Iowa City High uses late 2-point conversion to win for a second straight week

CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa City High experienced a little déjà vu.

All thanks to another winning conversion for two.

For the second straight week, the Little Hawks produced a late comeback and made the gutsy call to go for the victory instead of settling for a tie and overtime.

City High’s Dawson Kahl scored on a 2-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left and quarterback Bobby Bacon hit Parker Sutherland in the back corner of the end zone for a successful conversion, elevating the Little Hawks to a thrilling 43-42 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Class 5A prep football game Thursday night at Kingston Stadium. City High has won three straight games, improving to 3-2.

“Just a credit to our kids,” City High Coach Mitch Moore said. “We’ve got a lot of belief in this locker room.”

It was the second time in six days City High opted for a winning conversion. The Little Hawks did the same in a 40-39 win over Iowa City West last week.

“We always trust each other, no matter the circumstances,” Sutherland said. “Whether it was last week or this week, we trust that we’ll get a block, make a catch or a play.”

The Little Hawks set up the late heroics with a 65-yard, 11-play drive that melted 5:24 off the clock. Kahl punched in his third TD run of the game.

City High called timeout after a failed attempt to draw Kennedy offside to move closer to the goal line. The Little Hawks had success with a play-action boot, so they went back to it.

“Parker was the only guy in the back corner of the end zone,” Bacon said. “I thought I’ll give him a shot. That was definitely the right call.

“As soon as I threw it, I said Parker is going to come down with it. I really believed he was going to catch it but it took until the sideline went nuts to really feel it.”

Sutherland made a leap, grabbed the pass and was ruled in bounds, giving City High its first lead of the game. His route brought him across the field and he beat multiple defenders to the ball.

“As soon as I saw the tight end wasn’t open, I knew Bobby was going to put the ball on me,” Sutherland said. “I just had to go make a play and get that catch.”

Sutherland wasn’t sure if he was in or not. He was on his back, fending off a Cougars defender fighting for the ball. He turned to a camera to wish his “Grandma Nancy” happy birthday and jumped to his feet when a lineman helped free him.

“I landed on my back and I knew was in,” said Sutherland, who ran into the Kingston stands to visit family after the game. “I just wasn’t sure if they were going to call it. I had a Kennedy defender trying to rip the ball out. Our center came over and pulled him off me and told me I was in. I just went berserk.

“Shout out to my grandma. It was her birthday today.”

Moore has faced the same situation. He has passed on the conservative choice. Moore’s faith in the Little Hawks has paid dividends, yielding a third straight win and improving to 3-2.

“We believe in what we’re doing,” Moore said. “We know it’s 3 yards. We don’t need to make it a bigger play than it is. We don’t get too up and we don’t get too down.

“I think that gives you the ability to remain really focused on that play. Whether it’s a 3-yard two-point conversion or fourth-and-2 at the 50, this team is like, this is the play that’s called; let’s execute this play.”

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It also helps to have Bacon under center. He demonstrates poise, regardless of the scenario. He was composed for the decisive play. He has a knack for the big play, too.

“Bobby has a flair for the dramatic,” Moore said. “He’s got this uncanny ability to be really calm, to have great leadership in those situations and calm leadership. Whether he’s calm or not, he has a way of masking it. He’s an impressive guy in that situation.”

The fourth-quarter dramatics wasn’t the only clutch play for City High. At the end of the first half, Kennedy looked to be in control with a 24-yard pass from Vinny Gianforte to Damarian Orr for a TD and a 21-14 lead with 45 seconds before halftime.

An unsportsmanlike conduct after the TD was assessed on the ensuing kickofff allowed City High to start its drive at the 43. Five plays later, Bacon hit Sutherland for a 20-yard TD to tie the game with six seconds left before the break.

“He definitely makes the job easier,” said Bacon, who completed 19 of 24 passes for 196 yards. “He’s a big frame and he uses it. It shows in the way he plays. He’s big, physical and boxes guys out.

“When I see him with one-on-one coverage or a jump-ball opportunity, I’m going to throw it.”

Kahl has seen limited action this season but received the majority of the carries with injury to Gabe Egeland. Kahl responded with 244 yards on 35 carries and three TDs. He scored on a 9-yard rush in the 21-point second quarter. He added a 10-yard scoring run in the 22-point fourth.

