Mar-Mac Spartans: A High School Challenge

[revrew]

In 1992, following years of declining enrollment, Mar-Mac Community High School in McGregor, Iowa was closed. The remaining students of the Mar-Mac district were compelled to attend classes at a nearby rival school, MFL in Monona, Iowa.

But in 2020, as the population of the area and the average income of the communities of McGregor and Marquette increased, Mar-Mac High School was once again reopened. The Spartans came back to life.

Mar-Mac High School last won the Iowa state football championship in 1904. It has been more than a century since the Spartans hoisted a championship trophy, and more than 50 years since the Spartans even fielded a football team.

This dynasty will trace the reborn Mar-Mac Spartans in their quest for an Upper Mississippi Valley Conference title, and—should fate allow—an Iowa state high school championship.

[revrew]

This dynasty will be conducted in two parallel tracks: 1. The fictitious narrative of a high school football quest, and 2. The behind-the-scenes adaptation of the Front Office Football A.I engine (through house rules) to simulate the high school football experience.

Now, admittedly, TCY may be better equipped for this kind of dynasty, but I don't own TCY. Neither do I own FOF5, so this dynasty will use house rules to modify the now antiquated FOF2K1. Those of you that follow will just have to reminisce about the old (and, IMO, still the best) version of FOF.

The above story line about Mar-Mac High School (except for the events of 2020 and beyond, of course) is accurate, based on my own experience as a graduate of Mar-Mac (in 1991, the second-to-last class to graduate as Spartans).

House Rules for this challenge:
1. Quick sim to 2017. I'll stop simming at about 2017 in order to make roster cuts without incurring huge cap penalties for when this dynasty begins in 2020. This date will allow for the final expansions and stadium improvements. I will conduct the drafts myself in 2017-2019, in order to build a current high school student body for 2020.
2. The old NFC West will be modified in city names and team names to reflect the original members of the Upper Mississippi Valley conference, with the Spartans playing as the Rams (as the Spartan colors were blue and gold).
3. All other NFL teams will further be adapted to incorporate various school districts from (mostly) northeastern Iowa. I welcome those with knowledge of NE Iowa to submit team names from local high schools in the area. (i.e., the Falcons will be renamed the Garnavillo Hawks—the Spartans most heated rival—the Panthers renamed the Cresco-Notre Dame Crusaders, etc.)
4. In order to correlate to the high school experience, the only players allowed on the Spartan roster are rookies (freshman) through 4th year players (seniors). Once a player racks up 4 years of experience, he "graduates" and thus is removed from the Spartan roster.
5. I will not sign anyone from the free agency pool except my own drafted players (until their 4th year) and undrafted rookie free agents. A small high school like Mar-Mac simply wouldn't have access to "free agents".
6. Likewise, I will accept no trade that involves another team's players. Neither will I trade away any player that still has athletic eligibility.
7. I don't care two bits about money management.
8. Using undeveloped players with virtually zero cohesiveness will greatly hamper the Spartans chances of winning. We will be loveable losers, I suspect. I therefore allow myself this one advantage: I may sign players to five year contracts, and in the fifth year of their eligibility, trade up to 3 graduated seniors for as many draft picks as I can get. I will not, however, trade draft picks for draft picks in an effort to take unfair advantage of the A.I. Trades will be kept fair through my judgement.
9. I cannot conduct trades with any member of the UMVC.
10. The goals of this dynasty are two-fold: 1. Win an Upper Mississippi Valley Conference (NFC West) title. If that is achieved, and if at all possible, we will move through the state playoffs and take our shot at a state championship (SuperBowl). Success, however, is simply winning the UMV Conference.
11. Finally, where possible, I will track the careers of beloved Spartans through their 8th year of play (considered "college years"), and should any former Spartan continue in success beyond that—I may track his career in the "pros."

I will (approximately) alternate between the high school narrative and the FOF background, to give you a comprehensive look at this High School Challenge.

[revrew]

As this is a simulation of high school, I will attempt to simulate the high school—and not the pro—game, although we will employ a more significant passing game than most small Iowa high schools, who seem inordinately stuck in running mode. This means special teams will play less of a role, and I will build the game plan around the players we have.

The first step is to purge the team of older players (done progressively from 2017-2019) so I can start the dynasty narrative with the draft in 2020. This draft class will be our "freshman" class for 2020. At the beginning, I will also give a breakdown of the key upperclassmen left over from seasons 2017-2019.

Clearly, priority #1 is to obtain both a coach and scout who are highly rated in "Young Talent". I will begin that search in 2017, waiting for the right guys to come along. As mentioned earlier, money is no object.

Some of the details given in the Challenge narrative will be extrapolated, a fictitious rendering of the players' actual green and red bars, much the way the ZFL attributed fictitious personality to players who are represented only by numbers in a mathematical formula. This element, I believe, helps make a readable dynasty.

Without further ado, our first prospects for year #1 of the reborn Mar-Mac Spartans…

[revrew]

From the beginning, things look very bright for the Spartans. Their first year out of the gate should be competitive (perhaps more competitive even than it will be in years 2 or 3). Look to the following players to be our team leaders at the following positions:

QB:
Senior quarterback Lincoln Ingram is a fantastic young quarterback who plans on redshirting at the University of Connecticut next year. He threw 16 touchdown passes last year for the formerly consolidated MFL-Mar-Mac and should be the new Spartans immediate leader. A very accurate-armed young man who likes to throw intermediate passes.

HB:
Here again, the Spartans have excellent talent with junior tailback J.B. Chapman. The entire Spartan backfield is stacked with capable halfbacks, but be wary for the future, as they are all juniors.

FB:
Senior Brant Eppbright is something special. Though a little light for the position, he shows tremendous versatility and will not be denied at the goalline. So starry-eyed is the local media about Eppbright, that there is already talk of his promise at the professional level. He is the Spartans' most talented player.

TE:
Sophomore phenom Seth Hackett shows amazing promise, both as a receiver and a blocker. His future is very bright with this team.

WR:
Though the Spartans have tremendous athletic ability at the other key offensive skill positions, their wideouts are an unimpressive bunch. Senior speedster Korey Youssef looks impressive on special teams, but the question remains, "Who will QB Ingram throw to?"

OL:
The O-line shows speed and agility, sound at pass-blocking, but poor at moving the pile. Anchored by senior OG Jimmie Stenerud and junior OT Martin Emerson, the line will keep the hounds at bay, but may not be able to open holes for the Spartans' talented runners.

DL:
Sophomore stud DE Kennedy Eisenbraun leads a D-line with speed to burn. Like the O-line, this group is a little undersized and may give ground on the run. But with speedy junior DT Sam Lewis and promising sophomore DT Morris Strickland, the future looks bright on the D-line.

LB:
At this position, the Spartans are pitiful. There is no one noteworthy in the bunch, and little young talent to look forward to.

CB:
Here, too, the Spartans have little talent, but freshman Sean Vetter has all the skills to be a star in the future. The coach is very high on this kid.

S:
The defense is led by senior safety Roosevelt Clements, an intelligent, ballhawking safety who won all-conference honors as a sophomore while playing for the consolidated MFL-Mar-Mac. There is, however, little young depth at this position.

[revrew]

Last year's state champs, the gold-and-black North Winn Mustangs graduated several key players on offense, but the dominating defense is still intact. North Winn returns 6 all-conference defenders this year, including all-state cornerback Chad Doyle. Look for North Winn to ride several low-scoring games to the UMVC championship again this year.

Though nowhere near as dominating as North Winn, the blue-and-white Cresco-Notre Dame defense returns all-conference safety Brent Harden to lead his D. Quarterback O.J. Hutton will provide the spark that should keep the Crusaders near the top.

The red-and-black Garnavillo Hawks look poised to make some noise, with a well-rounded team that adds two sensational freshman this year. Don't let their age fool you, RB Tyrell Lima and Safety Lenny Cameron are about to set every Garny Hawk career record on offense and defense.

The purple-and-silver Lansing Keehawks return all-conferece tight end and big play threat, Darrin Osborne, as well as a crop of young talented wide receivers that can bust some big plays. If Coach Korey Tobin can find an arm to get them the ball, the Keehawks will be flying to the endzone.

