Spartans snap West Branch, 42-7

Quarterback Judd Jirovsky accounted for five touchdowns, capitalizing on some short fields generated in part by four Spartan interceptions in a 42-7 romp over West Branch for a Class 1A second-round playoff game at Spartan Stadium.

Grundy Center (10-0) advances to the 1A state quarterfinals, where they will host Sumner-Fredericksburg (7-3) back in Grundy Center on Friday. The Cougars were 14-0 winners on the road against Manson-Northwest Webster in their second-round matchup.

The opening drive for the Spartans was one of its longest, going 74 yards on nine plays capped by a Jirovsky 8-yard run for the touchdown less than three minutes in.

It was the Grundy defense that immediately made an impact, pressuring West Branch quarterback Nolan Staker with tackles for loss for Ryder Slifer and Tiernan Vokes on the first Bears drive, which was the first of three West Branch drives in the first quarter ending in punts.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER – Grundy Center’s Tiernan Vokes, left, wraps up West Branch tight end Nolan Staker (33) for the tackle during Friday’s Class 1A state football playoff game at Spartan Stadium in Grundy Center.

“We knew physicality would be huge for us,” said Slifer, a junior. “They’re a physical football team, but we knew we could be more physical and we kept it that way.”

West Branch was held to just 29 yards of offense. Vokes had 2.5 tackles for loss, Slifer had 1.5, and Devin Hinders and Brody Zinkula each added solo tackles for loss.

Grundy Center only had two drives start in its own territory on Friday, with interceptions from Ryker Thoren, Jirovsky and Pete Lebo giving the Spartans plenty of possessions. Jirovsky ran in three touchdowns in the first half and threw two more to Vokes for a 35-0 halftime lead.

“We just do a great job where everybody does their part,” Jirovsky said. “Whether it’s zone defense, man defense, whatever we’re doing, everyone’s doing their one of 11, they’ve got their spot to be.”

Grant Newton intercepted a pass on West Branch’s first drive of the second half and Brody Zinkula rumbled in for a 10-yard score shortly after.

Jirovsky finished with five carries for 42 yards and three scores and completed 9-of-15 passes for 154 yards and two more scores. Zinkula added eight carries for 19 yards with the touchdown and Vokes made five catches for 41 yards, including two TDs.

“We wanted to be able to establish the run and take our shots when we needed to,” Grundy Center head coach Travis Zajac said. “We were focused on protection and I think we did a pretty solid job of that tonight. Our kids up front did a great job sustaining their blocks.”

West Branch’s biggest play was a 75-yard interception return from Ethan Miller early in the fourth quarter against the Spartan JV. The Bears’ season ends at 3-7.

“We really wanted to focus on taking away their run, making them throw,” Zajac said. “And they had a hard time blocking us up front and I really think we spooked [Staker] and made him throw it a lot more often than he wanted to.”

Sumner-Fredericksburg was the third-place team in Class 1A District 3 behind Dike-New Hartford and MFL MarMac and has now won twice on the road against Dyersville Beckman and Manson-Northwest Webster.

“They’re gonna be a handful,” Zajac said. “I know they’re a very physical football team with some talented athletes, we’ll have our hands full. We’re happy to be playing them in Spartan Stadium.”