Catch up quick: Thursday's state football championships 

• Class 4A: A year after falling to Council Bluffs Lewis Central in a triple-overtime title game, third-ranked Xavier knocked off the top-ranked Titans in this year's final, 45-38.

• Class A: After three straight runner-up finishes, second-ranked Grundy Center left no doubt this year with a 27-0 win over top-ranked, defending champion West Hancock.

• 8-Player: No. 1 Remsen St. Mary's capitalized on miscues and built a 38-3 lead, eventually beating No. 2 WACO 38-16 for its second state championship in the last three years.

Big second half powers Cedar Rapids Xavier to Class 4A state football championship over Council Bluffs Lewis Central

The lights stayed on and Cedar Rapids Xavier got revenge.

And a state title.

Powered by Coleton Beasler-Weber’s 97-yard kickoff return to open the second half and a rediscovered rush attack that pushed Michael Cunningham well past 100 yards, No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier took control and held on for a 45-38 victory over top-ranked Council Bluffs Lewis Central in the Class 4A state football final Thursday night at UNI-Dome.

The Saints won their fourth state crown, avenging last year’s triple-overtime final that included the UNI-Dome lights turning off before the deciding frame.

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Final in Class 4A: Cedar Rapids Xavier 45, Council Bluffs Lewis Central 38

A year after falling to Lewis Central in a triple-overtime title game, third-ranked Xavier (13-0) knocked off the top-ranked Titans (12-1) in this year's final.

Michael Cunningham ran for 170 yards and a touchdown, Ronan Thomas completed 10 of 12 passes for 135 yards and two scores and the Saints used a pair of pivotal third-quarter special teams plays to create separation. Coleton Beasler-Weber returned the opening kick of the second half 97 yards for a TD to put Xavier up 10 and the Saints forced a fumble on a kickoff that led to a Thomas TD and 21-point margin to start the fourth.

Xavier earned its fourth state championship and first since 2018.

Lewis Central got within seven twice in the fourth quarter, but Xavier produced an 80-yard touchdown drive for the first response and then recovered an onside kick with 23 seconds remaining.

[Box score]

Scoring summary

CRX — Aidan McDermott 51 pass from Ronan Thomas (Kale Christensen kick), 10:00 1st

CBLC — Curtis Witte 48 pass from Braylon Kammrad (Boston Hensley kick), 8:38 1st

CRX — Christensen 30 field goal, 4:32 1st

CBLC — Jonathan Humpal 68 pass from Kammrad (Hensley kick), 2:39 1st

CRX — McDermott 5 run (Christensen kick), 9:04 2nd

CRX — Coleton Beasler-Weber 97 kick return (Christensen kick), 11:46 3rd

CBLC — Hensley 35 field goal, 4:24 3rd

CRX — Michael Cunningham 13 run (Christensen kick), 1:55 3rd

CRX — Thomas 1 run (Christensen kick), 11:56 4th

CBLC — Humpal 91 kick return (Karson Lea kick), 11:42 4th

CBLC — Kammrad 2 run (Hensley kick), 7:32 4th

CRX — Aiden Miller 3 pass from Thomas (Christensen kick), 2:35 4th

CBLC — Humpal 8 pass from Kammrad (Hensley kick), 0:24 4th

CR Xavier 4A State Champions! Final from the Dome: Xavier 45, Lewis Central 38. @HyVee @Iowa_Radiology @IFBCA @XavierSaintsAD @XavierSaints @CRXavierFB @LewisCentralCSD pic.twitter.com/CdX0Ep06kU

— Dome Dynasty (@DomeDynasty) November 18, 2022

Xavier 45, Lewis Central 31 (2:35 4th)

Xavier drives 80 yards on 10 plays and melts almost five minutes off the clock. Drive was heavy on Cunningham runs but Thomas hit Josef Lemker for passes of 8 and 3 on the last two plays for a score and 45-31 lead with 2:35 left.

Xavier 38, Lewis Central 31 (7:32 4th)

The crazy ebb and flow continues. Top-ranked Lewis Central has been in control of the fourth quarter. Kammrad with a 2-yard TD run to make it 38-31 Xavier with 7:32 remaining. Another OT coming??? Make sure the lights remain on.

