Tigers roll to quarterfinals

LENOX — Lenox didn’t let a slow start Friday night derail its third straight trip to the state quarterfinals.

Ar-We-Va (6-4) controlled the ball for the first 11 plays of the first quarter, and an apparent 17-yard Tiger touchdown run by quarterback Gabe Funk was nullified on their first possession as the ball was fumbled in the end zone and recovered by Ar-We-Va standout Wyatt Regaller.

It was still 0-0 with 4:16 left in the first quarter when Lenox running back Jordan Martin-England raced 37 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the next possession. The No. 1-ranked Tigers (10-0) cruised to a 41-6 victory.

Funk had some major redemption from the early lost score on the fumble. The senior quarterback rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries, completed 4-of-6 passes for 103 yards with no interceptions, intercepted two Ar-We-Va passes including one returned for a 37-yard touchdown, had five solo tackles as a safety (7.5 total), returned two punts and one kickoff for a total of 91 yards and converted 5-of-6 extra point kicks.

Funk was announced as KMA Radio’s AgriVision Equipment Group Player of the Night award after Friday’s southwest Iowa’s round of 16 games were completed.

Martin-England also had a productive night, rushing for 95 yards on six carries including the 37-yard scoring jaunt, two receptions for 68 yards, 8.5 tackles as a linebacker and a swatted pass in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal pass intended for leading Ar-We-Va receiver Wade Regaller. He was making his return from missing the win over Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton with an ankle injury.

“JJ is a good player. He reads the field really well,” said Tiger co-head coach Cole Bonde.

Martin-England said having a dual threat like Funk at quarterback opens up opportunities for him and Kolben Robinson in the backfield. Funk was mixing his handoffs to his backs, or pulling it in off the fake and running against the flow of the play for yardage on the back side.

“Gabe Funk is the best quarterback in the state and we have a really tough O-line, so you can’t really key on one guy and it’s tough tackling us,” Martin-England said. “They have to keep their eyes on Gabe because he’s one of the fastest guys in the state. Him being covered most of the time leaves running holes for me and Robinson.”

Robinson carried the ball seven times and Funk connected with tight end Caden Kaufman on two passes for 35 yards as the Tigers showed a passing threat.

“That last drive before we kneeled the ball when we needed some first downs, the sidelines were open so we just told them to run some deep fours and settles and we’ll throw it to you,” co-head coach Michael Nardini said. “We prefer to have a nice mix. With the weather getting a little colder, it gets a little trickier to pass, but it’s not impossible.”

One boost to the passing game on Thursday as the Tigers host Montezuma in the quarterfinals could be junior Laramie Stoaks, a 6-2, 175-pound junior receiver and defensive back who missed much of Friday’s game after aggravating an ankle injury.

Stoaks is the team’s leading receiver with 17 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and the team leader in pass interceptions in the secondary with four, including a TD return. He also has 29 tackles, with five for losses.

“Kolben Robinson kind of stepped in for Laramie because he’s been out for awhile,” Bonde said. “He stepped up in some big ways on pass defense and against the run. (Defensive end) Jack Reed got a lot of heat on the quarterback. For a freshman he handled the situation well.”

Reed was part of a defense that contained an offense had produced 1,752 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, mostly by Wyatt and Wade Regaller, and over 1,000 yards passing led by senior quarterback Blayne Smith. The only Rockets touchdown came on a 19-yard pass from Smith to Wade Regaller with five seconds left in a 28-6 first half.

Chase England (4.5 tackles for loss) and Brody Brokaw (team-high 9.0 tackles) were disruptive in Ar-We-Va’s attempts to sustain drives.

“Their quarterback is good, he throws a good ball,” Nardini said. “Their backs are good players. They have some very good pieces, but maybe not as many as we have. Our line played well. (Ar-We-Va) usually makes some plays by cutting back and tonight we did a good job of flowing to the ball.”

Bedford sidelined

During the other game in Eight-Player Pod A Friday night, it looked like another Taylor County matchup between District 8 rivals Bedford and Lenox was looming in the quarterfinals. After losing to Bedford twice last year, including a 36-24 setback in the quarterfinals at Bedford, the Tigers routed the Bulldogs 42-14 on Sept. 13 in Lenox in a game that decided the District 8 title.

On Friday, Bedford was leading 28-25 at Montezuma on Cal Peterman’s interception return for a touchdown with 8:07 left, before the Braves rallied to win 32-28. Brady Boulton’s go-ahead touchdown pass to Carter Michalek with 10 seconds remaining ended Bedford’s 10-2 season and the careers of 18 Bulldog seniors.

Boulton finished with 215 passing yards and two TDs against Bedford along with 97 rushing yards and a score. Michalek and David Rose each had six catches and Broox Stockman led the rushing attack with 132 yards on 18 carries.

Montezuma’s offense totaled 471 yards against Bedford’s No. 1-scoring defense in eight-player. Bedford had 236 yards including 154 yards rushing by Garrison Motsinger.

The Lenox coaching staff sees Montezuma as a dangerous team, despite its early-season loss to a Southeast Warren team that Lenox dominated, 55-8.

“They lost to Southeast Warren in week one, but then I think they changed some things in their offense,” Nardini said. “I think they run their quarterback more now, and they have some healthier kids. They have some athletic kids and some decent size in the line. They’re going to be a good matchup.”

Bonde agrees that the Tigers will have to be locked into a solid game plan to contain Montezuma’s multiple threats in both the run and pass game.

“They have big kids across the board,” Bonde said after a day of film study Saturday. “Their offense can attack you in many different ways. From quarterback runs and reads to their passing attack. Their quarterback is great at extending plays and hurting you with his feet.”

Kickoff is 7 p.m. Thursday at Lenox High School.

Lenox statistics

Rushing — Gabe Funk 14-138, 4 TD; Jordan Martin-England 6-95, 1 TD; Kolben Robinson 7-16; Gabriel Robles 2-6; Wylie Brokaw 1-5.

Passing — Funk 4-6-0 for 103 yards.

Receiving — Martin-England 2-68; Caden Kaufman 2-35.

Tackles (solo) — Brody Brokaw 9.0 (5), Robles 8.5 (3), Martin-England 8.5 (2), Funk 7.5 (5), Chase England 6.0 (4), Kaufman 4.0 (3), Owen Grundman 3.0, Jack Reed 1.5 (1), Wylie Brokaw 2.0 (1).

Tackles for loss — England 4.5, B. Brokaw 3.0, Martin-England 1.0, Kaufman 1.0, Reed 1.0.