IA Class 4A Recap From Week 2 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we move higher across the conference levels through the week, the more action we saw in terms of nail-biters and matchups that established who is starting to rise to the top through the most prevalent and visible teams across the state. Week 2 across the 4A conference did not disappoint, with many more games in comparison to the other conferences in the state leaving fans on the edges of their seats throughout. We take a look today at the top results and standouts from Class 4A Iowa through week 2 of the 2026 high school football season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Top Games:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Waverly-Shell Rock</strong> vs. Pella: <strong>7-3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>One of the biggest shockers of the week was watching the Go-Hawks take down one of the Goliaths of the 4A conference in Pella in a low-scoring battle. It was a matchup where neither team could really get anything going offensively throughout, with the game scoreless until early in the 2nd half when Pella finally got on the board with a field goal. By far, Pella surged past the Go-Hawks in terms of total production offensively, racking up 257 yards of offense compared to the Go-Hawks' 142 yards, but they missed the mark on several 4th down conversion attempts, allowing the Go-Hawks to find a crease, and with just under 2 minutes left in the game, the Go-Hawks finally struck with a 58 yard TD play to take the lead. The Dutch drove inside the Go-Hawks' 25 yard line, but in the end, their last ditch hail-mary attempt failed, giving the Go-Hawks a signature win in one of the biggest upsets of the week by far. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Top Performer: Parker Holmgaard (JR) - </strong>Holmgaard provided the Go-Hawks with the spark that they needed on both offense and defense. Defensively, he co-led the team with 7 tackles (4 solo), and ultimately, he was the recipient of the 58 yard TD pass in the final 2 minutes that propelled the Go-Hawks to victory. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Carroll vs. <strong>Spencer: 33-30</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Despite being a 4A over 3A victory, it was a big upset for Spencer taking down one of the top 3A teams in the state in Carroll. The game proved to be an exciting one; much more competitive compared to their previous matchup last season. The two teams traded blows throughout, but thanks in part to 2 pivotal interceptions thrown by Carroll along with several miscues on their part, Spencer was able to take advantage of this opportunity and build a 33-22 lead during the 4th quarter. Carroll responded with a late score, but their last ditch onside kick effort failed, allowing Spencer to run out the clock, securing their 2nd straight win over Carroll to propel them to a 2-0 start. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='2105381' first='Larson' last='Vulk'] (JR) - </strong>Vulk had a near perfect performance under Center given the circumstances and opponent, delivering on nearly every opportunity he was given. Vulk finished the game 7 of 11 for 194 yards and 3 TDs passing while leading the team with 70 rushing yards on 13 carries (5.4 YPC) and 2 rushing TDs. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>ADM</strong> vs. Ballard: <strong>34-31</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>One of the most exciting battles between two foes to start the season, both the Tigers and the Bombers gave everything their opponent could handle on Friday night. Despite having lost the last 3 matchups to ADM, with the last 2 ending up as blowouts, Ballard fought through a 28-16 deficit in the 4th quarter and went down swinging, ultimately outpacing the Tigers in total yardage (361-340). Ultimately, it was the strength of the Tigers' run game, which compiled 227 yards on the ground (8.4 YPC) that carried through, allowing them to hold on and run down the clock to clinch a 2-0 start, along with their 4th straight win over the Bombers. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='2119929' first='Daniel' last='Storck'] (SO) - </strong>Storck has stepped up in a big way under Center for the Tigers, and he led the offense very well on Friday night. Storck finished 10 of 17 for 123 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT while rushing for a team high 116 yards on just 10 carries and a rushing TD. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sergeant Bluff-Luton</strong> vs. Lewis Central: <strong>33-28</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>These two foes have boasted a tight rivalry, and prior to the Warriors' win last season, the Titans were riding a 5-game winning streak over the Warriors. Much like last season, the outcome was a close one on Friday. The two teams battled hard, persevering as both teams put up big numbers offensively, with the Warriors edging out the Titans (365-334). Ultimately, trailing 33-21 in the 4th quarter, the Titans found an opportunity, scoring to cut the deficit to 5 and recovering the following onside kick to give them the ball back. However, the Titans could only reach the Warriors' 25 yard line before being stopped on 4th down, allowing the Warriors to run out the clock and earn their second straight win in this rivalry. