Iowa recruit A.J. Derby threw a touchdown on his first pass of the game. And his second. And his fourth.
Derby led Iowa City High one step closer to a 4A state championship with his four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, in the 35-14 victory over a one-dimensional Cedar Rapids Washington team in the state quarterfinal game on Friday night.

The Warriors, despite 190 yards on 33 carries in the game from its workhorse Andre Dawson, were down 28-0 at the half because of Derby’s and his team’s big plays in the first half.

The initial touchdown was an amazing 8-yard catch by John Chelf, where he dove and picked the ball out of the air with his fingertips on the side of the endzone.

The next drive, Derby found Adam Prybil on a play-action pass for a 59-yard hookup late in the first quarter.
Washington’s Shay Gutman threw an interception, one of his two on the night, in the red zone to junior Andrew McNulty on the ensuing drive, and then Derby drove home an early dagger in the Warrior’s hopes.

On fourth and two on their own 28-yard line, Derby lined up in the short punt formation his team has used all year. But on this play, he instead rolled out to the right, and found Chelf open downfield. A run down the sideline and a broken tackle later, Chelf was in for the 72-yard touchdown, and it was 21-0 early in the second quarter.

Derby would add a 30-yard touchdown run with under a minute left in the half to further the Little Hawk’s lead.

Although the Warrior’s would score 14 points in the third to bring the game close, a fourth quarter drive by City High bled the clock, and culminated in a 32-yard touchdown catch by Noah Cmiel.