The Xavier Saints football train just keeps rolling, with two more wins in the past two weeks taking their unbeaten streak up to 31 and aiming towards a pretty darn significant matchup with district foe Western Dubuque on October 11.
Two weeks ago West Delaware came to town. The Hawks are one of the consistently strong Class 3A programs in eastern Iowa, with a long string of playoff appearances that was snapped with an off year last season. WD started this year with a surprising two-point loss to Dubuque Wahlert, but had won the next two handily. Stat-wise, the defensive numbers shown by the Hawks in the first three weeks were almost identical to Xavier's (although Xavier had played a stronger schedule, with their opponents having a combined record of 4-5 compared to WD's opponents at 1-8).
As expected, Xavier's defense was pretty much on lockdown against West Delaware. The Hawks gained only 12 yards passing while picking up 101 on the ground - however, 51 of those 101 yards came on one play, a breakaway run by Wyatt Voelker for the Hawks' first TD. West Delaware's second score came after a muffed punt gave them the ball at the Xavier 20, and then 23 more rushing yards came on Jared Voss' TD run (so two scoring plays accounted for 74 yards rushing ... other than that, West Delaware ran 30 times for 27 yards - take away the two TDs and the Hawks averaged one yard per play).
Xavier's offense got some big plays, too. In the first quarter Kaiden Cuevas got behind the secondary and Tyler DuPont found him for a 63-yard score. Another Saints TD came after West Delaware muffed a punt, but then Xavier also got second-quarter scoring passes of 38 and 39 yards (a lot of wide-open room in the Hawk secondary) for a 28-6 Saints lead. Not much happened but defense in the second half until that late muffed punt, and the final score was 28-12.
On to district play, and the Maquoketa Cardinals. Maquoketa started 2-0, their best start in several years, but then dropped games to a powerful Independence team and a so-so Mount Vernon squad to come in at 2-2. The Cardinals have a pretty good ground game, but their defensive numbers showed them to be pretty weak on that side of the ball.
Xavier took advantage, rolling up a school-record 619 yards of total offense and reaching the end zone seven times in a 52-20 victory. It could have been even worse, as Carter Diebold missed short field goals right before halftime and again on the first drive of the third quarter. DuPont had 333 yards passing and TD throws to Tyler Wilken (77 and 27 yards), Cuevas (35 yards) and Mac Mahurin (14 yards). Cuevas ran for two more scores, and both he and Jack Lux ended with over 100 yards rushing.
Maquoketa, like West Delaware, was able to hit some big plays to get their points. Kannon Coakley threw two long TD passes to Caiden Atienza (69 and 31 yards) and Connor Becker broke an 85-yard run for another score ... but again, take away those three long plays and the Cardinals only had 87 yards of offense (just over 2 yards per play, without those three big ones).
Xavier's defense continues to be solid, even with that propensity to give up the long touchdown (they still rank tops in the district allowing about 185 total yards per game, less than 70 yards per game rushing), and the explosion against Maquoketa vaulted the Saints to the top offense in the district as well (388 yards per game, over 200 yards rushing).
This Friday, it's a trip to the Rock Bowl at Loras College to take on Dubuque Wahlert. The Golden Eagles, with a new coach coming from NCAA Division II Lindenwood, had that solid close win over West Delaware to open the season, then blew out Clinton for their second win - but they also have losses to Davenport Assumption, Central DeWitt, and Western Dubuque. Wahlert has the district's number two rushing offense, but they don't throw the ball very well and have only an average defense.
Which means, for you onlookers, that the October 11 matchup between Xavier and Western Dubuque will most likely decide the District 4 champion, with the winner almost certainly at home for the first round playoff game while the loser would have to go on the road. Xavier hasn't been on the road for a playoff game (except for the Dome) since 2011, and never as a 3A team (the Saints have been district champions all five years in 3A).
But first - Wahlert.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Friday, September 13, 2019
Domination?
When you outgain your opponent by something close to 3 to 1, and rack up 22 first downs to their 5, you expect a blowout on the scoreboard. That isn't quite what happened at Brady Street Stadium on this third week of the high school football season, but Xavier still ran their winning streak to 29 straight with a 17-0 shutout of the previously undefeated Davenport Assumption Knights.
