After three wins, Eagles suffer their first defeat

Football

     Midland suffered its first loss of the 2018 football season, as the Eagles couldn’t make up an early deficit in a 46-36 home loss to Turkey Valley Sept. 7 in Wyoming.

     Turkey Valley jumped to a 38-14 lead at halftime, and Midland’s second half surge came up short.

     The loss for the Eagles (3-1) negated a big game for quarterback Britan Martens, who completed 16 of 35 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed 24 times for 164 yards in two scores. Jensen Dodge caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Alex Smith scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one on a pass.

     Defensively, Griffin Gravel had 12 tackles, Carsen Rupp had 10, and Hunter Shoaff had eight.

     The previous week, the Eagles traveled to Dunkerton and pulled out a 48-43 victory. Carter Mohr rushed 29 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and also caught two touchdown passes from Martens, who completed nine of 16 passes for 169 yards.

     Martens rushed 14 times for 82 yards and two scores, including a 34-yard run. Dodge had four catches for 82 yards, and Mohr caught three passes for 66 yards.

     Brett Schoenherr and Gravel were the team’s leading tacklers, with nine apiece. Carsen Rupp had eight tackles, and Dodge had seven. Ethan Orr recovered a Dunkerton fumble.

Volleyball

     It was an active stretch of matches for the Midland High School volleyball team, which had 11 matches in eight days.

     Midland (0-1, 1-12) hosted its annual volleyball tournament Sept. 1, and won one match out of six in the round-robin format.

     The Eagles lost to Bellevue Marquette 16-21, 10-21. Delanie Uppena had five kills, Mikayla Dosland made nine assists, and Drew Jensen had two blocks in the match.

     Against Springville, Midland fell 18-21, 10-21. Morgan Soper led the team in kills with four. Dosland had six assists. Emma Dusanek had five digs, and Ella Rupp had four. Jensen served 8-for-8, and Dosland was 7-for-7.

     Midland bounced back to beat Calamus-Wheatland 21-11, 21-18. Jensen had five kills and three blocks in that match, and Uppena had four. Dosland had 10 assists, eight digs and three aces. Soper had two blocks.

     Next, Midland lost to Central City 13-21, 17-21. Dosland had 10 assists, while Jensen and Uppena had four kills apiece. Dusanek had seven digs.

     The Eagles then played Monticello, losing 10-21, 11-21. Brennah Ricketts had two kills, and Rupp had four digs.

     Midland closed the tournament with a 13-21, 14-21 loss to Cascade. Jensen had three kills and seven digs. Rupp had six digs and two aces.

     On Sept. 6, the Eagles opened Tri-Rivers Conference play with a three-set home loss to Edgewood-Colesburg, by scores of 12-25, 16-25, 19-25. Uppena had three kills, and Soper had two. Dosland made five assists. Dusanek and Rupp had nine digs apiece.

     Midland then played in the Wilton Tournament Sept. 8, and lost to four opponents. The Eagles lost to Wilton 4-21, 4-21.

     Against Iowa Mennonite, Midland fell 11-21, 5-21.

     “Delanie Uppena played well for us, getting four kills and making athletic plays that kept us alive throughout the match,” Midland coach Eric Smith said.

     Next, the Eagles lost to Mount Union 11-21, 19-21. Uppena had four kills and Ricketts had two kills and a block.

     The last match was against Mount Pleasant, and Midland lost 16-21, 19-21.

     “We played our best volleyball of the day,” Smith said. “I was happy to end on a good note.

     “Brennah Ricketts played lights out, totaling four kills and a couple of blocks. Emma Dusanek (libero) was on her game for the last match of the day, making every pass on target for our setter.”