Longhorns are looking to break out of the cellar, where they have been the last few years. Cree Beverlin, their coach, said that this was the first time all year his squad had put everything together in one game. They racked up 355 rushing yards against the Cardinals. Dalton Luke had 29 carries for 209 yards, while Pat O’Connor had 16 carries for 105 yards. Dalton Luke added 8 tackles on defense, while Tayden Staples had 7.

Norborne/Hardin-Central 56, NW Hughesville 44
Kysor Hughes put up some astonishing numbers in this one, in which his Norborne/Hardin-Central team held off a late Hughesville rally to win. He carried the ball 68 times for 324 yards, in what may have been a record performance. He also carried the ball 43 times for 169 yards in a 28-22 win over North Shelby earlier this year. By way of comparison, the most times a Worth County back has ever carried the ball was Kyler Hiatt’s 45 carries for 250 yards against Mound City in 2007, in Worth County’s last-second 30-22 playoff win.

Makayla Cross & Alex Roderick are North Nodaway Homecoming Royalty; Parker Ogle and Jana Dow are West Nodaway Royalty; Muskets Lose Heartbreaker

Makayla Cross and Alex Roderick were named North Nodaway Homecoming Royalty Friday before the DeKalb game. Parker Ogle and Jana Dow were named West Nodaway Homecoming Royalty following the game.

This was the first year that both teams celebrated Homecoming together. During the morning, the North Nodaway students relaxed, played games, and had a fun day. The Homecoming Parade was canceled due to the rainy weather. But the pep rally went on as scheduled, moved to the old gym.
The 275 Champion Softball Team was celebrated. Coach Kit Meiners was told that there was a special teacher conference, not including her, going on during the first hour. She was finally told to come downstairs into the lockerroom, where she was greeted with a surprise celebration for the team. Then, the entire student body lined the hall chanting, “Conference champs,” as they threw a ticker-tape parade.

At 1:45 pm, the West Nodaway students arrived. The Musket cheerleaders led the crowd in cheers, the pep band played, and the place was loud and deafening, just like the old days when basketball was being played. The softball girls and the rest of the teams from North Nodaway and West Nodaway were recognized; there were fun games and competitions.

For North Nodaway, the Freshmen won the Spirit Stick. However, some of the seniors claimed the process was rigged, because if the parade had been held as scheduled, they would have won the float competition, which would have put them over the top.

It looked at first like the Muskets were going to run away with Friday’s game. They jumped out to a quick 16-0 lead, then it grew to 28-6 by halftime. DeKalb scored right out of the gate to make it 28-14, but North/West seemingly reestablished control with a tally of their own to make it 34-14. Cade Pankau, their 300 pound lineman from Savannah, who had missed the first give games with an injury, came back for this one and the Muskets were a totally different team with him on the field.

But then DeKalb came roaring back in the second half, tying it at 34-34, only to see Parker Ogle run one back 68 yards to the house to put North/West Nodaway back in front. The Muskets stopped DeKalb and drove to just inside midfield with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, only to be forced to punt after a fumbled snap on third and short at the 38. DeKalb went three and out as well after Will Cordell dropped Darrin McElfresh on third down, there was 3:49 left on the clock, and DeKalb was forced to punt.

North/West Nodaway, however, couldn’t do anything with the ball, losing four yards and they were forced to punt with 2:27 left. A block in the back pushed DeKalb back to the 15, but then the tackling broke down as McElfresh broke tackle after tackle to the Musket 37 for a 28 yard gain. DeKalb with nowhere on their next play, leaving 1:44 left on the clock, but then Wyatt Ashpaugh aired it out on a play action to McElfresh all the way down to the 2.

McElfresh got one yard to the 1 with 1:11 remaining, but then Coyote Henderson was driven back four yards to the five with 29 seconds left as Alex Roderick and James Graham drove him back. A fumbled snap left it fourth and goal at the four with 18 seconds left, but DeKalb had one more timeout and used it up. This time, they gave it to Henderson and he plunged straight up the gut with 13 seconds left to tie it at 40.

