Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The week three win over Ames was the game that got City High back on track after starting 0-2 for the second year in a row.

A dramatic 40-39 win over West High a week later may prove to be the game that got City High rolling.

How will the 43-42 last-minute win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Thursday be remembered for the Little Hawks?

It could go down as the game that Dawson Kahl took off.

Kahl rushed for 117 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in the first four games of the season.

On Thursday against the Cougars Kahl rushed for a career-high 257 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries as City High (3-2) rolled up 307 yards on the ground on its way to its third consecutive win.

“We know what we have in Dawson and he’s had to learn how to play running back,” City High coach Mitch Moore said. “He didn’t know how to play the running back position. He’s raw but he’s tougher than nails, he loves contact and he’s learning every day.”

Behind the huge game from Kahl the Little Hawks posted a season-high for rushing yards with their highest total on the ground since running for 389 in a week-seven win over Davenport Central last season.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kahl had a second-half fumble but responded by scoring a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs as City High erased a 14-point deficit.

Kahl’s 2-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining set up the game-winning two-point conversion pass from senior quarterback Bobby Bacon to Parker Sutherland.

“I was ready,” Kahl said. “I wanted to put those points back up on the board and we made it happen. It definitely was a setback but I’ve been taught to push through adversity and we came out on top.”

A potent running game adds yet another element to an already explosive City High offense.

City High 122 yards per game on the ground in losses to Joliet Catholic and Liberty High to open the season.

During its current three-game winning streak City High is averaging 259 yards per game on the ground and has at least 200 yards in every game.

“Dawson is a sophomore and he had two turnovers and he came back from that and I thought that was just incredible,” Bacon said. “You are a sophomore out there playing varsity football and he came back and was the reason we won that game in the end and I think it speaks to his character.”

News and Notes

Wallace Keeps Rolling: A week after becoming the all-time passing leader at West High senior quarterback Jack Wallace turned in another impressive outing.

Wallace posted his sixth consecutive game with at least 200 passing yards, throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-22 loss to Ankeny.

On the season Wallace leads 5A in passing yards (1,307), total touchdowns (19), passing touchdowns (15), total offensive yards (1,466) and completions (93) and ranks second in quarterback rating (185.2) and third in yards per completion (14.1).

Early Unbeatens: The number of unbeaten teams state wide is down to 31 and two Your Prep Sports area teams are among the unbeatens.

Regina (5-0) is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in Class 1A while Solon (5-0) is one of only four remaining undefeated teams in Class 3A.

Of the remaining undefeated teams eight are in 8-player and Class 5A has the fewest remaining undefeated teams with two.

Players of the Week

Offensive player of the week: Clear Creek Amana junior quarterback Conlan Poynton completed 14-of-20 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 102 yards and four touchdowns in a 32-13 win at Oskaloosa.

Defensive player of the week: The Liberty High defense had its best game of the season on Friday and senior linebacker Owen Drapeaux was a huge part of the effort from the Lightning defense.

Drapeaux had had 7.5 tackles with 3.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks and also recovered a fumble in a 26-21 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie.

The senior two-way standout also had 12 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Special teams player of the week: West High senior punter Evan Anderson averaged 43.3 yards per punt on seven punts in a 38-22 loss to Ankeny

Helmet Stickers

Offense: West High senior wide receiver Mason Woods had eight receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-22 loss to Ankeny.

Offense: Regina junior quarterback Kyle Tracy completed 11-of-19 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in a 21-7 win over Cascade.

Offense: Solon senior running back Cole Carney rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries in a 26-7 win over Grinnell.

Offense: Regina sophomore running back Savion Miller rushed for 128 yards on 20 carries and caught two passes for 19 yards and had a sack in a 21-7 win over Cascade.

Defense: Liberty High senior two-way standout Sutton Koller had eight tackles, 2.5 for loss and an interception and also caught four passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 16 yards in a 26-21 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Defense: Liberty High senior linebacker Mason Waterbury had four tackles with two for loss and 1.5 sacks and recovered a fumble in a 26-21 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Defense: Regina sophomore Roan Eckhoff had 8.5 tackles, including two for loss and a sack in a 21-7 win over Cascade.

Defense: Clear Creek Amana senior defensive lineman Jacek Wauters had 3.5 tackles with three for loss in a 32-13 win at Oskaloosa.

Defense: Clear Creek Amana senior Nolan Howell had 1.5 tackles with one for loss and an interception in a 32-13 win at Oskaloosa.

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