What to Watch in the Battle for the Boot

Nate Wieland runs against Linn-Mar on Aug. 26. Tork Mason/For Your Prep Sports.

By Ryan Murken 
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Rivalry games always offer the possibility of the improbable.

The bigger the rivalry the more potential for unpredictability.

When it comes to prep football in Iowa no rivalry is bigger than the annual Battle for the Boot.

In typical rivalry fashion there have been plenty of unexpected outcomes and wild finishes in the cross-town showdown between City High and West High.

City High’s 14-12 storm-delay, rain-soaked win at Bates Field last season fits the bill of the rivalry chaos.

From weather conditions to trick plays there is no telling what the rivalry will produce.

That should be the case again on Friday as Class 4A fifth-ranked West High (3-0) hosts No.9 City High (2-1) at Trojan Field.

Determining an outcome can be nearly impossible when these two meet but here are five things to watch during the Battle for the Boot on Friday.

Stars Collide
Two of the best offensive players in the state will be on display as City High senior quarterback Nate Wieland and West High senior receiver Oliver Martin share the field for perhaps the final time.

West High senior Oliver Martin

Both teams will be counting on big games from their senior offensive leaders.

Wieland has had a strong start to his bounce back season after missing most of last year with injuries.

Last year’s win over West High was Wieland’s only full game of the season and he passed for 139 yards and a touchdown and ran for 54 yards.

The Northern Illinois recruit has passed for 281 yards and run for a team-high 327 yards and four touchdowns this season.

“We’ll see if we can play with 13 guys against him,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig joked. “I have a lot of respect for that kid with the way he’s come back from his injuries. Nate Wieland is a monster and he is a challenge that we have not seen yet and if we are not ready to meet it he’s going to have a great night.”

Martin is off to his own stellar start this season catching 21 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns.

The four-star recruit has now caught a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season and has multiple touchdown grabs in half of those games.

Martin has 100 receiving yards in nine of his last 10 games and has caught 70 passes for 1,222 yards and 16 touchdowns during that span.

In last year’s meeting with City High Martin caught seven passes for 61 yards and threw a touchdown pass.

“Obviously their receivers are one of the strengths of their team and I think our defensive backs are one of the strengths of our defense so we will find out a little bit there,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “I think that’s going to be interesting to see if we can cover them.”

Ground Gains
In the recent history of the rivalry no stat has been as telling as the rushing yardage.

The team with more yards on the ground has won eight straight games in the series. Since 2008 eight neither team has won the Battle for the Boot while losing the rushing battle.

Twice during that span (2009 and 2013) West High finished with more total yards than City High but lost as the Little Hawks had more yards on the ground.

“I think it just fits,” Sabers said of the rushing leader winning the game. “You are all cranked up for the big game, well what’s the easiest thing to do? Get out there and run and block and push and all that stuff so I think it kind of lends itself to that type of game. I think that is why it has kind of gone that way.”

City High sloshed its way to a 119 to 34 edge in rushing yards in last year’s soggy victory.

Both teams have flashed revved up running games early this season.

The return of a healthy Wieland has helped City High increase its rushing production by nearly 100 yards per game.

City High is averaging 222 rushing yards per game after averaging 123 rushing yards per game a year ago.

West High has made a similar jump.

A year after averaging just 104 rushing yards per game the Trojans ran for 280 yards in a season-opening win and enter Friday averaging 184 yards per game on the ground.

“City High is incredible tough to run on, I don’t know how we are going to do it but you’ve got to run the ball in Iowa,” Hartwig said. “I don’t care if it’s City High or anyone else you have to run the football and both teams will try to establish that no doubt.”

Home Sweet Home
For the last half decade home field advantage has been pivotal in the cross-town rivalry.

The home team has won five straight in the series including the 14-12 win by City High last year at Bates Field.

West High has won the last two games at Trojan Field by a combined score of 74-6, the most recent win a 30-6 victory in 2014.

The last win by a visiting team was a 41-21 City High win in 2010.

“I think there is something to that, there is no question about that,” Sabers said. “The seniors will tell you boy if it’s on your home field you don’t want to see somebody else celebrating with that trophy so I think that is something that gives the other team a little advantage.”

Strong Starters
West High fell into an early 7-0 hole against City High last season and was never able to dig its way out.

That hasn’t been a problem so far this season for the Trojans.

West High has struck first in all three of its games this season and has outscored opponents 21-0 in the opening quarter this year.

“I credit coach (Andrew) Durham, he comes in with a very good game plan. we watch a lot of film and we practice hard,” Hartwig said. “I credit coach Durham for having our offense prepared and coach (Tyler) Meade on the defensive side of the ball those two get us ready to go.”

The Closer the Better
Since 1989 the Battle for the Boot has been decided by a touchdown or less only twice.

Both of those meetings have come in the past three years and both have belonged to City High.

The Little Hawks’ 14-12 win last year equaled the smallest margin of victory in the history of the series and came two years after a 14-7 City High win in 2013.

City High’s recent success in close games hasn’t been limited to its meetings with West High.

The Little Hawks are 5-1 in games decided by less than a touchdown the past two seasons and is 3-0 in games decided by less than three points.

Week 4 Football Capsules

4A No. 9 City High (2-1) at 4A No. 5 West High (3-0)

Where: Trojan Field, 7:15 p.m.

Last Season: City High 14, West High 12

Player to Watch: City High quarterback Nate Wieland (6-2, 215) has a team-high 327 rushing yards and has also thrown for 281 yards.

Key Stat: This is the first Battle for the Boot in which both teams are ranked since 2013 when tenth-ranked City High defeated No. 2 West High 14-7.

About West High: The Trojans are one of only seven remaining unbeaten teams in Class 4A after edging No. 10 Cedar Falls 17-10 last week. West High limited Cedar Falls to 178 total yards in the win and is holding opponents to 18 points per game this season.

