CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Armstrong-Ringsted nose guard Willie Beeler, end Cody Hantelman and linebacker Seth Anderson staggered Stanton on Friday before tailback Tyler Tonderum and quarterback Ridge Christiansen delivered the knockout punch at the UNI-Dome.
Tonderum erupted for game-best totals of 209 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, while the Mustang defense imposed a lockdown for the final 18 minutes of regulation to pace a 57-20 rout of the No. 1-ranked Vikings during state semifinal football action in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
No. 4-ranked Armstrong-Ringsted (12-1) advances to face No. 8-ranked Lenox (12-1) for the Iowa Eight-Man state championship at 10:30 a.m. next Friday at the UNI-Dome.
Lenox gained the state finals via a 40-20 upset of No. 5-ranked Corwith-Wesley-Luverne.
A-R 57, Stanton 20: Double Trouble
No. 4 Mustangs pull away from No. 1 Vikings in fourth quarter
by David Swartz - Managing Editor
CEDAR FALLS - If the road to the finals goes through the defending state champion, that's not a problem for the Armstrong-Ringsted football team.
In 2007, the Mustangs defeated 2006 champion Northeast Hamilton 23-20 in an 8-Man quarterfinal matchup.
On Friday, No. 4 A-R took care of 2007 champion and No. 1 Stanton 57-20 in the 8-Man semifinal.
Looking at just the score, it appears this win wasn't that difficult.
However, the Mustangs led by eight points, 28-20, midway through the third quarter.
Stanton had just answered a quick A-R score with one of its own when quarterback Chris Palmquist connected with a wide open Grant Focht on a 30-yard pass.
But after that, the breaks went A-R's way which included a fumble and a safety on the way to scoring the final 29 points of the game.
"We feel very fortunate to walk out with a victory, let alone this size of victory," said Zotz. "I think it was an excellent game through the first half and into the third quarter. But if the other team is trying to come back, sometimes they get away from their game plan."
The victory earns A-R a return trip to the UNI-Dome on Friday, Nov. 21 against No. 8 Lenox, which defeated No. 5 Corwith-Wesley-Luverne 40-20 in Friday's first semifinal game.
A-R rushed for 378 yards with Tyler Tonderum going for 213 on 22 carries and Christiansen for 159 on 33 carries.
Christiansen also was 4-5 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.
A-R held the defending champs to 149 yards rushing and 136 through the air.
"We just play smashmouth football," said Tonderum.
The Mustangs had a dubious start against Stanton.
Starting at its 15, A-R drove deep into Viking territory.
On third-and-nine, Christiansen suffered just his second interception of the season when Focht stepped in front of his pass and returned the ball to the A-R 27.
"I was shocked. I'm not used to that," said Christiansen. "But I kept my head and took it from there."
Four running plays later, Alex Whigham scored on a 2-yard run.
The Mustang defense stuffed the two-point conversion attempt though as Stanton held a 6-0 lead at the 5:37 mark.
A-R went back to work when Spencer Clausen returning a squib kick to the 25.
That's where the Mustangs started a 12-play drive with Christiansen and Tyler Tonderum doing the bulk of the work.
A-R overcame a second and-7 and converted two fourth downs on a drive that ended on a 12-yard run by Tonderum. Ethan Eisenbacher's PAT gave A-R a 7-6 lead for the first quarter.
On Stanton's next drive, it appeared Whigham couldn't be stopped as he rushed for four consecutive first downs.
Finally Christiansen stepped up from his linebacker position to tackle him for a two-yard loss. A swing pass from Palmquist to Whigham fell incomplete on second down and A-R made two more stops to take over on downs at the Mustang 25.
The Mustang's next drive took very little time. Three running plays by Christiansen, including converting a third-and-inches, got A-R to the 35. Tonderum ran up the middle for 5 yards and finally broke loose on the next play, scampering 40 yards down the left sideline. Although Eisenbacher's kick was blocked, A-R led 13-6.
Stanton's next drive went three plays and out as the Vikings punted on fourth-and-one from their 25-the only punt of the game.
The Mustangs quickly moved down field again with Christiansen completing his first pass to Seth Anderson for 28 yards. He followed that with a 12-yard run and Tonderum took the ball in from 13 yards out on the next play. The Eisenbacher kick gave A-R a 20-6 lead with 4:37 remaining in the half.
Stanton's next drive ended when Clausen intercepted the ball and returned it to the Stanton 28.
The Mustangs appeared ready to take a three touchdown lead at halftime, but a false-start penalty on fourth-and-one didn't help as Christiansen was stopped short of the first down on fourth-and-six.
Stanton drove one more time across midfield before halftime, but the A-R defense held.
The defending state champs came out of the locker room and put together a eight-play 56-yard drive with Focht scoring on a 3-yard run. Tanner Stubbendeck ran in the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 20-14.
A-R didn't take long to respond. Tonderum returned the kickoff to the Stanton 31-yard line and had a 4-yard run on first down.
On second-and-six, Christiansen completed his second pass of the game-a 27-yard touchdown pass to Tanner LaBore who broke out of the grasp of Whigham at the 5-yard line. Christiansen ran in the two-point conversion and A-R led 28-14 with 6:54 remaining in the third period.
When Stanton got the ball back, their second play from scrimmage was the 30-yard pass from Palmquist to Focht.
The Mustangs responded with a 63-yard drive which included a 6-yard run by LaBore for a first down and a 17-yard pass to Tonderum.
Christiansen ended the drive on a 1-yard dive with 2:04 left in the third quarter to make it 34-20.
The game started to fall apart for Stanton after that. Focht fumbled on second down with LaBore recovering the ball at the A-R 30.
Christiansen did the bulk of the running on this drive, but ended it with an 8-yard pass to Tonderum.The Eisenbacher PAT put the Mustangs up 41-20 and gave them breathing room.
