C.R. Jefferson falls to Dubuque Senior, 28-17

DUBUQUE -- The playoffs were no longer on the line, but that didn't take any of the intensity away from Dubuque Senior.

Intent on sending their seniors out with a bang, the Rams came out and followed through with a 28-17 victory over Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Friday night at Dalzell Field.

Bruising Senior running back Parker Hammel, who rushed for a career-best 309 yards and three touchdowns in last week's rout of Waterloo East, matched that with three TDs in the first quarter on Friday. He finished with 163 rushing yards as the Rams rallied from a 1-5 start to get within a handful of points of qualifying for a second straight postseason berth.

Jefferson (1-8, 1-5 Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division) scored on its first drive behind the legs of quarterback Layne Sullivan, who carried the ball five times for 46 yards on the possession before Kevonte Jones scored on a 6-yard touchdown run.

Senior (4-5, 3-3) answered and powered its way downfield on its possession behind Hammel, who ran seven times for 40 yards on the drive, capping it with a 6-yard touchdown run.

Sullivan fumbled on the first play of the J-Hawks' next possession and Senior's Alex Burke recovered at the Jefferson 28.

The Rams needed just one play to make it hurt, and Hammel rolled in nearly untouched for a 28-yard TD.

Senior forced Jefferson into a three-and-out on its next possession and the Rams continued to roll.

Rams quarterback Austin Clemens hit Sam Jaeger for passes of 24 and 21 yards as Senior marched downfield. Clemens nearly got the TD himself as he scrambled out of the pocket, dove and extended the ball toward the pylon.

Officials ruled Clemens out at the 1 and Hammel scored his third touchdown of the quarter a play later as the Rams rolled out in front, 21-7.

Jefferson forced Senior into a three-and-out on its next possession and following an 18-yard punt took over at the Rams' 26. The J-Hawks settled for Nicholas Rocha's 41-yard field goal to get within 21-10 with 6:49 left in the opening half.

After that, the defenses took over.

Senior managed just 23 yards on its final four possessions of the first half, but still went into the break with a distinct advantage. The Rams piled up 182 yards of offense over the first 24 minutes, including 88 yards on the ground by Hammel.

Jefferson was held to 111 yards in the first half, although 75 of those yards came on its opening possession. Outside of their first drive, the J-Hawks managed just one other first down in the first half.

Rams defensive end Lucas LeGrand, an Iowa Hawkeyes recruit, ended another Jefferson drive with a leaping interception at the line of scrimmage. Senior took over at the J-Hawks 25, but eventually turned the ball over on downs.

LeGrand added a fourth-quarter sack for Senior.

The Rams finally broke the scoring drought in the third quarter, driving 54 yards in 10 plays, capping the drive with Clemens' 14-yard touchdown pass to Sam Jaeger.

Jaeger also caught a 21-yard pass on the drive, his fourth catch of at least 20 yards in the game.

Sullivan, who capped the scoring with a 7-yard TD run with 14 seconds left, led the J-Hawks with 87 rushing yards. He completed 11 of 22 passes for 106 yards.

Cameron McInerney recovered a fourth-quarter fumble for Jefferson.