What we learned from Ballard's 17-14 4A playoff first-round loss to No. 1 North Polk

Ballard gave No. 1 North Polk a huge scare in the first round of the Class 4A football playoffs on Friday at Alleman.

The Bombers rallied from a 17-0 deficit to pull within three with a chance to win at the end, only to fall just short in a 17-14 setback.

"We have resilient kids," said Ballard coach Kyle Howard. "We came up short on the scoreboard, but I'm really proud with how we fought."

Ballard finished its season at 5-5. North Polk heads into the 4A quarterfinals with an 8-2 record.

Here is what we learned from Ballard's near-comeback against the Comets.

Defense keeps Ballard close

The Bombers' defense kept them in the game and gave them a chance to win it.

Ballard already played a stellar defensive game when the two teams met in 4A District 5 play, a game in which the Bombers prevailed by a 7-6 score. It was more of the same Friday night.

North Polk only had two quality scoring drives, with its first touchdown coming off a botched Ballard snap on a punt that gave the Comets the ball at the Bomber 1-yard line early in the second quarter. The Comets were driving in the fourth quarter when Ballard forced a fumble and linebacker Rhett Hedrick ran it back 65 yards for a touchdown to pull the Bombers within 10.

Another defensive stand gave Ballard the ball back. The Bombers were able to march their way to a score, with Chance Lande catching a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mason Gatchel with 1:49 remaining.

Ballard then recovered an on-side kick at the Comet 25. But a backwards pass was recovered by the Comets, and they ran the clock down until there were only a few seconds left. Ballard got off a few snaps in the final seconds, but the Bombers couldn't get close to the end zone.

"Two really good defenses and a low-scoring game," Howard said. "It came down to who made more mistakes and who was able to make some big plays. Unfortunately for us it was North Polk tonight."

An early Ballard mistake proves costly

North Polk got a 27-yard field goal from Noah Blomquist on its first drive, then the Comets took advantage of a bad Ballard snap on a punt to get the ball at the Bomber 1 yard-line.

Colton Manock recovered the ball for North Polk and Nathan Feldman went in on the opening play of the second quarter to give the Comets a 10-0 lead.

Feldman later added a second score in the third quarter to push North Polk's lead to 17-0 and the Comets were able to hold on.

"It was a great fight — special teams, offense, defense," said Manock. "Everybody pulled through at the end. Ballard is a great team — they've got some playmakers. But we pulled through."

Ballard excited for the future

Even though the Bombers fell short Friday, they are happy with where they took the program in 2023.

The Bombers made it back to the playoffs and saw several young players step up. They will have to replace some outstanding linebackers in Brody Sampson and Jack Nelson, along with top playmakers Eli Rouse and Lande, but the future still looks bright for the Bombers.

"Being our first year in 4A, I was happy with how we were able to compete," Howard said. "We are going to miss these seniors, not only for what they do on the field, but for their leadership. We've got some great role models for our younger kids to look up to."

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Top-ranked North Polk holds off Ballard in the 4A football playoffs