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Top Performer: Emmet Kneifl (SR) - </strong>Kneifl delivered as an effective two-way player for the Warriors that gave the Titans a headache all night. Kneifl ran for 47 yards and a TD on the ground while finishing 2nd on the offense with 41 receiving yards on 3 catches. Defensively, he recorded 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, and a FF. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Xavier</strong> vs. Western Dubuque: <strong>21-13</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>In a game where extreme weather pushed back the night for the players, Xavier was ultimately able to overcome the elements and deliver a well-rounded performance to finish with the exact same outcome and score from last season for the win. Xavier enjoyed a balanced offensive performance which rounded up a total of 325 yards of offense, and despite the 2 INTs they threw on offense, the Saints ultimately were able to shut down the Bobcats almost the entire night, limiting them to just 42 yards over the air, as well as being almost completely one-dimensional as a unit. The win allows Xavier to hold on to their standing as the premier force of the 4A conference as they look to defend their title. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='1618776' first='Dawson' last='Doyle'] (SR) - </strong>Doyle generated a significant portion of the Saints' total offensive production on Friday night, rushing for 130 yards on 26 carries (5 YPC) and 2 rushing TDs. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Notable Results from Week 2:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waterloo East</strong> vs. Marshalltown: <strong>68-22</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Webster city vs. <strong>Fort Dodge: 57-0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mason City vs. <strong>Gilbert: 44-6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Polk</strong> vs. Newton: <strong>39-13</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davenport North vs. <strong>Clear Creek Amana: 38-17</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Denison-Schleswig vs. <strong>Atlantic: 36-7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Sioux City vs. <strong>Sioux City North: 30-0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harlan Community vs. <strong>Glenwood: 28-19</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carlisle</strong> vs. Indianola: <strong>27-23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oskaloosa vs. <strong>Burlington: 26-21</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cedar Rapids Washington vs. <strong>North Scott: 21-3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bondurant-Farrar vs. <strong>Grinnell: 21-15</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perry vs. <strong>Boone: 13-12</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Council Bluffs Jefferson vs. <strong>Storm Lake: 7-6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Top 10 Standouts from Week 2:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB [player_tooltip player_id='2105381' first='Larson' last='Vulk'] (JR) - Spencer: 7/11, 194 yards, 3 TDs, 13 carries, 70 rushing yards (5.4 YPC), 2 rushing TDs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB [player_tooltip player_id='1644900' first='Tru' last='McBride'] (SR) - Fort Dodge: 7/11, 185 yards, 1 TD, 7 carries, 33 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs, 2 2PT conversions, 2 punts, 43.5 yards per punt</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RB William McElroy (SR) - Fort Dodge: 11 carries, 236 rushing yards (21.5 YPC), 2 rushing TDs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RB [player_tooltip player_id='1583687' first='Braydan' last='Doss'] (JR) - Lewis Central: 26 carries, 234 rushing yards (9 YPC), 3 rushing TDs, 24 kick return yards</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WR Shelton Bendlin (SR) - Spencer: 5 receptions, 155 yards (31 YPC), 2 receiving TDs, 2 tackles, 1 punt (45 yards)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WR [player_tooltip player_id='2252373' first='Trace' last='Hansen'] (FR) - ADM: 4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 receiving TD, 142 total return yards, 1 kick return TD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL Elliott Green (SR) - Denison-Schleswig: 9 tackles (7 solo), 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL [player_tooltip player_id='2228951' first='Leif' last='Jorgensen'] (SR) - ADM: 8.5 tackles (6 solo), 2 TFLs, 2 sacks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB Mykel Benedict (SO) - Fort Dodge: 3.5 tackles (3 solo), 2 INTs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB [player_tooltip player_id='1644914' first='Kyler' last='Van Maanen'] (SR) - Pella: 7 tackles (6 solo), 3 TFLs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->