Oliver Martin continues to be nearly impossible to defend. The senior receiver has 100 yards receiving and a touchdown in all three games this season and leads 4A with 371 receiving yards.

About City High: The Little Hawks were dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 30-27 overtime loss to Ames last week. 

City High rushed for 294 yards on its way to 402 yards of total offense against Ames as Wieland (158) and senior running back Bryce Frantz (121) both rushed for more than 100 yards. Frantz has run for 324 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Sigourney/Keota (3-0) at 1A No. 1 Regina (2-1)

Where: Regal Field, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Regina 52, Sigourney/Keota 6

Player to Watch: Sigourney/Keota senior Avery Moore (6-2, 190) is a big play waiting to happen. Moore is averaging 15.7 yards per offensive touch with 333 rushing yards on 25 carries and 107 yards on three receptions.

Key Stat: After allowing 386 rushing yards to Cedar Rapids Xavier in the season opener Regina has allowed 86 rushing yards in its last two games combined.

About Sigourney/Keota: Using their patented spinner back offense the Savage Cobras are averaging 41 points per game following a 38-8 win over previously unbeaten Highland on Friday.

Sigourney/Keota is averaging 269 rushing yards per game and has three players rushing for better than 73 yards per game. Sophomore Carson Crawford (5-9, 170) leads Sigourney/Keota with 344 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

About Regina: The Regals have been dominant following a season-opening loss to 3A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier outscoring its last two opponents 82-6. Regina has averaged 241 rushing yards and 417 total yards in back-to-back wins.

Junior Michael Conlon accounted for 214 yards of total offense in his first career start at quarterback in a 48-6 win at Wapello last week.

Clear Creek Amana (3-0) at Maquoketa (0-3)

Where: Maquoketa, 7:15 p.m.

Last Season: Maquoketa 13, Clear Creek Amana 7 (3A playoffs opening round)

Player to Watch: Maquoketa senior quarterback Justin Snyder (5-11, 175) has passed for 424 yards and four touchdowns and run for a team-high 226 yards and two scores.

Key Stat: Maquoketa held Clear Creek Amana to season-lows in rushing yards (130) and total yards (144) in last year’s playoff win in Maquoketa.

About Maquoketa: Since defeating Clear Creek Amana in the first round of the 3A playoffs last season Maquoketa has lost four straight games by a combined score of 161-44 and is coming off a 32-7 loss to Center Point-Urbana last week.

Keep an eye on 6-foot-7 senior receiver Abe Kinrade who has caught 14 passes for 191 and two scores this season.

About Clear Creek Amana: A Clear Creek Amana offense averaging 215 rushing yards per game faces a Maquoketa defense that has surrendered more than 300 yards rushing in each of its first three games and is allowing 324 yards per game on the ground.

The Clippers rushed for a season-low 165 yards last week but scored 24 points to improve to 3-0 with a 24-14 win over Dubuque Wahlert.

Maquoketa Valley (3-0) at 1A No. 10 West Branch (2-1)

Where: The Little Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play

Player to Watch: Maquoketa Valley senior running back Alec McDowell (6-0, 190) has rushed for 404 yards and four touchdowns and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry.

Key Stat: Maquoketa Valley receiver Zak Harbach is averaging 28 yards per catch and half of his eight receptions this season have gone for touchdowns.

About Maquoketa Valley: The Wildcats remained perfect on the season with an 18-11 win over Durant on Friday. Maquoketa Valley has relied heavily on a stingy defense thus far, holding opponents to 184 total yards and 8.3 points per game.

Junior quarterback Tyson Tucker threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Starmont and ran for 104 yards and three scores last week against Durant.

About West Branch: The Bears bounced back from its first regular season loss since 2013 with a dominating 35-14 win over Jesup. Luke Lenoch rushed for 226 yards and four touchdowns last week and is averaging better than 160 yards per game on the ground this season.

Brandon Rummelhart will make this second career start after throwing for 171 yards and a touchdown in his first start in place of injured starter Beau Cornwell.

Solon (2-1) at 3A No. 4 Washington (3-0)

Where: Case Field, 7:30 p.m.

Last Season: Washington 28, Solon 14; Solon 17, Washington 14 (3A playoffs opening round)

Player to Watch: Washington junior quarterback Ryan Reighard (6-0, 200) is one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the state. Reighard has thrown for 610 yards and eight touchdowns and run for 571 yards and six more scores.

Key Stat: Solon and Washington have played four times over the past three seasons with each team winning twice. All four have been decided by 14 points or less and two have been decided by less than a touchdown.

About Washington: The Demons have been dominant this season outscoring opponents 138-26. Reighard directs a Washington offense that is among the most dynamic in the state. Washington is averaging a state-best 534 yards per game and ranks third in the state averaging 10.1 yards per snap.

Nearly half of Reighard’s 43 completions this season have gone to junior receiver Jaivonn Willis who has 21 receptions for 367 yards and eight touchdowns.

About Solon: The Spartans responded from a week two loss to 1A top-ranked Regina with a 42-0 win over Keokuk. Solon forced four turnovers and held Keokuk to 103 total yards while posting its third shutout in its last 11 games dating back to last season.

After completing 39 percent of his passes for 84 yards against Regina, senior quarterback Blayze Griffis was 9-of-11 for 186 yards and a pair of scores last week.

Clear Creek Amana Wins Oskaloosa Invite

Clear Creek Amana's Luke Wingert and Nick O'Connor run at the Bob Brown Classic.

Your Prep Sports 

The Clear Creek Amana boys cross country team continued its strong season on Tuesday winning the Oskaloosa Invite.

Clear Creek Amana had four runners place in the top 10, led by Nick O’Connor who placed third in 18:25.6 on its way to the team title.

The Clippers finished with 46 points, six points in front of runner-up Oskaloosa.

Williamsburg was third with 85 points while Ottumwa was fourth with 125 and Newton was fifth with 175.

