Keeping with the homecoming theme, “Blast from the Past,” the Lynnville-Sully Hawks blasted Colfax-Mingo, 58-0, to cap off homecoming on Friday, Sept. 30.
The Hawks came charging on to the field sporting their blue jerseys and gold pants, another blast from the past and tribute to the 1986 Hawks, who brought home the school’s football championship title that season. The boys in blue wasted no time taking care of business on Friday night. The Hawks’ defense went to work right away, allowing little movement and forcing the Tigerhawks to punt on fourth down. It took just two snaps once L-S had possession of the ball to reach the endzone. The first touchdown came with just under a minute taken off the first-quarter clock on a four-yard run by junior Corder Noun Harder. Junior CJ Nikkel took the snap on the two-point conversion and cruised across the goal line to give the Hawks an early 8-0 lead.
The Hawks’ next touchdown, after the L-S defense again forced Colfax into a punting situation, came on the first play. Sophomore Lannon Montgomery let loose his cannon, lofting up a 54-yard pass and letting the wheels of senior Conner Maston chase it down for a touchdown reception. The Hawks led, 14-0, with 7:48 left in the first quarter.
The Hawks went on to score three more times in the first quarter. Noun Harder danced into the endzone with 5:50 left in the first and the PAT by junior Lucas Sieck was good to put L-S up, 21-0. It was Noun Harder again who kept his legs pumping and was able to slip out of the pack for paydirt with 2:35 left in the first to increase the lead to 27-0.
L-S gave the Tigerhawks their best offensive position of the night with a late hit penalty that put Colfax-Mingo at the 42-yard line. The momentum for the Tigerhawks didn’t last long as they threw an interception into the hands of sophomore Terran Gosselink, who ran the ball to C-M’s 10-yard line. The Hawks put up three more points on a 26-yard field goal by Sieck to lead, 30-0, after one quarter of play.
The offensive woes for the Tigerhawks continued, and they were again forced to punt. Senior Mathias Torres got a piece of the punt, and the Hawks had good field advantage at the Tigerhawks’ 36-yard line. The handoff went to Nikkel who ran on the outside, spun, and found the endzone. Sieck’s kick sailed through the uprights to give the Hawks a 37-0 lead with 10:44 left in the second.
Lynnville-Sully scored on their next offensive drive, this time a 46-yard run by senior Kyle Squires. The PAT was good, and the Hawks led, 43-0, with 6:44 left to play in the half. Just before halftime, the Tigerhawks moved the chains, first on a facemask penalty on the Hawks, and they then had a big pass reception for a first down. On fourth down, the Tigerhawks went for it and threw it right into the hands of Noun Harder for a pick six. The PAT was good, and the Hawks took a 51-0 lead into halftime.
Senior Bryce Richards fielded the short Tigerhawk kick to start the second half. Montgomery con-nected with senior Caleb Rea on the next offensive series to move the chains, but snap problems resulted in the Hawks turning the ball over on downs.
The Hawks repaid the favor and took the ball over on downs after the Tigerhawks’ failed attempt on fourth down. Sophomore Aidan Stock ran the ball in 27 yards for the touchdown. The Hawks’ PAT was good to put the score at 58-0, which is what the scoreboard would read at the end of the game.
“We really clicked on Friday night. Defense was lights out, and our offense looked really in-sync,” said head coach Mike Parkinson. “We won in all phases of the game, and we did the little things the right way – taking care of the football, creating turnovers, QB pressure, and connecting on important passing plays. Overall, we ran the ball really effectively and our defense took away what C-M was trying to do.”
Junior Keegan DeWitt tackles a C-M receiver in the Hawks' 58-0 shutout. DeWitt had three tackles on the night.
Lynnville-Sully’s domination was felt in every statistical category. The Hawks averaged more yards per carry (11.8) than Colfax-Mingo gained all night on the ground (eight). Noun Harder led the rushing attack with 110 yards on six carries and three touchdowns. He also had a pick six. Nikkel had four carries for 79 yards and scored once. Squires racked up 50 rushing yards on just two carries, one of those being a touchdown run.
Maston was the Hawks’ leading receiver with the 54-yard touchdown reception. Rea hauled in a 33-yard pass. Montgomery went 2-3 in passing for a total of 85 yards.
Defensively, the Hawks gave Colfax-Mingo no breathing room, holding them to just 78 total offensive yards – eight on the ground and 70 through the air. Squires and senior Lane Fisk led in tackles with five each. Richards, Torres, and junior Keegan DeWitt collected three.
The leg of Sieck remained busy Friday night. He hit a 26-yard field goal, went 4-5 in PATs, and racked up 531 yards on 10 kickoffs. The punt team only had to come on the field once in the fourth quarter. Maston booted a 43-yard punt and pinned the Tigerhawks inside the five-yard line.
The win pushes the Hawks’ record to 6-0. L-S has been a powerhouse all year, outscoring their opponents 276-34. And it’s not only the varsity team getting the job done on the gridiron – the JV football team has outscored their opponents 280-14. Together, the Hawks boast a 556-48 advantage over their opponents this season.
L-S makes a big road trip to Ogden on Friday, Oct. 7. Only two games remain in districts – at Ogden on Friday and L-S will close out the regular season at home against Belle Plaine on Oct. 14. The Hawks would love to see their fans in the stands, cheering loud and proud!
