Kee football team battles through weather delays and two early turnovers but ends up with 36-28 Homecoming loss to undefeated Central Elkader
Reaching out to reel it in ... Kee football freshman Conner Winters reaches out for a pass attempt headed his way as a Central Elkader defender gives chase in the Hawks’ 36-28 Homecoming loss to the visiting Warriors Friday, September 19. Winters hauled in two passes from junior quarterback Trey Cota that included a 69-yard touchdown reception in his total of 80 yards and one touchdown in the ballgame, and he also caught a two-point conversion pass as well. Winters also wrapped up a pair of tackles on defense, with both of those stops being solo halts. Photo by Danielle Potter. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.
As if being matched up against its third consecutive undefeated opponent wasn’t enough of a challenge, the Kee football team also faced weather delays, wet field conditions and early turnovers when the Hawks hosted Central Elkader for their Homecoming football game Friday, September 19. Still, despite having the game delayed for nearly two hours late in the first quarter and again during an extended halftime, Kee’s grid squad fought through two first quarter fumbles - that ended up being the only two turnovers of the ballgame - and a 16-0 early deficit to, basically, win the remainder of the ballgame, playing to a 28-28 tie near the middle of the third quarter before ultimately surrendering a 36-28 defeat to the 3-0 Warriors.
“Being negative in the turnover battle doesn’t win games and that’s where we have been in the last few weeks,” Kee football head coach Chad Winters said. “Both of those (fumbles) were huge momentum swingers in the game that made it tough to overcome. That is stuff we need to get fixed and we need to start creating some turnovers of our own.”
Having run the gauntlet and falling to each of their fellow Eight-Player District 4 teams who still remain undefeated atop the District 4 standings at this point in the season, the Hawks are virtually in “play-off mode” where any further losses could very well mean elimination from this season’s Eight-Player State Play-Offs, even though half the season still remains to be played. Their next step in furthering this season’s quest is a road District 4 battle at Calamus-Wheatland this Friday, September 26, with both teams still in search of their first District 4 victory but these Warriors holding an even 2-2 record on the season after posting non-district wins of 35-0 over Green Mountain-Garwin and 46-12 over Cedar Ridge Christian. Their two district losses have come to Central Elkader, 42-14, and Springville, 49-12, this past Friday, September 19.
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