HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: City High ready for East

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By Dominic Balestrieri-Fox, City High sophomoreIOWA CITY - City High opens Mississippi Division play in the Mississippi Valley Conference tonight at Waterloo East.City High beat East last season and East has lost its first two games this season - 27-12 to Dubuque Wahlert and 36-3 to Cedar Falls.This is City's final road game in September and the only other this season being against Dubuque Senior in October.Waterloo East is led by Javon Middleton, a sophomore wide receiver operating on the Trojan's varsity team. He has averaged 115.5 yards per game with 22.3 average receiving yards per catch. East tailback Deshay Wright is another key player, averaging 103.5 yards per game with 41 carries.“They (East) usually have a low reputation, but good athletes,” City High senior Joel Reynolds said.Reynolds plays center for the Little Hawks, but understands the challenge for the entire team.“(Middleton) is one of their best players, but they have a few other standout athletes,” Reynolds said, “We're going to have to stay disciplined and stop the big plays.”Reynolds knows what City has to bring to the game tonight.“We're a very diverse unit this season; we have more options, provide more threats,” he said.Coach Dan Sabers is in agreement about both team's skills.“Their strongest attribute is quickness, and they've always been very athletic,” Sabers said.There is room for improvement in tonight's game. Sabers would like to see more out of the defensive line, especially the defensive tackles.“We need to tackle well and wrap up – we did a good job of that last week as well," Sabers said. "With quick teams, if you can wrap up, you're going to win."