A 34-20 junior varsity thrashing of Chanute won’t allow the Mustangs to get over the heartbreaking 15-12 loss they suffered last Friday at the hands of the Blue Comets, but for sophomore running back Tyler Garner, it certainly feels good.
“It was great,” Garner said. “I can’t tell you how great it was.”
Garner was all over the field for the Mustangs, hardly spending a play on the sidelines, with the team only suiting 16 players for the junior varsity game.
“We showed a lot of guts,” Iola coach Nick McAnulty said. “It looked like we about ran out of gas in the first quarter. It was just one of those where we just needed to hang on. We had guys cramping up and hopping over to the sideline, but hopping right back up when the next guy cramped up. They just showed a ton of guts and I couldn’t be more proud of them.””
Garner was determined to not let the numbers disadvantage matter. He ensured that it didn’t by carrying the Mustang offense with all five of its touchdowns and 215 yards on 23 carries.
“The key was teamwork,” Garner said. “Everybody put in something positive and we won as a team. I don’t consider myself a player that worries about personal statistics. It is the team. It is all about the team.”
Garner also led the defense with 10 total tackles and grabbed an interception.
“He is just a really hard worker,” McAnulty said. “He practices just like he plays. Everyday in practice, he gives everything he has and it shows out on the field. He does extra work running and he works extra hard in the weight room. He goes hard and he doesn’t know how to do it any other way.”
The offense was orchestrated by a pair of quarterbacks with sophomore Elijah Luedke running the show for much of the first half and freshman Casen Barker taking the reigns in the second half.
Neither quarterback was asked to do much in the passing game with the Mustangs only needing to attempt four passes to dispatch of the Comets, but each contributed in the running game.
Barker finished with 11 carries for 61 yards, while Luedke had six carries for 17 yards.
“I think this was the first time Elijah has played quarterback and Casen has played running back the last couple of years,” McAnulty said. “I thought they managed the game really well. They kept us in line and had us in the right spots. They did a great job.”
The Mustang defense was able to control the game. They only allowed 14 points until the game’s final play when a touchdown by the Comets as time expired made the score look less lop-sided.
“I was very impressed,” McAnulty said of his defense. “We would give up some big plays but we never got down. Somebody would just try to make a big play and get them for a loss.”
One of the primary players responsible for collecting those big plays was Alex Morrison. Five of Morrison’s seven tackles resulted in lost yardage and the junior terrorized Comet ball-carriers the entire game.
In addition to Garner and Morrison, a newcomer had a huge day for the Mustang defense. Dominic Ellis hasn’t played football for a full season until this year, but the freshman made a huge impact on Tuesday with nine tackles. Barker also had eight stops.
UP NEXT
The junior varsity makes the road trip to Prairie View next Monday.
