Here are some of the top players to watch as the Iowa high school state football playoffs continue this week.
We are getting down to the final weeks of the Iowa high school football season.
Quarterfinal rounds in all seven classes take place this Thursday and Friday, with the state semifinals and championship round games to follow.
It has already been an exciting season full of record-setting performances, shocking victories and memorable moments. And you can bet we are in for several more before the final horn blows inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
Here are some of the top players set for action in the Iowa high school state football quarterfinals starting Thursday with the four games in eight-player. Class 5A, Class 4A, Class 3A, Class 2A, Class 1A and Class A all compete on Friday night.
Iowa High School Football Playoffs: Top Players To Watch
Eight-Player
North Union at Audubon
Two of the double dual-threat quarterbacks in eight-player will square off in this one. North Union is led by Greyson Colegrove, as the senior has 37 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. He has completed 47 of 83 for 806, adding 1,062 rushing yards, and is coming off a nine-TD performance.
Audubon’s Aiden Kjergaard took over last year and has not skipped a beat under center. He has piled up 1,568 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns while throwing for 679 and 12 more scores.
Coon Rapids-Bayard at Gladbrook-Reinbeck
For the past few years now, it has been the Treyvon Herron show at Gladbrook-Reinbeck. The Rebel senior is up to 1,229 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns, adding scores in the passing game and as a returner.
Fresh off an upset of Bedford in the previous round, Coon Rapids-Bayard will get the ball into the capable hands of Caden Oswald. The senior has 785 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 53 passes for 599 and 13 scores.
Edgewood-Colesburg at Iowa Valley
You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Nolan Kriegel by this point. The Iowa Valley senior set the eight-player career touchdown record earlier this year, as he has recorded 36 rushing and 21 passing TDs this year. Kriegel has completed 42 of 58 for 1,002 yards while rushing for 1,583 more.
Edgewood-Colesburg has its own version of Kriegel in Jax Steger. The junior has produced 1,969 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns while throwing for 510 yards and 11 more scores.
Bishop Garrigan at Woodbine
One of the top players in the state regardless of class, Landon Blum shone brightly last week as Woodbine rallied past Lenox. The Penn State commit surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, as he currently has 56 receptions for 1,036 and 15 scores. Blum is also an excellent defender in the secondary for the Tigers.
Last year, Bishop Garrigan topped Woodbine in the state finals. They are chasing a third title in four years, having made the semifinals each of the past three seasons. CJ McGregor took over as RB1 this fall, piling up 1,456 yards and 23 scores.
Class A
Maquoketa Valley at Lynnville-Sully
Rogan Heidt will look to impose his will once more. The Maquoketa Valley senior has rushed 235 times for 1,626 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns this season. Expect a heavy dose of him on the night.
Sophomore Carsen Kottenstette has come into his own at quarterback for Lynnville-Sully. He sits at 1,073 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the team while completing 19 of 31 for 474 yards and seven TDs. He is averaging 25 yards per completion.
North Linn at Saint Ansgar
In previous years, Saint Ansgar was more of a run, run, run team. Under Porter Schwiesow, they have opted to the pass a little more. The junior has completed 53 of 89 for 914 yards and 17 touchdowns.
North Linn has an excellent wide receiver in senior Braden Wheatley. He has become the go-to target for Jackson Nielsen, catching 35 passes for almost 600 yards and eight touchdowns.
Council Bluffs St. Albert at West Sioux
Braylon Lopez does it on the ground and in the passing game for West Sioux. The senior has 1,703 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on 154 attempts, adding another 548 receiving yards and nine scores.
Council Bluffs St. Albert has returned to glory with a freshman at running back. Wade Beck is setting himself up for a bright future, rushing 179 times for 995 yards with 11 touchdowns. He has 229 receiving yards and another score.
