The Pawnee Indians continued their strong start to the season Friday night, dominating the Cerro Gordo Broncos 42-0 in a game that was effectively decided by halftime.
Pawnee’s offense came out firing, but the Indians received contributions across all three phases of the game. Junior wide receiver Jace Jankousky was a major difference-maker, finding the end zone multiple times, including a punt return touchdown that helped spark the Indians’ dominant performance.
Junior quarterback Ty Lederbrand also turned in an impressive night, connecting with Jankousky and the rest of the Pawnee offense for multiple touchdowns.
By halftime, the Indians had built a commanding 42-0 advantage. With the game firmly in hand, Pawnee turned to its JV players in the second half, giving younger players valuable varsity experience while allowing the starters to rest.
While the offense received plenty of attention, Lederbrand was quick to point toward the Indians’ defense and special teams as the foundation of their success. Through the first two games of the season, those units have yet to allow a single point.
“The defense and special teams set the tone, early, got offense going, everyone did their jobs.”
Head coach Joshua Talley echoed that praise following the game, emphasizing the way his defense responded when Cerro Gordo managed to put together extended drives.
“I thought we played well… y’know we let up some long drives, but defense found a way to get stops there in the end. That’s what good teams do.”
Despite the Indians’ impressive start, Talley stressed that the team cannot afford to look too far ahead. The goal remains simple: continue taking things one game at a time, stack up wins and put themselves in position to make the playoffs.
Next up, Pawnee will return home for a matchup with the Martinsville Bluestreaks on Saturday, September 5, at 1:00 p.m.
The matchup is one that senior cheerleader Emma Collins is especially looking forward to, with Martinsville having provided competitive games for Pawnee in recent years.
“For a couple years [Martinsville] has been a really good game, it’s also always been there, so I’m really excited for it to be home.”
The Indians defeated Martinsville 26-14 last season and will look to build on another dominant performance when the Bluestreaks come to town next Saturday.
For Pawnee, the message remains the same: one game at a time, one win at a time.