Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – For an opener, it was pretty clean.

Just two penalties. One turnover. Zero punts.

Still, there is work to be done for the Iowa City High football team. A date with crosstown rival Iowa City West and the Battle for the Boot is next.

“I thought we did some things well,” City High senior quarterback Raph Hamilton said after the Little Hawks routed Davenport Central, 35-14, in the Class 4A prep football opening game for both schools Friday night at Bates Field. “There were drives where we just drove the ball at will. But then there were times where we were just kind of stopping ourselves, I felt like. We just kind of had a complacent attitude like, ‘Oh, we just scored.’ That is something we have got to get better at, is just having that mentality that every drive, we are going to go and score.”

The ‘complacent attitude’ may have been fueled by the empty stands.

No spectators were allowed at the game due to an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases and the restriction on social gatherings announced by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Thursday, which included Johnson County.

Some fans elected to line their cars behind the fence on First Avenue in order to cheer on their Little Hawks.

The difference in home atmosphere was palpable, but the City High running game was no less effective.

The Little Hawks ran for 306 yards, led by 82 yards in 13 carries from junior tailback Jamari Newson, a converted receiver.

“I like both positions,” Newson said. “But I felt the coaches know what they are taking about. They know what they are doing, so if they feel I can dominate at that position, I can dominate at that position.”

After gaining just four yards in three first quarter rush attempts, Newson got loose in the second frame.

The 5-foot-11, 168-pound speedster gained 50 yards in four tries before halftime, including touchdown sprints of eight and four yards that sent the Little Hawks to the locker room with a 21-7 lead.

“I know that I need to run harder,” Newson said. “I need to do my job and get to that spot. That is what I did. I took advantage of that.”

City High (1-0) demonstrated the ability for both quick strikes and grinding marches down the field.

The first Little Hawks’ touchdown was a 48-yard heave from Hamilton to junior receiver Gable Mitchell on the first play of a late first quarter possession.

“The more balanced we can become, the better team we are going to become,” City High Coach Dan Sabers said. “I think everybody knows Gable Mitchell is a threat and we have got other guys that are a threat.”

The City High defense also had its moments in holding the Blue Devils to 269 total yards.

Senior Edward McKee and junior Aaron Stalkfleet each recorded important sacks, while junior nose guard Ostyn Friday helped turn a 28-14 game into the rout early in the fourth quarter with a fourth down stop on the Davenport Central 17-yard-line.

“Coach told me, ‘Hey, just line up on the center and make a play’,” Friday said. “And that is what I did. I just drove him straight back in, got the tackle. (I) was really hyped about that. That was a big momentum play for the team.”

Three plays later, senior tailback Sila Lulinda scampered into the end zone from 13 yards away for the game’s final score.

Hamilton finished with 93 passing yards and 80 rushing with two total touchdowns and an interception.

Bryan Mitchell ran for 147 yards for Davenport Central (0-1).

Next Friday, City High visits Iowa City West, a 27-0 winner at Iowa City Liberty on Friday night.

“Our defense, I thought, was disappointing,” Sabers said. “I was disappointed with that and we have got to improve our passing game.”

                                          DC                         ICH                     

First Downs                        14                           21

Rushes-yards                     34-154                   48-306

Comp-Att-Int                     13-21-0                 6-13-1

Passing yards                     115                         93

Total yards                          269                         399

Punts-avg.                          4-28.3                    0-0

Fumbles-lost                      1-0                          0-0

Penalties-yards                 9-75                       2-10

Davenport Central                7   0   7   0  –  14

Iowa City High                      7  14  7   7  –  35

ICH – Gable Mitchell 48 pass from Raph Hamilton (Kongalo Mwenemkamba kick)

DC – Kellan Rush 26 pass from Corbin Simatovich (Carter Hurst kick)

ICH – Jamari Newson 8 run (Mwenemkamba kick)

ICH – Jamari Newson 4 run (Mwenemkamba kick)

DC – Brian Mitchell 4 run (Hurst kick)

ICH – Raph Hamilton 5 run (Mwenemkamba kick)

ICH – Sila Lulinda 13 run (Mwenemkamba kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Davenport Central: Corbin Simatovich 4-(-13), Dane Howard 2-(-1), Nate Hummel 3-14, Brian Mitchell 23-147, Cortez Brown 2-7. City High: Darren Richardson 9-45, Raph Hamilton 13-80, Jamari Newson 13-82, Gable Mitchell 1-19, Sila Lulinda 3-19, Gabe Orris 1-2, Keyshawn Voss 4-33, Joe Bacon 1-1, Joey Bouska 3-35.

PASSING – Davenport Central: Corbin Simatovich 13-21-0-115. City High: Raph Hamilton 6-13-1-93.

RECEIVING – Davenport Central: Niiziar Rogers 1-13, Kellan Rush 4-55, Dylan Graves 4-21, Brian Mitchell 2-19, Cortez Brown 2-7. City High: Gable Mitchell 2-58, Jamari Newson 1-9, Kolby Kucera 1-13, Will Larson 2-13.

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