(Cedar Falls, IA) Dreams do come true after all. Earlier in the week, Brenton Kramer the leading tackler for the Tri Center Trojans remembered playing in his back yard with now fellow seniors Carter Kunze, Brant Freeberg and Landon Ward. Now they were playing on the carpet of the UNI-Dome and on Thursday afternoon they walked away with the school’s first ever state title in a 14-10 win over the defending champion West Hancock Eagles.
It was the lowest scoring game of the year for the Tri Center offense but the Trojans defense frustrated the Eagles all night long and forced them into 3rd and long and some 4th downs as well — West Hancock would go 4 of 10 on 3rd down and 0 of 3 on 4th down. The Eagles were held to 207 yards of rushing. And Carter Kunze who was named the MVP of the game would dominate on offense and defense.
Tri Center would score on the first possession of the game as QB A.J. Harder would lob a pass to Kunze from 38 yards out for a TD to make it 7-0. West Hancock would answer with a long drive and faced a 3rd and 1 at the TC8 but a false start penalty moved them back to the 13 yard line. Brady Bixel ran for only 2 setting up a 4th and 4 and the Eagles tried a halfback pass with Teague Smith but it was dropped and Tri Center took over on their own 11.
After an exchange of punts, Tri Center started at their own 20 and got the ball at midfield. Facing a 4th and 4 at the WH45, Harder’s pass to Cael Witt was incomplete and the Eagles had great field position. Gastavo Gomez would break one for a 49 yard TD run to tie the game at 7-7.
The Trojans would get the score back as Kunze continued to pound yards on the ground, Harder hit Zach Nelson for 11 on 3rd and 2. Later in the drive it was 4th and 6 and Harder found Nelson for 12. Two plays later Kunze was in the end zone from 4 yards out and Tri Center led at the half 14-7.
West Hancock had won the toss before the game and had deferred so they got it to start the 3rd quarter went back to their bread and butter — the run. Brady Bixel ran for 25, then for 18. QB Zephyr Jamtgaard found Bixel on a 19 yard screen play down to the TC 2. After three straight tackles for losses by Kunze, Cael Witt and Kunze again, West Hancock had to settle for a 25 yard field goal by Zach Beukema to make it 14-10 Trojans.
The rest of the game was a tug of war. Tri Center fumbled it on their next possession near midfield but West Hancock went 3 and out. Starting at their own 43, Tri Center moved again into Eagle territory — Harder hit Witt for 15 on 3rd and 11, Harder found Johnson for 8 on 3rd and 4. The game moved into the 4th quarter and on 4th and Goal from the WH 2, Harder would throw it to Witt in the end zone who looked like he caught the low wobbler — everybody on press row thought he caught it and replays showed he caught it but it was ruled incomplete.
From their own 2 yard line, West Hancock now got the break they needed and were still only one score down. By now, Bixel was on the bench with his arm in the sling so they went to Gomez who pounded the Eagles out of trouble with five straight runs. After a short pass, West Hancock faced a 4th and 6 from their own 17 so Beukema would kick it and the boot went 64 yards all the way to the TC19. The problem was it now allowed the Trojans to use clock and they would do exactly that, taking the ball with 6:58 left in the game. Kunze went for 17. Harder hit Witt for 4. On 3rd and 6, Harder found Nelson for 7. After Kunze went for 6 and 1, Harder was denied on 3rd and 3 so he pooched the ball down to the WH16 but the Trojans had used a little over 3 minutes.
West Hancock had it with 3:17 left and after three straight runs, Jamtgaard was incomplete on 2nd and 10 and again on 3rd and 10. After a false start and facing a 4th and 15, Athan Chessmore got pressure on Jamtgaard and the ball floated way short for an incomplete pass. Tri Center went to victory formation and claimed the school’s first ever state title.
Kunze finished with 36 carries for 168 yards and 1 rushing TD plus had 2 catches for 62 yards 1 receiving TD plus led the Trojans in tackles with 7.5 and 3.5 TFL. Harder was 17-24 for 207 yards and 1 TD. Nelson had 7 catches for 78 yards and Witt 6 catches for 46 yards. Total offense: Tri Center 153 rushing, 207 passing, 360 total.
For West Hancock, Brady Bixel had 14 carries for 100 yards; Gustavo Gomez 12 carries for 87 yards; Zephyr Jamtgaard was 3-9 passing for 33 yards. The Eagles end their season at 12-1.
Tri Center had won 12 games the last three seasons combined — today they finish 12-1.
Post Game Interview with Head Coach Ryan Schroder
Post Game Interview with Carter Kunze
Post Game Interview with AJ Harder
Post Game Interview with Zach Nelson
