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Holding the Fort: Defense keeps Iola under control in district opener
FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- It looks like a blowout but it didn't feel like one.
Fort Scott High defeated Iola in a game that was both a Southeast Kansas League and Kansas Class 4A District 3 contest at Frary Field here Friday night by a score of 37-0. But the Tiger offense had a bit of trouble getting going and it was Fort Scott's defense that kept things together until the offense started to move.
It was scoreless after the first quarter as the Tigers gained only 19 total yards. But Iola had just seven total yards in that period as its spread offense didn't perform as it was expected.
"Our kids really fought hard tonight and our defense played outstanding," Fort Scott head coach Don Epps said. "It might have been the defensive performance of the year and we really need that in district time. I'm so proud of the way our defense played."
The Tigers, 5-1 in the SEK and 6-1 overall, held the Mustangs' main threat, receiver John Shapel, to one catch for a one-yard loss. Iola quarterback Kiefer Luttrell completed only two of nine passes for two yards and was sacked four times for 35 yards in losses.
Senior linebacker Grant Hartman had 3 1/2 sacks, two solos for 18 yards and one shared with Andre Davis for eight yards. Blake Nelson had one sack for nine yards.
"Grant and Clint (Lawrence) and Blake Nelson, they all played outstanding," Epps said. "Overall, I felt Clint did a great job leading our defense from the (middle) linebacker position and he was making tackles inside the box and even going out to the sidelines. He's doing a great job leading our defense. The whole defense is playing well."
Fort Scott's defense allowed only 44 yards on the night. Iola's leading rusher, Marcus Sullivan, gained gained 19 of his team-leading 27 yards on one late fourth-quarter run.
"That's really impressive," Epps said. "Coach (Bo) Graham had them in the right position all night long. He did a great job preparing this team and calling a great game tonight."
Two missed field goals, one of which was blocked, and an interception brought an end to three of Fort Scott's first four offensive series. But the offense was given excellent field position early in the second quarter after Taylor Durbin forced a fumble which Lawrence recovered at the Iola 23-yard line.
The first play was a fumble but Luke Halsey jumped on it to keep it with the Tigers. On the next play, quarterback Matt Wheeler was hit on the throw but still got enough on it to reach Alex Barner in the left side of the end zone for the game's first score with 7:40 to go in the first half. Halsey's PAT kick made it 7-0.
Late in the half, the Tigers struck again on another quick drive. Grant Hartman took a pitch from Wheeler and followed Lawrence's block to find 22 yards to the Iola 31 on the first play. Hartman went left on the second play and found the end zone with 2:16 to go. Halsey's PAT was blocked.
Iola, 2-4, 2-5, tried to get on the board late in the half after lineman Kenny Culver intercepted a screen pass. But Halsey broke though the line to block a 41-yard field-goal attempt by Conner Frazell with under 10 seconds to go in the half.
"Our offense struggled early on," Epps said. "But I take my hat off to Iola. Iola played tough on defense and they were well-coached and played hard. Iola's a good team and I felt like we had to earn every point on the scoreboard tonight."
Iola tried to convert a fourth-down at their own 41 early in the second half but Lawrence and Davis combined to stop the play for a one-yard loss. The Tigers then marched downfield and scored on Halsey's one-yard run with 5:59 on the clock. Halsey also connected on the PAT to make it 20-0.
Halsey made a 31-yard field goal later in the period, which boosted the margin to 23-0 going into the fourth quarter.
Chris Colvin, who had trouble finding space in Iola's defense in the first half, scored both of Fort Scott's fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 33-second span. The first came at the end of a nine-play, 60-yard drive, a two-yard run behind the block of tight end Tony Karleskint, with 5:50 to go.
Davis picked off Luttrell on the first play of Iola's ensuing drive, returning it to the Mustangs' nine, from where Colvin broke it into the end zone with 5:17 remaining in the contest.
From that point on, the 35-point running-clock rule was in effect.
Halsey finished with 92 yards rushing on 10 carries while Hartman ran for 79 on six totes.
Wheeler completed just five of 21 passes and was picked off twice but still gained 109 yards in the air. Karleskint caught two passes for 43 yards while Alex Bowman caught two for 38.
"We just weren't getting our opportunities," Epps said. "We were moving the ball but not getting it into the end zone. We had to be patient, keep our composure and just take what they gave us. And we ended up getting some points in the second half."
Fort Scott hosts Anderson County Friday night in another district game. The Bulldogs scored a 16-15 upset win over the Tigers last season at Garnett but were defeated by Chanute, 34-7, Friday night.
IOLA..................... 0 0 0 0 -- 0
FORT SCOTT....... 0 13 10 14 -- 37
| Team stats | Iola | F.S. |
| First downs | 3 | 18 |
| Rushes-yards | 40-42 | 39-220 |
| Passing yards | 2 | 109 |
| Total offense | 44 | 329 |
| Passing (c-a-i) | 2-11-1 | 5-21-2 |
| Punts-avg. | 7-33.1 | 3-36.7 |
| Fumbles-lost | 5-1 | 3-0 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-20 | 7-65 |
Scoring
Second quarter
FS -- Barner 28 pass from Wheeler (Halsey kick), 7:40
FS -- Hartman 31 run (kick blocked), 2:16
Third quarter
FS -- Halsey 1 run (Halsey kick), 5:59
FS -- FG Halsey 31, 1:08
Fourth quarter
FS -- Colvin 2 run (Halsey kick), 5:50
FS -- Colvin 9 run (Halsey kick), 5:17
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Iola -- Sullivan 10-27, Mueller 7-13, Thompson 3-8, Apt 1-3, Herder 2-minus 1, Ki.Luttrell 17-minus 8. Fort Scott -- Halsey 10-92, Hartman 6-79, Wheeler 11-28, Colvin 11-22, Gettler 1-minus 1.
PASSING: Iola -- Ki.Luttrell 2-9-1-2, Heffern 0-1-0-0, Apt 0-1-0-0. Fort Scott -- Wheeler 5-21-2-109.
RECEIVING: Iola -- Herder 1-3, Shapel 1-minus 1. Fort Scott -- Karleskint 2-43, Bowman 2-38, Barner 1-28.
MISSED FIELD GOALS: Iola -- Frazell 41 (Bk). Fort Scott -- Halsey 31 (Sh), 21 (Bk).