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SWEA CITY - Every-one expected Graettinger/ Terril tailback Nate Howard to run the ball a lot Monday.

And why not with more than 1,500 rushing yards this season and 29 touchdowns on the ground? But one thing that was unexpected was Howard throwing a touchdown pass on his first attempt of the season and hauling in another for his first TD catch, and second overall, of the campaign.

That set the tone for the Knights' 35-22 win over the No. 2-ranked North Sentral Kossuth Eagles in the Iowa Eight-Man first-round state playoffs in Swea City.

Graettinger/Terril (9-2) faces No. 5-ranked Armstong-Ringsted (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday night in Graettinger, Iowa.

The Mustangs scored a 39-21 win over the Knights during their regular-season matchup.

North Sentral Kossuth ended its season at 10-1, with the Eagles downing the Knights 38-22 in the regular season.

"They came up with the big plays when they needed to. ... We could get within seven or eight (points), then they'd score again," said Eagle head coach Troy Adams.

After the Knights held the Eagles on fourth down on their first drive, the Knights took over at their own 37 and it only took the visitors one play to score.

Howard took the handoff on a sweep to the left side, paused, then let loose with a left-handed strike down the hash marks to a wide-open Beau Craig for the touchdown at 8:54. Eric Hatland then kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The visitors then took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter after stopping the Eagles on another fourth down, before later converting on a fourth-down play of their own.

Cody Dyhrkopp threw a 29-yard scoring toss to Howard on fourth-and-nine with 6:58 left and Hatland's PAT made it 14-0.

The Eagles scored with 3:03 left on an 18-yard TD pass from Jake Larson to Tanner Bruhn before Blake Pedersen added the conversion pass to Austin Bierstedt for a 14-8 Knight lead at the half.

Howard opened the second half with a 39-yard scoring romp at 9:48 of the third and Hatland's kick made the score 21-8. Pedersen answered with 1:38 left in the third with a 5-yard run and Brock Beadle's conversion run left NSK with a 21-16 deficit after three.

However, Howard kept the scoreboard moving with a 7-yard run at 10:24 of the fourth, with Drew Skattebo adding the conversion run. Dyhrkopp later fired a 28-yard TD pass to Craig with 7:16 to play for a 35-16 lead.

Larson closed out the scoring at 2:47 with a 2-yard run, but the pass conversion failed, ending the scoring at 35-22.

Howard ran for 72 yards, passed for 43 and caught for 29 more. Skattebo added 78 yards on 17 totes for the Knights, while Dyhrkopp had 113 passing yards. Howard also recovered a fumble and Trent Lundgren added an interception.

Pedersen led the Eagles with 133 yards on 17 attempts, while catching nine passes for 68 yards. Larson threw for 106 yards. Jordan Ricke contributed an interception for the Eagles.

G/T 7 7 7 14 - 35

NSK 0 8 8 6 - 22

SCORING PLAYS

1st Quarter

G/T - Beau Craig 43 pass from Nate Howard (Eric Hatland kick), 8:54.

2nd Quarter

G/T - Howard 29 pass from Cody Dyhrkopp (Hatland kick), 6:58.

NSK - Tanner Bruhn 18 pass from Jake Larson (Austin Bierstedt pass from Blake Pedersen), 3:03.

3rd Quarter

G/T - Howard 39 run (Hatland kick), 9:48.

NSK - Pedersen 5 run (Brock Beadle run), 1:38.

4th Quarter

G/T - Howard 7 run (Drew Skattebo run), 10:24.

G/T - Craig 28 pass from Dyhrkopp (kick failed), 7:16.

NSK - Larson 2 run (pass failed), 2:47.