2012 IHSAA Football, Week 2
Tonight was opening night at Bates Field and I was in attendance to watch Waterloo West challenge the Little Hawks.
I had no clue what kind of team City High would field this year. Coach Dan Sabers touted RB/LB Amos Lavela as being the best player in the state. He may be, but Lavela was injured in the first quarter last week against Cedar Falls and did not dress tonight; he walked the sideline tonight wearing his jersey and jeans. Sophomore Bryson Runge stepped up in the style of the Big Hawks — “next man in” — and nearly gained 150 yards against the Tigers. Needless to say, I was eager to see what City High would do against West, a perennial doormat.
The Little Hawks cruised according to the scoreboard — 49-19 — but their offense was not as dominant as it would seem. They moved the ball in fits and starts, mostly on the ground, but the passing game played a much bigger role. It was almost as if Dan Sabers learned about the forward pass this off-season. (That is obviously hyperbole, but you get the idea.) The Little Hawks opened the scoring near the end of the first quarter with a pick-six. In the second quarter, they scored on a passing play (!). On the ensuing kickoff, they recovered an onside kick and then scored again on a pass play. The halftime score was 21-0.
Waterloo West was not as bad as the score mades it seem. The WaHawks had a speedy and elusive QB and backfield, and they punished the outside. Their creative running back — who gained 174 yards — scored on two long runs in the second half, but it was obviously not enough. The Little Hawks pounded the ball and then brought in their back-up QB, a gifted passer. The kid was chucking it all over the field, and effectively.
Hmm. It may be an interesting season of Little Hawk football.
I had no clue what kind of team City High would field this year. Coach Dan Sabers touted RB/LB Amos Lavela as being the best player in the state. He may be, but Lavela was injured in the first quarter last week against Cedar Falls and did not dress tonight; he walked the sideline tonight wearing his jersey and jeans. Sophomore Bryson Runge stepped up in the style of the Big Hawks — “next man in” — and nearly gained 150 yards against the Tigers. Needless to say, I was eager to see what City High would do against West, a perennial doormat.
The Little Hawks cruised according to the scoreboard — 49-19 — but their offense was not as dominant as it would seem. They moved the ball in fits and starts, mostly on the ground, but the passing game played a much bigger role. It was almost as if Dan Sabers learned about the forward pass this off-season. (That is obviously hyperbole, but you get the idea.) The Little Hawks opened the scoring near the end of the first quarter with a pick-six. In the second quarter, they scored on a passing play (!). On the ensuing kickoff, they recovered an onside kick and then scored again on a pass play. The halftime score was 21-0.
Waterloo West was not as bad as the score mades it seem. The WaHawks had a speedy and elusive QB and backfield, and they punished the outside. Their creative running back — who gained 174 yards — scored on two long runs in the second half, but it was obviously not enough. The Little Hawks pounded the ball and then brought in their back-up QB, a gifted passer. The kid was chucking it all over the field, and effectively.
Hmm. It may be an interesting season of Little Hawk football.
