Primetime Performers from 5A Quarterfinals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code:&nbsp;howe30&nbsp;in the coupon code area</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A case can be made that Friday night's quarterfinals are the most pressure-packed games of a season. With a victory, teams can exhale a bit. They've cemented their legacies as a group by reaching The Dome for the state semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As such, special performances in those emotional quarterfinal games are remembered fondly. Let's take a look at some guys who came up big in Class 5A on Friday:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='856072' first='Ian' last='Middleton'], SR, RB, Dowling Catholic - </strong>I got my first in-person look at Middleton during last year's state semifinal game against rival Valley. Although the Maroons came up short, he impressed me when he got his chances on offense and as a disrupter at defensive tackle. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I saw him again at Kingston Stadium earlier this year, he had transitioned over into being the workhorse running back. He rumbled over Kennedy that night and again when I watched the stream of Dowling beating Iowa City West, 35-0, during Friday's quarterfinals in Des Moines. He carried 30 times for 248 yards and three touchdowns, finding nice holes through which to run, thanks to his dominant offensive line. He also picked up quite a bit of real estate after contact with his bruising style.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1361719' first='Ryan' last='Woodruff'], SR, RB, Waukee Northwest - </strong>It was a windy night in Iowa on Friday, so it shouldn't be surprising that the first two standouts listed here carry the ball. Woodruff ran 38 times for 192 yards and five touchdowns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I went back and forth between the stream of this game and Dowling's on Friday. Like Middleton, Woodruff benefited from dominant play up front. He ran patiently before quickly getting downhill, breaking a lot of tackles and showing excellent balance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolves reached the state semifinals for the first time ever with a wild 48-34 win against Sioux City East.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1552779' first='Reece' last='Rettig'], SR, QB, Liberty - </strong>It was going to take a special effort to eliminate four-time defending 5A champion Southeast Polk in Friday's quarterfinals. If Liberty were to do that to the resilient Rams, you'd have figured Rettig would serve in a starring role. And you'd have been right. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the 31-28 Lightning victory, the senior signal caller completed 21 of 33 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns. He also led Liberty with 62 rushing yards on 12 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What makes Rettig so difficult to defend is his ability to throw from the pocket, pass on the move and run with the ball. It often looks like he will exhaust all of those options on a given play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401671' first='Drew' last='Thompson'], SR, RB, Southeast Polk - </strong>Despite the Southeast Polk run ending at four titles in a row, Thompson went out with a bang. The senior rushed 20 times for 154 yards and a pair of scores. For the season, he finished with 987 yards and 12 TDs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1619319' first='Jackson' last='Law'], SR, DE, Iowa City West - </strong>The Trojans couldn't keep up with top-ranked Dowling Friday night, but Law shined for West in defeat. As he has done all season, the senior operated with great tempo and relentless pursuit in piling up 8.5 tackles (5 solo, 2.0 TFL), a sack and a forced fumble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Law has been a breakout prospect this fall. With that and room still to grow, plenty of colleges should see the potential here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1241492' first='Jeffrey' last='Roberts'], SR, WR, Dowling Catholic - </strong>When Iowa City West did manage to slow down [player_tooltip player_id='856072' first='Ian' last='Middleton'] on Friday, it then had to content with Roberts. That didn't go so well, either.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Iowa State commitment made the most of his opportunities, catching three passes for 86 yards and two scores. He's up for 43 receptions for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1619520' first='Blake' last='Ludwig'], SR, DB, Waukee Northwest - </strong>An explosive Sioux City East offense had the Wolves' defense on its heels at times on Friday, but the winners found ways to come up with big stops in key moments. That included Ludwig's second interception of the night, which, for all intents and purposes, sealed this one for Northwest. The senior also delivered 6.0 tackles (5 solo, 1.0 TFL). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1204437' first='Jordon' last='Green'], WR/KR, JR, Waukee Northwest - </strong>Green had one of the top highlights during a game filled with memorable and impactful moments. The junior flashed his big-play ability by returning a kick 97 yards for a touchdown. He also led the Wolves with six receptions for 108 yards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->