DONNELLSON

Mid-Prairie sophomore running back Hudson Ehrenfelt and the Golden Hawks offensive line struck quickly on a cold Friday night in Lee County.

Ehrenfelt scored the first of his four touchdowns less than four minutes into the game, plowing the way for a 33-13 district win Oct. 6 against Central Lee.

But that wasn’t all.

Before the night was done, Ehrenfelt caught a long pass from junior quarterback Brady Weber to set up the Golden Hawks’ second score in the second quarter and then stepped in at quarterback late in the game after Weber took a late hit along the sidelines.

“He’s one of those guys, you try and find different ways to get him the ball,” Golden Hawks head coach Daren Lambert said. “Put him in different spots, put him in motion, line him up outside, put him in the backfield. He’s a dynamic player and we’re going to try and do anything to get him the football.”

After scoring from 6 yards out with 8:58 left in the opening quarter, Ehrenfelt added a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs and a fourth score from 7 yards out. In three Mid-Prairie wins, Ehrenfelt has scored 10 touchdowns and rushed for nearly 500 yards.

“I’m comfortable,” Ehrenfelt said. “I’ve got a good O-line.”

Ehrenfelt rushed for 167 yards on 23 carries, leading a Mid-Prairie rushing attack that totaled 246 yards.

The victory left Mid-Prairie in second place in the Class 2A-5 district with one regular-season game left to play Friday against Albia. The Golden Hawks (3-4, 3-1), who lost 38-7 to district leader Mediapolis on Sept. 29, have secured a playoff spot.

“It was a big win,” Ehrenfelt said. “I feel like last week, confidence was down. Come back, got the confidence up. Energy’s back. Everything’s coming back together for us, which is good.”

The Golden Hawks scored the game’s first four touchdowns for a 27-0 lead and cruised from there.

On a fourth-down play, Ehrenfelt drifted alone downfield and Weber was able to find him for a first down that set up Ehrenfel’s second touchdown.

“Kind of a broken play,” Lambert said, “but the line did a great job protecting Brady to extend the play a little bit. The defenders got lost and Hudson was there. Great play.”

With team-leading receiver Cobi Hershberger out with an injury, Ehrenfelt joined a number of other Golden Hawks to fill in as receiving targets. Ehrenfelt, Kaden Kos and Grady Miller combined for 6 catches and 148 receiving yards.

Weber hooked up with Kos for a 41-yard scoring pass in the second quarter.

The Golden Hawks pitched a shutout until a determined running effort by Central Lee’s Kegan Damico resulted in an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:24 left in the game. The score trimmed Mid-Prairie’s lead to 27-6, but then Ehrenfelt scored his final touchdown with 4:23 left.

“He’s knowing where the reads are,” Lambert said of Ehrenfelt. “He’s only a sophomore, but his athleticism gets us out of trouble sometimes. The game is definitely coming to him. He’s doing a great job.”

Ehrenfelt is the top sophomore in Class 2A with 870 rushing yards this season and he is tied for 10^th statewide in rushing TDs.

GAME SUMMARY

MID-PRAIRIE 33, CENTRAL LEE 13

Mid-Prairie    7     14    6    6  --  33

Central Lee    0       0    0   13 --  13

MP: Hudson Ehrenfelt 6 run (Beau Flynn kick)

MP: Ehrenfelt 3 run (Flynn kick)

MP: Kaden Koss 31 pass from Brady Weber (Flynn kick)

MP: Ehrenfelt 3 run (kick failed)

CL: Kegan Damico 11 run (run failed)

MP: Ehrenfelt 7 run (kick failed)

CL: Cory Jones 79 run (Colton Taft kick)

PASSING: Mid-Prairie, Brady Weber, 8-12-154, 1 TD; CL, Kayden Calfee, 5-10-43; Cory Jones, 1-2-2.

RUSHING: Mid-Prairie, Hudson Ehrenfelt, 23-167, 1 TD; Weber, 7-64; Landry Gingerich, 2-9; Dylan Henry, 1-6; CL, Jones, 3-92, 1 TD; Chase Johnson, 18-56; Calfee, 12-48; Grant Myhre, 3-20; Kegan Damico, 5-10, 1 TD.

RECEIVING: Mid-Prairie, Ehrenfelt, 2-75; Kaden Kos, 2-50, 1 TD; Grady Miller, 2-23; Dylan Henry, 1-4; Ace Peck, 1-2; CL, Brayden Wyrick, 2-13; Will Hayes, 1-9; Damico, 1-8; Reece Hayes, 1-8; Johnson, 1-7.

LEADING TACKLERS: Mid-Prairie, Kos, 10.5, 1.5 sacks; Conner Wiles, 7; Grady Miller, 6.5; Gingerich, 5; Henry, 5.