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High School Football

Home contests for ranked area squads

All four rated Messenger-area teams will look to stay unbeaten with home contests this Friday. Heading into Week 3 of the season, area ranked squads are steadily climbing the rankings in their respective classes. Humboldt (2-0) and Webster City (2-0) are sitting at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively, in Class 3A. Both squads will have unbeaten opponents on their home turf. Sixth-ranked Southeast Valley (2-0) will host Clarion-Goldfield/Dows (1-1) in a 2A matchup. No. 7 South Central Calhoun (2-0), who ran roughshod over fourth-rated Southwest Valley last week, will entertain ...

Area ties dominate inaugural ‘Beisser Bowl’ storyline

There will be more than just the final score of a game on the line when the Fort Dodge football team faces Dallas Center-Grimes for the first time ever this Friday night at DC-G Stadium. The Dodgers and Mustangs will kick off a new rivalry with the Beisser Lumber Company traveling trophy ...

POWER PLAY

For 18 consecutive years, the Fort Dodge football program had complete control of its series with Mason City. Last season’s loss to the Riverhawks put the Dodgers at a sudden — albeit potentially temporary — crossroads in the rivalry. Playing with a renewed sense of urgency and focus, ...

Career night for Laufersweiler

MAXWELL — JT Laufersweiler tossed six touchdowns and the St. Edmond football team dominated their district opener here Friday night over Collins-Maxwell, 61-14. Laufersweiler was 8-for-11 for 249 yards, hitting four different players for scores for the Gaels (2-0 overall, 1-0 in district). Fellow senior Leo Ehn and sophomore Kinnick Henning each caught two TDs while Jakob Koopman and Grant Galles had the other two. “That was one of the best performances in all aspects of the game that we’ve had,” SEHS head coach Matt Dillon said. “JT was unstoppable out there through the air ...

Area football roundup

Bears upset No. 9 WB-M WEST BEND — There was no hangover for the Bishop Garrigan football team on Friday. The Golden Bears (1-1 overall) were making their second straight road trip, and a week after losing to St. Edmond, Garrigan scored an upset as the Golden Bears knocked off No. 9 West Bend-Mallard (1-1), 36-31. Garrigan quarterback Tate Foertsch threw for three touchdowns and ran for one. Sam Plathe had two touchdown catches and Justin Bauer also had one. Ethan Marso added rushing touchdown. Andrew Lichter recorded 13 tackles and Bauer had 11. Benji Trainer had eight tackles, ...

Fort Dodge meets Riverhawks in home opener

As he always does after Fort Dodge football games, head coach Nik Moser spent last weekend meticulously dissecting film from last Friday’s season opener at Webster City. First, the good: the Dodgers were every bit as intense and consistent with their effort as Moser remembered in retrospect. The execution, on the other hand, still left plenty to be desired. “I think there were a lot of positives to take away from how hard we played and how much we played for each other as a team,” Moser said. “But I’m also not going to sugarcoat it: if we want to put ourselves in position ...