Previewing the State Semifinals

331 teams began and now there are only 24. Every team begins their season with the dream of winning a state title but these 24 still have the opportunity to make their dream a reality.

Between Thursday and Saturday, 12 games will take place to determine who will play for a state championship.

Connor Ferguson and I have you covered with everything you need to know about those match-ups.

CLASS 8-MAN

TREVOR: New London (10-1) vs. Fremont-Mills (10-1), Thursday at noon.

BCMoore Projection: Fremont-Mills by 0.15

The 8-Man quarterfinal games were absolutely bananas. Before the playoffs began, I predicted that the dome teams would be Iowa Valley, Don Bosco, Ar-We-Va and Fremont-Mills with Ar-We-Va defeating Don Bosco in the 'ship, as you can see neither one of those two teams made it, but New London and Fremont-Mills did, setting up this coin toss of a matchup. 

New London avenged their lone blemish last week with a 56-20 thrashing of top-ranked Iowa Valley. The Tigers offense has been roaring most the season, scoring 50 points or more in all but two games this season. Their offense has been one of the more balanced in 8-Man. Quarterback Isaac McSorley has thrown for just under 1,200 yards and 20 scores to just six interceptions. The run game has been where the Tigers got to 10-1. They've posted 3,296 rushing yards and 61 touchdowns, those are fifth and third in all of 8-man. McSorley has added 20-touchdowns on the ground to bring his season total to 40. Keontae Luckett has complimented McSorley in the backfield, carrying the rock for 1,335 yards and 22 touchdowns. New London also displayed one of its' best defensive performances of the season last week, holding and Iowa Valley rushing attack that was ranked number one in nearly every statistical category in 8-man to just 150 yards and two scores. That doesn't sound that great, but Iowa Valley was averaging over 350 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground per game. New London has also been greedy on defense, picking off a state high 20 interceptions on the season.

Like New London, Fremont-Mills also gave comeuppance on their lone hiccup last week. The Knights did so with a 61-20 drubbing of Exira-EHK to avenge a week one loss. F-M has been on a mission since week one, winning by an average of 52 points per game. The Knights last five opponents had a combined record of 35-14 and they won those games 62-3, 35-0, 70-18, 61-8 and 61-20. This team has been so darn dominant. Their dominance has been led by the three-headed monster of Mason Vanatta, Seth Malcom and Jaeger Powers. Vanatta, who is also their quarterback, has thrown just under 1000 yards and 13 scores while also rushing for 871 and 22 scores. Seth Malcom has found the end zone 23 times on the ground and has also scored on a fumble recovery and a kick return. The Knights tend to pin their ears back defensively as Coach Jeremy Christensen's team prides themselves on turnovers, forcing 26 turnovers this season.

New London is going to have to use the same formula that they used to beat Iowa Valley. Shut down the run game. However, Fremont-Mills is playing like a team on a mission. If they shut down Vanatta, they have Malcom, if they shut down those two, they still have Powers and I don't think you can shut down all three. I think the Knights are clearly the best team in the state and will flex their muscle while exorcising some demons from years' past.

Prediction: Fremont-Mills 52 New London 22 

CLASS 8-Man

Connor: #10 Rockford (10-1) vs. #6 Southeast Warren, Liberty Center (12-0)

BC Moore Projection: Southeast Warren by 27.13
Date: Thursday November 8 @

Our first matchup of the week features two teams who went on the road last week to win one possession games and earn trips to the UNI-Dome for the semi-finals.

In this matchup, the last remaining undefeated 8-man team in Southeast Warren takes on a Rockford team that is simply on a mission for a state title.

Southeast Warren comes into this one riding the momentum of running back Alex Hommer. In their two playoff wins leading up to this Thursday’s game, Hommer rushed for a combined 235 yards and four touchdowns to help lead his team to victory. That’s not the only weapon they have on the roster either. Quarterback Colby Page has the highest quarterback rating in the state among quarterbacks who have thrown over 150 passes in 2018, according to quikstatsiowa.com. Page also sits at second in the state in passing yards over the course of the season, airing it out for 2,229 yards. Best believe that both of these players will be scampering into the UNI endzones on Thursday.