DeKalb went back to the play action pass that worked to set up the score and Jared McElfresh caught it in the back of the end zone to put DeKalb up 42-40, and North/West Nodaway couldn’t come up with anything in the last 13 seconds.

For North/West Nodaway, Dylan Carden completed two of his three pass attempts for 50 yards. Dylan Carden completed 16 of 31 passes for 143 yards, and Tyler Bix completed one of two passes.
Dylan Carden had 9 carries for 33 yards. Parker Ogle had 7 carries for 32 yards, Karson Oberhauser 8 carries for 19 yards, Cody Cline 5 carries for 9 yards, and Dalton Smyser one carry for 3 yards.
Tyler Bix had 8 catches for 101 yards. Dylan Carden had 1 catch for 36 yards, Parker Ogle had 1 catch for 31 yards, Will Cordell 4 catches for 21 yards, Cody Cline 1 catch for 3 yards, and Wyatt O’Riley 1 catch for 2 yards.

Parker Ogle had 19 tackles for the Muskets. Dylan Carden had 14, as did Alex Roderick. Will Cordell had 10, Wyatt O’Riley 9, Mason Chitwood 6, Dalton Smyser 4, Karson Oberhauser 3, and Jordan Jenkins 2.

Will Cordell and Mason Chitwood had 2.5 tackles for loss each. Parker Ogle had 2, Dylan Carden and Alex Roderick had 1.5 each, and Wyatt O’Riley had 1.

Dylan Carden had one interception for the Muskets. He also had a fumble recovery. Will Cordell forced a fumble.

Coach Anthony Christian said that his team had fought hard for all four quarters. “I talked to some other coaches, and they said DeKalb was the most physical team they had seen all year,” he said. “You came out and fought hard all four quarters. Keep playing hard, and the wins will come.” The Muskets will try again for their first win this Friday at Northwest/Hughesville.

Muskets Run Into Rock Port Buzzsaw

North/West Nodaway ran into a Rock Port buzzsaw 56-6 Friday as they continued to remain winless for the year. Offensively, the lone bright spot was a 55 yard run by Karson Oberhauser in the second quarter. He had the lone touchdown run. The Muskets were held to 76 total yards, and no other play from scrimmage for them netted more than seven yards.

Defensively, the Muskets could not stop Alex Burke, who completed seven of his eight passes for 144 yards, over 20 yards a completion. Brock Martin had 4 catches for 93 yards. The Muskets held their own against the other Bluejay backs, but could not stop Joey Herron, who torched the Muskets for 10 carries for 159 yards.

Karson Oberhauser and Dalton Smyser led the team in tackles with seven each. Cody Cline had six. Jordan Jenkins, Parker Ogle, Tyler Bix, Wyatt O’Riley, and James Graham had two each. Corbyn Rucker, Hayden Ferry, Dylan Carden, Will Cordell, Alex Roderick, and Wyatt Ingraham all had one tackle each. Parker Ogle had one tackle for loss, while Dalton Smyser and Karson Oberhauser combined on one. Parker Ogle had a fumble recovery for the Muskets. Jordan Jenkins had three kickoff returns for 41 yards, including one for 20 yards. Dylan Carden had three punts for 86 yards.

Muskets Show Improvement, Still Fall to Platte Valley

The North/West Nodaway Muskets showed some improvement over the first two games of the season but fell 40-30 to Platte Valley Friday. Trailing 20-14 at the break, they scored in the third quarter to take a 22-20 lead. But it all fell apart in the fourth quarter as Platte Valley used a 20-8 fourth to take the win.

The Muskets inserted Dylan Carden at quarterback for much of the game, although Karson Oberhauser still handled some of the quarterbacking duties. Carden had 16 completions in 31 attempts for 94 yards. Oberhauser had 3 completions in 6 attempts for 57 yards.

Carden had 22 rushes for 127 yards. Oberhauser had 7 carries for 21 yards, Parker Ogle had 6 carries for 18 yards, and Jordan Jenkins had 4 carries for 7 yards.

