Dakota Foster
rushes for 235 yards
in 50-38 victory
By Jesse Newell
newell@emporiagazette.com
MADISON — Dakota Foster doesn’t want to hear that all the talent from the Waverly football team graduated last year.
The running back showed that wasn’t the case on Friday night, rushing for 235 yards in Waverly’s 50-38 victory — the third in a row — over Madison.
“That’s exactly what we wanted to do,” Foster said. “This proves we lost a lot, but we have people to step up and take their place.”
Though Waverly lost eight starters on both sides of the football from last year, it proved Friday it might have the pieces to make a run at a third straight state title.
Three players threw touchdown passes as Waverly used trick plays to score early, then relied on the running of Foster to keep the lead late.
“I was happy for our kids,” Waverly coach Mike Hevel said. “At least tonight, we did what we had to do.”
Things started off well for Madison, as Charlie Schlotterbeck returned the opening kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown.
After Caleb Hamilton’s 2-point conversion, Madison led 8-0 just 12 seconds in.
“We knew we had messed up,” Foster said. “We had some pre-game jitters, but we settled in.”
Waverly needed only 12 seconds of its own to respond.
On its first play from scrimmage, Foster took a handoff, then fired a halfback pass to Matt Hevel for a 65-yard touchdown.
The two teams combined for 40 points in the first quarter alone, as Madison clung to a 22-18 lead.
Waverly (5-0) used a razzle-dazzle play once again to regain the lead in the second quarter.
Quarterback Mike Sarver threw a lateral to Kevin Schmidt, who scrambled a few seconds before tossing the ball downfield back to Sarver on a throwback pass.
Sarver caught it in stride, going 71 yards for the Waverly TD and a 24-22 advantage.
Waverly’s most impressive drive, though, might have come after taking the two-point lead into halftime.
The team used up nearly four minutes on an eight-play, 54-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by Foster.
All eight plays on the possession were rushes.
“We played Woody Hayes offense — 3 yards and a cloud of dust,” Hevel said.
“We just wanted to waste the clock,” Foster said, “and hold onto the ball.”
Madison (4-1) would tie it at 30 after a Kaleb Schankie touchdown catch and Schlotterbeck 2-point conversion, but Waverly scored on its next two possessions to take control.
Foster scored on a 32-yard run up the middle, then Sarver hit Chris Restoff for a 43-yard strike after a Madison fumble.
“I just feel for our kids right now,” Madison coach Fred McClain said. “We just didn’t get it done on a few occasions.”
After halftime, Waverly wore down Madison with its rushing game, running the ball 27 times and passing just twice.
Meanwhile, the Waverly defense allowed just 16 points after the first quarter. It also recovered two fumbles and contributed an interception late in the game.
“The defense stepped up,” Hevel said. “Even though the offense scored 50, I was most happy with the defense.”
Foster had a hand in five touchdowns, rushing for four and throwing for the other.
“He hurt us on defense too,” McClain said. “He broke through blocks and played awful hard.”
Madison was led offensively by Michael Luthi, who rushed 23 times for 130 yards.
Schlotterbeck added two touchdowns (one return, one receiving), while quarterback Eric Porter threw for 171 yards and two scores.
Waverly 50, Madison 38
Friday at Madison
Waverly 18 6 14 12 — 50
Madison 22 0 8 8 — 38
First Quarter
Mad — Charlie Schlotterbeck 74 kickoff return (Caleb Hamilton run)
Wav — Matt Hevel 65 pass from Dakota Foster (Mike Sarver pass failed)
Mad — Caleb Hamilton 29 pass from Eric Porter (Michael Luthi run failed)
Wav — Foster 1 run (Sarver pass failed)
Mad — Schlotterbeck 16 pass from Eric Porter (Kaleb Schankie pass from Luthi)
Wav — Foster 65 run (Hevel run failed)
Second Quarter
Wav — Sarver 71 pass from Kevin Schmidt (Foster run failed)
Third Quarter
Wav — Foster run 6 (Sarver pass failed)
Mad — Kaleb Schankie 10 pass from Luthi (Schlotterback pass from Luthi)
Wav — Foster 32 run (Foster run)
Fourth Quarter
Wav — Chris Restoff 43 pass from Sarver (Sarver pass failed)
Wav — Kevin Schmidt 3 run (Schmidt run failed)
Mad — Porter 1 run (Kaleb Schankie pass from Porter)
GAME STATISTICS
Wav Mad
First Downs 14 17
Rushes-yards 41-313 43-187
Comp-Att-Int 5-12-2 19-33-1
Passing yards 206 189
Total plays-yards 53-519 62-376
Fumbles-lost 1-0 4-2
Penalties-yards 6-47 4-21
Punts-average 2-37.5 1-37
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Waverly: Dakota Foster 24-235, Kevin Schmidt 12-52, Matt Hevel 5-26; Madison: Michael Luthi 23-130, Eric Porter 16-39, Caleb Hamilton 3-16, Charlie Schlotterbeck 1-2.
Passing — Waverly: Kevin Schmidt 1-1-0 71, Mike Sarver 3-10-2 70, Dakota Foster 1-1-0 65; Madison: Eric Porter 17-31-1 171, Charlie Schlotterbeck 1-1-0 15, Michael Luthi 1-1-0 3.
Receiving — Waverly: Matt Hevel 3-92, Mike Sarver 1-71, Chris Restoff 1-43; Madison: Charlie Schlotterbeck 7-79, Caleb Hamilton 7-69, Kaleb Schankie 4-28, Michael Luthi 1-13.
Punting — Waverly: Kevin Schmidt 2-37.5; Madison: Sid Childers 1-37.0.
Records — Waverly 5-0, Madison 4-1.