<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=31qZsH_1H2MmqqG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=31qZsH_1H2MmqqG00" width="1662" height="1247" ></figure>(Cedar Falls) -- For the first time in school history, Sergeant Bluff-Luton football will play for a state title.An explosive ground game and 48 minutes of unmatched physicality were the winning recipe for the Warriors (12-0) as they earned a 28-15 win over Carlisle (11-1) in a Class 4A state semifinal on KMA-FM 99.1."I'm happy for our young men," Coach Justin Smith said. "They've worked really hard. Credit to all of our young men and assistant coaches.""We knew we could do it," senior Emmet Kneifl told KMA Sports. "Kudos to that team. They were physical. We knew we had to come out there and be the more physical team."A backbreaking penalty thwarted Carlisle's first drive, and SBL responded with an 11-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a rushing touchdown by Jacobi Cofield.After a Justin Ehlers interception, Sergeant Bluff-Luton took over in Carlisle territory and struck again on another score from Cofield -- this one from 43 yards.Carlisle's disastrous start continued on the first play of its next drive as a fumble gave SBL the ball at the Carlisle 39. Six plays later, Sergeant Bluff-Luton had a 21-0 lead after a rushing score from Emmet Kneifl.Carlisle finally got on the board midway through the second quarter with a rushing touchdown from Isaac Burk to pull within 21-8. However, SBL responded with another touchdown run from Cofield to take a 28-8 lead into the break.The Warriors didn't score in the second half, but they limited Carlisle to just one score, stamping their ticket to the state title game for the first time in program history after coming up short in their previous five trips to the UNI-Dome, including each of the last two years.The Warriors' offense shined in the run game. Their motion-heavy flexbone offense constantly had Carlisle's defense on its toes and produced 331 yards on 56 carries."Our offense is tough to simulate for teams over the course of a week," Smith said. "That sometimes helps us get to a fast start. It starts with the line, and then the quarterback has to execute. Tonight, we felt we'd be good just to keep it on the ground."Cofield led the ground game with 156 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while Kneifl had 89 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries."I just read what my line gave me," Cofield said. "I love those guys. When I saw a hole open, I just took it.""We saw the flaws we could build off," Kneifl said. "And we attacked them. I knew I couldn't break big plays. Five yards a carry might seem bad, but it was good. That was all we were asking for."The Warriors' defense held Class 4A's No. 1 rushing offense at bay as Carlisle managed only 61 rushing yards on 23 carries -- well below its 273.2-yard-per-game average."Our kids were physical," Smith said. "We talk about being the hammer, not the nail, and we did that."Dax Koedam was at the heart of the defensive brilliance as he recorded 12 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble."Defense is great," Koedam said. "You get to hit guys. But it's not just you. You have to trust the guy next to you and trust our coaches. It's awesome to be out there on defense."With the win, Sergeant Bluff-Luton is on the doorstep of a state title. They'll play in the Class 4A state title game next Thursday night against either Cedar Rapids Xavier or Western Dubuque."It's exciting," Smith said. "These kids have worked hard. No wins are easy wins. It's hard to play football the right way, but we've had a lot of kids who play football the right way. It will take everything we have, but I know our kids will give it."View the full interviews with Kneifl, Cofield, Koedam and Coach Smith below. </div></body>

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(Cedar Falls) -- For the first time in school history, Sergeant Bluff-Luton football will play for a state title. An explosive ground game and 48 minutes of unmatched physicality were the winning recipe for the Warriors (12-0) as they earned a 28-15 win over Carlisle (11-1) in a Class 4A state semifinal on KMA-FM 99.1.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton's monster rushing attack puts Warriors in first ever title game

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(Cedar Falls) -- For the first time in school history, Sergeant Bluff-Luton football will play for a state title. An explosive ground game and 48 minutes o

Sergeant Bluff-Luton's monster rushing attack puts Warriors in first ever title game

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