Kennedy destroys Clinton in opener

CEDAR RAPIDS — The best season in the history of Cedar Rapids Kennedy football will see at least an 11th game. Probably more, if this was any indication.

The third-ranked Cougars did whatever they pleased offensively, got a Pick-6 on defense, a rushing record for Tyler Dralle and steamrolled Clinton, 59-0, in a Class 4A first-round playoff opener Wednesday night at blustery Kingston Stadium.

Kennedy is 10-0, with a second-rounder Monday night at home against an undetermined opponent. Poor Clinton now has seen its season end at Kingston Stadium two years in a row in lopsided fashion.

The River Kings dropped those two postseason games by a combined 137-13 margin. They lost last season to Cedar Rapids Washington in the first round, 78-13.

'We've got to get better,' said Kennedy Coach Brian White, being a typical coach and lamenting four missed extra-point attempts. That was the only thing the Cougars didn't do well.

'It sounds stupid saying it, but we've got to get better on offense,' White said. 'We've got to get better on defense, we've got to get better on special teams. We've just got to improve every day in practice, and that's what I just told the kids. You can't be satisfied with anything.'

This mismatch essentially was decided in a matter of about 10 seconds. That's approximately the time it took tight end Shaun Beyer to run a drag route, take a pass from quarterback Nick Duehr and outrace every defender down the sideline and to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown.

Dralle ran for a 3-yard TD and a 13-0 lead. Cornerback Austin Coates intercepted a wobbling pass from Clinton QB Johnny Sullivan and ran it back 52 yards for a touchdown that made it 20-0 after a quarter.

Beyer had another touchdown catch and Chase Baker two before Kennedy's starters called it a night late in the third quarter. Beyer finished with 120 receiving yards on five catches.

Duehr was 10-for-10 for 226 yards and four TDs. Hard to top that.

'Nope, can't beat (10-for-10),' Duehr said with a smile. 'Me and Coach White talked before the game that the flat route to the fullback would be open, so that's what we basically did. Then it's just throw the ball up to Beyer.'

Kennedy finished with a whopping 27 first downs and 560 yards of offense, and that was with a continuous clock most of the second half. Clinton finished with 77 yards.

'That's insane,' Duehr said. 'I don't know what Dralle had.'

That number was 223 yards rushing on 21 carries, including two touchdowns. That took his season total to 1,677 yards, a Kennedy record.

The senior workhorse said he had a weight-lifting class as a freshman with Alex Hillyer, the previous record holder, and felt honored to go past him.

'I remember (former) Coach (Tim) Lewis came up to me and was like 'What's the record that you have, Hillyer?' He was like 'It's 1,662 yards.' Coach Lewis looked at me and said 'All right, Dralle, you've got to get 1,663. I'll always remember that. That's always been my goal.'

'I'm so happy for him,' White said. 'We talked about that all offseason about that record ... He wanted it, and we wanted it as a team. It means a lot to the offensive line, too. We have fantastic blocking receivers as well. I don't think people understand that. So that record is a team record, not just a Dralle thing. He thinks that, too. It's a team thing, not a Tyler Dralle thing.'

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