Scouting Reports: State Semis 5A Guys on the Rise

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: howe30 in the coupon code area   Prep Redzone Iowa was in the house for all of last week's state semifinals. Please check out the front page of the site for recaps, reactions and photo galleries from the games, eight-player through Class 5A.   Now that I'm back at my desk, I'm going through my mental rolodex of what I witnessed. The results will be a "Guys on the Rise" series of fresh scouting reports from what I saw.   We'll start with 5A:    During its rise into being one of the top teams in 5A the last two seasons, Liberty has utilized multi-dimensional skill position players. These dudes often deliver on both sides of the ball. It's necessary with enrollment being 25th among 36 schools in the classification. Like the program's standard bearers, Dallas Miller and Sutton Koller, Reiners operates with great tempo. He plays fast and competes all out on every snap. It was noticeable during Friday night's win against Waukee Northwest. Quick-twitch traits and burst aid him when operating in space. They show up when the Lighting put the ball in his hands or defensively when employed in the secondary. There, Reiners quickly changes directions in coverage and gets downhill in run support. Against the Wolves, he contributed six receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown along with four solo tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.     I've starting referencing Liberty for having a type of dude with similar football characteristics at its skill positions. These guys often are utilized on both sides of the ball. They're quick-twitch athletes with burst and potential to deliver big plays. Clerry flashed those abilities when scouting him in person three times this season. Put the ball in his hands, he gains yards in chunks. Line him up in the secondary, and he'll fly to the football. His production in a 5A semifinal victory against Waukee Northwest included 4.0 tackles (3 solo) and four receptions. For the season, he rushed for three touchdowns and scored three more on receptions. Clerry posted 14 solo tackles (1.5 TFL), picked off a pair of passes and defended four passes. The arrow is pointing up here.     Green already is our No. 4 receiver in the 2027 Class and 59th prospect overall. He not only justified that ranking this season, he made a case for being higher in the upcoming update. Green led the Wolves in catches (68), receiving yards (1,189) and touchdown grabs (14) in 2025. He averaged 28.7 yards and scored a TD on 12 kick returns, and returned four punts for a 22.5-yard averaged, housing one of them. Explosion is his calling card. Quickness and speed aren't far behind. It was good to see that in person during the state semifinals against Liberty. It confirmed what we can see on film. He caught six balls for 49 yards with a 12-yard touchdown. His 20-yard kick return provided evidence of burst and quick-cutting ability. He visited Iowa and Northern Iowa this fall, and has been invited to games by South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Wyoming, Army and Miami (OH).     Booth impressed me when I saw him in person against rival Dowling during the state semifinals last season. He did the same during this year's final four matchup versus the Maroons. Booth is a bull in the middle of the line. He's strong and operates with excellent pad level. He's sharpened himself technically during the last year and added strength. There's no doubt he's trending up and should get himself in front of college scouts at camps this offseason. During the 2025 semis, Booth contributed six tackles, a tackle and half for loss, and half a sack. He moves the pile and operates with a good motor. For his junior year, Booth finished with 27.0 tackles (12 solo, 10.0 TFL) and 5.0 sacks. He's also a guy that I think could find success on the offensive line.     I just wrote about Blount Jr. during the regular season after watching him operate against Kennedy at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids. I felt compelled to file another report after seeing his performance in a state semifinal win against rival Valley at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The junior piled up a team-best 10.0 tackles, four of which were solo. He's fast to the football and his quickness makes him tough for the blocker to square up. When they do, he uses his hands well to separate from blocks. Blount Jr.'s frame can comfortably add mass and strength without the loss of the athleticism he leans heavily upon now. The junior headed into the 5A title game with a team-high 60.5 tackles (35 solo, 3.5 TFL) and 2.5 sacks. Blount Jr. also forced and recovered a fumble in 2025.     Keeping track of all the talented performers on the Dowling offensive line has been a chore the last few years. That's a good thing for the Maroons. I was drawn to Thomas' work during this year's state semifinal victory against rival Valley. The Tigers wisely stayed away from super sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1583613' first='Carter' last='Barrett'] on the left side, but didn't find a great deal of success off the right tackle, either. Thomas is a linear prospect that looks every bit of the 6-foot-5 at which he's listed. He has long arms that help him control the pass rusher and long legs to make up ground on quickness off the edge. His projectable frame can comfortably add mass and strength without him losing his high-end agility and athleticism.

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