MORE: Live Stream | Television | Live Stats
As we head into the state finals, we take a look at the top names to watch in each state championship game this week.
Class 4A
Matchup: Southeast Polk vs. Ankeny
Day/Time: Friday, November 20th at 7:00 PM
Preview: With multiple Division I players on both sidelines, this Class 4A title matchup has a chance to be another special matchup with a title on the line. Southeast Polk has been dominant all year long as they bring an undefeated mark into the contest. Their four playoff scores have been 48-0, 41-7, 48-0, and 50-10 with the trio of Xavier Nwankpa, Kadyn Proctor, and Jaxon Dailey stepping up as the season has worn on. The Rams have not had a game decided all year within single digits.
Ankeny took a different path as fell to Waukee in week two and spent the first portion of the season with Iowa commit Arland Bruce IV sidelined due to transfer rules. The Hawks were very good before, but his presence has taken the team to another level while giving this group another offensive weapon around future Hawkeye Brody Brecht and their sought after quarterback, Jase Bauer. Ankeny was able to stop the seven-time defending champions from Dowling in the semifinals, 31-24.
Class 3A
Matchup: Harlan vs. North Scott
Day/Time: Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 PM
Preview: Harlan linebacker Will McLaughlin continued to show why he is among the top players in the Class of 2022 with his strong play defensively during their postseason run. The Cyclones are shooting for yet another state championship and spent the season getting better every week. It shows as they blew Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley out in the semifinals, 44-7, and are now one victory away from a Class 3A title.
North Scott has had one of the most improbable playoff runs in recent memory as they consistently have found a way in dire circumstances to pull out a victory. This includes taking down Assumption 13-10, West Delaware 24-21, and Xavier 17-10 with last seconds dramatics in each. Their top recruit, future Iowa State Cyclone Joey Petersen, has eight sacks and twelve tackles for loss this fall.
Class 2A
Matchup: Central Lyon/George-Little Rock vs. Waukon
Day/Time: Friday, November 20th at 2:00 PM
Preview: Undefeated and rarely tested, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock has been impressive this year at the Class 2A level and it shows with what they have shown week after week. Despite only being a sophomore, quarterback Zach Lutmer has been a force with the football in his hands. He has tossed for 965 yards but has shown his skills running the football with 1,347 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. At 6-foot, 170-pounds, his growth will determine what college level he can play at.
Waukon bounced back from a week one loss to Decorah and has made some big strides throughout the year. Their quarterback, Creed Welch, has garnered looks from the Iowa coaches and has continued to make a run at all state honors during his final year at the prep level. While they enter into the game as the underdogs, their playoff runs in past years could help them late in the game.
Class 1A
Matchup: OABCIG vs. Van Meter
Day/Time: Friday, November 20th at 10:00 AM
Preview: The offensive firepower of OABCIG led by Iowa commit Cooper DeJean is why this club is undefeated in 2020 and just one victory away from their second straight championship. As talked about before, DeJean may be the most valuable prep player in the state with the impact he has on both sides of the ball. His 4,200-plus total yards makes him a nightmare for opposing teams to prepare for.
Van Meter relies more on the ground game and that has propelled them to an undefeated run thus far as well. Junior running back Dalten Van Pelt has been putting up all state numbers with 1,767 rushing yards. This team is not one to sleep on as they consistently compete for titles year after year.
Class A
Matchup: Grundy Center vs. Iowa City Regina
Day/Time: Thursday, November 19th at 2:00PM
Preview: The experience of Ashton Cook, Alec Wick, and Theo Kolie is a big reason why Regina is making another run for the top spot in their class. All three have been outstanding as seniors and their presence gives them weapons in all facets of the offensive game. The lone loss for the Regals was a defeat against Pleasant Valley, a team that surprised many during a run to the Class 4A semifinals.
Grundy Center has remained under the radar all season despite not losing a game following a year where they fell in the title game. Junior quarterback Logan Knaack and senior lineman Wes Willis are two athletes to keep an eye on.