As for Rockford, they come in as 27.13 underdogs to their undefeated foes, though that isn’t something the Rams should be unfamiliar with. Just a week ago, Rockford would go on the road to face Don Bosco, Gilbertville – a team that beat the Rams in their regular season matchup 80-6. They came out of that game with a lower-scoring, 32-26 win, in large part due to a 211-yard, two-touchdown performance by running back Jacob Staudt. This matchup might not look great for the Rams, but they might just keep on winning. 

Why the heck not?

Prediction: Southeast Warren 40, Rockford 35

CLASS A

TREVOR: West Hancock (9-2) vs. Hudson (11-0), Friday at 10 a.m.

BCMoore Projection: Hudson by 2.43

Both teams comfortably took care of business last weekend. West Hancock downed Akron-Westfield 50-14 while Hudson overcame a slow start to defeat Highland, Riverside 41-14. West Hancock has two blemishes on their resume, one of which was a 7-0 defensive battle with Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, the other was a 28-14 defeat at the hands of Class A quarterfinals Bishop Garrigan. While Hudson, my state title pick at the beginning of the season, went undefeated this season, but that does not mean they weren't tested. They squeaked out two wins by just a single possession. 

West Hancock makes no secret about what they want to do. This is an offense that threw the ball for just 255 yards all year, so I think it's safe to say they are going to run, run, run some more and then probably run again. Their offense has revolved around Tate Hagen, who has 265 totes for 1734 yards and 24 touchdowns. Josef Smith has complimented Hagen in the backfield, rambling for 1,064 yards and 11 touchdowns to the tune of just under nine yards per carry. The interesting part about this team is that their quarterback has not been a dominant part of their running game, rushing for just under 200-yards and two scores all season. Typically teams that don't throw the ball rely on their quarterbacks to carry the rock a lot, but not the Eagles.

As for Hudson, they also rely on the run game, but are more apt to chuck it. Quarterback Jacob Murray threw for just under 1,000 yards and 12 scores. However, the focal point of their offense has undoubtedly been senior running back Christian Seres, who amassed 1,791 rushing yards and scored 28 touchdowns. The Pirates also have a junior by the name of Ethan Fulcher they can turn to. Fulcher amassed 601 yards and nine scores while averaging just under 10 yards a tote. On the defensive side, the Hudson defense has been ever so opportunistic picking off a 11 passes and scooping up 18 fumbles.

To be honest when just doing the ignorant action of stat comparing, I'm surprised that BCMoore only projects Hudson as a two point favorite, but this is why you play the game. West Hancock getting here certainly is not a fluke, but Hudson has shown to be one of the best teams all year and their offense seems to be much more dynamic than West Hancock's

Prediction: Hudson 34 West Hancock 20 

CLASS A

Connor: #9 Edgewood-Colesburg (10-1) vs. #4 Avoca (11-0)

BC Moore Projection: Edgewood-Colesburg by 5.14
Date: Friday November 9 @ 1:00 p.m.

Edgewood-Colesburg started off the 2018 high school football season with a 41-20 loss to Class 1A Bellevue. It still stands as the only loss Edgewood-Colesburg has suffered all year. Since then, the Golden Bears have run the table, concluding with a 6-0 win last week against an undefeated Bishop Garrigan.

The touchdown that won the game for the Golden Bears was a pass from quarterback Ethan Streicher to Spencer Staner – a wideout that had just 15 receptions over the season in an offense that didn’t pass much. Nonetheless, the pair found each other to put Edgewood-Colesburg into the Dome.

