“We failed,” sophomore John Fagg said.

That statement summed up the second half for Ball $treet Journal Wednesday night at the Hawkeye Recreation Fields.

The score was tied 20-20 just before the end of the first half, but then Cunning Stunts took control of the game in the last two quarters, scoring 22 unanswered points to push the final tally to 42-20.

The game started off promising for Ball $treet Journal as the team opened the game with a slow and methodical march down the field, culminating in a touchdown pass from Fagg to fellow sophomore and captain Tim Riphagen.

But after the first half, things fell apart for Ball $treet Journal.

“We are missing our receiver that catches the deep throws for us,” Riphagen said.

That’s one reason why Ball $treet Journal had to settle for a lot of underneath routes and short gains. The other reason was the Cunning Stunts defense.

“Our defense finally started working,” junior quarterback Klynt Weber said.

Ball $treet Journal decided not to use a blocker and Fagg was pressured into short, quick throws constantly, allowing for the Cunning Stunts defense to come up with some big plays in the second half. The squad forced a turnover on downs and quickly made tackles before the receivers could get any yards after the catch.

The offense also seemed to be clicking.

“We run a lot of slants, outs, and flag routes,” Weber said. “We like to get separation for our receivers.”

The routes worked as Weber was able to run for a score and connect four times through the air, including a nice jump-ball catch by sophomore Mark Lavery.

Cunning Stunts also used a little trickery to put some points on the board. On the particular play, Weber took the snap and lateraled the ball to a crossing BJ McAndrew, who then threw a bomb to the opposite corner of the end zone and into the waiting hands of Lavery.

“Somewhat of an offensive organization helps,” sophomore Jared Starkweather said. “We didn’t really have a game plan at first , but now that we’re a few games into the season, we have been getting better. We’ve mercy-ruled the last two teams we played.”

Ball $treet Journal let a chance to avoid the mercy rule slip right through its fingers, literally.

With time winding down to the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Fagg floated a deep ball down the sideline that fell right through the hands of a wide-open receiver in the end zone. The score would have helped Ball $treet Journal get back into the game and avoid the mercy rule, giving the group a chance to keep playing.

“I think we just need to get in the weight room in the off-season,” Fagg said jokingly.

The win kept Cunning Stunts at 3-0 overall on the season and a chance to make the playoffs looks possible.

But the team realizes that the road there will be a challenge, albeit one they are ready to face.

“Playing good teams is going to get us better,” Starkweather said.

If the Cunning Stunts’ second half is any indication, the team has the potential to be a dangerous one if it can make the post-season. The squad members feel their work ethic is their strongest asset.

“We have to practice at least once or twice a week to stay crisp,” Weber said. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”