Eight-Man
Matchup: St. Mary’s, Remsen vs. Fremont Mills
Day/Time: Thursday, November 19th at 10:00 AM
Preview: Nebraska commit Seth Malcom headlines the recruits in this battle and has lived up to the hype with over 1,500-yards on the ground along with 88.5 tackles and 16 TFLs. This senior had garnered looks from the Iowa coaches but saw his future home in Lincoln before committing in June.
St. Mary’s, Remsen may not have the Division I player but they certainly know how to light up the scoreboard. Their 108-94 (not a misprint) semifinal victory over Montezuma broke a number of statewide records with sheer excellence offensively. Jeremy Koenck and his club is tough to stop with their sheer variety of playmakers offensively.
The Commitments
Name: Brody Brecht
High School: Ankeny
Class of: 2021
Matchup: Ankeny vs. Southeast Polk
Name: Arland Bruce
High School: Ankeny
Class of: 2021
Matchup: Ankeny vs. Southeast Polk
Name: Cooper DeJean
High School: OABCIG
Class of: 2021
Matchup: OABCIG vs. Van Meter
Name: Connor Colby
High School: Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Class of: 2021
Recap: The Cougars struggled to move the football and fell against #1 rated Southeast Polk, 48-0. This giant offensive tackle helped Kennedy total over 2,200 yards on the ground throughout the fall.
Name: Aaron Graves
High School: Southeast Valley
Class of: 2022Recap: Graves and company could not continue their undefeated run in the quarterfinals but that does not take away from the season this standout had. He finished the fall with 50 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks in an all state campaign.
Name: Max Llewellyn
High School: Urbandale
Class of: 2021
Recap: Llewellyn excelled on both sides of the ball with a team leading 278 receiving yards while also adding 28 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 13 TFLs for an Urbandale squad that battled their way to a 6-2 mark overall.
Name: Jaden Harrell
High School: Urbandale
Class of: 2021
Recap: Harrell to continue to step forward as a leader of the Urbandale defense and it paid dividends with their success. He finished first on the team with 45.5 tackles and also added 5.5 TFLs, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and averaged 35.2 yards per punt.
Name: Griffin Liddle
High School: Bettendorf
Class of: 2021
Recap: The Bulldogs struggled with consistency moving the football on offense and it showed in a narrow 10-6 loss to Pleasant Valley. Liddle impacted games on both sides of the ball and finished his senior campaign with 18 stops, seven tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks as a senior.
Name: Jeff Bowie
High School: West Branch
Class of: 2021
Recap: Bowie and the Bears lost in the second round of the playoffs to Mediapolis, 20-13. This senior finished his final year of prep football with 20.5 stops, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, and one recovered fumble.
Name: Zach Twedt
High School: Roland Story
Class of: 2021
Recap: A shoulder injury in the third game sidelined Twedt for the rest of the season. He finished his senior year with 29 rushes for 103 yards, 14 total tackles, 8 solo tackles, and 1 interception. His team finished the fall at 0-7.
The Offers
Name: Will McLaughlin
High School: Harlan
Class of: 2022
Matchup: Harlan vs. North Scott
Name: Xavier Nwankpa
High School: Southeast Polk
Class of: 2022
Matchup: Southeast Polk vs. Ankeny
Name: Kadyn Proctor
High School: Southeast Polk
Class of: 2023
Matchup: Southeast Polk vs. Ankeny
Name: Hunter Deyo
High School: Lewis Central
Class of: 2022
Recap: Deyo and company could not get past their rivals from Harlan but he continued to prove why he is worthy of so much Division I attention. This junior was among the state leaders in tackles for loss with a jaw dropping 22.5 TFL.
Name: Eli Raridon
High School: Valley
Class of: 2022
Recap: Raridon and company were preparing for a matchup with their rivals from Dowling but a positive COVID test left the Tigers on the sidelines as they had to forfeit the game. He ended the year catching 22 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.
Name: Jacob Imming
High School: Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Class of: 2022
Recap: Imming proved to be one of the most valuable players in the state with the skills he showed on both sides of the football. He totaled 418 receiving yards, 38 tackles, and 5.5 TFLs during a stellar junior campaign. His team finished 6-3 and bowed out to Webster City in the playoffs.
Stay tuned to HawkeyeReport.com for the latest on Iowa recruiting and go to IowaPreps.com for wall to wall coverage of Iowa high school athletics.