Wyatt Sedlacek, Luke Wingert and Cole Liebe all joined O’Connor with top-10 finishes.

Sedlacek finished eighth in 18:47.4, Wingert was ninth in 18:49.5 and Liebe was 10th in 18:50.7.

All five Clear Creek Amana runners placed in the top 20 as Jack Wingert was 16th in 19:14.6.

Boys Results
Team scores – 1. Clear Creek Amana 46; 2. Oskaloosa 52; 3. Williamsburg 85; 4. Ottumwa 125; 5. Newton 175; 6. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 177; 7. Fairfield 178; 8. Knoxville 179; 9. Chariton 220; 10. Pella Christian 238; 11. Albia 320; 12. Centerville 354; 13. Twin Cedars 371.

Individual Results – 1. Dalton Bowers (Ott) 18:12.3; 2. Colton Berg (Osk) 18:23.6; 3. Nick O’Connor (CCA) 18:25.6; 4. Carter Huyser (Osk) 18:27.5; 5. Ben Lamparek (Wil) 18:29.2; 6. Grant Dunsbergen (PC) 18:32.1; 7. Noah Sander (New) 18:41.7; 8. Wyatt Sedlacek (CCA) 18:47.4; 9. Luke Wingert (CCA) 18:49.5; 10. Cole Liebe (CCA) 18:50.7.

Clear Creek Amana (46) – 3. Nick O’Connor 18:25.6; 8. Wyatt Sedlacek 18:47.4; 9. Luke Wingert 18:49.5; 10. Cole Liebe 18:50.7; 16. Jack Wingert 19:14.6.

May, Wahlert Sweep West High

West High Senior Emma Norris

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Dubuque Wahlert raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set of its Mississippi Valley Conference match with West High on Tuesday.

West High could never quite catch up.

Mackenzie May hammered 22 kills and Class 4A No. 5 Wahlert never trailed on Tuesday in a 25-14, 25-19, 25-21 sweep of 5A tenth-ranked West High.

“Right away coming out strong is huge,” Dubuque Wahlert coach Lindsey Beaves said. “We haven’t always done that in the past so we kind of stressed that and tonight we came out strong.”

West High never seemed to fully recover from the quick 4-0 start by Wahlert while dropping to 9-8 on the season and 2-2 in MVC play.

The Women of Troy didn’t hold a lead in any of the three sets and lost for the second time in their last seven matches.

“We weren’t ready to play and that is my responsibility to make sure we are ready to play and I didn’t get the job done,” West High coach Randy Dolson said. “I have to find a way to get these kids ready to play because mentally we are making way too many mistakes.”

Wahlert and May set the tone early.

The 6-foot-3 UCLA recruit had two kills during the 4-0 run to open the match.

May hammered eight of her match-high 22 kills in the opening set as Wahlert cruised to a 25-14 win.

“Our goal was to serve tough and get them out of a comfortable serve receive and we did a pretty good job siding out right away,” Beaves said. “I think those were the keys.”

Wahlert jumped to a 13-7 lead in the second set but West answered.

West High used a 4-0 run that featured a pair of kills by Emma Norris to cut the lead to 13-11.

The Women of Troy got as close as 19-18 with another 4-0 run that was capped by an Emily Halverson ace block but Wahlert closed out the set on a 6-1 run to take a two sets to none lead.

Junior libero Krystal Tranel had a pair of ace serves and May had two kills, including the set-clincher in the 6-1 run to end the set.

“We are too talented to have nights like this,” Dolson said. “It’s on me to find a way to get these kids charged up and ready to go when we take the court.”

The third set was a near replay of the second.

Wahlert steadily built a 17-10 lead behind five kills by May.

West High charged back and cut the lead to 18-17 with 7-1 spurt punctuated by back-to-back Colby Greene kills.

The Women of Troy trailed 21-20 late but again Wahlert and May made the plays late.

May had two kills during a 4-1 run to end the third set and provided the match-winner with an off speed shot down the line.

“I think we were the aggressors the whole way through which we haven’t always done,” Beaves said. “That second and third setts there were a couple of lulls in the middle but we did a really good job of weathering the storm and then finishing strong.”

May had at least five kills in every set and accounted for 22 of Wahlert’s 34 kills and added a pair of ace serves and an ace block.

“She is a great player,” Dolson said. “Everybody knows she is going to get a number of kills you just have to contain her and handle the ones that you should be able to handle and we weren’t able to do that.”

Norris led West High with 12 kills while Ali Tauchen and Greene each added eight and Halverson had seven.

West High has a rare week off before returning to action on Sept. 20 at 4A No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier.

“We play like we practice,” Dolson said. “We are calling them on that but we are going to change things up a little bit the next couple of days.”

West High              14  19  21
Dubuque Wahlert   25  25  25

(Kills-aces-blocks)
West High
Madi Ford 0-1-0, Emma Norris 12-0-0, Ali Tauchen 8-0-0, Emily Halverson 7-0-0, Chandler Haight 1-0-0, Colby Greene 8-0-0, Maddie Fay 0-0-0, Team 36-1-0.
Assists – Maddie Fay 26, Aubrey Sowers 1, Ali Tauchen 1.

Dubuque Wahlert
Mackenzie May 22-2-1, Anna Sherman 7-0-1, Jenna Gremmel 1-0-0, Krystal Duehr 3-0-0, Carolyn Conlon 1-0-1, Krystal Tranel 0-2-0, Team 34-4-3.
Assists – Jenna Gremmel 22, Krystal Tranel 1.

Solon's Linderbaum Learning From Early Season Tests

Solon junior Tyler Linderbaum

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports 

SOLON – Opening the season with back-to-back games against highly ranked rivals presented an imposing early-season challenge for Solon.

Consecutive meetings with Mount Vernon and Regina also provided the Spartans with preparation for the rigors of district play.

