No. 2 Warriors pull away from Dodgers

Fourth-quarter burst allows SB-L to remain unbeaten

SERGEANT BLUFF - Second-ranked (Class 4A) Sergeant Bluff-Luton found itself in a dogfight heading into the fourth quarter with No. 7 Fort Dodge.

That's when the Warriors found another gear, as they reeled off 21 unanswered points to pull away for a 34-13 victory over the Dodgers on a damp, drizzly night here on Friday.

After slipping into an early 13-0 hole, head coach Nik Moser's squad responded and scored twice in the second quarter to tie the score by halftime. The District 1 rivals played to a third-period deadlock before SB-L (5-0 overall) discovered its second wind with a flurry of points for a homecoming knockout punch.

The Warriors used their vintage, methodical ground game to eventually wear Fort Dodge (4-1) down. They first rallied to a big defensive stand after senior quarterback Tru McBride found junior Reggie Pederson for a 58-yard gain into the SB-L red zone, forcing a missed field goal and keeping the contest tied at 13.

The Warriors then pieced together a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown march, scoring on the initial play of the fourth quarter to take the lead for good. Fort Dodge drove into SB-L territory on its ensuing possession, but the Dodgers stalled and were forced to punt.

That's when Warrior quarterback Justin Ehlers flipped the field with a backbreaking 63-yard run on the next snap. SB-L hit paydirt again four plays later for a 27-13 advantage with less than six minutes remaining in regulation.

The final margin of victory got deceptive when Fort Dodge was stopped on a questionable 4th-and-1 spot and the Warriors took over in the red zone, tacking on their final TD on the next play with 4:48 remaining in regulation.

McBride threw for 176 yards, but completed only 6 of 17 passes against a stout SB-L defense. He hit Sam Moser for a 66-yard touchdown strike to begin the second quarter, then tightroped the right sidelines for a 47-yard score to make it 13-13 late in the first half.

The Dodgers were blanked the rest of the way, though.

Senior Will McElroy had 91 yards rushing on 22 carries. Fort Dodge had 329 yards of offense, but only 126 in the second half.

McBride ran for 63 yards.

The Warriors had 43 rushes for 274 yards, thanks in large part to Ehlers' big burst. Carter Hayes had three short TD runs for SB-L, which is now 26-3 in its last 29 games coming off back-to-back state semifinal appearances.

The Dodgers lost for just the third time in their last 22 regular-season conests. They now have a two-game homestand next, beginning with Spencer on Friday before Storm Lake visits for Homecoming on Oct. 9.