Recapping the 1st round of the Class 3A Playoffs

In Class 3A, 16 teams entered the week having proven that they have played well against their competition this season to earn a spot in the postseason. The first round of the playoffs proved no exception to their competitiveness as we got to witness some exciting matchups. As the playoff picture is now cut in half, we take a recap of the games and all of the action that occurred last week!   Pod A:   Clear Lake (6-3) vs. Humboldt (8-1) - Result: Humboldt 13-10   In what proved to be a defensive battle, Clear Lake held a 3-0 lead through the first three quarters. A fumble recovery early in the 4th quarter by Humboldt turned the tides, capitalizing the turnover on the following drive with Humboldt QB Coen Matson hitting a touchdown to senior [player_tooltip player_id='1280029' first='Keegan' last='Groat']. Clear Lake fought through and was able to force a 10-10 tie with less than 90 seconds left in regulation. Humboldt responded as they raced down the field, thanks in part to several big completions, and ultimately resulting in junior [player_tooltip player_id='1840861' first='Karson' last='Rubel'] hitting the game-winning 33 yard field goal with 12 seconds left to keep #1-ranked Humboldt alive in their pursuit for the state title.   Solon (7-2) vs. Benton (7-2) - Result: Solon 34-27   The matchup between Solon and Benton was a highly entertaining one, as both offensive units matched up with each other in terms of productivity, as the two units combined for 670 total yards of offense. Benton tied the game with about 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Solon followed by engineering a gritty drive that took a significant amount of time of the clock. Ultimately, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1360709' first='Eddie' last='Johnson'] capped off the drive with a game-winning 3 yard rushing-touchdown with under a minute left in the game, allowing Solon to move on as they claim revenge on Benton for having beaten them earlier in the regular season.   Pod B:   MOC-Floyd Valley (6-3) vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (9-0) - Result: Sergeant Bluff-Luton 35-17   MOC-Floyd Valley came into Sergeant Bluff facing an uphill battle, but they came out of the gates strong, being able to keep up with the Warriors as they trailed 14-10 at half-time. However, the Warriors exploded out of the gates in the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points in the third quarter, in which the Dutchmen could not recover. Dutchmen QB [player_tooltip player_id='1282267' first='Blake' last='Aalbers'] finished with 317 total passing yards, but was ultimately overshadowed as the Warriors ran for 328 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. After having won just 5 games over the last two season, the Warriors have really made a turn back onto the right path as they look to contend for the state title.   Bishop Heelan (6-3) vs. Nevada (7-2) - Result: Nevada 21-14   Nevada got off to a great start, taking a 14-0 lead at halftime, thanks mainly in part to the steady control on the ground from senior Anthony Eaton, who ran for 156 yards on 32 carries and 2 touchdowns. However, the Crusaders fought back, led by an explosive performance from RB [player_tooltip player_id='1238514' first='Kasen' last='Thomas'], who had 160 rushing yards on 26 carries and both of the scores for Bishop Heelan. The Crusaders got the ball back trailing by 7 with just over 3 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, as the Crusaders drove down the field, the team was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty during an injury timeout, forcing a 1st & 25 situation for the Crusaders from their own 16-yard line just prior to the 2-minute warning. The Crusaders were unable to convert this situation, and Nevada held on to win. Nevada will be heading to the quarterfinals for the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons.   Pod C:   Assumption (4-5) vs. Wahlert Catholic (9-0) - Result: Wahlert Catholic 41-0   Wahlert Catholic came into this game as a heavy favorite, and they would completely control the game from start to finish. Wahlert Catholic opened with a 34-0 lead at halftime, and they would ultimately hold the Knights down for the rest of the game. The Golden Eagles' offense was practically pristine, finishing with 574 yards of total offense, including 377 rushing yards that came as 11 different players recorded at least one carry in the win. The Golden Eagles' defense limited Assumption to just 78 total yards of offense and added 2 picks. In the midst of one of their best seasons in program history, Wahlert Catholic may be the most difficult team to compete with in the group with the way they've been playing right now.   Williamsburg (7-2) vs. Independence (7-2) - Result: Independence 21-14   In one of the most anticipated matchups of the first round for Class 3A, this game would end up as a thriller. Williamsburg exploded out of the gate with a 14-0 lead, and would ultimately maintain this lead through the first 3 quarters. However, in the 4th quarter, Independence had a complete reversal of fortune. Led by a strong ground game that compiled 201 yards of rushing offense, Independence churned their way back into the game before finally hitting on several splash plays over the air. With 29 seconds left in the game, Independence QB EJ Miller hit junior Bryce Christian for a 29 yard touchdown pass over the middle to cap off a stunning 4th quarter comeback. Independence hopes to parlay the momentum built from this game heading into the quarterfinals against Wahlert Catholic.   Pod D:   Harlan Community (6-3) vs. Algona (8-1) - Result: Algona 49-6   Algona headed into the first round of the playoffs with questions about how sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1204547' first='Nathan' last='Manske'] will handle the pressure of leading the Bulldogs through the postseason following a season-ending injury to his older brother Alex. However, in his playoff debut, Manske proved that he can lead this group well, as he led the Bulldogs to a 28-0 lead after the first quarter en route to a statement win. Manske finished 9 of 12 passing for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Bulldogs ran for a total 248 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground as they had total control over the Cyclones' defense. Algona has proven that they have the arsenal to make a deep run in the postseason regardless of who's under center for the team, and [player_tooltip player_id='1204547' first='Nathan' last='Manske'] will look to create his identity as a leader as he looks to navigate this team to the state championship.   Carroll (6-3) vs. Mount Vernon (8-1) - Result: Mount Vernon 42-6   Mount Vernon entered the playoffs with one of the best defensive units in the state, and that defense dominated throughout the game against Carroll. Mount Vernon limited the Tigers to just 136 yards of total offense, recording a total 6 sacks in the win. Senior DE [player_tooltip player_id='1278806' first='Ethan' last='Wood'], a 3-star commit to North Dakota State had a particularly great game, recording 2 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries in the win. Meanwhile, senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1360967' first='Cooper' last='Hird'] and junior QB Kellen Haverback combined for 5 rushing touchdowns, while Haverback threw for an additional touchdown. Mount Vernon's defense will be put to the test going against a stellar Algona offense in what could be one of the biggest playoffs matchups in Iowa this week.

In Class 3A, 16 teams entered the week having proven that they have played well against their competition this season to earn a spot in the postseason. The first round of the playoffs proved no exception to their competitiveness as we got to witness some exciting matchups. As the playoff picture is now cut in half, we take a recap of the games and all of the action that occurred last week!