Sigourney-Keota head coach Jared Jensen celebrates with Jake Moore after the Cobras 20-14 overtime win over Mediapolis.
Long after the stands had emptied and the field was cleared last Friday, October 28th, the Sigourney-Keota seniors gathered in front of the scoreboard for a picture to commemorate their final victory inside the Snake Pit.
This was no run-of-the-mill victory for Aidan Anderson, Jack Clarahan, Clay Morse, Karson Weber, Cole Clarahan, Matt Brainard, Carter McCoid, DJ Hammes and Clayton Visser. This was a legacy-defining win - one that clinched Sigourney-Keota a spot in the Class 1A Quarterfinals for the third year in a row.
“These are the games you’re going to remember for the rest of your lives,” Sigourney-Keota head coach Jared Jensen told the players after the game. “Those 50 point blowouts are great, but these types of games are the ones you will look back on when you get older. This is what playoff football is all about.”
When looking back at this win, the best place to start is with the Cobra defense, a group that defined the term “bend but don’t break” Friday night.
Facing arguably their toughest offense of the season, the Cobras gave up over 300 rushing yards, but when it mattered most - they made the big stops, ultimately holding a team averaging 36 points per game to two scores.
“Our defense played well all game long,” Jensen said. “We gave up first downs, but didn’t give up any big plays and when we needed the big plays we got them.”
After Sigourney-Keota’s first possession of the game ended in a punt, Mediapolis became the first team to score before the Cobras this season. The Bulldogs 1,000-yard senior running back Anthony Isley scored on a three yard touchdown run.
The Cobras second possession ended with a punt and that’s when Coach Jensen went to work. While the defense was in the game, Jensen was on the bench, Ipad in hand, plotting their next move.
A fourth down stop by the defense gave Sigourney-Keota the opportunity they needed and the Cobras struck when junior quarterback Sawyer Stout completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Clay Morse. Unwilling to go down, Morse fought off the Mediapolis defender on his way to the score.
“Clay’s touchdown was a fantastic football play,” Jensen said. “Great decision and throw by Sawyer and a great catch, run and use of strength to break the tackle and the rest was history.”
For the game, Stout completed three of eight passes for 112 yards with one touchdown.
Midway through the second quarter, Mediapolis extended the lead to 14-6 on another three yard touchdown run by Isley. Sigourney-Keota responded just before the break, scoring on a three yard touchdown run of their own by Cole Clarahan with 19 seconds left. Clarahan then converted the ensuing two point conversion, knotting the game at 14-14.
In the third quarter the two defensive units traded stops as neither offense was able to break the tie. The majority of the fourth quarter played out the same, both defenses making the big plays when they needed it most.
Mediapolis had the chance to take the lead with just under two minutes left in the game when junior kicker Drew Miller, who showed off an impressive leg during warm ups, lined up for a long field goal attempt. Fortunately for Sigourney-Keota, the kick fell well short.
After a Sigourney-Keota interception, Mediapolis had one last chance for a hail mary as time expired, but their pass fell incomplete.
In overtime, the Cobras started with the ball and Cole Clarahan crossed the goal line for the second time, giving Sigourney-Keota their first lead of the game, 20-14.
With the cloud of a missed extra point looming over the Snake Pit, the Cobra defense took the field for one last stand. Three plays later, everything came down to fourth and goal from their own three yard line.
Junior linebacker Reid Molyneux, who finished the game with 11 total tackles, made the play of the game, initiating the contact with Isley, allowing for his teammates to help him secure the victory sealing tackle.
Molyneux’s linebacker cohort, Jack Clarahan, had a game for the ages, finishing with a game high 15 tackles. Junior Jake Moore had eight tackles while fellow junior Cole Kindred finished with six.
This Friday, Sigourney-Keota continues their quest to the Dome when they travel to Van Meter (9-1) to play in the Iowa Class 1A Quarterfinals. Van Meter, who’s been ranked in the top three all season, is a formidable foe and Coach Jensen knows his Cobras will have to be at their very best Friday night if they want to punch their ticket to the Semifinals in the UNI Dome.
“Van Meter’s record speaks for itself. They’ve continued to have a championship culture for years,” Jensen said. “This is Quarterfinal football, and we have to come out and execute at a high level every single play for the entire game. It’s a shot at the Dome and we’ve got to bring our A game and get after the Bulldogs.”
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