CEDAR FALLS - Iowa City High head coach Dan Sabers makes it no secret, he's a proponent of the fake punt.
His Little Hawks executed the play twice to perfection Friday on their way to defeating Marshalltown 42-14 in the Class 4A championship game of the state football playoffs.
Quarterback A.J. Derby serves as Iowa City High's punter as well and the high school All-American rushed for 14 yards on a fourth-and-4 from the Little Hawk 38 on the fourth play of the game.
Ellis Jordan went up the middle for a 41-yard touchdown run later in the drive to put the Little Hawks ahead 7-0.
The second fake punt came with Iowa City High facing a fourth-and-4 at its own 8 in the third quarter as the Bobcats were looking to get right back into it.
"I think that fake punt that they had killed us," said Marshalltown senior Jarred Carlson.
"We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times and they made some plays, credit them. In the end, it got out of hand a little bit as we were trying to play catch-up."
The Bobcats pinned Iowa City High at the Little Hawk 2 after a Josh Illum punt and the MHS defense looked to have stuffed the Little Hawks on three plays to get the ball back.
Derby moved to the right after taking the fourth-down snap and handed off to John Chelf, who headed to the left side of the field for a 24-yard gain.
"I love fake punts, I do, truly," Sabers said.
"A.J. Derby is a confident player, John Chelf is a confident player and they want to be in those types of situations."
Derby also was a threat when he punted the ball, averaging 51.5 yards on his four punts. Marshalltown's Illum had a strong day as his five punts averaged 47.8 yards.
