It was a frustrating end to an otherwise outstanding season for the Madrid football team on Friday, October 30, as Maquoketa Valley handed the fourth-ranked Tigers a 34-0 defeat in the second round of the Class A playoffs at Madrid.
The loss came just hours after Maquoketa Valley beat Madrid at the girls’ state cross country meet, as the Tiger runners finished second.
Maquoketa Valley entered the game at 6-3 but looked every bit the part of a contender as it pulled off the upset over a Madrid team that had dominated throughout the regular season.
The Wildcats established control early, scoring twice in the first half to build a 14-0 halftime advantage.
They then put the game away with three touchdowns in the second half, finishing off a convincing 34-0 victory.
Madrid struggled to find offensive rhythm against an experienced Maquoketa Valley squad that controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Defensively, the Wildcats consistently forced the Tigers into long-yardage situations.
The Tigers were held to 108 rushing yards on 37 carries and completed none of their six pass attempts.
Running back Will Atkinson led Madrid with 60 yards on 18 carries, while Jevyn Severson added 33 yards on six attempts.
Quarterback Chase Perkins was limited to eight rushing yards on 12 carries as Maquoketa Valley’s defense repeatedly disrupted Madrid’s offense.
Despite the offensive struggles, Madrid’s defense continued to battle throughout the contest.
Max Fowler, Emerson Bridgewater and Quinton Moore each recorded 6.5 total tackles to lead the Tigers.
Logan Bogardus added five tackles, while Cash Frey and Severson each finished with 4.5 stops.
Severson also recorded Madrid’s lone sack of the night.
On special teams, Bogardus returned three kickoffs for 60 yards, while Severson averaged 39.2 yards on four punts.
The Tigers forced two turnovers, recovering fumbles by Maquoketa Valley, with Fowler and Atkinson each coming away with recoveries.
However, Madrid was unable to convert those opportunities into points.
The loss ended the season for the Tigers, who spent much of the year ranked among Class A’s top teams and rolled through district play undefeated.
The Tigers finished the year 9-1 overall and captured the district championship with a perfect 6-0 record.
Maquoketa Valley improved to 7-3 with the victory and advanced to face Lynnville-Sully, which enters with an 8-2 record, at 7 p.m. tonight.
Jill Lutz reporting
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