West makes big plays count in opening-round win over Prairie

IOWA CITY - Iowa City West Coach Garrett Hartwig emptied the playbook as the Trojans took the measure of Cedar Rapids Prairie, 35-20, in a first-round Class 4A playoff game at Trojan Field.

'We were pretty one-dimensional at the beginning of the season,” quarterback Alex Henderson said. 'We've been working on our run game and we've really improved that. It's nice to move the ball in all sorts of ways.”

West (4-6) rolled to a 28-7 halftime lead and did so even though it drove to the Hawks' 7-yard line and came away empty.

Jalen Rima set the Hawks up at the West 34 after a 65-yard kickoff return to open the game, but the Trojans stuffed that first drive. Then Henderson hit Dallas Majors in stride right down the seam, and he went all the way for a 67-yard touchdown.

West then recovered an 'onside” kick and drove 51 yards for its second TD, converting a fourth and seven along the way.

'I don't think so,” Henderson said when asked if it was supposed to be an onside kick. 'We haven't worked on that one yet.”

Prairie (4-6) responded with a 72-yard burst up the middle by Trevor Northrup to set up its first score. But West's Mason Carter ran the ensuing kickoff back 88 yards for a touchdown and a 20-7 lead with time still left in the first quarter.

'I was waiting for the outside to open up and I saw that No. 2 started to close in on Devontae (Lane) and I just hit the edge,” Carter said. 'I ran for my life on that one. Once I had the edge I knew I was gone.”

West also ran a fake punt play deep in its territory and converted on a run by Mason Koch, but that drive fizzled after reaching the Prairie 7.

West successfully kept Prairie speedster Jalen Rima at bay and did a better job defending the Hawks' running game than it did a week ago at Pleasant Valley.

In the third quarter West scored on a 29-yard flea flicker from Henderson to Oliver Martin to lead, 35-14.

After a tough season West may be ready for a playoff run.

'I've played AAU basketball with Devontae, and it's all about big games,” Henderson said. 'You have to step up your performance. A lot of our guys have been in that situation. We know what it's going to take to step up and perform in those big games.”