The Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa

                  Tuesday, November 15, 2005
And now there are just two!!


Photo by Ken Boesenberg - Alex Boom breaks free for a nice gain against Williamsburg. Alex now owns 10 season and career rushing marks for West Delaware.

At the beginning of September 64 teams in Class 3A strapped it on with aspirations of making it the Dome and a chance to play in the State Championship game. Last night (Monday) the Hawks of West Delaware had those aspirations come to fruition when they defeated Williamsburg 34-27 in the Class 3A semi-finals. West Delaware will face the Cyclones of Harlan in the Class 3A title game on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Dome. Both teams will enter the contest with perfect 12-0 records.

The Hawks played a dominating first half against the Raiders, holding Williamsburg the 52 total yards including a negative 12 yards of rushing in 15 attempts. While the defense was stopping the Raiders cold the Hawk offense led by senior runningback Alex Boom rolled to a 14-0 lead at the half. Boom scored both of the Hawks first half touchdowns, the first on an 18-yard run with 6:07 left in the first quarter and the second on a 1-yard plunge just 28-seconds into the second quarter.

For the game Boom rushed for a season high 258 yards on 33 carries. He was not the only runner to do damage to the Raider defense. Senior Tony Brown picked up 57 yards on 14 carries and junior Zach McCool rushed 4 times for 62 yards as the Hawks rolled up 381 rushing yards in the game.

Williamsburg capitalized on a pair of Hawk fumbles last in the third quarter to cut a 21-point West Delaware lead to seven points with 1:26 left in the third quarter. The Raiders in their two previous play-off wins had taken full advantage of their opponents turnovers and last night was no exception.

The Hawks bounced back following the third Raider touchdown with a 61-yard scoring drive of their own to up their lead to 14-points when Boom scored from 13-yards out with 9:29 left in the game. Boom’s touchdown run was set up by a 22-yard scamper by Zach McCool to the Raider 15.

Photo by Ken Boesenberg - Tony Brown (#44) and Mike Havertape (#68) combine to bring down a Raider runner for little or no gain during last nights 34-27 victory in the Dome.

Photo by Ken Boesenberg -

Teammates, Zach McCool (left) and Alex Boom (right) watch as the scoreboard clock nears zero.



BELIEVE IT!
Krogmann’s 42-yard field goal sends Hawks to semi-finals

Dick Wolf or Jerry Bruckheimer could not have written a more suspense filled ending to a high school football game.

Down by a point, a minute and 19 seconds left and 78-yards to negotiate with the season on the line, how much more exciting could it be?

The intensity just kept growing. On the Hawks first two plays of the final drive sophomore quarterback BJ Hermsen was flushed out of the pocket and had to scramble. The first time he gained three yards up the middle. The second time he was able to get out of bounds in front of the West Delaware bench at the Hawk 33.

There were just 32 precious ticks left on the game clock when Hermsen hooked up with senior wide-out Tyler Jackson for 26 yards and a first down at the Decorah 40-yardline.

A holding call on Decorah moved the ball to the Viking 30 with 25 seconds left. Three straight incomplete passes left the Hawks facing a 4-10 from the Viking 30.

On came the field goal unit and senior kicker Justin Krogmann to prepare for a 47-yard field goal with a mere 12 seconds left on the clock.

Following a series of time outs by both teams, four in all the Vikings jumped off sides which moved the ball five yards closer.

Forty-two yards out, the same distance that Krogmann had converted from in the Hawks 31-18 win over New Hampton just six days earlier.

Center Tony Marbach hiked the ball perfectly to the best hands man on the team, Zach McCool, who made the set.

Krogmann hit the ball square and the crowd erupted as the ball sailed easily over the cross bar and into the net behind the goal posts.

As the crowd screamed and the players and coaches jumped with joy the scoreboard changed from Home 27, Visitors 26 to Home 27, Visitors 29.



KEN BOESENBERG/Press Zach McCool (top photo) gives the Hawks great field position with this punt return late in the second quarter which led to the Hawks second score of the game. Tony Brown (bottom photo) nearly breaks loose from a pair of would be Viking tacklers. Brown gained 22-yards on the play which led to the Hawks first score of the game.


