Prep Redzone Iowa | Games of the Week | 6th Edition

Check out the game preview summaries for Iowa’s top matchups across all classifications. Week 6 provides plenty of exciting contests that, in the second half of the season, will start to solidify both the playoff picture and frontrunners for district championships. Who will come out on top in Prep Redzone Iowa’s games of the week? Linn-Mar at Southeast Polk There are several headliners across 5A in week 6 and many feature teams on the rise. This matchup, Linn-Mar vs Southeast Polk, features one of those teams who maybe weren’t expected to be as dominant as they’ve been against a team that many declared a state champion before the season even started. The Lions will hit the road and look to take advantage of a huge opportunity. They proved they belonged by knocking off Pleasant Valley in week 3. This is a chance to show the state that they, and other teams on the rise, shouldn’t be viewed as second-tier. The Lions defense is stacked at all three levels. [player_tooltip player_id="100044" first="Luke" last="Gaffney"], Sage Holmes, [player_tooltip player_id="23960" first="Clayton" last="Muszynski"], [player_tooltip player_id="148740" first="Cam" last="Guenther"], and [player_tooltip player_id="148832" first="Mac" last="Watts"] are a formidable bunch. The Rams have a strong, balanced attack, but the Lions can match up. Two interesting battles will be taking place as the Lions’ front seven will go to battle with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="24023" first="Kadyn" last="Proctor"], [player_tooltip player_id="23986" first="Cade" last="Borud"], and [player_tooltip player_id="23983" first="Titus" last="Christiansen"]. On the back end the Lions’ coverage will have their hands full trying to shut down [player_tooltip player_id="148732" first="Cole" last="Filloon"] and [player_tooltip player_id="23947" first="Jaxon" last="Dailey"]. This contest gets interesting on the other side where the Lions will have to find ways to chip away at the Rams’ defense. Southeast Polk has several household names and young talent that rounds it all out. [player_tooltip player_id="23942" first="Xavier" last="Nwankpa"], [player_tooltip player_id="100804" first="Andrew" last="Reed"], and [player_tooltip player_id="101038" first="Andrew" last="Harris"] have been terrific alongside Same Goode, Caleb Chebuhar, and Draven Woods. Can the Lions learn something from the Ankeny film and work it into their game plan? Carter Henderson has been a monster on the ground for Linn-Mar, but they will need [player_tooltip player_id="98656" first="McKade" last="Jelinek"] to come through in clutch moments and step up his efficiency through the air. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: Southeast Polk   North Scott at Burlington Defending state Champion North Scott is 5-0 and once again looking like the team to beat, but they face a tough test here in week 6. Burlington could bring the right recipe into this matchup and give the Lancers a run for their money with tough defense and one of the state’s best running games. Bryant Williams, through just five weeks, has amassed 1228 yards and 18 touchdowns on just 91 carries. He has a vast skill set and needs just a crease to do some serious damage with the rock. The Grayhounds, though, are totally one-dimensional; the Lancers know exactly what they need to do to win this contest. They happen to have the personnel to get the job done, too. The responsibility will come down to who wants it more in the trenches and the Lancers feature two of the best: [player_tooltip player_id="105140" first="David" last="Borchers"] and [player_tooltip player_id="148760" first="Adam" last="Allen"]. The Grayhounds get so much movement up front in their Double Tight sets with stacked H-backs. If these two can blow it up and allow Oliver Hughes, Seth Madden, AJ Petersen, and Ryan Campbell to get to the ball they will be in good shape. There is no doubt the Lancers will be able to put up points in this one, but their defense needs to get off the field and keep Burlington from eating up the clock, moving the chains, and limiting possessions. Grayson Juel and Jakob Nelson have been unstoppable through the air. [player_tooltip player_id="147978" first="Darnell" last="Butler"] and Drew Kilburg haven’t been stopped on the ground. Pick your poison. Can Cameren Wyldon and [player_tooltip player_id="152886" first="Nolan" last="Simpson"] keep the Grayhounds in it? They’ve been up to the task through five weeks, but this is a new challenge. