JEFF B | Iowa Grandstand Sports

CEDAR FALLS — Way back in August when the MMCRU football team began playing the ultimate goal of the Royals was a Class 1A state football title. Now, its become reality as MMCRU, who finished fourth in the final Iowa Grandstand Sports rankings of the regular season, earned the schools first ever state football championship.

The Royals had qualified in 2023 and 2024 but never made it out of the second round of regional playoffs. 

Participating as Marcus-Meriden Cleghorn is 2012 and 2015, the Eagles captured state 8-Man titles.

“I’ve got great kids. I’ve got a great coaching staff who gets them prepared, and I’ve got a great God that allowed this to happen. Grateful, that’s about the only (word) I can come up with right now. Grateful that we have the opportunity to have done this.”

Kyle Oswald, MMCRU head football coach

MMCRU who finished the game with 320 yards of total offense did it with balance (151 rushing, 169 passing).

Top-ranked St. Ansgar suffered the agony of defeat for the first time in 2025, finishing the year with a 12-1 record. MMCRU finishes a perfect 13-0, also a first for the Royals. They had finished 13-0 in 2015 and 14-0 in 2012 as Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn.

The Saints of St. Ansgar finished the game with 219 yards of total offense (117 rushing, 102 passing). The MMCRU defense did its job against St. Ansgar, who came into the game as the state leader in Class A in touchdowns (85), rushing touchdowns (62), and rushing yards 3,838 (295.2 yards per game).

The Royals were the first team on the scoreboard with Eli Harpenau completing a touchdown pass to Michael Schmillen covering 12 yards. Johnson added the PAT kick and it was 7-0 with 9:29 left in the first quarter.

MMCRU was facing a fourth-and-eight situation, and elected to take the points off the foot of Johnson who connected on the 27-yard field goal making it 10-0 at the conclusion of the first quarter.

The Royals lead grew to 17-0 with 11:52 remaining in the first half when Harpenau used his feet and toted the pigskin six yards for a score.

Hello and goodbye said St. Ansgar’s Korben Michaels who returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards for the score. The Saints’ Max Neeley booted the PAT. The score remained that way at halftime, 17-7.

St. Ansgar made the game even more interesting in the third quarter getting within three points of MMCRU at 17-10 on a Porter Schwiesow 26 yard field goal with 5:15 remaining in the quarter. A Hale Dietrich interception led to the St. Ansgar field goal attempt 10 plays later.

Momentum shifted back to the side of MMCRU in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Saints 13-7. With 8:01 remaining in the game, Brayson Mulder carried it in to the end zone from six yards out. The Royals elected to try a two-point conversion that failed and the score favored the Royals 23-10.

(Photo left): MMCRU football head coach Kyle Oswald celebrates with team after winning 30-17 over Saint Ansgar in the class-A state football championship on Nov. 20, 2025, at UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (Photo/Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune)

(Photo right): Saint Ansgar junior Connor Mullenbach (7) makes a reception and runs for a touchdown against MMCRU during the Class A championship game of the IHSAA state football championships on Thursday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. (PHOTO/Chris Zoeller, Waterloo Courier Staff Photographer)

St. Ansgar added its final points of the game with 5:17 to be played when Mullenbach hauled in the touchdown pass from Schwiesow covering 60 yards, Neeley’s PAT closed the Royals lead to 23-17.

MMCRU executed time management to perfect holding possession of the football the next four minutes before a 10 played, 66 yard drive ended with Mulder scoring on a 13 yard run. Johnson added the PAT for the exclamation point.

Mulder led the Royals in rushing with 58 yards on 19 carries. John Schmillen tallied 54 yards on 12 carries, and Harpenau had 10 rushes for 44 yards. Kamden Bork led MMCRU in receiving with seven catches for 65 yards. Michael Schmillen had two catches for 40 yards, including the touchdown grab, finishing the season with a Class A state leading 15 touchdown receptions.

MMCRU had 21 seniors on the team and Oswald said it was nice to see that group finish their careers as state champions.

The senior class is made up of Wyatt Alesch, Noah Althiser, Carter Astidias, Blake Barinsky, Bork, Mason Carver, Brandon Dreckman, Josh Doellinger, Brayden Dunn, Bruce Glassmaker, Parker Glassmaker, Mason Hill, Johnson, Mulder, Lukas Peterson, Eli Schlenger, John Schmillen, Michael Schmillen, Max Schnepf, Kaden Steffen, and Benjamin Tentinger.

#1 St. Ansgar 0 – 7 – 3- 7 = 17
#4 MMCRU 10 – 7 – 0 – 13 = 30
St. Ansgar Record: 12-1; MMCRU Record 13-0

St. Ansgar Team Statistics
Total Net Yards: 219
Rushing Yards: 29-117
Passing Yards: 6-15-102
MMCRU Team Statistics
Total Net Yards: 320
Rushing Yards: 44-151
Passing Yards: 14-21-169
MMCRU Individual Statistics
Passing: Eli Harpenau 14-21-3-169 (1 TD).
Rushing: Brayson Mulder 19-58 (2 TD), John Schmillen 12-54, Harpenau 10-44 (1 TD), Team 3-Neg-5.
Receiving: Kamden Bork 7-65, Michael Schmillen 2-40 (TD), Mulder 2-36, Gage Johnson 3-28.
Tackles: J. Schmillen 9 (2S), Mulder 8 (4S, FR), Wyatt Alesch 7 (3S), Gavin Alesch 5 (1S), Brayden Dunn 5 (3S), Bork 4 (1S), Blake Barinsky 3, Kaden Steffen 3 (1S), Luke Kintigh 2 (1S), Parker Glassmaker 2 (1S), M. Schmillen 2 (1S), Benjamin Tentinger 2, Johnson 1, Ayden Miller 1, Brandon Dreckman 1, Noah Althiser 1, Mason Carver (FR).
Scoring Summary
1 / 9:29 MMCRU – Michael Schmillen 12 pass from Eli Harpenau, Gage Johnson PAT Kick, 7-0
1 / 5:46 MMCRU – Gage Johnson 27 yard field goal, 10-0
2 / 11:52 MMCRU – Harpenau run, Johnson PAT kick, 17-0
2/ 11:42 SA – Korben Michaels 78 yard kickoff return, Max Neeley PAT kick, 17-7
2 / 5:15 SA – Porter Schwiesow 26 yard field goal, 17-10
4 / 8:01 MMCRU – Brayson Mulder 6 run, PAT passed failed, 23-10
4 / 5:17 SA – Connor Mullenbach 66 pass from Schwiesow, Neeley PAT kick, 23-17
4 / 1:10 MMCRU – Mulder 13 run, Johnson PAT kick, 30-17