FORT MADISON – Sometimes you have to bite down on a stick and take the pain.
That’s almost exactly what the Fort Madison Bloodhounds did in Friday’s 45-7 loss to Class 3A No. 4 Mt. Vernon Friday in the home regular season finale at Richmond Stadium.
The Hounds suited up without starting quarterback Marcus Guzman who suffered a knee injury in last week’s win over Keokuk.
They also played without backup quarterback and starting wideout Henry Wiseman who suffered a torn ACL on the same drive that Guzman was injured on.
That left junior Caleb Bolander, who hasn’t played quarterback since 8th grade, to lead Fort Madison, mixed in with a couple wildcat formations with direct snaps to senior running back Hayden Segoviano.
Fort Madison 4-3 (1-2 in Class 3A District 4), worked up just 120 yards of total offense and scored in the 4th quarter with 4:01 left when Bolander got his first varsity touchdown finding Leif Boeding on a 24-yard toss into the right front corner of the endzone to avoid the shutout.
Mt. Vernon scored on their sixth play from scrimmage. Senior quarterback Joey Rhomberg went 3-5 for 57 yards and hooked up with Evan Brace on a 7-yard TD and a 7-0 advantage.
Fort Madison would go 4 and out and the fans realized quickly that the Hounds were playing with a hand tied-behind their back, missing two of their top offensive performers in Wiseman and Guzman.
The Mustangs brought the Fort Madison punt back to the their own 34 and were in the endzone again in four plays when Rhomberg and Watson Krob hooked up from 27 yards out for a 14-0 lead.
Fort Madison would again go four plays and punt, and Mt. Vernon would keep up the pressure with another 6-play 62-yard drive capped by Jackson Hird’s 10-yard TD run and a 21-0 lead still in the first quarter.
The Mustangs appeared to have shut Fort Madison down on four plays again, but a roughing the passer call on 3rd and 10 nullified an interception and gave Fort Madison a 1st and 10. Four plays later Mt. Vernon blocked Fort Madison’s kick. A personal foul after the kick resulted in the Mustangs taking over at their own 38, but three plays later they were in the endzone again for a 28-0 lead.
The Hounds would put a nice drive together toward the end of the first half, but Bolander would get picked off at the 7-yard line by sophomore Michael Ryan who took the ball 93 yards back for the score and a 35-0 lead.
The clock was inadvertently set to running despite the first half not being completed, but the rest of the half was without further scoring.
Mt. Vernon would put up a field goal and another touchdown in the second half before Fort Madison got on the board in the final few minutes.
Doherty said there’s more for the Hounds to get ready for. The Mustangs and Davenport Assumption have all but locked up the top two playoff spots in District 4, but with the quality of teams in the district, the Hounds have an outside shot again at making the playoffs through the power rankings. Teams in the top 16 who don’t qualify automatically in Class 3A’s six districts can still make the 16-team playoff bracket.
“There’s definitely meat on the bone,” Doherty said “But it starts with us taking the weekend and getting ourselves right. We’re banged up, but we can heal. We just have to make it a priority. That’s our first opponent right there - just us getting on the good side of health again.
“Where we are, we’re a good football team. We need a good week of preparation and be ready to go Friday.”
He said he was proud of Bolander’s efforts and conviction being thrown into the mouth of the Mustang.
“I think that you have to start with Caleb Bolander. That kid was put in a really tough situation. We had conversations and just the type of kid he is he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.' To take a receiver and put him at quarterback, it was incredible,” Doherty said.
“He stepped up big time and we’re so proud of him. That’s the type of kid he is.”
Bolander said he had a couple days to get ready, but didn’t want to let the team down.
“I learned two days ago I was going to start. Figured I had to step up for my team and be a leader for them,” he said.
The junior said he didn’t have regrets and didn’t let the game get to him.
“The next one. Let’s get the next one and not dwell on it. I could’ve stepped into my throws more. I didn’t worry about them being No. 4 in the state. I just wanted to follow coach’s game plan and do my best to get guys the ball and let them make plays.”
Boeding finished with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Cade Denning had 18 yards on two catches. Bolander had 31 yards on 10 carries and Segoviano had 22 yards on 11 carries.
Ike Thacher had four tackles, one for a 5-yard loss to lead the Hounds' defense.
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