Defense powers L-S football past rival North Mahaska

SULLY — Lynnville-Sully’s football team scored 48 points on just 288 total yards against North Mahaska on Friday.

The defense and special teams were simply fantastic as the Hawks claimed their third straight win over their rivals on Senior Night.

Lynnville-Sully used two interceptions, a blocked punt and a strong punt return game to give the Hawks’ offense short fields and it resulted in a 48-0 home win.

“The defense was great. We worked as a team, but we need to keep on improving and get better,” Blake Van Wyk said. “Allowing zero points was awesome, especially on Senior Night and on our home field.”

The Class A No. 2 Hawks are now 12-1 against North Mahaska since 2010. They are outscoring the Warhawks 144-6 during their current three-game win streak.

But the win came at a price as senior all-state tailback and starting defensive back Corder Noun Harder was injured early in the contest and did not return.

L-S head coach Mike Parkinson did not have an update on Noun Harder after the game, but he was proud of his team for battling through some adversity.

With Noun Harder out, and CJ Nikkel a bit banged up, too, the Hawks moved Lannon Montgomery to running back and Lucas Sieck took over at quarterback.

“That was huge. I’m proud of them,” Parkinson said. “We faced some adversity tonight and all good teams face that. Those guys were a strong duo in JV on a team that went undefeated a couple of years ago so we just returned to that lineup. It took a second to recalibrate a bit. But once we did, we found what was working.”

The Hawks were denied points on their first possession. They had some issues with the center-quarterback exchange, but Noun Harder still converted a third and four with a run off a direct snap.

They got inside the North Mahaska 10-yard line on a deep pass play from Montgomery to Van Wyk. However, after the Warhawks denied L-S on three straight runs, they blocked Sieck’s field goal attempt on fourth down.

Sieck first entered the game after Montgomery was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty. His first pass was a 29-yard completion to Mitchell Miller on 2nd and 30.

With 17 seconds to go in the opening quarter, Sieck found Van Wyk for a 24-yard touchdown. Van Wyk’s first career receiving touchdown was a diving grab in the end zone.

“I’d like to think I’m always going to be ready whenever the coach gives me a shot to go in,” Sieck said. “I was just trying to help the team any way I could.”

Montgomery’s first career interception on third and long on North Mahaska’s next possession set the Hawks up at the Warhawks’ 32-yard line. That drive ended with a Sieck 2-yard touchdown run.

The Hawks’ defense then forced a three and out and Jack Bowlin’s long punt return set L-S up at the North Mahaska 23-yard line.

The first play from scrimmage went down as a pass interference call against the Warhawks and the drive ended on a Montgomery 3-yard TD run.

Another short field for the Hawks allowed them to score just before the half.

Nikkel blocked a punt that gave the Hawks starting field position at the North Mahaska 22-yard line. A pass play from Sieck to Nikkel and a 10-yard run by Montgomery set up another short TD run by Sieck.

“It was an outstanding effort. The guys understand their assignments,” Parkinson said about the defense. “It’s just something we’ve been doing for the past three years and the guys understand it.

“I think Carson Maston played outstanding on both sides of the line. The defensive front played amazing. Mitchell Miller and Wyatt Mathis were disruptors. I was proud of those guys.”

The Hawks’ first drive of the second half ended on a 32-yard touchdown run by Nikkel. He made an impressive cut-back on the play before sprinting down the visitors’ sideline to paydirt.

Montgomery added a 3-yard TD run with just less than 2 minutes to go in the third.

Another short field later in the quarter allowed the Hawks to score their final TD 5 seconds into the fourth.

An interception by Van Wyk set up L-S at the North Mahaska 15-yard line and Gavin Fisk’s first career rushing touchdown of 3 yards capped the scoring.

Van Wyk had his best game as a wide receiver, finishing with 76 yards and a TD on three catches.

He said his 24-yard TD grab in the first quarter was mostly due to strong preparation throughout the week.

“We’ve been talking all week about how their corners press up against us at the line of scrimmage so it’s basically a 1-2 move and I was able to blow right past them,” Van Wyk said.

The Hawks finished with 144 passing yards and 144 rushing yards. They had a 9-5 advantage in first downs and committed seven penalties for 90 yards.

North Mahaska (1-1) was plagued by turnovers and 19 penalties for 151 yards. The Warhawks were limited to six rushing yards on 20 carries.

“There were just as many penalties in this game last year I bet,” Parkinson said. “It’s the nature of the beast in a rivalry game. When two teams are going at it and want to win, that stuff happens.

“We want to clean it up, but that’s part of the process. At least those are things we can fix.”

Sieck finished 5-of-8 through the air for 99 yards and a touchdown, rushed for two scores and hauled in his first career varsity catch. He also averaged 41 yards on his two punts.

Montgomery was 4-of-6 through the air for 45 yards and he rushed 10 times for 39 yards and two scores.

“I screwed up in the beginning and had to come out,” Montgomery said. “But what I did tonight was for Corder. We did this for him. I told him that at halftime. I haven’t played that position in two years, but I felt comfortable.”

Nikkel rushed six times for 62 yards and a TD and had a 29-yard kickoff return, Noun Harder gained 22 yards on his seven carries and Miller hauled in three catches for 55 yards. Fisk rushed for 20 yards and a TD on his six carries.

Dawson James led the defense with 6.5 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss and Nikkel added four tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

Terran Gosselink collected 5.5 tackles, Wyatt Mathis registered 3.5 tackles and Samuel Philby and JD Richards both recovered fumbles. Landyn Fisk’s lone punt went for 47 yards.

“The defense was really good, and it was big that they gave us short fields all night,” Sieck said. “Dawson James was making plays all over the field.”

Lucas Nunnikhoven was 6-of-21 through the air for 72 yards and two picks and Asher DeBoef grabbed four passes for 37 yards to highlight North Mahaska’s offense.