(Oakland, IA) — Cooper Hamilton kicked a game ending 32 yard field goal giving St. Albert a 19-16 win over Riverside in the Class A playoffs on Friday night.
As it turned out, Hamilton scored all of the Falcons points on the night with two TD catches, two field goals and an extra point.
Hamilton put the Falcons on the board on their first drive with a 33 yard field goal after a 38 yard TD pass was pulled off the board on offensive holding.
Riverside answered with a long drive from their own 20 yard line and Mason Houser scored on a five yard TD run to make it 7-3 Bulldogs with 1:46 left in the first quarter.
The Falcons answered on their next drive that went into the 2nd quarter as Avery Beck threw a pass from the wildcat and found Hamilton on a 21 yard TD pass but his extra point was no good and St. Albert led 9-7.
Back came the Bulldogs as Peyton Amdor found Cole Jeppesen on a 33 yard slant and the senior outraced everybody to the end zone for the TD — Riverside had a 13-9 lead at the 9:32 mark and it held to the half.
Each team had a turnover on their first drive of the 2nd half — Riverside would get it on the Falcons first punt of the night and went on a long time consuming drive that ended with their first field goal of the season — a 32 yarder from Amdor at the 1:22 mark of the 3rd quarter and the Bulldogs led 16-9.
St. Albert answered early in the 4th quarter as Nelson found Hamilton again for a 34 yard TD pass at the 10:06 mark to tie the game at 16-16.
Riverside moved the ball close to midfield but it stalled and Amdor’s punt sent the Falcons back to their own 14. St. Albert went three and out and the punt gave the Bulldogs the ball at their own 45 with 4:55 left. Houser would only get two yards on two carries and Amdor’s pass was incomplete to Jeppesen and Riverside was forced to punt.
With 3:21 left, St. Albert started at their own 9 and would go on an 11 play drive that would end the game. One of the bigger plays was after the Falcons were called for holding, they had a 2nd and 14 from their 30 yard line and Nelson found Wade Beck for an 18 yard gain. On a 2nd and 4 from the Bulldog 35 yard line, Beck rumbled for a 17 yard gain to put the Falcons in field goal range. The Falcons ran the clock down to 4 seconds left and Hamilton made the game winning kick.
Riverside ends their season at 7-3.
St. Albert is now 9-1 and will visit Hawarden West Sioux in the Quarterfinals next Friday
Complete Box Score: Riverside v. St. Albert
Riverside
Mason Houser 25 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD
Peyton Amdor 7-11 passing, 122 yards, 1 TD
Cole Jeppesen 5 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD
St. Albert
Cooper Hamilton 12 catches, 120 yards, 2 TD
Bryce Nelson 17-25 passing, 204 yards, 1 TD
Avery Beck 3-3 passing, 52 yards, 1 TD
Wade Beck 17 carries, 83 yards
Avery Beck 9 carries, 30 yards
St. Albert — 3-6-0-10 — 19
Riverside — 7-6-3-0 — 16
