Eagles overcome Lone Tree, Dunkerson

Football

     It was a 2-0 start for the Midland High School football team, which posted eight-player wins over Lone Tree and Dunkerton.

     Most recently, the Eagles outscored Dunkerton 60-19 in the middle two quarters on the way to a 72-46 win Sept. 6 in Wyoming.

     Britan Martens completed 13 of 18 passes for 270 yards and six touchdowns. Jensen Dodge had 11 of those catches for 255 yards and five scores. Alex Smith rushed 14 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Smith also threw a touchdown pass, and caught one. Martens also caught a scoring pass.

     On defense, Sawyer Hansen led the way with 11.5 tackles. Jake Arnell, Hunter Shoaff and Dodge each had seven, and Kole Michaud had six. Dodge also made an interception.

     The previous week, Martens passed for 142 yards and rushed for 131 as the Eagles opened their season with a 44-32 win at Lone Tree Aug. 30.

     Martens completed 12 of 19 passes, two of them for touchdowns. Dodge caught eight passes for 118 yards. Smith carried the ball 11 times for 80 yards.

     Defensively, Smith had an interception, and Dodge returned a fumble 72 yards for a touchdown. Tackle leaders were Austin Weinshank with eight, Hansen with 7.5, Iziek Soper and Shoaff with six apiece, and Smith with 5.5.

Volleyball

     A quadrangular meet and the annual Midland Invitational got the season started for the Midland High School volleyball team in recent action.

     Midland (1-6) started the season with three matches at the Vinton-Shellsburg quadrangular meet Aug. 27, losing all three.

     The Eagles played Vinton-Shellsburg and lost 12-25, 8-25. Brennah Ricketts had two kills and four digs, and Hope Soroka made two assists and had five digs. Ricketts also served 4-for-4.

     Against Anamosa, the Eagles lost 7-25, 22-25. Soroka had five assists, as Allison Paulsen and Ella Rupp had two kills apiece. Taylor Bahnsen had four digs. Rupp served three aces.

     Midland also played Calamus-Wheatland, and won the first set 25-17 before losing 19-25, 21-25, 13-25. Paulsen and Ricketts had seven kills apiece, as Soroka put up 18 assists. Bahnsen had 14 digs and five aces, and Rupp had 13 digs.

     On Sept. 7, the Eagles hosted their annual tournament, playing four matches. In pool play, the Eagles lost to Monticello 13-21, 8-21; fell to Central City 12-21, 12-21; defeated Lone Tree 22-24, 21-9, 15-7; and lost to Central Elkader 12-21, 21-16, 5-15. In bracket play, Midland lost to Calamus-Wheatland 13-21, 15-21.

     Arianna Hacke had three kills and Soroka made nine assists in the Monticello match. Bahnsen made 19 digs against Central City, and Soroka had seven assists. Against Lone Tree, Rupp had six kills, Ricketts had four, Paulsen had three and Hacke had two. Soroka had eight assists. Bahnsen had eight digs. Soroka served 19-for-19 with three aces.

     Bahnsen had 12 digs and Soroka had 10 in the Central Elkader match. Paulsen served 10-for-10. Hacke had five kills, and Ricketts had four. Bahnsen had eight digs against Cal-Wheat. Hacke had four kills.