The Eagle Grove Eagles football team returns to action on Friday night, when they make the trip into far northeastern Calhoun County to take on the Cougars of Manson-Northwest Webster in Class 1A, District 2 action. The Eagles enter at 0-4 after their 44-26 loss to Sioux Central, while Manson-Northwest Webster enters at 1-3 after their first win of the season over Pocahontas Area, 24-20.
Manson-Northwest Webster enter Friday looking to get their first win over Eagle Grove since 2017. The Cougars offense has gotten it done through the air this year, as junior Logan Moline has taken command of the quarterback position after a shaky sophomore season. Moline is 45-for-67 with 699 yards and 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and 2 rushing touchdowns. Moline’s favorite target has been junior receiver Matt Condon, who’s caught 18 balls for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns, while fellow receiver Caydin Anderson has 15 catches for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns. Broc Patzner, Tateum Hanson and Grayson Klocko also have receiving touchdowns on the season. The running game has been spotty, with Kamden Birkey having 226 yards and a touchdown, but averaging just 3.9 yards per carry through the first 4 games. The offensive line is a bit of an undersized one as well for the Cougars.
Defensively, the Cougars have been led by linebacker Kamden Birkey, who has a team-high 22.5 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Fellow linebacker Carter Van Waes has added 21.5 tackles as well. Up front, junior Grant Pohlman has been the big producer, with a unit high 21 tackles, a sack and 3 tackles for loss, as freshman Jagger Wolfe and Aiden Nelson are at 7.5 and 6.5 tackles, respectively. The defensive backfield might be the Cougars best unit, with 8 interceptions through the first 4 games. Senior Tateum Hanson has 3 picks and a pick six, while Matt Condon and Mason Anderson have 2 interceptions each, with Caydin Anderson also hauling in a pick. Condon leads the secondary in tackles with 19 total and 14 solo as well.
Eagle Grove has seen continued improvement throughout the season, despite their 0-4 record. The Eagles ran for a season-high 333 yards against Sioux Central, with both fullback Drake Canavan and wingback Connor Christopher crossing the 100-yard plateau in the game. The Eagles secondary has been a productive one as well, with 5 total interceptions from Levi Langfitt, Connor Christopher, Camden Sisson, Jaxon Morris and Josh Miller.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM between Eagle Grove and Manson-Northwest Webster at the Keith Hart Athletic Complex, and can be heard on 95.7 KQWC or online at kqradio.com.