It was speed and finesse against power and strength Saturday in the Class A state semifinal game between Northwood-Kensett and North Tama and this time speed won out.

The Redhawks showcased a powerful spread offense that had the Vikings defense guessing whether they would run or pass most of the day.

North Tama (12-0) displayed a balanced offensive attack and handed the No. 6-ranked Northwood-Kensett (11-2) a 35-14 season-ending loss.

Redhawks quarterback Wyatt Hanus completed 22 of 24 passes for 296 yards with three touchdowns. Hanus also did it with his feet, running in from 3 yards out in the third quarter to give his team a 28-7 lead.

“We just really didn’t have an answer,” Northwood-Kensett head coach Dave Capitani said. “The quarterback runs well, throws well, he’s a dual threat.”

Coming into the game, Hanus had 1,853 yards passing for the season and 16 touchdown passes. He also had 566 yards rushing and led the team in rushing touchdowns with 11.

North Tama, ranked No. 2 in Class A, ran a spread offense that gave Hanus plenty of options to choose from. His three touchdown passes went to three different receivers and continued to find an open receiver by scrambling for more time.

“They ran a lot of good routes and there’s always somebody,” Capitani said. “He finds them.”

The game started with North Tama scoring off a Northwood-Kensett turnover. The Redhawks recovered a fumble at the 22 yard line and two plays later Hanus connected with tight end Justin Meggers on a 12-yard touchdown pass to give North Tama a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked.

The Vikings came back right away with a big play of their own. On third-and-10, Northwood-Kensett quarterback Jordan Reindl sent a swing pass out to running back Sam Arnold who accelerated 46 yards to the end zone and the Vikings took a 7-6 lead.

Things changed in a hurry for Northwood-Kensett in the second quarter. Hanus started to find his grove and began hitting receivers all over the field on a 96-yard drive that gave the Redhawks a 14-7 lead after a 2-point conversion.

“If we played them again, I would send six guys every time,” Capitani said about trying to pressure Hanus.

North Tama added another score before halftime to take a 21-7 lead as its speed was tough for the Vikings to handle.

“We didn’t think they were that fast,” Reindl said. “They came out and the quarterback he could throw it on the run, in the pocket … he was just a great ball player and they were the better team.”

The wide receivers for the Redhawks came in at 5-foot-10 or taller, and each had quickness.

“They’re all fast, they’re all big, they’re all strong,” said Northwood-Kensett running back Sam Arnold. “It’s really hard to stop them.”

The Vikings never really had a chance to get going offensively. The Redhawks held possession for much longer than Northwood-Kensett. But when the Vikings did get the ball, they were effective. Reindl scampered in from 15 yards out in the fourth quarter to make the game 35-14 after leading Northwood-Kensett 65 yards in a little more than 4 minutes.

The ground game for the Vikings didn’t have the same effectiveness as it typically does. The North Tama defense was quick and swarmed the ball to stop any long runs. The defense hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in a game this season.

“At halftime we felt there were some things that we could exploit out there,” Capitani said. “We just didn’t have the ball long enough.”

Northwood-Kensett gave up 444 yards of total offense to the Redhawks while putting up 231 yards of offense.

This season was the first time the Vikings had made the postseason since 2004 and made their first state semifinal game since 2001, it was their third overall semifinal game.

“It sucks now, but in 10 years we’ll look back and know that we made it to the semis,” Reindl said. “It just feels good.”

North Tama 35, Northwood-Kensett 14

North Tama – 7 14 7 7 – 35

N-K – 7 0 0 7 – 14

First Quarter

North Tama – Justin Meggers 12 pass from Wyatt Hanus (kick failed)

N-K – Sam Arnold 46 pass from Jordan Reindl (Nik Werner kick)

Second Quarter

North Tama – Lucas Hefty 3 pass from Hanus (Meggers from Hanus)

North Tama – Caleb Edwards from Hanus (Meggers kick)

Third Quarter

North Tama – Hanus 3 run (Meggers kick)

Fourth Quarter

North Tama – Colton Hamilton 14 run (Meggers kick)

N-K – Reindl 15 run (Werner kick)

Total offense

North Tama – 444

N-K – 231

Total rushing

North Tama – 148

N-K – 179

Total passing

North Tama – 296

N-K – 52