Behind star senior quarterback Ryker Dengler, the West Liberty football team turned the tables on Anamosa and gave the Blue Raiders their first loss in 2024.
This 28-14 road victory gave West Liberty some revenge after Anamosa defeated the Comets last year 38-16.
Dengler propelled the Comets to an early lead with a one-yard passing touchdown to sophomore Briggs Collins.
After two failed rushing attempts from three feet out, and as a result drawing the defense closer to the ball, Dengler found Collins through the air to open the scoring.
It was critical for West Liberty to start out in front as Anamosa has a dangerous running game led by senior Austin Scranton. Entering this contest, the Blue Raiders were averaging 6.6 yards per carry.
However, on Friday night, the Comets limited Anamosa to just 5.5 yards per carry. It was a massive improvement over last season’s game when Scranton himself rushed 34 times for 274 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
Last week, West Liberty forced senior quarterback Vincent Diers to drop back 39 times. It resulted in a 23 for 39 passing game with three interceptions.
Three different Comets got their hands on an interception: Dengler, Collins and senior Tytan Griffith. Collins also recovered one fumble.
While the Blue Raiders would eventually take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, it was short lived.
With 36.6 seconds left in the first half, senior wide receiver Seth Axsom popped a big play on a screen pass. Using his state track speed, Axsom dashed down the sideline and scored the game-tying touchdown.
Junior kicker Uriel Andrade, who was a perfect four-for-four on point after attempts, put the ball through the uprights to knot the game at 14-all.
Thanks to Griffith’s interception late in the third quarter, the Comets earned an instant first-and-goal opportunity with the score still tied.
Here, the Comets’ offense kept the ball on the ground as Dengler took it in himself for the team’s third touchdown of the game.
West Liberty put the nail in the coffin with a fourth touchdown — this time from Owen Daufeldt who put a cap on a massive game.
The junior went nuclear with seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Dengler was as good on the ground with 20 carries for 142 yards and one rushing touchdown. He passed for three more touchdowns and 207 total yards.
Axsom only made two catches but made them both count, piling up 60 yards on the night.
Senior Cameron Iske led the defense with 5.5 total tackles. Daufeldt tallied 4.5 and junior Perry Lehman wrapped up four ball carriers and added one sack.
With its win, West Liberty moved to 2-0 in Class 2A District 4, placing them in a tie for first with the still-unbeaten Northeast Rebels.
As the schedule would have it, this Friday Northeast will host West Liberty in what is a de facto district championship game.
Northeast’s five wins this season are against Bellevue (58-20), Central DeWitt (44-8), Maquoketa (39-33), Camanche (35-25) and Monticello (48-7).
The Rebels have defeated the Comets in each of the past three years, with their most dominant performance coming in last season’s 48-14 triumph.
West Liberty last beat Northeast in 2017 in a 52-50 barnburner where Seth Feldman threw for five touchdowns.
This season, Northeast rushes the ball on 71.1 percent of plays. The Rebels’ use a three-headed monster in the backfield which averages 8.4 yards per carry.
Senior Gavin Kramer leads the team with 85 carries and 833 yards, but seniors Grant Gray (46 carries, 424 yards) and Santiago De La Cruz (33 carries, 152 yards) are still effective in their own rights.
Just two Rebel receivers have caught more than five passes this season: junior Colby Gray (12 receptions, 194 yards) and senior Michael Frame (11 receptions, 207 yards).
Defensively, Northeast is led by Grant Gray (29 total tackles), sophomore Emerson Kreinbrink (28 total tackles, four sacks, three fumble recoveries) and senior Ethan Ellithorpe (26 total tackles).
Season statistics summary
Passing yards
Ryker Dengler, 972.
Rushing yards
Ryker Dengler, 299; Briggs Collins, 92; Seth Axsom, 71; Owen Daufeldt, 57; Axell Polanco, 21; Gable Underbakke, 13.
Receiving yards
Seth Axsom, 411; Owen Daufeldt, 235; Tully Griffith, 125; Braden Bickford, 61; Cole Wagamon, 61; Briggs Collins, 58; Axell Polanco, 9; Landon Wainwright, 6; Cameron Iske, 6.
Total tackles
Tytan Griffith, 21.0; Cameron Iske, 16.0; Perry Lehman, 16.0; Ryker Dengler, 15.5; Bryson Garcia, 15.5; Caden Laughlin, 15.5; Tully Griffith, 14.0; Crager David, 14.0; Owen Daufeldt, 13.0; Seth Axsom, 13.0; Kaden Wiele, 11.0; Briggs Collins, 9.5; Jamison Rud, 3.0; Ryan Laughlin, 3.0; Landon Wainwright, 2.5; Gable Underbakke, 2.5; Enrique Michel, 2.0; Braden Bickford, 2.0; Cole Wagamon, 2.0; Johanan Lopez Vileta 2.0; Axell Polanco, 1.0; Miles McConnaha, 1.0.
Sacks
Bryson Garcia, 1.0; Jamison Rud, 1.0; Cameron Iske, 1.0; Perry Lehman, 1.0.
Fumble recoveries
Seth Axsom, 2; Cameron Iske, 1; Briggs Collins, 1.
Interceptions
Briggs Collins, 1; Ryker Dengler, 1; Seth Axsom, 1; Cameron Iske, 1; Tytan Griffith, 1.
Kicking
Uriel Andrade 14 for 15 on PATs, 1 for 1 on FGs.