J-Hawks beat Kennedy in overtime

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Jefferson, a team starving for victories, decided it wanted to try for the taste of victory instead of snacking on extra time.

'We weren't going for a tie,' Coach Brian Webb said. 'Absolutely not. We just had to go with it.'

Quarterback Jesse Furrow rolled to his left and hit Valentino Green on fourth down for the game-winning touchdown, giving the J-Hawks a 27-24 overtime victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy last night at Kingston Stadium.

The win ignited a celebration on the field and in the stands. The J-Hawks snapped a six-year skid against Metro teams, dating to Oct. 17, 2008, which also was their last home victory. It was also the first time in 12 years Jefferson topped Kennedy. The J-Hawks improved to 3-2, giving them a winning record for the first time since Week 1 in 2008.

'I've never been more proud,' said former Jefferson Coach Bob Ask, who was invited by Webb to speak to the players on the field after the game.

The Cougars took a 24-21 advantage on a 25-yard field goal by Mark Schulz to open overtime. The J-Hawks faced 4th-and-goal from the 2 when Webb called timeout and gave the orders to go for it. The decision was welcomed by the J-Hawks, who had momentum after Kennedy missed a field goal to win as time expired in regulation.

'I wanted to go for it the whole time,' Furrow said. 'Our defense did a great job holding them to a field goal. This is what we wanted.

'We knew what we needed to win. It was awesome.'

Furrow's eyes lit up when he checked to Green. He was concentrating on making a catchable ball. Green said there were three options on the play and he was the one that came free.

'I didn't even know if I crossed the (goal) line, I was so excited,' Green said. 'I thought I got tackled behind the line. I just kept running, didn't go down until I got the touchdown.'

The win was emotional and is a prime example of how far the program has come in less than three full seasons under Webb. Jefferson has cleared hurdles it hasn't in six years and has eased the sting of a previous 24-game losing streak from 2009 to Sept. 2012.

'It means the world,' Jefferson's Dakota Tomkins said. 'Before we went out on that first play (in overtime), I told everybody in the huddle this is what we live for. We won't do anything that will match high school football.

'We knew we wanted it. We just went out, gave our best and came out on top,' Tomkins added.

The J-Hawks started slow, trailing Kennedy, 7-0, at halftime thanks to a 41-yard TD pass from Sammy Lizarraga to Shaun Beyer with less than six minutes to go in the first.

Jefferson found its running game after the break, taking a 14-7 edge in the third on two rushing TDs. Tavian Rashed capped an 80-yard drive to opening the second half, running for a 16-yard score to tie the game.

Rashed amassed 94 rushing yards, including 82 in the second half. Jefferson made adjustments after the break.

'I got away from my game plan the first half,' Webb said. 'We stuck with the power game. The power game was good to us.'

Mason Short added the go-ahead score with a 4-yard burst up the middle on the next offensive drive, capitalizing on a short field after getting the ball at the Kennedy 49.

Lizarraga and Beyer than put the Cougars back on top, connecting on touchdown passes of 32 and 15 yards. Kennedy held a 21-14 lead with 6:09 remaining in the fourth.

The J-Hawks didn't waste any time answering. Furrow checked down to a crossing Manny Olutunde, who went 63 yards for a TD. J-Hawk Mason Furnish provided a key downfield block to spring him.

'It was a great high school football game,' Webb said. 'We battled back and forth. I think in the past we would have folded in those situations. We just kept coming.'

Lizarraga threw for 201 yards, hitting Beyer six times for 128 yards. Tyler Dralle led Kennedy with 81 yards rushing. The Cougars hit some big plays, but the J-Hawks held at the end of regulation and in overtime.

'We played with a lot of heart,' Jefferson's Dalton Kuehl said. 'We had a great effort by all of us.'

The Cougars opted to position the ball in the final minute, calling a third-down run to move the ball from the left hash to the center of the field. Kennedy Coach Brian White had faith in his kicker and didn't want to risk a turnover going for a TD, despite the success Lizarraga and Beyer had during the game..

'We were going to lineup and have the opportunity to win a ballgame,' White said. 'A football is a different shape than any other ball. You don't know what way that ball is going to go. It just didn't bounce our way.'

Kennedy, playing without standout running back and linebacker Terrence Hall, had opportunities, but had a costly first-half fumble deep in Jefferson territory and missed the game-winner with 1.5 seconds left. The Cougars (0-5, 0-1 4A District 5) are searching for its first win.

'We came in and played hard,' White said. 'It's like I told them, we snatched a loss out of the jaws of victory. Up and down the line, up and down the field, we played well enough to win. It's tough. It's tough to take a loss like that for the kids.'

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