No player was tested more or came away from those first two meetings more prepared for the remainder of the season than Tyler Linderbaum.

A two-way starter for Solon on the offensive and defensive line, Linderbaum spent the first two weeks of the season lined up opposite a couple of the best lineman in Iowa.

First it was 6-foot-5, 300-pound Iowa commit Tristan Wirfs and Mount Vernon in the season opener.

Then it was 6-foot-1, 275-pound Northern Iowa recruit Jared Brinkman and Class 1A top-ranked Regina.

Tyler Linderbaum. Jackie Blake Jensen/IC Pixx.

“Playing against those two guys, they will make you better, they are great competitors,” Linderbaum said. “They are helping me for district play, going against those guys makes me a better player.”

Linderbaum saw the first two weeks as a chance to measure himself against the best.

Solon head coach Kevin Miller viewed it as a chance for the junior to raise his level of play.

Any way you look at it the first two weeks were a handful for Linderbaum.

“It’s made him better there’s no question about that,” Miller said. “I know he has looked forward to the opportunity to compete against quality players but he certainly isn’t going to back down from anyone.”

Linderbaum is no pushover himself.

Far from it.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior was an all-district performer last season as a sophomore.

Through three games this season Linderbaum ranks third on the team with 12 tackles from his defensive tackle spot, including a team-best three behind the line of scrimmage.

“Tyler is just an athlete that is playing on the line,” Miller said. “He is a very good athlete that has good feet, he plays with great leverage and his best football is still ahead of him.”

Solon (2-1) went 1-1 in its early season non-district gauntlet against neighboring teams that reached the state title game a year ago.

The Spartans followed with a 42-0 win over Keokuk in its 3A, District 5 opener last week.

Like his team, Linderbaum left the tough two-week stretch to open the season better.

“It’s a good challenge,” Linderbaum said. “I like the challenge and they make me a better player.”

Facing elite high school lineman like Brinkman and Wirfs is nothing new to Linderbaum.

The first varsity game of his career came last season against Brinkman and the Regals.

In week two a year ago Linderbaum found himself facing off with Wirfs.

Those first two varsity games were an eye-opener for Linderbaum.

“I knew that was what varsity football was going to be and I just had to adapt to that,” Linderbaum said. “I kind of changed my focus and came to practice and got better after that.”

Linderbaum spent the offseason getting bigger and stronger.

He moved from guard to center this season and helped pave the way for Solon to rush for 228 yards in its win over Keokuk.

“It was a little different,” Linderbaum said of moving to center. “Snapping and moving your feet at the same time was a little harder than guard but I’m adapting. I’ve been snapping before every practice and I think I’ve gotten better.”

The Spartans have another huge test coming up on Friday with a road game against fourth-ranked Washington (3-0).

Linderbaum is hoping the experience from early in the season helps on Friday against a Washington team that leads the state in total offense.

“We found out a lot about ourselves in those first two games,” Linderbaum said. “We saw what we need to improve on and what we are good at and I think we are bringing that to practice now and getting better.”

Defense a Constant Force for Clippers

Clear Creek Amana senior Cory Siders

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Three games into last season Clear Creek Amana overhauled its offense.

After three straight losses to open last season, head coach Matt Hughes adjusted his offensive philosophy turning the Clippers into a power running team.

On the other side of the ball Hughes has never wavered from his plan to build the program around defense.

Now in his fourth season the Clippers are reaping the benefits of that commitment. .

Clear Creek Amana has relied on a rock solid defense that is holding opponents to less than a touchdown per game while starting 3-0 for the first time under Hughes.

“The kids have really bought in to the 11 to the ball philosophy,” Hughes said. “We have guys that are doing their jobs and coach (Mark) Mitchell and the rest of the defensive staff are doing an unbelievable job as far as coaching them up during the week and then guys are coming out and executing.”

Three games into the season Clear Creek Amana is executing as well as any team in Class 3A on defense.

The Clippers are holding opponents to 6.7 points and 203 total yards per game this season while forcing seven turnovers.

Clear Creek Amana has also registered 14 sacks in three games, third among Class 3A teams.

“Coach Mitchell always talks about 11 to the ball,” senior linebacker Jared Eckrich said. “That’s what we try to do is get 11 guys to the ball on every play and interceptions, turnovers, sacks that is all about just getting to the ball.”

Eckrich has been at the center of the Clippers’ strong start on defense.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound linebacker has made a team-high 26 tackles this season including four for loss.

He’s had plenty of help from his teammates on the defensive line.

Three lineman rank among the top five tacklers on the team as tackle Ethan Taylor and ends Max Moore and Cole White all have at least nine stops this season.

“Both offensively and defensively it starts in the trenches,” Hughes said. “Our defensive line is a group of guys that are playing extremely well together. They are playing hard and they are doing their responsibilities and it’s shown to be a really productive unit.”

The defensive line has helped Clear Creek Amana hold opponents to a meager 103 rushing yards per game this season.

Through three games opponents are gaining just 2.7 yards per rushing attempt against the Clippers. 

Hughes touted added depth up front this season for the increase in production from the defensive line.

White leads the team with four sacks and eight different Clippers have logged a sack.

“At every position we have one more player than we are playing,” Hughes said. “At defensive tackle we have three to play two spots and at defensive end we have three to play two spots. That depth has been important.”

The play of the defense hasn’t come as a surprise.

Clear Creek Amana allowed more than 14 points just once in its final seven games last season.

The Clippers have taken it to a different level this season.

Clear Creek Amana allowed just 181 total yards in a week one win over Mount Pleasant and gave up just 192 total yards in shutout of Independence in week two.

It was the first shutout for the Clippers since blanking Davenport Assumption 27-0 on Oct. 10 of 2014.

“We had a lot of players coming back and I think we all believed we could have this type of defense this season,” Clear Creek Amana senior cornerback Cory Siders said. “We knew we were capable of playing like this.”

