Comets trample Trojans, 61-34

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

WATERLOO — What a difference a half-century makes.

Back in 1965 when Waterloo East was a football powerhouse, the Trojans soundly defeated the Charles City Comets, 51-0.

In Friday’s “rematch” — it has been 53 years since the schools faced each other — the Comets nearly matched that winning scoring total.

In the first half alone.

Charles City put up 49 points in 24 minutes — 35 of which in the second quarter.

Is that a school record?

Well, we’re going out on a limb by saying “Yes”.

The record for most total points scored by a Charles City varsity football team was 54 against Iowa Falls in 1991. We emphasize “was” because the Comets went on the add 12 more in the second half while trampling the Trojans, 61-34.

For the Comets (4-1), it was their fourth win in a row as it opened the Class 3A-District 3 portion of their schedule.

Sophomore running back Trever Heitz had a monster game that Gayle Sayers would be proud of. On just 21 carries, Heitz rushed for a career-high 213 yards and scored six touchdowns which — almost needless to note — are also a career-high.

Charles City also got some big contributions from senior Dylan Koresh, who rushed for 139 yards on just eight carries, including touchdown runs of 17 and 30 yards. Koresh also returned a kickoff 65 yards to set up another Comet TD.

But even though the Comets were treating their following with an impressive display, the half ended on a somber note when Koresh injured his right knee during a pile-up and later spent the entire second half on the sidelines with an ice pack placed on the location of the injury.

The following morning while serving as a volunteer coach for the Charles City YMCA Youth Flag Football League, Koresh said that his knee is still sore but hopes — after getting it checked out early in the week — he can play in Friday’s homecoming game against Decorah.

Taking up the slack in the backfield during Koresh’s absence was sophomore Jeremiah Chapman, who broke several big plays down the sidelines while compiling 118 yards on six carries.

Unofficially, Charles City churned out 539 yards on the ground — 1 yard short of the team record set against Algona in 2013.

Though Waterloo East remains winless (0-5) and hasn’t recorded a district victory in two-and-a-half seasons, the Trojans are no strangers to the end zone — especially with their wide-open, hurry-up passing attack.

With the outcome pretty much no longer in doubt, Waterloo East got a little rhythm going in the second half and at least made the final — if not actually respectable — resemble a one-sided high school basketball score.

Trojan junior quarterback Dylan Reyes was 24 of 39 passing for 296 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those scoring strikes were to Tavious Jerkins, the first of which was a 31-yard go route that put the Trojans on the board midway through the second quarter after the Comets took a 28-0 lead.

But Reyes, who nearly has 1,200 yards passing through five games, also threw four interceptions, one each to Elliott Sinnwell and Wyatt Stevenson, and two to linebacker Kelly Ward.

The first of Ward’s picks came in the first quarter shortly after Heitz’s 42-yard TD opened the scoring. Reyes was attempting to throw in the flat only to have lineman Alec Elsbernd leap up to deflect the pass, which ended up in Ward’s hands. Still on his feet, Ward had his sights on the goal line for a “pick six”, but Reyes was able to catch him from behind for a touchdown-saving tackle.

Charles City eventually scored anyway with a 1-yard dive by Heitz.

After a pair of 7-yard TDs by Heitz and the two Koresh TDs, the nightmare first-half for the Trojans seemed like it would never end ­— even after time had expired.

Kendall Robinson’s 22-yard TD run drew Waterloo East a little closer at 42-14 with 2:11 remaining in the half. It appeared that would be the intermission score as the Comets were stopped outside the red zone as the clock reached zero.

But not so fast. A facemask penalty awarded Charles City another play with no time on the clock, and they took advantage with yet another 7-yard TD run by Heitz.

Heitz would score his sixth rushing TD — this one from 24 yards out — early in the second half. Comet quarterback Marcus Cranshaw later scored on a 19-yard keeper with 10:27 remaining in regulation.

Cranshaw and Heitz both lead the Comets with six TDs apiece.

Sinnwell and Ryan Zuspan were credited with nine and eight solo tackles, respectively, to lead Charles City’s defense.

As for the Comets’ homecoming opponent … the Vikings (3-2, 1-0) are coming off a 30-14 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock, which was ranked No. 7 in Class 3A according to last week’s Associated Press Poll.

CHARLES CITY 61, WATERLOO EAST 34

Scoring By Quarters

CHARLES CITY 14 35 6 6 — 61

WATERLOO EAST 0 14 14 6 — 34

Scoring Summary

CC — Trevor Heitz 42-yard run (Kick failed), 6:57 1st

CC — Heitz 1-yard run (Heitz run), 5:18 1st

CC — Dylan Koresh 17-yard run (Kick failed), 11:54 2nd

CC — Heitz 7-yard run (Heitz run), 9:07 2nd

WE — Tavious Jerkins 28-yard pass from Dylan Reyes (Dakota Albright kick), 6:11 2nd

CC — Heitz 7-yard run (Kick failed), 4:42 2nd

CC — Koresh 30-yard run (Heitz run), 4:28 2nd

WE — Kendall Robinson 22-yard run (Albright kick), 2:11 2nd

CC — Heitz 7-yard run (Kaleb Byers kick), 0:00 2nd

CC — Heitz 24-yard run (Kick failed), 9:39 3rd

WE — Jerkins 13-yard pass from Reyes (Kick failed), 4:49 3rd

WE — Jerkins 10-yard pass from Reyes (Jerkins pass from Reyes), 0:11 3rd

CC — Marcus Cranshaw 19-yard run (Run failed), 10:27 4th

WE — Griffin Bender 15-yard pass from Reyes (Pass failed), 7:52 4th

Records

Charles City 4-1 (1-0 Class 3A-District 3)

Waterloo East 0-5 (0-1)