Dodgers ride momentum into playoffs
BONDURANT — Many football teams limp to a season’s finish line, losing the battle of physical and mental attrition once the shadows of November start to show.
Fort Dodge, meanwhile, isn’t ready for any of it to end.
The Dodgers (7-2 overall) travel to Bondurant-Farrar on Friday for a first-round Class 4A playoff game against the sixth-ranked Bluejays (8-1). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Head coach Nik Moser’s squad won its final three regular-season contests to reach the 16-team bracket as an at-large entrant. Bondurant-Farrar tied No. 3 Indianola for the title in District 5 — statistically speaking, the toughest in 4A with four playoff qualifiers.
“They’re really good, obviously,” Moser said of the Bluejays. “Aggressive on defense. Tough to defend and balanced offensively. When you get to this point in the year, you’re going to have to earn everything you get.
“We’re just thankful to be in this position. There are (20 schools) in our class alone who are done and would like to have another chance at being on the field again. I think the best part is we’re enjoying the ride. We don’t want it to be over. The kids are working as hard as ever at practice and watching film. We’ll be ready.”
Bondurant-Farrar’s headline-grabber is Titus Cram, a precocious sophomore who has already received scholarship offers from Iowa and Iowa State while drawing interest from Florida State and Missouri as well. The ubiquitous Cram does it all, lining up at tailback, safety and kicker for the Bluejays.
“He’s an impressive combination of power and speed,” Moser said. “There’s a reason why he’s already on everyone’s radar (at the next level). He has a ton of physical talent and athleticism, and is really developed for being just a sophomore. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of (current Iowa Hawkeye and former Southeast Polk and West Des Moines Dowling all-stater) Gavin Williams.”
The 190-pound Cram has rushed for 1,188 yards and 22 touchdowns at over eight yards per carry. Twenty-four of his 36 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks, and he’s made two of three field goal attempts. Cram has also recorded 32 tackles on defense.
B-F isn’t just a one-man show, though. Junior quarterback Colby Collison has thrown for 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns, completing over 60 percent of his passes. His main target is senior Nolan Meyer (32 catches, 536 yards, 10 TDs).
“Their quarterback does a nice job…he’s a lot like (Dodger junior signal-caller) Connor (Carver),” Moser said. “He’s 6-foot-2 or 6-3 with a strong arm. They have a nice set of receivers and a tough offensive line.”
The Bluejays’ defense, meanwhile, has allowed just 29 points in the last four weeks. B-F rebounded from a hard-fought 15-7 road loss to Indianola by taking down No. 9 Norwalk last Friday, 23-7.
Fort Dodge advanced with its best effort of the year in a 35-15 rout of Le Mars a week ago. Senior running back Jon Presswood carried 30 times for a career-high 249 yards, and Carver threw for 184 yards of his own. The Dodgers took a shutout deep into the fourth quarter.
“We’ve really turned a corner over the last couple of weeks,” Moser said. “Our coaches and players have worked hard to make the necessary adjustments and reinvent ourselves, so to speak. The commitment level is higher.
“We’re really making the most of still being around each other and getting to play more football.”
Presswood, like Cram, is in the Top-5 for 4A in rushing at 1,133 yards. Carver ranks third in passing with 1,921 yards, and fellow FDSH junior Javion Jondle is the 4A leader in receiving yards at 814.
The Dodgers, who finished 10th in the RPI ratings, are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. They’ve accumulated seven regular-season victories for the fifth time since 2009, joining the ’09, ’10, ’15 and ’18 squads. Only four previous FDSH football squads had reached that regular-season total from 1951 through 2008.
The Bluejays are 5th in the RPI.
The winner of Friday’s matchup advances to face either No. 4 Waverly-Shell Rock (8-1) or Cedar Rapids Washington (5-4) next Friday at a site to be determined.
Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.iahsaa.org/tickets under the “Football” tab. Cost is $8 per person.