West continues roll winning offensive battle

CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa City West has been on a roll the last four weeks.

That roll may have been slowed slightly, but Cedar Rapids Kennedy couldn't bring it to a halt.

Ninth-ranked West and Kennedy combined for almost 900 total yards in an offensive extravaganza, but it was the Trojans who won their fourth straight with a 35-28 Mississippi valley Conference victory Thursday night at Kingston Stadium.

The teams displayed some fireworks with their own big-play ability, combining for two touchdowns in a span of 19 seconds and two offensive plays.

After a strong defensive stand that held West deep in its own territory, Kennedy took over at West's 41. Quarterback Jimmy Lizarraga got the ball into Trevor Heitland's hands and the shifty running back did the rest. Lizarraga dropped back, hitting Heitland on a delayed pass in the left flat. Heitland made a move on West's Charles Rogers, breaking a tackle and reaching the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead with 4:56 to go in the first.

West answered immediately on its next possession. Trojans running back Richard Bryant took the first handoff of the ensuing series, patiently waited for his seam and bolted 69 yards for the score, shaking off one tackler and out-running the rest to tie the game.

Kennedy (3-4, 2-2 MVC Mississippi) had a key miscue at near the end of the second half that turned the game in West's favor and caused the Cougars to play catch up.

The Cougars fumbled a handoff exchange that West recovered on the Kennedy 20. Trojans running back Anthony Brown plunged in from two yards out five plays later to give West a 21-7 lead with 1:14 remaining in the second.

The teams alternated touchdowns in the second half.

Heitland capped Kennedy's opening drive of the second half with a nice 10-yard run, shrinking West's lead to 21-14.

Things quieted down until the teams resumed the offensive outburst in the final quarter, combining for 28 points.

Brown gave West some breathing room, scoring his second touchdown of the game with a three-yard to put Trojans up 28-14. Rogers gave West a lead for good, finishing off a 12-play, 69-yard drive with a 22-yard TD run with 5:17 left. He trotted in after running up the middle and cutting to the left sideline for the score.

The Cougars answered with another big play when Lizarraga hit Heitland for a 62-yard scoring strike with just over eight minutes to play, pulling Kennedy within a score. Heitland added a one-yard TD run with Kennedy trailing by 14 again late, but West stopped a 15-yard pass from Lizarraga to Heitland short of the first down marker in the final two minutes to turn the ball over on downs and ice the game.

West (6-1, 6-0 MVC Valley) has scored 199 points in its last four games, but this was its closest by far during that stretch. The Trojans potent run offense tallied 325 yards, led by Richard Bryant's 136. Rogers added 98 and had 145 yards passing, giving West 470 total.

 The loss spoiled a massive offensive display by Lizarraga and Heitland. Lizarraga threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns. Heitland 160 yards of total offense, including 121 receiving, and four scores. Josh Jahlas added 113 receiving yards  for Kennedy which finished with 424 overall.

TEAM STATISTICS

IC West

CR Kennedy

First downs

22

15

Rushes-yards

46 - 325

35 - 86

Passing yards

145

338

Comp-Att-Int

15 - 25 - 0

15 - 25 - 0

Total yards

470

424

Fumbles-lost

1 - 0

2 - 1

Punts-average

4 - 39.0

4 - 40.0

Penalties-yards

7 - 50

3 - 25

Rushing:

 IC West –

Richard Bryant 12-136 ,

Charles Rogers 15-98 ,

Anthony Brown 19-91

 CR Kennedy –

Trevor Heitland 11-39 ,

Alex Hillyer 20-55 ,

Jimmy Lizarrage 4--4 ,

Shane Williams 1--4

Passing:

 IC West –

Rogers 15-25-0-145

 CR Kennedy –

Lizarrage 15-25-0-338

Receiving:

 IC West –

Dondre Alexander 9-112 ,

Mondo Williams 1-4 ,

Jeremy Morgan 5-29

 CR Kennedy –

Hillyer 3-75 ,

Heitland 4-121 ,

Josh Jahlas 6-113 ,

Williams 1-17 ,

Jonah Heskje 1-12

IC West

7

14

14

–

35

CR Kennedy

7

7

14

–

28

CRK - Heitland 41 pass from Lizarraga (Jordan Holzer kick)

ICW - Bryant 69 run (Alex Troester kick)

ICW - Rogers 41 run (Troester kick)

ICW - Bryant 2 run (Troester kick)

CRK - Heitland 10 run (Holzer kick)

ICW - Brown 3 run (Troester kick)

CRK - Heitland 62 pass from Lizarrage (Holzer kick)

ICW - Rogers 22 run (Troester kick)

CRK - Heitland 1 run (Holzer kick)