Tyler Bix had 6 catches for 71 yards, while Oberhauser had 4 catches for 37 yards and Dalton Smyser had 1 catch for 11 yards. Dylan Carden had 1 catch for 8 yards, while Alex Roderick had 1 catch for 3 yards.

Parker Ogle led the team in tackles with 14. Will Cordell had 11, Karson Oberhauser and Tyler Bix had 9, Alex Roderick 8, Dalton Smyser and Wyatt O’Riley 6, Jordan Jenkins 5, Dylan Carden 3, and Cody Cline 2. Tyler Bix had two fumble recoveries. Bix and Ogle each forced one fumble. Alex Roderick had 1 sack.

For Platte Valley, Dalton Luke carried the load for the Longhorns, getting 24 carries for 240 yards. Pat O’Connor had 9 carries for 77 yards and Arthur Giffin had 9 carries for 49 yards.

Musket Football Schedule 2018

August 24th – at Stewartsville.
August 31st – East Atchison.
September 7th – Platte Valley.
September 14th – at Rock Port.
September 21st – at Mound City.
September 28th – DeKalb.
October 5th – at Northwest Hughesville.
October 12th – Southwest Livingston.
October 19th – at South/Nodaway-Holt.

Marriott Resigns as Teacher, Musket Football Coach

The North/West Nodaway Football cooperative will be seeking its fourth football coach in four years. Last month, at its regular board meeting, the North Nodaway School Board offered a teaching contract to Cody Marriott, who had coached the team last year. However, at its April 12th meeting, the board voted unanimously to accept the immediate resignation of Cody Marriott.

Also leaving the North Nodaway school district will be Susan Law; the board also voted to accept her resignation.

The board voted to employ Katherine Hansen as the Elementary Special Education teacher for the 2018-2019 school year. The board voted to employ Kayla Howard as an Elementary Co-Teacher. The board voted to rehire Jake Shipman as Boys Basketball Coach, Baseball Coach, and Athletic Director. The board voted to rehire Roger Johnson as Junior High Boys Basketball Coach and a Senior Class Sponsor for the 2018-2019 school year. These votes were unanimous.

The board voted to rehire Sami Jackson as Girls and Junior High Girls Head Basketball Coach for the 2018-2019 School Year. This vote was 6-1, with board member Jason Thompson opposed.

The board voted unanimously to rehire Lindsi Jackson as Girls Assistant Basketball Coach and High School Girls Track Coach. The following other extra duty personnel were hired or rehired by the board; these votes were unanimous, except where noted:

Emily Frueh – Yearbook Sponsor, School Paper Sponsor, FBLA Sponsor, and an Extended Contract.
Catherine Auffert – Co-MS/HS Student Council Sponsor, National Honor Society Sponsor.

Gannon Albrecht – Senior Class Sponsor, Co-MS/HS Student Council Sponsor.

Kit Meiners – High School Softball Coach, District Test Coordinator, and an Extended Contract for the 2018-2019 school year.

Torri Blythe – Assistant High School Softball Coach.

Sam Riley – High School Instrumental Activities, High School Vocal Music Activities Director.
Troy Nally – FFA Sponsor and Extended Contract for the 2018-2019 school year.


Owen Miller – Junior Class Sponsor and an Extended Contract for the 2018-2019 school year.

Stacey Meyer – Junior Class Sponsor for the 2018-2019 school year.
Elena Bellamy, Junior Class Sponsor.

Heather Townsend – Senior Class Sponsor and an Extended Contract.

Tim Conn – Senior Class Sponsor.

Leah Koger – 4th/5th Grade Math Team Sponsor.

Ashley Marriott – Special Education Coordinator.

Rebecca Ferris – Elementary Student Council Sponsor.

Tony Christian – Assistant Football Coach.

Michael Trautz – Assistant Junior High Football Coach.

Allen Calfee – Junior High Football Coach, Junior High Track Coach.

