Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Dreshaun Ross of Fort Dodge runs for a first down against Waterloo East on Friday at Dodger Stadium. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

High school football games come and go. Week by week, teams win or lose and move on without much more than a passing thought beyond the final score.

Thanks to a fundraiser idea that spread like wildfire before Fort Dodge faced Waterloo East on Friday, the contest inside Dodger Stadium took on a much deeper and more lasting meaning than the end result.

FDSH officials noticed earlier in the day that booster clubs, businesses and individuals throughout the region were pledging money to support the family of slain Algona police officer Kevin Cram, who was killed in the line of duty on Wednesday night. Dodger head coach Nik Moser made connections to help set up the program’s own touchdown drive, where donations would be made based on the number of times Fort Dodge and East reached the end zone.

Fans were suddenly rooting for a high-scoring affair, and the Dodgers delivered. Moser’s squad scored 38 of the game’s first 44 points before halftime and ended the evening with a 45-27 victory over the Trojans — a final that netted well over $14,000 for Cram’s fund.

“It means a lot to see the community rally around a cause like this,” Moser said. “There are some things that are bigger than football, and it’s a great lesson to teach these kids — not just in the importance of doing something good for the right reasons, but the power of a town that comes together for a family in need.

“I know this is happening (with high school football fundraisers for the Crams) all over Iowa right now; the idea really caught on and built momentum (on Friday). It’s a tragic situation, and we’re all just trying to do our part and what’s best for a family that’s suffering through a nightmare.”

Fort Dodge (2-2 overall) looked impressive in spots and ragged at times against East, which came in with a 2-1 record and averaging nearly 350 yards of offense. The Trojans came close to those numbers when all was said and done, but they weren’t nearly as balanced as they had been in previous weeks.

The Dodger defense allowed only 49 net rushing yards, with 52 coming on a busted play scramble by talented East quarterback Landen Sewell. The senior signal caller did finish with 278 passing yards, but it took him 32 attempts to get there. Sewell had 16 incompletions, was intercepted twice, and spent the evening under constant duress.

Fort Dodge, meanwhile, was balanced offensively a week after being shut down at Dallas Center-Grimes. The Dodgers had 178 rushing yards on 38 carries, and junior quarterback Royce Pederson passed for 182 yards in his first varsity start.

“I think consistency is the main message from this one,” Moser said. “We were really good at times, but we weren’t consistent enough. I feel like we relaxed a little when we got up big; I guess that’s natural to a certain extent, but we can’t afford to be inconsistent with our play or our emotion (with district play beginning this week).

“We maybe assumed (with a 38-6 lead) that East would just roll over and quit. But they’ve had big comebacks to win the last two weeks, and they kept fighting (last night). It’s a credit to Coach (DeCarlos) Anderson and their staff.”

FDSH sophomore tailback Dreshaun Ross had 99 of his 105 yards in the first half. He scored on runs of 5 and 24 yards. Fellow sophomore Noah Daniel got the ball rolling two plays into the contest with a 65-yard jet sweep pass reception from Pederson, as Daniel did the rest and hit paydirt.

Pederson also found senior Grant Williams on a 27-yard TD strike for the Dodgers’ lone second-half touchdown. Williams also read a Sewell screen pass perfectly from his cornerback spot, jumping the route for a 43-yard interception return to the end zone in the opening period.

Junior Jamarius Gibbs-Green had the other score — the first of his career — on a 52-yard dash up the middle of the field in the second quarter.

Sophomore Jesse Egli recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. Senior Cal Hartman, junior Jonathan Brown and Ross recorded sacks.

“We made some big plays,” Moser said. “There are plenty of positives to take away from this. We just have to keep getting better and steadier now that we’re wiping the slate clean at 0-0 (for district action).”

Fort Dodge is back at home this Friday against Denison-Schleswig for Homecoming and the 4A, District 1 opener. The Monarchs fell to 2-2 after losing to eighth-ranked Glenwood last night, 28-14.

FD WE

First Downs 16 10

Rushes-Yards 38-178 16-49

Passing Yards 182 278

Comp-Att-Int 10-16-0 16-32-2

Total Yards 360 327

Punts-Avg. 2-28.0 4-36.0

Fumbles-Lost 3-1 1-1

Penalties-Yards 8-51 9-60

Fort Dodge 16 22 7 0 — 45

East 6 8 7 6 — 27

Scoring Summary

Fort Dodge — Noah Daniel (65-yard pass from Royce Pederson), 11:24 left first quarter. Daniel run.

Fort Dodge — Grant Williams (43-yard interception return), 4:35 left first. Tytrell Mosley run.

Waterloo East — Davarrion Clark (2-yard run), 1:53 left first. Run failed.

Fort Dodge — Dreshaun Ross (5-yard run), 7:54 left second. Mosley run.

Fort Dodge — Ross (24-yard run), 4:51 left second. Parker Schillerstrom kick.

Fort Dodge — Jamarius Gibbs-Green (52-yard run), 1:59 left second. Schillerstrom kick.

Waterloo East — Landen Sewell (52-yard run), 1:16 left second. Sewell run.

Waterloo East — Ahdan Muhammad (44-yard pass from Sewell), 9:41 left third. Adrian Alejo-Rubio kick.

Fort Dodge — Williams (27-yard pass from Pederson), 5:52 left third. Schillerstrom kick.

Waterloo East — Muhammad (23-yard pass from Sewell), 4:20 left fourth. Pass failed.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing — Fort Dodge: Dreshaun Ross 23-105, Jamarius Gibbs-Green 7-76, Noah Daniel 1-9, Cal Hartman 1-0, Royce Pederson 5-(minus-5), Team 1-(minus-7). Waterloo East: Landen Sewell 4-47, Davarrion Clark 8-7, Jah’Khi Parker 1-(minus-1), LeeVontay Bell 3-(minus-4).

Passing — Fort Dodge: Royce Pederson 10-16-0-182. Waterloo East: Landen Sewell 16-32-2-278.

Receiving — Fort Dodge: Noah Daniel 2-70, Grant Williams 2-57, Ty Adams 2-40, Tytrell Mosley 3-8, Cal Hartman 1-7. Waterloo East: Ahdan Muhammad 6-149, Davarrion Clark 3-61, Maceo Hicks 2-34, Darian Bates 1-22, Isaac Lomas 1-10, Jah’Khi Parker 3-2.