The Iowa Falls-Alden football team (0-3) was put to the test in non-district play in facing Hampton-Dumont-CAL, #7(1A) South Hardin and #1(3A)Clear Lake. As those programs combined for a 9-0 record.
IFA coach Eric Walkingstick says non-district play has his team ready to compete in the district.
“That’s one of the ones where you’re going through the fire, sometimes you don’t like it, but we’ve got to embrace that,” says Walkingstick. “We got to understand the teams we played were really good teams and they’re going to get us ready for district play. It’s a real test. Sometimes you get those teams that don’t put fight and you feel pretty good and then you get into the pressure situations, and you can’t respond. For us right now, we’ve been through the fire, we’re ready to get to district play, we’re ready to get to that second part of the season. We get an opportunity, if we play well enough, we get a chance to get to the playoffs, and then we can make some noise. We have to have this, and this is the most important season we have. The second season, we have to have it to get to the third season.”
The Cadets will look to get their offense going in district play after being held scoreless through the first three weeks. Skill position players like quarterback Cade Olberding with 154 passing and 112 rushing, and Carter Weaver with 110 receiving yards will be key in achieving that.
The Cadets will look to get more dialed in defensively behind leading tackler Trevor Bailey with 23.5 tackles.
The Cadets will look to begin their climb for playoff spot in Class 2A District 6 that includes #3(2A) PCM(3-0), Jesup (2-1), Union (1-1), West Marshall (1-2), Vinton-Shellsburg (0-3).
IFA opens district play at Union on Friday.
