Week 4 Preview: Contenders OABCIG, Southeast Valley Meet

Plenty of high-level talent will be on display this Friday night during one of the biggest Week 4 matchups in Iowa. Two-time defending state champion OABCIG heads to Gowrie to face district foe Southeast Valley. Both are ranked in the Top-5 by various outlets, and both are sure to bring the excitement to fans at the Southeast Valley Football Field/Track Complex. While everybody knows about [player_tooltip player_id="23944" first="Aaron" last="Graves"], the top-ranked lineman who has already committed to Kirk Ferentz and the University of Iowa, there remain many players on both sides who are sure to garner interest at various levels. Let us take a look at some of those key players to keep an eye on if you are able to make it to the game: <strong>Beckett DeJean - OABCIG - QB/DB - 6-1 - 169</strong> If the last name rings a bell, it should. Beckett DeJean is the younger brother of do-everything superstar [player_tooltip player_id="23817" first="Cooper" last="DeJean"], who led the Falcons to two straight state titles and is now at Iowa. Beckett has filled in quite nicely, moving over from receiver to quarterback. He has thrown for 710 yards on 52 of 82 passing with nine touchdowns, adding another 138 yards and two scores on the ground. The 6-foot-1, 169-pounder has yet to throw an interception while also adding 11.5 tackles and two picks on defense. He has obviously watched his older brother and is doing all he can to keep the Falcon train marching back towards the UNI-Dome. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152751" first="Griffin" last="Diersen"] - OABCIG - RB/LB - 6-1 - 206</strong> For as exciting as [player_tooltip player_id="152751" first="Griffin" last="Diersen"] is on offense, his future might be on the other side of the ball. Diersen is the leading tackler for OABCIG and someone that you just cannot get away from when he grabs hold. At 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds, Diersen has plenty of size to handle running backs breaking through. He also averages over seven yards per carry, racking up 297 rush yards and 50 more receiving on three catches. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23962" first="Easton" last="Harms"] - OABCIG - WR/DB - 6-0 - 189</strong> One of the key returning players from last year, [player_tooltip player_id="23962" first="Easton" last="Harms"] just continues to produce. The senior has caught 16 passes for 166 yards with two scores, providing a reliable and steady pair of hands for the new DeJean. Over the past two-plus seasons, Harms has worked out of the slot in the wide-open spread offense for the Falcons. He could have a role there at the next level, or transition to more of an outside threat thanks to good size and speed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"] - Southeast Valley - QB/S - 6-0 - 170</strong> In much the same fashion as [player_tooltip player_id="23817" first="Cooper" last="DeJean"] operated, [player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"] is the force that drives the Southeast Valley offense. The senior has thrown for 601 yards, ran for 263 and has nine total touchdowns. Kruse is completing over 57 percent of his passes without throwing an interception. He has spread his passes around to five different players and is also a key member of the Jaguar defense. A multi-sport athlete, Kruse’s ability to read defenses on offense also helps him be in the right spot on defense in the secondary. <strong>Eli Johnson - Southeast Valley - WR/S - 6-4 - 150</strong> Talk about having a big-play threat, that is exactly what Southeast Valley has in junior Eli Johnson. A newcomer to the varsity scene, Johnson already has 10 receptions for 318 yards with two scores. Yes, he is averaging just under 32 yards per catch. With Kruse constantly finding him, the 6-foot-4 Johnson has the ability to burn defenses and will be someone OABCIG keeps a constant set - or two - of eyes on Friday night.