Kennedy closes memorable season with runner-up finish

CEDAR FALLS — It was a season they weren't ready to end.

They didn't want it to end in this fashion either, but the final game doesn't overshadow the special year experienced by Cedar Rapids Kennedy football.

The Cougars accomplished more than any other team in school history, reaching and falling 41-10 to top-ranked West Des Moines Dowling in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 4A championship game Monday night at the UNI-Dome.

'I couldn't ask for more,' Kennedy Coach Brian White said. 'They work so hard and they worked hard in the off-season. They had a common goal. They fell a little short of their ultimate goal, but all the things they accomplished along the way, where they took our program and the example they set, playing the game the way it's supposed to be played with dignity, character and they play it hard. I love this group of kids.'

Kennedy (13-1) made its first appearance in the game and just its second trip to the semifinals, which last came in 1993. The Cougars' fans gave the team a standing ovation as they came off the field in the final minutes. They provided one last roar as the team huddled on the 50-yard line after the game.

'We played the maximum amount of football we could have in the season,' Kennedy senior Tyler Dralle said. 'I'm so proud of these guys.

'Our fans were great. They made the atmosphere amazing. There is nothing like walking out on the field and having such a great fan base with all my brothers behind me.'

The Cougars rebounded from a 3-8 season, winning their first 13 games. They spent the season avenging losses, including two to 2014 state finalist Cedar Rapids Washington and Bettendorf, which eliminated Kennedy from last year's playoffs.

'Starting 0-6 last year killed us,' Dralle said. 'We knew we needed to start a lot better this year. We set the expectations high. We didn't want to settle for getting to the Dome. We wanted to win a state championship.

'We got there but we ran into a good team in Dowling, and they just played better than us.'

White provided the perspective after the loss, noting that they have come so far from the start of last season. The big-picture accomplishment will come into focus in time.

'It hurts to lose a game like this,' White said. 'There is a lot to be happy and proud of. I'm sure we will be when we meet again.'

The 'family' theme powered Kennedy this season. They shared a strong bond that was symbolized by a block of wood with the team's most important tenets. They were more than buzz words. They provided motivation, pushing and competing for one another.

'We worked together,' Dalles Jacobus said. 'I don't think we had a practice that was worse than our best practice last year.'

The senior class was special, featuring a versatile playmaking NCAA Division I recruit in Shaun Beyer and a hard, physical running back in Dralle. Add a fiery emotional leader in Jacobus that anchored a strong offensive and defensive lines and you have a recipe for success.

Like the last three seasons, Dowling played dominant spoiler to a Cedar Rapids school. The Maroons handled the Warriors, 49-14. They also beat Cedar Rapids Xavier, 44-13, in 2013. Dowling moved into fourth with all-time with six state titles, all since 2000, and became the first 4A school to win three straight.

'All of them are special, but I think this one will always have a special spot for me,' Dowling Coach Tom Wilson said. 'There were a lot of people who didn't think we could win ballgames after that senior class (last season) with Ryan (Boyle) and we did.

'We thought we were a good program before that group and we felt we could be after, and I'm just really proud of our kids.'

Kennedy will turn its focus to the future, trying to return to this level sooner than the 22 seasons between postseason visits to the Dome. White burned time at school earlier Monday, taking inventory for next season.

They have nine regular starters and six more with legit experience returning, but the key will be meshing classes to overcome the losses of guys like Beyer, Jacobus and Dralle. White said planning will start in about a week and a half.

'We're losing some dudes, White said. 'These seniors have showed our young kids the way and what they need to do in the summer for next fall. Hopefully, these guys are the trailblazers, teaching the younger kids how to do it.'

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