Grundy Center seeks another Dome trip Friday

GRUNDY CENTER — As the calendar flips to November, Grundy Center football is thankful to once again still be playing football.

"There's not a lot of schools that can say this is their fourth year playing this deep into the postseason," Grundy Center head coach Travis Zajac said. "This is a special time in our program, and there's an overabundance of gratitude from everyone in the program."

The undefeated Spartans (10-0) get one more home game at Spartan Stadium against East Buchanan (9-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Both teams made it to the UNI-Dome last year - East Buchanan fell to West Hancock in the semis, and West Hancock went on to narrowly defeat Grundy Center in the Spartans' third-consecutive year making it to the state championship game in Class A.

Only one will get the chance to return to Cedar Falls on what could be a very rainy Friday night in Grundy Center.

Zajac believes it will be one of the Spartans' hardest tests this season, their biggest challenge since playing Dike-New Hartford and Wapsie Valley in Weeks 2 and 3 earlier this year.

"They're very good up front with a couple kids getting college attention, including one kid [Cody Fox] that's accepted an offer from Iowa," Zajac said. "It's going to come down to line of scrimmage play."

Fox has made 20.5 tackles for loss this season, and is second on the team in total tackles behind Tanner Thurn, who has made 19 tackles for loss.

East Buchanan boasts the third-best scoring offense and eighth-best scoring defense in Class A - Grundy Center, conversely, is ranked 11th and first, respectively.

Three Bucs have run for more than 1,000 yards this season, with Thurn leading the way at 1,427 yards and 21 touchdowns scored.

"Coach Alden's been a huge wishbone guy for a long time," Zajac said. "They've evolved that but still run that same kind of scheme. We've played schemes similar to this, but at this point in the season the personnel running those schemes is remarkably improved. We've got homework to do to be able to execute the gameplan."

The Spartan offense is led by junior quarterback Colin Gordon, who's racked up nearly 2,000 yards of total offense with 26 touchdowns - 17 in the air, nine on the ground. Justin Knaack is the leading rusher at 615 yards this season with 16 touchdowns. In the receiving game, the Spartans are flush with options, from Ben Wegmann to Tate Jirovsky to Tiernan Vokes and more.

But Zajac knows East Buchanan will not give Grundy Center many opportunities to possess the football if the Bucs can help it. 

"We have to be efficient as we have been lately to win," Zajac said. "We have to continue to play the way we play, try to displace guys outside of the box, move the football and take shots when called for.

"We've had a great week of prep and we're excited to play again on Friday night."