WOODWARD — As two seasons ago, the Woodward-Granger football team has finished a season 6-3 and left just outside the playoffs.
A week eight loss to Pella Christian cost W-G the Class 1A District 7 title, with a non-district loss to South Hamilton likely doing enough damage in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI, used for at-large playoff spots) to keep RPI No. 20 home for the postseason.
Knowing their almost-certain fate before Friday’s game did little to damage the motivation of the host Hawks (6-3, 4-1), who overcame an early deficit to blast visiting Colfax-Mingo (3-6, 1-4), 62-24, thus sending six seniors out on a winning note.
Bryce Achenbach, Reese Jamison, Tate Lettow, Pacey Moats, Cale Pritchett and Justin Wheeler were in Hawk uniforms for the final time Friday and finished their prep grid careers 20-16 in their four years.
The Tigerhawks were on the board first, with the hosts holding only a narrow 16-12 lead before blowing the game open with 30 unanswered points.
Lettow ran into the end zone three times, with Jamison and Kade Polich each scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns. An emotional moment came late in the second half when senior Pritchett ran a reverse and scored from 46-yards out, capping his prep career with his first visit to pay dirt and on his only carry of the season. He had six catches for 75 yards as a senior.
Jamison was 3-10-1 for 51 yards and a TD through the air, with Trevor Simmons grabbing a 15-yard TD strike.
Achenbach had two catches for 36 yards and leaves as the most prolific receiver in W-G school history, having pulled in 63 passes for 1,413 yards (22.43 ypc) and 12 TDs.
Lettow, who had 247 yards on 34 carries, ends his senior season third in 1A (through the regular season) with 1,437 yards on 225 hauls. He had 17 TDs this season and finishes two years as a starter with 2,504 yards and 22 TDs on 403 carries, and average of 6.21 yards per run.
Polich (12-126, 2 TDs), Jamison (9-66, 2 TDs), Pritchett (1-46, 1 TD) and Dylan Bird (1-2) all carried the ball for the hosts.
Worth Henry helped the hosts by returning an interception 52 yards.
Brady Berkey was 14-30-1 for 168 yards passing for C-M and added 10 yards and a score on five rushes.
Trystin Ross (11-67), Zach Steenhoek (2-88) and Jesse Allen (1-13) all caught Berkey aerials, with Ross intercepting a pass. Jayden Horrach did most of the damage, scoring three times while gaining 83 yards on 25 carries.
