WASHINGTON – Fort Madison earned a berth into the IHSAA Class 3A playoffs Friday night but didn’t know until about an hour into the bus ride home after wrapping up the regular season with a 21-7 win over Washington.
After the game Head Coach Derek Doherty told the Bloodhounds that they were a good enough team and they deserved to be in the post-season, but they wouldn’t know until later that evening.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the final Class 3A rankings after all games had wrapped up Friday night. It was the final regular season games for 3A, 4A and 5A and the first round of playoffs for 8-man, 1A and 2A.
When the final records and math had been tabulated, the Bloodhounds secured the final playoff spot with an IHSAA RPI Index of .5542, just .0007 ahead of Grinnell who was left out of the post-season. Both teams finished 6-3, but Fort Madison’s tough schedule playing three of Class 3A's tops 10 teams during the year paying a last-minute reward. Humboldt made the playoffs with a 5-4 record and an RPI Index of .5871.
Following the game Friday night Doherty said he was just going to have to do some math or wait for the IHSAA to sort it out.
“I’m gonna find out what has to happen and I’m gonna try some math. I can’t promise anything, but I hope the math teachers taught me enough to figure this out,” he said.
“But we don’t feel like this should be the end for us. We’re a good football team and we’ve fought through some adversity and our schedule has been brutal. If we have another team in there instead of Williamsburg and our record’s changed, we’re in.”
Doherty said that it would be silly if a team like Fort Madison’s isn't in the playoffs.
The Hounds again had to overcome some adversity Friday with Washington scoring on their opening drive.
Senior Alec Ulin sparked the Demons' first possession with a 34-yard run around the end on 1st and 10 from Washington’s 43. After a quarterback keeper by Logan McDole netted three, the Hounds were whistled for pass interference on an incompletion that gave Washington 1st and goal at the 9. Two plays later Ulin slipped in from the five for a 7-0 lead with the PAT.
It would be the only points the Bloodhounds would give up the rest of the night.
Things seemed to be off track in the first quarter when junior QB Marcus Guzman was stripped on 1st and 10 from the Demons 49-yard line on Fort Madison’s second play of the night.
With the Demons in good field position, sophomore Kael Williams ripped off a 13-yard run on the first play following the turnover. But then Leif Boeding picked off McDole on the next play when his pass to the left bounced off his receiver’s helmet twice before landing in Boeding’s arms.
Fort Madison would then put together an 8-play, 40-yard scoring drive capped by Guzman’s 5-yard touchdown run off tackle. Henry Graham’s PAT would tie things at 7.
Then it would be a game of sustained drives by both teams, but Fort Madison's bend-don’t-break defensive philosophy would win the night.
Washington’s next possession would go eight plays, but Fort Madison would force a turnover on downs when a McDole run on 4th and 5 came up a yard short. Fort Madison would then go 10 plays for just 22 yards to start the second quarter. They were poised to go for it on 4th and 4, but a false start brought out the punt team.
Washington would go four and out setting up another 8-play drive for Fort Madison that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown run on a sweep left by tailback Hayden Segoviano. Guzman just threw one time in the series with the Hounds choosing to pound the run game in a weird twist to the usual offense.
Doherty said the Demons lined up a bit different than what Fort Madison was expecting and he credited offensive coordinator Justin Menke for adapting well.
Neither team would score again until the half and then the Hounds put together one of their most productive drives of the season eating up more than nine minutes after receiving the third quarter kick-off.
The 16-play, 65-yard drive resulted in the final score of the night on a Guzman 2-yard plunge. The Hounds who typically throw at least one time on each four-down series threw just twice in the series with Segoviano and Guzman taking turns pounding away at the Demon front four. Twice officials had to bring the chains out for measurements on short yardage plays, but the second one resulted in a drive-sustaining first down.
Washington then put together a 15-play drive of its own eating up a majority of the second half clock after Fort Madison’s 9-minute possession. However, the Bloodhound defense stepped up on 1st and goal at the 9 with four straight stops including Ike Thacher’s tackle for a loss on 4th and goal from the 13.
Thacher said he wasn’t giving any ground as the Hounds had to win to have a chance at the post season.
“We had to win this game and it depends on how everyone else does. But we had to do our part and do everything we could to win. Now it just falls on other teams.”
Thacher said he’s happy that the program is starting to play the tougher teams in the state, despite risking post-season chances.
“That really is a good test for us and it tells us where we stack up against the best teams. We have to do that to build the program,” he said.
Guzman completed 14 of 16 passes for 111 yards, one of his mildest throwing games of the year. He had 16 carries for 49 yards and two scores. Segoviano had 91 yards and a score on 22 carries. He also caught all five of his targets from Guzman for another 26 yards. Boeding had three catches for 40 yards.
Teague Smith had six tackles to lead Fort Madison (6-3). He also had two tackles for loss and a sack. Justin Maitner, Triston Marshall and Cory Arnett all had tackles for loss in the win.
The IHSAA will release the round of 16 matchups set for Friday, Oct, at 10 a.m. on Saturday .
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