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
