Washington weathers storm, thunders to 35-21 win over Jefferson

CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids Washington weathered the storm.

First, it was about an hour delay for lightning. Next, it was a lightning-quick blitz from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, resulting in two double-digit deficits before the first quarter.

After that first break, the Warriors thundered their way to victory.

Grady McGuire rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another and the Warriors defense shut out the J-Hawks the final three quarters in a 35-21 win in the Cedar River Rivalry high school football game Friday night at Kingston Stadium.

“We came out and got punched in the mouth,” Second-year Washington Coach Eric Addy said. “We had to respond. We were going to find out how tough a team we are. If we're really tough, can stay together and weather the storm, and we were able to do that.”

Washington’s seniors have never lost in this series. This was a game they circled on the calendar and not just because it was the season opener.

“Our seniors, we emphasized it, and the fact that we can make this a four-peat, go undefeated, it was so special to us,” Washington’s Nicholas Riley said. “The seniors lead the team and the team helps us seniors. It's amazing.”

Jefferson’s first two drives couldn’t have been any different while producing the same result. The J-Hawks scored on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead. The first was an 80-yard drive on 10 plays, culminating in a 13-yard slant pass from Vernon Benda to Osten Robertson.

  Buy Photo

Uweza Kalolero provided the lightning-quick score on the next possession. He broke a tackle and side-stepped a defender, cutting left and bolting down the far sideline for a 79-yard TD. Jefferson led 14-0 with 3:23 to go in the quarter.

The Warriors emphasized composure during practice this week. They didn’t panic and maintained confidence in a comeback.

“Our coach said before the game our culture will get us 14 points over their culture and we won by 14 points,” McGuire said. “We're tough, we don't quit and we stay together. Nothing is going to break us.”

McGuire helped provide an instant response to start the comeback. He took the snap and sprinted 77 yards on the first-play of the second drive, putting Washington on the board.

“I got to shout out my O-line,” said McGuire, praising linemen Owen Blackhurst and Willie Davis said. “Counter is a scary play to run. We've seen a bunch of guys, but then my big guy Willie and Owen parted the Red Sea. I saw it, shot it and just did my thing.”

Jefferson continued its opening-quarter outburst with another 80-yard drive. The J-Hawks needed six plays, including passes of 6 and 43 yards to L.J. Nyenow and a 27-yard gain from Benda to Robertson. Kalolero scored on a 5-yard run with 12 left before the first break.

“Our message is never going to change,” Addy said. “We want to be tough together Warriors (T.T.W.). If we weren’t able to have a culture the way we have, there's no way we would have been able to battle back down two scores multiple times.”

The tide turned in favor of the Warriors in the second. Washington scored on consecutive possessions. The Warriors capitalized on a short field, forcing a turnover on downs on a mishandled punt snap and taking over at the J-Hawks 14. Four plays later, Riley scored on a 2-yard run.

“We can't hurt ourselves like that with the dropped punt and giving them a short field,” Jefferson Coach Ed Miles said. “We knew it was going to be ground-and-pound. But give it up the Wash. They stayed in there. They kept fighting.”

Jefferson’s next drive stalled at the Washington 45. The Warriors went 55 yards, getting a second chance on a roughing-the-kicker penalty. Terryion Montgomery capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run, tying the game 21-21 with 22 seconds left before the break.

Addy said Jefferson thwarted the original game plan but adjusted. He praised his assistants and the players for the rally.

“It’s not me,” Addy said. “I'm just back here pumping up footballs, but my coaching staff and my kids did a fantastic job, talking through halftime adjustments, going in there in a short turnaround and figuring it out.

“It’s players. It’s not plays.”

McGuire powered a 76-yard, 10-play drive to open the third. He scored on a physical 12-yard TD run that gave Washington a 28-21 advantage that it didn’t surrender.

“Coming out of the halftime, we were like if we go out, drive down the field and punch it in they're going to go away,” McGuire said. “Look what happened, they did. They went away.”

McGuire hit Bonfil “Trey” Iranzi on a 14-yard TD pass with 2:55 remaining in the fourth for a 14-point lead. Iranzi also thwarted the J-Hawks final drive, intercepting a pass in the end zone in the final minute.

“Trey has earned the right to be able to be the guy to make the play that seals the game for us,” Addy said. “He made the touchdown play and then he got the interception to a seal the game.

“Holy cow. I couldn't be prouder of that guy. That that kid is a great young man that works his tail off. Very deserving of his moment.”

Washington’s defense contained the J-Hawks the final three quarters. The Warriors settled in after early jitters. They tried to force 3 rd-and-long situations and were effective.

“This is our first game,” Riley said. “We’ve been hitting each other, and after that first taste of blood, hitting other people, we got comfortable. Once we got comfortable, it was there for more.”

McGuire finished with 148 yards rushing. Riley added 108 total yards , including 78 on the ground and

Benda passed for 226 yards, including 110 to Nyenow. Kalolero rushed for 127 yards.

“The first quarter we came out the way I expected us to come out,” Miles said. “It was just too many mistakes.”

C.R. WASHINGTON 35

C.R. JEFFERSON 21

AT KINGSTON STADIUM

CRW CRJ

First Downs 19 13

Rushes-yards 48-319 20-144

Passing yards 44 226

Comp-att-int 5-12-0 18-27-2

Total yards 363 370

Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0

Punts-avg. 2-47.5 1-44.0

Penalties-yards 0-0 5-32

C.R. Washington 7 14 7 7 -- 35

C.R. Jefferson 21 0 0 0 -- 21

CRJ – Osten Robertson 13 pass from Vernon Benda (Tyler Bartlett kick)

CRJ – Uweza Kalolero 79 run (Bartlett kick)

CRW – Grady McGuire 79 run (Logan Barton kick)

CRJ – Kalolero 5 run (Bartlett kick)

CRW – Nicholas Riley 2 run (Barton kick)

CRW – Terryion Montgomery 3 run (Barton kick)

CRW – McGuire 12 run (Barton kick)

CRW – Bonfils Iranzi 14 pass from McGuire (Barton kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – C.R. Washington: McGuire 14-148, Riley 15-78, Keegan Waters 3-40, Bonfils Iranzi 7-39, Montgomery 5-10, Kobe Sindt 1-3, Cassius Ballew-Batte 1-3, Team 2-(minus 2). C.R. Jefferson: Kalolero 12-127, Robertson 1-15, Benda 5-11, Team 1-(minus 1), Bartlett 1-(minus 8).

PASSING – C.R. Washington: McGuire 5-12-0-44. C.R. Jefferson: Benda 18-27-2-226.

RECEIVING – C.R. Washington: Riley 2-30, Iranzi 1-14, Waters 1-0, Javion Seals 1-0. C.R. Jefferson: L.J. Nyenow 8-110, Jermaine Robinson 4-40, Robertson 3-50, Lucas Ranard 2-15, Samuel Williams 1-11.

Comments: k.j.pilcher@thegazette.com