2025 Team Preview: Iowa City Liberty Lightning

The Iowa City Liberty Lightning soared to new heights in 2024, thanks largely in part to a spectacular surge in their offensive performance. The Lightning finished with the 2nd highest scoring offense in Class 5A (40.3 PPG), while leading the conference in numerous passing categories, including yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. The Lightning had 5 games where they scored 40+ points during the season and never scored less than 21 points in a single game. This offensive proficiency allowed them to coast through the regular season and reach to the state semifinals, before ultimately losing in a shootout to the eventual Class 5A Champions, Southeast Polk. With their star QB returning along with a group of experienced upperclassmen leading the defense, the Lightning should be in position again to make another deep push toward the state championship game.   We take a look today at 7 key names that will lead the Lightning to watch out for in 2025!    Taking over the reins of the starting QB job as a junior, [player_tooltip player_id='1552779' first='Reece' last='Rettig'] exploded onto the scene as one of the best starting QBs, not just in Class 5A, but among Iowa as a whole. Rettig had the 4th most passing yards (2719) and the 5th most passing touchdowns (32) of any Iowa QB last season, and his passer rating of 202.3 was the highest of any Class-5A QB in 2024. Rettig also ran for 582 yards and 6 touchdowns. Rettig had no problem finding his groove in the varsity offense, and he was in full command of his offense. A talented improviser with impressive throwing power, mobility, vision, and dynamic ability within the offense, Rettig does a very good job at extending the play and finding the holes to gash the defense. In just one season, Rettig has proven to be a smart, savvy signal caller that should translate well at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1619345' first='Quayshon' last='Harrington-Johnson'] is growing quickly into a solid cog to plug the interior gaps on the trenches. Johnson finished with 31 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks as a junior. Johnson has a good first step and does a great job gaining leverage outside of the blocker's reach. Johnson may seem undersized for an interior-defensive lineman, but he possesses plenty of power and good handwork to back his position up, being able to knock blockers backward and make tough hits in the backfield, while also showing the ability to get up and bat down passes. If Johnson can bulk up a bit this year, he could become an even stronger force against the run heading into his senior campaign.     [player_tooltip player_id='1548918' first='Logan' last='Laubenthal'] has already made a name for himself as a steady lockdown CB, and his role for the Lightning may increase on the other side of the ball heading into his senior year. Laubenthal recorded 33.5 tackles and 4 interceptions on the secondary last season, while catching 7 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense. Laubenthal shows great instincts in coverage, understanding his reads and knowing where the ball and receiver are going during the play. Laubenthal's is able to play man and zone coverage with equal effectiveness, showing fluid hips and change of direction, solid run support, and prevalent lockdown ability in goal-line situations. With several of the team's leading receivers departing from graduation this offseason, Laubenthal may also see himself move up to the top of the WR depth chart in 2025, which should further boost his stock as a versatile athlete.     [player_tooltip player_id='1552812' first='Landon' last='Bell'] is well suited as a two-way starter for the Lightning, showing strong flashes at both LB and TE. On the defense, Bell finished 2nd on the team with 50.5 tackles to go with 2.5 TFLs, half a sack, and a fumble recovery. On offense, Bell caught 12 passes for 126 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bell plays well as a run-stuffer and in pass coverage, showing great vision and quick instincts to find where the ball is going, not to mention Bell is a hard-hitter that uses his power to deck players to the ground and to break up passes. On the other side of the ball, Bell contributed greatly to the team's success on the ground as they ran for over 2300 yards last season, while also being a reliable short option/goal-line passing target. Bell should garner plenty of attention heading into his senior season as a potentially dangerous leader in the middle of Iowa City Liberty's defense in 2025.     Earning the starting Free Safety job as a sophomore for the Lightning, [player_tooltip player_id='1617593' first='Pryor' last='Reiners'] emerged as a bright underclassmen standout for Iowa City Liberty's secondary. Reiners recorded 31 tackles and 3 interceptions in 2024. Reiners should good ball-skills to snatch the pass from the QB, but his biggest strength was his ability to match the receivers' routes step-by-step, maintaining a tight distance in coverage that allowed him to excel in coverage. Reiners also was solid in the run-defense, and despite his smaller size, he's a tough tackler that will bring the ball-carrier down at the point of contact. Reiners should have a much bigger role in 2025 for the team as he should solidify his spot as a figurehead for the Lightning's defense this year.     Another name that should see a significant increase in playing time in 2025 is [player_tooltip player_id='1617592' first='Brody' last='Beaver']. Beaver flashed his potential in the run-game, rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown last season, averaging 6 yards per carry. Beaver has an impressive ability to stop and start on his bursts in a flash, being able to make quick cuts and change of direction instantly to get by defenders. Beaver has solid ball-carrier vision on both the inside and outside run, and once he's in the open field, he turns on the jets, and it's not easy to chase him down. With the Lightning's two leading RBs having both graduated this offseason, Beaver should be propelled into the starting lineup as a junior, where we'll get an opportunity to see how his skills translate on the varsity team.     Rounding out a talented returning defense is a hybrid LB/Safety defender in [player_tooltip player_id='1619461' first='Keshawn' last='Wyldon']. Wyldon ranked 3rd on the team last season in tackles (47) to go with 1.5 TFLs, half a sack, and a fumble recovery. Wyldon has the athletic ability to excel against the pass with sideline-to-sideline range, timing his attacks well to disrupt and break up the pass, while also having quick closedown speed from the middle of the field into the pocket to force a hasty decision from the QB. Wyldon is a dynamic defender who can fit in a variety of roles, and that kind of player is necessary for the Lightning as they look for more explosiveness to stop their opponents next season.

The Iowa City Liberty Lightning soared to new heights in 2024, thanks largely in part to a spectacular surge in their offensive performance. The Lightning finished with the 2nd highest scoring offense in Class 5A (40.3 PPG), while leading the conference in numerous passing categories, including yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. The Lightning had 5 games where they scored 40+ points during the season and never scored less than 21 points in a single game. This offensive proficiency allowed them to coast through the regular season and reach to the state semifinals, before ultimately losing in a shootout to the eventual Class 5A Champions, Southeast Polk. With their star QB returning along with a group of experienced upperclassmen leading the defense, the Lightning should be in position again to make another deep push toward the state championship game.