In the past two weeks, Iola High has stood toe to toe with a pair of the toughest high schools in southeast Kansas.
While the Mustangs lost both contests, and were eliminated from postseason contention Friday with a 34-7 loss to Fort Scott High, Iola again showed off a hard-nosed edge indicative of team eager to join the cadre of Class 4A powerhouses.
But an early offensive explosion by Fort Scott, coupled with a handful of missed chances for Iola, shows the Mustangs aren’t there yet.
The Tigers scored on their first three drives of the game to open a 20-0 lead before Iola seized momentum.
The Mustangs’ Zeph Larney recovered a muffed punt by Fort Scott’s Marques Floyd early in the second quarter, setting Iola up at the Fort Scott 12.
But the drive came up empty when Iola fumbled the ball right back four plays later.
Iola snuffed the ensuing Tiger drive when Jacob Rhoads recovered a fumble at the Mustang 17.
The recovery led to a mammoth, 19-play, 76-yard drive. But the 8-minute possession came up empty when Floyd intercepted a Mason Coons pass into the end zone with less than a minute left in the second quarter.
“We told the kids that we had two or three opportunities right there that we couldn’t capitalize on,” Iola head coach Doug Kerr said. “When you’re going up against a good team like Fort Scott you have to take advantage of those chances.”
Iola was hardly dissuaded, taking the opening possession of the second half 79 yards on 13 plays, capped by a three-yard touchdown run by John Whitworth with 6:56 left in the period.
Fort Scott responded, showing why it’s the fourth-ranked Class 4A team in the state.
The Tigers went 63 yards on 14 plays — even though Iola thought it gained possession at one point on what was ruled an incomplete pass, but many thought was a fumble.
Floyd’s 20-yard run with 1:05 left in the third stretched the lead to 28-7.
Iola went three-and-out on its next possession, before Fort Scott capped the scoring with an eight-yard touchdown run by Floyd — his third of the game — with 9:32 left on the clock.
“We want to build our program up to something like Fort Scott, and we’re getting better,” Kerr said. “But when you get in the red zone, you have to come away with points.
“Now, we want to end the season (Thursday) at Anderson County and get our sixth win, which is one of our goals,” Kerr continued. “We hope to keep building the excitement that we’ve developed during the season.”
Fort Scott took the game’s opening drive 83 yards on eight plays, capped by a six-yard Floyd touchdown run.
The Tigers’ Zach Denton followed with a one-yard touchdown at the 3:48 mark of the first quarter.
Floyd’s 53-yard punt return following Iola’s next possession set the Tigers up at Iola’s 16. Victor Hughes ran off those 16 yards on one play to put the lead at 20-0.
Whitworth rushed 17 times for 52 yards to lead the Mustangs, while Rhoads traveled 46 yards on nine carries. Coons was 3 of 12 passing for 99 yards. Tyler McIntosh completed his only attempt for seven yards.
Adam Kauth had 61 yards on three receptions, Eric Heffern had 28 yards on two catches and Rhoads had two catches for 21 yards.
On defense, Iola was led by Kaden Macha’s 12 tackles — eight unassisted — while Rhoads and Heffern had eight tackles apiece. Whitworth and McIntosh had five stops each.
Iola (5-3 overall and 8-2 in Class 4A, District 6 play) ends the season Thursday at Anderson County High in Garnett. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Fort Scott 20-0-8-6—34
Iola 0-0-7-0—7
FS — Floyd 6 yd run (kick failed)
FS — Denton 1 yd run (Floyd run)
FS — Hughes 16 yd run ((kick failed)
Iola — Whitworth 3 yd run (Macias kick)
FS — Floyd 20 yd run (Allen pass from Stark)
FS — Floyd 8 yd run (kick failed)
FS Iola
First Downs 16 13
Rushes-yds 46-285 48-133
Passing yds 79 110
Total Offense 364 243
Passing 5-9-0 8-20-1
Fumbles-lost 3-2 3-2
Punts 0 5/29
Penalties 3-25 5-40
Tigers strike early in 34-7 win
