Iowa City Liberty escapes Cedar Rapids Washington with second-half rally, 27-22

CEDAR RAPIDS — There was no Sutton Koller around for Iowa City Liberty’s football game Friday night against Cedar Rapids Washington at Kingston Stadium.

The Lightning’s leading touchdown scorer is banged up and was held out of competition here.

That just gave some other guys an opportunity to show what they can do. Like Dallas Miller, the explosive receiver who had two touchdown catches in Liberty’s well-earned 27-22 victory.

Like Collin Decker, who’s a big target at 6-foot-3. He had a TD catch.

Like Jordan Schroeder, who took over Koller’s spot in the lineup as a back-receiver combo. He also caught a touchdown.

“We’ve got guys on the outside that can really play,” Liberty Coach Scott Chandler said. “We haven’t had the opportunity to get them the ball as much as I’d like to. They made a few plays tonight. I’d like them to be involved more. The more guys we have that can make plays, the tougher we are to defend.”

Quarterback Reece Rettig completed 20 of 30 passes for 251 yards and four scores as Class 5A seventh-ranked Liberty improved to 5-1. Running back Owen Drapeaux didn’t get into the end zone, but caught a couple of passes and rushed for 108 yards as the Lightning overcame a 16-14 halftime deficit to a team from Washington (2-4) that continues to show growth under first-year head coach Eric Addy.

“I just think we came out slow,” said Drapeaux. “The second half, we had to get our stuff together. The offense had to get moving. The defense was doing good, we just got put in bad positions. But the offense, in the second half, did what we’ve been doing all year.”

“I think tonight early on, we didn’t execute,” Chandler said. “We had plays there to be made. And, honestly, there were plays there to be made in the second half that we didn’t make, too. So we’re just going to have to go back and put our nose to the grindstone. I don’t know any other way than to get back to work. That’s what we’ll do.”

Washington scored first on a safety, when an errant center snap from Liberty 4 got away from Rettig and bounced out of the end zone. Miller’s first touchdown catch (a 22-yarder) put Liberty up, 7-2, but Wash quarterback Grady McGuire connected with wideout Fidel Tiah for a 57-yard TD pass down the sideline on the final play of the first quarter.

Tiah literally stole the ball away from a Liberty cornerback, who had been called for pass interference. He then picked off a Rettig pass on Liberty’s ensuing possession and returned it deep into Lightning territory, setting up running back Alex Taylor’s 4-yard TD run for a 16-7 Wash lead.

Liberty was able to drive for a significant late second-quarter score, when Decker went up over a defender and hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Rettig over the middle. Miller’s short catch over the middle turned into a 38-yard touchdown late in the third quarter as Liberty took its first lead of 20-16.

Schroeder’s touchdown catch created separation. Washington did get a TD back late, as Brock Davis (playing in a cast because of a broken finger) ran in from 8 yards out with 46.7 seconds left.

The two-point conversion pass failed, Liberty recovered Wash’s onside kick attempt, and that was that. The Lightning crushed the Warriors last season, 60-10, with this game proving how far Washington has come this season.

“We have become a competitive football team quicker than I’m sure most people thought,” Addy said. “Now it’s about winning these types of games.”

Quarterback McGuire threw for 123 yards and rushed for 56 for Washington, which gets Iowa City West next week.

Iowa City Liberty 27, Cedar Rapids Washington 22

(At Kingston Stadium)

Iowa City Liberty 7 7 6 7-27

C.R. Washington 9 7 0 6-22

Team Statistics

First Downs - Liberty 22, Washington 10. Rushes-Yards - Liberty 31-112, Washington 33-122. Passing - Liberty 20-30-1-251, Washington 8-15-1-123. Total Yards - Liberty 363, Washington 245. Penalties-Yards - Liberty 4-50, Washington 7-70. Punts-Average - Liberty 1-34.0, Washington 6-40.0. Fumbles-Lost - Liberty 2-0, Washington 0-0.

Individual Statistics

Liberty - Rushing: Owen Drapeaux 18-108, Reece Rettig 5-14, Brody Beaver 2-5, Charles Roberts 2-(minus) 2, Team 3-(minus) 13. Passing: Reece Rettig 20-30-1-251. Receiving: Dallas Miller 6-103, Collin Decker 6-76, Landon Bell 3-40, Owen Drapeaux 2-22, Jordan Schroeder 1-10.

Washington - Rushing: Grady McGuire 13-56, Alex Taylor 9-25, Will Barnes 3-15, Brock Davis 1-8, Trey Iranzi 1-7, Nicholas Riley 2-7, Terriyon Montgomery 4-4. Passing: Grady McGuire 8-15-1-123. Receiving: Fidel Tiah 2-72, Terriyon Montgomery 1-12, Alex Taylor 1-10, Javion Seals 1-9, Nicholas Riley 1-7, Trey Iranzi 1-3.

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