FORT MADISON - Apples and oranges.
As Fort Madison continues to build a football program that’s respectable around the state, the lessons of that construction weren’t lost on the Bloodhounds as they suffered a 50-7 loss at the hands of No. 2 Solon in the opening round of Class 3A state football playoffs Friday in Solon.
“Apples and oranges,” said Head Coach Derek Doherty after the running clock that had been in effect since the six-minute mark of the second quarter ticked away.
“The size of their sideline compared to ours. It’s a tough hill to climb. We’ve been in a lot of those games this year. “We’ve lost to 2, 3, 4, and 5. Those are our losses,” Doherty said.
“We’ve got to keep plugging away and figure out how to get to that level. We’re improving obviously, but how do you get there?”
Doherty said Solon does specialized things and things with purpose and reason, such as games like tonight.
Fort Madison got one stop in the first half, on Solon’s first possession, and then the Spartans scored on every possession, six total, through the first half, opening up a 43-0 lead at the end of the half.
A 16-yard TD run from sophomore Conlan Poynton set the Solon lead at 36-0 to start the running clock with 6:27 left in the first half.
Conlan opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 55-yard run off tackle. They would score six plays later after a 4-and-out from the Bloodhounds. Junior Tyler Bell found Milo Ashbacker on a 45-yard pass play and the Spartans executed a fake extra point where the holder flipped the ball to the kicker who ran off the end for the 2-pointer.
Bell would throw two more touchdown passes in the first quarter, both on short in routes in the front part of the endzone. The last touchdown of the first half came on a 15-yard run by Poynton.
The Spartans would get to the 50-point mark with about five minutes gone in the third period on a 1-yard keeper by Eddie Johnson and then Solon started moving in the backups.
Doherty said Fort Madison is trying to build a program that can compete with the schools on the I-80 corridor and create a legacy program like the Solons of the state.
“We’re working like hell to make that happen,” Doherty said. “Working ourselves to death almost it feels like. We’re getting after it and feel like we’re doing the right things. And then you have setbacks, but our kids fought a lot and our coaching staff has fought a lot.”
He said despite some major injuries on the year, the Hounds still managed to get to the playoffs.
Doherty said the seniors this year made him want to stay in Fort Madison.
“You get a guy like Teague Smith who comes back five months from ACL surgery to lay it on the line for his football team. In this selfish world, you don’t find that.”
He also mentioned the dedication of Leif Boeding, Oliver Santiago, and the others who are involved in everything. He said Jamarcus Kline always puts a smile on his face.
“I know I’m leaving a ton of guys out, but our seniors are very special to me.”
Even with the Hounds getting just one score, Doherty said it was important.
“Call me crazy and they proved me wrong, but I think we could’ve scored on their (starters). We were moving the ball early. We just couldn’t capitalize on some things. In a game like this and an opponent like that you have very small room for errors,” he said.
“We didn’t get away with them.”
Junior Marcus Guzman was just 8 of 20 on the night, but on several occasions had receivers open in the Spartans' secondary, but the northern wind pushed a lot of the balls deep and Fort Madison just couldn’t get anything going.
Guzman had 124 yards on the eight completions. Leif Boeding had the biggest night for the Hounds, hauling in five of Guzman’s eight completions for 114 yards including a 33-yard pass play in the third quarter that reasulted in a 1st and goal from the 1. Hayden Segoviano would carry it in from there on the next play for the Hounds' only score of the night.
Solon's run defense held Fort Madison to just 14 yards on 19 carries on the night.
Ben Ramatowski led the Bloodhounds on defense with 5.5 tackles, five solo. Senior Ike Thacher had two tackles for loss and a five-yard sack.
Fort Madison finishes the year at 6-4 with their second straight state playoff appearance. Last year the Hounds qualified for state in Class 4A before exiting with a loss to Waverly-Shell Rock.
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