The Indianola football team shut out Carlisle 41-0 to earn their first ever playoff win at home, and first playoff win since 1986 in a game heard live on 94.3 KNIA. Indianola scored first on a Kael Kolarik 60-yard rush just three plays into the game, then after an extended Carlisle drive a fumble gave the ball back to the Indians who scored two players later on a Matthew Edgington 49-yard run.

The Indians then continued to get stops on defense, as the Indians scored twice more in the second quarter through air as Bennett Brueck hit Drew Kingery for a 46-yard score and Colton Gordon for a 72-yard score for the Indians to lead 27-0 at the break. Carlisle held the ball for over 10 minutes in the third quarter but couldn’t get a score, and Indianola got another score on a Brueck to Walker Whalen 26-yard score, then Brady Blake hit Jonce Hale for 56 yards to get to the final tally.

Indians head coach Eric Kluver tells KNIA Sports his guys executed the game plan perfectly, and came out exactly the way they needed to.

“I challenged the team to be efficient on offense. Don’t have any three and outs and make the most out of every opportunity because you just don’t know how much you are going to have the football against Carlisle. And then play a physical style of defense that is disciplined and sound in their assignments. It was the perfect gameplan, and the credit goes to the guys down on the field celebrating.”

Gordon had two catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Edgington, Kolarik, and Jaxon Morawski combined for 177 yards on just 18 carries. Indianola advances to the second round of postseason play, and will host Lewis Central in a rematch of non-district play where the Indians dispatched the Titans 14-9.