Newton Nite Hawks lose MFL title game

DES MOINES — As darkness engulfed the Rails Football Club Field in Des Moines, Newton Nite Hawks embarked on a tying or possible winning drive in the 2019 Midwest Football League championship game Saturday. In the final three minutes, the Nite Hawks moved down the field against the Missouri Ravens.

An interception by Newton’s Jamere Murphy in the end zone thwarted the Ravens’ attempt to put the game on ice. The Nite Hawks trailed 28-22.

A fourth-down pass play from Murphy to starting quarterback Montez Rankins kept the drive alive to the 50-yard line. Newton moved inside the Missouri 20-yard line then a couple of plays lost yardage as the Raven defense stiffened.

In the dark, a final play for the Nite Hawks failed to score and the Ravens took over the ball on downs. The Missouri Ravens won the MFL championship game 28-22. The last time the two teams met in July the Nite Hawks won in double overtime.

The Nite Hawks went 9-1 in regular-season MFL play, winning the Southwest Division and the Wester Conference titles. They finished 11-2 in their first season in the MFL, a semi-professional football conference.

Missouri had touchdowns in the first quarter and early in the second quarter to lead 14-0. The Ravens had the ball again when Newton defensive back Van Love-Scott intercepted the pass and had a short return to the end zone to put the Nite Hawks on the scoreboard.

On the 2-point conversion attempt by the Nite Hawks, Rankins was tackled but a personal foul on Missouri allowed Newton another attempt. Rankins scored on a run to make it 14-8 with 4:09 remaining in the second quarter.

The Ravens fumbled the football on their first possession of the second half and Newton recovered the ball at the Missouri 33.

Rankins pass into the end zone bounced off a Missouri defender and right into the hands of Newton’s Brandon Thompson for a TD. A 2-point pass failed but the Nite Hawks had tied the score 14-all with 12:27 left in the third quarter.

It took less than two minutes for the Ravens to regain the lead, 20-14. The Nite Hawks fumbled the football on the ensuing kickoff then Newton’s Fred Griggs went high and snatched an interception of a Ravens’ pass. Unfortunately, the Nite Hawks fumbled the ball right back on the next play.

Missouri had a TD pass with 5:31 left in the period to go up 28-14. The Nite Hawks moved the ball but was short on a fourth-and-one play.

In the fourth quarter, Newton pushed to the Ravens’ 15 then penalties moved it back. Missouri intercepted a Nite Hawk pass in the end zone with 8:26 left. Newton’s defense held and forced the Ravens to punt the football.

The Nite Hawks had the ball at their own 23 with 5:22 remaining in the game. Rankins scrambled out of trouble and in doing so allowed Lemans Casimier to get away from everyone. Rankins launched a long pass which Casimier caught for a TD. Rankins tacked on the 2-point conversion run to make it 28-22.

That all set up the final drives by the two teams as darkness fell on the field, which had no lights.

Newton’s 2019 season concluded on Saturday. The team has been inviited to play the 2019 SPFL Pigskin Classic in Minneapolis Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 27.