Casey Kelley scores 6 touchdowns as Cedar Rapids Prairie rolls past Dubuque Senior

CEDAR RAPIDS — The offense for Cedar Rapids Prairie has quick-strike ability.

Tailback Casey Kelley has proven to be the igniter so far this season.

The elusive senior scored six touchdowns, rushing for 226 yards on 14 carries as the Hawks, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A, rolled to a 49-13 win over Dubuque Senior on Friday night at John Wall Field.

Kelley couldn't remember having a game with numbers like he put up on Friday night.

“I may have done something like that when I was a little guy,” he said with a smile, “but never anything like that on a big stage like this. Watching film, (of Dubuque Senior) we felt like we could figure some things out and come up with some big plays.”

First-year Prairie Coach Kyle Knock knows what Kelley brings to the team's offense.

“You know, he just wants the ball,” Knock said. “The kid brings excitement every play in practice and every single play in the game. He is a fun kid to coach and he just kept saying to give him the ball.”

Kelley’s big plays came early and often. On Prairie’s first four scoring drives in the first half, none lasted longer than two plays. Kelley scored on runs of 27 and 9 yards, then, after Senior scored on a 3-yard Noah Roling run, Kelley netted his third TD on a 76-yard scamper on the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff. The fourth score came on a 22-yard pass from Will Phillips to Denzil Green.

Despite Kelley’s first-half heroics, Senior hung tough. The Rams cut the margin to 28-13 at halftime on a Meek Hall 2-yard run.

Knock said he could have managed the end of the first half a bit better. Phillips threw three interceptions in the first half, two in the latter stages of the second quarter. He rebounded in the second half to finish 12-of-20 for 203 yards and two TDs. Apollo Payne had five catches for 112 yards.

“We knew we could get some big plays on them and we took some shots early,” Knock said. “I wish I would have toned it down a little bit at the end of the half. We were trying to get a little too fancy there at the end.

“We regrouped at halftime, ran the ball like we knew we could and put them away in the second half.”

Kelley scored twice more in the third quarter on a 16-yard run, then took a screen pass from Phillips and raced untouched for an 18-yard score. He capped off the scoring early in the fourth, breaking a pair of tackles en route to a 37-yard TD.

“The numbers are great, but I have a great O-Line,” Kelley said. “They do their job and coach believes in me.”

Prairie (2-0) faces a major test on the road next week against No. 1 Southeast Polk.

“We're going to throw everything we have at them,” Knock said. “They're No. 1 for a reason. We still have a lot to learn and we learned more tonight. We'll be ready to play next Friday.”

Dubuque Senior (0-2) faces crosstown rival Dubuque Hempstead next Friday at Dalzell Field.

Cedar Rapids Prairie 49, Dubuque Senior 13

At John Wall Field

DS CRP

First downs 10 17

Rushes-yards 41-72 19-237

Passing yards 91 203

Comp-Att-Int 6-14-0 12-21-3

Punts-Avg. 8-34.2 1-47.0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 3-20 8-85

Dubuque Senior 0 13 0 0 — 13

CR Prairie 14 14 14 7 — 49

CRP — Casey Kelley 27 run (Brady Stiffler kick)

CRP — Kelley 9 run (Stiffler kick)

DS — Noah Roling 3 run (Eli Callahan kick)

CRP — Kelley 76 run (Stiffler kick)

CRP — Denzil Green 22 pass from Will Phillips (Stiffler kick)

DS — Meek Hall 2 run (kick blocked)

CRP — Kelley 16 run (Stiffler kick)

CRP — Kelley 18 pass from Phillips (Stiffler kick)

CRP — Kelley 37 run (Stiffler kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING - Senior: Noah Roling 11-71, Daylin Moore 12-(minus 6), Meek Hall 10-10, Porter Moggenberg 8-(minus 3). Prairie: Casey Kelley 19-226, Will Phillips 3-7, Wyatt Beatty 2-4.

PASSING - Senior: Daylin Moore 6-14-0-91. Prairie: Will Phillips 12-20-3-203, Wyatt Eash 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING - Senior: Drew Francois 2-46, Meek Hall 2-11, Marshawn Dukes 1-20, Andrew Theisen 1-14 Prairie: Apollo Payne 5-112, Casey Kelley 2-37, T.Y. Pour 1-17, Denzil Green 2-26, Malaki Gelo 2-21.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com