Kyle Wallinga – Junior High Football Coach.

Skyler Zimmerman – High School Boys Track Coach.

Bailey Schmidt – High School Football Cheer Coach. This motion passed by a 6-1 vote, with board member Kane Oberhauser opposed.

The board voted to exempt Taylor Combs’ attendance requirement to attend a senior trip due to extenuating circumstances.

The board reorganized following the April 3rd Municipal Election. New board members Cari Cline and Vicki Riley were sworn in. Jerime Bix was named Board President. Jason Thompson was named Vice-President. Current board members are Bix, Thompson, Tony O’Riley, Kane Oberhauser, Samantha Brown, Cline, and Riley.

Muskets Get Back Parker Ogle, Victorious Over DeKalb

North/West Nodaway got back on the winning track with a 42-12 victory over DeKalb as they got back Parker Ogle, one of the anchors of their defense Friday. After running the Rock Port/Mound City gauntlet, the Muskets were hungry for a victory and it showed. Korbin Koch started off the scoring with a 66 yard punt return for a score in the first quarter. Dylan Carden added to the lead in the second with a four yard run in the second to make it 14-0 after the extra points.

DeKalb closed to within 14-6 at the half behind Coyote Henderson’s nine yard run. The running of Tyler Matson kept them in the game for much of the night as he had 23 carries for 148 yards for the winless Tigers.

But then Korbin Koch took over in the third quarter with runs of 39, 50, and 25 that put the game away. North/West led 34-6 after three quarters, and Koch added another scoring run, this time of 13 yards, in the fourth before Matson’s 6 yard run for DeKalb accounted for the final tally.

Koch was 3 for 8 in passing for 45 yards and an interception. He ran 10 times for 127 yards. Tyler Bix ran 10 times for 44 yards, Dylan Carden 6 carries for 31 yards, Gabe Goff 5 carries for 31 yards, and Brody Beason 1 carry for 5 yards.

Wade Torres caught two passes for 31 yards, while Parker Ogle caught one for 14 yards.
On defense, Parker Ogle anchored the Musket defense with 14 tackles and one sack as he was a welcome return to the lineup after getting a concussion. Brody Beason and Gabe Goff had 11 tackles, Dylan Carden had 9 tackles and one sack, Korbin Koch had 8 tackles and one pass deflection, Tyler Bix had 4, Wade Torres 3, Lucas Alvarez 2, and Alex Roderick, Stephen Voltmer, and Cody Cline each had one.

North/West Nodaway plays in Hopkins this week as they have their Homecoming game with St. Joseph Christian. The parade and festivities will start at 1 pm Thursday, with the Homecoming game starting at 7 pm Friday.

Muskets Pick Up First Victory, Down Platte Valley 44-34

It looked for all the world like North/West Nodaway would run away with their first victory, but then they made some mistakes and let Platte Valley get right back in the game. But then they fought back after trailing at halftime and came back to get the 44-34 victory.

Both teams were tough-luck teams last year, and both teams were playing with the kind of desperation that accompanies these games. First, North/West marched right down the field as Dylan Carden ran for a first down to the Longhorns’ 38 and then Tyler Bix took a pitch 14 yards down to the 24. Korbin Koch’s draw got 15 yards to the 9, Carden fought for three more to the six, and then Brody Beason got into the end zone with 9:59 left. The Muskets, who had been struggling with extra points this year, even got one to go as Koch ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.

Platte Valley, which was overmatched by Rock Port last week, started off hung over from that encounter as a holding penalty wiped out a first down option run, Carden and Parker Ogle combined on a sack, and the Muskets got the ball back in good field position at the Longhorn 38.

But then the Muskets could not hang onto the ball, something they struggled with all night. They forced the Longhorns three and out again, but got the ball in much worse field position at their own 17. They marched down the field again, with Koch converting a fourth and inches at his own 27 with a sneak, Gabe Goff picking up 13 to the Longhorn 39, Koch following a blue wall for 28 yards to the 11. A Koch keeper brought them to the 1, but all of a sudden, on the next play, the ball squirted out and rolled all the way back to the 10, where there were only red shirts.

