Pella hands Cedar Rapids Xavier rare second straight loss

CEDAR RAPIDS — A rugged early schedule should help reap later benefits.

At least that is the plan for the Cedar Rapids Xavier football team.

For the first time in 13 years, the Class 4A 10th-ranked Saints lost back-to-back regular-season games after No. 3 Pella visited Saints Field and triumphed, 21-19, in the final non-district game for both teams Friday night.

“I liked the fact that we didn’t quit,” Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. “We’re decimated with injuries and illnesses and playing young guys, but they just kept battling.”

Just like last week’s 21-17 loss at No. 8 Western Dubuque, Xavier (2-2) was again without sophomore quarterback Cash Parks. Parks, who threw for 440 yards and four touchdowns in the Saints’ first two games (both wins), had surgery on his mouth after being involved in an automobile accident earlier this month.

“Day to day, I think,” Schulte said of Parks’ status.

In Parks’ absence, left-handed senior Cohen Honkomp started the game at quarterback and was later supplanted by sophomore Sam Schimberg. Including a 25-yard completion by junior tailback Carter Hoffmann on the first play of the game, the Saints finished with 89 passing yards.

Given the uncertainty of the passing game success, Xavier leaned heavily on Hoffmann and the offensive line to chew up yardage and try to take some pressure off the quarterbacks.

  Buy Photo

“Just blocking harder for them, making it a lot easier,” Hoffmann said. “Helping them out if they don’t know the play. Just being team players for them, because they are new to it.”

Hoffmann ran for a game-high 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4-yard score with 4:26 left in the game that pulled the Saints within 21-19 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.

“Our offensive line did great blocking tonight,” Hoffmann said. “Got to thank them a lot for everything. Couldn’t get those yards without them. We just had great blocking and everyone just did well tonight. Everyone played their heart out.”

Pella (4-0) seemed to move the ball at will in the first half. Senior quarterback Colin Kerndt threw for 174 yards, ran for 88 and accounted for three total touchdowns as the Dutch piled up 273 total yards and a 21-13 halftime lead.

After halftime, Xavier bowed up defensively by holding Pella to just 133 second-half yards and zero points, though the Dutch were threatening to punch in another touchdown and opted to instead run out the clock.

Recommended Reading

Photos: Pella at Cedar Rapids Xavier high school football

“We were just putting pressure on the quarterback,” said Xavier senior linebacker Jack Downey, who intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter. “We were just focused on doing our job and playing for our teammates.”

Xavier opens District 3 play next week at home against Clinton.

Pella 21, Cedar Rapids Xavier 19

AT SAINTS FIELD

PEL CRX

First Downs 22 14

Rushes-yards 37-184 31-176

Comp-Att-Int 21-33-1 11-17-1

Passing yards 222 89

Total yards 406 265

Punts-avg. 2-33.0 3-26.7

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0

Penalties-yards 5-65 2-10

Pella 7 14 0 0—21

Cedar Rapids Xavier 6 7 0 6—19

CRX — Dustin Cook 3 run (kick failed)

PEL — Tyson Barnes 19 pass from Colin Kerndt (Tyson Barnes kick)

CRX — Carter Hoffmann 3 run (Owen Vasquez kick)

PEL — Colin Kerndt 36 run (Tyson Barnes kick)

PEL — Harrison Mullens 5 pass from Colin Kerndt (Tyson Barnes kick)

CRX — Carter Hoffmann 4 run (run failed)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING — Pella: Emmanuel Diers 14-61, Colin Kerndt 22-102, Tyson Barnes 1-21; Cedar Rapids Xavier: Carter Hoffmann 24-163, Cohen Honkomp 5-11, Dustin Cook 2-2.

PASSING — Pella: Colin Kerndt 21-33-1-222; Cedar Rapids Xavier: Cohen Honkomp 6-10-1-45, Sam Schimberg 4-6-0-19, Carter Hoffmann 1-1-0-25.

RECEIVING — Pella: Emmanuel Diers 8-83, Bailey Shetterly 1-9, Tyson Barnes 8-70, Harrison Mullens 4-60; Cedar Rapids Xavier: Carter Hoffmann 4-37, Aiden Miller 2-16, Ryan Kelly 4-36, Will Forman 1-0.

Comments: dem52314@yahoo.com