Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – While neither City High nor Davenport North were headed to post-season play, both were desperate to finish their seasons with a victory.

The Wildcats eked out a 34-28 decision at Bates Field in a game full of flaws that went right down to the final two minutes.

Both teams finished 3-6 overall and 1-4 in 4A District 7 play.

“You know, we asked them to play hard for each other, and overall I think they did that,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “I was pretty proud there at the end.”

City led 28-14 at halftime. The Little Hawks put together drives of 66, 49 and 55 yards to take a 20-14 lead. North fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and City recovered at the Wildcat 35.

Seven plays later Bryce Hunger threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Zach Jones that flew in between two defenders before Jones grabbed it and dashed into the end zone.

City’s offense in the first half was essentially Hunger running and Jones catching.

Jones had 127 yards receiving at halftime. City’s defense had produced two turnovers: the fumble and an interception by Chris Johnson.

“We were feeling pretty good at halftime,” Sabers said.

But the Wildcats weren’t through.

“Our defense rose up a little bit and made it a little more difficult,” North coach Brandon Krusey said. “City High had a few injuries that slowed them a little bit as well. But the kids came back from 14 down two times tonight. I’m very proud of their effort. They didn’t quit; they kept grinding away.”

The Wildcats took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 65 yards in nine plays to score and cut the lead to 28-20.

City couldn’t move the ball and had to punt. A short punt was returned to the City 30, and it took only two plays for North to score again, this time on a 27-yard pass from Jack West to Priest Sheedy. North failed on its 2-point conversion, so City still led 28-26.

After a couple uneventful series City took over on its own 16. Under heavy pressure Hunger’s pass was intercepted by Dakota Wright and returned 19 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

“That was huge,” Krusey said. “And we haven’t been fortunate about getting turnovers all year long, and that was definitely a timely one there. That was kind of a turning point in the ballgame there.”

During the second half City lost three starting players to injury including Jones, who had no catches after halftime, co-captain and linebacker Alexander Voudhivong and running back Davonte Foster.

“Obviously Zach is our guy, he and Bryce, and when he goes down I thought, ‘Oh boy,’” Sabers said. “But we responded and gave ourselves a chance at the end.”

Jones became the third City High receiver to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for a single season, joining his brother Jason and John Chelf. He needed 82 and got 127, all in the first half.

City mounted two long drives to try to take the lead. The first started at the City 23 and got as far as the North 35 before fizzling out. A first down pass on a fourth-and-five from the North 35 was nullified by a penalty, and City was unable to convert on the replayed fourth down.

The second drive started at the City 14 with 6:46 left in the game. Hunger hit Cole Milder on a deep pass to midfield to get some breathing room. Hunger, Max DePrenger, Johnson and receiver Marquel Poole all helped move the ball to the North 13-yard line.

On a third down and 9 from the North 13 Hunger was pressured and had to scramble before finding Poole in the end zone for what seemed like the tying touchdown. But the play was nullified by an ineligible receiver penalty, and City failed to get the first down in the next two plays. North was able to run out the clock for the victory.

Penalties (78 yards worth) hurt City. The injuries thrust other players into prominent roles, and for the most part they performed well. They were just one play short.

“Obviously they wanted this game very much too,” Sabers said. “Their program has been down, they did some good things so hats off to them too.

“We talked about are we going to leave the field with our heads held high, and I think we did.”

                                      DN                      ICH

First downs                   10                        21           

Rushing-yards              28-73                  42-177

Comp-Att-Int                  9-13-1                 23-36-1

Passing-yards               136                      254

Punts-avg.                     4-37                    3-35           

Fumbles-lost                 1-1                       0-0

Penalties-yards             4-40                     9-78

Davenport North       7      7    20   0 – 34

City High                    14   14    0    0 – 28

ICH – Zach Jones 20 pass from Bryce Hunger (run failed)

ICH – Jones 2 pass from Hunger (Davonte Foster run)

DN – Rudy Juarez 1 run (Bryan Verdon kick)

DN – Ethan Griffiths 17 pass from Juarez (Verdon kick)

ICH – Hunger 13 run (run failed)

ICH – Jones 18 pass from Hunger (Jones pass from Hunger)

DN – Priest Sheedy 5 pass from Jack West (run failed)

DN – Priest Sheedy 27 pass from West (run failed)

DN – Dakota Wright 19 interception return (Alexandre Abbey run)

Individual statistics

RUSHING – DN: Alexandre Abbey 21-56, Jack West 3-16, Rudy Juarez 4-1; City: Bryce Hunger 24-101, Davonte Foster 13-49, Maxwell DePrenger 4-27, Zach Jones 1-0.

PASSING – DN: Rudy Juarez 6-8-1-106, Jack West 3-5-0-30; City: Bryce Hunger 23-36-1-254.

RECEIVING – DN: Priest Sheedy 4-68, Ethan Griffiths 3-39, Alexandre Abbey 1-31, Rudy Juarez 1-(-2); ICH: Zach Jones12-127, Chris Johnson 2-46, Marquel Poole 7-42, Cole Milder 1-36, Max DePrenger 1-3.