Iowa certainly isn't know for its passing game, but maybe the Hawkeyes' latest batch of commits can help to change that someday soon. This week, Iowa commits hauled in eight touchdown passes, including three players with two touchdowns each in big victories. Those performances headlined another solid week for Iowa commits.
Here's how each of Iowa's commits performed in Week 3:
Player of the Week
Sometimes, a single highlight is enough to earn player of the week honors. Last week, it was Joey VanWetzinga running over a poor defensive back for a big guy touchdown.
This week, it was Mason Woods' turn to play with an opposing defense. Woods caught the pass over the middle and turned up field. A defensive back tried to stop him around the 40 and regretted that decision immediately. Woods lowered his shoulder, stood the defender up, then outran the rest of the Muscatine defense for a 60-yard score.
Woods didn't just have the single highlight, though. He caught three passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded two tackles and a 24-yard kickoff return. Woods' efforts helped Iowa City West to a 56-20 win over the Muskies.
Other Commits
Woods wasn't the only Iowa prep making big plays. Meyer only had two catches in his game against Iowa Falls-Alden, but both of them went for touchdowns. His 33 and 32 yard touchdown receptions helped Clear Lake to a 38-0 victory. Meyer also had four tackles for loss to help the Clear Lake defense pitch a shutout.
Smith matched Meyer with two receiving touchdowns in West Aurora's 56-0 bludgeoning of Elgin. All together, Smith had 4 receptions for 27 yards and the two scores in the game.
Edwardsville bounced back from last week's loss with a 42-7 victory over Jackson. The Edwardsville defense forced three turnovers in the victory and didn't allow a touchdown until the third quarter.
The game was, however, an unfortunate sign of our times. It was originally scheduled to be played Friday at Jackson, but Jackson had to cancel classes on Friday due to an online threat. The game was moved to Edwardsville on Saturday as a precaution.
Another week, another blowout for Sullivan and Carroll. This time, the Chargers easily dispatched Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 31-3. Sullivan had a big game in the win, passing for 205 yards and a touchdown. Sullivan completed 17-of-23 passes and didn't throw an interception. He also ran 14 times for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Some highlights from the game are here.
River Falls fell to 2-2 on the season with a 35-21 loss to Chippewa Falls. Johnson made an impact in the losing effort, hauling in 6 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Loyola tasted defeat for a second time this season, falling to St. Francis 35-21. Loyola was without starting quarterback and Iowa preferred walk-on Ryan Fitzgerald in the game, and that certainly had an impact. MacPherson did his best to make up for Fitzgerald's absence, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run and 14-yard touchdown reception in the loss. St. Francis coach Bob McMillen called MacPherson "an unbelievable running back," after the game.
Another week, another close game for Sycamore. This time, the Spartans defeated Mahomet-Seymour 21-13 despite running just 11 offensive plays in the second half.
In the first half, Gautcher made a big play offensively, connecting for a 55-yard touchdown pass. In the second half, he helped defensively to preserve the victory. Mahomet-Seymour scored a touchdown with 7:27 left in the game to narrow the lead to one possession, but Gautcher and the defense held the Bulldogs from there. The Bulldogs came into the game averaging more than 400 yards per game passing, but were largely held in check by the Sycamore defense.
Cooney and the Oswego defense continue to excel, this time in a 49-6 victory over Plainfield Central. The defense pitched a shutout until the fourth quarter, when Plainfield scored on a double-reverse for its only touchdown of the game. Oswego held a commanding 42-0 lead at halftime.
Pleasant Valley won a second straight game, this time over previously unbeaten Iowa City Liberty 42-28. Liberty scored 56 and 49 points respectively in its first two games, but VanWetzinga and the PV defense held the Lightning to just 28 points in the victory. VanWetzinga rushed three times for 12 yards in the win. Some highlights from the game are here.
Having a Power 4 conference commit as a kicker is a rare luxury for a high school team, but if your offense is good enough, it might not matter much. The Woodlands rolled to a 42-14 victory over Grand Oaks. Starzyk was perfect on his extra-point attempts, but didn't get to do much else in the blowout.
Marist moved to 3-0 with a 21-6 victory over Montini Catholic. Fitzgibbon and the Marist defense posted a shutout through three quarters, before finally giving up a touchdown in the fourth.
Herron and Warren Central rolled Lawrence Central 35-0. The Warriors led 33-0 at halftime. They passed for 170 yards and rushed for 100 yards behind Herron and the offensive line.
Waterloo West moved to 3-0 on the season with a comfortable 28-7 win over Davenport Central. Some highlights from the game are here.
Allgeyer and MICDS rebounded from last week's loss and dominated all three phases of the game in a 42-7 victory over Westminster.
Has not played a regular season game yet. St. Thomas More's first regular season game is now scheduled for September 19.
