Comets crash Vikings’ party

Charles City defeats V-S, 36-20, for first district win

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

VINTON — This juncture of the season is where injuries may be piling up for several unlucky football teams.

As for the Charles City Comets … they may be “lucky” in the sense that they don’t have much numbers to begin with to create much of a pile-up.

Nonetheless, the Comets were without several key players for Friday’s Class 3A-District away game against Vinton-Shellsburg.

That still didn’t prevent Charles City from rebounding from its homecoming loss the week before to spoil Vikings’ homecoming to a tune of a 36-20 beating.

For the Comets (2-4), it was their first district win of the season in four tries.

The Vikings fell to 1-5 and 1-3.

Comet senior quarterback Mike Cranshaw had touchdown runs of 33 and 5 yards, and connected with Tre Walker for a 32-yard scoring strike which helped give Charles City a commanding 36-13 lead with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

Cranshaw had 84 yards on 20 carries, and sophomore Mitz Concepcion had a career-high 95 yards on 17 carries while compiling much of his yardage in the second half while helping the Comets seal the deal.

Cranshaw’s younger brother, sophomore Marcus Cranshaw, opened the scoring after seizing a bobbled Viking pass for an interception and outracing the opposition 52 yards into the end zone.

The Vikings’ response was immediate as Jose Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards.

After taking a 15-7 halftime lead, Charles City looked poised to put the game away with a ground-pounding drive to start the second half that moved the ball from the Comets’ 30 all the way inside the Vikings’ 10 while taking nearly seven minutes off the clock.

But Tanner Cummings intercepted a Mike Cranshaw pass in the end zone. Then on a third-and-8 snap, Viking quarterback Blake Bohnsack led Seth Lazenby in stride after the receiver got behind coverage for a 78-yard scoring pass play.

This time, though, it was the Comets who were quick to respond on the next possession as Elliott Sinnwell found a lane down the sideline all the way to paydirt on a counter play good for 57 yards.

With Sinnwell gaining 67 yards on 10 carries, and junior Dylan Koresh adding 69 yards on 10 carries, the Comets’ compiled a season-high 331 yards on the ground.

Aside from the upstart running attack, Charles City may have found a latent offensive weapon in the form of Sam Niichel.

The senior linebacker and offensive lineman wasn’t supposed to be relied on to put points on the board for the Comets this season, but that’s what he’s inadvertently doing.

After the Comets’ first score, place-kick holder Niichel managed to secure a wide snap and improvise with a two-point conversion pass to Walker to make the score 8-0.

Then after the Comets’ final TD, Niichel fielded a rolling snap before taking off, breaking a couple of tackles and getting into the end zone just inside the goal line marker for another 2-point conversion score.

In a game earlier this season against South Tama, Niichel returned an interception 17-yards for a TD.

Against the Vikings, Niichel also played some defense as he led the Comets with seven tackles. Niichel and fellow senior Josh Halligan helped tackle Bohnsack for a loss during the Vikings’ 2-point conversion attempt after Lazenby’s TD reception. The play allowed the Comets to stay in front (15-13) in what was then a close game with more than 15 minutes in regulation.

Halligan also had two solo tackles for losses, including a sack.

Concepcion, Sinnwell, Alec Elsbernd and Kelly Ward also had tackles for losses.

The Comets will host district foe Benton on Friday (Oct. 6). The Bobcats had just evened their overall record at 3-3 after edging South Tama, 31-29.

CHARLES CITY 36, 

VINTON-SHELLSBURG 20

Scoring By Quarters

CHARLES CITY 0 15 7 14 — 36

VINTON-SHELLSBURG 0 7 6 7 — 20

Scoring Summary

CC — Marcus Cranshaw 52-yard interception return (Tre Walker PAT pass from Sam Niichel) 8-0, 9:37 2nd

VS — Jose Wilson 85-yard kickoff return (Alex Pladsen PAT kick) 8-7, 9:25 2nd

CC — Mike Cranshaw 5-yard run (Derek Milligan PAT kick) 15-7, 4:50 2nd

VS — Seth Lazenby 78-yard pass from Blake Bohnsack (PAT failed) 15-13, 3:33 3rd

CC — Elliott Sinnwell 57-yard run (Milligan PAT kick) 22-13, 2:36 3rd

CC — Mike Cranshaw 33-yard run (PAT kick blocked) 28-13, 11:05 4th

CC — Walker 32-yard pass from Mike Cranshaw (Niichel PAT run) 36-13, 4:47 4th

VS — Bohnsack 22-yard run (Pladsen PAT kick) 36-20, 3:05 4th