Moore Wins City High Debut as Little Hawks Explode Past Liberty High
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
NORTH LIBERTY – Since taking over at City High during the offseason Mitch Moore has likened the program to a powder keg ready to explode.
The Little Hawks lit the fuse early in Moore’s City High debut on Friday.
City High exploded for 21 points in a little more than three minutes late in the first quarter and rolled to an impressive 41-0 win over cross-town rival Liberty High in the season opener for both teams in North Liberty.
“We had to make a statement and that’s exactly what we did,” City High junior Ben Kueter said. “We made a statement.”
City High scored five touchdowns in the final 15 minutes and change of the first half while snapping a two-game losing skid to the Lightning.
The Little Hawks scored on a strip sack fumble, limited Liberty High to two first downs and 57 total yards and ground out 232 rushing yards while building a 35-0 halftime lead.
“I talked about our team being confident in preparation and I truly believe there is not a team that prepares the way we do and works the way that we do and puts stress on our players the way we do,” Moore said. “Even if we don’t have the best players year in and year out I believe in our preparation and I believe in our work ethic and I believe in our philosophy and I believe in our plan.”
Liberty High (0-1) had momentum early in its first game under new head coach James Harris. The Lightning forced a City High three-and-out on the opening possession and on its first offensive possession used a 39-yard pass from Tye Huges to Ja’Quez Hall to move into the Little Hawk red zone.
City High came up with a stop, forcing a turnover on downs and turned the momentum on its next offensive possession.
Forcing a 4th and 1 from its own 27 and staring at a second consecutive three-and-out to open the game senior Gable Mitchell lined up in punt formation, avoided a rush and picked up two yards and first down.
“It was kind of called but they would have blocked it if I didn’t take off,” Mitchell said. “They came through pretty quick so I just had to make a play on the go.”
That conversion sparked what turned into a 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 4-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Quinton Tran to Kueter that put City High up 7-0.
“That certainly did swing the momentum,” Moore said. “You noticed their side kind of got quiet and then our fans really got into the game and then our sideline came alive.”
That touchdown drive set of a string of explosive City High plays.
Two plays later senior linebacker John Klosterman came free on a blitz and jarred the ball loose from Huges.
Gabe Orris recovered the loose ball in the end zone to put City High up 14-0.
“I didn’t even know the ball was out I was just trying to get him down,” Klosterman said. “He kind of made a juke move on me but I got my hands on him luckily and we got on the ball and that really set the tone for us.”
The sack, fumble and touchdown recovery gave City High a pair of touchdowns in a span of 16 seconds and swung all the momentum to the Little Hawk sideline.
“They were backed up and we knew they were in a tense situation and so we wanted them to know we were brining pressure and we simulated it on one side and brought it on the other,” Moore said. “They knew we were brining pressure they just didn’t know where it was coming from and we made a big play and that’s exactly what we try to do down there.”
After a Liberty High three-and-out Joey Bouska scored on a 10-yard run with 2.3 seconds left in the first quarter to push the lead to 21-0.
Tran added a 14-yard touchdown run on a scramble and Ronnie Major ripped off a 53-yard scoring jaunt that pushed the lead to 35-0 at the half.
“Everyone was kind of nervous we just all needed to settle in and it just took one play and then we all flipped a switch,” Klosterman said. “As soon as we started making plays momentum got in our favor and it just started tumbling over and over and we ended up piling it on them.
City High gained 232 of its 243 rushing yards in the first half while holding the Lightning to negative yards on the ground in the first two quarters.
The Little Hawks limited Liberty High to 54 rushing yards in the game.
Coming off of four consecutive two-win seasons City High has a chance to match that win total next week when it hosts Cedar Rapids Jefferson (0-1).
“It’s been a long time coming, we put a lot of work in this summer and that’s why everybody is so excited right now because of all the work that goes into this stuff,” Kuter said. “City High football is back and people need to be ready. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
ICH ICL
First downs 15 7
Rushes-yards 35-243 28-54
Comp-Att-Int 7-13-0 9-19-1
Passing yards 115 114
Total yards 358 168
Punts-avg 3-40.7 5-27.6
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-2
Penalties-yards 12-121 5-35
City High 21 14 0 7 – 41
Liberty High 0 0 0 0 – 0
ICH – Ben Kueter 4 pass from Quinton Tran (Kongalo Mwenemkamba kick)
ICH – Gabe Orris 0 fumble recovery (Mwenemkamba kick)
ICH – Joey Bouska 10 run (Mwenemkamba kick)
ICH – Tran 14 run (Kick failed)
ICH – Ronnie Major 53 run (Darren Richardson run)
ICH – Kueter 77 pass from Drew Larson (Kick failed)
Individual Statistics
RUSHING – City High: Joey Bouska 10-47, Ronnie Major 9-86, Darren Richardson 7-48, Quinton Tran 6-60, Gable Mitchell 1-2, Drew Larson 1-2, Jovan Harris 1-(-2). Liberty High: Darius Willis-Newell 18-59, Tye Hughes 9-10, Team 1-(-15).
PASSING – City High: Drew Larson 3-7-0 92, Quinton Tran 4-6-0 23. Liberty High: Tye Hughes 9-19-1 114
RECEIVING – City High: Ben Kueter 3-90, Jovan Harris 1-9, Akili Mattox 1-6, Ronnie Major 1-5, Darren Richardson 1-5. Liberty High: Amari Thigpen 4-62, Ja’Quez Hall 2-47, Darius Willis-Newell 2-3, Garrett Gregoire 1-2
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