Troublesome third quarter pushes 7-7 halftime tie to a 44-20 Waukon football home loss to Crestwood in non-district play


Senior swarm ... Waukon football seniors Carson Lonning (#10), Milan Byrnes (#53) and Kael Crawford (#21) team up to bring down this Crestwood ballcarrier in the Indians’ 44-20 home loss to the Cadets Friday, September 9. Lonning ended up with one solo tackle before leaving the game with a shoulder injury, Byrnes wrapped up three solo tackles and Crawford collected nine total tackles that included eight solo stops and one tackle for loss. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.

Trying to avoid the program’s first 0-3 start to a season in over a decade - dating back to its final campaign as a Class 3A squad when a 0-5 start led to a 2-7 final mark in 2011, the Waukon football team was playing host to its final larger school non-district opponent of the season when Crestwood came to town Friday, September 9. Being able to avoid their early two-touchdown deficits that proved insurmountable in their first two losses of the season, the Indians instead suffered that fate to open the game’s second half that saw them give up 30 unanswered points and watch a 7-7 halftime scoreboard knot erode away to suffering a 44-20 loss.

“I don’t think Crestwood’s third quarter success was due to them surprising us, but was more of an emotional swing,” Waukon football coach Chad Beermann said. “Shortly before halftime, we were driving to go up 14-7, and would be receiving the ball to start the second half, so had a chance to go up 21-7. Instead, we turned the ball over before half, and we had the safety on the punt right after half, which set them up with a short field. They scored to go up 16-7, and we were shell-shocked.”

The Indians are next scheduled to open Class 2A District 4 play this Friday, September 16 in North Fayette Valley’s Homecoming game in West Union. The TigerHawks have had the opposite fortune of the Indians this season in the win-loss column with a 3-0 start to the season in non-district play, but have certainly not faced the same caliber opponents in outscoring South Winneshiek, Sumner-Fredericksburg and Postville by a combined 126-6 tally that includes a 78-0 home shut-out of Postville this past Friday.

“One of the advantages North Fayette Valley would have over us is they have not really had to open up their playbook in most of their games, though Sumner-Fredericksburg gave them a good game (13-0),” Coach Beermann forecasted. “They have always used multiple formations, and this year they are running packages for two different quarterbacks. They give your defense a lot to think about, and they always play great defense there.”

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