CEDAR FALLS, IA (Dakota News Now) -We knew the West Lyon football team was going to be really good before the season started. They were coming off a state title and returned plenty of talent.
These Wildcats rolled through the season ranked #1 and took a 12-0 record into the title game Thursday in Cedar Falls against Iowa City Regina. The Regals were ranked 3rd and also 12-0.
West Lyon jumped out to a 13-0 lead before surrendering 27 consecutive points. Kyle Tracy’s 3rd TD pass of the day just into the 4th quarter made it 27-13.
But Jay Rozeboom’s team responded! River Kramer took a lateral on the kickoff and went 93 yards for the score. And then the biggest play of the day, Micah Van Beek knocked the ball loose as the Regals were approaching the red zone and Kramer recovered right before the ball went out of bounds.
That led to a trick play that worked to perfection when Kramer took the end around and launched a pass that Jared Ciesielski timed perfectly near the goal line setting up the game-tying touchdown by Jacob Snyders.
The game went to overtime tied at 27 after a missed field goal at the gun and Evan Hildring scored his 2nd touchdown of the day. He had 112 yards rushing in the game.
Regina QB Tracy got close to scoring on the very first play from the 10 yard line. But the Wildcats kept them out of the end zone on 3 straight plays for the dramatic win in a game where they never gave up.
Jay Rozeboom, Wildcat Head Coach said, “”Our guys had an opportunity to give up when they were down by 14 points. They kept slugging away and doing the little things that they had to do and as hard as they worked, it’s hard to give up when you work that hard so I give them all the credit.”
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