Cedar Falls builds early lead to beat City High

CEDAR FALLS - Cedar Falls used big plays to build a lead and the offense kept going until the No. 7-ranked Tigers rolled to a 35-21 victory over Iowa City High in the 2015 prep football debut for both teams at the UNI-Dome Friday night.

The Tigers struck on their first offensive series of the season. A 36-yard pass from quarterback Taylen Alexander to Denison Harrington began a 77-yard drive. Alexander tossed a screen pass to Hayden Clausen, who bolted 21 yards for the C.F. touchdown at the 9 minute, 48-second mark of the opening quarter.

Two series later, Jordan DeGroote raced 53 yards to the Little Hawk 5. Alexander then found tight end Luke Loecher with a 5-yard TD strike and the Tiger lead grew to 14-0.

City High had some big-play thunder as well. Jared Taylor, hit while throwing, still found Jason Jones on a short pass. Jones did the rest as he finished off an 89-yard touchdown play to shave Cedar Falls' lead to 14-7.

Harrington's 19-yard punt return late in the second quarter gave Cedar Falls' offense a short field, and the Tigers made the most of it. DeGroote plunged a yard for the third C.F. score of the half, a play that came with 1:44 to go.

Cedar Falls tacked on more points over the closing two quarters. After the Tigers recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, Clausen plunged three yards for a score. DeGroote tallied his second TD on a second-effort, eight-yard run.

DeGroote led the ground game with 127 yards. Alexander hit nine of 15 passes for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Taylor also connected with Brock Hunger for a nine-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and Vance Dillon a 45-yard strike in the fourth.

But mistakes hurt City High on a couple of series, including a scoring threat late in the half that ended with a lost fumble at the Tiger 3. A fourth-quarter drive also ended with a turnover.

Overall, the Little Hawks lost three fumbles, largely negating a good passing night by Taylor. He threw for 240 yards Friday.