J-Hawks shutout at home against the Bulldogs

CEDAR RAPIDS — The bottom fell out for the Cedar Rapids Jefferson offense. On the scoreboard, at least.

For the first time in nearly two years, the J-Hawks were held scoreless as visiting Bettendorf posted a 34-0 shutout in a high school football game Friday night at Kingston Stadium.

“Just a lot of small mistakes at the most inopportune times,” fourth-year Jefferson Coach Ed Miles said. “Costly turnovers when we were moving the ball. Except for that first drive, they started in our territory the majority of the game. It is hard to win like that. We just did not execute, and we did not execute when we needed it.”

The setback was the fifth in a row for Jefferson (1-6), which had not been held scoreless in a game since the 2023 season finale (a 56-0 loss at Iowa City Liberty). The lone bright spot for the Jefferson offense was junior tailback Uweza Kalolero, who ran for 105 yards on 18 rushing attempts, but the J-Hawks were undone by two turnovers, a missed field goal and a blocked field goal.

“Uweza has a bright future,” Miles said. “He should obviously come in as one of the players to watch next year. He’s a hard worker. He is one of the hardest workers that I have had the pleasure to coach, and I am looking forward to big things from him in the future.”

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Jefferson actually piled up more total yardage (288 yards to 279) and its 14 first downs were twice as many as Bettendorf (3-4), but the Bulldogs were led by sophomore quarterback Cannon Davis, who lived up to his first name by throwing for 201 yards and two touchdowns, both to receiver Hayden Morrison. Davis nearly had a third TD pass when a 35-yard toss to Caleb Brown was jarred loose by the Jefferson defense and fumbled into the end zone, but it was recovered by Bettendorf for an unorthodox score.

“Some of the mistakes we make, it is the small things,” Miles said. “(Iowa) Coach (Kirk) Ferentz used to tell me and tell us, ‘Hey, it’s always the little things.’ But those little things add up to be a very big thing. That is basically what we have been dealing with the whole season, and we have got to correct that.”

Defensive lineman Keshaun Weeks and defensive end Darius Nixon had sacks for the Jefferson defense, which had its moments even in defeat.

“I think it was the best, solid performance for our front seven all year,” Miles said. “It was solid.”

Jefferson celebrated Senior Night before the game, honoring a group of upperclassmen who went from winless freshmen hindered by low participation numbers in Miles’ first season as head coach (2022) to a group that helped the J-Hawks to their first winning season in nine years last season.

“I’m proud of those guys either way,” Miles said. “They know how much I love them.”

Jefferson closes the regular season with road tilts against Dubuque Hempstead and Cedar Falls.

Bettendorf 34, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0

AT KINGSTON STADIUM

BET CRJ

Bettendorf 10 7 7 10—34

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 0 0 0 0—0

BET – FG Cam Scupham 42

BET – Hayden Morrison 50 pass from Cannon Davis (Cam Scupham kick)

BET – Henry Gillies fumble recovery in end zone (Cam Scupham kick)

BET – Ben Whipple 17 run (Cam Scupham kick)

BET – Hayden Morrison 12 pass from Cannon Davis (Cam Scupham kick)

BET – FG Cam Scupham 37

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Bettendorf: Cannon Davis 5-(-13), Ben Whipple 10-66, Kendyll Kerr 5-12, Gavin Stecker 1-8; Cedar Rapids Jefferson: Uweza Kalolero 18-105, Vernon Benda 4-0, Ramonte Moon 5-35.

PASSING – Bettendorf: Cannon Davis 16-22-0-201, Jack Wessel 1-1-0-5; Cedar Rapids Jefferson: Vernon Benda 10-22-2-109, Derek Robinson 1-4-0-39.

RECEIVING – Bettendorf: Cannon Davis 1-5, Caleb Brown 3-49, Ben Whipple 3-6, Hayden Morrison 7-98, Caden Gray 1-32, Jonah Smith 2-16; Cedar Rapids Jefferson: Uweza Kalolero 2-29, Lucas Ranard 2-22, LJ Nyenow Jr. 4-57, Osten Robertson 2-32, Brayden Gaines 1-8.

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