A good return by Stanton started them at the A-R 30, but a tackle by Cody Hantelman in the backfield on third-and five had the Vikings facing a fourth-and-eight. Christiansen and Clausen made the stop 5 yards short of the first down.
On the next play, Tonderum again broke free from the Viking defense, scampering 55 yards down the left sideline. The Eisenbacher PAT made the score 48-20.
On Stanton's first play of its next drive, the hike went past the quarterback Palmquist into the end zone. Palmquist could do nothing but fall on the ball for a Mustang safety.
When A-R got the ball back, Tonderum added the final score on a 22-yard run.
For A-R Anderson led the defense with 12 tackles while Christiansen had nine and Hantelman had eight tackles and a sack.
Asked how long he'd enjoy the victory, Tonderum said, "The rest of the day-and maybe the weekend. Monday, we'll come back and start getting ready for Lenox."
Stanton exited the playoffs with a 12-1 record.
The Mustangs' 37-point landslide victory avenged their 32-24 loss to the Vikings during the 2007 state finals.
"Our defense is the cornerstone of this team. ... It's stingy against the run, and we have really improved our pass coverage during the last four or five games," said Armstrong-Ringsted mentor Robert Zotz. "They (defenders) really set the tone for us today."
Anderson delivered the first clutch stop for the Mustangs after the Vikings converted safety Grant Focht's interception into running back Alex Whigham's 3-yard TD run with 5:37 left in the opening quarter.
Focht took quarterback Chris Palmquist's handoff on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt and followed his blockers before Anderson created a gap, sliced through the seam and stopped the play 2 yards short of the goal line.
Christiansen, who produced 166 rushing yards and threw for 76 more, established a physical style of running on the initial play of the Mustangs' second offensive series.
Christiansen hammered and pounded out 13 yards before Tonderum capped the 11-play, 55-yard march with a 12-yard TD scamper around left end.
Ethan Eisenbacher kicked the PAT with 32 seconds left in the first frame to stake Armstrong-Ringsted to a lead it would never relinquish.
Beeler and Cody Hantelman hurried Stanton's offense during the next sequence before end Craig Tigges batted down a Palmquist pass on third-and-12.
Christiansen, who recorded nine tackles from his hybrid linebacker position, then nailed Grant McArdle's shoes to the turf on a fourth-down screen pass for no gain to allow the Mustangs to take over on downs.
Tonderum needed only a sliver of space to knive through along the left side and outraced the Viking secondary for a 40-yard score only five snaps later.
Christiansen, Anderson and defense created another four-and-out series by Stanton before the A-R offense went to the airwaves inside the dome.
Christiansen fired a 25-yard strike to Anderson to help set up Tonderum's 13-yard scoring scamper around left end. Eisenbacher's PAT kick widened the gap to 20-6.
"He's the real deal. He can run the ball and throw the ball. He probably doesn't get to throw it as much because his coach doesn't allow him to," a smiling Zotz said in reference to Christiansen. "Our offensive linemen did a nice job of kicking out today, and then our in-and-out game (Christiansen and Tonderum) took over."
Trailing by 14 at halftime, Whigham's 21-yard kickoff return sparked the Vikings' scoring drive to open the third quarter.
Focht's 13-yard burst along the right sideline off a toss play eventually set up his second-effort 3-yard TD run at the 7:48 juncture. Tanner Stubbendeck converted on the two-point run to inch Stanton within 20-14.
Tonderum, however, thought the score was too close as his 43-yard kickoff return led to Tanner LaBore's 27-yard scoring reception from Christiansen only two plays later. Christiansen weaved his way through traffic for two more to double the Mustangs' margin to 28-14 with 6:54 remaining in the third.
Palmquist, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards, needed only two plays to retaliate as Stanton's quarterback hit Focht on a 50-yard scoring strike before A-R's Anderson halted a completed pass short of two-point territory.
Christiansen then displayed his mettle by grinding out tackle-breaking runs of 11 and 19 yards to set up his own 1-yard TD plunge with 2:04 left in the third.
Beeler unleashed a football-jarring hit to force a Stanton fumble that Tanner LaBore scooped up to trigger the Mustangs' 23-point offensive avalanche in the fourth.
Christiansen hit Tonderum in the right flat for an 8-yard score, Cody Hantelman's quarterback sack eventually led to Tonderum's 55-yard acceleration to paydirt before Tigges tackled Palmquist in the end zone for a safety.
Tonderum sprinted 22 yards to cap the Mustangs' final scoring drive on the heels of the Vikings' free kick with 5:42 left in the game.
Stanton linebacker Tyler Jones recorded 15 tackles to top all defenders on the state semifinal game.
A-R 7 13 14 23-57
Stanton 6 0 14 0-20
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
S - Alex Whigham 3 run (run failed), 5:37.
AR - Tyler Tonderum 12 run (Ethan Eisenbacher kick), 0:32.
2nd Quarter
AR - Tonderum 40 run (kick failed), 8:13.
AR - Tonderum 13 run (Eisenbacher kick), 4:37.
3rd Quarter
S - Grant Focht 3 run (Tanner Stubbendeck run), 7:48.
AR - Tanner LaBore 27 pass from Ridge Christiansen (Christiansen run), 6:54.
S - Focht 50 pass from Chris Palmquist (pass failed), 6:01.
AR - Christiansen 1 run (kick failed), 2:04.
4th Quarter
AR - Tonderum 8 pass from Christiansen (Eisenbacher kick), 9:27.
AR - Tonderum 55 run (Eisenbacher kick), 7:21.
AR - Craig Tigges safety, 7:15.
