North Tama (Traer, Iowa) football coach Brent Thoren said in the preseason that he expected to be very "creative" in the use of veteran quarterback
Brendon Boerm.
That strategy never was more put to use than Friday when Boerm was the leading rusher, passer and receiver as the Red Hawks overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat Madrid (Iowa), 43-34, to win the Class A state championship.
North Tama High's Brendon Boerm.
Photo courtesy of Judy Boerm
It marked the first boys state title in any sport for North Tama, which opened its doors in the 1870s and currently houses 160 students in grades 9-12.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior quarterback, who has started both ways for four years, completed 13 of 26 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, with just one interception. He ran 11 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two passes from a wide receiver for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two kickoff returns for a total of 95 yards.
"It was one of the most incredible things people had seen in a championship game in Iowa," Thoren said. "It was spectacular, being able to do what he did on the biggest stage and last game of his high school career. I'd never seen anything like it.
"When I coached him in junior high, I knew he was special. We put a lot on his plate and he was able to handle it. He's an extremely intelligent young man (4.0 GPA). He wants to go into medicine."
This fall, Boerm passed for 2,350 yards (170-for-285) and 29 touchdowns, with just eight interceptions. He ran 180 times for 1,483 yards and 20 touchdowns. He caught four passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored twice on punt returns and once each on a kickoff and interception return. In addition, he made 79 tackles (46 solo) and five interceptions.
Boerm set school records this year by scoring 170 points and throwing 29 touchdown passes. He also set career records with 314 points, 739 yards in punt returns and 663 yards in kickoff returns.
