By: Nathan Bloechl — [email protected]
Humboldt, Iowa — The Humboldt Wildcat Football team lost their season opener for the fourth straight season, as former North Central Conference foe Algona scored the final nineteen points of the game to secure a 33-14 win Friday night at Mason Maach Field.
Friday night’s game was the debut of first-year head coach Derrick Elman, who was tabbed as the replacement for 18-year head coach Greg Thomas.
“There’s so much more to worry about on game-day” Elman candidly told KHBT following the game. “I was just really excited for that first whistle so we could get back to football.”
Algona opened the scoring in the first quarter capping off a 7-play, 35 yard drive with a Matt Grien 25-yard touchdown pass to Skyler Groen.
The drive was aided by a poor snap on an attempted Wildcat punt, which set up the Bulldogs with great field position.
“I don’t have the numbers, but when you give an opponent a short field, their chances of scoring go way up. Short fields for opponents are never [good]” Elman said.
On the ensuing kick-off however, Humboldt would tie things up when Jamison Heinz would take the kick-off 98 yards to the end zone.
Algona would regain the lead into the half following the second of four Matt Grien touchdown passes, this time from ten yards out to Wyatt Wegener.
With the scoreline still at 14-7, it was Humboldt’s defense that struck to tie the game. Wyatt Wegener was stripped in 3rd quarter and the loose football was picked up and returned for a score by Wildcat cornerback Joey Busse to level the game at 14-14.
From that point on, however, it was all Bulldogs.
Algona would strike for a score on a 4th and 6 play from the Humboldt 8-yard line courtesy of a diving, one-handed touchdown catch by senior Spencer Holmes.
The Bulldogs would then score twice in succession in the 4th quarter, a 26-yard touchdown pass from Grien to Groen and a Jacob Durant one-yard plunge.
The Bulldogs out-gained Humboldt offensively 375, to 187.
Humboldt averaged just 3.8 yards per play.
Joey Busse finished the night 7-for-16 for 58 yards and one interception.
Matt Miller had 13 carries for 47 yards, Lucas Volf also added 47 yards on the ground, on 11 totes.
In addition to the kick-off return score, Jamison Heinz totaled 92 total yards, 79 in receiving and 13 more rushing.
Algona’s Matt Grien completed 13-of-17 passes for 139 yards and four touchdowns.
Humboldt will travel to Garner-Hayfield-Ventura this Friday. G-H-V beat West Hancock, 7-0 last week.,
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. this Friday.