KEN BOESENBERG/Press The Hawks Justin Krogmann kicks one of his PAT’s during the Hawks 29-27 come from behind win over Decorah. Justin kick the game winning 42-yard field goal to beat the Vikings with 12 seconds left in the game.

This was a game of momentum, momentum that swung back and forth, sometimes quickly and sometimes rather slowly.

Neither team was able to move the ball on their first possession. Decorah ended up with the better of the field position following the exchange of punts.

They took advantage of that field position to score the games first points when the Vikings Jason Olsgard capped off a 52-yard, eight play drive with a 7-yard TD run with 6:30 left in the first quarter.

The extra point kick was no good, leaving the Vikings with a 6-0 lead.
The Hawks went three and out on their second possession.

Decorah then went three and out. This time the Hawks got the better of the field position with the ball resting at the Decorah 40 yard line.

Senior Tony Brown bolted up the middle for 22-yards to the Viking 18. Another carry by Brown netted three yards to the 15. Alex Boom then banged his way for 10 yards to the Viking five for a first and goal.

After a Tony Brown run that was stopped for no gain, BJ Hermsen faked a hand off up the middle, rolled to his left and dove into the endzone for the Hawks first score.

Krogmann’s successful PAT gave the Hawks a 7-6 lead with 1:22 left in the first quarter.

Decorah put together a 10-play drive following the Hawk kick off that moved them to the West Delaware 19. It was there that senior Dustin Jaeger intercepted a Luke Leidahl pass and returned it 29 yards to the Hawk 31-yard line.

The Hawks put together a very nice drive down to the Viking 1/2 yard line before the Viking defense held on fourth and short.

Earlier in the drive with the Hawks facing a third and fifteen from the Decorah 37 quarterback BJ Hermsen hooked up with Zach McCool for 27 yards and a first down at the Viking 10.

McCool would have a hand in a number of big plays over the course of the rest of the game.

The Hawks defensive front put a huge amount of pressure on the Decorah line and forced the Vikings to punt the ball from deep in their own endzone.

Jordan Kraayenbrink, the Viking punter, had to hurry his punt and hit a line drive that Zach McCool caught at the Viking 33 and returned straight up the field to the 21.

Four plays later senior Alex Boom crossed the goal line from five yards out. With Krogmann’s PAT the Hawks went ahead by eight points, 14-6 with 1:11 left in the first half.

West Delaware got the ball to start the second half and put together a very impressive 12-play 73-yard drive.

The 12th play was one of beauty as BJ Hermsen tossed a perfectly thrown ball into the endzone where Zach McCool went up between two Decorah defenders to catch the ball for 25-yard TD pass.

Decorah was able to block the PAT, leaving the score 20-6 in favor of the Hawks with 5:53 left in the third quarter.

Up to scores with just 12 minutes to play, not a bad situation. But this game was far from over.

Decorah showed why they were district champions as they scored on their first two possessions of the fourth quarter and knotted the score at 20-20 on a Jordan Kraayenbrink 11-yard touchdown run with 6:57 left in the game.

A huge momentum swing.

The Hawk offense which at times i like lightning in a bottle showed that they were able to grab mo by the horns and swing him back in their favor.

After a false start following the Decorah kick-off BJ Hermsen hooked up with Tyler Jackson on one of the pretties pass, catch and runs that you would have seen all year. The play covered 85-yards with Jackson running away from a pair of Decorah defenders over the final 50+ yards.

The score put the Hawks up 26-20. Krogmann’s PAT attempt was wide to the left, leaving the Hawks with a six point lead and 6:45 left to protect it.

Decorah once again came back with a huge 12-play, 82 yard drive that consumed four minutes and 20 seconds of the clock to take a one point lead at 27-26 with 1:24 left in the game.

Big mo had changed sides again.

Then came the drive, the kick and the win.

The win moved the Hawks into the semi-finals for the first time since 1995 and for just the fourth time in school history.

Previous semi-final appearances were made by the state championship team of 1991 and the state runner-up teams of 1993 and 1995.

The Hawks will face Williamsburg (8-3) on Monday, November 14 (last night) for a chance to advance to the Class 3A Championship game on Saturday, November 19th.