Xavier 38, Lewis Central 24 (11:42 4th)

Far from settled.

Jonathan Humpal with a 90-yard kickoff return. PAT good.

Xavier 38, Lewis Central 17 (11:56 4th)

Xavier QB Ronan Thomas just stretches the ball across the goal for a 1-yard TD on fourth-and-goal. PAT is good.

The touchdown was set up by Lewis Central fumbling the kick return. Xavier recovered at the LC 34. Saints special teams with a TD return and fumble recovery in the third quarter.

Xavier 31, Lewis Central 17 (1:55 3rd)

Xavier seals the right edge and Michael Cunningham is able to turn the corner and go untouched for a 13-yard TD. PAT is good.

Cunningham's vision led to a 47-yard gain to the Lewis Central 17. Accelerated through the lane on a toss left and then cut across the field to the right sideline before being pushed out of bounds. 

Xavier 24, Lewis Central 17 (4:24 3rd)

Braylon Kammrad hits Parker Heller for an 8-yard TD on third-and-goal. Holding negates it. 

Boston Hensley connects on a 35-yard field goal to bring the Titans within 24-17 with 4:24 left in the third. Back and forth battle here. Lots more to come.

Xavier 24, Lewis Central 14 (11:46 3rd)

Special teams make an impact to start. Coleton Beasler-Weber with a 97-yard kickoff return to open the second half. Got to the left edge, had a lane, accelerated and then zigged across the the field, passed the kicker and scored to extend Xavier's lead.

Halftime: Xavier 17, Lewis Central 14

This game has quite the ebb and flow to it. Couldn't stop anyone to start (24 total points in the first 9:21) and then defenses held strong (7 points the rest of the half).

We'll see what we get for the second half. Have a feeling that a miscue is going to make a big difference.

4A Championship-1st Half Highlights🎥 CR Xavier 17 Lewis Central 14.
Download and join us at the DOME! https://t.co/QaFEpV1R0O pic.twitter.com/swUWs6ZUrb

— Iowa High School Sports Network (@Watch_IHSSN) November 18, 2022

Xavier 17, Lewis Central 14 (9:04 2nd)

Xavier caps a 14-play, 76-yard drive with a 5-yard TD pass from Ronan Thomas to Aidan McDermott.

Lewis Central 14, Xavier 10 (2:39 1st)

Screen pass to Humpal. Goes for a 69-yard touchdown. PAT good. Lewis Central leads.

Xavier 10, Lewis Central 7 (4:32 1st)

Great stop by Lewis Central, stiffening up at the 10. Xavier forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal from Kale Christensen.

Xavier 7, Lewis Central 7 (8:38 1st)

Lewis Central answers with a 48-yard TD pass from Kammrad to a wide-open Curtis Witte down the seam, capping a four-play, 77-yard drive.

Jonathan Humpal had a big 21-yard rush to move into Saints territory.

Xavier 7, Lewis Central 0 (10:00 1st)

Xavier with an interception by Thomas Sundell on third-and-5.

Ronan Thomas rolls left and Aidan McDermott breaks free. Thomas hits him for a 51-yard TD pass. PAT good.

Xavier and Lewis Central hope to have another lights out Class 4A championship game ... figuratively

CEDAR RAPIDS — It won’t happen again.

Cedar Rapids Xavier football coach Duane Schulte bumped into old friend Andy Umthun last week during the semifinal round of the Iowa high school football playoffs at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Umthun is a former activities director at Xavier. An assistant director for the Iowa High School Athletic Association, he more or less promised that if the Saints and Council Bluffs Lewis Central go to overtime Thursday night in the Class 4A state championship game, the lights at the Dome won’t go out this time.

“He didn’t really use the word ‘guarantee,’” said Schulte. “But he was quite reassuring that things would be taken care of.”

Xavier and Lewis Central had a memorable tilt last year, with a 32-24 triple-overtime win for the Titans being only part of the story. Just as the teams were about to begin that third OT, things went dark.