Platte Valley went three and out and this time, Parker Ogle caught the punt on the run and ran it back to the Longhorn 15. The Muskets only needed one play to punch it in as Korbin Koch scrambled for a touchdown with 1:26 left in the first.

But then Platte Valley started feeding it to Dalton Luke, and the more they fed him, the stronger he got and more difficult to tackle. The Muskets didn’t help themselves with a facemask penalty, one of several that they had that night. Finally, Arthur Giffin took a counter from 9 yards out to run into the end zone with 10:39 left to make it 14-6.

From there, Jordan Murphy started to play an increasingly disruptive presence in North/West’s backfield, pressuring Koch and blowing up plays. Neither side could do anything until North/West fumbled it away for the third time that night and proceeded to help the Longhorns out with a couple of facemask penalties late in the first half along with an offsides penalty. Finally, Luke twisted his way into the end zone with 1:17 left. Quarterback Patrick O’Connor tried to cut inside for the extra points, but met a blue wall and the lead was still 14-12.

It looked like it would stay that way even after North/West went three and out, but then right before half, O’Connor aired it out to Clayton Wilmes for a 45 yard strike with 18 seconds left to make it 18-14.

The bad thing about that score was that Platte Valley got the ball to start the second half. But it didn’t matter as North/West recovered a fumble at the Longhorns’ 35. Dylan Carden ripped off five, Gabe Goff dragged a host of red shirts 15 yards to the 15, and then Carden got into the end zone with 10:36 left. But then he was slammed into the fence afterwards and was done for the night (knee). Earlier, one of the red shirts had been shaken up after being slammed into the stairs leading up to the press box. Koch ran in the extra points to make it 22-18 with 10:36 left.

Platte Valley would drive from their own 15 to the Muskets’ 37, looking to retake the lead. But this time, a bad snap killed the drive and North/West got the ball back in good field position at their own 33. This time, North/West only needed one play to score as Jordan Murphy got sucked in on a sweep by Korbin Koch and he was off to the races for a 47 yard run with 5:32 left to make it 28-18.

Murphy, who had hurt North/West defensively, was done for the night and from there on out, North/West had no trouble moving the ball when they needed to.

Platte Valley finally got on the board; Dalton Luke should have been stopped for no gain on one play, but he broke tackle after tackle for 21 yards to the 36; two plays later, O’Connor aired it out again to Clayton Wilmes for 40 yards to the 3. There was a heartstopping moment as Koch was shaken up tackling him, but he recovered in time to lead the offense again. The tackling broke down again on Luke as he scored on the next play and nobody covered Wilmes, who caught a pass to make it 28-26.

But then North/West recovered and put together a nice long drive as they showed they could still move the ball without Carden in there. They penetrated as far as the Longhorns 31 before a fumble and a false start move them back to the 39. Faced with third and 18 at the 40, Koch took the ball down the left side and got two big blocks. He was seemingly stopped short of the first down, but then he reversed his field, found a wall of blockers down the right side of the field, and took off untouched for a score with 11:10 left in the game. It was the kind of play Dante Hall made all the time when he played for the Chiefs. Koch’s pass to Bix made it 36-26.

Once again, Dalton Luke carried the load for Platte Valley, and then started with good field position on their own 38 and marched right down the field to make it 36-34 with 6:47 left as Luke scored from 7 yards out and ran in the extra points.

There was a heartstopping moment as the ensuing kick was drilled off Tyler Blay; had Platte Valley recovered, they would have had a chance to take the lead. But Tyler Bix covered it and ran it back to their own 27. Gabe Goff bounced outside for 12 to the 39; a fumbled snap was fallen on by Koch and he bounced outside for 12 to the 28. Nobody blocked Bryson Roush on the next two plays as North/West went back to the 33 for third and 15, but then Koch scrambled for 10 to the 23 for fourth and five. North/West set up a spread draw and Koch found nothing but daylight after getting past the first level with 3:24 left.

