DUBUQUE - It was not the most impressive 32-point victory ever registered on a football field, but Mark Ehlers couldn't quite muster an apology.

"I'm not going to say we didn't play well. I'm not going to feel bad about 42 points," the Dubuque Hempstead coach said after his Mustangs dispatched Waterloo East, 42-10, Friday night at Chalmers Field on the University of Dubuque campus.

The weather and the scenery were practically perfect as Hempstead broke ground in the agreement for Dubuque's public schools to play one game each at Chalmers.

But the football was not always aesthetically pleasing. Even Ehlers admitted the game had a strange feel.

But no one can argue with the results. The Mustangs won comfortably to improve to 3-0 on the season with Mississippi Valley Conference heavyweights Cedar Falls and Iowa City High the next two weeks.

Part of the problem for the Mustangs was the ease with which they scored. Their first three touchdown 'drives' required one, one and three plays as Waterloo East miscues kept giving the Mustangs the ball with enviable field position. A fourth TD was scored on Brade Duwe's 38-yard interception return.

Matt Ehlers and Brock Haas accounted for two touchdowns apiece and the Hempstead defense limited the Trojans (0-3) to just 141 yards of offense.

The Mustangs, however, racked up only 216 yards of their own after posting 353 last week against Dubuque Wahlert. Hempstead was also penalized 10 times for 80 yards.

"We played really well for the most part, but we had a lot of mental mistakes," said Matt Ehlers, who ran for one touchdown and threw for another.

Shawndis Washington rushed for 53 yards and Dajoni Norris returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown for Waterloo East.

Waterloo East 0 3 7 0 - 10

Hempstead 14 14 7 7 - 42

DH - Matt Ehlers 12 run (Kyle Wiest kick)

DH - Brock Haas 17 run (Wiest kick)

WE - FG Andres Martinez 29

DH - Hass 2 run (Wiest kick)

DH - Alex Brown 9 pass from Ehlers (Wiest kick)

DH - Brad Duwe 38 interception return (Wiest kick)

WE - Dajoni Norris 94 interception return (Martinez kick)

DH - Cody Leach 13 run (Wiest kick)

WE DH

First downs 9 15

Rushes-yards 38-129 34-145

Passing yards 12 71

Passes 2-14-3 7-14-1

Punts-avg. 5-41.4 5-37.0

Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 8-53 10-80

Rushing

EAST - Shawndis Washington 10-53, Bates 12-16, Andres Martinez 1-5, Mark Ross 3-12, Sahr 4-(-2), Riccondus Martin 7-27, Cameron Winters 1-18

HEMPSTEAD - Brock Haas 11-57, Houselog 3-(-3), Ehlers 7-43, Jordan Waddick 3-15, Jason Lewis 5-14, Dillon Hefel 1-0, Leach 2-25, Dan Kunkel 1-1, Team 1-(-7)

Passing

EAST - Nathan Sahr 0-8-3; Wesley Bates 2-6-0, 12 yards.

HEMPSTEAD - Ehlers 6-13-1, 62 yards; Leach 1-1-0, 9 yards.

Receiving

EAST - Robert Anderson 1-8, Jalen Holt 1-4.

HEMPSTEAD - Brad Duwe 1-6, T.J. Houselog 1-11, Gage Heffernan 1-11, Alex Brown 2-25, Tyler McAtee 1-9, Chad Peppmeier 1-9.