A resurgent Algona High football team ran past Greene County in Kossuth County Friday night in the Class 3A District 2 opener for both teams by a 35-28 final. The Bulldogs lost their first eight games last season before winning its final contest, and behind a big offensive line they’ve started this season 3-0 for a combined four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs have a large and talented corps of linemen led by Cole Banwart, who has verbally committed to play college football at the U. of Iowa. Observers of Algona football estimated its been 15 years since the Bulldogs have won this many games in a row. Greene County fell to 2-1 on the season and 0-1 in district play after surrendering 496 yards and 80 offensive plays to the Bulldogs. The Rams had 360 yards themselves, much of that total coming from senior quarterback Daric Whipple, who ran 141 yards and had 196 through the air. Whipple ran for two TDs and threw for two others.
The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove 78 yards on 10 plays with Grant Carroll scoring on a run from the two yard line. The Rams tied the game 7-7 on the first of two TD receptions by senior Reid Lamoureux, this one from 26 yards out. Greene County took a 14-7 lead with 4:09 to go in the opening quarter on Whipple’s 58 yard TD scamper down the Rams’ sideline. Algona could have tied the score midway through the second quarter, but missed the extra point kick after a Noah Murphy TD run of one yard, and Greene County led 14-13.
Algona was driving the ball late in the first half, but Keyden Pollock recovered a fumble at Greene County’s 15 with just 59 seconds to play before halftime. The Rams quickly went down the field and scored in just five plays to take a 21-13 lead at intermission on a Whipple to Lamoureux TD pass covering 15 yards with 14 seconds left on the clock.
The second half saw the Bulldogs score 22 unanswered points for a 35-21 lead. Quarterback Jackson Helmers scored on a fourth down three-yard run, followed by a Noah Arrowood one yard run, which came after the Rams lost the ball on a fumbled kickoff return. The last Algona TD took place with 3:08 left in the game. Again , the Bulldogs scored on a fourth down run, this one by Arrowood from 29 yards out after he appeared to be stopped by several Greene County defenders.
The last touchdown of the night came from Whipple on a run from two yards out with 1:49 to play. The Rams went with an onside kick, which was recovered by the Bulldogs, who then ran out the clock.
Greene County plays on the road next Friday in Creston vs. Creston/Orient-Macksburg. The Panthers were top 10 rated in the preseason and are 2-1 so far after advancing to the Class 3A playoff semifinals a season ago. The game will be the third on the road in four weeks for Coach Dean Lansman’s Rams. Coverage on KG98 and www.raccoonvalleyradio.com starts at 6:30 p.m. with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.