All-state guard Kirk Fair leads his red-and-blue Vally of Elgin Tigers in a plan to protect QB Jamal Gaylor, and push their way to a conference championship. The Tigers will need some unproved defenders to step up to make it happen, but look for Valley to win some upsets this year.

Finally, the newest member of the UMVC…or should we say, the oldest? Welcome back, Mar-Mac. The blue-and-gold Spartans are an unknown factor coming into this season. Drawing team members from the formerly consolidated MFL-Mar-Mac and the now closed Clayton Heights high school, the Spartans have managed to put together a talented squad, led on defense by safety Roosevelt Clements and on offense by Fullback Brant Eppbright. The key to the season for the Spartans, however, may be how quickly coach Everett Malone and QB Lincoln Ingram can get this team to gel. Coach Malone came with an impressive resume from a state-qualifying program in Algona, Iowa, to lead the Spartans. He has the talent at Mar-Mac, the question is, can he put it together?

Just for fun, our editors have put together a poll going into the season. Our consolidated pre-season picks are as follows, with total vote points, followed by total first place votes in parentheses:

North Winn, 29 (4)
Garnavillo, 23
Cresco-Notre Dame 21 (1)
Mar-Mac 14
Valley of Elgin 10
Lansing Kee 8

[revrew]

Coach Everett Malone is an absolute stud, with a VG rating at young talent, and VG to E ratings at all skills, though not all positions. I picked him up in 2018, and he has helped our young studs develop fast, an E rating at QB being particularly helpful. In 2019, the phantom year before the dynasty begins, he led the squad to a 9-7 record, good for third in the UMVC (North Winn won the SuperBowl). His only weakness? A Poor rating in the secondary.

With the talent we have on this squad, we could challenge for the title this year, but I doubt our anemic defense will get us over the hump. That said, this challenge looks very tough right now, as we graduate way too many key components after this year. Next year's prospects look a little bleak, and the year after that? Sheesh, we'd better draft well.

I have evaluated, re-evaluated, and will evaluate again the "advantage" rule I gave myself, allowing me to trade up to 3 5th year players for additional picks. The reality is, without any cohesion ratings whatsoever, and with always playing underdeveloped players, we will need a ton of talent to surpass the veteran squads ahead of us. I have isolated the seniors I think I can get the most value for (QB Ingram, S Clements, and G Stenerud—no matter how good FB Eppbright is, you just don't get much in a trade for a FB), and signed them through their fifth year. They will be the trade bait that gives us a shot in the future.

With miserable cohesion ratings, I have limited us to 3 offensive formations, hoping the extra skill we develop in those formations will help. Of course, the flip is that we may be predictable. Anyone have any insight as to whether this is good idea/bad idea?

Offensively, I will up the running percentages behind our good lineman and up the use of TEs and running our FB. We have little talent at WR, so I'll run a lot of 2 and 3 WR sets, but I want my backs and TE to stay in the game. I have a capable QB who can hit the intermediate, so I will up his intermediate throwing, up his throwing on first down and short-yardage, but give our backs the ball heavily on second down.

With our solid D-line and pathetic LB corps, I have made us exclusively 4-3 and will make use of the nickel, while limiting blitzing. I hope our front 4 can provide the push, because no one else can. Thankfully, with the exception of Garnavillo's RB Lima, we face more defensive stars in our conference than we do offensive stars.

I won't tell you anything about the preseason games, with the exception of notable injuries. If I learn anything, I'll post it in the behind-the-scenes section.

One question for you: I have a DE that has started 3 years and consistently put up good numbers. I've received several trade offers for him. Yet, my scout says he's a dud and there are better men on the roster. Do I trust the circumstantial evidence and believe my scout to be off his rocker on this one, or do I go with the scout? BTW, my scout is Excellent at Young Talent, but only Good at D-Line, one of only 2 categories he isn't rated VG or better. Your thoughts, please?

[revrew]

More behind the scenes:

We were a convincing 4-0 in the preseason, but never put up the big offensive numbers I hoped for. Injuries are minor—one of our crappy WRs goes down for 3 months, and though our big-play change-of-pace RB is hit, he's only down for 0-2 weeks. Lookin good…

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac Opens New Era with a Win
MCGREGOR—The first football game for the newly reopened Mar-Mac High School gave Spartan fans plenty to cheer about. High school football hasn't been played in McGregor in over 50 years, but on Friday night the Spartans took the field in crisp blue jerseys and left the field with a 30-13 victory over visiting North Linn.

Mar-Mac QB Lincoln Ingram played a spectacular game, throwing for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns, including one to star tight end Seth Hackett. The big surprise of the game, however, was the dominant play of the Spartan defense. The Spartans held North Linn from scoring until the fourth quarter by shutting down the run and forcing big plays when the Lynx tried to pass. Spartan defensive captain (safety) Roosevelt Clements forced a pair of fumbles, and DE Kennedy Eisenbraun buried North Linn's quarterback with 2.5 sacks in the second half, nullifying any hopes for a Lynx comeback.

The impressive win was just what Spartan coach Everett Malone was hoping for: "I've been telling the boys in every practice that they have the talent to go to state; they just have to believe in themselves and work as a team. They did the latter tonight, and the win should go a long way toward the former."

While Mar-Mac faithful are crowding the River Queen to have a few drinks and share memories of this auspicious occasion, Coach Malone, however, is already hard at work preparing for next week. This win is an important first step for the Spartans, but next week's matchup versus defending state champion, the North Winn Mustangs, will test Mar-Mac and Malone's mettle.

[revrew]

In the UMVC, Cresco-ND narrowly escaped Garnavillo in a game that indicates both squads have defenses ready to play. North Winn easily dismantled their opponent, and Valley of Elgin crushed Lansing, 38-0, in a game that might be an indication of both squads' ability.

In our win over North Linn, we gave up a ton of passing yards, but racked up 6 sacks (we knew we would be strong in the front 4 pass rush) and 3 turnovers that went our way sealed the victory. Luck, it would seem, went our way on this one. We'll need all the luck we can get next week.

Offensively, our running by committee worked reasonably, and our star players—QB Ingram, FB Eppbright, TE Hackett, DE Eisenbraun, and S Clements—all posted big games. Penalties are very low, as they have been all preseason. We look like a well-oiled machine with playmakers right now. Knock on wood…

No new injuries.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mayhem in McGregor! Spartans Win!
MCGREGOR—The celebration Friday went deep into the night, cars and pickups cruising Main Street McGregor, when the Mar-Mac Spartan football squad returned home after a decisive victory over the defending state champs. The final score was shocking: Mar-Mac 33, North Winn 10.

The Spartans began the first of a five-game travel stint with the most improbable win on their schedule. It was a game in which all the stars were shining for the Spartans. QB Lincoln Ingram threw for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a slant that leading WR Tom Lewis ran 68 yards to a touchdown, answering and silencing the Mustangs' first score of the evening. Junior tailback J.B. Chapman only touched the ball 13 times, but he ran for 105 yards, streaking away from defenders behind the bone-crushing blocks of senior guard Jimmie Stenerud.

The defense came to play as well, as the D-line added 5 sacks to last week's total of 6, with sophomore DT Morris Strickland leading the way with 2 sacks of his own. Captain Roosevelt Clements led the Spartans in tackling, with 5 solo takedowns, and added an INT, giving him 3 forced turnovers in the last 2 weeks.

The win has more than just Mar-Mac fans talking. Lincoln Ingram won UMVC player-of-the-week for his performance, and the Spartans have catapulted up the state rankings to #11. If the offense continues to roll and the defense keeps making big plays, the Spartans may rise even higher.

Next week, the Spartans travel to Creco-Notre Dame to take on in-conference rival, the Crusaders.

[revrew]

Actually, next week is an early-season bye for us. We don't have any significant injuries, so I wish it would have come later in the season. BTW, the #11 ranking above comes from the "Power Ratings," by taking our overall rating and comparing it to both the AFC and NFC. We're technically #5 in the NFC.