On the other side of things, Avoca comes into this game in a peculiar situation. They are no strangers to throwing the football, yet in their game against Newman Catholic, quarterback Blake Osbahr went 3-12, throwing for one touchdown and an interception. Osbahr threw for 1,941 yards this year and has a 61.4% completion percentage this year, so they were definitely not used to seeing his final line look like that. Overall though, Avoca moved on with a 17-point win.

Prediction: Edgewood-Colesburg 17, Avoca 10

CLASS 1A

TREVOR: West Sioux (10-1) vs. Van Meter (11-0), Saturday at 1 p.m. 

BCMoore Projection: West Sioux by 2.80

Not very often do a pair of state champions from the previous year meet in the postseason, but this is the case as West Sioux made the move up from Class 1A after winning the state title in Class A a year ago. Van Meter dozed their way to a Class 1A title last year and has dozed over anybody and everybody on their way to Cedar Falls. 

West Sioux had no trouble with the transition from A to 1A, dropping just one game all year, to 2A semifinalists Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley. The Falcons have won 10 in a row since then. The Falcons got to Cedar Fall by riding the cannon of quarterback Hunter Dekkers. Dekkers tossed for just over 3,000 yards and 41 scores this season. Kade Lynott was Dekkers' favorite target amassing 1,314 yards and 17 scores on 66-catches. Lynott also carried the pigskin for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. Chase Koopmans compliment Lynott in both the rushing and receiving game, tallying just under 1,000 total yards and 18 touchdowns. On the defensive side, the Falcons have been greedy to say the least. Nine defenders have picked off at least one pass. Chase Ranschau leads the team with five picks. 

Van Meter, the defending state champion in Class 1A, has won 24 straight. Their last loss? A 35-14 defeat at the hands of Western Christian in a 2016 state semifinal. The Bulldogs have had a fairly balanced offense this season, led by signal-caller Anthony Potthoff's 20 passing touchdowns, Potthoff has also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 12 scores. However, the straw that has stirred the drink for Van Meter has been running back Ian Abrahamson, who tallied 1,890 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. 

This could be the game of the weekend. These two teams have been, at least in my opinion, the top two or three teams in Class 1A. Both offenses are very balanced and it could come down to the quarterback that makes the least amount of mistakes, while the battle between Lynott and Abrahamson promises to provide much excitement and probably many touchdowns. All due respect to Dike-New Hartford and Pella Christian, but I think is essentially your state championship game. Does West Sioux keep their quest alive or does Van Meter garner consecutive win number 25? Should be fun.

Prediction: Van Meter 28 West Sioux 26

CLASS 1A

Connor: #8 Pella Christian (8-3) vs. #6 Dike-New Hartford (11-0)

BC Moore Projection: Dike-New Hartford by 20.33
Date: Saturday November 10 @ 10:00 a.m.

I was really excited to get to write about this Class 1A game because I covered the Dike-New Hartford Wolverines game against Interstate 35 last week for 1460 KXnO. It wasn’t much of a game. Dike-New Hartford pulled away early and never looked back, winning 37-0… on the road.

Now, it’s not that the RPI system is bad. In fact, so far I really like it. It provided a lot of great games in the early rounds which is something that hasn’t happened much in recent years. Although, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Dike-New Hartford was heavily underrated.

The Wolverines were the lowest rated undefeated team in their class, and were even rated behind a team that finished 10-1. Not to worry… the Wolverines are here to prove the system wrong.

They’ll be lead to victory by cornerback Parker Kiewiet, who shut down Interstate 35’s top receiver last week and came home with a 48-yard interception. Not to mention Cade Bennett – one of two talented running backs in the Wolverines system that share the same first name – who rushed for 253 yards and three touchdowns for his team a week ago.

For Pella Christian, the Eagles have managed to win nailbiting games each of the past two weeks in order to qualify for the Dome. However, in their only matchup with the I-35 team that DNHHS played last week, Pella Christian was defeated. I think this one’s an easy one to call.

