CEDAR RAPIDS - Waterloo West quarterback Brett McGovern had no worries.
With under a minute to go and Cedar Rapids Kennedy driving for a potential game-tying touchdown, McGovern knew the Wahawks had an ace in their back pocket.
McGovern knew No. 50 was out there on the defensive line for West
After a pass interference call on the Wahawks gave the Cougars a first and 10 at the West 36 with 27 seconds left, Melakhi Hickey crushed Kennedy quarterback William Woodring from behind.
Woodring fumbled, and Wahawk Braiden Riggle fell on it to seal West's 28-21 victory over the Cougars Thursday at Kingston Stadium.
"If I'm being completely honest with you, No. 50 (Hickey) is on our defensive line," McGovern said. "That is what I'm thinking about. I know No. 50 is going to go out there and make a play."
The sack was Hickey's third of the game, second during Kennedy's last-ditch drive, and 10 ½ in just five games. He missed two with a shoulder injury and his dominant performance in perhaps the biggest game of West's season.
"I got past (the offensive lineman blocking him), saw him and was like I got to go get him," Hickey said of the game-sealing strip sack. "I can't put it into words. It is the best feeling ever."
"He's quick, fast and does it within our system," West coach Lonnie Moore said. "He's not out there just freelancing anything; he does it within our system, and if we let him freelance, he might get more. But he doesn't do that."
In a game between two teams on the edge of the 5A playoff race, the Wahawks (4-3) never trailed as they won their second straight.
Nearly left for dead in the 5A playoff race after losing three straight after a 2-0 start, West began stringing together good practices.
It didn't get the result it wanted at Dowling Catholic, but the week of practice leading up to the game with the Maroons set the stage for the Wahawks' impressive back-to-back victories, which have surged them back into the playoff conversation.
"Crunching numbers (RPI numbers), we don't do all that stuff," Moore said. "I think we've had three really good weeks of practice, and I tell the kids that, even that Dowling game, the score did not indicate it, but that was a great week of practice leading up to that.
"Then last week and this week. And it comes back on our seniors. Our seniors have led us all year, and when we were losing three games in a row, nobody put their head down. We knew what we had to do, and they kept working. That's what I'm enjoying right now."
West scored on its opening possession, converting a fourth down deep in Kennedy territory and then McGovern rolling out and hitting a crossing Corwin for a 5-yard score. That set the stage for a back-and-forth first half.
Kennedy answered with a quick touchdown, and then McGovern hit Doss on a slant and Doss did the rest for a 56-yard score and a 14-7 halftime lead.
Kennedy answered with a 13-play, 76-yard drive to open the third quarter, but West controlled most of the action over the next 20 minutes.
First, McGovern hit McMurrin on a 26-yard strike down the seam. Kennedy drove all the way to the West 34, but Hickey sacked Woodring on fourth and 10, and McGovern hit Corwin on a 7-yard toss to put West up 28-14 with 5:32 left in the fourth.
McGovern finished 18 of 22 for 207 yards and now has 11 touchdown passes against one interception this fall. Doss had five catches for 103 yards, and Felix Annan added 128 rushing yards on 25 carries.
Kennedy made it interesting late, scoring on a 32-yard pass on a 4th and 16 play with 2:58 left. The Cougars then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but officials determined Kennedy had touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards.
West had a first down that would've sealed the game wiped off with a block in the back penalty, and punted to Kennedy with 1:52 to go, but the Cougars had used all three of their timeouts.
But interesting was as good as it got for Kennedy, because West had Hickey.
"Feel ecstatic," Hickey said. "Feels amazing. We prepared mentally all week and came out and did what we had to do."
As big as the win was for the Wahawks' playoff hopes, McGovern said his attention immediately turns to Marshalltown, the next game on West's schedule.
"So proud of everyone with a white jersey tonight," McGovern said. "This helps, but honestly, I'm focused on week to week, going 1-0, and regardless of the RPI, I'm just glad we got the dub."