Rebels to battle Newell-Fonda in 8-man quarterfinal

Gladbrook-Reinbeck football has a short memory when it comes to the past.

The Rebels are in the midst of their best postseason run since moving down to the 8-player game, and are one win away from the UNI-Dome with Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against Newell-Fonda determining one of four semi-finalists that will play in Cedar Falls.

G-R has been lined up against tough competition in the postseason in years’ past, and Rebels head coach John Olson said there was nothing to be ashamed about having a first-round exit in those past years.

It’s more about what the Rebels are accomplishing right now, Olson said.

“A lot of these guys are playing different positions, so a lot of that stuff doesn’t cross their mind,” Olson said. “What we have done is beat a good New London team, beat a good Turkey Valley team, and now we have a chance to play against a really good Newell-Fonda team.”

G-R held on for a 30-28 win against Turkey Valley last week, while Newell-Fonda dispatched Don Bosco, 35-10.

“Things are coming a lot easier to our kids week after week, playing at these different positions we moved them to at the start of the season,” Olson said.. “It’s making us more diverse on the offensive side of the ball and reacting quicker on the defensive side of the ball.”

Newell-Fonda’s only loss came to undefeated Remsen St. Mary’s on Sept. 30. The Mustangs have the third-best scoring defense in 8-man, allowing just 15.1 points per game - the Rebels have allowed just 18 points per game this season.

Newell-Fonda senior quarterback Mason Dicks has thrown for 21 touchdowns and ran in 11 more, accounting for nearly 2,000 yards of offense with his arm and legs this season. Ryan Greenfield adds 11 touchdowns on the ground on 5.6 yards per carry.

“They’ve got a solid defense, their best players are legit top-tier guys in the state,” Olson said. “Their QB is a heck of a good player and they’ve got another running back that does awesome. Most teams that can do different things will give defenses a challenge.”

Olson thinks the Rebels will have to make the most of their opportunities with the ball.

“We have to be efficient on the offensive side,” Olson said. “We probably won’t get many big plays, but if we can get the ball 4-5 times in that first half we need to score 2-3 times. They’re very efficient and tough defensively.”