AR - Tonderum 22 run (Eisenbacher kick), 5:42.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: A-R 16; Stanton 13. Rushing: A-R 56-374; Stanton 35-140. Passing: A-R 4-5-1-76; Stanton 10-18-1-140. Fumbles-lost: A-R 3-0; Stanton 1-1. Penalties: A-R 7-59; Stanton 3-25.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Tonderum (AR) 21-209, Christiansen (AR) 33-166; Whigham (S) 17-77, Focht (S) 8-52. Passing: Christiansen (AR) 4-5-1-76; Palmquist (S) 10-18-1-140. Receiving: Tonderum (AR) 2-24, LaBore (AR) 1-27, Seth Anderson (AR) 1-25; Whigham (S) 5-48, Focht (S) 2-59, Alex Cabbage (S) 2-33.
Defense: Interceptions: Focht (S) and Spencer Clausen (AR). Fumble recovery: LaBore (AR). Tackles: Tyler Jones (S) 15; Christiansen (AR) 9, Cody Hantelman (AR) 8, Seth Anderson (AR) 8.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
No. 4 A-R upends No. 2 NSK
Back to the Dome!
Mustangs run away from Eaglesby David Swartz - Managing Editor
POSTED: November 8, 2008
Article Photos
ARMSTRONG - It wasn't supposed to be this easy.
Armstrong-Ringsted lost by 20 points to rival North Sentral Kossuth earlier this season.
In Friday's quarterfinal, the Mustangs dominated the Eagles in snowy, wet , windy conditions in Armstrong on the way to a 49-14 victory.
The No. 4 Mustangs will take on top-rated Stanton in the 8-Man semifinal next Friday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls-a rematch of last year's championship game.
"The energy that we had was second to none," said A-R coach Robert Zotz. "We played like we had something to prove. The weather was not inviting, but it benefited our running game."
The Mustangs had 310 yards on the ground led by Tyler Tonderum with 183 on 19 carries and touchdown runs of 63, 6, 26, 6 and 36. Ridge Christiansen contributed 122 yards on 14 carries with one 53-yard touchdown run and a 34-yard pass to Craig Tigges.
The first minute and half made the game look like it might be another shootout.
On the first play from scrimmage, Tonderum went 63 yards and the Mustangs led 7-0 after the Ethan Eisenbacher kick with just 18 seconds gone in the game.
North Sentral Kossuth didn't answer quite as quickly, but it took just a little over a minute as they started at their 37. Three runs by Blake Pedersen had the Eagles on the 10-yard line, where Chris Rock ran it in on first down. Pedersen added the two-point conversion and NSK led 8-7.
The lead lasted for a little while as A-R was forced to punt into the wind, giving the Eagles good field position, but Pedersen fumbled on third-and-9 from the 26-yard line.
A-R was again forced to kick after three plays and NSK started deep in Mustang territory at the 24, but two incomplete passes on third and fourth downs gave the Mustangs the ball once again.
This time, Christiansen broke free on a 54-yard run and Eisbacher's kick gave them a 14-8 lead.
A sack by Craig Tigges on third down had the Eagles kicking their first punt deep in their own territory. A few plays later, Tonderum ran the ball in from 5 yards out. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
A-R then had the biggest break of the night on the ensuing kickoff by Eisenbacher. Kicking high into the wind, the ball came up short and A-R pounced on the ball at the NSK 26.
On the next play from scrimmage, Tonderum took the ball in from there and the Eisenbacher kick made it 27-8.
NSK started with good field position at the 36 on the next drive, but a tackle for a loss on first down followed by a holding penalty on second down led to another Eagle punt.
With the wind favoring the Mustangs, A-R was at its own 39 after the two teams traded punts.
On second-and-two Christiansen completed his only pass of the night-a 34-yard touchdown reception to Craig Tigges. An A-R holding penalty prevented a successful two-point conversion play for the second time and this time Eisenbacher's kick failed, but A-R led 33-8 with 5:36 left in the half.
NSK again had bad field position on its next drive. On fourth down, the punt into the wind went for negative yardage with A-R recovering at the 5-yard line.
That was too easy as Tonderum ran the ball in untouched on the next play. Christiansen added the two-point conversion for a 41-8 lead with 3:48 remaining in the first half.
NSK finally regrouped on its next drive. The Eagles started at their 15 and moving across midfield. They converted a fourth-and-one and then Pedersen ran the ball in from 8-yards out. The two-point conversion attempt failed as A-R led 41-14 at half-far removed from the 14-14 game on Sept. 26.
The Mustangs proved their mettle in the second half, stopping the Eagles on their first drive.
When A-R took over on downs at their own 18, they promptly put together a drive that ended with a 36-yard by Tonderum. The two-point conversion pass from Christiansen to Tanner LaBore put the Mustangs up by 35 which kept the clock running continuously the rest of the game.
Defensively, Tigges had 12 tackles, Christiansen nine and Tonderum seven. Also, Spencer Clausen had an interception in the fourth quarter.
POSTED: November 8, 2008
Article Photos
ARMSTRONG - The road to Cedar Falls, Iowa, proved to be paved with both revenge, irony and a whole lot of snow for the Armstrong-Ringsted Mustangs.
The Iowa Eight-Man No. 4-ranked Mustangs made it a repeat performance to the football final four in 2008, by avenging their only loss of the season Friday night with a 49-14 win over the No. 2-ranked North Sentral Kossuth Eagles in the state quarterfinals in Armstrong.
Armstrong-Ringsted (11-1) advances to face No. 1-ranked Stanton (12-0) - a 42-17 winner over Coon Rapids-Bayard (10-2) - at 1:30 p.m. next Friday in the state semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
North Sentral Kossuth ended its season at 11-1.
During the regular season, the Eagles defeated the Mustangs, 34-14, in Swea City by shutting out the high-powered Mustang offense in the second half of that game. Ironically, the Mustangs returned the favor to their guests Friday night.
