Class 3A Top RB Performances of Week 9

Class 3A boasted some impressive standouts in the ground game this season, finishing with 9 1000-yard rushers to end the 9-game regular season. In week 9, the RBs in the group didn't disappoint, looking sharp and sturdy pounding the rock, proving themselves to be work-horses for their offense. Today, we take a look at the top 7 RBs of Class 3A from the final regular season game of 2024!    Independence wrapped up their regular season as they ran all over Center-Point Urbana's defense, finishing with a combined 431 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. AJ Kitner only touched the ball 9 times, but finished with a whopping 232 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 25.8 yards per carry! It seemed that every time Kitner touched the ball, he was going to make a big play. His 83 yard touchdown run came as he burst through the middle of the line going untouched, and when he broke into the open field, there was absolutely no catching him. That explosive play-making ability should carry well for Kitner as Independence heads into the postseason.    nt    As Nevada cruised to a blowout win over Atlantic this week, Anthony Eaton thrashed the defense with a largely effective performance on the ground. Eaton finished with 205 rushing yards on 22 carries and 3 touchdowns. Eaton was patient, allowing his blockers to create space and attacking the moment that a crease opened, which allowed him to gain solid yardage up the middle, but his highlight was a 66 yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter that firmly sealed the victory right there. Eaton ranks 2nd in Class 3A this season in rushing touchdowns (23), and he should continue being the guy that Nevada gives the ball to in the redzone often during the playoffs.     Ben Yeggy completely controlled the game on the ground on Friday night en route to a shutout win on the road against Mount Pleasant. Yeggy ran for 148 yards on 22 carries and 4 touchdowns. Yeggy clearly ran well to the outside lane, and he never went down on the first contact, as he was able to bounce off defenders and turn what seemed to be short gains into long carries during the night. With this performance, Yeggy surpassed the 1000 yard mark this season, and he will be a central component as Assumption will suit up this week against Wahlert Catholic for the first round of the playoffs.     Clear Lake secured a playoff spot with a shutout win at home against Charles City, and [player_tooltip player_id='1361107' first='Titan' last='Schmitt'] came huge for the offense once again this week, rushing for 133 yards on 18 carries and 4 touchdowns. Schmitt's ability to make sharp cuts and change the lateral direction of his carries showed once again this week, and he was most effective in the redzone as he was able to punch it in four times. Schmitt crosses the 1000 yard rushing mark for the second straight season with that performance, and Schmitt's dangerous outside-run ability will be vital toward helping Clear Lake push back against Humboldt in the playoffs this week.     [player_tooltip player_id='1238514' first='Kasen' last='Thomas'] wraps up a dominant campaign as a dual-threat by delivering most of the production for the offense in what was a rough loss at home against MOC-Floyd Valley. Thomas finished with 151 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns. I don't think that his opponents would want to tackle him, as his size and strength, particularly in his upper-body, makes him extremely difficult to bring down, and he gave a strong effort on Friday night as he continued to run over defenders. Thomas leads all Class 3A runners in rushing touchdowns (24) and ranks 2nd in rushing yards (1681) this season, affirming his status as a top dual-threat heading into the class of 2026.     Benton scored a stunning upset at home against #5 ranked Williamsburg to secure a playoff spot, and Dylan LeFebvere's strong ground game helped control the ball for the Bobcats en route to a shutout win. LeFebvere ran for 100 yards on 19 carries and 3 touchdowns in the win. LeFebvere had a simple strategy of pounding the ball up the middle of the line, and he proved that even the most simplest strategies can be very effective as he showed great balance and ran well through contact. LeFebvere has been a stellar goal-line threat this year, rushing for 18 touchdowns, and he should add to that total in the postseason.     [player_tooltip player_id='1204524' first='Josh' last='Ringler'] is a LB on the rise for the class of 2027, but he's also been an effective dual-threat HB on the offense. Against Fairfield this week, Ringler ran for 111 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, while also leading the team with 89 receiving yards on 3 catches and 2 touchdowns. Ringler played well as a scamper-back, making quick cuts and showing great vision as he takes his carries outside of the box. That same running style worked well catching out of the backfield, as he was able to make defenders miss en route to punching it in twice in the passing game. Ringler led Grinnell in rushing yards this season, and we should expect more from him moving forward on both sides of the ball.

Class 3A boasted some impressive standouts in the ground game this season, finishing with 9 1000-yard rushers to end the 9-game regular season. In week 9, the RBs in the group didn't disappoint, looking sharp and sturdy pounding the rock, proving themselves to be work-horses for their offense. Today, we take a look at the top 7 RBs of Class 3A from the final regular season game of 2024!