CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Jefferson's football team is fast becoming the Band of Black and Blue.

The injury depleted J-Hawks showed plenty of heart, but were had by a couple of big plays and a relentless Cedar Falls rushing game Friday night at Kingston Stadium, 22-3.

After losing its season opener to Cedar Rapids Washington, Cedar Falls has won its last two.

Jefferson (0-3) played without senior running back/quarterback Tyler Evans, who earlier in the week underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He was the J-Hawks' leading passer and second-leading rusher through their first two games. Senior offensive/defensive lineman Zack Butler also missed the game because of injury.

"We're running out of bodies," admitted Jefferson Coach Jim Womochil. "We're down to our third-string quarterback and our second-team running back, and we got two guys starting in the offensive line that if you told me that before the season I would have said you were nuts.

"But we had guys step in and give a tremendous effort."

Jefferson trailed 15-3 after senior Jon Watson's 40-yard field goal with 3:37 left in the third quarter. The J-Hawks then recovered Watson's onside kick and moved the ball to the Cedar Falls 26. But on second-and-8, senior quarterback Logan Ruffridge's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Cedar Falls senior Dylan Deery for a touchback.

"That was a big play," Womochil said. "We had momentum, but that kind of broke our back."

Cedar Falls senior quarterback Jake Farley marched the Tigers back 80 yards, plunging in from the 1 with 7:56 left to put the game away, 22-3.

Sophomore running back Barkley Hill rushed for 247 yards and a touchdown and also blocked a punt that caromed through the end zone for a safety to lead the Tigers. He went 36 yards the first time he touched the ball and had a scoring run of 80 yards in the first half, which ended with Cedar Falls holding a 12-0 lead.

"He's a very good back and a lot of those guys in the line blocked well for him," Cedar Falls co-Coach Pat Mitchell said.

The Tigers' defense limited Jefferson to 72 yards rushing, 55 of which came on a Tanner Unkel dash in the third quarter. The J-Hawks had only one yard rushing at halftime.

"From a defensive standpoint, we got turnovers and blocked a punt," Cedar Falls co-coach Brad Remmert said. "Offensively, we moved the ball, but at critical times dropped some passes that kept us out of the end zone."

Jefferson's next game is Friday night at Prairie. Cedar Falls hosts Dubuque Hempstead Friday.