Dallas Center-Grimes’ homecoming was filled with milestone achievements. (Note: Events covered Sept. 25-Oct. 2.)
Football (3-3)
The Mustangs are undefeated. At least, that’s how head coach Scott Heitland sees things right now after a 17-7 win over Norwalk (4-2) on Friday night for a big homecoming win, as 2-0 in district play has the Mustangs in contention for an automatic playoff berth.
Taking down the Warriors was the first step to make that possible. It was something the team couldn’t do last season: Beat Norwalk after holding a tie at halftime.
“The biggest thing is this when you look at the guys who run the field this year, I think just a little bit of maturity,” Heitland said. “And you know it was an earlier game last year. And we were still hunting for that first win.”
Last year’s meeting ended in a 42-28 loss for DCG. This year, the Mustangs were able to shut out their guests in the second half and seal the win, with playmakers emerging on both sides of the ball.
On a statewide level, few players stand out as much as defensive back Tate Perrin. He was already on the leaderboard with five interceptions coming into the game. After picking off Norwalk QB Aiden Harder three times to tie the school single-game record, Perrin is one interception away from tying the season record.
“He’s a centerfielder for a reason” in baseball, Heitland said, and helped keep the Warriors’ big plays at bay after some meticulous film study. Jaden Jones also intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter as the Warriors were threatening to score, essentially sealing the game.
On the other end to secure the win, homecoming king Eli Carpenter had his biggest night of the season with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns. With Carpenter taking on over half of the team’s touches and the team passing just seven times, Heitland said it’s not a matter of moving away from a passing scheme that’s dominated other games but finding a new wrinkle with an offensive line that has improved over time.
“One of the coaches said the headset just said, ‘We’ve got them on their heels a little bit. Just keep pounding them with Eli,’” Heitland said.
While they’re in a good spot for playoff consideration, Heitland said they’ll need two more wins to keep those “sleepless nights” away. That will start Friday at Glenwood (4-2), a team that has beaten DCG the past two years.
Volleyball (16-9)
DCG saw action against elite teams of all sizes over the weekend at Urbandale’s tournament and walked away with a 2-2 record. State contending teams Des Moines Christian (2A) and Johnston (5A) both defeated the Mustangs while the team earned wins against North Polk (4A) and Council Bluffs Lincoln (5A). Johnston went 12-3 over six matches on Saturday. DCG was one of just three teams to beat the Dragons in a set.
Cross Country
After leading the Mustangs to a win at the Sept. 28 meet in Southeast Polk, Jack Every then raced against the clock to get to the homecoming court coronation. While he wasn’t crowned, he did claim a second place finish with a time of 16 minutes 30 seconds. Elias Arbuckle (16:41) and Colin Mandernach (16:52) finished in direct succession.
The girls varsity team rested for the week, but the JV team managed to finish in second place at the Sept. 26 meet in Ogden among the varsity ranks.
Golf
Fall golf has come to a close for many teams but DCG continues on with Noah Moberg advancing to the state tournament after a third place finish at Monday’s district site with a score of 69. While he’s the lone advancement for the Mustangs, he was joined by Gavin Drake and Jackson Green shooting under 70 last week. No other school in the state had three players shoot under 70 in the final week of the regular season.