The reality here is that our offense is killing, we're getting tons of sacks, but those sacks are covering up an otherwise inept defense. Our tackling percentage is low, we aren't defending any passes, and the only thing allowing us to dominate is the fact that we've been holding fast on 3rd down defense.

So far, the name of the game has been talent and solid drafting. Though only one first-round draft pick (DE Kennedy Eisenbraun) in three years of drafting is really contributing, we boast several 2nd and 3rd round breakouts, even down to the 6th round, which includes all the stars I've been naming. This sure makes drafting high in the second and third round look like the key to success. If this team continues to dominate, I will have to reconsider how I play FOF, as it appears a few key stars, young players, and superior coaching are more effective than my usual route of trying to build a well-balanced team with high cohesion. But it is way too early to make any such judgments. (I might also want to save this gameplan I've been using. Man, is it doing well.)

Around the conference: Garnavillo, Cresco, and Valley of Elgin all lost out-of-conference games, while Lansing gained an upset win. At 2-0, we have sole position of first place.

Through the bye: North Winn destroyed Garnavillo (oops, guess they were overrated), Lansing won again, but over a pathetic MFL (the school which Mar-Mac was consolidated with), and Cresco-ND used big-time defense to crush the formerly offensive Valley of Elgin. It appears as though we'll have our work cut out for us again when we travel to Cresco.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Back and Forth, Spartans Win in Last Minute
CRESCO—Friday night's game between the Mar-Mac Spartans and the Cresco-Notre Dame Crusaders saw more than a half-dozen lead changes, long plays, and last-minute heroics. When the dust settled, Mar-Mac had won, 33-30.

The Crusaders seemed unstoppable, mounting 200+ yards on the ground and 300+ by air, but in the end, big plays killed their chances for a victory. A Crusader fumble gave the Spartans the ball at the Crusader 5, setting up a Spartan score; Spartan safety Hunter Flynn returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown; and yet, nothing prepared the Crusaders for what would happen in the final two minutes.

With seven minutes to play, the Crusaders kicked a field goal to bring them within two, 23-25. Then, Cresco surprised the Spartans with an onside kick, which the Crusaders recovered. Over the next five minutes, Cresco marched down the field, going ahead on a 20-yard scamper, 30-25. But two minutes was more than enough time for Spartan QB Lincoln Ingram. On second down, Ingram dropped into the pocket and waited for WR Gerald Byrne to "burn" the defense. Ingram threw a long bomb, which floated over the fingertips of the Cresco defenders and into the arms of Byrne. 73 yards Byrne ran for the touchdown. Cresco got the ball back with less than a minute to play, but a sack by Spartan DE Kennedy Eisenbrun ended the drive.

Said Spartans coach Everett Malone, "I talked a few weeks ago about needing talent and believing in yourself. Tonight we added resilience, faith, and character. I couldn't be more proud of these guys." Neither could the Mar-Mac faithful, whose 3-0 Spartans have moved up to #3 in the state, leapfrogging other teams who lost this weekend.

[revrew]

We lost starting CB to injury, but can replace him with someone equally as bad. The ability of this defense to make big plays is amazing, as Cresco handed us our butts through most of this game. Without any linebackers, we are giving up huge runs with little hope of stopping them.

The offense welcomed the return of junior halfback Hunter Banks, a big-play change-of-pace runner who splits time with starter J.B Chapman. Banks' ratings are unimpressive, except for a 68/93 in yards per carry. Banks scored twice and averaged 8.5 per carry in his first action of the year.

The defensive line added 4 more sacks, including Eisenbraun's game-clincher at the end.

Around the conference, Valley of Elgin toppled Garnavillo, North Winn unexplicably lost again, and Lansing beat another pathetic opponent. The conference standings look completely upside down right now:

Mar-Mac: 3-0
Lansing: 3-1
Cresco-ND: 2-2
Valley of Elgin: 2-2
North Winn: 2-2
Garnavillo: 0-4

I have no explanation for these records, as talent wise, North Winn and Garnavillo should be our only real competitors. I do know, however, that Garny's top two players are down with injury.

Next up: We travel to UMVC rival 2-2 Valley of Elgin. Valley is competitive or better than us in nearly every offensive and defensive category. Our record is largely explained by the areas where we are better: sacks, red-zone offense, and opponent's 3rd down percentage, where we rank at or near the top of the league in each.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac Stays Undefeated with 37-27 Win
MCGREGOR—The dream inaugural season for the Mar-Mac Spartans continued Friday night with a 37-27 victory over the Valley of Elgin Tigers. The win takes Mar-Mac to a 4-0 record and marks the fourth time this season the Spartan offense has scored 30 or more points on their opponents.

Mar-Mac's big-play defense got into the game early when LB Bubba Porter intercepted a pass on the third play of the game. Six plays later, Spartan star TE Seth Hackett caught a touchdown that put Mar-Mac up, 7-0. On the ensuing kickoff, a punishing hit by freshman safety Patrick Hall—making his first recorded tackle—forced the ball loose, and Mar-Mac recovered. Two plays later, a 24-yard run by J.B. Chapman put the Spartans in position to score on another Lincoln Ingram touchdown pass. Only 5 minutes into the game, Mar-Mac led, 14-0. The Spartans never surrendered their lead.

Spartan QB Lincoln Ingram continued his sparkling senior season, throwing for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 2 to TE Seth Hackett. DE Kennedy Eisenbraun garnered yet another sack, giving him one in each contest this season. For his efforts, Ingram was voted UMVC player of the week.

[revrew]

Once again, our opponent outgained us by ground and by air, their numbers gaudy. But turnovers and third-down conversions allowed us to hold on to the ball, while red zone production drove up our score.

The big news in this game, however, is the loss of defensive captain, Safety Roosevelt Clements for 3-5 weeks (more likely 5, as "shoulder tendonitis"—in my experience—means "keep him out or the injury will keep coming back").

Around the UMVC, half the teams had a bye, but in the big matchup between North Winn and Cresco-Notre Dame, the win goes to the Mustangs. I expect they will soon charge past Lansing to begin challenging us for the conference title, but with 2 losses (and one to us), we're still sitting pretty.

Our game plan seems to be perfect, as our RBs give us occasional big plays, our QB's completion percentage is over 65%, and our defense—who we knew would be pitiful overall—nonetheless is coming up with big plays.

Next week, an out-of-state game against the Wauzeka Hornets, a team whose entire O-line is shattered by injury, but whose defense may be the best in Wisconsin. They cannot run (our defense's Achilles Heel), but have a very talented QB. We should beat them, but we can't afford to look past them, as they have what it takes to upset us.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
INT Return Keys Spartan Victory
WAUZEKA, WIS—The Mar-Mac Spartans lost the lead and their starting quarterback in the third quarter of Friday's contest, but thanks to a 43-yard INT return, they didn't lose the game. Trailing 10-13, Spartan linebacker Rondell Mummert broke on a screen pass, picking it off and running 43 yards for a touchdown. Once again, the ability of the Spartan defense to come up with big plays gave Mar-Mac the win, by a final score of 23-20.

The Wauzeka Hornets, boasting one of the best defenses in Wisconsin, shut down the normally effective Mar-Mac running game, holding the Spartans to only 36 yards on the ground. But the Spartans came up big on defense, holding tough on third downs and grabbing a pair of interceptions off Wauzeka's all-conference quarterback.

Mar-Mac looks ahead to conference rival, Lansing, next week. The Spartans will be without the services, however, of star QB Lincoln Ingram and DE Kennedy Eisenbraun, both of whom suffered minor injuries in Friday's game.

[revrew]

Our running game was decimated (as we expected), but we won the game because we would not be denied on third down, mostly passing to a mark of 8-for-19 on third downs. Our unheralded junior strong safety, Hunter Flynn pulled in his 4th INT of the year, and once again, a mediocre to sad LB stepped up for us. In this case, it was jr weak side, Rondell Mummert.

The injury report, however, is nasty this week, and will almost certainly blemish our 5-0 record soon. QB Lincoln Ingram goes down for 0-2, DE Kennedy Eisenbraun goes down 0-2, Roosevelt Clements is still down for 2 weeks, and we lost our MLB, Bubba Porter (our best and most consistent LB) for 2-3 months. We are losing star power FAST. But with Ingram and Eisenbraun only down 0-2, we'll rest them against lowly Lansing next week and hope to squeak by with a win.

