Humboldt Rallies For Win Over Dawgs

ROSSVILLE — On a field dotted with snow, Rossville was done in by a two-headed attack of Humboldt, its season ending with a 24-22 defeat in the sectional round of the Class 2A playoffs.

Enduring a 20-degree temperature at kickoff, the Humboldt Cubs saw senior quarterback Dagen Goodner and junior tailback Conor Haviland account for all but 35 of their yards from scrimmage.

Rossville jumped to an early 10-0 advantage, but the visitors kept chipping away. After the Bulldawgs went up 16-8 early in the third period, Humboldt answered with a scoring drive, seized momentum and held on.

The teams traded two touchdowns apiece in a wild third quarter. The difference in the game turned out to be Humboldt’s ability to succeed on two-point conversions, while Rossville failed on both extra point attempts in the period.

Goodner carried the Cubs for the first half and finished with 116 yards rushing and two touchdowns. But it was Haviland, quiet in the first half with just one yard on seven carries, who turned the game around. When Goodner was shaken up on a carry, Haviland took direct snaps for runs of 27 and five yards, scoring on the second rush. He then ran in for the conversion to tie the game at 16-16.

On the ensuing Rossville possession, Haviland picked off a pass and returned it to the 18. Humboldt scored on the next play and never relinquished the lead. Haviland ran for 70 yards on six carries in the second half.

Rossville, which saw its six-game win streak snapped, finished the season with an 8-3 mark. The Bulldawgs were led by senior quarterback Garrett Carver’s 101 yards rushing and 83 yards passing.

Sophomore Tyree Sowers, who opened the game with a 5-yard touchdown run, caught an 18-yard scoring toss from Carver late in the third period that pulled the Bulldawgs within two. But Rossville failed to run in the conversion and the third quarter ended 24-22 in favor of the Cubs.

Rossville only possessed the ball twice in the fourth period, and failed to pass midfield on each possession. Humboldt chewed up the clock with a long drive that stalled at the Rossville 39. The Cubs then threw Rossville for losses on three consecutive plays and the Bulldawgs failed on a fourth-and-27 attempt.

Humboldt, one of four teams with perfect 10-0 records entering the sectional round, will take on Riley County, which upset Silver Lake in overtime.

Humboldt fumbled on its first two possessions, staking Rossville to an early lead. Sowers scored from 5 yards out following the first turnover. But a penalty wiped out Sowers’ second scoring run, forcing the Bulldogs to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Joao Lovisi.

Trailing 10-0, the Cubs rallied to block a Rossville punt late in the second quarter. Humboldt seized the momentum and mounted a 49-yard drive, highlighted by a 27-yard toss from Goodner to Tucker Hurst and capped by a 5-yard scoring run by Goodner. A two-point conversion narrowed the Rossville lead to 10-8 just seconds before halftime.

HUMBOLDT 24, ROSSVILLE 22

Humboldt (11-0);0;8;16;0;—;24

Rossville (8-3);10;0;12;0;—;22

Rossville — Sowers 5 run (Lovisi kick)

Rossville — Lovisi 23 yard field goal

Humboldt — Goodner 5 run (Hurst pass from Goodner)

Rossville — Johnson 21 run (kick failed)

Humboldt — Haviland 5 run (Haviland run)

Humboldt — Goodner 9 run (Goodner run)

Rossville — Sowers 18 pass from Carver (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING­ — Humboldt: Goodner 19-116, Haviland 13-71, Allen 1-4; Rossville: Johnson 7-42, Carver 22-101, Sowers 5-14, Reeves 3-8.

PASSING — Humboldt: Goodner 3-10-0 50 yards; Rossville: Carver 9-15-1 83 yards.

RECEIVING — Humboldt: Haviland 1-19, Hurst 1-27, Allen 1-4; Rossville: Reeves 4-47, Johnson 1-8, Horak 2-14, Sowers 2-14.

PUNTING — Humboldt: Hurst 1-36.0; Rossville: Carver 1-24.0.