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Previewing Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Lewis Central

Kickoff time: 7 p.m.

The Saints are making their seventh state finals appearance and second straight. Xavier has won a 4A title in 2006 and 3A crowns in 2017 and 2018. The championship game is a rematch of last year’s title contest won by the Titans in triple-overtime, 32-24. Both teams have dominated opponents this season. Xavier owns a 33.1-point advantage per game, while Lewis Central has won by an average of 30. Defense has been the calling card for the Saints, who have allowed just 5.4 points per game. The Titans present the toughest test of the season, scoring at a 46.2 clip.

Ronan Thomas powered Xavier with 249 yards passing, including a 90-yard scoring strike to Grayson Hartman in a 38-10 semifinal romp of No. 7 North Scott, completing 8 of 10 attempts. Senior Michael Cunningham rushed for 96 yards, giving him 1,428 yards this season. Aidan McDermott had two interceptions for his fifth of the year. Lewis Central’s Braylon Kammrad ranks first in 4A with 43 TDs, including 32 passing. His 2,521 is second in 4A, throwing for 285 yards and three scores in a 42-21 win over No. 5 Carlisle last week. Curtis Witte leads the Titans with 933 yards, while teammate Jonathan Humpal is second in 4A with 1,647 all-purpose yards.

Final in Class A: Grundy Center 27, West Hancock 0

After three straight runner-up finishes, Grundy Center left no doubt this year.

Colin Gordon completed 10 of 15 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns (both to Tate Jirvosky), ran for 100 yards and another score and kicked two field goals and three extra points for the No. 2-ranked Spartans (13-0).

No. 1 West Hancock (12-1) was the defending champion, having handed one-score losses to Grundy Center in both last year's title game (19-14) and in 2019 (21-17).

This is the fourth state championship for Grundy Center and first since 1988.

[Box score]

Scoring summary

GC — Colin Gordon 31 field goal, 10:52 1st

GC — Tate Jirovsky 26 pass from Gordon (Gordon kick), 6:43 1st

GC — Jirovsky 9 pass from Gordon (Gordon kick), 0:24 2nd

GC — Gordon 30 field goal, 4:00 3rd

GC — Gordon 1 run (Gordon kick), 7:41 4th

Halftime, Class A: Grundy Center 17, West Hancock 0

The Colin Gordon-Tate Jirovsky connection produced two touchdowns in the first half for the Spartans.

The second score came with just 24 seconds left in the second quarter, Gordon rolling right on first-and-goal and throwing a 9-yard pass to the leaping, 6-foot-5 Jirovsky for six.

Grundy Center out-gained West Hancock in the first half, 215-65.

Class A 🏈Championship. Grundy Center 17 W. Hancock 0. 1st Half Highlights🎥🎥
Download and join us. https://t.co/QaFEpV1jbg pic.twitter.com/hkLTXOkqTq

— Iowa High School Sports Network (@Watch_IHSSN) November 17, 2022

End 1st Quarter, Class A: Grundy Center 10, West Hancock 0

Grundy Center's Justin Knaack ripped off a 50-yard run to the West Hancock 15 on the first play of the game, but the Spartans had to settle for a 31-yard Colin Gordon field goal.

They made up for it on their second drive, as Gordon delivered a 26-yard pass to the end zone on third-and-8. Tate Jirovsky came down with it and stayed inbounds for the game's first touchdown.

Final in 8-Player: Remsen St. Mary's 38, WACO 16

Remsen St. Mary's claimed its third state football championship and second in the last three years.

The top-ranked Hawks (13-0) led 24-3 at halftime and extended it to 38-3 in the third quarter. The 22-point final margin tied for their closest game of the season, with a 42-20 semifinal win over Lenox last week.

Brenden Fisch ran for 134 yards and four touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass.

Isaac Oswald threw for 212 yards and a touchdown for No. 2 WACO (13-1), which was hurt by two turnovers, a high snap on a punt and a blocked punt.

