What to Expect, Players to Watch in 5A Semifinals

A wild season in Class 5A has reached its final four. That quartet will compete in the state semifinals Friday night at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The winners will meet a week later for the championship.   Southeast Polk is back in the semis, chasing its third title in a row. The Rams come into Friday unbeaten and the favorite for the three-peat. They know from their own games, and what else has happened in this Class during 2023, that it won't be easy.   Here's a closer look at our two matchups, players to watch and what to expect on Friday night in The Dome:   West Des Moines Valley (6-5) vs. Southeast Polk (11-0)   How They Got Here   Southeast Polk blasted Linn-Mar, 49-9, at home in the first round. The Rams remained in Pleasant Hill for the quarterfinals and received quite the scare from upset-minded Cedar Falls. Leading 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter, they held off a furious Tiger rally, hanging on for a 21-20 victory.   The Tigers faced a daunting schedule this season, which is one reason they entered the postseason under .500. They've benefitted from that tough competition in these playoffs. They upset Pleasant Valley, 31-21, on the road in the first round and triumphed at favored Waukee, 20-7, in last week's quarters.   Series History   These Central Iowa Metro League members competed in different groups this season. They kicked off the season against each other, however. Southeast Polk traveled to West Des Moines and left town with a 24-18 win.   <a href="https://www.gobound.com/ia/ihsaa/football/2023-24/comps/h202311060200360541a790da432244e">According to Bound</a>, the Rams have won the last five meetings in this series after Valley took the previous six. Southeast Polk has built a 7-6 advantage in the series dating back to '08.   Friday is a rematch of last season's 5A state championship game. The Rams took it going away, 49-14. Running back Abu Sama, now at Iowa State, rushed for 372 yards and six touchdowns for the victors.   Players to Watch   Connor Moberly, an Iowa State quarterback commitment, runs the show for Southeast Polk. He has last year's title under his belt and knows what to expect from this experience. He comes into Friday's action having completed 163 of 242 passes (67.3 percent) for 2,036 yards and 23 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He's also stressed defenses on the ground, averaging 4.2 yards per carry after sacks with six scores.   Moberly benefits from being surrounded by top talent on offense. Carson Robbins (42 receptions, 715 yards, 9 TDs) and [player_tooltip player_id='1278273' first='Sam' last='Zelenovich'] (57-800-8) provide him with two top-end pass catchers. Braden Lundgren and Cooper Bueltel also factor in as receivers. On the ground, CJ Phillip (810 rushing yards, 12 TDs) and Landon Vander Werff (531-8) carry the bulk of the load with Jace Baxter (108-2) also chipping in.   The Rams average 39.5 points per game and only yield 16.3. Draven Woods leads the defense with 55.0 tackles (48 solo, 23.0 for loss) and 3.0 sacks. Caleb Chebuhar has 54.0 tackles (44 solo, 4.5 for loss), and [player_tooltip player_id='1279607' first='Emmanuel' last='Gaye'] has a team-high four interceptions. Carter Pesek, Kaeden Kain, Mason Van Der Brink, [player_tooltip player_id='1279618' first='Kaden' last='Hills'], Treyton Naeve and Cooper Martinson also are key pieces on defense.   Valley leans heavily on a rushing attack led by Damon Head, who has 1,171 yards (7.1 YPC) and 10 touchdowns on ground. Darius Mason (472-8) serves as an excellent complement to Head. Sophomore quarterback Drake DeGroote has 12 scoring passes and 213 yards with four TDs on the ground. Noah Cracraft (28-372-2), Jayden McGregory (19-227-2) and Jayden Brown (18-297-5) stand out at receiver with Head and Mason also contributing there. Offensive lineman Braylon Jenkins is a recent Wyoming commitment.   The Tigers are scoring 26.2 points per game and giving up 19.0. Eight of their 11 opponents this season are above .500, illustrating their strength of schedule. Isaiah Pinks is having a super senior season defensively with four interceptions, 37 solo tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss. Nic VanArkel paces the defense with 50.0 total tackles (35 solo, 4.5 for loss), while [player_tooltip player_id='1589904' first='Andrew' last='Price'], Gage Olsen, [player_tooltip player_id='1280032' first='Cam' last='Cribari'], [player_tooltip player_id='1361677' first='Ryan' last='Arbab'], Theron Castle, Cole Weible and Ramez Naba play important roles on defense, too.   Outlook   Southeast Polk is in the postseason for a 14th year in a row, while the Tigers are competing in the playoffs for the 32nd consecutive season. The Rams are in the semifinals for a fourth straight campaign.   DeGroote did not play in the season-opener against the Rams, adding intrigue to this matchup. Valley managed just 2.9 yards on 21 carries in that game. Mason and Head each had a touchdown.   