The toughest test for the Clipper defense lie ahead.

Week five opponent Center Point-Urbana is averaging 31.6 points per game and meetings with West Delaware (44.3 points per game) and Assumption linger.

Still, the Clippers are confident.

“Defense is all about emotion,” Hughes said. “It’s about emotion and doing your job and that’s what these guys are really bringing to the table this year.”

Week 3 Rewind: Quarterbacks Step Up in First Starts

Regina junior quarterback Michael Conlon runs against Solon. Jackie Blake Jensen/IC Pixx.

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

Regina and West Branch both knew they would be breaking in new quarterbacks this season.

Neither perennial Class 1A powerhouse planned on having a second quarterback making their first career start in the third game of the season.

That’s the spot both top-ranked Regina (2-1) and No. 10 West Branch (2-1) found themselves in on Friday and each got strong performances from their new quarterbacks.

West Branch senior Brandon Rummelhart threw for 171 yards and a touchdown in his first career start in a 35-14 win over Jesup.

“He’s getting better each and every week, he’s got some room for improvement but he’s improving,” West Branch coach Butch Pedersen said of Rummelhart. “He’s been put in a tough spot and he’s very coachable and he’ll get better.”

Rummelhart completed 10-of-17 passes in the win and tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kabela.

The Bears rolled up a season-high 442 yards of total offense in Rummelhart’s first start as Luke Lenoch rushed for 226 yards.

“I think the kids believe in each other, I think they believe in the coaches,” Pedersen said. “I think they know that we have an idea of what we want to try to do and I think they understand the same concepts that we do.“
Rummelhart wasn’t the only quarterback making a first start to excel on Friday.

Regina junior Michael Conlon accounted for 206 total yards and two touchdowns in a 48-6 win over Wapello.

Conlon completed 10-of-13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 68 yards and a score in his first career start.

“I thought he did a great job,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “We were having success running the football and that sets up the pass and he was doing a good job of making the right decision and getting the ball where it needed to go. I thought for his first, true official start he did a nice job.”

Additional options: With wide receivers Oliver Martin and Devontae Lane on the outside West High already has a pair of top-notch pass catching options.

The Trojans showed off a few different weapons in the pass game on Friday.

Senior Jacquese Parks showed he could emerge as a major threat in the passing game as the 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end caught two passes for 66 yards including an impressive 46-yard touchdown catch and run.

Junior receivers got into the act as eight different Trojans caught passes.

Traevis Buchanan caught a pass for 44 yards and Parris Taylor snagged two for 12 yards.

“We have weapons everywhere,” West High quarterback Evan Flitz said. “When we get our running game going we can open up the passing game.”

Stepping in: While Regina and West Branch were working with new quarterbacks on Friday a pair of area teams turned to new faces at running back.

West High and Clear Creek Amana both used different primary backs on Friday in replace of injured starters.

Matt Brimeyer and Jared Eckrich split carries for Clear Creek Amana on Friday in place of Drake Brezina who was lost for the season with a knee injury last week.

Eckrich ran for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 13 carries while Brimeyer gained 28 yards on 12 tries.

West High junior Andre White ran for 69 yards on 19 carries in his first career after Matthew Huff suffered an injury in practice on Wednesday.

Still Perfect: After three weeks 65 teams remain unbeaten.

West High and Clear Creek Amana are a part of that list.

Clear Creek Amana stayed perfect with a 24-14 win over Dubuque Wahlert while West High moved to 3-0 with a 17-10 win over Cedar Falls.

Offensive performer of the week: Luke Lenoch followed up his record breaking performance last week with his best game of the season on Friday. A week after becoming the all-time leading rusher in West Branch history, Lenoch ran for 226 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries in a 35-14 win over Jesup. Lenoch also caught three passes for 73 yards.

Runner-up: Solon junior Kendrick Harris ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Keokuk.

Defensive performer of the week: Max Brown and Dillon Shephard led a big-time defensive effort from West High in a 17-10 win over No. 10 Cedar Falls. A senior linebacker, Brown made a team-high seven tackles, including two for loss. Shephard, a junior lineman, had 2.5 sacks as part of his 6.5 tackles.

Runner-up: Solon junior Greg Brandt was around the ball a lot in the Spartans’ shutout of Keokuk. Brandt had two interceptions and recovered a fumble to go with two solo stops.

Regina Finishes Eighth at Loaded Monticello Invite

Regina sophomore Molly Blondin

Your Prep Sports 

Regina placed eighth in a loaded field at the 32nd Monticello cross country invitational on Saturday at Monticello high school.

Class 2A No. 15 Regina was eighth in the 14-team field that featured four teams ranked in the top six in Class 2A.

Top-ranked Monticello won the team title with 62 points followed by Springville with 110 and second-ranked South Winneshiek with 117.

Class 2A No. 6 Cascade finished fourth with 119 while fourth-ranked Mid-Prairie placed fifth with 126 points.

Led by Molly Blondin who placed 25th in a time of 23:02, Regina finished with 185 points.

Molly Vittetoe was 37th in 23:51 for Regina while Natalie Shank was 38th (in 23;56 and Nourah Abusaba was 39th in 24:01.

Mid-Prairie had the top two individual finishers as Anna Hostetler won the title in 19:03 and Marie Hostetler was second in 19:08.

Monticello Cross Country Invitational
Girls Results
Team scores – 1. Monticello 62; 2. Springville 110; 3. South Winneshiek 117; 4. Cascade 119; 5. Mid-Prairie 126; 6. Center Point-Urbana 152; 7. Anamosa 179; 8. Regina 185; 9. Tipton 219; 10. Wilton 234; 11. Clayton Ridge 279; 12. Durant 305; 13. Dyersville Beckman 322; 14. Western Dubuque 334.