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: North Scott   Hampton-Dumont-CAL at Independence Independence has been firing on all cylinders through five weeks and will play host to Hampton-Dumont-CAL here in week 6. The Mustangs brought back a ton of young talent from last season that has blossomed into elite play and veteran leadership. Anchored on both sides of the ball by big men, and top recruits, [player_tooltip player_id="152816" first="Korver" last="Hupke"] and [player_tooltip player_id="156557" first="Tono" last="Cornell"], Independence is averaging 38 points per game and only allowing 8. The bulk of their offense has come from star Running Back [player_tooltip player_id="98692" first="Marcus" last="Beatty"] who has run wild for 1,262 yards and 15 touchdowns. They pound the rock and why not? There aren’t many teams out there who do it better. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="152665" first="Mitchell" last="Johnson"] has been an efficient change of pace through the air when his number is called, completing nearly 60% of his passes and throwing 8 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions. Wide Receiver Keegan Schmit and Tight End [player_tooltip player_id="156506" first="Brady" last="McDonald"] are outstanding blockers, but just as good when running routes. Can Hampton-Dumont-CAL do anything to slow the Indee attack? In their two losses, to Nevada and Southeast Valley, they gave up 147 and 197 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs know what the Mustangs are going to try to do and they will have to come up with some answers to address past struggles. If they can win early downs and shift the run-pass ratio they will give themselves a chance. Gavin Meader and Karter Janssen are a couple of outstanding Bulldog Sophomores who have what it takes to impact this game. Can Cal Heeren, Marco Guerrero, and company get enough offensive production to keep them in it? Zach Sidles, Teegan McEnany, and the rest of Indee’s defense are sure to come out swinging. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: Independence   OABCIG at Pocahontas Area Both OABCIG and Pocahontas Area suffered week 4 losses to some tough competition, but bounced back with impressive week 5 wins. Now, they will face each other in district play in week 6. 2A District 2 is arguably the most competitive in the classification; this could have big playoff implications and keep district championship hopes alive. Pocahontas Area’s wins have come gritty defeating opponents by an average margin of 8 points. The Indians have played tough defense, but have struggled to move the ball and finish drives on offense. They have tried to establish the run, opting to attack on the ground 75% of the time. Quarterback Chase Boysen leads the team in carries and will need his supporting cast to step up against a tough Falcons defense. The Indians can make this very competitive if they can keep drives alive and come away with points more often. Linebacker Caleb Freeburg and Defensive Lineman Keaton Bindel have been highly productive for the Indians and they’ll be put to the test against Beckett DeJean and the high powered OABCIG offense. DeJean has totalled over 1,400 yards and is responsible for 18 touchdowns through 5 weeks. The Falcons sure like to air it out. [player_tooltip player_id="23962" first="Easton" last="Harms"] and Gabe Winterrowd are one of the better receiving tandems in the state and definitely know how to spread out a defense. [player_tooltip player_id="152751" first="Griffin" last="Diersen"] has had plenty of success on the ground, too; there is no shortage of weapons on the Falcons’ offense. Diersen, equally impressive at Linebacker, joined by [player_tooltip player_id="152906" first="Treyten" last="Kolar"], Beau Nieman, and Carter Hoefling can get the ball back to their offense often, deliver a signature performance, and return to their dominant ways. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: OABCIG   Cardinal at Sigourney-Keota A clash of 5-0 1A teams that play very different styles of football is featured in this one as [player_tooltip player_id="23977" first="Griffin" last="Greiner"], [player_tooltip player_id="23970" first="Maddux" last="Jones"], and the Comets head to Sigourney to take on Cade Molyneux and the Cobras. This will be the biggest challenge the Comets, who are averaging over 50 points per game, have faced yet. They sure know how to put points on the board, but the Cobras have found ways to stifle other flashy, impressive offenses and love to run the ball. These different styles of play will create interesting matchups across the field. The Comets have had their way with opponents this year offensively. [player_tooltip player_id="23970" first="Maddux" last="Jones"] is throwing for an average of 200 yards a contest and the combination of Griffin Griener and Ian Liles taking carries has helped the Comets to almost 400 yards of offense per game. Greiner’s game has certainly taken a leap; he