Breaking Down The Class 3A Third Round Games

Just 16 teams remain standing in each class in Iowa as the race heats up to reach the UNI-Dome. Teams are now just three wins away from becoming state champions, but after two weeks filled with plenty of lopsided results, the intensity rises to another level now. Here’s a look at some of the key players in each game this week: <strong>POD A</strong> <em>Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley at Spencer</em> One of the top offenses in the state in Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley comes in led by <strong>Caleb Kats</strong> and <strong>Kody Noble</strong> to a key matchup with Spencer. Kats, a junior, has completed 85 of 178 for 1,322 yards and 11 touchdowns with senior Noble adding 1,158 yards and 16 TDs on the ground. <strong>Landyn Van Kekerix</strong> is a true deep threat with 32 receptions for 505 yards and four scores. In contrast, Spencer and Jim Tighe - and son of all-time winningest coach Dick Tighe - relies on <strong>Jon Nissen</strong>. The senior has almost 1,100 yards and 13 scores on the ground. These two teams met in early October with Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley posting a 22-7 victory as Noble ran for 245 yards on 36 attempts and Kats threw for 144 with two scores. <em>Sergeant Bluff-Luton at Webster City</em> Webster City will run the football and Sergeant Bluff-Luton is going to throw it. Which one wins out this week and advances? For the Lynx, the status of <strong>Trey Mathis</strong> is in question after he was injured. <strong>Chase Rattenborg</strong> has stepped in nicely, running for over 700 yards and passing for over 300 with 14 total TDs. Mathis has 1,176 yards and 14 touchdowns but was hurt last week. <strong>Tyler Smith</strong> is one of the top sophomore quarterbacks in the state as the Sergeant Bluff-Luton leader has thrown for 1,655 yards with 21 touchdowns. Smith has also shown his athletic ability with 304 yards and six scores on the ground. <strong>POD B</strong> <em>Ballard at Lewis Central</em> Since a loss to Harlan, another team still alive in the playoffs, Lewis Central has been on a roll, posting easy wins over Creston and Norwalk. The Titans are led by [player_tooltip player_id="23806" first="Thomas" last="Fidone"] with 749 yards and nine touchdowns receiving. Sophomore <strong>Braylon Kammrad</strong> has stepped in at quarterback and has a talented running back in <strong>Logan Katzer</strong> to hand off to. Katzer ran for 327 yards and four TDs last week. Ballard will look to senior <strong>Connor Drew</strong> to work his magic for an upset. Drew has over 1,400 yards of offense with 19 touchdowns and is really good at getting his skill players in the open field to make plays. <em>Carlisle at Harlan</em> One of the more storied programs in the state looks for another title in unbeaten Harlan. The Cyclones have put the offense in the hands of <strong>Teagon Kasperbauer</strong>. The sophomore has turned himself into must-watch each week, throwing for 1,749 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 6-footer has completed almost 51 percent of his passes on the year and has big-play threats in <strong>Connor Frame</strong> and <strong>Aidan Hall</strong>. Frame has 31 receptions for 674 yards and 10 scores, averaging almost 22 per catch. Hall checks in with a line of 19-588-6, averaging nearly 31 yards per reception. Carlisle will hand the ball off to senior <strong>Nic Goodhue</strong> as a way to both produce points and keep Harlan off the field. Goodhue, a senior, has rushed 104 times for 1,025 yards with 14 touchdowns. <strong>Archer Ogbourne</strong> will be busy on defense for the Wildcats. <strong>POD C</strong> <em>Grinnell at Pella</em> Fans going to Pella this week are in for a treat with Grinnell senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="23897" first="Wyatt" last="Hunter"] coming to town. Hunter has exceptional vision and speed, rushing for 2,074 yards and 31 touchdowns this year. He has produced some eye-popping games and the Tigers will need another in hopes of advancing. The big thing for Grinnell is that they don’t have to rely solely on Hunter. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="24026" first="Dallas" last="Sauser"] has completed 60 of 101 passes for 835 yards with 10 TDs. For Pella, [player_tooltip player_id="23840" first="Ryan" last="Mace"] has over 1,200 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. <em>Dubuque Wahlert at Cedar Rapids Xavier</em> This series has been dominated by Cedar Rapids Xavier, as they have won each of the past eight meetings including three shutouts during that time. One of those came in 2019 by a final of 42-0 in favor of Xavier. The Saints have looked the part of a state favorite once more behind [player_tooltip player_id="23846" first="Jaxon" last="Rexroth"], <strong>Jack Lux</strong> and <strong>Jack Breitbach</strong>. Rexroth has thrown for 1,020 yards, ran for 546 and has 28 touchdowns; Lux has rushed for 913 with seven scores; and Breitbach has 31 receptions for 636 and seven touchdowns. Dubuque Wahlert will need its defense to be in top-form with <strong>Gabe Anstoetter</strong> setting the tone. The senior has 55.5 tackles including three for loss. <strong>POD D</strong> <em>West Delaware at Washington</em> Two exceptional offenses will be looking to light up the scoreboard and advance this week. First up is West Delaware, which has scored over 49 points in each of its past four games including twice in the playoffs. <strong>Jared Voss</strong> is a super-talent at quarterback for West Delaware. He finds the open receiver and doesn’t make mistakes, completing 71 of 108 for 985 yards with nine touchdowns. Voss is also athletic enough to make big plays with his legs, running for 1,095 yards and 24 scores. Washington, meanwhile, has reeled off 47, 62, 69 and 68 in its last four games. Senior <strong>Trashaun Willis</strong> directs the offense, throwing for 777 yards, running for 526 and scoring 24 combined TDs. One interesting stat that stands out is Washington has recorded 17 two-point conversions on the year with West Delaware only attempting six. <em>Davenport Assumption at North Scott</em> Not many programs have a plus-.500 winning percentage over the past decade vs. Davenport Assumption, but North Scott does. In the last 10 meetings, North Scott has won six, including a 21-0 victory in 2019. The two teams did not play this season. The Lancers go as senior quarterback <strong>Carter Markham</strong> does. Markham has completed 46 passes for 640 yards with five TDs, adding 451 yards and eight scores rushing. Assumption will look to <strong>Dayne Hodge</strong> to control things on offense and <strong>Evan Forker</strong> on defense. Hodge, a senior, has 1,030 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with Forker recording 46 tackles including 14 for loss with seven sacks.