Stout and Sieren power Cobras over Rockets

SK was coming off a high when they beat a stingy Albia team at home on September 7 in a game that took a lot of heart and a lot of grit. The celebration was cut short after they found out their star running back was injured and require season-ending surgery. They faced another tough opponent in Eddyville-Blakesburg Fremont on September 14 and managed to walk out with a 48-34 victory with a huge chunk coming from Sam Sieren and JD Stout.

Despite losing Carson Crawford, who racked up over 500 yards, averaging almost 10 yards per carry, the game plan remained the same. SK and EBF found the endzone on their respective opening possessions, with the Cobras falling behind 6-7. From that point the score remained close, but SK couldn’t manage to get over the hump.

“Our pass defense got torched in the first half of the game against a pretty darn good QB and group of wide receivers,” Cobras coach Jared Jensen said. “We have to shore up our defensive backfield and linebacker play if we’re going to get a really good team.”

At one point in the second quarter, the Cobras trailed 18-21 and then went into the half down a minimal margin, 24-27. Things started to turn around in the second half as the Cobras began to get their ground game going, eventually wearing down the Rockets defense. SK outscored EBF 22-6 over the span of 18 minutes. The defense shut down EBF’s vertical passing, while the offensive line opened holes for the backs to get through.

“Our running game was fantastic,” Jensen said. “We faced a pretty big defensive line and our offensive line dominated. Our big guys handled their business and gave our backs some great holes to run through.”

EBF had one last score in them but SK countered with one of their own to end the game at 48-34. Sieren and Stout did most of the damage in the game, combining for 50 rushes and over 427 yards gained. Stout accounted for 250 yards, averaging just over 10 yards per rush, and scored five times while Sieren had 177 yards, just under seven yards per rush, and one score. Brady Duwa also tacked on a 48 rushing yards for the Cobras, including a 22-yard dash for a score.

“The win was huge for us to bring us to 3-1 on the season. This was a trap game for us, EBF always plays us tough and this win will propel us into our first District game against Wilton,” Jensen said. “To get three straight wins against a very good Lynnville team, and two 2A teams in Albia and EBF is definitely a confidence booster for us.”

The Cobras are on the road when they open District play against Wilton on September 21.