(Underwood, IA) – The Underwood Eagles continue to see phases of success along the way. Not only have they been able to play well defensively, they earned a shutout win over AHSTW 42-0. Head coach Nate Mechaelsen knows that the answer is to get off to fast starts as they have all season and rely on their momentum early to carry the Eagles throughout the entirety of the competition.
The defense was able to keep the Vikings scoreless throughout the entire game, something that they have done for the sixth time this season. Underwood is one of the only teams in the Class 1A quarterfinals to shut out a team six times, as MFL MarMac shut out four teams overall. The best part of this Underwood defense is that they are focused on what they need to do as a team. Both Graham Jensen and Sam Schoening have been working together to put up some impressive stats this season. Jensen has 60.5 tackles with two sacks and 16 tackles for loss while Schoening has 51 tackles, one sack, and seven tackles for loss. They are just two players who continue to hold the gel for this Eagles team.
While the defense has been impressive overall, so has the offense. One player that sticks out is Maddox Nelson who rushed for 254 yards and three touchdowns in the last game against AHSTW. Overall, the senior has rushed for 1,187 yards and has earned 14 rushing touchdowns. He is joined alongside Graham Jensen who is second on the team in rushing yards with 427 yards and 10 touchdowns. They are two guys who are always getting better and are hard to stop downfield.
One player that many haven’t looked at this season is Gus Bashore. The kicker has been very consistent on extra points going 53-55 with one missed and another blocked. Bashore has handled the kickoffs this season with 28 touchbacks and is 3-8 on field goals. He has also played a defensive role for the Eagles with 18 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. This special teams player has played a special role this season.
This week, Underwood takes on OABCIG in a quarterfinal matchup. The Falcons just recently beat Treynor 35-14 and relied heavily on the passing game. Brysen Kolar led in the game with 216 passing yards and two touchdowns. He has not relied on just one receiver this season, but rather a multitude of receivers, which makes this Falcons team even more dangerous on offense. Coach Mechaelsen knows that his team needs to be at their absolute best overall defensively, just as they were against AHSTW.
On the opposite side of the field, the Falcons also forced three fumbles and had three interceptions against Treynor while also earning three sacks in the last game. If Underwood is offensively consistent this Friday, then that consistency will work in their favor. The Eagles have had the fortune to run both elements of the passing game and the running game effectively which shows in their record and games this season.
OABCIG hosts Underwood in a quarterfinal matchup tonight, with a kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
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