Game stats
vs. Decorah
First downs - Hawks 13, Vikings 16; rushing - Hawks 35-159; Vikings 52-297; passing - Hawks 6-15-185 yards, Vikings 5-16-1-91; total yardage - Hawks 344, Vikings 388; punts - Hawks 4-37 yard average, Vikings 3-34 yard average; fumbles - Hawks 0-0, Vikings 1-0; penalties - Hawks 3-25, Vikings 4-35.

Individual leaders
Rushing - Alex Boom 17-90, Tony Brown 10-53, BJ Hermsen 4-9, Zach McCool 2-4, Nate Lahr 2-3; Passing - BJ Hermsen 6-15-185; Receiving - Zach McCool 3-61, Austin Cole 1-12, Tyler Jackson 2-112; tackles - Kyle Topping 2, Seth Wendt 2, Dustin Jaeger 11, Chris HArbaugh 6, Alex Boom 1, Brian McWilliams 1, Nate Lahr 10, Jett MacTaggert 6, Justin Krogmann 1, Tyler Jackson 7, Jamie Hass 9, Nate Allison 6, Brad McDonald 4, Tony Brown 5, Mike Havertape 2, Steven Durey 2, Nathan King 10, Brett Manternach 4.
This group of West Delaware students enjoyed a “Tail Gate” party before the start of the Hawk game agaisnt Decorah.


Class A, District 4 all-district teams

1st Team Offense
Mitch Peterson, back, Preston; John Grant, line, Preston; Matt Sproston Alger, line, Lisbon; Zach Butteris, back, Lisbon; Trent Rasmussen, quarterback, Lisbon; Dan Molloy, end, Springville; Alex Riniker, back, East Buchanan; Chase Forkenbrock, back, Ed-Co; Eric Ausborn, line, Ed-Co; Kraig Steger, line, Ed-Co; Brock Rouse, end, Olin; Joel Ahrendesen, line, Olin; Mitch Blythe, line, Central City; Korey Johnson, quarterback, Alburnett; Offensive MVP - Colton Hansen, senior, Olin.

1st Team Defense
Casey Skrivseth, linebacker, Preston; Joe Wenzel, line, Preston; Keith Dennie, back, East Buchanan; Brett Wulfekuhle, line, East Buchanan; Spenser Smith, back, Ed-Co; Gus Mormann, linebacker, Ed-Co; Nick Bitner, linebacker, Central City; Kasey Bean, linebacker, Olin; Josh Gendreau, linebacker, East Central; Chris Fisher, line, Alburnett; Jordan Bergre, linebacker, Alburnett; Marquis Stephens, back, Lisbon; Eric Bensyhek, back, Lisbon; Devin Fox, linebacker, Lisbon; Defensive MVP - Steve Coon, senior, Lisbon. Punter - Matt Holt, East Buchanan; Kicker - Mat Silver, Central City.

2nd Team Offense
Justin Krogman, Preston; Pat Carpenter, Central City; Tyler Hackbarth, Ed-Co; Ryan Putz, Ed-Co; Andrew Mass, East Buchanan; Eric Acker, East Buchanan; Will Bair, Lisbon; Ethan Kamerling, Lisbon; Cody Young, Alburnett; Bill Aierners, Alburnett; Justin Rix, Olin; Justin Smith, Olin.

2nd Team Defense
Trevan Tebbe, Preston; Nate Whitmore, Preston; Jesse Smith, Springville; Kevin Wurster, Springville; Cody Schmitz, Central City; Derek Lentz, East Buchanan; Brian Daker, Ed-Co; Lance Lake, Ed-Co; Jacob Scroggin, Central City; Andy Sanger, East Central; Jordin Bakke, Lisbon; Caleb Edgerly, Lisbon; Russell Klein, Olin.

Honorable Mention
East Buchanan - Jared Grover, Adam White; Preston - Evan Trenkamp; Ed-Co - Tad Billmeyer, Aaron Wulfekuhle; Springville - James Paulson, David Smyth, Jamie Chappell; East Central - Bo Moore, Brian Lafollette, Dustin Moss; Olin - Justin Lowinski, Marshal Bassett; Lisbon - Tylor Rickard; Central City - Dalton Price, Eli Hunerdosse; Alburnett - Matt Hollan, Brent Crowe.

Coach of the Year
Dave Millis of Ed-Co.




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