City vs. Cedar Falls

GAME TIME:

7:30 PM @ Bates Field

RED ZONE THEME: Red, White, and Blue

Players to Watch

City High

QB Raphael Hamilton #3

121 QB Rating – 75% Completion – 62 yards rushing – 1 TD

RB Tonka Hickman # 24

137 Rushing Yards – 5.7 yards Per Carry

Cedar Falls

QB Cael Loecher #8

147 QB Rating – 50% Completion – 1 TD

RB Bo Grosse #3

131 Yards Rushing – 9.1 per carry – 2 TDs

Q&A with QB RAPH HAMILTON

LH:  As the leader of this team, what are some things you tell this team after a tough loss to Liberty and how to move on to Cedar Falls? 

RAPH HAMILTON:  “We just have to keep fighting. There were a lot of good things that we did against Liberty. We had a few breakdowns; we had three plays that hurt us defensively, three big plays that they had, but I thought overall we actually played really well. There were a lot of positives; we had a lot of guys playing both ways so I think just not getting frustrated. We have to stay together because like I said Cedar Falls is a tough team so we have to step it up. I think we have been having a good week of practice so I am feeling good where we are at.”

LH: What parts of your game can take the next step as this season rolls on or even into Cedar Falls? 

RAPH HAMILTON:  “Like I said on defense, I need to be a lot more aggressive, just attack, not taking any plays off or anything like that. Keep running the ball hard and the pass game were gonna throw some more this season. Just keep improving and getting better.”

LH: Looking ahead to Cedar Falls, how does their defense play into your game and how you like to operate as QB?

RAPH HAMILTON:  “I think we got some really good guys on offense. I can give the ball to Tonka Hickman [’20] and he’s going to get four to five yards every time behind our O-Line, running right behind Kolbe Schnoebelen [’20] and those guys. That plays into our hands because I know that those guys will do their job. They’re an aggressive team and they have a very good defense but we are going to try to take advantage of that. We have threats at receiver like Jacob Means [‘21], Jamari Newson [‘22], and Gable Mitchell [‘22] so I think that’s what we are going to try and do.”

LH: Knowing how good of a team Cedar Falls is and the fact this is the first home game, do you prepare differently mentally or even physically? 

RAPH HAMILTON: “No, we try to prepare like every game is going to be our hardest game, so we just take it one game at a time. Knowing that we are going to be at home, that’s really good for us. I know that we are going to get a good crowd out there. The student section at Liberty was really good and that definitely helps.”

LH:  What can you take away from last Friday night’s game that will help this team moving forward?

RAPH HAMILTON: “I think we need to be a lot more physical on defense. I thought our offense played really well. Especially me on defense, I need to be a lot more aggressive. I thought we prepared pretty well, but that’s something we can also work on.”