West Branch Stretches Winning Streak to Four With Win at Dyersville Beckman
Your Prep Sports
Like nearly every other team around the state West Branch already knew it was headed to the playoffs entering Friday night.
After its regular season finale at Dyersville Beckman on Friday the Bears will barrel into the postseason as a district champion riding a four-game winning streak.
West Branch grabbed a share of the Class 2A, District 6 crown on Friday with an impressive 35-21 win over Dyersville Beckman in the regular season finale for both teams in Dyersville.
Andy Henson rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns and Gavin Hierseman passed for 201 yards and two scores as West Branch improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in District 6 play.
Dyersville Beckman closes the regular season 4-2 and 4-1 in District 6 play.
West Branch rattled off 35 unanswered points after falling into a 6-0 second-quarter deficit while stretching its winning streak to four.
Henson scored on touchdown runs of 2, 63 and 1 yard and Hierseman tossed scoring strikes of 24 yards to Simon Palmer and 48 yards to Carver Boelk as West Branch rolled up 445 yards of total offense.
After a scoreless first quarter Dyersville Beckman took its only lead of the game when senior quarterback Nick Offerman scored on a 42-yard run with 10:09 left in the first half.
The Bears answered with a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 2-yard run by Henson with 7:38 left in the first half.
West Branch took a 14-6 halftime lead when Hiersman and Palmer connected for a 24-yard touchdown strike with 1:39 left in the half to cap a 10-play, 64-yard scoring march.
The Bears scored on first three possessions of the second half, putting together touchdown drives of 79, 45 and 56 yards while building a 35-6 lead.
Henson started the scoring barrage with a 63-yard touchdown run and Hierseman found Boelk with a 48-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-6.
A 1-yard Henson plunge capped the West Branch scoring and made it 35-6.
Hierseman finished 16-of-23 passes for 201 yards and also rushed for a season-high 79 yards on 17 carries.
Boelk Caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown and Palmer finished with three receptions for 36 yards and a score.
Boelk and Peyton Miller each picked off a pass to lead the West Branch defensive effort while Jeff Bowie had two sacks among his three tackles for loss.
Offerman rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns for Beckman and also completed 7-of-18 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
WB DB
First Downs 23 10
Rushes-yards 46-244 25-162
Comp-Att-Int 16-23-0 6-17-2
Passing yards 201 110
Total yards 445 272
Punts-avg. 3-36.7 4-36.5
Fumbles lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 3-30 3-20
West Branch 0 14 14 7 – 35
Dyersville Beckman 0 6 0 15 – 21
DB – Nick Offerman 42 run (Run failed)
WB – Andy Henson 2 run (Cael Fiderlein kick)
WB – Simon Palmer pass from Gavin Hierseman (Fiderlein kick)
WB – Henson 63 run (Fiderlein kick)
WB – Carver Boelk 48 pass from Hierseman (Fiderlein kick)
WB – Henson 1 run (Fiderlein kick)
DB – Offerman 3 run (Offerman run)
DB – Trent Koelker 80 pass from Offerman (Logan Burchard kick)
Individual Statistics
RUSHING – West Branch: Andy Henson 29-170, Gavin Hierseman 17-79, Kinnick Boelk 1-(-4). Dyersville Beckman: Nick Offerman 15-148, Owen Huehnergarth 10-27, Trent Koelker 1-0.
PASSING – West Branch: Gavin Hierseman 16-23-0 201. Dyersville Beckman: Nick Offerman 7-18-2 110.
RECEIVING – West Branch: Andy Henson 4-36, Carver Boelk 4-97, Peyton Miller 3-30, Simon Palmer 3-36, Kinnick Boelk 2-2. Dyersville Beckman: Trent Koelker 2-81, Elliot Naughton 1-12, Logan Burchard 1-7, Max Mullis 1-5, Conner Grover 1-4, Owen Huehnergarth 1-1.
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