Iowa City High routs Iowa City West to win second straight 'Battle for the Boot'

For the first time since 2016, Iowa City High has notched consecutive wins in the "Battle for the Boot" football game.

The Little Hawks turned in a dominant performance in a 49-0 victory over host Iowa City West on Friday.

"I am just so thankful to have the chance to lead these guys," City High coach Mitchell Moore said. "Football is important here, so I am really grateful to represent this community and get a win like this in a statement game. When you get wins like this, it is fun for the kids and fun for the community."

Using an influx of offensive weapons and a commanding defensive performance, City High looks to be back on track and potentially ready to dominate the second half of the season.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the game:

Iowa City High players pose for a photo with the Boot trophy after a win over rival Iowa City West on Friday at Trojan Field. The Little Hawks won 49-0.
Iowa City High players pose for a photo with the Boot trophy after a win over rival Iowa City West on Friday at Trojan Field. The Little Hawks won 49-0.

There is a reason why Ben Kueter is the top football recruit in town

After cementing himself as a world-class wrestler in the summer, it is understandable if people forget that Ben Kueter is also an absolute nightmare on the football field.

The four-star Iowa commit was too much for the Trojans to handle on both offense and defense.

Kueter rushed for 134 yards and even threw a touchdown pass to Carsen Newton for the Little Hawks' first score of the game.

Defensively, Kueter was just as dominating, making several tackles and even getting a sack.

"This is something that my teammates and I are going to talk about forever," Kueter said. "This is a win that I will be able to tell my future kids about, because it will stick with me for my entire life. It is a great feeling to have."

The Trojans still have growing pains to overcome

West had won its previous three games, because its offense remained in sync and its defense managed to maintain control when the Trojans were in the lead.

But City High never let them get into any rhythm, as they routinely crashed their offensive line, which forced them into poor passes or limited their running backs to little to no gain.

Defensively, it was clear West had its hands full stopping the run early, and then when City High began to incorporate the passing game too? It proved to be too much.

Still, the Trojans had a couple of plays that could have turned the tide.

Defensive back Mason Woods picked off a pass by Drew Larson late in the second quarter that gave his offense a chance to score before halftime.

And West began the second half with a big kickoff return from Christian Janis. On that drive, the Trojans made it to City High's 28-yard line.

But in neither of those situations were the Trojans able to capitalize and score points.

The key for West will be to take the time to look at their mistakes in this game and make the most of their opportunities.

When the Little Hawks' offense is clicking, good luck stopping it

If there is anything to be gathered by the Little Hawks' season so far, it is that they do not like losing.

After both of their losses this season, they have gone into the next game with a vengeance.

First, it was decimating Cedar Rapids Jefferson 77-0 after falling to Liberty in the '"Clash at Kinnick."

This time, it was Friday's takedown of West High after losing being shut out by West Des Moines Dowling Catholic in the previous week.

"We have to learn how to win and learn how to lose," Moore said. "We lost two games against really good opponents, but I never felt like we lost the locker room. So, I knew that the DNA to be a great football team was here."

Why has the team been so dominant in bounce-back games? By watching their offense in action, it is easy to get that answer.

The Little Hawks were in control of Friday's game from the outset, leading 35-0 by halftime. Only two of their seven first-half drives did not result in a touchdown.

Junior quarterback Drew Larson ran the offense to perfection, accounting for six of the team's touchdowns, doing so in a variety of ways.

He threw four touchdown passes, rushed for a touchdown, and caught a pass, too.

Even when the team elected not to throw the ball, the run game could be counted on for chunk plays. In addition to Kueter, Ronnie Major was slippery in the backfield and made several big plays in the second half that resulted in first downs.

Hoping to build off this performance ahead of next week's homecoming game against Pleasant Valley, Kueter said he cannot wait to step back on the field again.

"We know that we have to keep the momentum," Kueter said. "Our coaches always talk to us about it, so we understand how important it is to keep it. So next week, we look forward to going back to Bates (Field) and putting on a show for our fans."

West High will get back to work next Friday when it heads to Davenport to face Central.

Raven Moore covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at RSMoore@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Raven_XReport.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City High brings home 'Boot' trophy for second straight year