Playoffs: Five Players Who Will Make A Difference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Class 2A, 1A, A and eight-player, the playoffs begin this Friday night around the state of Iowa. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And boy, are we in for some incredible games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And with it, some incredible individual performances. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at five players who will make the difference between their respective team advancing and moving on, or seeing the season come to an end:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246721' first='Beckett' last='DeJean'] - OABCIG - QB/S</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it comes time for playoff football, having a DeJean at the controls is a definite positive. OABCIG has that in senior do-it-all superstar [player_tooltip player_id='246721' first='Beckett' last='DeJean']. The brother of current University of Iowa standout Cooper DeJean, Beckett has turned into his own star while leading the Falcons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is an extremely athletic dual-threat quarterback on offense, racking up over 2,100 yards of total offense with 28 touchdowns. DeJean is also very accurate with the ball, completing 103 of 194 attempts this year. And when he gets into the open field, not many in the state can catch him. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have done a tremendous job of building their offense around the skills of Cooper DeJean before and [player_tooltip player_id='246721' first='Beckett' last='DeJean'] now. And, guess what? There just happens to be another that will be a freshman next fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='320449' first='Preston' last='Gardner'] - Clarion-Goldfield/Dows - QB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be a fun first round battle in Osage when the Green Devils host Clarion-Goldfield/Dows. The Cowboys have relied on [player_tooltip player_id='320449' first='Preston' last='Gardner'] for the past two years, and time and time again, week after week, the senior has delivered. Gardner comes into the postseason having ran for 963 yards and nine touchdowns, while also keeping opposing defenses honest by throwing for 325 yards and five TDs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gardner is a great athlete who can expose any and all flaws in the opposition. Look for him to try and do just that to keep the season alive for Clarion-Goldfield/Dows and his fellow teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152904' first='Isaac' last='Kacmarynski'] - Pella Christian - QB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pella Christian has become a key state contender with a Kacmarynski leading the way on Friday night in the fall. This team and this year, it is senior [player_tooltip player_id='152904' first='Isaac' last='Kacmarynski'] doing just that. On offense, he has completed an incredible 50 of 80 passes for 742 yards with eight TDs, adding another 873 and 15 scores with his legs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But Kacmarynski is also a big-time weapon on defense, recording 48.5 tackles including eight for loss. He will have his hands full alongside his teammates in the first round as they tangle with Iowa City Regina in what should be a classic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='152624' first='Jacob' last='Maurer'] - BGM - QB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the way eight-player qualifies, we are gifted with a lot of fun first round matchups. That includes this one between BGM and Easton Valley, who are a combined 12-3 on the year. BGM is led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='152624' first='Jacob' last='Maurer'], who is just as effective with his legs as his arm. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maurer has completed 91 of 145 passes this year for 1,263 yards and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for another 1,864 and 36 scores. If the Bears are going to pull the road upset, they will need everything and anything Maurer can give them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Braden McShane - Estherville-LC - RB</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Estherville-LC and Waukon have both been in the spotlight for the past several years, and this Friday, they collide in a pivotal contest. For Estherville-LC, the focus all year has been on running back Braden McShane. The junior is averaging seven yards per rush, racking up over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead a high-octane offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McShane is also a threat in the pass game with over 100 yards receiving. And like so many at this level, he leads the Estherville-LC defense, recording 37.5 tackles with five for loss, two sacks and six turnovers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->