Zeroing in on the Pioneers

The total number of yards Okoboji gained Friday night against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's defense would not have covered half a football field.

Okoboji rushed for 34 yards and passed for six to finish with a net gain of 40. The Hawk defense held Okoboji scoreless while the offense rolled up 320 yards to post a 28-0 season-opening win at Peterson Field.

H-M-S was ready for what Okoboji attempted to do offensively.

"We were prepared for Okoboji's offense all week. We got plenty of practice for that," Hawk coach Tyler Horkey said.

Tackle leaders were Lance Berends, four solo tackles and six assists; DJ Doyle, four solos and four assists; Keaton Graves, four solos and an assist; Connor Dodd, three solos and an assist; Dawson Schiphoff, three solos; and Kayl Jacobsma and Mason Brinkman, two solos and an assist. Three of Berends' tackles were for loss and Schiphoff had two.

"Our defense was absolutely amazing. They really stepped up," Horkey said.

The Hawks' coach also saw many positives in their initial offensive performance.

"We controlled the ball pretty well in the first half and we ended well. We executed our option much better than we did the first game last year," he said.

The Hawks' first possession ended with a turnover but the second was a success as Dodd took the pitch from Kooper Ebel and scored on a 74-yard run.

Taking advantage of good field possession late in the first quarter, H-M-S scored again on a six-yard run by Schiphoff. Graves ran the two-point conversions after both touchdowns to put the Hawks in front, 16-0.

Neither team threatened to score until Okoboji blocked a punt in the third quarter and recovered the ball at the Hawk 20. But the Pioneers' momentum was fleeting, as their first down pass was intercepted by Ebel.

"We got a little off track and something big would happen. But you stay the course and make something happen with it," Horkey said.

H-M-S did just that, putting together a 14-play drive that lasted over 7-1/2 minutes. Dodd's 20-yard run increased the score to 20-0. His 32-yard pass reception was a key play in the drive.

The defense later forced Okoboji to turn the ball over on downs deep in their territory, and Doyle went into the end zone on a five-yard run to make the final score 28-0.

Contributors to the Hawks' 274-yard rushing performance included Dodd with 111 yards, Graves with 80, Ebel with 49 and Doyle with 26.

Ebel completed 3-of-4 pass attempts for 46 yards. Schiphoff had two receptions for 14 yards.

Horkey was happy with the overall effort by the Hawks.

"It was good to see our entire team out there and doing their jobs," he said. "The young guys stepped up."

• Next up: at Sibley-Ocheyedan

H-M-S will play its final non-district game on Sept. 4 at Sibley-Ocheyedan. The Generals were 21-8 winners over MOC-Floyd Valley last week.

Last year's game was a tough battle which S-O won, 14-13. Horkey noted the Generals return several players and he expects them to stick with what worked in the past.

"I don't see them changing too much against us," he said. "We're going to stick to our game plan. We need to prepare every week with everything we do."

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CLASS A DISTRICT 1

Scores for Aug. 28

H-M-S 28, Okoboji 0

Akron-Westfield 34, Hinton 19

Cherokee 21, MMCRU 7

Sioux Central 27, South O’Brien 7

Unity Christian 48, Gehlen Catholic 14

Woodbury Central 21, Lawton-Bronson 8

Games for Sept. 4

H-M-S at Sibley-Ocheyedan

Hinton at Gehlen Catholic

Lawton-Bronson at Alta-Aurelia

MMCRU at MVAOCOU

Sheldon at South O’Brien

Westwood at Akron-Westfield