Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 4A No. 5 Cedar Falls (9-1) at Class 4A No. 1 West High (10-0)

Where: Trojan Field, 7 p.m.

Last Meeting: West High 32, Cedar Falls 31 OT (Week 3)

Player to Watch: Cedar Falls junior running back Sam Gary (5-11, 198) has rushed for 1,481 yards and 18 touchdowns and averages 7.5 yards per carry.  

Key Stat: Cedar Falls has allowed a total of 38 points in seven consecutive wins since allowing 32 points to West High in a week three loss.

About the Trojans: West High revved up its running game last week rushing for a season-high 381 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-7 opening round win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

The lone remaining unbeaten team in Class 4A, West High has been dominant since its overtime win over Cedar Falls in week three outscoring opponents by more than 36 points per game.

Under the director of senior quarterback Evan Flitz the Trojan offense has been impressive.

West High is averaging 44.9 points and 456 yards per game and has had 421 or more yards in eight of nine games.

The lone team to hold the Trojans under 421 yards this season was Cedar Falls which allowed 379.

Flitz has passed for 2,197 yards and 25 touchdowns with just three interceptions while Trumell Roberts and Andre White have combined for 1,164 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.

About the Tigers: The lone blemish for the Tigers was the one-point, overtime setback to West High in week three and Cedar Falls has been impressive in seven games since.

Cedar Falls has allowed seven points or less in six straight games after a 28-7 win over eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie in its playoff opener last week.

Defense has been the calling card for the Tigers all season.

Cedar Falls is allowing 10.2 points and 181 total yards per game and has been especially stingy against the run, holding opponents to 77 yards per game and just 2.8 yards per rush.

The Tigers haven’t allowed more than 265 yards in a game since West High put up 379 in week three and have held seven opponents under 200 yards of total offense.

On offense the Tigers have relied on a powerful offensive line and Gary to carry the load while senior quarterback Luke Gillett has thrown for 1,452 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The top target for Gillett has been Blake Christensen who has caught 32 passes for 677 yards and 12 touchdowns.

West Delaware (8-2) at Class 3A No. 1 Solon (10-0)

Where: Spartan Stadium, 7 p.m.  

Last Meeting: West Delaware 37, Solon 14 (2015 2nd Round)

Player to Watch: West Delaware junior running back Kaleb Kehrli (6-0, 176) has rushed for 1,101 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Key Stat: In two losses Kehrli has 64 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries and has rushed for 1,037 yards and 16 touchdowns in eight wins.

About the Spartans: Solon used another dominating defensive effort to return to the 3A quarterfinals for the second straight season, forcing three turnovers and holding Decorah to 168 total yards in a 34-2 win.

The Spartans have posted six shutouts this season and have more forced turnovers (30) than points they allowed (23).

Solon will face another stiff test in a balanced West Delaware offense that averages 391 yards and 32 points per game.

The Spartans counter with their own balanced attack that has scored 33 points or more in nine straight games.

Sophomore quarterback Cam Miller has 22 touchdown passes and just four interceptions and has a touchdown pass in nine straight games.

The Spartans have a pair of running backs with more than 750 rushing yards in senior Kendrick Harris (756 yards) and junior Hunter Kula (798 yards) and two receivers with more than 395 yards in sophomore AJ Coons (21 catches, 439 yards) and senior Payton Bandy (22-395).

About the Hawks: A year after falling to Waverly-Shell Rock 28-14 in a 3A postseason opener the Hawks turned the tables with a 20-13 upset of the Go-Hawks last week.

West Delaware is a few plays away from being unbeaten with a pair of losses to Mount Vernon and Marion by a combined five points.

The Hawks last reached the state semifinals in 2015, knocking off Solon 37-14 in the second round that season.

For a repeat to happen this year West Delaware will likely need a big game from senior receiver Tyler Kelley (6-5, 181).

Kelley is responsible for 44 percent of the Hawks passing yardage this season with 55 receptions for 810 yards and six touchdowns.

Against a Solon defense that is allowing just 54 rushing yards per game it may be up to junior quarterback Nick Casey to move the ball through the air.

Casey is more than capable, passing for 1,835 yards and 14 touchdowns this season while completing 56 percent of his passes.

Wilton (9-1) at Class 1A No. 4 Regina (8-2)  

Where: Regal Field, 7 p.m.  

Last Meeting: Regina 49, Wilton 7 (Week 6)

Player to Watch: Wilton junior quarterback Jerome Mays has passed for 1,381 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,043 yards and 19 scores.

Key Stat: Regina has averaged 330 rushing yards and 8.8 yards per carry in its previous two meetings with Wilton.

About the Regals: Regina survived a major scare in its playoff opener as the Regals edged South Winneshiek 27-21 in double overtime for its 11th consecutive win in a postseason opener.

The win was the eighth straight for Regina after opening the season with back-to-back losses to top-three ranked Class 3A opponents Solon and Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Isaac Vollstedt rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns while battling an ankle injury in the opening round win.

Vollstedt leads Regina with 875 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and had 130 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries in a 49-7 win over Wilton in week six.

About the Beavers: The defense came up big for the Beavers last week as Wilton forced five turnovers, returning two for scores, in a 28-14 upset of seventh-ranked Bellevue.

Jerome Mays and Chantz Stevens each returned interceptions for scores as Wilton won its first playoff game since 2013.

The Beavers will need a similar effort on Friday if they are to avenge a 49-7 regular season loss to Regina in which they allowed 500 yards of offense and 10.2 yards per play.

Mays directs a Wilton offense that enters averaging 319 yards and 35.7 points per game and is the only player in Class 1A to have rushed for 1,000 and passed for 1,000 this season.