(Audubon) The Audubon football team will get a chance this week to avenge their only loss on year. On Wednesday morning the Wheelers play in an 8-Player state semifinal against CAM.
They’ll look to reverse the outcome of a 58-42 home setback in Week 5. Coach Sean Birks says, “We’ve got to do things better in all aspects. We had two turnovers early in the game, we failed on fourth down multiple times, we had costly penalties. We just didn’t play well enough, but yet we still hung around. It gives us some hope that if we play a little cleaner, you add in (Joey Schramm and Matt Beisswenger) back, hopefully we can be there for a four quarter game. It’s a tough challenge this week. CAM is really, really good.”
Audubon has an advantage of having been there before recently. The Wheelers were a state runner-up in 2019. “We’ve been through this routine of going up the night before, practicing on the road, get to the hotel, go to bed, wake up, eat breakfast, warm up early in the morning, do the pictures before the game, kind of everything that goes with that.” Birks says, “I do appreciate and think it’ll be a little advantage, but probably you won’t notice it a whole lot. I do sleep a little bit easier knowing we’ve been there and done that and know the little details like where to park and how the locker rooms are set up so it does help us out a little bit.”
Coach Sean Birks expresses concern over a CAM defense that has allowed under ten points per game over their last four contests. “When they’ve got two defensive ends like Cade Ticknor and Colby Rich and a linebacker like Joe Kauffman, and a safety like Lane Spieker and you go right on down the list, there’s so many things that are tough to do. Even if you draw it up on a white board with the X’s and O’s a lot of times it comes down more to the Jimmy’s and Joe’s.” He adds, “It’s so hard to block those guys because they are so good with their hands and their feet. We are going to have to be content with three and four yard games when in previous games those may have been seven or eight yards or even touchdowns.”
No matter what happens, Southwest Iowa will have a representative in the 8-Player finals and a team from 8-Player District 10 will be playing for a championship. “We’ve got a lot of mutual respect for them and I think they do too.” Birks points out, “It’s unfortunate we had to play this week and that it couldn’t be next week, not that that would be a guarantee. But here it is, here’s a chance. One of us is going to get to play for a state title next week and only one of us. Our district was extremely tough. Both of us are well prepared because of the teams in our area.”
Gavin Smith has been the straw that has stirred Audubon’s drink this season. The senior quarterback has 2,074 rushing yards and 995 passing yards. He’s had a hand in 56 offensive touchdowns. Carter Andreasen has rushed for 743 yards on 77 carries with 12 TD’s.
The Wheelers have downed unbeaten Montezuma 63-14 and undefeated WACO 34-30 in back-to-back weeks to advance to the dome. Braden Wessel returned a punt 70 yards for the go-ahead score in the final minutes of Audubon’s quarterfinal final win.
Coach Birks has stressed to his team that they are making memories of a lifetime and need to soak everything in that they can. KSOM will broadcast Wednesday’s matchup with pregame starting at 9:30 a.m. The game starts at 10:00.
Audubon coach Sean Birks:
