The 2019 Iowa high school football playoffs kickoff on Friday and include a number of University of Iowa commitments and recruits. We take a look at what games to watch for Hawkeye fans.
The Commitments
Name: Gavin Williams
High School: Dowling Catholic
Class of: 2020
Opening Opponent: Des Moines Roosevelt
More: Williams may have missed action at the start of the year, but this is his time to shine for the Maroons. He is averaging nearly 10-yards per carry while totaling 689-yards on the ground. Look for the workload of Williams to increase with Dowling shooting for another state crown.
Names: Ethan Hurkett & Josh Volk
High School: Cedar Rapids Xavier Class of: 2020
Opening Opponent: North Scott
More: Getting Volk back on the field combined with the strong play by Hurkett will make the Saints a squad to watch heading into the playoffs. The path in the postseason is dangerous with North Scott (8-1) and a Western Dubuque (9-0) that knocked off Xavier in the regular season.
Name: Logan Jones
High School: Lewis Central
Class of: 2020
Opening Opponent: Oskaloosa
More: Lewis Central has spent the majority of the season rated among the top teams in Class 3A and Jones has been a big part of their success. He has eight tackles for loss and four sacks for a squad that heads into the playoffs at 8-1 overall.
Name: Aaron Blom
High School: Oskaloosa
Class of: 2020
Opening Opponent: Lewis Central
More: Blom will could end up battling a number of future teammates in Iowa City as this senior has pledged to walk-on with the Hawkeyes to kick. He is 6-7 on field goal attempts with a long of 46-yards.
Name: Isaiah Wagner
High School: Southeast Polk
Class of: 2020
Opening Opponent: Ankeny
More: Wagner decided early in the fall that walking-on at the University of Iowa was an option too good for him to turn down. This senior has racked up 356 receiving yards and four touchdowns while helping Southeast Polk to a much better regular season than many expected.
Name: Jaden Harrell
High School: Urbandale
Class of: 2021
Opening Opponent: Ankeny Centennial
More: Harrell and the J-Hawks may come into this game as the underdog but this elite junior has taken his game to another level. He leads the team with 52 stops and three tackles for loss during the regular season.
Name: Connor Colby
High School: Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Class of: 2021
Opening Opponent: Fort Dodge
More: Colby and the Cougars surprised many on their way to a district title and a lone loss in 2019 to #1 rated Valley. They will face a CIML foe in Fort Dodge that is capable of putting up some big numbers offensively.
Five Seniors to Follow
Name: Wyatt Wegener
High School: Algona
Opening Opponent: Central Lyon/George-Little Rock
More: The jaw dropping versatility of Wegener has allowed him to lead his team with 1,083 yards rushing and 595 yards receiving for an undefeated Algona squad.
Name: Jackson Waring
High School: Des Moines Christian
Opening Opponent: Greene County
More: Waring has carried the Des Moines Christian offense with over 2,200 yards and that athleticism has him as a serious target for the Hawkeye coaches.
Name: Josef Smith
High School: West Hancock
Opening Opponent: IKM-Manning
More: The bar is high for West Hancock as they seek to take home the Class A title. Smith has been an impact player in a wide range of areas for his squad.
Name: Jack Johnson
High School: West Des Moines Valley
Opening Opponent: Indianola
More: Johnson has been a big target in the Tiger passing game this season. They enter the postseason as the #1 rated squad at the Class 4A level.
Name: Cael Loecher
High School: Cedar Falls
Opening Opponent: Dubuque Senior
More: Loecher was a recent visitor to the University of Iowa and has been on their radar for some time. He is critical to the Cedar Falls success in 2019.
Five Juniors to Follow
Name: Griffin Liddle
High School: Bettendorf
Opening Opponent: Linn-Mar
More: The Bulldogs have something to prove in the playoffs as Liddle and company are hungry to make a deep run. This three-year starter has been a force on both sides of the ball at Bettendorf and consistently has shown a knack for making big plays.
Name: Brody Brecht
High School: Ankeny
Opening Opponent: Southeast Polk
More: The Hawks are better than their 6-3 record and hope to show it during the playoffs. Brecht has racked up 665 receiving yards to the tune of 22.9 yards per reception.
Name: Thomas Fidone
High School: Lewis Central
Opening Opponent: Oskaloosa
More: The recruiting stock of Fidone has gone to another level with the way he has performed this fall for the Titans. He is tops on the team with 505 receiving yards and seven scores.
Name: Jeff Bowie
High School: West Branch
Opening Opponent: North Linn More: Keeping Bowie close to home in college is a vital task with the staff in Iowa City. He has put together an all state season with 36.5 stops, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2019.
Name: Seth Malcom
High School: Fremont-Mills
Opening Opponent: Coon Rapids-Bayard
More: Malcom and Fremont-Mills have had a limited schedule compared to other teams at the 8-Man rankings, but that has not stopped him from making an impact. He has 1,557 yards rushing, 58 stops, and 12 tackles for loss as a junior.
A few more juniors with Division I potential:
Cedar Rapids Kennedy athlete Max White
Dowling Catholic athlete Andrew Lentsch
Dubuque Senior offensive lineman Jim Bonifas
Regina Catholic offensive tackle Nick Wagner
Regina Catholic quarterback Ashton Cook
Waukee defensive back Aaron Smith
Waukee defensive end Eddie Saidat
Waukon quarterback Creed Welch
A few sophomores to follow as well:
Lewis Central defensive tackle Hunter Deyo
Southeast Polk quarterback Jaxon Dailey
Southeast Polk defensive back Xavier Nwankpa
Stay tuned to HawkeyeReport.com for the latest on Iowa recruiting and go to IowaPreps.com for the best coverage of Iowa high school athletics.