On a steamy, sultry night with the threat of thunderstorms looming, Xavier came out of the box looking to run all over the Knights. On the Saints' first possession they used 11 plays to move 73 yards, mostly on the ground, and scored on a 3-yard run from Jack Lux. It was 7-0, and it looked like more would be coming shortly.
Xavier's defense did its thing - holding Assumption to just 11 yards on the ground and 24 total in the first quarter - but the offense couldn't quite regain that opening swagger. Their next drive ended with a punt near midfield, and the drive after that saw a missed field goal from 39 yards out. The Knights, though, only crossed midfield once in the first half, and that was by a single yard.
After the missed field goal, Xavier held Assumption to a three-and-out, and then went back to what worked in the first quarter. Another 11-play drive, this one covering 55 yards and using the clock to near perfection, ended with one tick left in the half when Carter Diebold drilled another field goal try right through from 22 yards out. It was 10-0 at the half, but felt like it should have been plenty more.
The Saints would receive the second-half kickoff, and surely they'd pound it right in for more points, right? Well, no. On the third play, Tyler DuPont's off-target throw on the rollout was intercepted by Assumption. The Knights did get one first down on a pass interference penalty, but only got to the Xavier 36 before punting. Three plays after that - DuPont was intercepted again, on a deep throw near the Assumption 30. The Knights could do nothing against the Xavier defense that time, but on the Saints' next possession, Tyler Wilken fumbled the ball after a catch. Three straight turnovers on three possessions is enough to stifle any kind of momentum.
But then - turnabout can be fair play. After Assumption's best play of the night - a pass from Tyler Kulhanek to Simon Weitz on the far sideline, where Weitz evaded the first defender and spun downfield to the Xavier 40 - Kulhanek went to the well one time too often. His long pass down the middle of the field was overthrown and intercepted by Jaxon Rexroth, who saw the Saints defenders turn into blockers and clear the way for nice return all the way to the Assumption 38. On 3rd and 8, a quick give to fullback Nick Lemke up the middle burst into a 21-yard gain, and on the first play of the fourth quarter, DuPont kept the ball on the option to the left, cut upfield behind a block and dove into the end zone. That made it 17-0, Assumption would gain a total of 17 yards in the final quarter, and the Saints stayed unbeaten.
Plus the storms didn't arrive until just after the stadium cleared out, so that made it a win-win for everybody (well, except the Knights). Now Xavier gets an extra day to recover, with West Delaware coming to Saints Field next Friday for the final non-district game of the season. West Delaware surprisingly lost to Dubuque Wahlert the first week, but convincingly rolled over Marion last week. What kind of Hawks team do we have - the consistent 3A power with multiple district championships and playoff appearances, or the middling-record squad we saw last year? Who knows. We'll get a good idea next week.
On a steamy, sultry night with the threat of thunderstorms looming, Xavier came out of the box looking to run all over the Knights. On the Saints' first possession they used 11 plays to move 73 yards, mostly on the ground, and scored on a 3-yard run from Jack Lux. It was 7-0, and it looked like more would be coming shortly.
Xavier's defense did its thing - holding Assumption to just 11 yards on the ground and 24 total in the first quarter - but the offense couldn't quite regain that opening swagger. Their next drive ended with a punt near midfield, and the drive after that saw a missed field goal from 39 yards out. The Knights, though, only crossed midfield once in the first half, and that was by a single yard.
After the missed field goal, Xavier held Assumption to a three-and-out, and then went back to what worked in the first quarter. Another 11-play drive, this one covering 55 yards and using the clock to near perfection, ended with one tick left in the half when Carter Diebold drilled another field goal try right through from 22 yards out. It was 10-0 at the half, but felt like it should have been plenty more.
The Saints would receive the second-half kickoff, and surely they'd pound it right in for more points, right? Well, no. On the third play, Tyler DuPont's off-target throw on the rollout was intercepted by Assumption. The Knights did get one first down on a pass interference penalty, but only got to the Xavier 36 before punting. Three plays after that - DuPont was intercepted again, on a deep throw near the Assumption 30. The Knights could do nothing against the Xavier defense that time, but on the Saints' next possession, Tyler Wilken fumbled the ball after a catch. Three straight turnovers on three possessions is enough to stifle any kind of momentum.