Individual Results – 1. Anna Hostetler (MP) 19:03; 2. Marie Hostetler (MP) 19:08; 3. Paige Holub (MON) 20:29; 4. Adrianna Katcher (CPU) 20:40; 5. Felicity Taylor (SW) 20:47; 6. Josie Kriener (SW) 20:50; 7. Jordyn Patterson (MON) 21:13; 8. Emily Staal (SPR) 21:16; 9. Madeline Rhomberg (CAS) 21:25; 10. Kaylee Ford (WIL) 21:34.

Regina (185) – 25. Molly Blondin 23:02; 37. Molly Vittetoe 23:51; 38. Natalie Shank 23:56; 39. Nourah Abusada 24:01; 46. Elizabeth Klesner 24:14.

Green, Meyer lead Regina at Monticello

Regina junior Nathan Meyer

Your Prep Sports

Nate Green and Nathan Meyer both posted top-10 finishes to lead Regina to a sixth place team finish at the 32nd Monticello Cross Country Invitational on Saturday at Monticello High School.

Green finished eighth in 18:20 and Meyer was ninth in 18:22 as the Regals placed sixth at the 14-team meet with 171 points.

Class 4A Western Dubuque won the team title with 44 points while 2A No. 3 Mid-Prairie was second with 55 points.

Class 2A No. 11 South Winneshiek was third with 129 points followed by No. 12 Tipton with 146 and Anamosa with 160.

Regina finished three points in front of No. 13 Monticello.

Western Dubuque’s Nathan Betts won the individual title in 17:52.

Monticello Cross Country Invitational
Boys Results
Team scores – 1. Western Dubuque 44; 2. Mid-Prairie 55; 3. South Winneshiek 129; 4. Tipton 146; 5. Anamosa 160; 6. Regina 171; 7. Monticello 174; 8. Cascade 208; 9. Maquoketa Valley 211; 10. Center Point-Urbana 220; 11. Durant 265; 12. Wilton 276; 13. Springville 296; 14. Dyersville Beckman 406.

Individual results – 1. Nathan Betts (WD) 17:52; 2. Joe Freiburger (WD) 17:55; 3. Peyton Miller (MP) 18:07; 4. Tyler Hospodarsky (MON) 18:08; 5. Kale Cartee (WD) 18:09; 6. Floyd Evans (MP) 18:15; 7. Marty Knepper (CAS) 18:19; 8. Nate Green (ICR) 18:20; 9. Nathan Meyer (ICR) 18:22; 10. Zach Pettit (MP) 18:23.

Regina (171) – 8. Nate Green 18:20; 9. Nathan Meyer 18:22; 36. Oliver Emery 19:44; 54. Zach Kratz 20:35; 64. Nicholas Yowell 21:09.

Regina Rolls in District Opener

Your Prep Sports

 Regina is on a roll.

The Regals have outscored their opponents 82-6 in their last two contests after a 48-6 win at Wapello (2-1) on Friday night.

Regina defeated rival Solon last Friday 34-0 in a game that was expected to be much closer.
“Those first two games really helped us get to this point, being really fine-tuned with what we’re trying to accomplish,” Regina head coach Marv Cook said.

Class 1A top-ranked Regina (2-1) raced to a 42-0 halftime lead and cruised in the District 4 opener for both teams on Friday.

Regina quarterback Michael Conlon led the charge for the Regals racking up 214 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns.

Conlon ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, connecting with Jack Jensen on an 11-yard scoring strike.

“The coaches are seeing what they’re seeing and calling based on what they’re seeing,” Conlon said. “The offensive line has played amazing, the holes are there and we just do our best to hit them and thankfully they’ve opened them up perfectly.

“I think my tempo can be a little better. I think I can work on that.”

Wapello’s only score came on a 68-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter as Regina used a stingy defense to secure another victory on a rain-soaked night.

“It was a perfect night to start then we had a pretty big weather cell come in,” Cook said. “It rained pretty hard in the second quarter but that blew out and it turned out to be a pretty beautiful night so weather didn’t really impact the game that much.

“I thought our kids played well. It was a good road trip for us, 50-minute bus ride. A lot of young guys got in the game for us.

“I thought Wapello did a good job. I thought they were well-coached. I thought they were a good team they just don’t have the depth that a lot of these programs we’re playing have.”

                         Regina           Wapello
First Downs           16                  7
Rushes-Yards         34-235          25-47
Passing Yards         194               70
Comp-Att-Int          12-18-1        5-16-0
Fumbles-Lost          1-1               1-1
Penalties-Yards       3-30              5-45

Regina    28 14  0  6   –  48
Wapello    0  0   0  6   –   6

ICR – Mason Simpson 5 run (Sam Stein kick)
ICR – Michael Conlon 11 run (Stein kick)
ICR – Daniel Sullivan 27 fumble recovery (Stein kick)
ICR – Jack Jensen 11 pass from Michael Conlon (Stein kick)
ICR – Michael Conlon 5 run (Stein kick)
ICR – Nick Phillips 5 run (Stein kick)
ICR – Ryan Schott 2 run (Kick no good)
WAP – 68 punt return

Rushing – ICR: Michael Conlon 8-68, Jake Phillips 12-86, Tyler Brown 7-41, Ryan Schott 4-17.

Passing – ICR: Michael Conlon 10-13-1 146.

Receiving – ICR: Ryan Schott 1-40, Jack Jensen 3-42, Trae Rogers 1-5, Christian Iben 2-15, Noah Felderman 3-37, Patrick Clark 1-8.

Ames Slips Past City High in Overtime

Nate Wieland breaks a tackle against Linn-Mar on Aug. 26. Tork Mason/For Your Prep Sports.

Pat Harty
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – The Battle for the Little Cy-Hawk Trophy turned into a highly competitive battle of dual-threat quarterbacks.
But it was turnovers that ultimately decided the outcome between City High and Ames on Friday.

The Little Hawks fumbled deep in Ames territory in the final seconds of the fourth quarter and again on the first play in overtime, helping Ames escape from Bates Field with a 30-27 victory.

