Next Up! The Future of Iowa High School Football

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa Futures aims to highlight some of the young stars in Iowa. These articles are aimed to highlight some of the young stars in Iowa High School football and get them on the radar of some of the coaches at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='118822' first='Trenton' last='Smith'] - Quarterback - Ankeny Centennial - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trenton displayed a strong show of accuracy against Waukee in Week 3. He showed off his ability to place the ball in areas that allowed his receiving core to make plays on the ball. Additionally, Trenton has a strong pocket presence that allows him to roll away from pressure and deliver passes to his receivers on time and accurately. Also, Trenton shows off his football intelligence by identifying where the pressure is coming from, rolling away, and then scrambling out of the pocket while not forcing the ball downfield. With all of this being said, Trenton has the talent to continue to do big things this fall, as well as the intelligence to make smart plays and move the ball downfield. I am<span style="font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts);"> looking forward to Trenton building off of the performance against Waukee throughout the rest of the season.</span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='248017' first='Chase' last='Lamb'] - Linebacker - Waukee Northwest - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In his previous game against Southeast Pol, Chase displayed several instinctive attributes that make linebackers great. Throughout his film, he shows off his tenacious playing approach by destructing blocks and finding the ball as quickly as possible. He also proves that he has strong eye discipline. As he locks into the backfield action, he allows his eyes to take him to where the ball is going and back to the play. The most important ability that Chase showcases is his tackling ability. As Chase comes into contact with the ball carriers, he wraps them up and takes them to the ground. Chase shows he can play in space, make contact, and bring the ball carrier to the ground without much struggle. Chase is off to a great start this season and will continue to be a force as a member of the Waukee Northwest defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='248042' first='Darian' last='Davis'] - Strong Safety - Mason City - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong safety out of Mason City, Darian seems to be the clear-cut leader on the backend of the Mohawk defense. Darian plays with great eye discipline and allows the offense to develop in front of him before making a decision on where he is going to make the play. Additionally, Darian does a good job of driving downfield and making the play on anything from bubble screens to outside running schemes. With his play-making ability, Darian helps fill the void on the edges of the box and helps in coverage on the back end. I expect Darian to build on his early success throughout the 2022 Campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='247974' first='Brennen' last='Blegen'] - Defensive Line and Offensive Line - Benton Community - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brennen is one of the key pieces for Benton in the trenches. As a defensive lineman, Brennen is the big-bodied run-stopper every defense needs inside the box. Brennen uses his strength to overpower his opponents and gets off blocks. When he can break off of blocks, he finds the running back and brings him down. As an offensive lineman, Brennen does a great job using his leverage to move his opponents off the ball and out of the way of his ball carriers. So far, Brennen has proven he could play on either side of the ball. I expect that he will continue to showcase his talent throughout this season and continue to have a strong career as a member of the Benton football program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->