Triad senior Isaac Ackerman (10) celebrates after a touchdown during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Triad senior Ian Dempsey (4) runs with the ball during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
TROY, Ill. — Triad football coach Calvin Potthast was at a loss for words when asked about senior quarterback Issac Ackerman.
"I’m going to miss him greatly," Potthast said. "He’s just Isaac. He does things. I mean, I’ll put the game in his hands."
Ackerman dazzled a sellout crowd at Triad High School on Friday in the Mississippi Valley Conference football opener, leading the Knights to a 31-7 victory over Waterloo in a battle of unbeatens.
"To start conference off on the right foot is huge," Potthast said. "We have a tough Jerseyville team next week and we have to continue to build on it."
Triad (4-0 overall, 1-0 MVC), the No. 10 large school in the rankings, has won seven in a row against Waterloo (3-1, 0-1).
Ackerman ran for a career-high 148 yards and scored twice as Triad leaned on its offensive line to pave the way.
The 5-foot-10 scrambler was at his best when the play broke down in front of him. Numerous times, Waterloo had the quarterback dead to rights before he would break free for a long gain.
"It’s frustrating because you think you have it, but he squirts out on you somehow," Waterloo coach Dan Rose said.
Potthast trusted the quarterback in the first quarter on a fourth-and-2 at midfield.
"He was like, 'I’m going to score.' I was just like, 'Get the first down,' " Potthast said with a laugh.
Ackerman got the first down, and four plays later, he scored that touchdown to put Triad up 7-0.Â
"Our O-Line came to play," Ackerman said. "They dominated up front. Me and (Jack) Phelps had a pretty easy job running behind these guys. It feels pretty good."
Knights running back Jack Phelps rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown.
Triad rushed for 325 yards on 40 carries as a team.
"When you’re able to run and there’s a 5-yard hole and there’s nobody downfield, it makes my job so much easier," Phelps said.Â
Triad takes what is given
Potthast wanted to open up the offense and fling it around.Â
The Triad coach nearly stuck to his guns to air it out, but Waterloo's defense prevented his aerial attack.
"In the first half, they were sitting five deep and we were trying to throw it, so it was like trying to hammer your head into a wall," Potthast said. "So it was like, OK, we’ll just run it and we did."
Triad closed up its splits and put its head down and ran over and over. The 325 rushing yards is the most by Triad since its 329-yard game against Mascoutah on Sept. 29, 2023.
The Knights' 66 passing yards was the lowest total with Potthast as the Triad coach. It was the lowest total since a 27-14 loss to Centralia on Oct. 29, 2022.Â
Penalties kill Waterloo's momentum
Rose lamented missed opportunities in the first half.Â
On its second drive of the game, Waterloo drove the length of the field before back-to-back penalties in the red zone turned a first-and-10 into a second-and-28.
"We have a play call for second-and-5 and third-and-3, but we don’t have a play call for second- and-25," Rose said.Â
Waterloo was flagged six times for 45 yards of penalties. It was the most penalty yards called on the Bulldogs this year.
"You can’t make those self-inflicted wounds and survive," Rose said. "That’s a good football team over there."
Potthast quickest to 10 wins
The Triad coach won his 10th game of his coaching career in Week 3 against Alton. It only took him 14 games to get to that milestone. It's the fastest, according to the Illinois High School Association, of any Triad coach since 1968 to get to 10 wins.
His 11 wins as a Triad coach is third, behind Paul Bassler (152) and Ed Cange (96), according to IHSA.Â
The Flyers (3-1) dominated play from start to finish in handing Hazelwood Central (1-3) its third successive shutout loss.
Triad senior Isaac Ackerman (10) celebrates after a touchdown during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Triad senior Isaac Ackerman (10) runs with the ball during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Triad senior Jack Phelps (25) points to the student section after a touchdown during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Triad senior Ian Dempsey (4) runs with the ball during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Waterloo junior Conrad Lindhorst (1) shrugs off a tackle attempt during a football game on September 20, 2024 at Triad High School in Troy, Ill. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch