Highland uses power running to rush past North Cedar

The Highland Huskies moved to 2-0 (2-2 overall) in the Class A District 5 football standings with a 33-13 home win against North Cedar on Friday night.

The teams battled to a 13-13 draw in the first half.

The Knights scored on the opening drive of the game on a 26-yard Tyler Jackson touchdown run.

Four minutes later, the Huskies tied the game at 7 when Connor Grinstead hit Trevor McFarland for a 10-yard scoring strike.

With North Cedar driving again, Highland’s Luke Miller picked off a pass and returned it to the Knights’ 9-yard line.

Less than a minute later, Brenton Bonebrake ran in an 11-yard touchdown to give the Huskies the lead.

In the second quarter, Jackson tied the game at 13 on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Huskies came out in the second half looking like a different team.

Their power running game kicked into high gear, grabbing large chunks of yardage on each carry right up the gut.

“We made a couple adjustments,” Highland head coach Scott Morrel said. “We saw what they were doing and cleaned that up and made sure we had a hat on a hat. We made sure the running backs stayed inside the hole.

“They bounced out a couple times and were going east and west instead of going north and south. The second half, we were going more north and south.”

Grinstead capped the opening drive scoring on a 10-yard quarterback keeper to put the Huskies on top again.

“That was a great morale pickup for us to come down and score right away,” Morrel said.

The Huskies scored again in the third quarter on Grinstead’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Logan Bonebrake.

While the offense was picking up steam, the Highland defense buckled down.

Holding a 26-13 lead in the fourth quarter, Highland’s Kolton Miller halted a North Cedar Drive into Huskies’ territory, recovering a fumble at the Highland 25-yard line.

Highland converted that turnover into a scoring drive capped by Grinstead’s 1-yard touchdown dive.

A minute later, Yahir Jimenez recovered another North Cedar fumble in Highland territory to take the ball back for good.

“We made sure to read our keys,” Morrel said. “A couple times I had to chew them out because we weren’t reading our keys, and they were getting a couple big plays here and there. For the most part, they guys executed the game plan to perfection.”

This Friday, the Huskies travel to Alburnett (1-3) who fell to East Buchanan.

Comments: james.jennings@southeastiowaunion.com