Moore said Kahl wore down Kennedy with his hard style of running. He noted Kahl is still developing the intricacies of the running back position.

“We know what we have in Dawson,” Moore said. “I think the mark of our program right now is we don’t have to throw guys in there because physically they’re the best.

“He has to learn to play running back and he’s as raw as they come but I’m telling you, in two years, look out. He does not know how to play the running back position. He knows how to play football. He’s tougher than nails. He loves contact. He’s learning every day.”

The game had an ebb and flow. The teams exchanged TDs. Jacob Doyle scored on runs of 13 and 74 yards for Kennedy’s first two scores in the opening half. Doyle also turn a screen pass into a 65-yard TD for a 42-35 lead in the fourth.

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Doyle finished with 239 offensive yards, including 151 rushing, and four scores.

“He can run,” Kennedy Coach Brian White said. “He’s a big kid at 215 pounds. He flies. He was on the state record-breaking (400 relay) team.

“He’s a great kid. He goes as hard as he can.”

Kennedy (1-4) took a 35-21 lead by parlaying two straight City High fumbles into a 1-yard TD run from Doyle and a 28-yard scoring strike from Gianforte to Popelka. Gianforte finished with 194 passing yards.

City High responded with Kahl’s TD run and a 10-yard TD pass from Bacon to Iyon Harris.

“I think that adversity hit a couple times we just said ‘OK, let’s stay calm and let’s do what we do,’” Moore said. “Rest back on our habits. This team practices really well. In critical situations, those practice habits come through.

“It’s a fun team to be around. Not a lot of egos and that helps, too.”

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Photos: Iowa City High at Cedar Rapids Kennedy high school football

Kennedy suffered another tough loss. The Cougars have been competitive in each game but only have one win to show for it.

“We have horrible penalties at the worst times,” White said. “We’re not stopping the run and getting off the field on third down.

“We make a lot of really neat plays and do a lot of good things but the things that separate winning and losing we don’t do. It’s that simple.”

Iowa City High 43, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 42

AT KINGSTON STADIUM

ICH CRK

First Downs 23 14

Rushes-yards 47-289 29-156

Passing yards 196 194

Comp-att-int 19-24-0 9-17-1

Total yards 485 350

Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1

Punts-avg. 1-33.0 3-34.7

Penalties-yards 6-37 4-35

Iowa City High 0 21 0 22 -- 43

C.R. Kennedy 7 14 14 7 -- 42

CRK – Jacob Doyle 13 run (Andrew Waterhouse kick)

ICH – Dawson Kahl 9 run (Jackson Nichols-Lindsey kick)

CRK – Doyle 74 run (Waterhouse kick)

ICH – Dom Salibi 16 run (Nichols-Lindsey kick)

CRK – Damarian Orr 24 pass from Vinny Gianforte (Waterhouse kick)

ICH – Parker Sutherland 20 pass from Bobby Bacon (Nichols-Lindsey kick)

CRK – Doyle 1 run (Waterhouse kick)

CRK – Jackson Popelka 28 pass from Gianforte (Waterhouse kick)

ICH – Kahl 10 run (Nichols-Lindsey kick)

ICH – Iyon Harris 10 pass from Bacon (Nichols-Lindsey kick)

CRK – Doyle 65 pass from Gianforte (Waterhouse kick)

ICH – Kahl 2 run (Bacon pass to Sutherland)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – City High: Kahl 35-244, Salibi 7-30, Bacon 4-23, Team 1-(minus 8). C.R. Kennedy: Doyle 19-151, Orr 4-15, Brayden Alber 1-8, Keegan Mastin 2-(minus 2), Team 2-minus 5), Gianforte 1-(minus 11).

PASSING – City High: Bacon 19-24-0-196. C.R. Kennedy: Gianforte 9-17-1-194.

RECEIVING – City High: Salibi 7-73, Chayse Newton 4-36, Jack Lampe 3-35, Sutherland 2-30, Drew Nye 2-12, Harris 1-10. C.R. Kennedy: Pierce McCrary 3-25, Doyle 2-88. Popelka 2-43, Orr 1-24, Brayden Peck 1-14.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com