DUBUQUE -- They stood their ground -- at least as best they could on Dalzell Field's muddy turf -- and were still locked in a scoreless tie early in the third quarter.

Then one bad play started a chain reaction that cost the Waterloo West a chance at a substate postseason berth.

On their first offensive snap of the second half, the Wahawks lost a fumble, and Dubuque Hempstead capitalized just four plays later with the first score of the game.

West's next possession ended with a Hempstead goal-line stand, and the Mustangs gradually took control for a 19-6 victory on a miserable, rainy Thursday night.

Hempstead got to 5-4 with the victory and clinched a Class 4A substate berth. At 3-6, West is likely out, and the eastern part of the state's other four-win teams -- Dubuque Wahlert, Muscatine, Davenport Assumption and Clinton -- are now pretty much locks for a substate berth regardless of what happens to them during their regular-season finales.

"They gave us everything they had," Hempstead coach Mark Ehlers said of the Wahawks.

Ultimately, though, Hempstead's running game was too much. Iowa State recruit Josh Lenz, who came into the final weekend leading the Mississippi Valley Conference in rushing, ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Hempstead rushed for 307 yards.

Collin Styron rushed for 85 yards and West's only touchdown. Ryan Edwards threw for 106 yards.

"We played pretty well, but ended up on the wrong side of the score," West coach Stan Wienke said. "Our defense and our kids have learned a lot more about intensity."

Down just 6-0, West marched to a first-and-goal at the Hempstead 8. But four rushes netted just six yards as the Wahawks were stopped cold on fourth-and-goal from the 3.

"That was a great character-builder by our kids," Ehlers said.

The Mustangs complicated the matter by marching 92 yards in 11 plays, taking nearly 5 minutes off the clock. Lenz punctuated the drive with a 45-yard scoring sprint, giving Hempstead a 12-0 lead two plays into the fourth quarter.

Hempstead added an insurance score on junior quarterback Matt Ehler's five-yard TD run. Styron's score cut the lead to 19-6 with just 1:48 remaining, and Lenz recovered the ensuing onside kick.

West 0 0 0 6 ï½ 6

Hempstead 0 0 6 13 ï½ 19

DH -- Josh Lenz 13 run (run failed)

DH -- Lenz 45 run (run failed)

DH -- Matt Ehlers 5 run (Chris Huss kick)

WW -- Collin Styron 3 run (run failed)

TEAM STATISTICS

WW DH

First downs 11 15

Rushes-yards 32-144 49-307

Passing yards 106 28

Passes 6-14-0 5-12-1

Punts-avg 5-35.6 4-41.0

Fumbles-lost 3-1 0-0

Penalties-yards 2-10 3-15

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

WEST ï½ Styron 11-85, Ryan Edwards 16-31, Mike Meyerhoff 4-26, Maximum Shower 1-2

HEMPSTEAD ï½ Lenz 20-153, Brock Haas 16-85, Ehlers 7-44, Dillon Hefel 5-26, Decker 1-(-1).

Passing

WEST ï½ Edwards 6-14-0, 106 yards.

HEMPSTEAD ï½ Ehlers 4-10-1, 19 yards, Jordan Decker 1-2-0, 9 yards.

Receiving

WEST ï½ Styron 1-6, Shower 2-29, Nick Massina 3-71.

HEMPSTEAD ï½ Rob Murphy 1-9, Riley Anderson 2-13, Lenz 2-6.

HEMPSTEAD SOPHS 30, WEST SOPHS 12