Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Clear Creek Amana (4-2) at Davenport Assumption (4-2)

Where: Brady Street Stadium, 7:30 p.m.  

Last season: Clear Creek Amana 17, Davenport Assumption 7

Player to watch: Davenport Assumption senior quarterback Tyler Kulhanek (5-9, 160) is a true dual threat, passing for 576 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for a team-high 488 yards and six scores.  

Key stat: Clear Creek Amana has racked up over 400 yards of total offense in all four of its victories, averaging 429 yards in those games, but has managed an average of just 257 yards per game in its two losses.

About the Knights: Don’t expect a lot of points on the board in this matchup between two of the better defense teams in Class 3A.

Davenport Assumption enters allowing just 10.3 points per game this season and hasn’t given up more than 17 points in a game.

The Knights closed non-district play with back-to-back losses to top-three opponents Cedar Rapids Xavier and Solon but have opened district action with consecutive wins over Clinton and Central DeWitt.

Offensively Assumption relied heavily upon the play of Kulhanek who has accounted for 12 of the Knights 21 touchdowns this season.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana dropped its district opener to Liberty High but got back on track in a big way last week with a 43-0 win over Clinton.

The Clippers are still in the district race but have a tough road ahead beginning Thursday with back-to-back road games against District 5 unbeatens Assumption and North Scott (5-1).

For Clear Creek Amana it all starts defensively where the Clippers are holding opponents to 16.7 points per game.

Junior Ryan Navara has taken ahold of the quarterback position and is completing 59 percent of his passes while throwing for 834 yards and nine touchdowns.

The three-headed running back committee of Alec Figuera, Cole Pfister and Gage Freeman has combined to rush for 947 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

City High (2-4) at Pleasant Valley (2-4)

Where: Pleasant Valley High School, 7:15 p.m.

Last season: Pleasant Valley 38, City High 21

Player to watch: Pleasant Valley junior quarterback Ryan Mumey (6-2, 185) passed for 419 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 273 yards and three touchdowns through five games.

Key stat: City High is 3-2 when it rushes for more than 200 yards over the past two seasons and 1-9 when it fails to run for at least 200 yards.

About the Little Hawks: City High dropped to 1-1 in district play with a 43-19 loss to Davenport Central last week after opening district play with a 10-7 home win over Muscatine.

City High trailed 22-12 after three quarters but couldn’t slow the Davenport North rushing attack in the final 12 minutes, allowing 21 fourth-quarter points.

There were positives for the Little Hawks in the loss. Junior quarterback Raph Hamilton threw for a career-high 198 yards, City High returned a pair of kick offs for touchdowns and forced two turnovers.

Tightening up a rush defense that allowed 336 yards last week will be a key against an always potent Pleasant Valley ground game.

About the Spartans: Pleasant Valley has won two of its last three games after an 0-3 start to the season that featured losses to teams with a combined record of 14-4.

The Spartans earned road wins at Davenport Central (46-7) and Muscatine (30-27) around a 24-7 home loss to West High in its district opener.

Pleasant Valley has followed a nearly identical path to its 2018 season when it started 2-4 with losses to the same four teams before a week six win over Muscatine jump started a four-game winning streak to close the regular season.

Included in that four-game stretch to close the season was a 38-21 win at City High.

Davenport North (4-2) at West High (1-5)

Where: Trojan Field, 7:15 p.m.

Last season: West High 35, Davenport North 0

Player to watch: Davenport North senior quarterback Jack West (5-10, 175) is a three-year starter that has passed for 1,229 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 262 yards and five scores this season.

Key stat: Defending the pass has been critical for Davenport North this season. In four wins the Wildcats have given up an average of 83 yards through the air and allowed one touchdown pass while collecting three interceptions. In its two losses North has allowed an average of 289 passing yards with five touchdown tosses and no interceptions.

About the Wildcats: Following a 30-7 loss at Linn-Mar in its district opener Davenport North got back on track and stayed in the district title hunt with a 43-19 win over City High last Thursday.