But then - turnabout can be fair play. After Assumption's best play of the night - a pass from Tyler Kulhanek to Simon Weitz on the far sideline, where Weitz evaded the first defender and spun downfield to the Xavier 40 - Kulhanek went to the well one time too often. His long pass down the middle of the field was overthrown and intercepted by Jaxon Rexroth, who saw the Saints defenders turn into blockers and clear the way for nice return all the way to the Assumption 38. On 3rd and 8, a quick give to fullback Nick Lemke up the middle burst into a 21-yard gain, and on the first play of the fourth quarter, DuPont kept the ball on the option to the left, cut upfield behind a block and dove into the end zone. That made it 17-0, Assumption would gain a total of 17 yards in the final quarter, and the Saints stayed unbeaten.
Plus the storms didn't arrive until just after the stadium cleared out, so that made it a win-win for everybody (well, except the Knights). Now Xavier gets an extra day to recover, with West Delaware coming to Saints Field next Friday for the final non-district game of the season. West Delaware surprisingly lost to Dubuque Wahlert the first week, but convincingly rolled over Marion last week. What kind of Hawks team do we have - the consistent 3A power with multiple district championships and playoff appearances, or the middling-record squad we saw last year? Who knows. We'll get a good idea next week.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Getting Under Way
The first two games of the 2019 high school football season are in the books, and Xavier continues their winning streak (now up to 28 straight) - although not without some drama.
The Saints rolled over Iowa City Regina 35-0 in their opener. Hosting the Regals on brand-new Field Turf at Saints Field, Tyler DuPont stepped in at quarterback in place of the graduated Quinn Schulte and looked very much at home, throwing for 126 yards and a score while running for 61 yards and two more TDs. While seniors Kaiden Cuevas and Nick Banowetz were listed at starting tailback, Cuevas did not play (I think he might have hurt himself during pregame warmups) and Banowetz never got a carry. Instead, junior Jack Lux came in during the Saints' second series, and on his first carry ran for 57 yards to make his presence felt. Lux would finish with 111 yards, a fine entrance to varsity play.
The Regals, meanwhile, were able to move the ball through the air (Ashton Cook threw for 168 yards) but had almost no rushing attack against the Xavier defense. On Regina's one drive deep inside Saint territory, a bad snap over Cook's head resulted in a turnover - one which Xavier converted into a touchdown. Then on the next possession a Cook pass was intercepted on the right side by Jakob Forslund, and the Xavier linebacker returned it 38 yards for a pick-six.
The following week was, well, not exactly the same. Xavier made the trip up to Decorah, taking on a Vikings team that had been blown out by Class 2A power Waukon the week before. Xavier was unable to move the ball on their first possession, but after a punt, Decorah put together a long, pounding drive that used most of the first quarter. Briggs Duwe was able to find Logan Halverson, mostly, through the air, and the Vikings could get just enough on the ground to keep the drive going. Decorah finished off the drive when Duwe faked a handoff up the middle and strolled almost unnoticed around the left side into the end zone.
Neither team could get much going for a while in the first half, but Xavier finally made something happen late in the second quarter. Aided by a couple of big penalties against Decorah, the Saints moved to the 13 yard line. DuPont passed to Mac Mahurin for 10 yards, then after one more play the pair connected again, this time for a 3-yard TD to tie the game with 38 seconds left.
Decorah wasn't done. Cael Luzum returned the kickoff to midfield, then Xavier was called for two pass interference penalties in three plays that put Decorah at the Saints 16. Duwe had two receivers run out patterns to the right, and found the deeper one, Dawson Palmer, for the score with seven seconds on the clock. Xavier, which had never trailed at halftime in the entire 2018 regular season, was now down 14-7 at the half of their second game of the year.
The third quarter was far, far different. On Decorah's second play, a hard Xavier tackle stripped the ball from Andrew Magner, and the Saints recovered at the 20. It took just three plays to score, with DuPont pushing in from the 1. A high snap on the extra point try caused DuPont to scramble for time, and he was able to find Ethan Hurkett in the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 15-14 lead. After forcing a three and out, Xavier's offense went back to work. This drive took only five plays, the last one a great 34-yard run from Cuevas, who followed a Nick Lemke block off-tackle and fought off Vikings defenders downfield for the score. Another stop of Decorah led to another punt, and another TD drive, this one 61 yards in eight plays, to finish the quarter with DuPont's second TD and a 29-14 lead. Xavier would tack on another fourth quarter score on a Jack Lux drive (he carried the ball four times in a five-play drive, accounting for all 64 yards and a TD).