Against Stewartsville, North/West had a chance to go up 10 and were denied in the fourth quarter; the Cardinals came back and won in double overtime. But this time, Koch rolled out to his left and threw back over to his right and Karson Oberhauser made the catch for the game-clinching extra points to make it 44-34.

Platte Valley still had a chance with a score and onsides kick, and a quick hitter to Arthur Giffin got them a first down at the Musket 37. But two plays later, Koch got a pick at the 25 with 1:56 left. Koch’s bootleg with 1:18 left picked up a first down and finally, they could kneel down for the win.

Koch had done well for the Muskets, but the one player who was singled out for praise by coach Cody Marriott, who was doused after his first coaching victory, was Gabe Goff. “He’s one of the most coachable kids I’ve ever had,” he said about his freshman blocking back. “He ran extremely hard, threw some great lead blocks, and did everything we asked him to do. He’s really grown up the last few weeks.” The stocky freshman was shooting up the charts in the weight room last year, and now, it is starting to pay off on the field.

Musket Football Can’t Shed Overtime Curse; Falls to Stewartsville

In 1995, North Nodaway, minus five of their starting players, took on Worth County and gave the eventual state champions all they could handle. The winner would have gone on to districts while the loser would have likely gone home. It was 22-22 after four quarters of play, in which both teams were giving everything they had. P.J. Sanders was the quarterback for Worth County, and he was known for his ability to run and throw. When his final regulation pass to Dustin Lambert squirted out of his grasp in the end zone, it looked like the Mustangs would dodge a bullet. But then Worth County stopped the Mustangs in double overtime, and then Sanders broke through on third and goal from the one and Worth County went on to win 28-22. They would go on to win state; North Nodaway would go on to be supplanted by Stanberry, a rising football power.

Folks at North Nodaway still talk about that game and what might have been. Ever since then, it seems that franchise has been cursed in overtime games. In 2003, Worth County denied the Mustangs’ two point conversion attempt to win 14-12 in overtime; North Nodaway won districts anyway that year when Stanberry beat Worth County 42-6 the following week. It was the last district title North Nodaway won on its own; in 2014, North Nodaway and West Nodaway won districts after forming a cooperative. In 2015, the overtime curse continued; the Muskets had a huge comeback against Albany and had a change to win in regulation with the game tied 54-54. But the Muskets couldn’t convert, and Albany went on to win 62-60 in overtime.

And once again, it happened Friday night. North/West Nodaway did everything they could to win against a loaded Stewartsville squad. They had their chances to win that game, and this time, it went to two extra periods. But once again, North/West Nodaway could not pull it off, falling to the Cardinals 42-36.

It was not for lack of effort or spirit. “I just wanted you all to know, I feel like a dying grandpa after cheering for you guys,” said sophomore Dalton Smyser to his teammates after the game and losing his voice in the process. “I’ve never been more proud of a team I’ve coached than I am of you guys tonight,” said coach Cody Marriott to his team.

Both teams traded blows throughout the first three quarters, with North/West Nodaway leading 24-22. They had one opportunity to add to their lead when Parker Ogle ran back a Cardinal punt to the Stewartsville 18. But a participation penalty, a blocking breakdown, and a pass breakup by Stewartsville’s Gage Rush killed the drive.

The slick field wreaked all sorts of havoc on the playcalling for both sides, and the Cardinals lost the ball on downs after a bad snap, putting North Nodaway in good field position at the Cardinal 36. Once again, they couldn’t convert as a false start set them back. Stewartsville drove as far as the Musket 32, when quarterback Gage Rush dropped back to air it out and Austin Bird missed a sack on him after having him dead in his sights. But somehow, Korbin Koch picked it off at the 8 and Stewartsville missed a chance to go on top.

North/West went three and out and Rush nearly ran back the punt, but Wade Torres made a shoestring tackle on him at the 25 to save a possible score. Isaiah Parker, Stewartsville’s main receiver, was open on one play, but Rush couldn’t connect. Finally, North/West took over on downs at their own 30.