Around the conference, North Winn beat Lansing, Garnavillo lost again (0-5 now, go figure), Cresco-ND humiliated their opponent, and Valley of Elgin brought in a win.

Standings:
Mar-Mac: 5-0
North Winn: 4-2
Lansing: 3-2
Cresco-ND: 3-3
Valley of Elgin: 3-3
Garnavillo: 0-5

Next up: Lansing—a very solid pass-defensing team that is nonetheless average in every other category, but dead last in red zone scoring.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Keehawks Clip Spartans Wings
LANSING—The Lansing KeeHawks have been a surprising team this year, led by an outstanding secondary. With Mar-Mac's starting quarterback out with an injury, the Keehawks "keyed" in on stopping the Spartan passing attack, holding Mar-Mac and reserve QB Marco Ballard scoreless through three quarters. Though Ballard began showing fire in the fourth, including a touchdown pass to TE Seth Hackett, it was too little, too late, as Lansing held off Mar-Mac, 20-14.

For the Spartans, there were few highlights. "We played poorly in every aspect of the game," coach Malone said afterwards. "The O-line didn't make blocks, the D-line didn't get to the QB, and we weren't able to stop them in any aspect of the game." Coach Malone wasn't entirely negative, however: "I give credit to Hunter Flynn for yet another interception—what's that make? Five already? And Lansing's quarterback, Mayes, played very well. A good game by Lansing. They're a squad many people have obviously underestimated."

Yes, Lansing was underestimated, and coach Malone understated Lansing QB Martin Mayes' game as well. Mayes threw for 326 yards and a touchdown.

For the injury-riddled Spartans, there may finally be some rest for the weary. The Spartans host a home game for the first time in 6 weeks next Friday, facing the Valley of Elgin Tigers.

[revrew]

Our success has been largely due to great starting talent. But we don't have the depth (or the cohesion ratings) to sustain injury. With half of our star players--QB Lincoln Ingram, S Roosevelt Clements, DE Kennedy Eisenbraun, and MLB Bubba Porter—sitting on the bench, it's understandable we would be beaten. We don't have a healthy DE on the roster, meaning we have to play people out of position, and we're down to a freshman being our best CB option. But as a coach, I knew we could play Lansing close, even without our stars, and we came within a TD of beating them. We simply didn't get good play out of anyone.

There's no excuse for our pathetic running attack, however. Maybe it was simply our inability to throw that limited our run. Our O-line is a group of pass-protectors, so our talented backs are kind of on their own. If our opponents don't have to protect against the pass, our boys will get bottled up.

Around the UMVC: Garnavillo squeaked one out against Cresco-ND, Valley of Elgin won out-of-conference, and North Winn enjoyed a bye. Next week against Valley of Elgin pits us against an opponent we've beaten before, but one that put up huge numbers against us. We won on big-plays by the D.

The question for next week is the one that always plagues me as a GM: My key to the D, DE Kennedy Eisenbraun is listed as Probable with 0-2 on a knee sprain. He's already rested 1 on that 0-2. If we lose him long-term, season's over. But we will put ourselves in a position to lose if we don't play him. Do I put him in? Do I risk it?

The UMVC standings:
Mar-Mac: 5-1
North Winn: 4-2
Lansing: 4-2
Valley of Elgin: 4-3
Cresco-ND: 4-3
Garnavillo: 1-5

Bad news: 5 of the top 7 teams in the overall power ratings are in the UMVC. Ouch.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Spartan Stars Shine in Victory
McGREGOR, IA—The return of star QB Lincoln Ingram to the lineup charged the Mar-Mac Spartans to a 45-17 victory over the Valley of Elgin Tigers Friday night. Ingram threw for 3 touchdown passes in the rout, but he was only one of the Spartan players who contributed a huge game for his team. Sensational sophomore tight end Seth Hackett caught 5 passes for 122 yards, including Ingram's first two touchdowns, one of which was a deep bomb that went for 76 yards. Mar-Mac's senior fullback, Brant Eppbright also posted big numbers, including a 75-yard scamper to paydirt. Halfback Hunter Banks also broke a big run, a 45-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter that broke a 17-all tie and put Mar-Mac up for good.

Defensively for the Spartans, safety Hunter Flynn led the team in tackles, added yet another interception—his sixth of the year—which he ran back 54 yards before being tackled, and sacked Valley QB Jamal Gaylor.

The impressive victory enabled the Spartans to return to the top 10 in the state's rankings.

[revrew]

The game was close at the half, but big plays just blew up the third quarter. In all my seasons GMing in FOF, I have never had a team that was so capable of busting the big one. We had four 50+ yard plays in the game, including 2 on first down that went for 75+ and a score. Hunter Flynn's INT was followed by a quick TD, then we recovered a fumble on the kickoff, punched in another score, then hit the 75-yard jackpot on our next score. Before Valley could blink, 17-17 turned into 38-17 and it was over.

We lost a starting safety in this one, which will hurt because Roosevelt Clements isn't ready to come back yet. Our secondary is getting mighty depleted. But DE Kennedy Eisenbraun (who I opted to leave on the bench) returns against Garnavillo next week, and we have a very good chance of getting to 7-1.

Around the UMVC: Lansing continues their odd hot-streak, sitting at 5-2, North Winn finished off Cresco-ND to rise to 5-2 (we can hear their footsteps…), and Garnavillo beat a pathetic squad to advance to 2-5.

Next up: Garnavillo, a team that will present a big-time challenge for us despite their record. Their Star HB, Tyrell Lima is back from injury (thank God they don't have an O-line, or this guy could run for 300 on us), they have a solid passing game, and they totally shut down opponents' aerial attacks. This squad matches up very well against us and poses as a strong upset candidate.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac Holds Off Spirited Garnavillo to Move Up to #2
McGREGOR, IA—Garnavillo's star halfback, Tyrell Lima ran for 16 yards the first time he touched the ball, and 38 yards the first time he touched it in the second half. He averaged 5 yards a carry and ran for 96 total. The Garnavillo defense sacked Spartan QB Lincoln Ingram five times.

But it wasn't enough to stop the Spartans from steamrolling. Mar-Mac converted 7 out of 14 3rd down opportunities on their way to a 24-14 victory Friday night.

Mar-Mac FB Brant Eppbright proved a difference-maker early. "Brant converted 4 or 5 third downs in the first half." said coach Everett Malone, "It seemed every time he touched the ball he got another first down. Brant's numbers may not reflect it, but he is one of the primary reasons our offense has been so efficient." Eppbright didn't see many carries Friday night, but he did average over 6 yards per touch.

Once again, however, the deadly combination of QB Lincoln Ingram and TE Seth Hackett lit up the board for the Spartans. Ingram threw for 2 touchdown passes and ran in a third. Hackett caught 41 yards worth of passes and his conference-leading 7th touchdown.

Friday night's win takes Mar-Mac's record to 7-1 and moves the Spartans up to the #2 ranking in Iowa's division 1A.

[revrew]

TE Seth Hackett's 7 TDs leads the NFL, while our 81 power rating is technically #1. The top 4 power ratings in the NFL all belong to UMVC teams, as does number 6. Only Garnavillo falls below a 70 in power rating. Yikes.

Though we didn't protect Ingram well, and though he didn't pass particularly well (as we expected), we did get a big push from our running game, particularly Eppbright. This put Ingram in the place where his 3 TDs were 5 yards or less. Defensively, we did admirably, holding Lima to only those 2 big plays and minor gains. Safety Hunter Flynn didn't nab an INT, but for the second time this season, the game ended on a DE Kennedy Eisenbraun sack. He seems to get stronger as the game goes on. He's also the one who caught Lima on Lima's 38-yard gain. Assuming Lima stays with Garnavillo, he will be a key enemy to watch in years to come.

Big news around the UMVC: Cresco-ND demolished Lansing (about time those boys came back to earth), and Valley of Elgin upset North Winn to give us some breathing room. We now have a 2-game lead on the conference (will we meet our objective in the first year???)