West Fork at Woodbury Central
When it comes to Woodbury Central, you honestly cannot talk about Jackson Verschoor without mentioning Abe McGill. And you can’t mention Abe McGill without Jackson Verschoor. The senior quarterback has 1,767 yards and 25 touchdowns on 103 of 158 passing while rushing for 265 yards and five more scores.
McGill is one of the top running backs in the state, as the junior has 1,607 yards and 26 touchdowns on 175 carries.
West Fork will look to Hayden Freyholtz to take the passing game away. The sophomore has 23.5 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and shares the team lead with Ryley Bonnema with three interceptions while forcing a fumble.
Class 1A
West Marshall at Aplington-Parkersburg
Blayk Hart will get the bulk of the work for West Marshall once again this week. But that is nothing new for the senior. Hart has 219 rush attempts for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns, throwing for another 920 yards and nine scores on 42 of 90 passing.
A 1,000-yard receiving season is rare in Iowa high school football. Tate Pfantz added his name to that list this year, catching 44 passes for 1,037 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has another four rushing scores on his season log.
Grundy Center at Iowa City Regina
Last year, Iowa City Regina ended Grundy Center’s run in the semifinals. The Spartans are back with a new face at quarterback in Ethan Meester. The junior is 122-for-180 with 1,317 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has 320 rushing yards and seven scores.
One of the top prospects in the state, Tate Wallace causes problems everywhere on the field. On offense, he has 472 receiving yards and six scores with four rushing TDs to go along with 13 pancake blocks. On defense, he has 42 tackles with 23 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback sacks and a forced fumble.
Clarion-Goldfield/Dows vs. West Lyon at Sioux Center
Huxley Lingenfelter has been part of the incredible build by Clarion-Goldfield/Dows. The senior has 62 tackles on defense, including 17.5 for loss with 6.5 quarterback sacks, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also helps out the offense, catching 11 passes for over 200 yards and two scores.
Easton DeJong led West Lyon to gold last year, and looks to do the same this season. The senior has completed 54 of 92 for 1,124 yards and 16 TDs, adding 689 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Underwood at Treynor
In his first season replacing Garrett Luett, Nash Mitchell has been incredible. The sophomore is 149-for-246 for 1,977 yards and 23 touchdowns. Treynor presents an all-stater at wide receiver in Brock Casey, as the senior has 64 receptions for 516 yards with eight touchdowns.
Class 2A
Wilton at Alburnett
Laken Caves and Bryer Putman are two of the best athletes in the state. Caves, a Northern Iowa commit, has rushed for 1,499 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground, adding another 322 receiving yards and six scores.
Putman, who is headed to Boise State, has 48 receptions for 846 yards, scoring 16 touchdowns this season.
OABCIG at Central Lyon/George-Little Rock
Jaxx DeJean gets a lot of the headlines for OABCIG, and the brother of Cooper DeJean deserves it. But the Falcons will win if Raif Jensen has a big game. The senior has 1,852 passing yards and 849 rushing yards this year, throwing 14 touchdowns and running in 18 more.
Central Lyon/George-Little Rock has had some incredible athletes of the past decade. Count Jayden Daale among the latest, as the senior has completed 86 of 130 for 1,158 yards and eight TDs while rushing for 640 yards and five scores.
Kuemper Catholic at Spirit Lake
The defending state champions have overcome adversity this year, relying heavily on Jarin Hoffman. The senior leads Kuemper Catholic with 1,840 rushing yards and an eye-popping 32 touchdowns.
Standing in the way of the Knights will be Mr. Versatility Jaizik Miller. The senior has 83 rushing yards and a touchdown, 376 receiving yards and four scores, 41 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions, 92 punt return yards, 172 kickoff return yards and a score, and even made an extra point.
Roland-Story at Van Meter
Quarterbacks Colin Willis and Keenan Lundy are ready to put on a show. Willis, a junior for Roland-Story, is 147-for-246 for 2,226 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. His counterpart, Lundy, is a sophomore for Van Meter. This season, Lundy has rushed for 1,489 yards and scored 22 touchdowns while throwing for 721 and eight more scores.
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