Davenport North revved up its running game in the win over the Little Hawks rushing for a season-high 336 yards.

Senior Kade Schultz (5-9, 170) has rushed for a team-high 359 yards and is joined in the backfield by Koby Dirks (6-0, 210) who rushed 10 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns in his first action last week.

The Wildcats have a solid receiving trio led by Priest Sheedy who has caught a team-high 35 passes for 406 yards and two touchdowns while Quincy Wiseman has 22 grabs for 341 yards and Trevor Collins has 13 grabs for 216 yards and two scores.

About the Trojans: West High let a 12-7 halftime lead slip away in a 28-12 loss to Linn-Mar last week that dropped the Trojans to 1-1 in district play.

The loss to district leader Linn-Mar leaves West High no room for error in the district race making the rest of the schedule a must win if the Trojans are to extend their postseason streak to nine years in a row.

West High got a boost in the running game last week from junior Tyuss Bell who rushed for a career-high 103 yards in the loss to Linn-Mar, giving the Trojans their first 100-yard rusher of the season.

Marcus Morgan has thrown for 1,224 yards and eight touchdowns with Grahm Goering catching 29 passes for 420 yards and five touchdowns.

North Linn (5-1) at No. 10 Regina (5-1)

Where: Regal Field, 7 p.m.

Last season: Regina 35, North Linn 12

Player to watch: North Linn senior quarterback Austin Miller (6-2, 180) has passed for 750 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 349 yards and seven scores.

Key stat: In two district games Regina is holding opponents to 81 rushing yards per game on just 2.8 yards per carry.

About the Lynx: North Linn rebounded from a 62-14 loss at top-ranked Dike-New Hartford in its district opener to hold off Jesup 20-13 last week.

The Lynx have been solid defensively holding opponents to 278 yards and 17.5 points per game and have held every opponent except Dike-New Hartford under 300 yards of total offense.

Offensively North Linn goes as Miller goes, with the senior quarterback accounting for 16 touchdowns on the season.

However, there are playmakers around Miller. Senior running back Brennan Becker (5-10, 190) has rushed for 430 yards and five touchdowns and sophomore Austin Hilmer (5-10, 150) has caught a team-high 24 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns.

About the Regina: The Regals continued to steamroll their way through district competition with a 30-7 road win at South Hardin last week.

Since a shutout loss to 3A second-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier in its season opener Regina is averaging 415 total yards and 43 points per game.

Regina continued its steady defensive play last week and is holding opponents to 279 yards and 21.3 points per game while forcing 12 turnovers in six games.

Junior Theo Kolie has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games after running for a career-high 139 yards last week and leads the Regals with 401 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

Ashton Cook has passed for 1,403 yards and 16 touchdowns with just two interceptions.

No. 3 Solon (6-0) at Mount Pleasant (5-1)

Where: Mount Pleasant, 7:30 p.m.  

Last season: Solon 34, Mount Pleasant 28

Player to watch: Mount Pleasant junior running back Jack Johnson (5-11, 180) has gone over 100 yards rushing in three of the last four games and has rushed for a team-high 552 yards ands seven touchdowns this season.

Key stat: Mount Pleasant senior quarterback Brody Bender has thrown 16 touchdowns and just one interception this season helping the Panthers to a +10 turnover margin on the season.

About the Panthers: The Panthers have won four straight following a 55-20 loss to Pella in week two and are outscoring opponents by an average of 35 points per game during their four-game winning streak.

The recent string of success for Mount Pleasant starts on defense where the Panthers are allowing just 9.3 points and 197 total yards per game after giving up 608 total yards and 55 points in the loss to Pella.

Offensively the Panthers rely on a power run game featuring Johnson and senior Logan Ball (5-11, 200) who has rushed for 490 yards and six touchdowns.

Bender (6-4, 170) has passed for 1,117 yards and 16 touchdowns with Rylan Seberg catching 25 passes for 588 yards and eight touchdowns.