Next week: We host the hot Cresco-Notre Dame squad. We squeaked past them with a 3-point victory at their place last time. Cresco doesn't have much of a running attack (though they ran for 200+ on us last time), but they boast an even better 3rd down offense than us (they're #2, we're #3) and a staunchy defense. Thankfully, they are beat up badly, especially on defense, so we stand a good chance of outscoring them again.

Injuries: Our offense is intact again, DE Eisenbraun is healthy, and our secondary leaders, Senior Safety Roosevelt Clements and freshman CB Sean Vetter both return for this game. Our top linebackers are out of commission, however, so we'll see how they run.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Healthy Spartans Bury Cresco-ND
McGREGOR, IA—The return of defensive captain Roosevelt Clements to Mar-Mac's roster ushered in doom for the Cresco-Notre Dame Crusaders. Cresco only managed 10 first downs in a dominating, 38-6 victory for the Spartans.

The game stayed close until four minutes short of halftime, when Mar-Mac HB J.R. Chapman blasted up the middle for a 23-yard gain. Chapman ran twice more on the drive, including a 2-yard TD plunge that began Mar-Mac's pull away, extending the lead to 17-0. At the opening of the third, Mar-Mac pick artist Hunter Flynn intercepted the ball, and HB Chapman punched in another touchdown two plays later. On their next possession, Mar-Mac turned to QB Lincoln Ingram, who found TE phenom Seth Hackett for a touchdown that put Mar-Mac up, 31-3.

On their way to victory, Lincoln Ingram posted 308 yards passing, HB J.R. Chapman ran for 50 and two scores, TE Seth Hackett caught his 8th touchdown, Hunter Flynn caught his 7th INT, Roosevelt Clements led the team with 6 tackles, sophomore DT Morris Strickland recorded 2 sacks, and RT Tito Sampson, making his first start of the year, impressed with 3 key blocks in crucial situations. Continuing their 3rd down dominance, the Spartans were 8-for-15 on third downs.

Next week, the #2 Spartans face the defending state champs, the North Winn Mustangs. A win for the Spartans would be huge in our quest for the Upper Mississippi Valley Conference title.

[revrew]

Once again, 3rd down percentages and turnovers give us a game. But give credit to our star power: Eppbright, Ingram, and Hackett played fabulously on offense, and our young defensive line gave us a salivating glance of what's to come in years ahead. The way we're rolling this season, we need to look to a state championship. We may never have a chance this good again.

Around the conference:
Garnavillo and Lansing won (in case you don't believe me about Lansing's improbable season, they are dead last in the NFC in scoring, yet sit at 6-3), while Valley of Elgin enjoyed a bye and North Winn won, setting up our matchup next week.

North Winn is 6-3 and poses a legitimate threat to our UMVC title. Their offense isn't worrisome (they only scored 10 on us last time, and they're beat up now), but their defense is intimidating, especially in the secondary. If Ingram has a good game, we should win. If he falters, we might get upset.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
#2 Spartans Roll Over Defending Champs
McGREGOR, IA—The Mar-Mac Spartans played like state champions in their crushing defeat of last year's champs, a 34-10 victory Friday night. On their first possession, the Spartans' FB Brant Eppbright and QB Lincoln Ingram engineered a 75-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass to TE Seth Hackett. It was the first of 3 touchdown receptions on the night for the Spartans' sophomore star receiver.

In the second quarter, following a North Winn field goal, Spartan receiver Korey Youssef took the kickoff at the 18 and sprinted 82 yards for the touchdown. After North Winn stalled again, Mar-Mac OT Tito Sampson delivered a pair of crushing blocks on successive plays, springing Spartan runners for big gains and setting up Seth Hackett's second TD grab.

At the half, the score was Mar-Mac 24, North Winn 3. The Mustangs' spirits never recovered.

Mar-Mac's first drive of the second half resulted in yet another Seth Hackett touchdown, and a pair of interceptions by Spartan safety Hunter Flynn (his 8th and 9th of the year) sealed North Winn's fate.

[revrew]

Omigosh, we played a nearly perfect game. 28 first downs to their 8, 10/17 on third down, over 40 minutes of ball-control, a special teams TD, and 0 penalties. Only an INT marred an otherwise flawless effort.

I can't say enough about TE Seth Hackett: 36 catches, 11 of them for touchdowns. Hunter Flynn with 9 INTs in 10 games?? Lincoln Ingram has a QB rating of 102, and Kennedy Eisenbraun gets lost in this, but he had a sack, a blocked pass, and a hurry. Eisenbraun has 7.5 sacks in 8 games played. Brant Eppbright never gets much press, but he's playing up to his scouting reports, while Ingram and others are playing way beyond. Substituting unheralded OT Tito Sampson in has been a big boost to our otherwise potent offense, limiting the sacks his predecessor gave up and hitting some key blocks. I'm not sure what to make of this…is my scout undervaluing certain players? I have by far the worst cohesion ratings in the NFL, and yet we seem unstoppable, with average players playing like superstars.

Around the conference:
Garnavillo drops to 3-7, while Lansing rises to 7-3---These two teams have their records switched around! Yet now it appears a key matchup is coming in week 13, when we host Lansing, the only team to beat us thus far. Valley of Elgin rises to 6-4 and Cresco sits at 4-6 after the bye. From here out, Lansing is our only real threat to achieving our objective. If we beat them in week 13, the conference should be ours. If we don't…

Though we dominate the power ratings, there is another team with a 10-1 record that I have tagged as the #1 team in the state. Should they falter before we do, I will change our #2 in the state status, until then…

Injuries: We lose S Roosevelt Clements for another 0-2, meaning we have to start our 4th string safety, but other than that, we're healthy enough to roll.

Next week: Dyersville Beckman, a team that gives up lots of yards on the ground, but has an offensive line that should garner the Blazers many running yards of their own.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Spartans Fall on the Road
DYERSVILLE, IA—Home of The Field of Dreams, Dyersville residents are fond of the movie's slogan, "Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa." For the Mar-Mac Spartans, Dyersville Friday night felt more like hell.

Mar-Mac fell behind (a position they're not familiar with) on Dyersville's first possession when Glen Gulbrandsen ran in a 10-yard touchdown. But the Spartans came charging back as Lincoln Ingram led Mar-Mac down the field and capped the drive with a TD pass to senior Gerald Byrne (his 5th). Byrne's glory was short-lived, however, when his fumble on the next Spartan possession was returned 65 yards for a touchdown. Mar-Mac was behind again, 17-7.

Mar-Mac tied it at the half, but in the second semester, the wheels fell off the bus. Another fumble, an interception, 3 dropped passes, and 3 sacks plagued the Spartans, limiting the normally high-powered offense to only 3 first downs. To add insult to injury, Spartan star FB Brant Eppbright left with a hyperextended knee that will keep him out for several weeks. Final score, Dyersville 24, Mar-Mac 17.

[revrew]

As we expected, they ran all over us. But we didn't expect to lose the battles we normally win: turnovers, third downs, and time of possession. The loss of Eppbright in the second half really hurt us. We will need to significantly alter our game plan now, as Eppbright was a huge part of it, FB running set at 80 and using almost exclusively 2 WR and 2 RB sets. Our backup isn't a complete dud, but he's no Eppbright. On a positive note, our secondary is fully healthy for the first time this season.

Unfortunately, this loss puts our objective in jeopardy, as Lansing will not lose. It doesn't make statistical sense, but they won't! Here's the standings:

Mar-Mac: 9-2
Lansing: 8-3
Valley of Elgin: 7-4
North Winn: 6-5
Cresco-ND: 4-7
Garnavillo: 4-7

Next Up: A very dangerous 7-4 Webster City. We can't look ahead to the following week, when we play Lansing at home, undoubtedly the most important game of the season. For now, we look at Webster: A big-time running team (3rd in the NFL) that also is among league leaders in turnover ratio. Their D-line is a little dinged up, and their secondary is merely average, so we should have the firepower to put up some points.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Spartans Drive Webster City to OT
WEBSTER CITY, IA—The game started inauspiciously, the Spartans giving up a fumble, 4 sacks, mounting a 15-point deficit at the half, and failing to score through three quarters. In many ways, it appeared to be one of the Spartans' worst games. It turned out to be one of the best.

