Xavier can be happy with hard-fought win over Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Xavier Coach Duane Schulte told his team he was happy and that it's OK for them to feel the same way.The Saints might be walking away with warm feelings, but they had to battle to walk away from John Wall Field with a victory.Class 4A fourth-ranked Xavier shut out Cedar Rapids Prairie in the second half, claiming a 17-10 win in a Mississippi Valley Conference prep football game Friday night. The Saints improved to 2-0.“The MVC is a really tough conference. Prairie came out to play,” Xavier senior running back Pat Chizek said. “A win is a win, you know.”It wasn't pretty at times for the Saints, which tallied 87 penalty yards including 51 in the first half. The Saints committed three straight holding penalties on a first-half drive that moved them back to their own 1e and led to Prairie's first score thanks to starting its drive on the Xavier 15. The miscues were a combination of their own doing and Prairie's pressure, but Chizek said one of the Saints mantras is fighting through adversity.“Penalties is one big thing that hurt us in this game but we fought through it,” Chizek said. “That's a goal of ours.”Defense ruled the second half. The Xavier defense pressure Prairie QB Chaz Boots early and then Mitch McLaughlin snagged a pass in the end zone for an interception when the hawks threatened to tie the score. The saints proved they had the toughness to battle to the win.“I think most of it was a desire and attitude to get the job done,” Schulte said. “You hope they do (show toughness). I guess you never know until they're in that situation. Tonight they had to try to overcome some adversity.”A strong wind wreaked havoc with teams in the first half, but when Xavier had it at its back they took control of the game.On its first possession of the second quarter, Xavier marched 80 yards, capped by Chizek's 60-yard TD run for a 7-3 lead with 9:30 to go in the second quarter. Chizek ran right and then cut across the field setting up a few blockers heading down the left sideline. As two Prairie defenders appeared to cut him off and force him out of bounds, Chizek cut back to the right leaving the defenders while reaching the end zone.Chizek finished with 181 rushing yards on 24 carries.“The line was just making the holes that were there,” said Chizek, crediting linemen Alex Jasper and Alex Boyer for key blocks on his scoring run. “It's easy to run when the holes are there.”The saints struck again quickly. Andy Didio connected with Nathan Even on a go route down the left sideline. Even corralled the lofted pass for a 49-yard score and a 14-3 Xavier lead with 7:17 to go before halftime.“We thought we could take a shot on those particular plays," Schulte said. "Guys end up doing their job and it ends up being successful.”The passing combo hooked up six times for 124 yards, including the long TD. Didio went 10-for-15 passing for 148 yards. They converted on a key 37-yard pass that set up Chad Gilmer's 19-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 1:37 to go in the third.“Andy did a great job tonight,” Chizek said. “Nate just ran great routes and Andy gave him the ball. It was just great plays.”Prairie (0-2) had great opportunities the first half but couldn't convert. The Hawks' first drives started inside the Saints' 38. Prairie missed a pair of field goals, including a 57-yard attempt that followed Tanner Riley's successful 52-yard kick negated by an illegal procedure penalty. Riley put the Hawks ahead 3-0 with a 25-yard field goal in the first.The lone touchdown came on a great effort by tight  end Sam Joens. Boots rolled out and hit Joens heading toward the Xavier sideline. It looked as if the play would come to and end but Joens refused to be forced out of bounds and moving, b reaking free for a 79-yard TD in the second quarter.