AMES — The Marshalltown football team defeated Ames for just the second time in their last 11 meetings, holding off the host Little Cyclones 26-21 for the Bobcats’ first win of the season.
Marshalltown (1-6) secured its first win over Ames since 2019 while netting the program’s first win in almost exactly one year. The Bobcats snapped a seven-game losing skid dating back to last year’s triumph at Des Moines Lincoln thanks to a potent first half and just enough staying power in the second half.
Davis Ragland ran for two first-half touchdowns and Jacob Hayes threw a pair of second-half scores to help Marshalltown get into the win column against their Highway 30 rivals.
“Well it’s huge, especially this one,” MHS head coach Adam Goodvin told KFJB-AM radio. “Our kids fought hard. We had a pretty solid week of practice.
“If this doesn’t get you pumped up to play a football game, playing Ames, then I don’t know what will. Just very proud of our kids and their effort tonight.”
The Bobcats led 20-7 at the half and 26-7 after Hayes connected with Aiden Smitherman on a 16-yard scoring strike in the third quarter, but the host Little Cyclones (1-6) didn’t go away.
Led by interim head coach Ryan Bohan, a 2018 Marshalltown High School graduate, Ames tried to rally in the second half. Cameron Cantonwine completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Jeffrey Roberts to pull the Little Cyclones within 26-14 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Cantonwine kept Ames on the offensive while Marshalltown was unable to add to its lead, finally pulling the Little Cyclones to within a single score when he scrambled into the end zone for a 16-yard TD dash with 1:30 left in the game.
Ames nearly recovered an onside kick but was flagged for touching the ball before it went 10 yards, giving Marshalltown the ball back on the Little Cyclones’ 49-yard-line with 1:30 to play. The Bobcats couldn’t convert a first down, however, and had to punt the ball back to Ames.
Consecutive penalties stunted the Little Cyclones’ last gasp, and one final Cantonwine incompletion ended the game.
Smitherman led Marshalltown’s ground game with eight carries for 76 yards, highlighted by a 54-yard reverse run that set up the Bobcats’ first touchdown. Ragland capped the drive with a 2-yard TD plunge.
Marshalltown’s next possession got off to an ominous start with consecutive penalties, but a 15-yard facemask penalty on the Little Cyclones prolonged the drive long enough for Ragland to reach paydirt again. He hit the goal line from six yards out to make it 13-7 Bobcats.
Ames failed to get another first down in its next two drives, and Marshalltown got the ball back at the Little Cyclones’ 27 with 35 seconds left in the first half. On third-and-seven, Hayes hit Kyle Smith alone in the end zone for a 24-yard scoring strike and a 20-7 Bobcat advantage.
Hayes found Smitherman for a touchdown to cap a 10-play, 67-yard drive to open the third quarter, chewing up 6 minutes, 10 seconds. The 26-7 lead proved to be enough to last, and Marshalltown managed just two first downs the rest of the way.
Ragland finished with 16 carries for 67 yards and two TDs, and Hayes had 15 carries for 36 yards. Tyler Englund added nine carries for 30 yards as the Bobcats rushed 48 times for 216 yards.
Hayes was 2-for-5 for 40 yards with both completions going for touchdowns.
Cantonwine went 13-for-27 for 171 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, getting picked off by Ragland during the fourth quarter.
“Tough kid, man,” Goodvin said of Ragland. “That’s our guy. That’s our go-to guy in big games like this. He really stepped up and took care of the football, ran hard and we’re proud of him.”
Cantonwine also carried 17 times for 103 yards and a score. The Little Cyclones outgained Marshalltown 334-256, but the Bobcats got the win nonetheless.
Ragland finished with three solo tackles and four assists, while Jamison Niehouse had four solos and four assists, unofficially. Johan Gomez added two solo stops and three assist to help lead the Marshalltown defense.
The Bobcats are back at Leonard Cole Field next Friday night to face Des Moines Lincoln in their home finale starting at 7 p.m.
Marshalltown 26, Ames 21
At Ames
MHS 7 13 6 0 — 26
AMES 7 0 7 7 — 21
First Quarter
AMES — Brennan Swanson 24 pass from Cameron Cantonwine (Joseph Pizarro Matos kick), 3:50.
MHS — Davis Ragland 2 run (Luis Monge Jr. kick), 1:29.
Second Quarter
MHS — Ragland 6 run (kick failed), 8:03.
MHS — Kyle Smith 24 pass from Jacob Hayes (Monge kick), :11.
Third Quarter
MHS — Aiden Smitherman 16 pass from Hayes (kick failed), 5:47.
AMES — Jeffrey Roberts 55 pass from Cantonwine (Matos kick), 2:00.
Fourth Quarter
AMES — Cantonwine 16 run (Matos kick), 1:30.
TEAM STATISTICS
MHS AMES
First Downs 13 14
Rushes-yards 48-216 7-86
Passing yards 40 181
Comp-Att-Int 2-5-0 13-27-1
Total offense 53-256 54-334
Fumbles-lost 4-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-64 13-113
Time of Possession 31:13 17:28
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — MHS: Smitherman 8-76, Ragland 16-67, Hayes 15-36, Tyler Englund 9-30; AMES: Cantonwine 17-103, Eli Cosby 9-43.
PASSING — MHS: Hayes 2-5-40-0; AMES: Cantonwine 13-27-171-1.
RECEIVING — MHS: Smith 1-24, Smitherman 1-16; AMES: Brennan Swanson 7-86, Roberts 2-64, Leo Jensen 2-14, Cosby 2-13.