There’s a monumental game on the line, and more milestones are ready to be met between Woodward-Granger and Perry this week.
Woodward-Granger
Week 8 has some serious, but simple stakes for Woodward-Granger football.
After a 34-0 win over Chariton in Week 7, the Hawks are vying for a district crown, stuck in a heated race with Van Meter and Clarinda. If the Hawks beat the Cardinals this Friday on the road, and also see Van Meter lose to Clarke (winless in five weeks), 2025 would mark the first time that WG has won back-to-back district titles since 2012-13. If Van Meter and Woodward both win, the Hawks would earn runner-up status based on the Bulldogs’ victory over the Hawks.
Since that Week 4 loss, the Hawks have surrendered just 13 points, and against Chariton, allowed just 198 total yards of offense en route to a shutout — the type of defense that hopes to outlast Clarinda on Friday night. While the stat sheet wasn’t lit up with sacks or interceptions, Kane Mahler-Moreno made a huge mark with two forced fumbles, becoming one of the only players in the state to force a pair of fumbles in a single game. Vinny Sebastian and Oscar Potter were there to scoop up and flip the field.
With the field flipped, Talan Fuson was given a platform to shine with five total touchdowns, now with 19 on the season to rank ninth overall.
Four of those scores landed in the hands of Mahler-Moreno, adding to his already stellar defensive showing. The star senior now has one of the best TD-catch ratios in the state, with six touchdowns and 16 total receptions. He’s the only receiver with four touchdowns in a single Class 2A game since 2023.
That type of production will be difficult to replicate against Clarinda, a team coming off a 57-0 win over Clarke, and the only team in the district to beat Van Meter (but did lose to Grand View Christian). This is the first recorded meeting between the two teams, and history is on the line.
Postseason implications are in the rearview for the volleyball team, however, with the Hawks earning the two-seed in their regional even before Monday/Tuesday’s conference tournament. After five wins at Earlham’s tournament on Saturday, the team eclipsed 20 wins for the first time since 2019. They’ll host their quarterfinal game on Oct. 22.
Perry
The Bluejays football team has two more opportunities to get in the win column following their road loss to Harlan this week. Closing out the season with two home games, Carroll (4-3) comes through on Friday, and Creston (0-7) makes its way to Perry to wrap up the season.
Averaging nearly 100 yards per game after the Week 7 game, running back Nadir Ouahbi has a real shot at becoming the first Bluejay to eclipse 1,000 yards in a decade.
On the flipside, Jayettes volleyball found its first win streak of the season after clearing through Saydel, Des Moines Hoover, and Des Moines North at Monday’s home tournament. They’ll meet Winterset on Oct. 21, hoping to advance in their regional bracket.
Because of recent changes in our newsroom, sports coverage for Perry and Woodward-Granger will appear in a combined format for the time being. We remain committed to highlighting the efforts of local student-athletes, and The Perry Chief will continue to bring you the key stories each week within the space available. Thank you for your understanding and for your continued support of both schools.
This article originally appeared on Perry Chief: Perry sports roundup: WG football vies for title, Perry volleyball hits streak
Reporting by Sean Cordy / Perry Chief
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