"There's been a lot of magic on this field. Our boys play well at home," said Mustang head coach Robert Zotz.
With snow, tough terrain and a biting wind, neither team had a margin for error against the conditions.
"We feel very fortunate to walk away with a win. I'm very proud of the boys. ... Our boys took care of it. We did a great job blocking - the defense did a very good job of shutting them down - they're a good running team," said Zotz.
The first play of the game proved to set the tone for the Mustangs as 'go-to' tailback Tyler Tonderum reached paydirt less than 20 seconds into the contest.
Tonderum took the handoff to the right side, hopped out of the ankle grasp of a would-be tackler and continued 58 yards to the end zone at 11:42 of the first quarter. Ethan Eisenbacher's extra point gave the hosts a 7-0 lead.
Tonderum ended up with 180 yards and five touchdowns on only 19 carries.
Chris Rock's 23-yard kickoff return was followed by Blake Pedersen's 19-yard run on the Eagles' first play of the contest, before running for 9 more two plays later. Dillon Bernhard then capped the four-play march with a 10-yard dive for the score at 10:36. Bernhard added the two-point conversion run for an 8-7 Eagle lead.
Later in the quarter, a Mustang defensive stop on fourth-and-10 at their own 24 quickly turned into more points.
Quarterback Ridge Christensen weaved his way through Eagle defenders for 54 yards and a score on second down with 3:40 left in the frame and Eisenbacher's kick put A-R back in front at 14-8.
The Mustangs once again forced an Eagle punt and after a short kick, the Mustangs took over at the Eagle 34.
Christensen ran for 15 on first down, before gaining 10 two plays later. Tonderum ended the drive untouched up the middle for a 6-yard TD at 34.5 seconds. The conversion failed and the hosts led 20-8.
The following kickoff, however, was popped up and the wind forced it straight down just far enough out of the Eagles' reach for the Mustangs to recover at the visitors' 26.
It only took one play for Tonderum to sprint over right tackle for the 26-yard scoring romp with 27.4 seconds to play. Eisenbacher's kick ended the first quarter at 27-8 for the hosts.
"The wind hurt them with special teams. That was a dagger. ... We were very fortunate to have the breaks go our way," said Zotz.
The Mustangs also scored quickly on two second-quarter drives.
Christensen ran for 8 yards on a drive starting near midfield, before he dropped back and fired a 33-yard touchdown pass to Craig Tigges along the right hash marks at 5:36. The kick failed for a 33-8 lead.
The Mustangs then caught a break with the Eagles punting from their own 13 as the NSK punter slipped and the ball ended up traveling backward against the wind, giving the Mustangs a first-and-goal at the Eagles' 7.
Tonderum then scored again over the left tackle on the first play, with Christensen's two-point conversion run putting the Mustangs ahead 41-8.
The Eagles managed to get in the final word before the half, putting together an impressive nine-play drive that culminated in Blake Pedersen's 7-yard run around the left side with 29.9 seconds to play. The conversion pass failed and the Mustangs held a 41-14 halftime advantage.
The home team put the only points of the second half on the board in the third quarter as Tonderum chalked up his fifth score at 7:02 with a 36-yard run down the right sideline. Christensen fired a conversion pass to Tanner LaBore for the 49-14 lead.
Christensen also broke the 100-yard rushing mark with 13 totes for 116 yards. Spencer Clausen added an interception for A-R, while Seth Anderson recovered a fumble.
Nick Larson and Caleb Villeareal had fumble recoveries for the Eagles.
Brock Beadle led the Eagle receivers with three catches for 18 yards, while Blake Pedersen had a catch for 14 yards. Pedersen led the visitors on the ground with 14 carries for 61 yards.
NSK 8 6 0 0 - 14
A-R 27 14 8 0 - 49
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
A-R - Tyler Tonderum 58 run (Ethan Eisenbacher kick), 11:42.
NSK - Dillon Bernhard 10 run (Bernhard run), 10:36.
A-R - Ridge Christensen 54 run (Eisenbacher kick), 3:40.
A-R - Tonderum 6 run (pass failed), 34.5.
A-R - Tonderum 26 run (Eisenbacher kick), 27.4.
2nd Quarter
A-R - Craig Tigges 33 pass from Christensen (kick failed), 5:36.
A-R - Tonderum 7 run (Christensen run), 3:48.
NSK - Blake Pedersen 7 run (pass failed), 29.9.
3rd Quarter
A-R - Tonderum 36 run (Tanner LaBore pass from Christensen), 7:02.
4th Quarter
No scoring.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: NSK 8, A-R 4. Rushing: NSK 32-89, A-R 33-302. Passing (comp.-att.-int.-yards): NSK 5-15-1-30, A-R 1-2-0-33. Fumbles-lost: NSK 1-1, A-R 2-2. Penalties: NSK 1-12, A-R 7-64.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Blake Pedersen (NSK) 14-61, Tyler Tonderum (A-R) 19-180, Ridge Christiansen (A-R) 13-116. Passing: Nick Larson (NSK) 5-15-1-30, Ridge Christensen (A-R) 1-2-0-33. Receiving: Brock Beadle (NSK) 3-18, Blake Pedersen (NSK) 1-14, Craig Tigges (A-R) 1-33.
Defense: Interception: Spencer Clausen (A-R). Fumble recoveries: Seth Anderson (A-R), Nick Larson (NSK), Caleb Villeareal (NSK).
