Huge Kee first half sinks Cedar Valley Christian

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sometimes a coach doesn't need to say anything to turn a game around.

Even though Cedar Valley Christian lost, 60-16, to Lansing Kee, the Huskies walked out with their heads high. Down 48-0 at halftime, the Huskies didn't dwell on first-half mistakes, but moved on to play a better second half.

'Coaches talked to us for a little bit,” said the Huskies' Colin Heeren, who finished with 88 yards. 'Then they said, ‘We're going to let you guys say what you want to say,' and then they walked out.”

The Huskies hit a speed bump early in the second half when the Hawks' Ethan Walleser returned a fumble 16 yards to make the score 54-0.

In the first half, Walleser returned a fumble 72 yards from the Hawks' 6-yard line down to the Huskies' 2. Kee scored on a Tucker Colsch 2-yard run to make the score 16-0.

That play deflated the Huskies in the first half. The Hawks scored three more times to take a 40-0 lead after the first quarter.

'We've got to learn to be mentally tough for four quarters,” said Huskies head coach Ed Betsworth. 'If something big happens to us, we can't just stop and quit.”

The Huskies demonstrated their mental toughness in the second half. Following the Walleser touchdown, Cedar Valley Christian responded with a pair of touchdown runs. Jared Boelter scored from 4 yards out to put the Huskies on the board.

On the ensuing kickoff, Will Steffen put down an onside kick, and the Huskies recovered. Heeren then rumbled 38 yards for the Huskies' second score.