Princes show ranking worthiness

The Galva/Williamsfield football team learned Friday night why the Princeville Princes are the seventh-rated squad in Class 1A.

The host and unbeaten Princes (9-0) scored all their points in the first half and rolled to a 40-8 triumph over the Wildcats.

“It seems like we always play them in one of the last two games of the season and hit them when they are getting ready for the playoffs,” said G-W coach Jeff Schmulbach of the Princes.

“They are really a well-balanced team and play hard. They’ll make some noise in the playoffs.”

The Princes held the Wildcats, who close out the season 1-8, to just 69 yards of offense in the blowout win.

The Wildcats’ lone score came on a 7-yard run by quarterback Spencer Clark with 1:06 left in the third quarter.

Princeville exploded for 26 first-quarter points as four different players found the end zone for the hosts.

“We weren’t able to move the ball on them the whole first half,” Schmulbach said. “Their linebackers are impossible to block.

“Princeville doesn’t get enough credit for its defense,” he added. “We basically struggled the whole game.”

Clark finished with 26 yards on 18 carries. He also completed 4-of-7 passes for 48 yards.

Clark was one of seven seniors playing their last game for the Wildcats. The others were: Bryce Glisan, Gabe Carrasca, Mitch Kitterman, Austin Dobbels, Zach Anderson and Tyler Dennison.

“It was a rough year for us, but we had more success than any of the other years since I’ve been here,” said the fourth-year Wildcats coach. “We had a real good group of seniors . . . each one of them contributed to the limited success that we did have.”