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Playoff Schedule
We play Woodbine Wednesday night at Armstrong. Here's the entire bracket up to the championship. The way they have it configured, there will not be a Stanton/AR Rematch in the finals...
http://www.iahsaa.org/football/08_SCHEDULE_RESULTS/08_8p_bracket.pdf
http://www.iahsaa.org/football/08_SCHEDULE_RESULTS/08_8p_bracket.pdf
No. 5 A-R 42, G/T 21: Mustangs pull away from Knights
A-R outscores host 28-7 in second half
by David Swartz - Managing Editor
by David Swartz - Managing Editor
POSTED: October 25, 2008
Article Photos
GRAETTINGER - The Graettinger/Terril Knights proved they could play with No. 5 Armstrong-Ringsted as the two teams battled to a 14-14 score at halftime.
But the Mustangs scored the first two touchdowns of the third quarter and two more in the fourth while the Knights just once in the 42-21 A-R victory.
As expected, both teams ran the ball effectively with each rushing for over 300 yards.
The Mustangs proved a little more efficient with their passing. Although Ridge Christiansen just had four completions, three went for touchdowns-a 6-yarder to Travis Hantelman, a 36-yarder to Tyler Tonderum and a 57-yarder to Tanner LaBore.
G/T's Cody Dyhrkopp completed just two passes, but neither went for touchdowns.
Slugging it out toe-to-toe in the first half, host the Knights had the first break of the game, jumping on the ball after Tyler Tonderum fumbled on the second play from scrimmage.
Three plays later, Jake Hoffman rumbled in from 34-yards out. The Morton Utoft kick gave the Knights a 7-0 lead.
A-R promptly drove straight down the field also, but Graettinger/Terril's defense made a stand at the 2-yard line.
The Knights started to drive again, but this time they fumbled the ball before the end of the first quarter.
A-R was knocking on the door to start the second quarter with quarterback Ridge Christiansen scoring on a 2-yard run. The Ethan Eisenbacher tied the game at 7-7.
The Mustangs got the ball back again and this time went to the air as Christiansen connected on a 36-yard strike. Eisenbacher's kick gave them a 14-7 edge.
Graettinger/Terril responded immediately, driving from the 15-yard line with Hoffman scoring on a 6-yard run. Utoft's kick tied the game at 14-14 and that was the score at halftime.
The Knights started with the ball in the second half and drove deep in A-R territory, but penalties pushed G/T back.
A-R's first drive of the second half didn't take long as Tonderum broke free on a 45-yard run.
A-R go the ball back again Christiansen hit LaBore for the 57-yarder as the Mustangs took a 27-14 lead.
Graettinger/Terril had one more gasp as Hoffman scored his third touchdown from 10 yards out early in the fourth quarter.
But the rest of the game was all A-R.
Christiansen connected with Hantelman to push the lead to 35-21.
The Knights drove one more time late in the game, but LaBore picked off the pass.
Moments later, the Mustangs scored on a 15-yard run by Christiansen.
The Mustangs rushed for 327 yards led by Christiansen with 162 and Tonderum with 157.
Besides his three touchdown passes, Christiansen had one pass to Seth Anderson for 13 yards.
For the Knights, Hoffman had 203 yards on 31 carries. Drew Skattebo had 55 yards on nine carries and Dyhrkopp had 49 yards on nine carries.
Cody Hantelman led the defense with 13 tackles while Tigges, Tonderum and LaBore each had 11 tackles.
A-R (8-1, 6-1) awaits to see who its playoff opponent will be next Wednesday as does Graettinger/Terril (6-3, 4-3).
Saturday, October 18, 2008
No. 8 A-R outlasts No. 5 L-M
Charlie Sorrells - Sentinel Sports Editor
POSTED: October 18, 2008
LEAPING FOR SIX — Armstrong-Ringsted quarterback Ridge Christiansen (9) leaps over Laurens-Marathon linebacker Kyle Frerk (left) for a touchdown after sprinting past linebacker Gary Brechler (6) during Iowa Eight-Man, District 2 football action Friday night in Armstrong. Mustang end Craig Tigges (1) contributes a solid block on the play. View additional photos at http://cu.fairmontsentinel.com (Photo by Lori Peters)
ARMSTRONG - Armstrong-Ringsted freshman linebacker Brett Thackery fielded Laurens-Marathon's skidding squib kick at his own 23-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in regulation Friday night.
Thackery's sure-handed grab finally halted an Iowa Eight-Man, District 2 football shootout that produced a staggering 107 points and an even more incredible 1,022 combined yards of offense in Armstrong.
Tailback Tyler Tonderum and quarterback Ridge Christiansen combined for 479 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while placekicker Ethan Eisenbacher's seven PATs proved the difference as the hometown Mustangs outlasted the Chargers, 55-52.
No. 8-ranked Armstrong-Ringsted's three-point margin of victory dealt No. 5-ranked Laurens-Marathon its first loss of the season and created a tie for second place at 5-1 in the District 2 standings.
The No. 2-ranked North Sentral Kossuth Eagles maintained their undefeated district record with a 66-24 rout of Twin River Valley on Friday night to set up two key matchups next Friday.
The Mustangs (7-1) travel to Graettinger, Iowa, to face Graettinger/Terril for their regular-season finale, while the Chargers (7-1) play host to the Eagles (8-0) in Laurens, Iowa.
"It's a victory and that's what matters the most at this point of the season, especially with only one game left before the playoffs begin," said Armstrong-Ringsted mentor Robert Zotz, who guided his lineup to state runner-up honors in 2007. "That (a 100-plus points and 1,000-plus yards) is what can happen sometimes in an Eight-Man football game."
Indeed. The high-scoring Iowa District 2 gridiron clash definitely proved a tale of two halves and two offensive philosophies, with Eisenbacher's accurate leg being the true difference in the end.
Christiansen, who produced 225 yards and three TDs on a yeoman's 30 carries, opened the game's scoring by hammering his way into the end zone from 2 yards out prior to Eisenbacher's PAT kick.
