Big plays help Cedar Rapids Kennedy top Jefferson, 55-6

CEDAR RAPIDS — The big play was out in full force during Friday night’s intracity showdown between Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Coach Ed Miles’ J-Hawks fired the first salvo as Ishara Kalolero took the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a score.

That 6-0 lead was short-lived … the rest of the big plays belonged to the Cougars.

Kennedy, ranked No. 5 in The Gazette’s Class 5A poll, needed just one play to take the lead, ripping off 55 straight points en route to a 55-6 Homecoming victory at Kingston Stadium.

Cougars Coach Brian White, whose team moved to 4-0, admitted he was not happy with the opening of the game, but was pleased with the quick response.

“It was really disappointing because we pride ourselves on special teams,” he said. “Through the first three games, we’ve played lights out on specials. That shows you what can happen if you take a play off, but we straightened it out and got it going in the right direction again.”

On Kennedy’s first play from scrimmage, Dominic Mann took a reverse pitch and went untouched 65 yards to score. That was the first of eight Cougar TDs, the shortest of the eight being 16 yards. Mann had a second score negated by a penalty after he ran an interception back.

The Kennedy defense continued its stingy ways, holding the J-Hawks (0-4), unofficially, to 18 total yards. White was pleased with the way that unit was locked in.

“We’ve played really well all year defensively,” he said. “I don’t know how many tackles Calvin White had, but it had to be in double digits.

“All our kids just played great on defense.”

The offense wasn’t on the field very often because of the big plays. Sophomore Vincenzo Gianforte completed just 2 of 6 passes, but both went for scores of 18 yards to Michael Mulherin and 47 yards to Cyrus Courtney. Donovan Slick-Driscoll scored on a 42-yard punt return and a 19-yard run. Anthony Franklin carried just three times for 83 yards, but two went for scores. Trevor Scott also scored on a 27-yard run.

Despite the score, White was quick to praise the J-Hawks.

“We did not come into this game at all taking Cedar Rapids Jefferson lightly,” he said. “We practiced hard all week because we knew they were going to fight and they did.”

Next Friday, Kennedy hits the road for a game against Dubuque Senior while Jefferson travels to Linn-Mar.