CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Lenox showed the toughness, discipline and character necessary to win a state title on Friday.

But Armstrong-Ringsted's superior speed and overall physical talent were too much for the Tigers to overcome.

Spencer Clausen found Craig Tigges for three touchdown passes, and No. 5 Armstrong-Ringsted outscored No. 1 Lenox 49-30 for its first Eight-Man state football title at the UNI-Dome.

“Our seniors led us all year long, and they didn't let us down today,'' Lenox coach Allen Dukes said. “We were just outclassed today. They had more speed than we've seen all year.''

It was a rematch of last year's final, won by Lenox, 34-32. In their third straight title game, the Mustangs broke through and ended Lenox's 23-game winning streak.

“We finally got the monkey off our back,'' Armstrong-Ringsted coach Robert Zotz said. “My only regret is I just wish those other two senior classes that were in the championship game could have won it there, too.''

Clinging to a 13-9 halftime lead, Armstrong-Ringsted broke it open with two touchdowns in the first 100 seconds of the third quarter.

Tyler Tonderum's 58-yard TD scamper came on the Mustangs' second play of the second half. Four plays later, Brett Thackery picked off Austin Hancock's attempted screen pass and raced 44 yards for the score, putting Armstrong-Ringsted up 26-9 at the 10:20 mark of the third.

Lenox scored touchdowns on its next two possessions, getting a 7-yard TD run by Connor Lange and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Hancock to Dylan Douglas. The second one pulled the Tigers within 33-22 with 5:08 left in the third.

However, the Armstrong-Ringsted offense never missed a beat. The Mustangs scored on their first five possessions of the second half, not counting the interception return.

“We just couldn't get a defensive stop when we needed one,'' Dukes said. “If we could have gotten one, who knows? We put another one up on the board, now we've got a different ballgame.''

Lenox's inability to prevent big pass plays sealed its fate. Clausen connected on 9 of 12 for an Eight-Man championship-game record 244 yards and three scores.

The Mustangs consistently got the speedy Tigges isolated on 200-pound Eric Hensley in the secondary, and Tigges hauled in five catches for 179 yards and three scores. The receiving yardage and touchdown totals were championship-game records.

“We knew the pass would be there, because they were up so tight,'' the 6-3, 195-pound Tigges said. “I told my quarterback, ‘All you have to do is put it ahead of me. I know I can get him on my back hip, and once he's there, I have him beat.' ''

The Tigers had plenty of bright moments offensively. Hancock threw for 150 yards and three touchdowns, two to Douglas (58 and 29 yards) and one to Austin Christensen (18 yards). Lenox finished with 357 total yards but surrendered 464 yards, the most in the 10 years of Eight-Man championship games and 373 more than it allowed in its semifinal win over Preston.

“We just gave up too many big plays,'' said Hancock, a junior who also made a team-high nine tackles. “That's what cost us.''

Lenox entered the halftime break in contention, trailing by four points. The Tigers kept the ball out of the hands of the explosive Mustangs, possessing it for 17 of the 24 minutes.

Lenox had chances to put several more points on the board. Among its first four drives, it got to at least the Armstrong 10-yard line three times. The Tigers came away with a touchdown and a field goal but missed field-goal tries of 40 and 29 yards.

“We had every opportunity in the world,'' Dukes said.

The second half became a shootout, and Armstrong-Ringsted isn't going to lose many shootouts.

Lenox and Dukes are 65-7 since switching to Eight-Man football before the 2004 season.

“We've been really successful the last six years,'' Dukes said. “These guys are really taking this one hard today, but these guys are warriors. It's been my pleasure to coach them.''

Lenox (13-1) .................9 0 13 8—30

Armstrong-Ringsted (13-1)......................7 6 27 9—49

Lenox: FG Connor Lange 29

AR: Tyler Tonderum 13 run (Ethan Eisenbacher kick)

Lenox: Dylan Douglas 58 pass from Austin Hancock (Lange kick)

AR: Craig Tigges 33 pass from Spencer Clausen (run failed)

AR: Tonderum 58 run (Eisenbacher kick)

AR: Brett Thackery 44 interception return (kick failed)

Lenox: Lange 7 run (Lange kick)

AR: Tigges 43 pass from Clausen (Eisenbacher kick)

Lenox: Douglas 29 pass from Hancock (run failed)

AR: Tigges 28 pass from Clausen (Eisenbacher kick)

AR: FG Eisenbacher 22

AR: Tonderum 14 run (kick blocked)

Lenox: Austin Christensen 18 pass from Hancock (Eric Hensley run)

Contact the writer:

444-1055, kevin.white@owh.com