Cougars ramble past Jefferson

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Statistically, Cedar Rapids Jefferson played Cedar Rapids Kennedy to a stalemate.

But not where it mattered.

Kennedy's ground-and-pound attack netted 358 rushing yards and produced a pair of 100-yard backs, and the Cougars downed Jefferson, 35-14, in an MVC Mississippi Division game Friday night at Kingston Stadium.

"There were a lot of things we weren't happy about," said Kennedy Coach Tim Lewis. "But you know what, we won the game against an improved team and a rival."

Miles Moa ran for 186 yards (on 21 carries) and scored three touchdowns as the Cougars improved to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in the Mississippi Division. There won't be a late-season surge necessary for the Cougars to make the playoffs this year; they're virtually a postseason shoo-in now.

"We still need to take one game at a time," Moa said. "We need to do the little things and keep getting better."

Terrence Hall added 101 yards, scoring the Cougars' final touchdown, a 1-yarder to clinch it with 1:10 to go.

That offset a 271-yard passing night by Jefferson's Layne Sullivan. The Cougars outgained Jefferson (1-5, 1-3) only 383-374, but led from start to finish.

Literally, start to finish, almost. Kennedy took the lead just over a minute into the game.

On the second play from scrimmage, Logan Daughetee intercepted Sullivan's pass at the Jefferson 29-yard line. The following play, Moa got loose around right end for a touchdown.

"It was the line, it's always the line," Moa said. "They gave me a big hole, and I was able to kick it outside."

After blocking a field-goal attempt by Jefferson's Nicholas Rocha, the Cougars constructed their best march of the game, a 94-yard, 10-play southward tour.

Derek Jacobus capped it with a 26-yard keeper to the left pylon, and it was 14-0.

The Cougars appeared to apply the dagger moments later with a blocked punt for a touchdown, but the play was nullified by illegal participation.

With new life, Jefferson drove to the shadow of the goal line, but the Cougars stuffed Nicholas O'Connell on fourth-and-goal about a foot short of the scoring stripe.

Moa's 31-yard scoring scamper capped Kennedy's first possession of the second half to make it 21-0, and the margin varied from two to three touchdowns the rest of the way. He later added a 49-yard TD run.

Sullivan threw two touchdown passes -- 5 yards to Dakota Tomkins and 67 yards to Bryce Lund. He completed 15 of 40 throws."He's a good quarterback," Lewis said. "They did a lot of things to keep us out of position. We need to fix that."

Kennedy hosts Waterloo East next Thursday; it will be the Cougars' fourth straight game at Kingston.

Jefferson faces Cedar Rapids Washington at Kingston next Friday. 

CR Kennedy 35, CR Jeff. 14

AT KINGSTON STADIUM

TEAM STATISTICS

CR Kennedy

CR Jeff.

First downs

16

19

Rushes-yards

49 - 358

35 - 103

Passing yards

25

271

Comp-Att-Int

2 - 5 - 1

15 - 40 - 2

Total yards

383

374

Fumbles-lost

1 - 0

0 - 0

Punts-average

5 - 43.6

2 - 34.5

Penalties-yards

8 - 81

4 - 30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing:  CR Kennedy – Miles Moa 21-186 , Terrence Hall 12-101 , Logan Wedo 8-39 , Derek Jacobus 6-21 , Jay Black 2-14  CR Jeff. – Layne Sullivan 22-66 , Bryce Lund 3-17 , Ben Koering 2-17 , Chaney Floyd 1-10 , Trae Gesling 1-5 , Michael Moncivais 3-0 , Nicholas O'Connell 1-0

Passing:  CR Kennedy – Jacobus 2-5-1-25  CR Jeff. – Sullivan 15-40-2-271

Receiving:  CR Kennedy – Drew Heitland 1-18 , Jacob Shannon 1-7  CR Jeff. – Moncivais 5-94 , Lund 2-81 , Mason Furnish 2-20 , O'Connell 2-15 , Spencer Hunt 1-37 , Koering 1-18 , Dakota Tomkins 1-5 , Benjamin Baxter 1-1

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CR Kennedy

7

7

7

14

–

35

CR Jeff.

7

7

–

14

SCORING SUMMARY

CRK - Miles Moa 29 run (Mark Schulz kick)

CRK - Derek Jacobus 26 run (Schulz kick)

CRK - Moa 31 run (Schulz kick)

CRJ - Dakota Tomkins 5 pass from Layne Sullivan (Nicholas Rocha kick)

CRK - Moa 49 run (Schulz kick)

CRJ - Bryce Lund 67 pass from Sullivan (Rocha kick)

CRK - Terrence Hall 1 run (Schulz kick)