FENNIMORE — Iowa–Grant’s Luke Nowak wasn’t about to let Fennimore reclaim the coveted Milk Can, at least not while he still had something to say about it.
     The speedy junior halfback rushed for a career and game-high 238 yards and a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs on a career-high 28 carries.
     Senior fullback Cody Rider added 94 yards rushing on 17 yards as the usually pass-happy Panthers ran circles around the confused Golden Eagles in a 27–7 SWAL victory at Fennimore High School.
     Iowa–Grant improved to 4–1 overall and 2–1 in the SWAL, its only to league-leading Darlington (4–1, 3–0) and retained the Milk Can rivalry trophy for a fifth straight year.
     Meanwhile, Fennimore fell to (2–3, 1–2). The Golden Eagles last won the Milk Can rivalry game in 2008, 51–14.
Rider broke loose for a 15-yard touchdown run with 3:38 left in the opening quarter to give I–G the early advantage, but the Panthers had to settle for a 6–0 lead after sophomore Isaac Anderson’s conversion pass failed.
     Fennimore tied the game on the first play of the second quarter on a 13-yard pass from Seth Henkel to Patrick Govier. Govier’s extra point gave the host Eagles a 7–6 lead.
     Nowak scored the first of his two TDs four minutes later to make it 12–6.
     Iowa–Grant had a chance to make it a two-score game just before the half, but Fennimore’s defense held four straight times inside the 10-yard line in the final seconds of the second quarter.
     The teams battled through a scoreless third quarter, before the Panthers added to their lead with a 4-yard touchdown run by Rider with 7:52 left to play. Anderson completed the two-point conversion pass to Colin Price.
     Nowak added the knockout punch, another 3-yard touchdown run, with 2:33 remaining. Mikkel Wind’s extra point accounted for the final score.
     Iowa–Grant returns to action Friday at home against Mineral Point (3–2, 2–1).

Iowa–Grant 27, Fennimore 7
(from Friday, Sept. 20 @ Fennimore)
Iowa–Grant    6    6    0    15     — 27
Fennimore      0    7    0     0     —   7
First quarter
IG Cody Rider 15 run (pass failed)
Second quarter
F: Govier 13 pass from Henkel (Govier kick)
IG: Luke Nowak 3 run (pass failed)
Fourth quarter
IG: Rider 4 run (Price pass from Isaac Anderson)
IG: Nowak 3 run (Mikkel Wind kick)
Team Statistics
First downs: IG 18, F 7. Rushing: IG 45-320, F 29-89. Passing Yards: IG 130; F 108. Passing: IG: 14-18-0; F 8-15-1. Fumbles–lost: IG 0-0, F 1-0. Penalties-yards: IG 2-18, F 3-17.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: IG: Luke Nowak 28-238, Cody Rider 17-94; F: Jeff Needham 12-65. Passing: IG: Isaac Anderson 14-18-0, 130; F: Seth Henkel 8-15-1, 108. Receiving: IG: Eli Wienkes 8-83; F: Patrick Govier 5-76.