Tigers too much for J-Hawks

CEDAR FALLS — Cedar Rapids Jefferson Coach Brian Webb knows the Cedar Falls football program well.

He played for the Tigers and their current head coach, Brad Remmert, was on that staff. He aspires to raise the J-Hawks to the stature of the perennial power.

The desired destination still is a long way away. Ninth-ranked Cedar Falls was too much for Cedar Rapids Jefferson, posting a 35-17 victory in a Class 4A District 5 game Thursday night at the UNI-Dome.

'We have nothing to walk away ashamed of,' Webb said. 'That is a good team and that is going to make us better, playing teams like this. Kids have to understand this.

'Eventually, I'd like to be at Cedar Falls' level. We're not quite there yet. That is what we're striving to be.'

The J-Hawks (3-3, 1-1) started slow, finding themselves in a 14-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter and in an even bigger hole in the second when the Tigers (5-1, 2-0) went up 28-3.

Some old bad habits contributed to ineffectiveness when Jefferson suffered a few penalties (eight for 52 yards) and surrendered some long plays. The mistakes created long situations on second and third down, making it hard to build momentum. Plus, the Tigers speed was hard to match.

'We had too many mistakes,' said Webb, adding, 'We had too many big plays again. We have to clean that up. They have a lot of athletes.'

Cedar Falls quarterback Taylen Alexander and Dennison Harrington were impressive, leading the charge and helping snap Jefferson's three-game win streak.

Alexander entered the game with 223 passing yards and two touchdowns through the first five weeks. He surpassed that total, throwing for 239 yards and a touchdown.

Alexander hit a wide-open Harrington down the left side of the field for a 78-yard TD, putting the Tigers up, 14-0, in the first. Alexander also connected on a 32-yard pass to Javon Middleton, setting up Harrington's 16-yard scoring run. He hit Ben Fienup for gains of 35 and 18 in a drive that resulted in a Fienup 5-yard TD run and a 28-3 advantage late in the second.

The plan was to get the ball to the outside and let skill players work in space. The Jefferson's aggressive defense allowed for more shots down the field.

'He's a solid passer,' Remmert said of Alexander. 'He spent a lot of time in previous years in the shotgun so he is comfortable back there (and) reading it. We tried to get a fine mix, doing some under center but putting our kids in the shotgun look in the spread and utilizing some of the speed on the edge.'

Harrington amassed 124 total yards, including 79 receiving. Three of his rushes went for touchdowns and his long TD reception was an early dagger to the J-Hawks.

The J-Hawks continued to battle. Jefferson capitalized on a long Manny Olutunde kickoff return to start their first scoring drive at the Cedar Falls 38. It led to a Caleb Kesterson 22-yard field goal.

Jefferson capped the first half on a high note. The J-Hawks took over with a little more than two minutes to play in the second. They drove 66 yards, getting a boost from quarterback Jesse Furrow, who hit Brady Bernauer and Bryce Lund on passes of 24 and 23 yards, respectively.

With Jefferson facing 3rd and goal from the 3 with one second on the clock, Lund punched it in for a TD and cut the J-Hawks deficit to 18 at the break.

The J-Hawks added another touchdown in the fourth, driving 66 yards on 15 plays capped by a Furrow 1-yard TD run. Furrow threw for 119 yards and Jefferson managed 103 yards rushing against a speedy Cedar Falls defense. They never quit, which Webb said may not have been a trait of previous recent teams.

'We take a lot of pride playing to the fourth quarter is over,' Lund said. 'We never give up. We just give it our all until it is over.'

The J-Hawks were sky high after the win against Cedar Rapids Kennedy, ending a drought at home and against Metro schools. The Tigers grounded them a bit, but they are ready to bounce back against Waterloo West at home next week.

'We're going to bounce back from this,' Lund said. 'I feel this is going to make us tougher and we're going to come back ready next week.'

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