Photo Courtesy of Mid-Prairie Social Media
The final regular season game at Dwight G. Sattler Field in Wellman Friday saw the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk football team put together a wire to wire win over the visiting Centerville Big Reds 42-21. In a game heard on AM and FM KCII, the Golden Hawks forced the first of five Big Red turnovers on the night on Centerville’s second play from scrimmage when Braden Hartley recovered a Kade Mosley fumble. Six plays later the Hawks were in the end zone after a Tyler Helmuth five yard run to make it 7-0. After forcing the Big Reds to punt, Mid-Prairie marched 85 yards in 10 plays, finishing with a seven yard connection from Will Cavanagh to Grady Gingerich to take a 14-0 lead into the second frame.
Centerville got on the board on the first play of the second quarter with their dynamic quarterback Sawyer Wardlow, who is in the top 10 in 2A in total touchdowns and yards, finding his leading receiver Jaydin Ruiz for a 12 yard touchdown to pull the Big Reds within 14-7. From there the Hawks closed down the Centerville offense and put two scores on the board before half, both on Tyler Helmuth touchdown runs, his second and third of the contest and Mid-Prairie held a commanding 28-7 lead at the break.
Out of the locker room, Centerville tried to get back in the game one more time, Wardlow went up top to Kade Mosley for a 37 yard touchdown to make the score 28-14 Mid-Prairie but the Hawks had an answer as Will Cavanagh found Jack Pennington for a five yard touchdown to make it a three score game, and Hartley, after picking off a pass on defense the he returned to the Big Reds seven, would score a rushing touchdown on the next offensive play to make it 42-14 and put the game on ice. After the contest, Mid-Prairie head coach Pete Cavanagh talked about what he saw in his team in the critical win. “We were able to move the football in the first quarter and we felt good about that. They are a good offensive team so we knew that to win we were going to have to put up some points. I think we ran the ball really well, both Tyler Helmuth and Braden Hartley had awesome nights and the offensive line did enough. I’m really proud of our guys. It was a gutsy effort because we had guys with cramps, getting dinged up, and going out. We were throwing guys in there who hadn’t played or practiced in those spots and coaching them up on the fly and they handled it well. We got a couple of fumbles here and there and then Hartley’s interception. You have to be able to make plays like that against a good team. Hartley did an awesome job tonight. His effort is always there, it’s just a matter of getting him opportunities. Jarron Thomas, Parker Ehrenfeldt, filled in well. Grady Gingerich and Dylan Henry at linebacker. Will Cavanagh had a great game at corner. We had guys filling in and playing at a high level.”
The Golden Hawks outgained the Big Reds 465 to 343 including 349 to 190 on the ground. Mid-Prairie was +5 in turnover margin as Hartley put on a defensive show, recovering two fumbles, forcing another and picking off a pass. Tucker Miller forced and recovered a late fumble. Mid-Prairie cashed those takeaways in for 21 points. Helmuth and Hartley combined on 25 carries for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Cavanagh was 11 of 20 through the air for 116 yards and a pair of touchdown throws. Terry Bordenave and Hartley led the Mid-Prairie defense with seven tackles each. Mid-Prairie honored 10 seniors before the game Friday for Senior Night including Cavanagh, Pennington, Jarrett Hoffman Evan Hall, Helmuth, Justice Jones, Sam Harris Cael Garvey, Zane Fisher and Gannon Callahan. With the win, Mid-Prairie is 4-3 overall, 3-1 in class 2A district six and will travel to Davis County next week who was beaten by Williamsburg 41-8. That game is for the right to host a first round playoff game, the loser will be on the road to open the postseason.