Hiawatha 23, Troy 0 

In a game that many thought might not happen after a Troy football player tested positive for Covid earlier in the week, Hiawatha took advantage of several Trojan mistakes and a makeshift Troy roster and lineup to post their first shutout since the opening week of 2015 and match their season win total from 2019. 

The Redhawk defense forced four of the five Troy turnovers in the second half and had four different players intercept a pass. With Hiawatha clinging to a 3-0 lead late in the third quarter, it was a Troy muffed punt return that led to a quick score before Hiawatha scored again following a Nelson King INT all within less than four minutes to bolster to advantage to 17-0. The Hawks then got two more late picks from Ashton Rockey and Trent Kolb and then got fortunate on offense when Cody Nevels picked up a low snap in the backfield and sprinted 70 yards for the final score of the game with 7:01 remaining.  

With just four seniors on the Hiawatha roster, Alex Rockey and Kolb shined as leaders as Rockey ran for 52 yards and a touchdown and was 10-19 passing for 117 yards and a 35-yard TD strike to Kolb to make the score 10-0 at the end of the third stanza.  Kolb had eight receptions for 99 yards and earned the "Player to Bank On" honors from the Citizens State Bank and Trust Company of Hiawatha. Xavier Oldham hit a 25-yard field goal in with 1:56 left in the first half and added a pair of PATs to beat Troy in the school's first football meeting since 1958. 

Troy had six of their 12 lineman on the roster not able to suit up, including three returning starters because of covid and quarantine plus a couple injuries. Therefore, two days before this game, Coach Derek Jasper asked three skill players to switch to a new lineman jersey number and help out in the trenches. That led to negative rushing yards on 13 rush attempts for the Trojans who did complete 24 of 43 passes for 217 yards.  

Cam Anderson was 23-38 for 215 yards before leaving with an injury meaning Reagan Hartman, who had switched to jersey number 54 finished the game at QB. Hartman and Preston Christenson, who also flipped from number 10 to 55 and played both sides of the line of scrimmage were named the Giant Communications "Lineman of the Game" for their flexibility and impact to allow the Trojans to still play the contest. Gavin Fuemmeler ran for 29 yards while Blaine Shellenberger had eight catches for 58 yards and Jerrit Norris hauled in six catches for 74 yards. Griffin Weber added 42 yards and seven receptions and Brayden Hamilton had three catches for 43 yards.  

Both teams will play league contst on the road against teams that made the state championship game last season as Troy travels to Centralia and Hiawatha plays at Perry Lecompton.