Strong first half effort by Waukon football team produces 8-7 lead that erodes away to 42-16 home loss to Class 4A 8th-rated Decorah

The Waukon football team’s first half of play in its season opener at home against Class 4A eighth-rated Decorah proved to be all the highly-regarded Vikings wanted, as the grid Tribe held an 8-7 lead late in the second quarter over its visiting rivals from nearby Friday, August 29 in non-district play.

The second half, however, proved to be a different result, especially on the scoreboard, as Decorah rattled off a 35-0 outburst after that lone Indian lead of the ballgame to end up dealing the Indians a 42-16 defeat.

A balanced Viking offensive attack of 177 yards through the air and 171 yards on the ground outgained Waukon’s grid squad by a 348-243 final result. The Indian air attack fired away for 188 yards but their rushing effort yielded just 55 yards in averaging 2.1 yards per carry but accounting for both the Waukon touchdowns in the ballgame. A 4-0 disadvantage for the grid Tribe in turnovers slowed the Indians even further, although only one of those ended up finding the scoreboard but another happened in the end zone late in the contest.

“We actually played with them until 1:54 in the third, then the wheels came off,” Waukon football coach Chad Beermann reflected. “About that time, we started making mistakes. We gave up a long pass play, and a big punt return. On offense, we had turnovers, and penalties that killed drives, which all gave Decorah several ‘short fields’, which they used to stretch their lead. Before the game, we’d laid out what it took to pull off an upset. A couple of the major factors are eliminating turnovers and penalties. Once we started making those mistakes, it really opened the door for Decorah. I think fatigue may have had a part, as Decorah’s depth started to become a factor.”

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