As part of my gig doing play-by-play for Xavier football on KMRY, I stop by the studio on Wednesday mornings to talk football with morning guy Simon Will. It's an enjoyable part of my week, being a old radio guy from way back in the early 80s, and fits right in after I get my coach's interview with Duane Schulte done first thing on Wednesdays. Anyway, this past week, after crushing Central DeWitt 59-3, Simon asked me to predict a Xavier score with winless and somewhat hapless Maquoketa coming to town. I said, reluctantly, that we might see a 70 on the scoreboard.
I was wrong. Although 7 was involved, as in 7 touchdowns. In the first half.
The Saints blew right through the Cardinals 49-6, pretty much exactly as everyone figured would happen. Maquoketa just doesn't have a defense that can stop anybody, giving up over 400 yards a game. At least their average came down a little after this game ... partly because Xavier had such good field position they didn't need to roll up many yards to rack up 7 touchdowns. Meanwhile the Maquoketa offense managed a whole 15 total yards in the first half when you matched up first-team to first-team.
The Maquoketa possessions in the first half were three and out, three and out, fumble, three and out, fumble, three and out, three and out. Meanwhile the Saints scored on every possession, and even added a 52-yard fumble return score by Matt Downey. Bryce Schulte ran for two TDs (giving him 8 rushing scores on the year, I think) and threw for two more (actually his first passing TDs of the season). Nic Ekland scored on a 4th and goal from the two. Nick Stark had a tremendous wide-open catch and run score called back by penalty, only to match it with another very similar play in the next quarter that did count. Sean Murphy ran up the middle through three tacklers and then untouched the rest of the way for a 56-yard TD. Then throw in the fumble recovery ... the first half was a laugher.
The only things that kept the score under 50 were the Xavier scout teamers (who couldn't quite convert on all their 3rd downs) and the continuous clock that sped through the second half (the third quarter, with 12 minutes on the game clock, took only 13 actual minutes to play). The Cardinals couldn't even get a first down until their last drive of the game, when they picked up three (including a 4th down conversion) on the way to their only touchdown. Even the referees started letting obvious penalties go just to get the thing over with. I'm serious - I saw one obvious flinch before the snap by a Maquoketa receiver, the side judge started to reach for his flag, then pretty much visually gave up and said the heck with it, letting the play go. One of the most unusual things I've seen on a football field came at the end. Xavier had the ball, with the clock just running and running.They broke the huddle and came up to the line of scrimmage with a good 15 or so seconds left. I'm not sure if they really were going to run a play, but they never got a chance, as the referee slowly strolled his way through the formation, up to the center, and picked up the ball the instant the clock hit 0:00.
I'm not complaining, mind you. The game was never in doubt, and there was no need to run another play, as much as the Xavier second and third teamers might have liked to. For one thing, Saints tailback Jay Kortemeyer got hurt in the first half, hopping off the field on his left foot and reappearing in the second half on crutches and in a boot. That certainly did not look good for his continued play, but I suppose we will find out more over the next week. It would not be a good thing for Xavier to lose more than one player to injury in a blowout like this.
So .. will anyone challenge the Saints in District 4? I can't see it. Western Dubuque beat Wahlert in overtime, a Wahlert team that beat Central DeWitt in the final seconds, a Central DeWitt team that was crushed by Xavier. Solon has already lost by four touchdowns, and Solon whipped last year's runner-up Washington. Marion lost by a touchdown to Central DeWitt. I think the road is pretty clear for a 6-0 district mark for the Saints.
So, playoffs. District winners play fourth-place finishers in the first round. Currently in fourth place are teams like Decorah, Washington, Grinnell and Oskaloosa. Other teams leading districts (and possible third-round opponents) are West Delaware, Assumption, Pella and Ballard. So, yeah. Some interesting matchups once you get three games into the playoffs.
I hate to get my cart ahead of my horse, but then again, I am not a coach. I'm just a radio guy who's watched Xavier football since 2006. This is not the best Saints team I've seen, but it's pretty good, and it's playing well above its current competition. Is a return trip to the Dome in the cards? Maybe. But no guarantees. West Delaware and Pella are pretty darn good, for example.
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