“We’ll go back to work and if we take care of the football we’re probably feeling a lot better about ourselves,” said City coach Dan Sabers. “And those are things that we can fix. But we’ve got to grow. There is no question about it. We’ve got to grow.”

City had the first possession in overtime, beginning at the 10-yard line. However, senior quarterback Nate Wieland fumbled on the first play from scrimmage while attempting to make a hand off.

Ames recovered the fumble and then tried three times to score a touchdown, but with no success. Adam Rademacher then secured the victory by making a 20-yard field goal.

“Everything felt good,” Wieland said of the play in which his team fumbled in overtime. “I don’t even know what happened. We’ll see it on film.”

Sabers also wasn’t sure what happened on the game-deciding fumble, which came shortly after City receiver Vance Dillon had lost a fumble after catching a pass deep in Ames territory late in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t know if they didn’t get the snap properly or what,” Sabers said of the fumble in overtime. “I can’t tell you that right now.”

In addition to committing costly turnovers, City also hurt itself by being penalized eight times. One of the penalties for an illegal player down field erased a long pass completion from Wieland to Dillon in the third quarter.

“We obviously have a lot to learn from this game,” said Wieland, who rushed for 157 yards and scored three touchdowns. “We had way too many penalties tonight and that cost us too many points. We can’t let that happen next week or ever again. That’s what cost us this game.”

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the 2-1 Little Hawks as they will face rival West High next Friday at West in the much-anticipated Battle for the Boot.

“There is the big one next week with West,” Wieland said. “That is going to be a showdown. We know we have to prepare and just learn from this loss.”

Wieland finished with 276 total yards, while Ames quarterback Joe Evans had a similar performance, finishing with 259 total yards. Evans passed for 180 yards, including 161 yards in the first half, which ended with Ames clinging to a 17-14 lead.

“Their young man is a tremendous player,” Ames coach Bruce Vertanen said of Wieland, who has committed to play football for Northern Illinois. “And I think Joe and him are very similar. They’re bruisers.

“So the game was on the backs of the quarterbacks and Joe led us down the field. So I can’t be more pleased with that. But yeah, the quarterback play was excellent.”

Both teams also got solid contributions from a running back as City High senior Bryce Frantz pounded his way for 118 yards on 15 carries, while Ames sophomore Ray Crawford had 119 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Ames plays at a fast pace on offense, rarely taking time to even huddle. City struggled with the pace on Ames’ opening drive of the game, but improved as the game progressed.

“I don’t think their tempo was a problem,” Sabers said. “I think they just blocked us up front and their backs ran hard. Their quarterback ran hard. They always got forward yardage and that just makes it tough if you’re sitting third-and-two or fourth and six inches and things like that.”

Ames was leading 10-0 when Wieland broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown run with 9 minutes 52 seconds left in the second quarter.

Frantz then scored on a 3-yard run with 7:53 left in the second quarter. Miles Morrow converted the point-after kick to give City a 14-10 lead.

Junior defensive back Zach Jones helped set up Frantz’s touchdown by returning an interception to the Ames 12-yard line with 8:30 left in the second quarter.

Evans then threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Doyle with 33.6 seconds left in the second quarter, giving Ames a 17-14 lead at halftime.

The Little Cyclones expanded their lead to 24-14 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Crawford with 49.2 seconds left the third quarter.

City trimmed the lead to 24-20 on a 1-yard run by Wieland with 8 minutes left to play. However, the point-after kick failed, keeping the deficit at four points.

Wieland scored his third touchdown of the game on a 37-yard run with 5:18 remaining. Morrow made the point-after kick, expanding City’s lead to 27-24.

Ames then drove deep into City territory and forced overtime when Rademacher made a 28-yard field goal with 1:22 remaining.

“We felt good with the run game, there is no doubt about that,” Wieland said. “And then the passing game started to come. And there is no doubt when we get both of those going, we can be a really good offense.”

Sabers praised his senior quarterback in defeat.

“I thought Nate did a lot of great things,” Sabers said. “I thought Nate showed why he’s one of the best players in the state tonight. There is no question.”

Friday’s game was played as part of Military Appreciation Night. The pre-game festivities included the Avenue of the Flags in which over 200 flags were displayed on the field before kickoff.

There also was an honorary coin toss before the game featuring 92-year old World War II veteran George Dane and Iowa City native William Zaiser, who currently serves as Command Sergeant Major for the United States Southern Command.

The start of the game was delayed one hour by lightning as the kickoff came at approximately 8:10 p.m.

Ames          3  14  7   3  3 –  30
City High   0  14  0  13  0 –  27

A – Adam Rademacher 30 FG
A – Joe Evans 1 run (Rademacher kick)
ICC – Nate Wieland 51 run (Miles Morrow kick)
ICH – Bryce Frantz 3 run (Morrow kick)
A – Tyler Doyle 9 pass from Evans (Rademacher kick)
A - Ray Crawford 3 run (Rademacher kick)
ICH – Wieland 1 run (kick failed)
ICH – Wieland 37 run (Morrow kick)
A – Rademacher 28 FG
A – Rademacher 20 FG

                               Ames                City High
First downs               19                        18
Rushes-yards            58-236                 33-290
Com-Att-Int              10-16-0               16-26-1
Passing yards            119                      209
Punts-average            2-30                    3-36.3
Fumbles-lost              2-0                      3-2
Penalties-yards          5-50                     8-40

Individual statistics
Rushing – Ames: Ray Crawford 26-119, Joe Evans 25-79, Martrell Davis 7-38. City: Nate Wieland 17-157, Bryce Frantz 15-118, Brock Hunger 1-15.

Passing – Ames: Joe Evans 15-25-1-180, Ray Crawford 1-1-0-29. City: Wieland 10-16-0-119.