At the end of the third quarter, however, Spartan Lincoln Ingram hit leading Spartan receiver, Tom Lewis, on three straight passes, setting up a TD to slot receiver, Gerald Byrne, at the opening of the fourth quarter. Midway through the fourth, Ingram hit Bryne for 31 yards, and again for 16, the second a touchdown.

With 1:26 left to play, Mar-Mac took the lead on a field goal, 16-15. When Webster City got the ball back, Spartan safety Hunter Flynn intercepted the ball, and it appeared Mar-Mac had won it. But on the next play, Mar-Mac junior tailback J.B. Chapman took the handoff and ran up the middle 43 yards to a touchdown! Mar-Mac, 23-15 with only 36 seconds remaining.

And yet, a pair of bombs by Webster City senior QB Tony Phillips netted touchdown before time expired. Webster City also landed the 2-pt conversion, sending the contest to overtime.

Mar-Mac got the ball first, but when an Ingram pass was intercepted at the Mar-Mac 34, it looked like Webster City had finally bagged the game.

On third and long, however, Webster City QB Tony Phillips attempted a slant pass that was picked off by Hunter Flynn (his second of the game). Though the ensuing drive failed, a sack by Kennedy Eisenbraun ended Webster's last gasp. After the punt, Lincoln Ingram lit it on fire, including 3 passes to Gerald Byrne, setting up a pass to FB Cole Everett for the winning TD. Mar-Mac wins a crazy one, 29-23.

On the game, despite 2 interceptions, Lincoln Ingram threw for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 127 yards and 2 TDs on 9 catches to Gerald Byrne. Hunter Flynn's 2 INTs give him an amazing 11 on the year, and Eisenbraun's sack takes his yearly total to 9.

[revrew]

What can I say about junior safety Hunter Flynn? His 2 INTs, including the pick in OT, won it for us. We discovered, as I feared, that without FB Eppbright, our running game would get into trouble. J.B. Chapman did admirably, but the rest of the backs were pitiful. I may up Chapman's touches next game.

No new injuries going into next week, though I sure wish our FB and MLB were in the lineup for the big clincher against Lansing. Losses by North Winn and Valley of Elgin have essentially made the UMVC championship a battle between two teams—us and Lansing. We meet next week.

Offensively, Lansing doesn't do much on the ground, but they really air it out. QB Martin Mayes has fantastic protection, and he threw for 326 on us last time. Defensively, they don't allow much on the ground (held us to 57 last time), and allow nothing in the air. Their secondary is fantastic. We smoke them in the intangibles—third down percentage, red zone scoring, and penalty yardage.

Unfortunately, the loss of Eppbright means we won't be able to draw their secondary down, so I see the key to winning this game is watching for Seth Hackett to draw coverage against a LB and tossing to him at least 10 times this game. We'll need J.B. Chapman to give us some breathing room, because we can't pass it all day against these guys. Finally, a solid effort from our secondary could seal not only this game, but the UMVC conference, this challenge's primary objective.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac's Mummert Helps Spartans Bury Lansing
McGREGOR, IA—The first two drives of Friday night's game between the Mar-Mac Spartans and the Lansing KeeHawks correctly predicted the direction and outcome of the game. On their first drive, Mar-Mac set up the Lansing defense with powerful running by junior tailback J.B. Chapman. Chapman carried the ball for 3 first downs, drawing Lansing's safeties up, and making them susceptible to quick-strike passing. Mar-Mac mixed up pass and run, while Lansing never seemed to guess right. Lansing looked confused as they gave up 80 yards and a touchdown pass to a wide-open Chapman.

On Lansing's answering drive, QB Martin Mayes was intercepted on his first pass. Mar-Mac LB Rondell Mummert ran the INT back for 7, and the Spartans were up a quick 14-0. Mar-Mac never looked back. Speedy Spartan freshman CB Sean Vetter blocked a punt shortly thereafter, Mummert recovered it, Chapman ran for 13 yards on 3rd and long, and the Spartans were up 21-0. Later in the game, Rondell Mummert would add another interception, his third collected turnover of the night.

By the end of the first half, Lansing was battered and bruised by Mummert and Chapman. Mummert led the Spartans in tackling, and Chapman ran for 97 yards on 12 carries. Hunter Banks added 55 yards on 11 carries.

In the second half, Lansing looked for the Spartans to grind out the lead on the ground. They guessed wrong again. Mar-Mac QB Lincoln Ingram threw 3 second-half touchdown passes to senior wideout Tom Lewis. The Spartans got revenge for Martin Mayes game the last time these two teams met, picking off the Lansing QB 4 times on their way to a 41-3 victory.

[revrew]

Yeeeeee-HAW! A win next week against 4-9 Garnavillo, and we will have clinched the UMVC title in our first year!

I totally predicted the game wrong. Seth Hackett didn't catch a single pass. Coach figured using the 3-WR set would open the run, dilute their secondary, and get our best weapons on the field. He was right. We ran for 160, threw for 300, and—I did get this right—our secondary played very well. 4 INTs (though none by Hunter Flynn) gave us the field position to bury them.

Injuries: Unfortunately, add Rondell Mummert to the list, further weakening our linebacking corps for our matchup with Tyrell Lima next week.

Next Week: All we have to do is beat our most heated rival, Garnavillo, and we win the UMVC! Our last matchup was close, and down a pair of LBs, playing vs. Tyrell Lima means we're going to have to earn it.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac Clinches UMVC Title Despite Loss
GARNAVILLO, IA—The Garnavillo Hawks did their part in spoiling Mar-Mac's shot at a conference title, beating the Spartans, 20-3. Up in Lansing, however, the KeeHawks lost to Valley of Elgin, effectively handing Mar-Mac their first Upper Mississippi Valley Conference Title in over 50 years, and in Mar-Mac's first season since its reopening.

The game itself was a sloppy display of ineffectiveness for all but Garnavillo QB Allen Brandon. While star HB Tyrell Lima was held to only 2.9 yards per carry, Brandon was able to take advantage of a Spartan defense keyed up on stopping the run. Brandon threw for 229 yards on 21-of-29 passing.

For the Spartans, the only standout on offense was senior guard Jimmy Stenerud, who moved the pile in the middle. Turnovers, however, rendered the normally efficient Mar-Mac offense toothless.

[revrew]

At the beginning of this challenge, I never would have believed we would win the UMVC title so easily. I'm truly surprised by how well some of our players have played this season, especially Hunter Flynn and QB Lincoln Ingram. I knew Ingram, a third-round pick, was going to be capable when I drafted him, but I did not expect his bars to keep going up, or his perfomance to be at peak levels in this, his fourth year. I'm going to miss him when I trade him away; I'd like to see what else he could do. Oh, well. He's definitely one whose "college career" we'll follow.

Up next week: The Postville Pirates. A win against Postville, or in our final regular season game against the Central Warriors will give us the outright title, without fear of sharing a record with Lansing. Postville is a team void of talent save for a solid QB and two top-tier linebackers. Statistically, those backers' keep opposing rushers down. Still, though I think we match up well against them, the Pirates boast a 9-5 record, and are not to be dismissed easily.

[tucker342]

Great dynasty Rev! You should put City High in there though

[revrew]

Thanks, Tuck. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only person reading this!

Iowa City High? Aren't they div 3 or 4A, though? Mar-Mac is lowly Div 1A, so I've been trying to keep the competition realistic, though I have thrown in some 2A schools out of necessity. BTW, what is City High's mascot?

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac QB Ingram to Connecticut
McGREGOR, IA—Mar-Mac senior star quarterback, Lincoln Ingram has announced that he has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Connecticut next year. Sources close to Ingram report that Ingram has family on the east coast, and was thrilled to be courted by the UConn Huskies.

