Pair Of North Central Iowa Games Feature Do-It-All Quarterbacks
Dana Becker
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It is hard to believe we are already into October this Friday night as the prep football season continues to march towards the postseason.
Several big-time games are on the docket for this week, and that means another opportunity for players to shine under the lights and on the big stage of the gridiron.
Here are two of those key games, with both featuring talented dual-threat quarterbacks leading their respective offenses.
<strong>Southeast Valley at Clarion-Goldfield/Dows</strong>
You would be hard-pressed to find a hotter team in the state than the Jaguars. Winners of all five games this season, Southeast Valley has topped both two-time defending state champion OABCIG and Estherville-LC in consecutive weeks.
Now, they get Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, who presents the unique challenge of being an upset-minded opponent with three wins under its belt.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"] - Southeast Valley - QB/S - 6-0 - 170</strong>
The Jaguars go as [player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"] goes. The senior quarterback has thrown for 809 yards, ran for 527 and has 15 total touchdowns. With backfield mate Lathe Muench, he is as dangerous a dual-threat as there is.
Kruse has adapted quickly to the position, showing extremely good poise while in the pocket. Mix in his ability to take off with a glimmer of light, and speed to burn, and it is easy to see why he is such a talented multi-sport athlete.
Kruse has a good arm, but more importantly, he is smart with his ball placement. He consistently hits his receivers in stride, allowing for the big play to follow.
<strong>Preston Gardner - Clarion-Goldfield/Dows - QB/DB - 6-1 - 175</strong>
Completing almost 63 percent of his passes, averaging over 25 yards per completion and with six rushing touchdowns, Preston Gardner has become the go-to option for the Cowboys.
The junior signal-caller has thrown for 501 yards with 5 TDs, adding 450 more yards on the ground. He moved from the wide receiver spot and has quickly familiarized himself with being a dual-threat much like Kruse.
At 6-foot-1 and 175-pounds, Gardner has the strength to handle such an extreme load on offense.
<strong>OABCIG at Pocahontas Area</strong>
To set up an exciting one next week, Pocahontas Area just needs to top two-time defending state champion OABCIG. At least they get the Falcons on their home field.
<strong>Chase Boysen - Pocahontas Area - QB/LB - 6-2 - 195</strong>
After losing Trey Oehlertz, Pocahontas Area looked to Chase Boysen to fill his void. And Boysen has delivered, throwing for 374 yards while running for another 454 with six total TDs.
Boysen has struggled at times with hitting receivers, but when he does, it usually results in big plays as evident by his averaging 18 yards per completion. What makes him so dangerous is his athleticism and speed out of the backfield.
<strong>Beckett DeJean - OABCIG - QB/CB - 6-1 - 169</strong>
Speaking of replacing a standout at quarterback, that is exactly what OABCIG asked of Beckett DeJean this year. So far, the younger DeJean has found his rhythm, completing over 56 percent of his passes for 1,213 yards with 14 touchdowns.
DeJean might not be as elusive as older brother [player_tooltip player_id="23817" first="Cooper" last="DeJean"], but he is consistently improving as a passer. His desire for the home run ball paid off in an upset of Spirit Lake last week when DeJean completed 24 passes for 281 yards and three scores.
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