2nd Edition: Week 2 Games and Players to Watch

Week 2 of the Iowa High School football season is nearly upon us, but we need to know what games to watch for this week before it gets here. The last couple of days have been rough for teams and COVID-19; many teams have suspended their season, which is tough for their opponents. Let’s take a look at some key matchups to watch for this week of the football season. Grundy Center vs. Dike-New Hartford A rivalry game in Eastern Iowa tonight and two ranked two should be a good matchup. For Grundy Center, it’s their second straight went with a big test to start the season. Players to watch Dike-New Hartford <strong>Drew Larson, Dike-New Hartford -</strong> The senior runner ran for 147 yards on ten carries and two touchdowns. He broke off a 97-yard score and will need those big plays again this week when the offensive line opens holes. <strong>Kaleb Brouwer, Dike-New Hartford -</strong> The defense will need to come up with big plays against a potent Spartan offense. Brouwer recorded a team-high 10.5 tackles last week for Dike. Harlan vs. Pella This game is more critical for Pella after falling in week 1 to Dallas Center-Grimes. The Dutch were picked in most polls ahead of the Mustangs but wasn’t the game Pella wanted to see. The game won’t mean anything as far as the postseason, but this is a big one for the Dutch for confidence. For the Cyclones, Harlan picked up a big ranked win over Grinnell last week. Harlan is trying to make a statement with another ranked win. Players to watch <strong>Teagon Kasperbauer, Harlan -</strong> The sophomore quarterback proved he is a 2023 prospect to watch out for; he went 16/27 for 269 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions and will need to be sharp against an excellent Pella defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23949" first="Will" last="McLaughlin"], Harlan -</strong> Recorded seven tackles and five solo tackles for the Cyclones last week. The junior helped shut down the Grinnell defense, but Harlan didn’t force a turnover. McLaughlin and the rest of the Harlan defense will need to force Pella into some turnovers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23840" first="Ryan" last="Mace"], Pella -</strong> A top 2021 prospect will be looking for a bounce-back game this week. Mace was 6/20 for 91 yards and one touchdown last week. [player_tooltip player_id="23826" first="Kody" last="Huisman"], Pella - Huisman is another top 2021 prospect for the Dutch; he recorded 6.5 tackles, five solo tackles in week 1. Next year, he will play his college ball for North Dakota State and is the 5th ranked defensive lineman in the state. Look for Huisman to be a force for Pella again this week. Remsen St. Mary’s vs. Harris-Lake Park Harris-Lake Park was a team that had high expectations for this season, but they were upset in a big way, week 1, 54-7. This is a monster game for the Wolves against a championship contender in 8-player, Remsen St. Mary’s. Players to watch <strong>Brody Sohn, Harris-Lake Park -</strong> To get the defense off the field, the offense will need to keep the Wolves’ football this week. It starts with their quarterback; Sohn went 8/17 for 97 yards in week 1. He also carried the football 18 times for -7 yards. Last season, Sohn threw for 2,166 yards and 34 touchdowns. <strong>Lucas Gunderson, Harris-Lake Park -</strong> Gunderson is another offensive weapon the Wolves will need to lean on in week 2. The sophomore ran just nine times for 36 yards. Harris-Lake Park will look for Gunderson to make some magic with his feet in the open-field this week. <strong>Blaine Harpenau, Remsen St. Mary’s -</strong> As a junior, he racked up 1,447 yards on 90 completions and 26 touchdowns. In week 1, he completed just eight passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 101 yards on 13 carries and scored two more touchdowns on the ground. Harpenau is dangerous, and Remsen will use him to the max.