Ingram has already set a high benchmark for the newly reopened Mar-Mac Spartans, setting single-season records that may not soon be broken. At this point in the season, Ingram has thrown for 3066 yards and 28 touchdowns. With only 8 interceptions on the year, Ingram also holds a QB rating of 96.9, one of the best in the state of Iowa.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Mar-Mac Falls Again, 17-7
McGREGOR, IA—The once unstoppable Spartan offense has ground to a halt in the last two weeks, scoring 3 and 7 points, respectively. Though the loss drops the Spartans' record to 11-4, a loss by UMVC rival Lansing this week means Mar-Mac will nonetheless retain sole possession of first in the conference. This loss has the Spartans concerned, however, as they look ahead to the playoffs.

"Our offense never had the chance to take the field," explained Mar-Mac coach Everett Malone. "Postville converted 14 third downs, rushed for nearly 170 yards, and held the ball for over 40 minutes of the game. Our defense played very poorly today, and consequently, our offense couldn’t win it for us."

When asked if injuries played a factor in the loss, Malone stated, "Absolutely. We've been without our Mike back, Bubba Porter, for most of the season, and the loss of Rondell Mummert and Bart Hall completely decimated our linebacking corps. I don't know if you noticed it, but we suited up one of our managers and started him weakside. Meanwhile, their two star linebackers destroyed us. They held J.B. Chapman to negative yards rushing, for crying out loud!"

The frustration in coach Malone's voice was obvious as he talked about the game. Thankfully for Malone, the Spartans return injured FB Brant Eppbright to the lineup for next week's season finale against the 5-9-1 Central Warriors.

[revrew]

Coach wasn't kidding about suiting up a manager. Our LB corps is so depleted I had to sign someone before the game. Unfortunately, it also meant putting MLB Bubba Porter on IR to free up a roster spot. Roster management is proving to be much more difficult in this challenge, because I have to consider the future, so I don't want to cut some of these freshman and sophomores—even though they aren't worth much. For example, I've got a freshman WR that hasn't played all year. It would normally make sense to cut him to make room for that extra LB. But every other WR on the roster is a senior. He's the only returning wideout I have for next year. I can't cut him!

Now I receive the lovely news that Porter will likely be ready for the playoffs…but he's on IR. This may be the luck that kills our chances at a state title.

Next week, we go in without our LBs again. The manager will get his second start. But I'm bringing Eppbright back in an attempt to ground out some more first downs.

Our opponent, Central of Elkader, is a roller coaster. They have playmakers on offense that could kill us, but have the worst O-line in the NFL. They have two great LBs (again), but the defense is injury-ridden, and the secondary wasn't that good to begin with. Statistically, their passing attack is anemic, and their third-down percentages awful. The defense is subpar, but opportunistic on turnovers.

[revrew]

North Iowa Times
Spartans Charge Back into Win Column
McGREGOR, IA—The Mar-Mac Spartans finished their first regular-season campaign with a sparklingly efficient game, dominating on all sides of the ball in a 35-3 victory over the Central Warriors. Central, on the other hand, blundered 13 penalties (to the Spartans' zero), in the final game of a disappointing season.

Mar-Mac QB Lincoln Ingram threw 3 touchdowns, making him the state leader in that category with 32. TE Seth Hackett ended his TD draught by catching one score, also making him the state leader in that category with 12. Spartan safety Hunter Flynn did not intercept a pass, but his 11 INTs on the season also makes him the state leader.

"Obviously, Lincoln played a great game. He may be the finest quarterback I will ever have the privelege of coaching," said Mar-Mac coach Everett Malone. "In this game, however, do not discount 3 things: the absence of a single penalty, the outstanding play of our defensive line, and the return of FB Brant Eppbright. We got a solid game out of everybody today, and that's why we were able to dominate."

Offense, defense, and special teams contributed for the Spartans, including freshman Patrick Hall's back-breaking punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Spartans won their conference and finish the season ranked #8 in the state in Division 1A. Their next game will be a trip to the regional playoffs against an opponent yet to be determined.

[revrew]

This victory, as impressive as it appeared, was handed to us in part by that 13-0 penalty ratio. The success of this team this year cannot be explained by our great running game (it was mighty anemic) or by our great defense (which was even worse). We did get stellar play out of a few key players (Ingram, Hackett, and Flynn) and we also were +13 in turnover ratio, #1 in the NFL in 3rd down percentage, #1 in red-zone scoring, and committed a mere 29 penalties all year. There were 4 teams that committed over 170…and we committed 29. I also cannot overlook the play of Brant Eppbright. When he's in there, we've rolled to first downs, and scored 30+ a game. With him on the sidelines, we scored less than 10 pts per game. Our offense was built around a fullback, and I may be looking to draft one high in the offseason to replace him.

Going into the playoffs, our only injury is the loss of MLB Bubba Porter to the IR. The rest of the squad is fully back to health.

Final Upper Mississippi Valley Conference Standings:
Mar-Mac: 12-4
Lansing: 10-6
Valley of Elgin: 9-7
Cresco-Notre Dame: 8-8
North Winn: 7-9
Garnavillo: 6-10

You may or may not remember that this is almost the flip opposite of pre-season predictions. Obviously, the sheer volume of talent does not accurately predict season results.

[revrew]

Playoff Regionals: Turkey Valley Trojans
12-5 Turkey Valley comes into the game without their star QB. Good thing, because the rest of their squad is pretty impressive. The O-line is fantastic, which has made them one of the league's top rushing squads. The linebackers are solid, and the secondary, though average in most areas, has several impressive ballhawks, leading the Trojans to a league-leading +21 turnover margin.

The Trojans do have, however, 3 weaknesses. Their now-starting second-string QB is unimpressive; the D-line is a little dinged, and the backups aren't all that; and finally, the Trojans have committed 100 more penalties on the year than we have.

We will be sorely tested to stop their run, but our ability to convert 3rd downs and protect the football may help us dodge some of their deadliest bullets. This looks to be a good matchup.

[revrew]

Des Moines Register
1A: #8 Mar-Mac Dominates #10 Turkey Valley
CEDAR FALLS, IA—The matchup between Mar-Mac and Turkey Valley figured to feature two of the state's best interceptors, Mar-Mac's Hunter Flynn and Turkey Valley's Arnold Bernstein. Neither, however, got to show off his intercepting skills in Mar-Mac's impressive 35-14 victory.

For the Mar-Mac Spartans, 156 yards rushing, including a 38-yard TD run by FB Brant Eppbright kept the ball moving efficiently. State passing touchdown leader, Lincoln Ingram capped 3 long drives with TD passes, including one to state touchdown receiving leader, sophomore tight end, Seth Hackett. The Spartan defense was led by sophomore defensive end, Kennedy Eisenbraun, who recorded 2.5 sacks and a pair of hurries.

The Turkey Valley Trojans, however, without starting QB Chris Collier, struggled to sustain drives. Ten penalties (to Mar-Mac's 1), further killed momentum.

The Trojans finish the season with a 12-6 record, while #8 Mar-Mac will face #3 Guttenberg in the state semi-final next Saturday.

[revrew]

As I predicted, ball-possession would be the key. We converted third downs and avoided the turnover. Also as I predicted, their penalties would come back to haunt them. Hackett and Eppbright were the difference-makers, Hackett with 8 catches for 80+ and Eppbright, who ran for 60+ and caught 6 passes of his own.

Next up: Guttenberg, a team that has had a stellar record all year long, but with hardly any talent on the roster to show for it. They have a solid TE, but other than that, they're weak according to my scout. Nonetheless, statistically, they boast the #2 rushing offense and the #1 rushing defense. HOW?? Must be the coach, who is solid everywhere and rated E at defensive play calling. In other categories, they are competitive. Their only weakness, statistically, seems to be red-zone scoring.

Key to this game will be limiting their rushing, as they will likely limit our scoring opportunities.

On the injury front, Seth Hackett is questionable, as is Hunter Flynn. Not like it's anybody important or anything. My call is now or never for that state title, so I'm starting them both.

[revrew]

Des Moines Register
1A: #8 Mar-Mac Topples #3 Guttenberg
CEDAR FALLS, IA—The Mar-Mac Spartans got an early lead against the Guttenberg Pirates, forcing Guttenberg out of their usual ball-control game. The advantage eventually gave Mar-Mac the victory, a 34-24 upset that sends the Spartans to the state championship game in their inaugural season.