has totaled nearly 700 yards of offense and already has 12 total touchdowns. He’s already surpassed last year’s touchdown total and is approaching last year’s mark for total yardage. This is a dangerous spread offense, but again, the Cobras are not the teams they’ve faced up to this point. They are allowing just under 9 points per game and nobody has eclipsed 300 yards of offense against them; only one team came close. Cole Clarahan and Cade Streigle lead this group that has been lights out all year. The Comets are more explosive and dynamic than their first five opponents, but the Cobras have proven they can defend the style of offense. The biggest question surrounding this one has to be the Comets defense and their ability to exchange punches with the outstanding, violent rushing attack spearheaded by Cade Molyneux. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: Sigourney-Keota   Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn at West Hancock A battle between top ten teams in class A football is going down here in week 6. Frontrunner West Hancock, 5-0, will welcome a bona fide challenge on Friday night taking on Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, 4-1. The Hawks dropped their opener, but have rattled off four straight wins to assert themself right into the heart of the playoff picture. They have posted 132 points in the last two weeks and have an offense that is finding their groove at the right time because the West Hancock defense is for real. They only allowed 26 points on the season; only one team has totalled more than 200 yards against them. The way [player_tooltip player_id="148884" first="Kane" last="Zuehl"] and the rest of the Eagles’ defense get off the field quickly and hold opponents to very few snaps is impressive. As a team their defensive efficiency is off the charts; through 5 weeks they have limited opposing offenses to just 43 snaps a game. They get the ball back in the hands of their offense frequently and let them put up points and bleed the clock. What Zuehl, Matthew Francis, Braden Walk, and Logan Leerar have done out of the Wing T so far is dominant. They average over 300 rushing yards per game and, the stats don’t lie, hog snaps and time of possession. It’s hard to lose when your offense is almost always on the field. The Hawks will need to find ways to hold the line of scrimmage, get in the backfield, and collect as many plays that go for three yards or less as they can. A defensive front that features the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="152873" first="Lance" last="Berends"] might be able to do it. The Hawks are also going to need their own backfield, headlined by [player_tooltip player_id="105190" first="Kooper" last="Ebel"] and Connor Dodd, to stay hot. Some double digit play drives and a lot of first downs will be needed. Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: West Hancock   Newell-Fonda at Remsen St. Mary’s For the second straight week Iowa gets to witness two of the best in 8-player football go at it as the defending state champion Remsen St. Mary’s Hawks host the undefeated top contender Newell-Fonda Mustangs. The Hawks have steamrolled everyone on the schedule so far winning by an average score of 57-9. That margin of victory and quality of defense, especially for those who understand 8-player football, is astonishing. The Hawks have a ton of weapons; more weapons than most 8-player teams would know what to do with. Quarterback Cael Ortmann leads the team in touchdowns, but they really know how to share the wealth. [player_tooltip player_id="152686" first="Brenden" last="Fisch"], [player_tooltip player_id="152901" first="Alex" last="Schroeder"], Keaton Harpenau, Ryan Willman, and [player_tooltip player_id="99202" first="Austin" last="Jensen"] have all made significant offensive contributions. What is almost more impressive is that, for the most part, the Hawks are able to two-platoon and keep players from having to go both ways. The Hawks’ top defensive players only play defense. Newell-Fonda is certainly their toughest opponent to date and will for sure put the Hawks to the test. They haven’t run into a defense like what Remsen St. Mary’s will put on the field, but they sure can score. Quarterback Mason Dicks is extremely efficient and accounts for over 270 yards of offense per game single handedly. Wyatt Kreft has been very effective on the ground, too, and gives the Mustangs an added dimension. Trey Jungers has been Dicks’ favorite target so far and, together, these players are quite the dynamic trio. They are definitely capable of scoring more than the Hawks have allowed per game. Will the Mustangs’ defense be able to get some stops and give their offense a chance? Prep Redzone Iowa’s Pick: Remsen St. Mary’s