So a shaky start in game two for Xavier, but a solid finish and another good overall performance. Game three will be a short turnaround, with a Thursday night game at Brady Street Stadium in Davenport against Assumption - a team that looks like they've figured things out as well after a rough 2018. The Knights have outscored their opponents 84-7, and are rolling up some big rushing yard numbers. It will be up the Saints defense to see if they can slow them down.
The Saints rolled over Iowa City Regina 35-0 in their opener. Hosting the Regals on brand-new Field Turf at Saints Field, Tyler DuPont stepped in at quarterback in place of the graduated Quinn Schulte and looked very much at home, throwing for 126 yards and a score while running for 61 yards and two more TDs. While seniors Kaiden Cuevas and Nick Banowetz were listed at starting tailback, Cuevas did not play (I think he might have hurt himself during pregame warmups) and Banowetz never got a carry. Instead, junior Jack Lux came in during the Saints' second series, and on his first carry ran for 57 yards to make his presence felt. Lux would finish with 111 yards, a fine entrance to varsity play.
The Regals, meanwhile, were able to move the ball through the air (Ashton Cook threw for 168 yards) but had almost no rushing attack against the Xavier defense. On Regina's one drive deep inside Saint territory, a bad snap over Cook's head resulted in a turnover - one which Xavier converted into a touchdown. Then on the next possession a Cook pass was intercepted on the right side by Jakob Forslund, and the Xavier linebacker returned it 38 yards for a pick-six.
The following week was, well, not exactly the same. Xavier made the trip up to Decorah, taking on a Vikings team that had been blown out by Class 2A power Waukon the week before. Xavier was unable to move the ball on their first possession, but after a punt, Decorah put together a long, pounding drive that used most of the first quarter. Briggs Duwe was able to find Logan Halverson, mostly, through the air, and the Vikings could get just enough on the ground to keep the drive going. Decorah finished off the drive when Duwe faked a handoff up the middle and strolled almost unnoticed around the left side into the end zone.
Neither team could get much going for a while in the first half, but Xavier finally made something happen late in the second quarter. Aided by a couple of big penalties against Decorah, the Saints moved to the 13 yard line. DuPont passed to Mac Mahurin for 10 yards, then after one more play the pair connected again, this time for a 3-yard TD to tie the game with 38 seconds left.
Decorah wasn't done. Cael Luzum returned the kickoff to midfield, then Xavier was called for two pass interference penalties in three plays that put Decorah at the Saints 16. Duwe had two receivers run out patterns to the right, and found the deeper one, Dawson Palmer, for the score with seven seconds on the clock. Xavier, which had never trailed at halftime in the entire 2018 regular season, was now down 14-7 at the half of their second game of the year.
The third quarter was far, far different. On Decorah's second play, a hard Xavier tackle stripped the ball from Andrew Magner, and the Saints recovered at the 20. It took just three plays to score, with DuPont pushing in from the 1. A high snap on the extra point try caused DuPont to scramble for time, and he was able to find Ethan Hurkett in the end zone for the 2-point conversion and a 15-14 lead. After forcing a three and out, Xavier's offense went back to work. This drive took only five plays, the last one a great 34-yard run from Cuevas, who followed a Nick Lemke block off-tackle and fought off Vikings defenders downfield for the score. Another stop of Decorah led to another punt, and another TD drive, this one 61 yards in eight plays, to finish the quarter with DuPont's second TD and a 29-14 lead. Xavier would tack on another fourth quarter score on a Jack Lux drive (he carried the ball four times in a five-play drive, accounting for all 64 yards and a TD).
So a shaky start in game two for Xavier, but a solid finish and another good overall performance. Game three will be a short turnaround, with a Thursday night game at Brady Street Stadium in Davenport against Assumption - a team that looks like they've figured things out as well after a rough 2018. The Knights have outscored their opponents 84-7, and are rolling up some big rushing yard numbers. It will be up the Saints defense to see if they can slow them down.
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