After A-R tackle Willie Beeler, end Cody Hantelman and safety Tanner LaBore made a stellar defensive stand on fourth-and-goal at their own 5, it took Tonderum only two touches to demonstrate his lateral quickness, acceleration and sure sprinter's speed.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior tailback found a sliver of space up the middle, shifted from first to fourth gear and galloped 72 yards for the first of his three TDs on the game.
Tonderum finished with a game-leading 254 yards on 19 carries.
LaBore needed just one quick blast up the middle before breaking a tackle to sprint 39 yards in one play prior to an Eisenbacher kick to extend the Mustangs' margin to 21-0 at the 11:34 mark of the second quarter.
The Chargers erased the zero on the scoreboard with a gadget play to answer only 44 seconds later.
Split end Caleb Jamison took the pitch from quarterback Zach Lovin, stopped in the left flat and fired a 62-yard scoring strike to split end Adam Woodin.
Lovin, who completed a staggering 23 of 41 passes for a game-leading 352 yards and six TDs, however, could not connect on his two-point conversion toss.
Tonderum exploded for a 41-yard TD trot before Christiansen matched his backfield partner's performance and then some by breaking a pair of tackles before racing 72 yards for another six points.
Eisenbacher added both PATs to widen A-R's lead to 35-6 with 4:26 remaining before halftime.
Both teams were not finished scoring, however, as this time, Jamison was on the receiving end of a 55-yard six-point strike from Lovin.
Christiansen offset Lovin's TD toss by firing a 9-yard scoring spiral to end Craig Tigges before Eisenbacher split the uprights for the sixth time on the game.
LaBore then intercepted a Lovin aerial with time winding down in the second quarter to set up Christiansen's delay-draw 2-yard run into the end zone. Eisenbacher kicked his seventh PAT to stake the Mustangs to a 49-12 edge with 27 seconds left before intermission.
A-R produced 403 of its amazing 507 rushing yards during the first half only to see Lovin connect on 14 of 21 passes for 205 of his 352 yards, and more importantly, the final five of his six TDs through the air during the final 24 minutes of regulation.
Lovin spotted Jamison, who pocketed eight of his nine catches to account for 96 of his 158 receiving yards during the second half, on a 38-yard TD strike to open the third quarter. All four of Jamison's six-pointers were in the second half.
Tonderum, however, delivered what would be the Mustangs' final TD and points of the game by accelerating for a 52-yard sprint to cross the end zone with 8:08 left in the third quarter for a seemingly comfortable 55-18 lead.
Lovin had other ideas as the senior signal-caller hit Jamison on a 5-yard route for six more points before Charger running back Gary Brechler reached the end zone on a 5-yard run. Lovin's two-point conversion run whittled L-M's deficit to 55-32 after three quarters in the books.
Lovin unleashed an 8-yarder to Jamison for six more points and a 25-yarder to Woodin with only 1:23 left in regulation. Woodin finished with a game-leading 12 catches for 178 yards and three TDs.
Brett Wollum then recovered the Chargers' onside kick to set up Woodin's 10-yard scoring reception from Lovin. Lovin dove across the goal line for two more points to inch L-M within three with 57 seconds left.
Thackery fielded the ensuing kickoff and dropped to the ground to secure the Mustangs' victory.
L-M 0 12 20 20 - 52
A-R 14 35 6 0 - 55
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
AR - Ridge Christiansen 2 run (Ethan Eisenbacher kick), 9:48.
AR - Tyler Tonderum 72 run (Eisenbacher kick), 4:17.
2nd Quarter
AR - Tanner LaBore 39 run (Eisenbacher kick), 11:34.
LM - Adam Woodin 62 pass from Caleb Jamison (pass failed), 10:50.
AR - Tonderum 41 run (Eisenbacher kick), 9:14.
AR - Christiansen 72 run (Eisenbacher kick), 4:26.
LM - Jamison 55 pass from Zach Lovin (pass failed), 4:09.
AR - Craig Tigges 9 pass from Christiansen (Eisenbacher kick), 3:24.
AR - Christiansen 2 run (Eisenbacher kick), 0:27.
3rd Quarter
LM - Jamison 38 pass from Lovin (pass failed), 9:00.
AR - Tonderum 52 run (kick failed), 8:08.
LM - Jamison 5 pass from Lovin (kick failed), 2:26.
LM - Gary Brechler 5 run (Lovin run), 0:46.
4th Quarter
LM - Jamison 8 pass from Lovin (pass failed), 5:49.
LM - Woodin 25 pass from Lovin (pass failed), 1:23.
LM - Woodin 10 pass from Lovin (Lovin run), 0:57.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: L-M 15; A-R 13. Rushing: L-M 31-80; A-R 51-507. Passing: L-M 24-42-1-414; A-R 3-8-1-19. Fumbles-lost: L-M 2-0; A-R 3-1. Penalties: L-M 2-10; A-R 6-45.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Tonderum (AR) 19-254, Christiansen (AR) 30-225; Brechler (LM) 20-57. Passing: Christiansen (AR) 3-8-1-19; Lovin (LM) 23-41-1-352, Jamison (LM) 1-1-0-62. Receiving: Cody Hantelman (AR) 1-10, Tigges (AR) 1-9; Woodin (LM) 12-178, Jamison (LM) 9-158.
Defense: Interceptions: Tanner LaBore (AR); Devin Lind (LM). Fumble recovery: Brett Wollum (LM).
http://cu.fairmontsentinel.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=298713
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Mustangs cruise in homecoming rout
Tonderum, LaBore each score four times for A-Rby David Swartz - Managing Editor
POSTED: September 20, 2008
Article Photos
A-R's Joe Brandenburg (22) tackleslow to make this stop against TRV
during the Mustang's Homecoming
game on Friday.
ARMSTRONG - Class 8-Man No. 2 Armstrong-Ringsted followed the same pattern as its first three victories. in a 70-24 homecoming rout over Twin River Valley on Friday.
