Cedar Rapids Prairie executes to perfection in 63-point effort

CEDAR RAPIDS — Execution.

That was the focus all week.

Friday night, Cedar Rapids Prairie showed exactly what that looked like.

In a Class 5A District 5 matchup, the Hawks (4-2, 2-1) poured in 49 first-half points en route to a 63-20 win over Dubuque Hempstead (1-5, 0-2) at John Wall Field.

“I thought offensively we executed at about as high a level as you can,” Prairie Coach Kyle Knock said. “We knew coming in that we probably had the better football team, and so we really focused on execution this week. We focused on forcing turnovers on defense, not committing them on offense. We haven't won the turnover battle in five games, so we were lucky to be 3-2, and we won that tonight for the first time this season.”

The Hawks intercepted Hempstead twice, had no turnovers and didn’t punt Friday.

“We're just one of those teams,” University of Iowa commit David Fason said. “We’re talented enough, so as long as we go out there and execute every week and every Friday, we should bring home a W.”

Prairie executed from the get-go as running back Dawson Kahl capped an opening six-play, 59-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.

Jaden Montgomery answered, running in a 4-yard TD on Hempstead’s next drive.

From there, the Hawks scored 21 points in a span of 3:52 to end the first quarter up 28-7.

Cael Kongshaug connected with Tae Alexander for a 62-yard strike. Fason burst through a hole and sprinted for a 66-yard touchdown. Then, Brady Peterka jumped a route and scored on a 34-yard pick-six.

“These kids have bought into caring about each other,” Knock said. “They don't care who scores the touchdown, as long as we score.”

Montgomery added a TD early in the second.

Once again, the Hawks responded with 21 straight points on touchdown runs from Kahl (43 yards), BJay Bush Jr. (26 yards) and Fason (39 yards).

Fason’s second touchdown put the Hawks up 49-14 with 3:52 remaining in the second quarter, putting the continuous clock rule into effect.

“David Fason, I believe he's the best football player in the state of Iowa,” Knock said. “And you saw that tonight. We put him in the backfield and Dnobody can tackle him.”

Prairie racked up 266 rushing yards and 116 passing yards in the first half alone.

“We all know the guy next to us is just as good as we are, so we're going to score regardless if we just believe in each other,” Fason said. “Coach Knock preaches that to us every day, and you've got to know with having a lot of guys, you might not get the ball every time, so that's why every time we get the ball, we go make something happen.”

Bush Jr. added a 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter and a 73-yarder in the fourth to round out the scoring for Prairie.

The Hawks finished with 395 rushing yards and 162 passing yards.

“When we get in our 10-personnel with four receivers, people have to pick their poison,” Knock said. “Do you stay in the box and defend David in the run game, or do you widen out and defend our receivers? We'll use that to our advantage moving forward.”

Montgomery tallied a third rushing TD in the fourth for Hempstead.

“When we get to where we're supposed to be, we're a really good defense,” Knock said. “Their running back (Montgomery) is really talented. I told the kids, he'd start for about every 5A school in the state, or he'd play for every 5A school in the state.”

Prairie will travel to face No. 7 Cedar Falls next Friday.

“Cedar Falls is going to be a challenge,” Knock said. “We took a lump up there last year, Week 1. They put it on us pretty good, and I think our kids remember that, and they know we're out for a little revenge this week.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie 63, Dubuque Hempstead 20

(At Cedar Rapids Prairie High School)

DBH – CRP

First downs 14 – 12

Rushing yards 265 – 395

Passing yards 19 – 162

Comp-Att-Int 6-17-2 – 7-8-0

Punts-Avg. 3-31.7 – 0-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 – 0-0

Penalties-Yards 3-23 – 2-30

Dubuque Hempstead 7 7 0 6 — 20

Cedar Rapids Prairie 28 21 7 7 — 63

CRP — Dawson Kahl 9 run (Junior Boxa kick)

DBH — Jaden Montgomery 4 run (Will Callahan kick)

CRP — Tae Alexander 62 pass from Cael Kongshaug (Junior Boxa kick)

CRP — David Fason 66 run (Junior Boxa kick)

CRP — Brady Peterka 34 interception (Junior Boxa kick)

DBH — Jaden Montgomery 10 run (Will Callahan kick)

CRP — Dawson Kahl 43 run (Junior Boxa kick)

CRP — BJay Bush Jr 26 run (Junior Boxa kick)

CRP — David Fason 16 run (Junior Boxa kick)

CRP — BJay Bush Jr 20 run (Junior Boxa kick)

DBH — Jaden Montgomery 4 run (Will Callahan kick)

CRP — BJay Bush Jr 73 run (Junior Boxa kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Dubuque Hempstead: Jaden Montgomery 25-194, Landon McKay 10-88, McCoi Knox 1-(minus 5), Roster No. 26 2-(minus 3) Team 1-(minus 9). Cedar Rapids Prairie: Dawson Kahl 6-93, Bjay Bush Jr 3-119, Dane Mai 6-28, David Fason 4-122, KeAndre Bush 1-17, Cael Kongshaug 1-8, Landon Slezak 1-4, Keshawn Walker 1-4.

PASSING – Dubuque Hempstead: Liam Olsen 6-17-19-2. Cedar Rapids Prairie: Cael Kongshaug 7-8-162-0.

RECEIVING – Dubuque Hempstead: Samson Kuhle 1-28, Jaden Montgomery 2-(minus 14), Landon Klotz 1-(minus 2), Damarion Bolling 1-8, McCoi Knox 1-(minus 1). Cedar Rapids Prairie: Drew Bennis 2-33, David Fason 1-13, Tae Alexander 2-108, Dawson Kahl 1-(minus 5), BJay Bush Jr 1-13.