The shocker came early in the first quarter, when Guttenberg fumbled a punt return on their own 7 yard line. Mar-Mac recovered, and Spartan tailback J.B. Chapman gave Mar-Mac a 7-0 lead on the next play. On the Spartans' next possession, Chapman busted a 23-yard gain, setting up QB Lincoln Ingram to throw a 2-yard TD pass, putting Mar-Mac up early, 14-0.

The scoring defecit forced Guttenberg to begin passing. This played into Mar-Mac's strengths. Defensive end Kennedy Eisenbraun pinned his ears back, recording 2 sacks and a blocked pass. Mar-Mac QB Lincoln Ingram matched Guttenberg's passing game, driving up the score—a factor in Mar-Mac's favor. Ultimately, Guttenberg couldn't play Mar-Mac's game and outscore the Spartans.

The victory sets up a 1A championship game between #8 Mar-Mac and #1 West Central.

[revrew]

The game played out as we needed it to, turning into a passing fest instead of a ground battle. On the injury front, Hackett and Flynn (who played, Hackett having a huge game) are upgraded to probable, while Kennedy Eisenbraun comes down with a broken finger. He's questionable, but it's all out now as we streak for the state title in our inaugural season. (Un-freakin'-believable!)

West Central is a big passing team that obliterates running attacks, and shuts down passing as well. They are inept offensively on 3rd down, but lead the league in defensive third down percentage, likely because they are 3rd in the league in racking up sacks. Thankfully, 153 penalties against them means we have a big advantage in discipline.

Unfortunately, this is the most talented squad we've faced all season. Their QB has the best ratings I have ever seen in a player, they have a TE and receivers to catch it, an O-line that can protect, and some studs on defense that make them extremely solid. Their coach is a well-rounded, though his offensive playcalling hampers his incredibly talented squad. We go into this game a serious underdog.

[revrew]

Des Moines Register
Phoenix Mar-Mac Rises to Top of 1A
McGREGOR, IA—Nearly 30 years ago, tiny Mar-Mac High School, with a total enrollment of less than 65, was consolidated with nearby MFL High School. Mar-Mac reopened this year under new redistricting, and for the first time in 50 years, the Mar-Mac Spartans fielded a football team.

How good can a first-year football program at a first-year school actually be? We'll find out Saturday, when the Mar-Mac Spartans play the West Central Blue Devils for the Class 1A Iowa State Football Championship. With two impressive wins over last year's defending champs, the North Winn Mustangs (who happen to play in Mar-Mac's conference), and an improbable win over #3 ranked Guttenberg in the State Semi-Final, Mar-Mac stands poised to do something no high school football team has done since the very first year of football in Iowa—win a state championship in its first year.

"They could do it, too," says North Winn coach, Clifton Gonzalez. "The Spartans are an impressive combination of efficiency and big-play capability. I'm not sure there's a player in the state who can stay with their tight end, and [quarterback] Lincoln Ingram runs the offense with incredible precision."

That tight end is sophomore sensation Seth Hackett, who leads the state in touchdown catches with 12. Quarterback Ingram leads the state with 32 TD strikes. But Mar-Mac coach Everett Malone sees another leader on offense: "Fullback Brant Eppbright is a man among boys," says Malone. "He outruns, outblocks, and outcatches most college fullbacks, and on third down, he's unstoppable."

Where did this crop of talent come from? In the redistricting of 2019, Clayton Heights High School and the students from the McGregor and Marquette districts that attended MFL High School were reconsolidated into the resurrected Mar-Mac High School. One of those students was 17-year-old McGregor resident, Lincoln Ingram.

"I coached for 3 years," said MFL Bulldogs coach Blaine Lehmann. "We had some great guys ahead of [Ingram], so he didn't play a lot, but you could tell he was a smart player. Of course, we didn't know he would play this well when you gave him the ball."

Ingram has played well, and so has the entire Mar-Mac team under his leadership. On Saturday, Ingram, Hackett, Eppbright, and state interception leader Hunter Flynn will storm into the UniDome wearing fresh-from-the-ashes Spartan uniforms. The Phoenix has risen. The question is, will the Blue Devils be up to the challenge?

[revrew]

Forget the usual format, this was a game for the ages, and I'm not going to give it the usual, brief news coverage!

West Central had first possession and moved the ball efficiently until a Rondell Mummert sack on third down forced a punt. On their next possession, W.C. moved the ball again, down to our 8-yard line, but a sack by reserve DT Cushing forced them to kick a field goal. W.C., 3-0 at the end of the first.

Our offense couldn't string together 3 first downs, so W.C. got the ball again, but a sack by dime-back Crane stopped yet another W.C. drive. We exchanged three 3-and-outs. With their running game grinding down, their star QB took over. Complete. Complete. Complete. Then, BAM! Their QB gets buried in the pile and comes up injured. Just as it looked like he was going to rip us a new one, he's gone for the game.

And yet, our offense looked pathetic. We gave up sacks, too. Our runners couldn't get past the line. We dropped passes. With time running out in the half, suddenly, W.C. rips off a 57-yard TD pass, and we go into the locker room with our tails between our legs, 10-0. Granted, our defense was playing way over their heads. Granted, their star QB was gone. But our offense was inept at best. We had to start something.

A decent drive and some new life in Lincoln Ingram's arm put us in position to score right away in the third, but we missed the field goal. Can nothing go our way? Then, BOOM! (Do you like my Madden impressions?) W.C. hits a 32-yard pass, and we can feel our sails deflating. Still…they get a couple of yellow hankies dropped on 'em (they've had several already), and their drive ends as well.

We punt again (what's that…8 times already?), but the pocket collapses on them, their QB scrambles, and POW! Rondell Mummert plasters him, pops the ball loose, and we recover in their territory! Eppright and Hackett start to roll, but a sack (jeez, neither one of us can protect our QB!) knocks us back, and we procede to miss our second FG of the game. C'mon, boys, time is tickin!!!

West Central drives again, hits the FG, and now leads 13-0. With our offense gasping for air, every score puts this one further out of reach.

Another sack, another punt for us. But yellow hankies fly on them like moths to a flame, and they face a 3rd and 31 they can't convert.

Yet, another sack, another punt for us. But our punt knocks them back, and when they can't move it, we're in position for a FG, which we hit at last. The score is now 13-3 with only 5 minutes left to go in the game.

[revrew]

We get the ball back on our 26 with 3:08 to play, trailing 13-3 in the state championship game. Our offense goes to single back, 3 and 4 receiver sets. It's to the air, boys! Ingram hits #3 WR Byrne for a quick 7. Then he hits return specialist and #5 WR Youssef for a shocking 28. We switch back to 2WR set, and with W.C. looking for a short gain, blanketing Hackett, Ingram goes long to WR Tom Lewis! 37 yards and a touchdown! We're in range, now, trailing 13-10 with 2:22 to play.

With all of our timeouts and the 2-minute warning, coach elects to kick it away. A holding penalty on West Central pins them at their own 7. They try running. Nothing. We call timeout. On second down, they think they can fool us with a quick pass. A short pass is as good as a run, right?

Not when the CB jumps the pattern, baby! Interception! CB Julio Perez, an unsung, unspecial starter snags the ball at the 13-yard line and streaks untouched those 13 yards to the endzone!! Mar-Mac takes their first lead with 2 minutes to play, 17-13!

West Central's next possession goes nowhere on four passes. Turnover on downs to us. All we need is one first down, and this game is over. If we run it and get that 1st, we can kneel down for the rest. Here we go…

On first down, we put in second-string, big-play back Hunter Banks. West Central is looking for Eppbright up the middle and are surprised by a pitchout to Banks. Banks runs the sweep behind big senior guard Jimmy Stenerud. Big Jimmy gets the KRB, and Banks takes it 7 yards before going down. Timeout West Central.

2nd and 3 with 0:45 left. On the next play, J.R. Chapman hammers it 2 more yards. Timout West Central.

It comes down to this: 3rd and 1. If we make it, we win. If we don't, they'll call a timeout and force us to punt, giving them one more shot. What's your play call, readers? You know this team. You know what we can do and who our studs are. 3rd and 1, the state championship on the line, what's the call?