The Mustangs scored 28 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 56-12 halftime lead.
"Everyone got to play tonight for the big A-R Homecoming victory," said A-R coach Robert Zotz. "The stands were packed and that really motivated the boys."
A-R ranked up 322 yards on the ground and only passed twice with Ridge Christiansen 1-2.
Four different Mustang players scored in the first quarter when Christiansen scoring on a 35-yard run, Tyler Tonderum on a two-yard run Tanner LaBore on an 8-yard run and a 79-yard kickoff return.
In the second quarter, Tonderum had a 19-yard touchdown, Labore had a 4-yard touchdown run and then Christiansen connected with Labore on a 9 yard touchdown strike. Tonderum completed the half with a 33-yard run.
Tonderum scored one more time in the third quarter from 4 yards out and Spencer Clausen had a 35-yard touchdown run.
Tonderum rushed for a team-high 168 yards while Christiansen had 94, Clausen had 35 yards LaBore had 20, Moore had eight, Dakota Odermann had three and Thackery had six.
Seth Anderson was the leading tackler with eight while Craig Tigges and Travis Hantelman each had seven tackles. Tigges also recovered two fumbles and Tonderum had an interception.
A-R (4-0, 2-0) travels to Swea City next week to take on rival and No. 3 North Sentral Kossuth.
No. 2 Mustangs quiet the Thunder
Jason Wilcox - Sentinel Sports Writer
POSTED: September 20, 2008
Article Photos
ARMSTRONG - The Armstrong-Ringsted Mustangs could have changed their nickname to the Hydras on Friday night.
The three-headed attack of quarterback Ridge Christiansen, and running backs Tyler Tonderum and Tanner LaBore were impossible to contain in Armstrong.
Tonderum and LaBore each scored four touchdowns, while Christiansen ran for one and threw for another as the Iowa 8-Man No. 2-ranked squad scored 56 first-half points en route to a 70-24 District 2 win over the Twin River Valley Thunder.
The Mustangs scored four times apiece in the first and second quarter.
Tonderum exploded for 178 yards on 15 attempts, while Christiansen added 96 more on nine carries.
LaBore ran for only 16 yards on five carries, but scored on runs of 8 and 4 and caught a 9-yard scoring strike from Christiansen. He also scored on a 79-yard kick return in the final 30 seconds on the opening frame.
"Offensively, we really took care of business. We ran the ball extremely effectively," said Mustang head coach Robert Zotz.
After the Mustang defense made a stop on the Thunder on a fourth-and-inches, the home team took over on offense at its own 22.
But the team did not stay there long as Tonderum ran for 18 and 4 yards on consecutive carries before Christiansen faked the inside handoff to Tonderum and rumbled the remaining 35 yards for the score at 9:12. Ethan Eisenbacher added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
After a Thunder punt, the hosts took over at midfield at 5:35 as LaBore, Tonderum and Christiansen ran consecutively for 7, 2 and 18 yards, respectively, before Tonderum added 11 more and the final 2 on a walk-in over the right side for the score at 3:29. The PAT was missed, making the score 13-0.
"We're blessed with really good running backs, but at the same time our line opens the holes up," said Zotz.
Tonderum then jump-started the Mustang offense by intercepting Thunder quarterback Trevor Peters at the TRV 8-yard line.
One play later, LaBore was in the end zone on a right-side delay handoff and Tonderum added the conversion run for a 21-0 lead.
The Thunder then made some noise on their next drive, riding the legs of Levi Peters for 23 yards on four straight carries, before Trevor Peters hit Sam Jacobson for a 21-yard gain to the 2-yard line.
Trevor Peters closed out the drive at 41.5 seconds left in the opening quarter on a 2-yard run. The conversion run failed, making the score 21-6.
On the ensuing kickoff, LaBore added more points to the Mustang total, taking the kick on the 1 and bursting past everybody down the sideline for the 79-yard return at 29.8 seconds. Eisenbacher's extra point ended the first quarter at 28-6 for the Mustangs.
Levi Peters scored his second TD of the half on another 2-yard run, completing an 8-play drive. But the Mustangs needed only two plays to counter.
After a penalty on an onside kick attempt, the Mustangs took over at the Thunder 39 and Christiansen ran for 20, before Tonderum flew up the middle the final 19 yards at 8:40 for the score. Eisenbacher added the extra point.
Craig Tigges then helped out with the next two Mustang TDs on defense, recovering back-to-back fumbles on Thunder possessions.
"Defensively, we had moments we looked good, but we had moments we need to work on," said Zotz.
The drive after the first fumble ended on a LaBore 4-yard score on an inside handoff at 6:50 and the next concluded when Christiansen found LaBore in the left corner of the end zone for a 9-yard scoring strike at 6:06. Eisenbacher kicked the PATs after both scores for a 49-12 lead.
The final score of the half came on Tonderum's 36-yard burst around the left side of the line at 43.1 seconds left in the half and Eisenbacher's kick made the score 56-12 at halftime.
Tonderum scored his fourth TD at 6:01 of the third on a 4-yard run, before Spencer Clausen ran in from 35 yards away at 1:41. Eisenbacher and Brett Thackery kicked the respective extra points.
Brance Simms scored on a 3-yard run and Abel Ramos added an 8-yard effort in the fourth quarter for the Thunder.
Sam Jacobson led the Thunder receiving with three catches for 64 yards. Cody Hubrich recovered a fumble for the visitors.
The Mustangs ended up with 333 yards rushing on 33 carries. Levi Peters had 79 yards on 20 carries, while Ramos had 55 on eight attempts.
Armstrong-Ringsted (4-0, 2-0) plays Iowa 8-Man No. 3-ranked North Sentral Kossuth next Friday in Swea City. Twin River Valley (1-3, 1-1) plays Graettinger/Terril next Friday in Bode, Iowa.
