Recapping The North Central Iowa Playoff Action From Friday

Oh man, what an intense and crazy-filled night of playoff football we were given this past Friday night. There is nothing better than flipping the lights on, grabbing some popcorn and watching playoff high school football. Right? Around north central Iowa this past Friday night were some very fun and exciting games that featured high-level play on the field. Here’s a quick look at what the quarterback position brought us on the week. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="98647" first="Bryce" last="Stalder"] - Greene County - QB/DB - 6-0 - 175</strong> In his final game with the Rams, [player_tooltip player_id="98647" first="Bryce" last="Stalder"] did everything he could to will his team to victory. In the end, it just wasn’t enough, as Greene County fell to the two-time defending state champions from OABCIG. Stalder threw for 206 yards on 17 of 32 passing with a pair of touchdowns, adding a team-high 46 yards on the ground. A strong athlete with good size, Stalder has shown great improvement over the course of high school career at the QB position. He has an incredibly strong arm, even throwing off his back foot and off-balance while displaying great field awareness and vision, looking through his progressions before targeting the best choice. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="148361" first="Caden" last="Matson"] - Humboldt - QB/S - 6-0 - 180</strong> If he isn’t the best quarterback in the state, [player_tooltip player_id="148361" first="Caden" last="Matson"] is definitely on the short list of candidates. In a win over Hampton-Dumont/CAL, the senior completed 26 of 32 passes for 382 yards with four touchdowns, adding another 61 yards and a score on the ground. Matson is a student of the game, developing himself into a five-star quarterback through hours and hours of film study and practice sessions. His athleticism allows him to make and create plays when nothing appears there, and his pocket awareness is second-to-none. With a strong arm, good speed and off-the-charts intangibles, Matson continues to receive interest from various levels - and rightfully so. <strong>Ty McKinney - Webster City - QB/CB - 6-0 - 165</strong> While he might not be called a quarterback, Ty McKinney is definitely a field general. The spinback in Bob Howard’s offense, McKinney is more of another runner, as evident by his 138-yard performance this past week. He did complete his one pass for a touchdown, but it is just his playmaking and smarts that have Webster City marching on. McKinney is also an excellent defender, and a spot where if he wants to play college football, he’ll likely land on. All of his success on offense, though, will definitely carry over through his upcoming senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"] - Southeast Valley - QB/S - 6-0 - 170</strong> Effective, efficient and productive - sorry, couldn’t think of another word that started with the letter E - describes [player_tooltip player_id="147479" first="Kolson" last="Kruse"]. The Southeast Valley senior led a 50-point effort, completing 8 of 10 for 129 with 121 yards rushing and four total touchdowns. Kruse and the Jaguars are now set for a second meeting with OABCIG on their home field with a spot inside the UNI-Dome on the line. A complete athlete, Kruse’s mental quickness is matched only by his physical quickness. He makes the smart read, gets the ball out as fast as possible and when that does break down - which is rare with [player_tooltip player_id="23944" first="Aaron" last="Graves"] blocking for him - Kruse bursts free for big yards.