Little Hawks on a roll

IOWA CITY - City High scored a 35-17 come-from-behind win over Ottumwa at Bates Field on Friday night, leading to a happy homecoming in Iowa City.

City High suffered a blow early in the first quarter when starting quarterback Nate Wieland went down with an apparent knee injury. He had to be carted off the field, and didn't return to the game. After the game, City High Coach Dan Sabers didn't provide any specifics on Wieland's injury.

Backup Jared Taylor came in and led City High on a scoring drive that ended when he found Dylan Leigh for a touchdown. City High missed the extra point, but took a 6-0 lead.

Ottumwa came back in the second quarter with a long drive. Ottumwa drove the ball down to the 5, and in a somewhat unusual series of events, the ball carrier fumbled near the goal line. After a battle for the ball in the end zone, Ottumwa fell on it for the touchdown. The Bulldogs made their extra point to take a 7-6 lead.

City High came back with another touchdown drive, which concluded with Taylor finding Jason Jones in the end zone. Taylor hooked up with Jones once again for the two point conversion to make it 14-7 late in the first half.

The Bulldogs got the ball back and, with the help of a deep pass down to the 4 on a jump ball, added a field goal as time expired in the first half.

Ottumwa had a long drive in the third quarter. Isaiah Cox capped it off with a three-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs.

City High didn't respond until the fourth quarter when Taylor hit Jones down the sideline for a long touchdown. City High reclaimed the lead, 21-17, with 6:38 left.

After an Ottumwa punt, Bryce Frantz, who returned from injury, reached the end zone on a two-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Frantz finished with 105 yards rushing.

On the next drive, Ottumwa quarterback Sam Moreland threw deep, but was intercepted by Vance Dillon. Dillon evaded multiple potential tacklers, and scored on a 70 yard pick-6.

City High has won three in a row, and is now 1-0 in district play, 3-2 overall.

'We feel pretty good,” Sabers said. 'The defense held them numerous times, so we feel good about that. We were able to get a pass to Jason, so we found a way to win tonight.”

City High plays at Cedar Rapids Prairie on Friday.

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