DAVENPORT—In a game of momentum shifts, it wasn’t over until Storhm “Hurricane” Henry flopped on a fumble with 23 seconds left to clinch Cedar Rapids Washington’s 38-35 comeback win Wednesday night over Davenport Assumption in a Class 4A first-round playoff game at Brady Street Stadium.

Henry, a wide-body offensive guard and nose tackle, felt ready for a big game after shearing 13 inches of his Troy Polamalu-style hairdo over the weekend.

“I got tired of rinsin’ it,” he said. “Might even have made me stronger.”

Both he and his teammates seemed to get stronger as the game went on, coming back from a 28-17 third quarter deficit when things looked bleak.

And all night long it was senior defensive back and receiver Ryan Cain who was the game-changing catalyst for the Warriors.

His 41-yard kickoff return after Assumption scored its first touchdown was only a tease of what was to come.

Soon after Mitch Bredeson’s 41-yard touchdown gallop narrowed the Knights’ lead to 14-10 in the second quarter, Cain pulled in an interception at the Assumption 43.

A minute later, Warrior Will Griffin scored from six yards to give Washington its first lead.

“The interception was kind of a turning point,” Cain said. “But it was an overall team performance We just kept pounding away all night.”

Washington Coach Tony Lombardi said Cain’s pick seemed to fire up his team when Assumption was on the move.

“Ryan’s been a difference-maker almost every game he’s played. He just keeps making big plays.”

One that he regrets from Wednesday night was a dead-ball 15-yard penalty in the second quarter for pushing an Assumption receiver when he was barely out-of-bounds.

Another 15 yards was tacked on for a separate roughing-the-passer penalty, and the Knights soon scored to retake the lead, 21-17, at half.

The Knights stretched the lead to 28-17 and looked to be on a roll when Cain broke a 90-yard kickoff return to the 8 that was brought back to near midfield on a blocking-in-the-back penalty.

Still, Cain scored shortly on a seven-yard pass from Braedon Tovey.

Teammate Flynn Heald picked up the steam after an ensuing Assumption punt by zipping 63 yards to the Knight 2-yard line.

Griffin scored from there to give the Warriors a lead once again.

The Warriors bumped the margin to a 10 on a five-yard keeper by Tovey as the fourth quarter started, then held on for dear life.

Assumption’s Tim Kilfoy, who was all over the field on offense and defense, pulled in a 21-yard touchdown pass with 2:23 to go.

Leading 38-35 at this point, it looked the game was over when Warrior Sean Bredl pounced on the onside kick.

Washington was forced to punt again, however, giving the Knights a last hurrah.

“We should have been able to run the clock out,” Lombardi said. “But, in the fourth quarter, we made two big stops defensively on turnovers. That was key.”

The first was a fumble recovery by Mitch Blades when he and Cain smacked Assumption tight end Eric Lammers on the Knights’ 20.

Then came the coup de grace by Henry.

“That sorta sealed the deal,” he said in the locker room, rubbing a towl through his suddenly-shorn hair. “We got dinged up some, but we kept playin’ hard.”

WASHINGTON 38, ASSUMPTION 35

Washington     0   17   14   7  -   38
Assumption      7  14     7   7  -   35

DA – Tim Kilfoy 1 run (Cole Clements kick)
CRW – FG Michael Daughtery 27
DA – Derek Fulton 20 pass from Kilfoy (Clements kick)
CRW --  Mitch Bredeson 41 run (Daughtery kick)
CRW – Will Griffin 6 run (Daughtery kick)
DA – Zach Mumm 1 run (Clements kick)
DA – Eric Lammers 27 pass from Fulton (Clements kick)
CRW – Ryan Cain 7 pass from Braedon Tovey (Daughtery kick)
CRW – Griffin 2 run (Daughtery kick)
CRW – Tovey 5 run (Daughtery kick)
DA – Kilfoy 21 pass from Fulton (Clements kick)


Team statistics

First downs – Assumption 17, Washington 18

Rushing yards – Assumption 144, Washington 285

Passing yards – Assumption 184, Washington 96


Individuals –

Rushing – Washington: Mitch Bredeson 22-148, Will Griffin 19-80, Braedon Tovey 7-37, Flynn Heald 2-20. Assumption: Zach Mumm 16-46, Tim Kilfoy 9-85, Derek Fulton 13-(0), Nick Schebler 1-5.

Passing – Washington: Braedon Tovey 6-13-96. Assumption: Derek Fulton 18-28-184, Tim Kilfoy 1-2-20.