WOODWARD — The Woodward-Granger football team finished 5-4 overall and 2-3 in Class 1A District 7 this year, missing the playoffs by a single spot.
The IHSAA switched to a new RPI ratings system for all classes with year, awarding the 16 playoff spots in each class to district champions and the next-best teams based on points. With nine districts in 1A, that left seven at-large teams, and, when the final tallies were acculated, W-G had the eighth-best at-large RPI, thus finishing as the dreaded “first team out.”
South Hamilton, which W-G defeated, 11-8, finished second in District 2, and had a 2-0 win by forfeit over Eagle Grove, which greatly hampered their overall RPI. But W-G was their own worst enemy, dropping a 27-7 week 7 game at 34th-best Pleasantville, a result which doomed the Hawk playoff chances.
W-G was 46-of-92 for 833 yards and seven touchdowns as a team passing, with eight interceptions. The Hawks ran for a combined 2,819 yards and 28 TDs on 438 carries, a 6.4 yard per rush rate.
Nine different players recovered fumbles, with the team picking off nine passes for 185 return yards and two scores. Bryce Achenbach (4-85, 1 TD), Reese Jamison (2-70, 1 TD), Cale Pritchett (2-10) and Pacey Moats (1-20) had the aerial thefts.
Gabe Yingst led District 7 with 80 total tackles, with Achenbach fourth with 60 tackles and Jamison fifth at 59.5 stops while Tate Lettow had 52 denials.
Keith Braunschweig was 38-of-73 passing for 664 yards and six TDs with Jamison 7-of-18 for 168 yards and one score while Trevor Simmons was 1-of-1 for a yard. Braunschweig was picked off eight times.
Achenbach (34-644, 4 TDs) led the receiving corps, with Moats (7-110, 2 TDs) also a playing a key role.
Lettow was second in the district with 1,069 rushing yards on 177 rushes while scoring five times, with Yingst rushing 94 times for 678 yrads and 14 TDs, second-most in the district. Braunschweig (47-360, 2 TDs), Kade Polich (44-281, 3 TDs), Achenbach (24-150, 1 TD) and Jamison (28-150, 2 TDs) rounded out the lead ball carriers.
The Hawks are coached by George Ashman, with Troy Birt, Austin Kuehl, Mark Roberts and Tyler Martin assisting.
