10 Day 2 Standouts, Iowa High School State Playoffs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In matchups between Class A and 4A squads in the state semifinals. Ten players stood out from the rest. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Connor Mullenbach, SR, RB/CB, St. Ansgar - Following a first half where neither team could get going on offense, Mullenbach broke the seal by returning the opening kickoff of the second half all the way back for an 83-yard touchdown. He finished the day with a team-leading 177 all-purpose yards, posted three tackles and booted away three punts, totaling 109 yards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2048732' first='Porter' last='Schwiesow'], SO, QB/DB, St. Ansgar - The sophomore gunslinger did it all for the Saints, completing four-of-seven passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns, also taking three carries for 41 yards and two scores. Both TD passes were to Ansgar star senior running back, [player_tooltip player_id='1615327' first='Korben' last='Michels'],. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2048867' first='Michael' last='Schmillen'], SR, WR/LB, MMCRU - Schmillen may have posted the most dominant game by a receiver to this point in the semis with his performance on Thursday. The 6-foot, 175-pound receiver put on his best Randy Moss impression, going up and stealing away two catches he turned in for scores. He finished the day with three grabs for 147 yards and two scores. He added five tackles on defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/IAfootball_/status/1989064285671092405?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/IAfootball_/status/1989064285671092405?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2048882' first='Eli' last='Harpenau'], JR, QB, MMCRU - Not many prospects look college-ready at the Class A level, but Harpenau's 6-foot-1, and 210-pound frame make him look like he could step onto a small-school campus in the Midwest and fit right in (the same could be said of senior RB/LB, [player_tooltip player_id='1242834' first='Brayson' last='Mulder'], who stands at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1925483' first='Braylon' last='Lopez'], JR, WR/DB, West Sioux - One of few players on the Falcon roster that could generate much of anything on offense, Lopez grabbed six receptions for 82 yards, adding 17 yards on the ground. One of his most impressive plays was climbing the ladder and tracking down a 50-50 ball over the middle for a big gain in the first half. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class 4A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='897440' first='Harrison' last='Mullens'], SR, WR, Pella - [player_tooltip player_id='2048992' first='Michael' last='Manning']'s go-to receiver, the South Dakota State commit showed just how important he is to the Pella offensive attack, serving as a third and fourth down safety valve. Quick off the line with long strides, Mullens is a threat in the intermediate and long game, and he makes it look like his gloves are covered in fresh glue. He finished the day with seven catches for 69 yards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1240470' first='Emmanuel' last='Diers'], SR, DB, Pella - One of the stars of the week so far, [player_tooltip player_id='1240470' first='Emmanuel' last='Diers'] took the reigns for the Pella offense, leading the charge back to the 4A final on 33 carries for 197 yards and three touchdowns. A work horse tail back that's as explosive as they come, Diers showed that his explosiveness isn't limited to big plays in the open field -- he can run between the tackles, too. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1619913' first='Finn' last='Martin'], SR, WR, Newton - A dynamic wideout that made play after play in the near upset of No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier, Martin showed off skillsets of a true X-receiver and as a possession pass-catcher, catching anything and everything thrown his way. Grabbing a go up and get it, Hail Mary ball in the third quarter, Martin made plays that would make a collegiate receivers coach salivate. He finished with seven catches for 95 yards and the score. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/IHSAA/status/1989160299178701260?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/IHSAA/status/1989160299178701260?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carter Hoffmann, SR, RB, Xavier - A monster all season long, Hoffman kept the train rolling into Thursday night's game. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound bell cow running back plays like he weights 200+ pounds, bringing the pain to would-be tacklers and keeping his legs chugging along through arm tackles and defensive players grabbing at his ankles. The way Hoffman has played this year is that of a championship running back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1827791' first='Beau' last='Morio'], JR, LB, Xavier - The Hoffman of the Saints defense, Morio is aggression personified in the middle of the Xavier defense. A fearsome tackler with a mean streak that loves to hit, Morio plays with a controlled energy that allows him to deliver hits but play with patience and intelligence. His 13 tackles tied with sophomore safety, [player_tooltip player_id='1924714' first='Carson' last='Mahoney'] for the team lead. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->