Cedar Rapids Xavier falls to Lewis Central in 3OT Class 4A state football championship

CEDAR FALLS — Council Bluffs Lewis Central may not have drawn it up the way it played out, but it worked.

The Titans ran in a bobbled snap on an extra point and produced a goal-line stand with two straight stops from the 1.

Lucci Fidone scored a 2-point conversion after Braylon Kammrad’s 1-yard TD run and Lewis Central’s defense stiffened, lifting the third-ranked Titans to a 32-24 victory over No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier in three overtimes for the Class 4A state football championship.

“It was a close game,” Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. “It was one of those games that a play here or two that made the difference.

“I don’t know how many plays there were in this game. Whatever it was, it boiled down to a few plays. I guess we didn’t make enough.”

The game marked just the third title game to last at least three overtimes. Paton-Churdan beat Sanford, 20-14, in the 1985 Class A championship in four overtimes. Clear Lake topped Harlan, 23-20, for the 3A title in 2000. It was the 11th state football final overall to be settled in overtime.

The Titans (11-2) captured their first state football crown.

Xavier (11-2) still had an opportunity to extend the game again. In the Saints possession of the third overtime, a 5-yard run from Aidan McDermott and a 4-yard run from quarterback Alex Neal move it to the one. The Titans stopped two QB sneaks in massive scrums in front of the goal line, sparking Lewis Central’s celebration.

“I’m going to say I got in but you never know,” Neal said. “It’s up to the officials. It’s a game of inches. You never know. They call it one way. It doesn’t go your way you can’t hang your head. You just have to say I did my best.”

In the first overtime, both teams needed just two plays to convert scoring strikes. Braylon Kammrad hit Fidone for an 8-yard TD for Lewis Central.

The Saints answered with Josef Lemker’s 9-yard TD reception from Alex Neal to force a second OT.

“It was exciting,” Neal said about being part of the classic contest. “It is a kid’s game. This game is fun. We love to play it.”

They traded scores again. Xavier started with a Neal 5-yard run. The Titans knotted the game at 24-24 with Kammrad’s 11-yard TD pass to Brayden Loftin.

“We prepared all week,” Xavier senior linebacker Christian Stanek said. “We thought we were ready for what they gave us. I think we executed pretty well, but when it comes down to overtime like that you have to make things happen. We gave it all we had.”

Lewis Central capitalized on a short field for its first score of regulation. The Titans’ Wyatt Hatcher picked off an errant pass from Neal, returning it to Xavier’s 15.

The Titans started their second possession just yards from where their first drive ended with a missed 29-yard field goal a few plays earlier.

The Saints defense held strong, allowing just 2 yards. This time, Boston Hensley connected on a 30-yard kick for a 3-0 lead with a minute left in the first.

The second score took more time, covered more yards and resulted in a 10-0 Lewis Central lead with 4:21 in the second quarter.

The Titans drove 81 yards on 12 plays in 4:41. They showed more balance with seven runs and five passes. Kammrad completed all five attempts for 63 yards, including a 24-yard first down to Fidone to the Xavier 17. Jon Humpal capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.

The Saints didn’t threaten with the ball until their third drive of the half. They managed to reach the red zone thanks to a critical fourth-down conversion. After lining up to punt and then in a spread formation that led to back-to-back Lewis Central timeouts, Neal hit WIll Hiserote with a bullet pass up the seam to the Titans 12.

Trysten Vasquez put Xavier on the board with a 24-yard field goal, making 10-3 at the halftime break.

Interestingly, Lewis Central ran more plays and gained more offensive yards (29-149) than Xavier (24-134), but the Saints owned a 13:10-10:50 edge in time of possession in the first half.

The games was scoreless through the third, but Xavier tied the score with 4:39 remaining. The Saints drove 69 yards on four plays, benefiting from a personal foul late hit on Neal. Two plays later, Neal dropped back to pass, tucked the ball and cut across field for a 15-yard TD run, receiving a block from Vasquez that freed him for the final 5 yards, tying the game 10-10.

Neal finished with 230 total yards, including 158 passing. He contributed for all three Xavier TDs, rushing for two and passing for another. Will Hiserote tallied 109 total yards with 65 receiving yards.

Schulte said that Lewis Central was bigger and faster, but Xavier still performed well.

“For our seniors to lead our team the way they did tonight was legendary,” Schulte said. “Alex’s performance was one of the best in Xavier football history.”

The senior class started at Xavier when it won a title in 2018. Despite a rough freshman campaign, these Saints improved and worked, making a semifinal and final appearance. Both were overtime losses to the eventual champion.

“It is tough,” Xavier junior Thomas Sundell said. “You really want to win that one for them. It’s hard to watch them. They played a great season all the way here.”

Schulte praised the seniors for their effort on the field, in practice and in the classroom. He has respect for what they have accomplished.

“I’m not trying to think about where they have come from but more where they are at now,” Schulte said. “They are a bunch of quality young men.”

AT UNI-DOME

CBLC CRX

First Downs 11 16

Rushes-Yds 31-101 43-134

Pass Yds 121 158

Comp-Att-Int 14-26-0 10-18-1

Total Yds 222 292

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1

Punts-Avg. 5-38.0 4-22.8

Penalties-Yds 6-75 4-39

Lewis Central 3 7 0 0 7 7 8—32

C.R. Xavier 0 3 0 7 7 7 0—24

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Lewis Central: Jon Humpal 25-92, Braylon Kammrad 6-9. C.R. Xavier: Alex Neal 25-72, Will Hiserote 10-44, Aidan McDermott 2-15, Christian Stanek 4-5.

PASSING – Lewis Central: Kammrad 14-26-0-121. C.R. Xavier: Neal 10-17-1-158, McDermott 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING – Lewis Central: Lucci Fidone 4-39, Brayden Loftin 4-34, Humpal 3-23, Curtis Witte 1-13. C.R. Xavier: Hiserote 4-65, McDermott 3-48, Trysten Vasquez 1-20, Spencer Mesch 1-16.

SCORING SUMMARY

LC – FG Boston Hensley 30

LC – Humpal 2 run (Hensley kick)

CRX – FG Vasquez 24

CRX – Neal 15 run (Vasquez kick)

LC – Fidone 8 pass from Kammrad (Hensley kick)

CRX – Josef Lemker 9 pass from Neal (Vasquez kick)

CRX – Neal 5 run (Vasquez kick)

LC – Loftin 11 pass from Kammrad (Hensley kick)

LC – Kammrad 1 run (Fidone rush)