No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier football overcomes penalty calls in 37-0 shutout of Independence

INDEPENDENCE - Even with a lopsided victory, players for the Cedar Rapids Xavier football team will be sitting up straight this week in team meetings, anxious to see what, if anything, needs to be cleaned up.

The top-ranked Saints (6-0, 4-0 District 3) ran for over 200 yards, but were penalized 11 times for 105 yards, in a 37-0 victory over Independence in a Class 3A district game Friday night at Leinbaugh Field.

'We sure had a lot more called against us than they did,” Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. 'I guess we're going to have to watch the film and find out what the holding call was and then go from there.”

Independence (3-4, 2-2) was called for three penalties totaling 30 yards.

Penalties limited Xavier's offensive production in the second and third quarters, but by then the damage was done.

The Saints had substantial early success with swing passes behind the line of scrimmage from senior quarterback Quinn Schulte to receiver Gabe Lux.

On the second Xavier possession, Lux converted three such plays for 38 yards, the last a 21-yard TD run that gave the Saints a 7-0 lead.

'I've got to play like I don't have any pressure and just play freely,” said Lux, a four-sport standout who finished with 52 rushing yards and caught one pass for 23 yards. 'I've got to do whatever I can do. My teammates had great blocks out on the edge tonight, so I could just catch the ball and run. Quinn put it right on the money and it was just there.”

Schulte and tailback Jax Junge also ran for scores as Xavier built a 21-0 lead after one quarter.

'That early lead definitely helps us,” Lux said.

Junior kicker Ben Conrad proved to be a valuable weapon for the Saints with field goals of 39, 31 and 41 yards whenever drives sputtered.

A 39-yard Lux punt return in the fourth quarter set up the final Xavier TD, a nine-yard toss from Schulte to Joey Drahozal that provided the final score.

The Xavier defense held the high-powered Indee attack to just 75 total yards and forced 10 punts.

The victory sets up a pivotal district tussle next week with undefeated Waverly-Shell Rock (6-0, 4-0) at Saints Field. Xavier ousted the Go-Hawks in a 3A playoff quarterfinal last season.

'Probably the same old stuff,” Duane Schulte said when asked what it will take to defeat Waverly-Shell Rock. 'Block better than them, tackle better than them. Cut down on penalties, mistakes and turnovers and just try to play a clean game.”

Braden Stovie led the Saints with 91 rushing yards, while Schulte threw for 148.

Zach Snyder caught five passes for 32 yards for Independence.

'I thought defensively we did a lot of things well,” Independence Coach Justin Putz said. 'We forced some field goals and to their credit, they hit them.”

AT INDEPENDENCE

Class 3A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier 37, Independence 0

C.R. Xavier 21 3 3 10-37

Independence 0 0 0 0-0

CRX -

Gabe Lux 21 run (Ben Conrad kick)

CRX -

Quinn Schulte 2 run (Ben Conrad kick)

CRX -

Jax Junge 19 run (Ben Conrad kick)

CRX -

FG Ben Conrad 39

CRX -

FG Ben Conrad 31

CRX -

FG Ben Conrad 41

CRX -

Joey Drahozal 9 pass from Quinn Schulte (Ben Conrad kick)

RUSHING - C.R. Xavier: Jax Junge 11-42, Quinn Schulte 11-19, Braden Stovie 8-91, Thomas Tobin 3-4, Gabe Lux 6-52; Independence:

Seth House 8-25, Cyrus Butters 1-(-5), Logan Schmitt 12-8, Noah Gall 4-6.

PASSING - C.R. Xavier: Quinn Schulte 11-19-0-148; Independence:

Logan Schmitt 7-17-0-41.

RECEIVING - C.R. Xavier: Kyle Moeder 1-6, Jack Scott 1-38, Braden Stovie 4-35, Jacob Hines 1-21, Joey Drahozal 1-9; Gabe Lux 1-23, Derrick Skala 2-16; Independence:

Zach Snyder 5-32, Seth House 1-(-5), Sean Geertsema 1-14.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com