Tyler Tonderum carried the ball only 10 times in Armstrong-Ringsted’s 62-0 blowout of Twin River Valley last Friday, but the 151 yards that resulted were more than enough to cement his place in the record books.
According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, Tonderum is now Iowa’s all-time leading rusher (4,678) at the 8-man level. The senior is also the first Iowa 8-man player ever to score 100 touchdowns. His 612 career points are the second-most scored by any Iowa high school football player.
Alex Wigham from Stanton, the player who holds the Iowa 8-man record for career points (650), also made a little more history last week. The senior ran for 90 yards on only four carries in a 62-8 rout of Essex. He became the first Iowa player to total more than 3,000 rushing yards and 2,000 receiving yards for his career.
Nebraska volleyball: Elkhorn knocks off pair of No. 1 teams
Elkhorn entered last week’s Lincoln Public Schools Classic unranked and with two losses in its prior six matches. But that didn’t stop the Antlers from upsetting three highly rated foes en route to winning the tournament title.
In the championship game of the 16-team tournament, Elkhorn knocked off Class A top-ranked Omaha Marian 18-25, 26-24, 25-23.
The Antlers also beat No. 3 Lincoln Southwest in Saturday’s semifinals and Class B No. 1 Omaha Gross during Friday’s pool play.
"We made some adjustments to our serve receive, our offense and our serving," coach Jenny Gragert said. "It was a huge reason for our success.
"But most importantly, Friday's wins (over Gross, Lincoln East and Norfolk) and getting into the (championship) bracket were the motivation we needed. It proved to the team that we were capable of competing at a higher level."
Elkhorn vaulted to No. 4 in this week’s Lincoln Journal-Star Class A state rankings. More importantly, the Antlers have given notice they will be a major factor when the postseason begins.
"We have known that we were a competitive team, and to compete at such a high level, consistently all weekend, it is a great surge of momentum for us," Gragert said. "We hope that it continues to motivate us."
Iowa swimming: Another week, another Valley streak ends
Despite what the events of the last few weeks might indicate, West Des Moines Valley’s status as perhaps Iowa’s pre-eminent high school athletic program is not in jeopardy. When the Johnston girls swimming team knocked off Valley 101-85 last week, it ended the Tigers' run of 44 consecutive dual-meet victories.
It just so happens that Valley’s football team saw its 27-game regular-season and 31-game CIML Iowa Division winning streaks also end this month. Valley has won four consecutive girls swimming and diving state championships and four out of seven Class 4A state football titles.
Nebraska football: Top-ranked Millard South rallies to stay unbeaten
Class A No. 1 Millard South battled back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat previously unbeaten Elkhorn 47-41. The Patriots scored four touchdowns in the final 12 minutes on a 43-yard pass play, a 1-yard run, a 74-yard punt return and a 74-yard blocked field goal return as time expired.
Bronson Marsh, Millard South
File photo by Jeremy Alm
Even in defeat, Elkhorn’s ferocious running attack stretched Millard South to its limit. The Antlers racked up 517 yards on the ground against a defense that had allowed only 14 points total in the first three games.
Including an 83-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, Millard South had three special-teams touchdowns in the game and has four in its last two games.
Odds and ends
Marshalltown (Iowa) is off to its first 4-0 start since 1965. Last week, Santa Clara basketball recruit Chanse Creekmur threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bobcats to a 21-17 victory against previously unbeaten Johnston . . . North Tama blanked H-L-V 28-0 to improve to its record to 4-0. The Redhawks are the last team in Iowa that has still not allowed a score . . . Omaha Roncalli (Neb.) dropped to 0-4 after losing the first game ever played at its new on-campus football stadium. The Crimson Pride fell 35-22 to Ashland-Greenwood (3-0) . . . Omaha North (Neb.) improved to 3-1 while handing Papillion-La Vista its first defeat. The Vikings gobbled up 554 yards on the ground in a 33-27 victory . . . In a meeting of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in Nebraska’s Class C-1 volleyball rankings, top-ranked Grand Island Central Catholic topped St. Paul 25-16, 25-17 at the St. Paul Triangular.
Top Individual performers
Jacob Ramsay (Pius X, Nebraska, football): The senior made four field goals – including two from 50 yards out – in the Thunderbolts’ 26-7 defeat of Ralston.
Tim Olejniczak (Ankeny Christian, Iowa, football): The junior had 355 passing yards and 212 rushing yards in a 51-48, 8-man victory against Grandview Park Baptist.
Jace Simpson (Hampton-Dumont, Iowa, football): The junior had 386 rushing yards and six touchdowns in his team’s 47-27 defeat of Iowa Falls-Alden.
Jevoury Weddeburn (Urbandale, Iowa, football): The senior ran for 311 yards and three touchdowns as the J-Hawks beat Sioux City East, 57-37.
Looking ahead
* Ankeny and Dowling Catholic, ranked Nos. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in this week’s Des Moines Register Class 4A rankings, butt heads Friday night at Valley Stadium. The Maroons’ first priority will be slowing down Ankeny senior running back Tyler Leo, who had 225 rushing yards in a 35-7 blowout of previously unbeaten Ottumwa. Dowling Catholic’s top offensive threat has been the dual passing and running ability of senior quarterback Michael Hudson.
* Marshalltown (Iowa) travels to Mason City in a battle of teams that no one expected to still be undefeated this late in the season. Marshalltown is 4-0 for the first time in 44 years. Mason City is hoping to clinch its second straight winning regular season after it went 3-33 from 2004-07.
* Points should be aplenty when Nebraska D-1 top-ranked Howells hosts No. 5 Bancroft-Rosalie. Howells (3-0) has averaged 62 points per game while Bancroft-Rosalie (3-0) has lit it up for 67 points per outing.
Jamie DeMoney has covered high school sports and recruiting for more than 15 years. He is editor and founder of PrepNation.com. You can reach him at PrepNation@aol.com.
