Playoff Reax: These Prime Time Players Stepped Up

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It really does not matter the level of football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Come playoff time, big time players make big time plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maybe Deion Sanders said it best, or someone else. Honestly, I am not really sure. But regardless, the saying definitely held true to form during the round of 16 as all seven classes took to the gridiron in Iowa this past Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, an early note for the quarterfinal round. Eight-player will compete on Thursday, with the other six all taking place Friday. This is because the eight-player semifinals are next Wednesday in Cedar Falls from the UNI-Dome.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156484' first='Brevin' last='Doll'] - Adel-ADM </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr. [player_tooltip player_id='156484' first='Brevin' last='Doll'] was a human highlight reel in Adel-ADM's 56-0 victory over Grinnell. The junior running back ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries. Yes, most expected it to be an easy win for ADM, but with which the manner it was accomplished was a little surprising.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Doll, who has been nearly untouchable all year, was just that vs. the Tigers. He averaged just a shade under 14 yards per carry, and also had two receptions for another 34 yards. Oh, did you think that was it? Not even close, as Doll also returned a punt 64 yards and averaged 32 yards per return on special teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyler Mantel - Western Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was supposed to be a classic battle between powers Aplington-Parkersburg and Western Christian for the right to advance. Tyler Mantel of Western Christian had other things in mind. Mantel ran for 137 yards and scored three touchdowns as Western Christian rolled, 49-27 behind a 28-point second half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mantel was the workhorse, speed back and everything in between, averaging six yards per carry. The junior has excellent size, checking in at 6-foot and 175 pounds, and all the intangibles to really make a name for himself going forward and into next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='247945' first='Lance' last='Coon'] - Humboldt</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you caught the Humboldt Wildcats a year ago on their way to the state semifinals, you probably noticed [player_tooltip player_id='247945' first='Lance' last='Coon']. Then a sophomore, Coon was sort of the complimentary back to quarterback Caden Matson, who is now at Iowa State University. Well, there is nothing complimentary about Coon, as he continues to spearhead the Wildcats on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The speedy, shifty back racked up 166 yards and three scores on just 18 carries in a one-sided win over Hampton-Dumont/CAL. Humboldt is now just one win away from a return to the UNI-Dome and the semifinals, and on offense, much of that is due to the skills of Coon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will Nuss - Johnston</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnston and Iowa City High was everything we expected and more. In the end, a fourth quarterback touchdown led by sophomore sensation Will Nuss propelled the Dragons past the Little Hawks, 38-31. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nuss, a talented athlete, completed 14 of 27 passes for 272 yards and five touchdowns. He really showed his ability to direct an offensive attack, completing passes to four different receivers, including [player_tooltip player_id='320538' first='Rex' last='Woodley'] five times and both Tatum Fox and [player_tooltip player_id='247958' first='Jacob' last='Simpson'] twice each for touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='104088' first='Braylon' last='Kammrad'] - Lewis Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Speaking of strong nights by prime-time quarterbacks, that is exactly what Lewis Central received from [player_tooltip player_id='104088' first='Braylon' last='Kammrad']. The senior was 12 of 18 passes for 298 yards with six touchdowns in a laugher vs. Le Mars. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kammrad is following in the same footsteps of some pretty big shoes before him. He averaged almost 25 yards per completion on this night, putting together a quarterback rating of over 205. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dawson Stine - West Des Moines Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the years, West Des Moines Valley has really been a true elite program in the biggest classification in the state on the football field. The same can be said for the Tigers in soccer. And you know what, those two things sort of came together in an upset win - yes, Valley an underdog, sounds weird - over Pleasant Valley. During the year, the Spartans had held the No. 1 spot and were undefeated, but Dawson Stine made sure that was all over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stine, a senior, was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in a 15-10 upset to lift Valley - and not Pleasant Valley - into the quarterfinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->