MMCRU beats Saint Ansgar to claim Class A Iowa football state title
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
CEDAR FALLS — Third time is the charm for MMCRU football.
The Royals qualified for the postseason in 2023 and 2024 but never made it out of the second round of regionals. This season was different, though, as MMCRU capped a perfect 13-0 campaign with a 30-17 win over Saint Ansgar in the Iowa high school football Class A championship game on Nov. 20.
“It’s still sinking in,” said head coach Kyle Oswald postgame. “Grateful, that’s about the only (word) I can come up with right now. Grateful that we have the opportunity to have done this.
“I’ve got great kids. I’ve got a great coaching staff who gets them prepared, and I’ve got a great God that allowed this to happen.”
The Royals jumped out to a convincing lead, converting two Saint Ansgar fumbles into points on the board. Eli Harpenau connected with Michael Schmillen on a 12-yard pass for the first touchdown of the game, and Gage Johnson hit a 27-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game.
Harpenau made it 17-0 early in the second quarter, running in a touchdown from 6 yards out to make it a three-score game.
That’s when the Saints came marching in.
Korben Michels returned a kickoff – immediately following MMCRU’s second touchdown – 78 yards for Saint Ansgar’s first points. The Saints dialed up the defense, too, with Trey Johanns coming down with an interception and Saint Ansgar forcing a turnover on downs on the Royals’ next two possessions.
MMCRU and Saint Ansgar remained at 17-7 well into the third quarter. The Saints defense picked off Harpenau twice – with Hale Dieterich and Seth Shotts getting the credit – and Porter Schwiesow made it a 17-10 game with a 26-yard field goal toward the end of the frame.
The Royals shifted momentum to their favor in the fourth, though.
Brayson Mulder ran into the end zone from 6 yards out and, after the two-point conversion failed, MMCRU took a 23-10 lead. On Saint Ansgar’s next drive, Johnson intercepted Schwiesow, but the Royals were forced to punt at the end of that drive.
And the Saints wasted little time making up for their mistake. Schwiesow threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Connor Mullenbach on the first play after the punt and, just like that, it was a one-score game again.
But Saint Ansgar’s championship hopes faded as MMCRU ran nearly four minutes off the clock and marched downfield on its next drive. Mulder put the game away with a 13-yard touchdown run with one minute and change remaining, securing the Royals’ first-ever state title.
Harpenau threw for 169 yards and one touchdown. Mulder led the rushing group with 58 yards and two touchdowns. John Schmillen led the team with nine total tackles.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: MMCRU beats Saint Ansgar to claim Class A Iowa football state title
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos