Second-ranked Iowa City West Trojans 'Boot' rival City High, 52-6

IOWA CITY — One had to wonder if Iowa City West would suffer any hangover effect after last week's emotional comeback victory at Cedar Falls.

But when the Trojans have dropped 10 of 12 spirited contests to their crosstown rival, there was no chance of that happening.

West quarterback Evan Flitz threw for 147 yards, ran for 73 and accounted for a pair of touchdowns as the Class 4A second-ranked Trojans routed Iowa City High, 52-6, in the annual 'Battle for the Boot' Friday night at Bates Field.

'It's a rivalry game, you always get up for it,' West Coach Garrett Hartwig said. 'For us, it's a process and in the grand scheme of things, City High was the next step. We played at a high level in our own right.'

The win was the first for West against City High since 2014, and the 46-point margin of victory eclipsed the 45-0 win for the Little Hawks in 1991. With such a dominant performance one week after rallying from a 17-0 halftime deficit to edge Cedar Falls in overtime, the Trojans (4-0) enter district play with a full head of steam.

'We've got to get better everywhere and the games that count start now,' Hartwig said.

District play begins next week with a home game against ninth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-0), which defeated the Trojans during the 2016 regular season but were upended in a 4A playoff rematch.

'Last year, our scout team did an excellent job and these first four weeks our scout team has been amazing,' Flitz said. 'It's about having a good week of practice. From now on, it's about the games that count, the games that matter and it's about winning district.'

In the final non-district tuneup against City High, the first six possessions in the first half all resulted in points for the Trojans. Flitz directed drives of 50, 58, 80 and 83 yards as the senior notched a 10-yard TD run and closed a 38-0 first half with a four-yard TD strike on fourth down to Iowa commit Dillon Doyle.

'It was about getting a fast start,' Flitz said. 'Getting behind had been a problem for us in our two games on the road. … The focus this week was coming out fast and coming out efficient, and I think we got that done tonight.'

The West defense provided Flitz and the offense with a couple of short fields in the first half. Defensive back Cole Mabry and linebacker Landon Green both intercepted passes from City High quarterback Bryce Hunger. Hunger finished with 168 yards passing, three interceptions and a rushing touchdown.

D-lineman Dillon Shephard added a pair of first-half sacks for the Trojans, who limited City High to just 209 total yards, including 41 on the ground.

'Very happy with those guys as far as our defense,' Hartwig said.

West tailbacks Trumell Roberts and Andre White rushed for 70 and 67 yards, respectively, as the Trojans totaled nearly 300 yards on the ground.

Mabry, Jalen Gaudet and Peter Breitbach each ran for a score, while senior Dylan Miene rushed for a pair of TDs.

'It was the O-line,' Flitz said. 'Those guys came out of the gates ready to go. From my perspective, those holes were massive. If those guys can give us holes for our running backs to run through, we'll be a dangerous team to stop.'

West senior receiver Traevis Buchanan outdueled City High star Zach Jones with nine receptions for 112 yards. Jones — who established a school record with 16 catches last week at Ames — caught eight passes for 94 yards and is now third all-time in receptions for City High (1-3), losers of three games in a row.

'I think they did pretty much what they wanted to,' City High Coach Dan Sabers said of West. 'They got after us.'

City High hosts Clinton in a district opener next week.

AT BATES FIELD

Class 4A No. 2 Iowa City West 52, Iowa City High 6

Iowa City West 10-28-7-7—52

Iowa City High 0-0-0-6—6

ICW —

Jalen Gaudet 6 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICW —

Lucas Karwal FG 30

ICW —

Evan Flitz 10 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICW —

Cole Mabry 10 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICW —

Dylan Miene 1 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICW —

Dillon Doyle 4 pass from Evan Flitz (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICW —

Peter Breitbach 2 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

ICH —

Bryce Hunger 4 run (kick failed)

ICW —

Dylan Miene 21 run (Lucas Karwal kick)

RUSHING — I.C. West: Andre White 8-67, Evan Flitz 6-73, Dylan Miene 4-31, Trumell Roberts 7-70, Peter Breitbach 6-15, Mamadou Barry 1-2, Dillon Doyle 2-8, Jalen Gaudet 1-6, Cole Mabry 2-24; I.C. High:

Bryce Hunger 10-12, Davonte Foster 5-10, Chris Johnson 1-1, Max Deprenger 3-18.

PASSING — I.C. West: Evan Flitz 13-21-0-147, Noah Aanestad 1-2-0-12; I.C. High:

Bryce Hunger 13-28-3-168.

RECEIVING — I.C. West: Traevis Buchanan 9-112, Jalen Gaudet 0-0, Austin Geasland 3-18, Dylan Miene 1-3, Dillon Doyle 1-14, Justin Thomas 1-12; I.C. High:

Zach Jones 8-94, Davonte Foster 1-2, Keshawn Christian 1-43, Malik Kimber 1-16, Marquel Poole 1-13, Michael Shoemaker 1-10.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com