Playoffs: Five Difference Makes In Round Of 16

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All seven classifications hit the field Friday night for the round of 16 in the Iowa prep football playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And boy are we in for a treat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plenty of intriguing and interesting matchups are on the docket. Here is a look at five players who will have a key impact in their respective team either moving one step closer to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, or making that emotional post-game speech following a loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='320390' first='Aidan' last='Junker'] - Aplington-Parkersburg</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two historic programs square off as Aplington-Parkersburg entertains Western Christian in Class 1A action. Both also feature very talented dual-threat running backs. For the Falcons, senior [player_tooltip player_id='320390' first='Aidan' last='Junker'] makes the offense go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junker is an elusive back, running for over 830 yards and 14 touchdowns on just 125 carries. But, he also has great hands, catching 14 passes for 239 and two scores. And, on defense, Junker is the leading tackler with 43.5 stops, including eight for loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ability of Gavin Thomas and Aplington-Parkersburg to get Junker into space and perform will be important.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='156632' first='Jaxon' last='Cherry'] - Webster City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What is the best way to keep a high-octane offense off the field? Have a bruising, speedy running back to churn out yards and first downs, while also bleeding the clock. Look for Webster City to do just that when they meet Iowa City Liberty in Class 4A action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lynx, one of the top running teams in the state, are led by junior [player_tooltip player_id='156632' first='Jaxon' last='Cherry']. On the year, Cherry has 1,664 yards and 29 touchdowns on 194 carries, adding another 88 yards and a score in the air. He is also a key component of the Webster City defense with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To pull the upset and best Liberty and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='320562' first='Graham' last='Beckman'], expect plenty of Cherry along with his backfield mates [player_tooltip player_id='246727' first='Ty' last='McKinney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='152706' first='CJ' last='Hisler'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='247561' first='Ayden' last='Price'] - West Des Moines Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It looks weird to see West Des Moines Valley sitting at 5-4 and on the road to begin the Class 5A playoffs. But this has been a weird season, and you can bet the Tigers are just happy to still be playing. One thing they have going for them is senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='247561' first='Ayden' last='Price'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top uncommitted prospects in Iowa, the two-time elite all-stater with 4.46 speed is a difference-maker. He has 361 yards receiving on 40 catches, adding 185 yards more on the ground. Price has found his way to the end zone four times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='300098' first='Cole' last='Ritchie'] - Sioux City East</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='104081' first='JJ' last='Kohl'] gets the headlines going into Ankeny's matchup with Sioux City East, and rightfully so, but the Iowa State commit is far from the only standout quarterback set to take to the field. East features senior [player_tooltip player_id='300098' first='Cole' last='Ritchie'], and you can bet there is nothing Ritchie and the Black Raiders would like more than knocking Kohl and the Hawks out short of the UNI-Dome.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ritchie is a prototypical pocket passer, throwing for 2,559 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 184 of 278 passes. He has a standout target in senior [player_tooltip player_id='152853' first='Kelynn' last='Jacobsen'] who will give the Ankeny defense fits all night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='24024' first='Max' last='Burt'] - Mason City Newman</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='24024' first='Max' last='Burt'] is a Div. I athlete, as evident by his commitment to play baseball next year at the University of Iowa. But, now in his fourth season as the Mason City Newman quarterback, Burt is a superstar on the gridiron, as well. He enters a matchup with North Linn having thrown for over 1,500 yards, rushed for almost 500 and as a top tackler for the Knights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burt has consistently improved as a passer, sitting now at 120 of 192 on the year. He has 36 offensive touchdowns, having thrown for 24, ran in 11 and even caught one. On defense, he has three interceptions and 54.5 tackles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->