Prediction:  Dike-New Hartford 42, Pella Christian 13

CLASS 2A 

TREVOR: Waukon (10-1) vs. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (10-1), Saturday at 4 p.m.

BCMoore Projection: BHRV by 15.42

This semifinal features a pair of teams that have been accustomed to Cedar Falls. BHRV has been a staple at state football and state basketball for the last decade and are constantly state title contenders. This is not the Parker Hesse' led Waukon Indians but this still a darn good team. That's a good thing because they will have their hands full with BHRV this weekend.

Waukon began the season with a 24-20 loss to Decorah, but has since peeled off 10 straight wins, nine of which came by 10 points or more. The Indians got to Cedar Falls by narrowly defeating Algona 24-21 last week. Dictating the Indians offense has been quarterback Creed Welch (awesome name). Welch threw for 2193 yards and 27 touchdowns. Welch split the wealth this season between receivers Michael Sweeney and Dawson Baures, both receivers hauled in just over 900 receiving yards and caught 11 and 10 touchdowns respectively. Waukon can run it as well, powered by Baures 1,255 yards and 20 scores. On the defensive side, the duo of Avery Rocksvold and Brady Behrend combined to pick off 11-passes. Can they nab one this Saturday?

BHRV will certainly give them a handful of opportunities. Quarterback J.T. Van't Hul hurled for 1,889 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for another 826 yards and 14 scores. Van't Hul has been complimented by a pair of Van Kerix's, Elliott and Brayton who combined for just under 1000 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. BHRV has been propelled by a quadrant of pass catchers, Cody Post leads the team with 696 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Spencer Te Slaa has also added eight receiving touchdowns. 

Both offenses are fairly balanced that center around versatile quarterbacks capable of making just as many plays with their legs as they do with their arms. Watching the two quarterbacks display their athleticism will make this game worth the price of admission. Both teams also rely on solid running games and multiple wide receivers who are more than capable of providing their offenses with a spark. BHRV is projected to be a 15 point favorite, but I could see this one being closer than that, but football is just a different animal in northwest Iowa.

Prediction: BHRV 35 Waukon 22 

CLASS 2A

Connor: #16 West Liberty (8-3) vs. #1 Prairie City-Monroe (11-0)

BC Moore Projection: Prairie City Monroe by 23.35
Date: Saturday November 10 @ 7:00 p.m.

In another 16-1 matchup, West Liberty will try to continue the streak they’re running on that has earned them a trip to the UNI-Dome. After a 1-3 start to the year, the Comets have gone on a roll. West Liberty won each of their next seven games, and they’re not just scraping by. Their closest game they’ve played during the win streak was a 27-9 win over Mount Vernon at the start of their streak.

The Comets come into the game lead by dual-threat quarterback Seth Feldman. Along with his 1,485 passing yards and 664 rushing yards this season, Feldman provided the biggest spark on the team in their 42-14 win over #4 Benton.

West Liberty will go up against the top Class 2A team in the state in Prairie City-Monroe. PCM has shown this season that they have the talent to beat anyone, sitting as the only undefeated team in the state. During the regular season, the most points PCM gave up was 18. It wasn’t until a week ago in the second round when Williamsburg put 34 points on the Mustangs that anyone eclipsed the 18-point mark. Nonetheless, PCM put up an impressive 55-point game to advance.

The Mustangs are lead by quarterback Reed Worth who threw for 2,065 yards and rushed for another 832, averaging 8.9 yards per carry this year. Along with his dynamic talents, PCM has got Wes Cummings in the backfield as well. The running back corralled 1,434 yards this season and has been a nightmare for defenses he’s faced this year.

I think if West Liberty plays their cards right, they can keep this one close, but overall PCM seems too good to lose. This one belongs to the Mustangs.

Prediction: Prairie City Monroe 29, West Liberty 18

CLASS 3A

Cedar Rapids, Xavier (11-0) vs. Lewis Central (11-0), Thursday at 8:15 p.m.