[Box score]

Scoring summary

RSM — Brenden Fisch 1 run (pass failed), 5:35 1st

RSM — Jaxon Bunkers 1 fumble return (kick failed), 1:08 1st

RSM — Fisch 2 run (pass failed), 10:59 2nd

RSM — Fisch 6 pass from Cael Ortmann (pass failed), 9:53 2nd

WACO — Simeon Reichenbach 48 field goal, 0:12 2nd

RSM — Fisch 62 run (Alex Schroeder run), 11:13 3rd

RSM — Fisch 6 run (kick failed), 4:03 3rd

WACO — Colton Leichty 25 pass from Isaac Oswald (run failed), 1:51 3rd

WACO — Reichenbach 1 run (Reichenbach kick), 10:14 4th

8 Player 2nd half highlights. St. Mary's, Remsen your 8 Player State Champions!
Download and join us at the DOME! https://t.co/QaFEpV1R0O pic.twitter.com/lwejVmc4u5

— Iowa High School Sports Network (@Watch_IHSSN) November 17, 2022

Halftime, 8-Player: Remsen St. Mary's 24, WACO 3

Mistakes piled up for WACO in a second quarter that saw Remsen St. Mary's double its lead.

Multiple woes came on punts, first a high snap that St. Mary's recovered at the WACO 3 and turned into a Brenden Fisch 2-yard touchdown run, then a punt blocked by Braxton Kniep that led to a Fisch 6-yard touchdown catch. All that happened in just over a minute of game time.

The Warriors responded with a promising drive that reached the St. Mary's 5, but Ryan Willman popped the ball free and Jaxon Bunkers recovered the fumble for St. Mary's.

WACO was able to get on the board with 12 seconds left in the half via Simeon Reichenbach's 48-yard field goal.

Cael Ortmann was 8-of-10 passing for 108 yards and a TD in the first half for the Hawks.

8 Player Championship. At the half St. Mary's, Remsen 24 WACO 3. 1st half highlights! @HyVee @IFBCA @Iowa_Radiology @RSMSchools
@RSMHawkFootball @SportsWaco @WacoWarriors pic.twitter.com/WffeBTaK7F

— Dome Dynasty (@DomeDynasty) November 17, 2022

End 1st Quarter, 8-Player: Remsen St. Mary's 12, WACO 0

WACO's defense came up with a goal-line stand with a fourth-and-goal stop from the 4 near the end of the first quarter, but the Remsen St. Mary's defense scored anyway.

On second-and-4 from the WACO 7, Kaden Groepper hit quarterback Isaac Oswald as he was handing the ball off, forcing a fumble that was scooped up by Jaxon Bunkers for a 1-yard return and 12-0 lead with 1:08 left in the first quarter.

A fourth-and-2 conversion keyed Remsen St. Mary's opening touchdown drive. 

Brenden Fisch then punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to complete an 11-play, 65-yard drive and give the Hawks a 6-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first quarter.

**SCORE ALERT** St. Mary's, Remsen on the board with this Touchdown run by Brenden Fisch. Hawks up 6-0 over WACO.
Download and join us. https://t.co/QaFEpV1R0O pic.twitter.com/8jLJMuKVSk

— Iowa High School Sports Network (@Watch_IHSSN) November 17, 2022

How to watch the state football championships

TV: Map of local options, including KFXA 28.1 (DABL) in Eastern Iowa (Mediacom 121, ImOn 717); KDSM 17.1 in Central Iowa (Mediacom 6)

Live stream: Iowa High School Sports Network

Mobile: Download the IHSSN app

Live stats: Iowa High School Athletic Association

Previews and picks for the state football championships

There are seven games left in the 2022 Iowa high school football season. Which seven teams will leave the UNI-Dome with state championship trophies? The Prep Football Huddle podcast has picks for all seven championship games and breakdowns of the Gazette-area games.

 

Thursday's state football schedule

8-PLAYER

9:30 a.m. — No. 2 WACO (13-0) vs. No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (12-0)

CLASS A

1 p.m. — No. 2 Grundy Center (12-0) vs. No. 1 West Hancock (12-0)

CLASS 4A

7 p.m. — No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier (12-0) vs. No. 1 Council Bluffs Lewis Central (12-0)