Riverhawks defeat Comets 49-14 for CC’s for loss

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

MASON CITY — The Mason City Riverhawks likely had more than one good reason to have their Sept. 20 home football game against Charles City circled in blood feud-colored ink on their calendar.

Last year, the Riverhawks were in the process of raining on Charles City’s Homecoming parade while taking a 14-0 lead at halftime only to have the Comets pull off a stunning come-from-behind victory that proved to be the highlight of their season.

For this season’s meeting, it was Mason City hosting the Comets for its Homecoming. And like the year before, the Riverhawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead … but they kept on jumping, or rolling, never allowing the Comets a chance for another comeback while extending their lead to 28-0 at halftime ahead of the 49-14 final score.

In the spirit of the fighting monarchs of the Middle Ages, Mason City’s Homecoming King Javel Lee took to the battlefield like Henry the Fifth did at Agincourt, rushing for 198 yards on 23 carries while scoring five touchdowns.

King Lee’s scores included a 12-yard run to open the scoring early in the first quarter, a 53-yard run to help put the Riverhawks up 21-0 four minutes in the second quarter, and a 32-yard run to cap the scoring with Carter Long’s fifth PAT kick in as many tries with 4:29 left in regulation.

Riverhawk sophomore quarterback Jameer Falls completed 12 of 18 passes for 275 yards and two scores. Much of the passing yardage came by way of connections with junior wide receiver Drew Hobart, and junior tight end TyAndre Sanchez-Evans.

The diminutive Hobart made a spectacular catch along the sidelines to set up the Riverhawks’ first score, and much of his 124 receiving yards on just four receptions came after the catch as Hobart has the uncanny ability as well as agility to make tacklers miss in the open field.

Sanchez-Evans, who is not so diminutive and doesn’t make tacklers miss — though you can’t blame defenders to wish that he did — managed to barrel his way for 101 yards on four catches, including a 24-yard catch-and-plow TD for the aforementioned 14-0 lead.

Down big at halftime and due to get the second-half kickoff, it was interesting to see how the Comets would respond when they returned to the field.

On a fourth-and-three call on their own 28-yard line, the Comets courageously went for it and converted to keep their opening second-half possession alive. And then facing a third-and-long after venturing into Riverhawk territory, sophomore quarterback Patrick Bruening was able to scramble his way out of trouble and hit tight end Brayden Ellis, who adjusted his route to help out the QB before running through a pair of defenders along the sidelines to move the sticks.

A broken play resulting in negative yardage eventually caused the drive to stall, but the Comets did manage to punch back with their down-hill running attack and reached the end zone twice at the end of long drives with 10- and 5-yard touchdown runs by junior Deacon Caspers.

Caspers had another productive night carrying the football while amassing 191 yards on 32 carries. Through four games, Caspers has 813 yards while averaging a little more than 203 yards a game.

In case you were wondering, Charles City’s school record for most rushing yards in a season is 1,259 yards set by Taylor Manning in 2009.

There are several Comets on the defensive side of the ball who are also having commendable seasons. Senior linebacker Kamden Meek had a quarterback sack while continuing to record at least one tackle for loss in every game thus far this season.

Trevor Carolan, Henry Ruzicka and Jackson Warnke were also credited with TFLs against the Riverhawks.

After becoming the first Comet team to start the season 3-0 in 16 years, the loss against the Riverhawks was Charles City’s first setback of the year.

It’s likely not going to get much easier for the Comets as they host undefeated and Class 3A No. 1-ranked Algona next Friday (Sept. 27) at Comet Field.

MASON CITY 49, CHARLES CITY 14

Scoring By Quarters

Charles City 0 0 0 14 — 14

Mason City 14 14 7 14 — 49

Individual Scoring

MC — Javel Lee 12-yard run (Run failed) 10:09 1st, 6-0

MC — TyAndre Sanchez-Evans 24-yard pass from Jameer Falls (Drayden Will pass from Lee) 4:11 1st, 14-0

MC — Lee 53-yard run (Carter Long kick) 8:01 2nd, 21-0

MC — Lee 2-yard run (Long kick) :23 2nd, 28-0

MC — Lincoln Berdin 4-yard pass from Falls (Long kick) 4:36 3rd, 35-0

CC — Deacon Caspers 10-yard run (Caspers run) 11:20 4th, 35-8

MC — Lee 14-yard run (Long kick) 10:10 4th, 42-8

CC — Caspers 5-yard run (Kick failed) 6:46 4th, 42-14

MC — Lee 32-yard run (Long kick) 4:29 4th, 49-14

RECORDS — Charles City 3-1, Mason City 2-2

Individual Statistics

PASSING — CC, Patrick Bruening 4-12, 40 yards. MC, Jameer Falls 12-18, 275 yards, 2 TDs.

RUSHING — CC, Deacon Caspers 32 carries, 191 yards, 2 TDs; Brayden Ellis 2 carries, 2 yards. MC, Javel Lee 23 carries, 198 yards, 5 TDs; Jameer Falls 2 carries, 9 yards; Lincoln Berding 2 carries, 9 yards; Jayden Williams 2 carries, 8 yards; Drew Hobart 1 carry, 3 yards.

RECEIVING — CC, Brayden Ellis 1 catch, 12 yards; Kamdem Meek 1 catch, 3 yards; Victor Ward Jr. 2 catches, 25 yards. MC, Drew Hobart 4 catches, 124 yards; TyAndre Sanchez-Evans 4 catches, 101 yards, TD; Drayden Witt 2 catches, 40 yards; Lincoln Berding 2 catches, 10 yards, TD.

DEFENSE — CC, Jackson Ruzicka 5 total tackles, 3 solo tackles; Henry Ruzicka 4 solo tackles, tackle for loss; Kamden Meek 3 solo tackles, QB sack; Jackson Warnke tackle for loss; Trevor Carolan tackle for loss. MC, Jayden Williams 6 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, QB sack; William Blanchard 2 tackles for loss; Andrew Novak tackle for loss, fumble recovery; Drew Hobart tackle for loss; Carter Klemesrud tackle for loss.