By: Matt Scher, [email protected]
Humboldt, IA – The Humboldt Wildcats football team is heading back to the UNI-Dome for the 3A Semifinals for the third time in the past four years after scoring 35 answered points to defeat the Solon Spartans 35-3 at Mason Maach Field Friday night.
The Spartans took a 3-0 lead on a 36-yard field goal by Ryan Locke with 5:42 to go in the first quarter. From then on, it was all Humboldt. The Wildcats would come back in the second quarter with a 49-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Coen Matson to Cash McIntire with 8:40 left, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matson to Valley Davis with 4:32 left in the half and after a Mason Van Pelt interception, a one-yard rushing touchdown from Matson at the 3:58 mark as Humboldt lead 21-3 at the half.
The second half would see more production from Humboldt, as sophomore Jaxson Kirchhoff would find the end zone on a 45-yard rush with 5:21 to go in the third and Keegan Groat caught a Matson pass for a 36-yard touchdown to cap the scoring for Humboldt at 3:13 to go in the third.
The top-ranked Wildcats are 10-1 and will face fifth ranked Mount Vernon after their 31-28 win at fourth ranked Algona. In the other 3A quarterfinal games, second-ranked Sergeant Bluff-Luton won 53-21 over Nevada and third-ranked Dubuque Wahlert Catholic won 24-7 over Independence. In Class A, West Hancock won 44-15 over Woodbury Central to advance to the UNI-Dome.
Kickoff between Humboldt and Mount Vernon will be at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the UNI-Dome.