CLINTON, Iowa - The Clinton football team has lined up in some interesting formations this season, but running out five wide receivers was the last look Cedar Falls could have expected.

With its ground attack quarantined in the first half of Monday's Class 4A playoff game, Clinton went to some odd looks and they worked.

Erasing a pair of nine-point deficits, the River Kings toppled Cedar Falls 37-23 and advance to a Friday quarterfinal against Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Clinton quarterback Jake Mangler threw for 211 yards using the spread. The senior also ran for 87 additional yards with the defensive middle open as the Tigers defense scrambled to cover the wideouts.

"That's what was working for us," Mangler said. "If it needs to be like that, thats what were going to need to do."

Clinton moved to 11-0 and won its second straight postseason game, both school firsts.

Cedar Falls (8-3) took a 23-14 lead on a 70-yard touchdown run by Barkley Hill to open the third quarter.

Staring at a deficit isn't a regular occurrence for the Kings, but they pushed on.

"Our kids broke it," Kings coach Lee Camp said. "Our kids screwed up and said, 'They got one, but we're coming back.' "

Clinton surged back in the form of 23 unanswered points. A touchdown pass from Mangler to David Johnson got the scoring going, and a Ben Parker field goal gave Clinton its first lead at 24-23.

Mangler ran in a 1-yard touchdown late in the third to push the advantage to eight points.

In the fourth, Johnson, who was limited to 42 rushing yards on nine carries, punctuated the win with a 62-yard interception return for a score.

"After the broken tackle, I just saw an open field to the right," Johnson said, "I just had to keep playing every play and know that one time I'll get free."

Clinton totaled 379 yards of offense and held Cedar Falls to five first downs after halftime.

Hill finished with 175 yards on 30 carries for the Tigers, but 102 of those yards came on two runs.

Cedar Falls quarterback Jake Farley threw for 140 yards, but he was twice intercepted.

"They're for real, Tigers" co-coach Pat Mitchell said of Clinton. "It's just one of those things where you salute them and go on your way.

"They kept us all over the field. You can't take it all away."

For much of the first half, though, Cedar Falls took away plenty.

At halftime, Clinton had just 16 rushing yards and trailed 16-14. As they've done all season, the Kings adapted and became the first team in 10 games to score more than two touchdowns against the Tigers.

Friday's quarterfinal will be at Clinton, despite Xavier's upset of Linn-Mar. The Iowa High School Athletic Association deemed that Xavier didn't travel outside its metro area and thus couldn't consider Mondays win a road game.