The Tigers will need to run the ball better in this game if they hope to spring another upset. It shortens the game and keeps their defense fresh when facing Southeast Polk's potent offensive attack. They also must take care of the ball and perform well on special teams.   It will be interesting to see how the Rams process last week's scare It could serve as a wakeup call or be a hit to their confidence. They have the most overall talent of any team in 5A. Play well, limit mistakes, and the next step to a three-peat should be realized.   Ankeny Centennial (7-4) vs. Ankeny (8-3)   How They Got Here   The other three teams here should be wary of Ankeny. The Hawks are in The Dome again after pulling off the upset at No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, 14-7, in last week's quarterfinals, which followed a 21-9 victory against Johnston in Round 1.   Centennial knows all about its opponent's exploits and boasts some of its own. The Jaguars are coming off a pair of postseason road wins during which they outscored Waukee Northwest and Bettendorf, 76-21.   Series History   If the season-opener back in August is any indication, we could be in for a doozy in this one. Centennial is looking to avenge a 39-38 loss at home to its rival. We'll see if the teams can top the 762 yards of offense they posted in that contest.   It's the first time these schools from the same town will be meeting in the postseason. <a href="https://www.gobound.com/ia/ihsaa/football/2023-24/comps/h20231106020039218495a697f749e48">Bound shows</a> that they've split their last four regular-season meetings. Centennial enjoys an 8-4 lead in the all-time series, which started when the Jaguars began play in '13.   Players to Watch   Ankeny's first-year starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1280955' first='Luke' last='Anderson'] had a tough act to follow in replacing JJ Kohl, now at Iowa State. He's done an admirable job with a 63.4 completion percentage, 1,851 yards and 18 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He's been supported with a running game powered by [player_tooltip player_id='1278885' first='Caden' last='Henkes'] (1,087 yards, 12 TDs) and Daniel Larmie (862-6), who also chip in as receivers. Anderson's favorite targets have been [player_tooltip player_id='1280082' first='Evan' last='Irlmeier'] 46-627-4) and Devon Akers (41-824-8).   The Hawk defense held an explosive Dowling outfit to seven points. It was just the second game this season that the Maroons scored under 29. Dylan Dougherty and Connor Kayser have teamed up for 155.5 total tackles with 86 of them being solo. Lio Aguirre, Angelo Wernau, Samuel Zea, Samuel Sandvig and Jacob Mohrfeld have been a big part of Ankeny's stingy unit.   Centennial is piloted by one of the better under-the-radar '24 prospect in the state. Senior Trenton Smith enters Friday's game completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 1,710 yards and 21 touchdowns with 10 picks. Like Anderson, Smith can move but is not a runner. He's complemented nicely by Northern Illinois pledge Elijah Porter, who has rushed for 1,166 yards (7.4) and 17 scores, and [player_tooltip player_id='1280497' first='Braeden' last='Jackson'] (569-7). Those guys join Max Snyder (41-535-3), Chase Schutty (19-368-9) and Lawson Langford (16-172-2) as Smith's top targets.   Cole Pieper pops out on defense for the Jaguars with a team-best 59.0 tackles (33 solo, 6.5 for loss). Zechariah Howe and [player_tooltip player_id='1277268' first='Isaiah' last='Bassett'] disrupt offenses as evidence by their combined 26.0 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks. [player_tooltip player_id='1286629' first='Chase' last='Kluver'], Drake Dittmar, [player_tooltip player_id='1279727' first='Reed' last='Anderson'], Nate Christiansen, Mitchell Grider and Jack Cahill also fill important roles on defense.   Outlook   There's tangible evidence from the season-opener that this one could get wild. It being the first meeting in the playoffs adds to those chances. That it's in The Dome intensifies the situation.   Ankeny is competing in the postseason for the 33rd time in program history. The Hawks are in The Dome for the third time in the last four seasons, winning it all in '20 and finishing runner-up a season later. They have three titles overall ('97, '12).   Centennial, in the postseason for a 11th season in a row, is striving to reach the championship game for the first time. The Jaguars are playing in the semifinals for the first time since back-to-back trips in '16 and '17.   These rivals have hit their stride at the right time of the season. They should have each other pretty well scouted but maybe one or both throw in surprises. It has the feel of a four-quarter game.   Centennial with Smith and Porter would prefer a track meet, while a lower-scoring contest would be more to the Hawks' liking. Ankeny certainly is capable of throwing up points and could win a shootout, however. And the Jaguars can emerge from a defensive battle.

A wild season in Class 5A has reached its final four. That quartet will compete in the state semifinals Friday night at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The winners will meet a week later for the championship.