Championship MVPs, Part 2: Friday’s Standouts
We covered the first three title games in Iowa in another piece, so now we have the final four to hand out MVP trophies from. The last day of the prep football season saw champions crowned in Class 2A, 3A,…
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Continue ReadingWe covered the first three title games in Iowa in another piece, so now we have the final four to hand out MVP trophies from.
The last day of the prep football season saw champions crowned in Class 2A, 3A, 1A and 5A. Here is the most valuable player from each game.
CLASS 2A
Zach Lutmer – Central Lyon/George-Little Rock – QB
There really just might not be anything Zach Lutmer can’t do on a football field. The future Iowa Hawkeye did his best Cooper DeJean impression in leading Central Lyon/George-Little Rock to the Class 2A state title.
Lutmer ran 29 times for 140 yards, completed 7 of 13 for 85 yards with a touchdown, had a 34-yard punt, returned a punt 14 yards and had four tackles. It is pretty easy to see just why Iowa wanted him.
On the year, the senior finished with almost 1,300 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions, completing nearly 69 percent of his throws. He also ran for 1,422 yards and 22 TDs while recording 41 tackles with three interceptions on defense.
CLASS 3A
Teagon Kasperbauer – Harlan – QB
For three quarters, the Mount Vernon defense did a good job of containing Harlan and standout quarterback Teagon Kasperbauer. However, by the time the gun sounded to end the night, it was Kasperbauer on top once again, hoisting the Class 3A state title.
Kasperbauer, who led Harlan to the crown last year as a junior, completed 22 of 39 passes for 220 yards with three touchdowns. He found five different receivers on the night, leading the Cyclones back from a big deficit.
In his final prep season, Kasperbauer was his best, showcasing great vision, a strong arm and excellent ability to read a defense by completing 65 percent of his throws for 2,665 yards with 40 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
CLASS 1A
Ben Gilliland – Van Meter – QB
Many of the names for Van Meter changed, but the end result was another Bulldog Class 1A state title. New quarterback Ben Gilliland made that happen, as he was 7 of 12 passing for 147 yards with two touchdowns in the win over West Sioux.
Gilliland made sure the offense was constantly in the right formation and had the right play called, as he was also a capable runner, racking up 62 yards and another score with his legs. His senior season saw him finish with 24 touchdown passes, 11 rushing scores, almost 1,400 yards in the air and another 895 with his legs.
CLASS 5A
Abu Sama – Southeast Polk – RB
With touchdown runs of 65, 73, 63, 9, 1 and 67 yards, Southeast Polk’s Abu Sama left an impression on the state playoffs, leading the Rams to another Class 5A title, this time over West Des Moines Valley.
It was the Sama show under the lights, as the future Iowa State Cyclone carried the ball 24 times for 372 yards and the six scores. That comes out to an average of 15.5 yards per carry – in a state finals – against a defense that really locked opposing teams down. He also caught an 18-yard pass for good measure.
Sama concluded his brilliant career with nearly 1,400 yards and 28 TDs rushing, adding another 145 yards and a score in the air.