BCMoore Projection: CR Xavier by 0.97

Before I dive into this match-up I would like to point out that the fact that these two teams are facing in a semifinal rather than for the championship is dumb, dumb, dumb. I understand that these teams would have to see each other no matter what, but I think the state is missing out on a classic of a state title game. I think it's safe to say this game is probably the defacto state championship game because all year long it’s been clear that these are the top two teams in Class 3A.

The Saints of CR Xavier have rolled into Cedar Falls pitching five shutouts while outscoring opponents 451-40. Quarterback Quinn Schulte contributed in some form for 246 of those points. The senior quarterback threw for 23 touchdowns while also rushing for 18 scores and compiling over 2200 total yards of offense (1532 passing, 696 rushing). The Saints also boast a 1,000 yard rusher in Braden Stovie who carried the rock for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Schulte's favorite pass catcher this year was Kyle Moeder (we're not related). Moeder averaged just under 23 yards-per-catch, compiling 660 yards and eight touchdowns. Matt Jordebrek has also been a trusty option for Schulte. Jordebrek hauled in 14 catches for 276 yards.

I think it's safe to say that Lewis Central might have the best quarterback in the state in quarterback Max Duggan. Duggan, a TCU commit, threw for just under 2000 yards and 23 touchdowns this season, but the most dangerous part of his game is what he can do with his legs. The coach's son has rushed for just under 1,200 yards and 25 touchdowns this season and is coming off a 210-yard, four touchdown rushing effort in a 35-14 state quarterfinal win over Harlan. Running back Brady Miller has also been productive as of late for the Titans and they can also turn to Mike Gittins in the backfield. Duggan's favorite target has been wide receiver Josh Simmons, the senior has hauled in 51 passes for 982 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lewis Central has been just as dominant defensively as CR Xavier, but I think the special teams edge goes to the Titans because they have one of the best kickers in the state, Drake Nettles, who has committed to Iowa State and kicked a state long 54-yard field goal earlier this season.

As I mentioned, it's a shame that the state is being robbed of a potentially classic state title game, but then again half the state can't watch it anyway. BURN. Anyway, comparing these teams and making a prediction is nearly impossible, this is such a toss-up and I firmly believe whoever wins this game will be your state champion. I would not be surprised to be wrong but I have faith in the best quarterback and perhaps the best quarterback in the state.

Prediction: Lewis Central 24 Cedar Rapids, Xavier 21

CLASS 3A

Connor: #13 Western Dubuque (9-2) vs. #1 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (10-1)

BC Moore Projection: Western Dubuque by 8.88
Date: Thursday November 8 @ 5:30 p.m.

If there was a prime example to have to point to flaws in the new RPI system that the Iowa High School Football Association uses, it’s this game right here. #1 Sergeant Bluff-Luton will play in what is essentially the game between the highest and lowest seeded teams in Class 3A.

The twist is that SBL has one loss under their belts, when both teams in the #2 - #3 game are undefeated at 11-0. That even goes without mentioning the biggest flaw in the system. SBL’s loss came to #2 Council Bluffs Lewis Central by a whopping 28 points. Now, Lewis Central will play a fellow undefeated team in Cedar Rapids Xavier before the state championship.

It’s questionable to say the least, but here we are with a pair of big games coming up in Class 3A on Thursday. SBL’s offense contains two of the best players in Class 3A in junior quarterback Daniel Wright – second in QBR with a 175.2 – and senior halfback Britton Delperdang – second in yards with 1,501 on the year. If both of them are on their game, call BC Moore for the upset alert.

As for the Cinderella story that is Western Dubuque, the Bobcats come in with some impressive accolades. Quarterback Calvin Harris tallied 2,037 yards over the year with almost half of them coming to wide receiver Drake George (937 yards). Also in the backfield are two running backs in Jake Hosch and Ben Bryant who nearly matched each other’s yard totals combining for 1,512 yards. The biggest thing for SBL’s defense is to slow down the running backs. Even though Wright was held to three successful passing attempts last week, the two backs rushed for 307 yards and five touchdowns for a blowout win.

