Breaking Down The Class A 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>South O’Brien at Council Bluffs St. Albert</em> Since a tough 12-6 loss to Lawton-Bronson, South O’Brien has won three in a row. The Wolverines escaped vs. Ridge View last week, 8-6. Seniors Reid Nelson and Jett Keith lead the way as part of a group that has rushed for over 2,000 yards. Keith, with a name like Jett, is the speedster, averaging eight yards per rush. Council Bluffs St. Albert has been on an even better run, winning its last five after falling to Lewis Central and Logan-Magnolia to open the year. Brandon Monohan has 405 yards and five touchdowns in the air as the sophomore continues to grow into the position. <em>Riverside at Logan-Magnolia</em> These two teams are a combined 15-2 on the year so you know we are in for a treat. Riverside has its most wins in a season since going 6-4 back in 2013 and that’s because of the play of Austin Kremkoski and Rhett Bentley. Kremkoski has thrown for over 1,400 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior, with Bentley, his classmate, adding 962 yards on the ground. Kremkoski is also excellent running the ball, adding 455 yards and eight scores. He has delivered passes to eight players and averages 16.5 yards per completion. Logan-Magnolia will use running backs Gavin Maguire, Dylan Oviatt and others to slow Riverside down. Maguire has 953 yards and 16 TDs on the year as the team is averaging over five yards per rush. <strong>POD B</strong> <em>Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn at West Hancock</em> Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn is definitely one of the youngest teams still playing. Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="24028" first="Kooper" last="Ebel"] and classmate Travis Kamradt lead the way. Ebel has 614 yards passing, 934 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns with Kamradt adding 559 and six. That youth will be tested by the defending state champion Eagles. West Hancock has absolutely run over teams this year, racking up 3,014 yards and 44 rushing touchdowns. Most of that has come courtesy Cole Kelly, as the senior has 165 carries for 1,521 yards and 30 scores. Stopping Kelly is the only way to slow this attack down. <em>Nodaway Valley at Grundy Center</em> How good has the Nodaway Valley defense been at times this year? The Wolverines have four shutouts, including back-to-back weeks in the playoffs. They also showed their resolve. After losing to Earlham in the regular season finale, 21-14, they earned a 26-0 win in the playoffs last week. Grundy Center will be the toughest test to date as the Spartans are looking to get back to the championship game after falling to West Hancock there a year ago. Zach Opheim and [player_tooltip player_id="23982" first="Logan" last="Knaack"] lead the way with Opheim rushing for 1,335 yards and 12 scores. Knaack has thrown for 639, ran for 822 and has 23 combined TDs. Opheim is a combination of size and speed, bringing 180 pounds at you full-speed downfield. <strong>POD C</strong> Lisbon at <em>Wapsie</em> Valley A big game out of Jamien Moore will be needed by Lison. Moore, a junior, has 771 yards and 10 scores on the ground. In the playoff win last week, Moore ran for 143 and Cole Clark added 152 and two scores. Wapsie Valley features one of the most efficient and effective quarterbacks in the state in Kobe Risse. The senior has 1,456 yards and 24 touchdowns with just one interception in 161 attempts. Trevor Sauerbrei has 1,129 yards and 14 scores on the ground with Blayde Bellis and Tyler Ott combining for over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns receiving. <em>Alburnett at Iowa City Regina</em> The football factory known as Iowa City Regina just continues to add to its resume. The Regals are led by [player_tooltip player_id="23835" first="Ashton" last="Cook"], who brings over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns to the field. Cook works with incredible weapons including Theo Kolie and [player_tooltip player_id="23898" first="Alec" last="Wick"]. Kolie has 987 yards and 20 scores on the ground, with Wick catching 39 passes for 725 yards and 12 scores. All three will be playing at the next level in the very near future. Alburnett will need to create turnovers and try to make this a grind-it-out affair. The Pirates have played a tough schedule including games with MFL MarMac and Edgewood-Colesburg. <strong>POD D</strong> <em>MFL MarMac at Edgewood-Colesburg</em> You think MFL MarMac is looking towards a potential playoff rematch with Wapsie Valley, who handed them a 21-20 loss earlier this year? Well, they’ll need to take care of business this week for any chance of that to happen. The Bulldogs put up 37 points in a win over East Buchanan after starting the playoffs with a 70-spot vs. Postville. Cullen McShane, a junior, has rushed for 1,133 yards and 18 touchdowns. Unbeaten Edgewood-Colesburg has had plenty of time off as they received a forfeit win this past week after getting a bye in the first round. The last time the unbeaten Vikings played was on October 9 when they topped Maquoketa Valley, 44-14. <em>South Winneshiek at Saint Ansgar</em> More heavyweights square off here with South Winneshiek heading to Saint Ansgar. The two teams are a combined 16-1 on the season and average over 32 points each. [player_tooltip player_id="23933" first="Jacob" last="Herold"] has 20 combined touchdowns and over 1,200 yards of offense for South Winneshiek, with Cael Kuboushek, Logan Hageman and Sam Conway adding over 800 yards rushing. Saint Ansgar has 2,720 yards on 405 carries with 35 rushing touchdowns as a team led by [player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"]’s 1,367 and 17. Carter Salz has 586 and 12 TDs as well. &nbsp;