CLARION, Ia. — The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys football team returned to the field on Friday Night, as they hosted the South Hardin Tigers in the second round of the Class 1A Playoffs at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows entered with a record of 8-1 and ranked #6 in Class 1A, as South Hardin entered at 7-2 and ranked #10 in Class 1A.
CGD took the opening kickoff and drove the field, scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run by Charlie Campbell to put the Cowboys ahead 7-0, as South Hardin responded on their opening drive with a 42-yard touchdown catch and run from Braden Weig to Casey Williamson, but a missed PAT kept the Cowboys ahead 7-6 after the first. The 2nd quarter would be quiet throughout, as the CGD put together a drive that ended in a 31-yard field goal from Matthew Tijul Villatoro field goal to put the Cowboys ahead 10-6, but South Hardin answered with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Weig to Grant Meister, as the 2-point conversion failed with South Hardin leading 12-10 at halftime.
The 3rd quarter was quiet outside of the opening drive of the half for South Hardin, as Braden Weig found Casey Williamson for a 25-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers ahead 20-10. CGD would score to start the 4th quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by Charlie Campbell to cut the score to 20-17, before a South Hardin 3-and-out gave the Cowboys the football back, marching the field and scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run by JD Morrical to take the lead with 4:26 to go at 24-20. South Hardin did answer as Braden Weig let a long ball go for a 38-yard touchdown pass to Colby Zollar as South Hardin reclaimed the lead at 26-24 with 3:05 to go. The Cowboys would dig deep on their final drive, going 65 yards in 7 plays and scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run by Colin Sesker with 34 seconds to go, with Huxley Lingenfelter catching the two-point conversion as CGD led 32-26. The Cowboys forced a turnover on downs on the following possession to solidify a 32-26 win.
The Aces of the Game, presented by Ace Hardware of Webster City, were Cowboy senior Charlie Campbell and junior Traesyn Cope: Campbell carried 14 times for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Cope led the Cowboys with 7.5 tackles and 1.5 TFL. Colin Sesker led the Cowboys with 17 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown, while JD Morrical was 2-for-8 for 75 yards and a pick, while rushing for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows advances to the Class 1A Quarterfinals, where they’ll face the defending 1A State Champions in the West Lyon Wildcats at the Jay Roozeboom Athletic Complex in Inwood, with kickoff at 7 PM on AM 1570/FM 99.1 KZWC, online at kqradio.com and on the KZWC App.