Class A Iowa high school football semifinals: West Hancock continues run, Woodbury Central rolls

West Hancock has been in the Class A state finals three straight times

CEDAR FALLS – The road to an Iowa high school state football championship ends inside the UNI-Dome. For the past five seasons, West Hancock has been one of the biggest obstacles on the journey towards obtaining a Class A state title. 

No. 3 West Hancock secured its third consecutive title game appearance Thursday afternoon with a dominant 39-14 victory over a tradition-rich No. 4-ranked Madrid program that completed a return to prominence. The Eagles will play No. 2 Woodbury Central, a 28-20 winner Thursday morning over East Buchanan, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16.

“It never gets old,” said head coach Mark Sanger, who has led West Hancock to four title game appearances and a 58-4 record over the past five seasons. “Every time you’ve got a new group of seniors and it’s different when you’re a senior. … Down here things are crazy. You’ve just got to do what you’ve done all year.”

West Hancock faced Grundy Center in its previous three championship game appearances, winning state titles in 2019 and 2021 before suffering a shutout loss to the Spartans last season. Grundy Center, a quarterfinal winner over East Buchanan and semifinal winner over Woodbury Central last season, bumped up to Class 1A this fall. Woodbury Central’s title game appearance comes after semifinal round losses to West Hancock in 2019 and Grundy Center that past two seasons.

“I’m proud of this team,” Woodbury Central quarterback Drew Kluender said, after passing for 205 yards and two scores and rushing for another 51 yards and two touchdowns against East Buchanan. “We broke through the ceiling. We’re here now. We know we were meant to be here, and we know the job’s not done. We’ve got more work to do, and we’ll come back next week ready to go.”

Lightning quick

Senior playmaker Kellen Smith made a pair of spectacular plays, including a 32-yard diving reception at the goal line that helped West Hancock (11-1) take a commanding 32-0 lead over Madrid (11-1) late in the third quarter of the first Class A semifinal.

“He cut inside, and I knew that he’d be open,” West Hancock quarterback Mitchell Smith said. “I made it a little hard for him, too hard I’d say, but he dove and caught it and Kale (Zuehl) scored on the next play. It was awesome.”

Kellen Smith later bounced off five tackles and used a stiff arm during a 21-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up another Zuehl touchdown. The West Hancock playmaker finished with 71 rushing yards on eight carries to go with two of his team’s three receptions for 38 yards.

“He’s lightning in a bottle,” Sanger said of Kellen Smith. “He’s a big play waiting to happen. He’s athletic and when he gets some space, he’s tough to deal with.”

Zuehl led West Hancock’s ground attack with 138 yards and two scores on 23 carries. Quarterback Mitchell Smith added 13 runs for 53 yards and a touchdown to go with a rollout TD pass to Kellen Smith in the second quarter.

West Hancock put together a pair of 10-plus play scoring drives to take a 16-0 lead into halftime. The Eagles were on the verge of going up three scores, but Madrid’s defensive line delivered a fourth-down stop on their own 2 to end the first half.

West Hancock quickly asserted itself in the second half when Jaxen Petersen followed his blocks and ran back the opening kick for an 85-yard touchdown.

Madrid quarterback Preston Wicker scored on a pair of short touchdown runs that capped two 60-yard scoring drives, but the Tigers were held out of the end zone until just 3 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.

Madrid was playing for an opportunity to reach its ninth title game and first since 2010. The Tigers rank 12th in Iowa postseason football victories, while West Hancock’s program currently sits 16th on the all-time wins list.

WOODBURY CENTRAL’S DEFENSE GOES ON THE ATTACK

East Buchanan couldn’t have scripted a better first half. An imposing Buccaneer offensive line highlighted by University of Iowa recruit Cole Fox allowed East Buchanan to run 36 plays to Woodbury Central’s 13 and build a 14-7 entering intermission.

A Bucs’ team that didn’t punt over the first two quarters, went three-and-out on its first three drives of the second half. Woodbury Central took advantage of the stops and scored twice in the third quarter to take its first lead, 21-14. Linebacker Colby Gilbert led the Wildcats with 11.5 tackles and Eric McGill added nine hits as Woodbury Central started running blitz packages for just the second time all season.

“They were getting to the inside and blocking us out,” Gilbert said. “Our coach had us start blitzing and that really changed the game for us.”

Kluender’s arm helped Woodbury Central back up its defensive stops with quick scores. He completed a 47-yard pass to Sam Monk to the East Buchanan 26, and two plays later found Eric McGill in the side of the end zone for an impressive 25-yard touchdown catch that tied the game.

A 24-yard draw by running back Zach Butler set up Kluender’s go-ahead touchdown run from 3 yards out with 32 seconds left in the third quarter.

Matters got worse for East Buchanan when the Buccaneers fumbled away possession on the first play of the fourth quarter. But Bucs linebacker Tanner Thurn jumped in front of a receiver and responded with a timely interception. On the next play, East Buchanan’s Hunter Bowers raced 83 yards for a touchdown. The PAT missed, cutting the score to 21-20 with 10:42 remaining.

Woodbury Central regained its composure. The Wildcats benefited from a 15-yard facemask penalty and an 18-yard run by Kluender set up the quarterback’s 4-yard touchdown run that extended their advantage to 28-20 with 8:14 remaining.

Butler led Woodbury Central with 95 rushing yards on 19 attempts. McGill was Kluender’s top receiver with four catches for 75 yards.

East Buchanan was paced by Bowers’ 158 rushing yards on 23 carries. Thurn added 86 yards rushing on 25 attempts.

Scoring summaries

WEST HANCOCK 39, MADRID 14

Madrid;0;0;8;6 – 14

West Hancock;0;16;16;7 – 39

WH – Mitchell Smith 8 run (Smith run)

WH – Kellen Smith 6 pass from Mitchell Smith (Mitchell Smith run)

WH – Jaxen Peterson 85 kickoff return (Mitchell Smith run)

WH – Kale Zuehl 1 run (Zuehl run)

Madrid – Preston Wicker 2 run (Jayce Fuson pass from Wicker)

WH – Zuehl 1 run (Broady Baltzer kick)

WOODBURY CENTRAL 28, EAST BUCHANAN 20

East Buchanan;6;8;0;6 - 20

Woodbury Central;7;0;14;7 -28

EB – Hunter Bowers 5 run (run failed)

WC – Jayden Lloyd 53 pass from Drew Kluender (Lloyd kick)

EB – Trystin Russell 1 run (Hunter Bowers run)

WC – Eric McGill 25 pass from Kluender (Lloyd kick)

WC – Kluender 3 run (Lloyd kick)

EB – Bowers 83 run (kick failed)

WC – Kluender 4 run (Lloyd kick)

--Nick Petaros

West Hancock players celebrate Thursday’s state semifinal win over Madrid. (Photo by Nick Petaros)