ACH sets up rematch with Odessa-Harrington with win over Pomeroy

POMEROY — What a difference a fortnight makes.

The defending Class 1B state champion Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (10-1) stumbled into the state tournament with their only loss of the season two weeks ago in the regular season finale against Odessa-Harrington.

They got some things figured out and now they’re rolling again. Oddly enough, with Friday night’s 54-12 win over Pomeroy in the first round sets up a rematch with Odessa-Harrington in the quarterfinals of the 1B playoffs.

“If we’d of beaten them, they’d have done the same thing we did (win a crossover game, then again in the first round) and we’d be seeing them again anyway,” ACH coach Brandon Walsh said. “So here we go again.”

If Friday night was a look at what’s coming, the quarterfinals ought to be a barn-burner. ACH quarterback Maguire Isaak had a night to remember, rushing for 323 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-foot, 165-pound sophomore also threw for a touchdown, accounting for 414 of the Warriors 569 yards in total offense. ACH scored 48 unanswered points, 28 in the second quarter, to steamroll the Pirates (6-5). Hayden Loomis scored on two touchdown runs for the Warriors.

“Our linemen were getting down field for good blocks, and our receivers did a great job of staying locked on to make huge running lanes,” said Isaak, who scored on touchdown runs of 46, 25, 42, 35 and 60 yards. “Anytime you have the whole field to run on, that’s fun.”

You can attribute that running success to a reworked offensive line. Kameron Goetz has been there all season, but center Jacob Mitchell and guard Chris Christopherson moved into the starting lineup two weeks ago.

“The great thing about our program is that we always have the young guys ready. Jacob and Chris are committed. They’re not scared, and we’re starting to mesh,” Goetz said. “We went to the run today because it worked, but we can pass block. I don’t want to say we’re confident, because confidence to turn into overconfidence. But I trust my guys to keep working.”

Pomeroy took the early lead and regained it again with 1:37 left in the first quarter on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Cade Gingerich to Seth Hyer. But the Warrior defense came up large on a fourth-and-goal with 7:32 left in the first half. Gingerich took the snap in a shotgun formation at the 5-yard line, but fumbled when he was smothered by defensive line.

Junior Payton Nielsen recovered.

The Warriors defense also stopped the Pirates in the red zone when they had first-and-goal on the 9 right before the half.

“I saw stopping them on fourth-and-goal, then driving the length of the field as a turning point,” linebacker Damian Maes-Leander said. “It showed a lot of heart and a willingness to get it done. The big thing tonight, was keeping to our assignments and not losing control. We feel good about the way we’re playing.”

Score by quarters ACH 14 28 12 0 — 54 Pomeroy 12 0 0 0 — 12

Scoring summary P — Wyatt Zielinski 10 pass from Cade Gingerich (run failed), 4:48 ACH — Gage Burchill 28 pass from Maguire Issak (pass failed), 1:48 P — Seth Hyer 43 pass from Gingerich (run failed), 1:37 ACH — Issak 46 run (Burchill pass from Issak), 9.8 ACH — Hayden Loomis 40 run (run failed), 10:42 ACH — Issak 25 run (Payton Nielsen pass from Issak), 6:51 ACH — Issak 42 run (Nielsen pass from Issak), 3:41 ACH — Issak 35 run (pass fails), 2:24 ACH — Issak 60 run (pass fails) 11:46 ACH — Loomis 1 run (run fails), 1:23