Receiving – Ames: Will Krapfl 6-59, Ethan Hahn 359, Tyler Doyle 3-43, Ray Crawford 2-20. City: Vance Dillon 5-43, Zach Jones 3-44, Naeem Smith 2-22.

Defense Leads West High Past Cedar Falls

West High senior Nick Kean

Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Just as they did in the first two games of the season Evan Flitz, Oliver Martin and the West High offense tried to steal the show late on Friday night.

This time the West High defense wasn’t about to give up center stage.

Class 4A sixth-ranked West High held No. 10 Cedar Falls (2-1) scoreless for better than 43 minutes and limited the Tigers to 176 total yards in a 17-10 win at a rain-soaked Trojan Field.

Flitz threw for 240 yards, including a 73-yard scoring strike to Martin, but this day belonged to the West High defense.

The Trojans held Cedar Falls scoreless until the final five minutes while improving to 3-0 with a second straight win over a ranked opponent.

“Our defense might be overshadowed by our offense a little but that’s fine,” West High senior linebacker Max Brown said. “We have so many big names on the offense and so many playmakers and we are a group of misfits on the defense but we just play. We just show up and play.”

The Trojans certainly showed up to play on defense Friday.

West High limited a Cedar Falls offense that entered the game averaging better than 221 yards per game on the ground to just 125 yards rushing on 34 carries and eight first downs.

The Trojans didn’t allow a point until a Luke Loecher 30-yard field goal with 4:46 left.

By that point Martin and Flitz had already staked the Trojans to a 10-0 lead.

“Cedar Falls is a very good team and our offense has been doing some really good things but our defense has been getting better and better,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “By week three you hope to start hitting your stride with districts around the corner and we were able to do that. I was happy for the boys, our defense played like they needed to and they did a great job.”

Both defenses shined in a scoreless first half as the teams combined for 103 total yards and six first downs.

West High struck first in the second half.

The Trojans put together a 12-play drive to open the second half but came up empty when Lucas Karwal missed a 32-yard field goal.

The West High defense forced a Cedar Falls punt on the ensuing Tiger possession and the Trojan offense went back to work.

West High marched to the Cedar Falls 19 yard line as Flitz connected with Breyton McDole for 12 yards and Traevis Buchanan for 34 yards on the drive.

Karwal capped the march with a 36-yard field goal to give West High a 3-0 lead with 68 seconds left in the third quarter.

“We knew when we got the field goal we could stop them,” West High senior defensive back Nick Kean said. “We felt like that would be enough if it had to be.”

West High quickly got the ball back, forcing a 3-and-out thanks in part to a Dillon Shephard sack.

When the Trojans got the ball back they struck quickly.

On the first play following a Cedar Falls punt Flitz hit Martin on a post patter for a 73-yard touchdown that gave West High a 10-0 lead with 11:01 left in the game.

“We have to pick when we take our shots and we felt like the way they were lining up we had a shot with Oliver,” Flitz said. “He’s a great receiver, a great athlete, I gave him a ball that only he could get and he went and made a play.”

Cedar Falls got a field goal to cut the lead to 10-3 with 4:46 left.

West High answered with a game-clinching, 9-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 46-yard scoring strike from Flitz to senior tight end Jacquese Parks.

On a third-and-3 play Flitz found Parks open in the middle of the field for a first down and the 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior outraced the Tiger secondary to the end zone.

“The credit goes to Cedar Falls,” Hartwig said. “Their defense stymied us on offense here and there but when we needed a play we made it."

Flitz finished 16-of-22 for 240 yards, the third consecutive game with more than 200 yards passing.

The junior quarterback credited his defense for his success.

“They were outstanding, a good defense takes a lot of pressure off of me,” Flitz said. “When you know you have a defense behind you that can keep you in games when you are struggling, it’s big.”

Martin finished with five receptions for 104 yards while junior running back Andre White ran for 68 yards in place of injured starter Matthew Huff.

“On our team it’s next man in and we have two great running backs and they were ready to do their job which is to run hard, put your shoulder down and get yards,” Flitz said. “That’s what they did tonight.”

Cedar Falls tacked on a late touchdown with three seconds left, picking up 61 of its 176 total yards on the final drive.

“Everyone did just their job,” Brown said of the West High defense. “We kept on chopping wood and getting three-and-outs. We bend sometimes but we never break, we just played our hearts out.”

West High              0   0   3  14  –  17
Cedar Falls            0   0   0  10  –  10

                                West High               Cedar Falls
First Downs                     15                           8
Rushes-Yards                   36-93                     34-125
Passing Yards                   240                        51
Total Yards                       333                        176
Comp-Att-Int                   16-22-1                  7-20-0
Fumbles-Lost                   0-0                          0-0
Penalties-Yards                8-65                         3-30

ICW – Lucas Karwal 36 field goal
ICW – Oliver Martin 73 pass from Evan Flitz (Karwal kick)
CF – Luke Loecher 30 field goal
ICW – Jacquese Parks 46 pass from Flitz (Karwal kick)
CF – Hayden Clausen 2 run (Loecher kick)

Rushing – ICW: Andre White 19-68, Evan Flitz 12-6, Oliver Martin 2-13, Austin Geaslan 1-4, Breyton McDole 1-3, Austin West 1-(-1). CF: Hayden Clausen 19-76, Luke Gillett 9-47, Khari Jackson 4-3, Sam Gary 1-0, Gabriel Penrith 1-(-1).

Passing – ICW: Evan Flitz 16-22-1 240. CF: Luke Gillett 7-20-0 51.

Receiving – ICW: Oliver Martin 5-104, Jacquese Parks 2-66, Devontae Lane 3-4, Parris Taylor 2-12, Austin West 1-4, Evan Hermiston 1-4, Breyton McDole 1-12, Traevis Buchanan 1-34. CF: Gabriel Penrith 2-27, Daniel Martinson 1-10, Ryan Albaugh 1-9, Luke Loecher 1-3, Sam Gary 1-2.