116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Waterloo West with important 28-21 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy
West and Kennedy were right next to each other in the IHSAA’s first released Class 5A RPI rankings this week, just on the outside of the top 16.
Oct. 10, 2025 12:57 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS - We have approached the mathematical portion of the Iowa high school football season.
The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) was released this week for the first time in 2025 by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. It helps determine every qualifier in Class 5A and a few at-large qualifiers in 4A and 3A.
Ya gotta be pretty solid with numbers to figure everything out. Or maybe you really don’t.
“This was very, very important for us,” Waterloo West Coach Lonnie Moore said Thursday night after his Wahawks got past Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 28-21, at Kingston Stadium. “Crunching numbers and everything, we don’t do that stuff. We just knew we had to win.
“Our guys played hard, and I think we’ve had three really good weeks of practice ... That comes down to our seniors. Our seniors have led us all year. When we were losing three games in a row, they kept their heads down, they knew what we needed to do, and they kept working.”
West (4-3) was ranked 17th in the first 5A RPI, Kennedy (3-4) 18th. And West beat No. 16 Dubuque Senior earlier this season, which would move the Wahawks ahead of the Rams at the end of the regular season, should they stay at those spots.
The top 16 teams in 5A will be state playoff qualifiers at the end of the regular season, which is three games away, two now for these teams. So to say this was a big game with a ton on the line, that was accurate.
Quarterback Brett McGovern threw four touchdown passes, two to tight end Isaiah Corwin, as the Wahawks held on at the end.
“No doubt, man, this helps,” said McGovern, who completed 18 of 22 passes for 198 yards. “But I’m just focused on week by week. That’s the most important thing. I’m so proud of this team. Regardless of the RPI, we got the ‘W.’”
McGovern’s first TD pass to Corwin on the opening offensive possession of the game gave West a 7-0 lead. Kennedy scraped right back to counter on its first possession, with running back Damarian Orr scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run.
A 56-yard touchdown pass from McGovern to Torian Doss put West back ahead. Doss had five catches in the game for 104 yards, part of a really good Wahawk skill group.
Kennedy went on a five-minute march to begin the second half, tying things at 14 on fullback Jack Hayes’ 6-yard TD run and the ensuing extra point. But West came right back, using the effective running of back Felix Annan (25 carries for 130 yards) to set up a 26-yard McGovern-to-Deztin McMurrin touchdown pass.
Kennedy reached the West 34 on the enusing possession but turned the football over on downs when QB Will Woodring was sacked by West’s Melakhi Hickey. The Wahawks then drove down and went up two scores, 28-14, on McGovern’s second TD pass of the game to Cornin, this one 7 yards.
Kennedy quickly countered with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Woodring to Atley Gloede on a fourth-and-16 play with 2:58 left. The Cougars would get one more offensive possession, beginning at their own 23 with 1:48 to go and no timeouts.
Some pass completions and a pass-interference penalty moved the ball to the West 36 with 27.4 seconds left, but Woodring was sacked again by Hickey and fumbled, with West recovering and ending the game.
“It’s a broken record,” said a disappointed Kennedy Coach Brian White. “We start the game with a 15-yard penalty (and ejection on the opening kickoff). I just have done something to upset God sometime in my lifetime because I don’t know how stuff like this keeps happening. We’re just snakebit like that.”
Woodring completed 20 of 31 passes for 176 yards for Kennedy, with Brayden Peck catching seven of his throws for 71 yards. The Cougars have lost two straight and have Bettendorf and Dallas Center-Grimes remaining.
West has a winnable game next week against Marshalltown, then a finale at Waukee in which it will likely be an underdog.
“This is exactly what I told the kids after the game,” White said. “Sometimes in life, had things take place, and you have two choices. You get up in the morning and go back to work. Or you just sink down in a hole and let that get the best of you.”
(At Kingston Stadium)
Waterloo West 7 7 7 7-28
C.R. Kennedy 7 0 7 7-21
- WW-Isaiah Corwin 5 pass from Brett McGovern (Ajdin Rizvic kick)
- CRK-Damarian Orr 2 run (Andrew Richey kick)
- WW-Torian Doss 56 pass from McGovern (Rizvic kick)
- CRK-Jack Hayes 6 run (Richey kick)
- WW-Deztin McMurrin 26 pass from McGovern (Rizvic kick)
- WW-Corwin 7 pass from McGovern (Rizvic kick)
- CRK-Atley Gloede 21 pass from Will Woodring (Richey kick)
Team Statistics
First Downs - Waterloo West 16, C.R. Kennedy 20. Rushes-Yards - Waterloo West 28-117, C.R. Kennedy 32-142. Passing - Waterloo West 18-22-0-198, C.R. Kennedy 20-31-0-176. Total Yards - Waterloo West 315, C.R. Kennedy 318. Punts-Average - Waterloo West 2-19.5, C.R. Kennedy 3-29.6. Penalties-Yards - Waterloo West 6-55, C.R. Kennedy 6-55. Fumbles-Lost - Waterloo West 0-0, C.R. Kennedy 1-1.
Individual Statistics
Waterloo West - Rushing: Felix Annan 25-130, Team 3-(minus) 13. Passing: Brett McGovern 18-22-0-198. Receiving: Torian Doss 5-104, Deztin McMurrin 5-44, Isaiah Corwin 5-25, Tucker Satterlee 1-11, Gavin Nash 1-10, Andrew Riordan 1-4.
C.R. Kennedy - Rushing: Damarian Orr 17-93, Deacon Kucera 2-26, Jack Hayes 3-16, Dawson Dougherty 2-13, Thierry Boyd 1-3, Louis Smith 1-0, Will Woodring 7-(minus) 9. Passing: Will Woodring 20-31-0-176. Receiving: Brayden Peck 7-71, Atley Gloede 2-38, Dawson Dougherty 4-25, Thierry Boyd 3-17, Lawson Neighbor 1-11, Damarian Orr 1-10, Deacon Kucera 2-4..
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com
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