Recap, Reaction: Resilient Van Meter Tops Osage
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Van Meter sat with a 3-2 record midway through this season. The Bulldogs needed to figure it out if they wanted to uphold tradition in one of the state's historically successful programs.
They've done just that, winning seven games in a row. The latest triumph was the sweetest, a 14-6 victory against previously unbeaten Osage in Saturday's Class 2A State Semifinals here at the UNI-Dome.
"Three and two, especially in our program, that's not something we usually do," Van Meter senior
Tate Doggett
Tate
Doggett
6'1" | 195 lbs | LB
Van Meter | 2026
State
IA
said. "But we know what we can do. We battled back. Coaches always had our back. We knew we could come back."
Said senior quarterback
Henry Lounsbury
Henry
Lounsbury
6'2" | 190 lbs | LB
Van Meter | 2026
State
IA
: "Two losses at the start of the season has never really happened for a Van Meter team. We grinded it out. Everybody started doubting us. It's really special to be able to come back and do all of this."
Van Meter took its first lead of the day midway through the third quarter. A nine-play, 45-yard drive consuming 4:45 of the clock ended with a
Christian Williams
Christian
Williams
5'10" | 185 lbs | RB/LB
Van Meter | 2028
IA
' two-yard scoring plunge, putting the Bulldogs up, 7-6.
They extended the lead to 14-6 with 5:53 in the fourth quarter. A Williams' one-yard TD came after a Doggett interception set the Bulldogs up deep in Osage territory. The Green Devils just couldn't figure out a way to penetrate the Van Meter defense from there.
"They're a dang good team. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it," Osage senior quarterback
Quinn Street
Quinn
Street
6'0" | 200 lbs | ATH
Osage | 2026
State
IA
said. "They brought some pressure every single play. We struggled to pick it up, which was just messing with the flow of our offense."
Osage broke a scoreless tie late in the second quarter. Street hit
Griffin Uhlenhopp
Griffin
Uhlenhopp
6'0" | 160 lbs | WR/DB
IA
over the shoulder, in stride near the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown toss. The point-after attempt was no good, and the Green Devils carried a 6-0 lead into the halftime locker room. The defenses held the offenses to just 206 yards at the break.
Van Meter's offense did enough to win.
"It was looking for the holes, everyone blocking as hard as they can and fighting for every yard," Williams said.
Osage was playing in The Dome for the first time ever. The Green Devils matched their 11 wins they achieved in 2009, when they reached the quarterfinals before falling to North Fayette.
Van Meter took the tough road, literally, to the state semifinals, winning two games away from home. The Bulldogs have reached the UNI-Dome every season since 2015, winning four titles. They've lost nine total games during that run.
Saturday was the first-ever meeting between Osage and Van Meter. The schools are separated by about 170 miles.