North/West wasted little time getting into the end zone, as Gabe Goff went behind a blue wall for 16 yards to the 34. Korbin Koch then got loose as he swept to the left on a keeper and cut back to the right to get into the end zone with 9:06 left. But with a chance to go up two possessions, North/West could not convert. Koch wrestled and fought with the red shirts, tried to bounce it outside, but was brought down one yard short of the two point conversion that would have made it two possessions. North/West led 30-22 at that point.

The Muskets needed to have a stop on the ensuing kickoff, but Cain Rush got loose after two missed tackles and only Karson Oberhauser’s touchdown-saving tackle stopped them at the 39. A pass to Dusty Jones netted 9 yards to the 32, while Rush stiffarmed his way to the 22. A short pass to Keaton Nelson set up a pass over the middle to Jones with 7:15 left. A controversial play tied it up as Rush ran it in down the left side. The Muskets contended that the ball was coming out before he broke the plane, which would have negated the score. However, the call stood, and the game was tied at 30.
North/West was driving to take the lead again, but another controversial call ended the drive. With the Muskets having first and 10 at the Cardinal 34, Tyler Bix took a handoff and landed on his back. The ball popped out of his grasp as a result of his back hitting the ground, it was ruled a fumble, and Stewartsville ran it back to the Musket 34. The rule is that the ground cannot cause a fumble under any circumstances; however, that is a call that even officials at the NFL level have gotten wrong before.

The Cardinals sought to run out the clock as much as possible. A 15 yard pass to Parker, taller than any of the Musket defenders, put it on the 15. A block in the back wiped out a 14 yard run by Cain Rush, but Parker victimized the Muskets again, catching a 13 yard pass back to the 6. Dalton Martin picked up three more to the 3, but once again, the slick field wreaked havoc at the worst possible times for both teams. A bad snap busted the next play and Gage Rush was driven back to the 12. Martin caught a pass over the middle at the 2, but a hard tackle by one of the Muskets was not to his liking and he shoved the blue shirt after the play. That was a 15 yard penalty, and the ball was moved back to the 17, where the drive stalled.

With time running down for North/West, Korbin Koch scrambled for a first down at the 27 with 1:25 and scrambled for another at the Stewartsville 36 with 35 seconds left; had he not been knocked off balance, he might have gone all the way. But then a pair of delay of game penalties set the ball back to the Musket 34, and then the slick ball wreaked havoc as a bad snap squirted out of Koch’s grasp and the red shirts were on it at the North/West 22 with 24 seconds left.

But then Austin Bird was the man of the hour as he flushed out Gage Rush three times, forcing him to throw prematurely to avoid a sack. Finally, Korbin Koch broke up the final pass of regulation.
North/West got the ball first in the first extra period, and there was a heartstopping moment as they fumbled it on their first play and one of the red shirts pounced on it. But one of the blue shirts wrestled it back, and despite Stewartsville 300-pounder Kyler Holcomb trying to pull it out of the pile, they were able to hang on somehow. Koch took advantage of the break as he got through the first level on a quick hitter and found nothing but daylight to make it 36-30.

But Stewartsville tied it right back up as the taller Isaiah Parker got loose again for an 18 yard pass to the 7. With the Cardinals facing third and goal at the two, they sold a fake handoff perfectly, and Gage Rush was in to make it 36-36. Stewartsville had a chance to win it, but Dylan Carden put a big hit on Rush and dropped him.

Stewartsville got the ball to start, and it looked like North/West might hold after a pass breakup by Parker Ogle left them with third and 10 at the 25. But then Cain Rush came in at quarterback and aired it out to Gage Rush for the 25 yard strike. The extra point pass short-hopped Dusty Jones on a quick slant, which left North/West with a chance to tie or win. But on their first play from scrimmage, Koch tried to air it out, underthrew it, and Gage Rush got the pick to end the game.