Prediction: Western Dubuque 21, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 20

CLASS 4A

Dowling Catholic (9-2) vs. Bettendorf (10-1), 4 p.m. on Friday 

BCMoore Projection: Dowling by 19.38

There was a time this year where it looked as if Dowling Catholic's bid for a sixth straight state championship was going to come up short, but now I think they have to be considered the favorite. The Maroons avenged an early season loss to Valley, WDM by blowing them out 31-9 last week to push their winning streak to seven in a row. During that span, they have outscored opponents 342 to 29, pitching five shutouts in that time. Their opponent, Bettendorf completed a season sweep of Iowa City, West. Their lone blemish came courtesy of fellow 4A semifinalist Cedar Falls.

Dowling quarterback Zach Watters threw for over 1,100 yards but compiled just eight touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. The focal point of Coach Tom Wilson's offense has been running back Jayson Murray. The speedster averaged just under nine yards per carry while amassing 1,929 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. He is going to be a huge part of what Dowling does offensively Friday. On the defensive side, they pride themselves on turnovers, picking off 18 passes and scooping up 10 fumbles. The Maroons turned three of those turnovers into scores this season.

Bettendorf has been led by quarterback Carter Bell. The senior signal caller threw for 1,338 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 762 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior running back Austin Kalar has been the main breadwinner for the Bulldogs this season, running for 1,185 yards and 20 touchdowns. While in the passing game, the Bulldogs rely on six-foot-four wide receiver Darien Porter to find the football and he's done that 27-times for 440 yards and seven touchdowns. They also boast a strong possession receiver in Brandon Tillman, who has corralled 34 passes for 498 yards.

The RPI does not favor Dowling Catholic in this one, but good ol' BCMoore does. The key to this game for Dowling will undoubtedly be Murray. If Bettendorf contains him, they should win. The problem is that nobody has been able to do that so far and I don't think it will happen here. Perhaps Dowling's sixth state championship is just meant to be.

Prediction: Dowling 24 Bettendorf 7

CLASS 4A

Connor: #16 SE Polk (6-5) vs. #3 Cedar Falls (11-0)

BC Moore Projection: Cedar Falls by 17.95
Date: Thursday Friday November 9 @ 7:00 p.m.

Still alive and onto the semifinals is the Southeast Polk Rams. They schedule hard, they fight each and every week, and they took down the #1 rated team in the state in the first ever 16-1 upset in the RPI era.

The Rams have used to phenomenal defensive performances to knock off Ankeny Centennial – a team they lost to in the regular season 31-10 – and most recently Johnston. Against the Dragons, SEP earned four interceptions in a combined effort by seniors TJ Armstrong, Daniel Hackbarth (with two picks), and freshman Xavier Nwankpa. That defense is going to be what wins SEP the game if they advance to the title.

For Cedar Falls, it’s all about the offense. The team has not failed to score 28 points during the entirety of the season – though I’m calling for them to due to SEP’s defense this week. SEP will be one of the toughest tests they’ve faced, but Cedar Falls has the players. Wideout Logan Wolf finished with 1,110 yards this season in what has been a dominant year for the senior. Not to mention the rushing performance we saw out of Sam Gary last week. Gary touched the ball 31 times rushing for 225 yards and two scores against the Waukee Warriors – who beat SEP by seven early in the regular season.

As much as I want to scream, “WEST SIDE,” this is where the Rams run comes to an end. CF by two – thanks for reading along with us everyone, I’m thrilled we could make this thing happen. We both owe a lot to the University of Iowa’s journalism program where Trevor and I met. It’s pretty sweet to come away from a journalism camp with lifelong friends and resources you meet and work with along the way. Enjoy the games this weekend.

Prediction: Cedar Falls 19, SEP 17