TRV 6 6 0 12 - 24
A-R 28 28 14 0 - 70
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
A-R - Ridge Christiansen 35 run (Ethan Eisenbacher kick), 9:12.
A-R - Tyler Tonderum 2 run (kick failed), 3:29.
A-R - Tanner LaBore 8 run (Tonderum run), 2:42.
TRV - Levi Peters 2 run (run failed), 41.5.
A-R - LaBore 79 kick return (Eisenbacher kick), 29.8.
2nd Quarter
TRV - L. Peters 2 run (pass failed), 8:57.
A-R - Tonderum 15 run (Eisenbacher kick), 8:40.
A-R - LaBore 4 run (Eisenbacher kick), 6:50.
A-R - LaBore 9 pass from Christiansen (Eisenbacher kick), 6:06.
A-R - Tonderum 36 run (Eisenbacher kick), 43.1.
3rd Quarter
A-R - Tonderum 4 run (Eisenbacher kick), 6:01.
A-R - Spencer Clausen 35 run (Brett Thackery kick), 1:41.
4th Quarter
TRV - Brance Simms 3 run (run failed), 5:07.
TRV - Abel Ramos 8 run (run failed), 15.1.
TEAM STATISTICS
First Downs: TRV 11, A-R 9. Rushing: TRV 45-157, A-R 33-333. Passing: TRV 3-9-1-64, A-R 1-2-0-9. Fumbles-lost: TRV 7-2, A-R 1-1. Penalties: TRV 1-4, A-R 3-32.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: L. Peters (TRV) 20-79, Abel Ramos (TRV) 8-55, Tonderum (A-R) 15-178, Christiansen (A-R) 9-96, Spencer Clausen (A-R) 1-35. Passing: L. Peters (TRV) 3-5-1-64, Peyton Vote (TRV) 0-3-0-0, Sam Halverson (TRV) 0-1-0-0. Christiansen (A-R) 1-2-0-9. Receiving: Sam Jacobson (TRV) 3-64, LaBore (A-R) 1-9.
Defense: Interception: Tonderum (A-R). Fumble Recoveries: Cody Hubrich (TRV), Craig Tigges (A-R) 2.
Armstrong-Ringsted 70, Twin River Valley 24
We're now 4-0.
Here's the link to statewide scores for the night:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/SPORTS08/80919032
Here's the link to statewide scores for the night:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/SPORTS08/80919032
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
HOMECOMING
Willie and Mr. Waldstein - Mr. W. played Willie in the coaches skit. Willie played Ozzie Osborn in the Sr. skit.
Our new homecoming royalty: Tanner LaBore and Morgan Grabinoski
Friday, September 12, 2008
AR 65 WBM 22
West Bend Mallard has dominated 11-player football for a long time, and no one can remember the last time AR beat WBM. Needless to say, this was a very satisfying win. Coach Berninghaus graduated from WBM, so he was in front of his hometown crowd.
Tanner LaBore had another awesome game; Ethan Eisenbacher is doing such a good job kicking. Bad news for Ridge. He has a torn meniscus in his knee and will need surgery eventually. He won't harm it any further playing, but eventually it will get so painful he'll have no choice. They're going to try to get him through the rest of the season. Spencer Clausen is backup quarterback and he hurt his hand. He sat out last week, but was back tonight.
Back your bags - you'll be joining us at the Dome!
Stanton, ArWeVa and NSK also won tonight. NSK played Graettinger-Terrill (who was rated 9th this week). They only won by 12. Stanton won their game 86-0.
Here's the link to tonight's scores: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080912/SPORTS08/80912035/0/SPORTS08
I'll post any newspaper stories later.
Tanner LaBore had another awesome game; Ethan Eisenbacher is doing such a good job kicking. Bad news for Ridge. He has a torn meniscus in his knee and will need surgery eventually. He won't harm it any further playing, but eventually it will get so painful he'll have no choice. They're going to try to get him through the rest of the season. Spencer Clausen is backup quarterback and he hurt his hand. He sat out last week, but was back tonight.
Back your bags - you'll be joining us at the Dome!
Stanton, ArWeVa and NSK also won tonight. NSK played Graettinger-Terrill (who was rated 9th this week). They only won by 12. Stanton won their game 86-0.
Here's the link to tonight's scores: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080912/SPORTS08/80912035/0/SPORTS08
I'll post any newspaper stories later.
A-R starts district play against WB-M
Wolverines are in first year of 8-man football
by David Swartz - Managing Editor
by David Swartz - Managing Editor
There's no question about the effectiveness of Class 8-Man No. 2 Armstrong-Ringsted's offense.
The Mustangs first two games have followed a similar pattern of putting up big numbers in the first half and then watching the continuous clock make the second half come to a quick conclusion.
A-R scored 34 points in the first half of the season opener against Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka and followed that with a 48-point first-half performance against Corwith-Wesley-Luverne.
A-R coach Robert Zotz attributes part of the success to the defense.
"When our defense steps up it gives our offense more opportunities," he said.
Today, the Mustangs face an opponent they haven't seen since they went to the 8-player game-West Bend-Mallard, a team that dropped down from 11-man this year.
"They're still learning now, but I see them as a team that will get better each week," said Zotz. "They run a good option with their quarterback (Darin Banwart)."
Banwart led the Wolverines to their first 8-player victory, a 50-28 victory over Northeast Hamilton-a team that won the state 8-player title two years ago.
Banwart scored four times for West Bend-Mallard and rushed for 117 yards while teammate Matt Ruppert had 181 yards on 41 carries.
"Defensively we have to play the football and take care of the option," said Zotz. "Offensively, we just need to continue to do what we've been doing the last couple of weeks."
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