ADAIR, Iowa — With East Mills trying to use its potent passing attack to get back into the game, Adair-Casey decided to go to the air itself.

Taylor Wheatley threw just 15 passes for the Bombers, but he hit Gavin Walhovd twice for touchdowns in a 44-32 win over the Wolverines on Monday night in the first round of the Iowa eight-man playoffs.

“We knew they were capable of it because they like to run and go over the top,” East Mills coach Andy Irwin. “We had that well covered; the kid just made a great play.”

East Mills had set a state record with more than 500 yards through the air in its substate win over Coon Rapids-Bayard, and that had Adair-Casey coach Wade Anderson feeling nervous despite a 20-plus point lead.

“My heart’s still racing,” Anderson said. “We were up 26 but we knew they were capable of scoring; they scored twice in a matter of 40 seconds or something like that.”

The Wolverines’ Jake Bolton threw for 365 yards and five touchdowns but struggled with consistency, going only 18-for-48 in the game.

“I don’t know if it was too cold, but we did drop some balls,” Irwin said. “They did a good job of whenever we caught the ball of being right on us.”

Austin Ayers and Walhovd played a big role in building a 32-12 first-half lead for Adair-Casey. Ayers ran for 145 of his 206 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Walhovd finished with five catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Walhovd had two interceptions and was also a standout on a Bomber defense that intercepted Bolton three times. All three of those turnovers set up scores.

East Mills (8-3)..................6 6 14 6—32

Adair-Casey (9-2).....................14 18 12 0—44

EM: Daniel Duysen 48 pass from Jake Bolton (run failed)

AC: Austin Ayers 47 run (run failed)

AC: Ayers 5 run (Ayers run)

EM: Brandon Clemmons 72 pass from Bolton (pass failed)

AC: Ayers 5 run (run failed)

AC: Taylor Wheatley 1 run (run failed)

AC: Tyler McCorkel 1 run (run failed)

AC: Gavin Walhovd 55 pass from Wheatley (run failed)

EM: Jake Doyle 46 pass from Bolton (pass failed)

AC: Walhovd 42 pass from Wheatley (run failed)

EM: Duysen 8 pass from Bolton (Nathen Day run)

EM: Doyle 12 pass from Bolton (pass failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: EM, Bolton 8-15, Schafer 1-2 Day 3-0; AC, Ayers 40-206, McCorkel 12-53, Brice Sheeder 3-41, Wheatley 9-21, Walhovd 3-14.

Passing: EM, Bolton 18-48-3-365; AC, Wheatley 6-15-2-170.

Receiving: EM, Clemmons 3-119, Doyle 3-113, Duysen 2-59, Day 7-49, Schafer 3-30; AC, Walhovd 5-152, Stephen Smiley 1-8.