About the Spartans: Solon rallied from a 20-7 halftime deficit with 28 unanswered points in the second half to down No. 10 Washington last week and can take put a stranglehold on the district race with a second consecutive road win.

The Spartans held an explosive Washington offense to 227 total yards on 3.4 yards per play last week and will need another strong outing against a Mount Pleasant team that ranks third in Class 3A averaging 404 total yards per game and is second in 3A averaging 8.1 yards per play.

Solon has been up to the task defensively all season holding opponents 9 points and 183 yards per game on just 3.6 yards per play.

Senior quarterback Cam Miller rushed for a career-high 169 yards last week and has thrown for 1,201 yards and 15 touchdowns this season with AJ Coons catching 28 passes for 526 yards and six scores.

Northeast (1-5) at No. 5 West Branch (6-0)

Where: The Little Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

Last season: West Branch 28, Northeast 0

Player to watch: Northeast senior running back Dakota Stevenson (6-1, 190) has rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns and caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Key stat: West Branch has forced 14 turnovers this season returning five for touchdowns.

About the Rebels: Northeast dropped to 0-2 in district play with a 36-18 loss to Cascade last week after falling to Dyersville Beckman 56-21 in its district opener.

The Rebels are allowing 34.5 points per game this season and have give up at least 28 points in all five of their losses.

Stevenson is the focal point for the Northeast offense which is led by senior quarterback Riley Wolfe (6-0, 155) who has thrown for 730 yards and seven touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Cade Hughes has been the top target for Wolfe catching 23 passes for 329 yards while Trey McAleer is averaging 32.9 yards per reception with three of his seven grabs going for touchdowns.

About the Bears: West Branch remained undefeated with a 42-21 win at North Cedar last week and is 2-0 in district play.

The Bears continued to do it with defense, scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns last week and are holding opponents to 18.2 points and 216 total yards per game.

West Branch has allowed more than 264 total yards just one time this season and has held five opponents under 140 yards rushing.

Junior quarterback Gavin Hierseman has passed for 957 yards and 13 touchdowns with just two interceptions with Trey Eagle hauling in a team-high 23 passes for 503 yards and nine scores.

Tanner Lukavsky leads the Bear running game with 575 yards and five touchdowns and has also caught 17 passes for 263 yards and four scores.

Liberty High (4-2) at Central DeWitt (2-4)

Where: DeWitt, 7:15 p.m.

Last season: Central DeWitt 35, Liberty High 0

Player to watch: Central DeWitt junior quarterback Henry Bloom has passed for 746 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 228 yards and two touchdowns.

Key stat: Liberty High has run 60 or more offensive plays in four games this season and no Liberty High opponent has run more than 54 offensive plays against the Lightning this year.

About the Sabers: Central DeWitt enters riding a three-game losing streak in which it has lost a pair of games by three points including a 17-14 setback to Davenport Assumption last week.

The Sabers outgained Assumption 353 to 103 but committed five turnovers while dropping to 0-2 in district play following a 42-21 loss at North Scott in its district opener.

A year after averaging nearly three times as many rushing as passing yards the Sabers have found some balance on offense behind the play of Bloom at quarterback.

Central DeWitt is averaging 141 passing yards per game and 139 rushing yards per contest with senior Caleb Pace leading the team with 243 rushing yards on 6.8 yards per carry.

Senior Logan Paulsen has emerged as the top receiving threat for Bloom, catching 19 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns while Tucker Kinney has 20 receptions for 194 yards and two scores.

About the Lightning: Liberty High used its power running game to control the time of possession against North Scott last week but the fifth-ranked Lancers made enough plays to earn a 24-10 win.

The Lightning need to close the season with three consecutive wins to stay in the 3A playoff hunt and close the year with back-to-back home games making its road trip to DeWitt a critical matchup.

Liberty High ran for 210 yards against a stout North Scott defense last week and is averaging better than 255 yards per game on the ground this season. However, Liberty had a season-low eight yards passing last week and has thrown for more than 61 yards since week three.

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