Underclassmen to Watch in State Championships
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State championship games get underway on Thursday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. With the pressure that can come with the postseason experience is an important element for any team. As important as experienced upperclassmen can be for a team…
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Continue ReadingState championship games get underway on Thursday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. With the pressure that can come with the postseason experience is an important element for any team. As important as experienced upperclassmen can be for a team in the postseason, several teams that will play for titles this week have relied heavily on underclassmen during their playoff runs. Here is a look at several underclassmen that will play key roles for their teams in state title games.
Rayce Heitman – Williamsburg has been dominant defensively on its way to the 2A title game allowing 8.5 points per game while posting a 12-0 record. The leading tackler for the smothering Red Raider defense is Heitman, a sophomore linebacker who has racked up a team-high 80 tackles, including 7.5 for loss to go with three fumble recoveries and an interception. The 6-1, 175-pound Heitman has a good frame and showed an ability to make plays from sideline to sideline.
Darius Mason – The 5-11, 230-pound West Des Moines Valley running back doesn’t look or play like a sophomore. Mason has rushed for a team-leading 716 yards and eight touchdowns this season, including 177 yards and a touchdown in three playoff wins for the Tigers.
Tiernan Vokes Tiernan Vokes 6'4" | 210 lbs | TE Grundy Center | 2025 State IA – If Vokes wasn’t well known before the state semifinals he changed that with a seven-catch, 92-yard, three-touchdown effort in a Class A semifinal win over Woodbury Central. The 6-4, 194 Vokes has a nice frame and moves fluidly for his size as she showed while making touchdown catches of seven, 16, and 21 yards in the semifinals. Vokes has caught 24 passes for 439 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.
Tanner Lynott – A 6-0, 170-pound freshman Lynott has done it all while helping West Sioux return to the Class 1A title game. Lynott ranks fifth on the team with 39.5 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and has two interceptions on defense. On offense, Lynott has rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns and averages better than 28 yards per kick off return.
Cooper Martinson – The 6-4, 270-pound Southeast Polk sophomore is quickly becoming a major disruptive force on the Ram defensive line. Martinson had 2.5 tackles including one for loss in a semifinal win over Johnston. On the season, Martinson ranks third on the team with 49 tackles from his defensive line spot, including eight for loss.
Zay Robinson – In his first trip to the UNI-Dome Robinson came up with the play of the game, hauling in the game-winning two-point conversion pass from Michael Provenza as West Des Moines Dowling rallied for a 22-21 win over West Des Moines Dowling. Another Tiger sophomore standout the 6-0, 165-pound Robinson has caught 28 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns this season after making four grabs for 30 yards in the semifinal win.
Brody Zinkula – Another Grundy Center sophomore to put his stamp on the semifinal win, Zinkula had a team-high 8.5 tackles in the victory over Woodbury Central. A 6-0, 170-pound linebacker, Zinkula has been productive during his sophomore season, ranking second on the team with 58.5 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and has two interceptions.