Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 4A

No. 6 Dubuque Hempstead (7-1) at No. 7 West High (5-0)

Where: Trojan Field, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play.

Player to Watch: Dubuque Hempstead senior quarterback Aidan Dunne (6-0, 195) has passed for 1,531 yards and 11 touchdowns and has also rushed for a team-high 554 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Key Stat: Two of the most productive offensive teams in the state Dubuque Hempstead (36.5 and 386) and West High (40.2 and 398) are both averaging better than 36 points and 386 total yards per game. Combined the teams have scored more than 35 points in eight of 13 games this season.

About the Mustangs: Dubuque Hempstead has already enjoyed the best season in recent history and will look to add on with its first quarterfinal appearance in more than a decade.

The Mustangs snapped a string of four consecutive four-win seasons and have already posted their highest win total than more than a decade.

With a win over Friday the Mustangs would win eight games for the first time since 2010 and haven’t been to the 4A quarterfinals since 2009.

Hempstead stretched its winning streak to six with a 42-7 win over Liberty High in its layoff opener last week and has been rolling since a 40-37 loss at Western Dubuque in week two.

The Mustangs are averaging 36.5 points per game this season and have been impressive defensively during their current winning streak.

Since allowing 40 points in the week-two loss to the defending 3A champions the Mustangs haven’t given up more than 20 points in a game and are holding opponents to 14.5 points per game during their six-game winning streak.

Balance is the name of the game for a Dunne-led Mustang offense that averages better than 386 total yards per game.

The Mustangs are averaging 195 rushing yards per game and 191 passing yards per game.

Dunne is the leading rusher with 554 yards while senior tailbacks Zach Sabers (6-3, 210) and Jalen Smith (6-0, 220) have combined for 722 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Six different players have more than 100 yards receiving led by senior Jackson Ostrander (5-11, 175) who has caught 33 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns.

About the Trojans: After a rare playoff miss last season West High is seeking a to return to the 4A quarterfinals for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

West High has been impressive from the opening kick this season, winning five consecutive games by an average of 26 points per game despite having its season paused for three weeks in September.

The Trojans seemed to have worked off any rust that may have accumulated during that stretch averaging 39 points in three games since the layoff.

The offense has gotten the attention this season and for good reason, West High is averaging 398 total yards and 40.2 points per game while averaging 8.2 yards per play.

However, the defense has been nearly as impressive. West High is holding opponents to 259 total yards and 14.2 points per game.

Senior quarterback Marcus Morgan leads the West High offense and has thrown for 1,165 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one interception while completing 71 percent of his passes.

Trey King has rushed for a team-high 419 yards and three touchdowns while Fabian Brown is averaging 6.8 yards per carry while rushing for 170 yards.

Grahm Goering leads five West High players with more than 100 yards receiving this season with 18 receptions for 377 yards and eight touchdowns.

Damarion Williams has caught 16 passes for 280 yards and four scores and Mikey Brown has 15 receptions for 216 yards and a touchdown.

The Trojans have forced eight turnovers in five games, returning a pair of interceptions for scores and have also returned a kick off for a touchdown.

Class 2A

Independence (6-1) at No. 7 Solon (6-2)

Where: Spartan Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play. ­

Player to Watch: Independence junior running back Marcus Beatty (5-9, 200) is averaging nearly 205 yards per game on the season, rushing for 1,434 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry.

Key Stat: Solon is holding opponents to 109 rushing yards per game this season and has allowed more than 100 rushing yards in a game just three times. Independence enters averaging 228 rushing yards per game and Beatty has been over 180 yards himself in seven of eight games.

About the Spartans: After a bye week to open the postseason Solon picked up right where it left off at the end of the regular season, stretching its winning streak to six with a 41-12 win over Oelwein in the second round.

Solon has scored 41 or more points in five of its past six games and is averaging better than 39 points per contest during its current six-game winning streak.

The offense has been clicking for Solon but it has been the Spartan defense that has been the backbone of the six-game winning streak.

Solon hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in any of its six wins and is holding teams to 8.8 points and 207 total yards per game during its winning streak.

The Spartans are allowing just 109 yards per game on the ground and have more interceptions (5) than touchdown passes allowed (4) this season.

Offensively Solon has relied on a power running game that is producing 256 yards per game and has scored multiple touchdowns in each of the past six games.

Senior Jackson Ryan leads the Spartans with 865 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns while junior Hayden Taylor has rushed for 488 yards and six scores.

Sophomore quarterback Blake Timmons has run for 548 yards and seven scores and has thrown for 858 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions.

Senior Colton Hoffman is the top target for Timmons with 23 receptions for 524 yards and nine touchdowns while junior Carson Miller has caught 15 passes for 184 yards and two scores.

About the Mustangs: These two WAMAC Conference rivals have more in common this season than just conference affiliation. Like Solon, Independence dropped down to 2A this season after a playoff appearance in Class 3A last fall.

The Mustangs went 9-0 in the regular season a year ago before falling to Pella in its playoff opener.

Since a 42-18 loss at sixth-ranked Camanche in week two the Mustangs have been rolling, ripping off five consecutive wins while averaging better than 37 points per game.

That five-game winning streak for Independence started with a 34-0 victory at Oelwein and featured a 44-9 postseason win over Iowa Falls last week.

Independence has been solid defensively this season, limiting opponents to single digit scoring outputs in five of seven games while allowing just 140 rushing yards per game.

Offensively, it all starts with Beatty who ranks third in Class 2A with 1,434 yards on the ground.

Beatty has also caught six passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns and returned a punt for a touchdown.

The Mustangs offense is led by sophomore quarterback Mitchell Johnson (5-10, 180) who has passed for 925 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions.

Junior Keegan Schmitt (5-9, 160) has been the top target for Johnson with 19 receptions for 229 yards and three touchdowns while junior Kobe Beatty (5-9, 150) has caught 14 passes for 374 yards and five scores.

Class A

Alburnett (6-2) at No. 3 Regina (7-1)

Where: Regal Field, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play.

Player to Watch: Senior quarterback Hunter Caves (6-2, 185) has passed for 665 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 194 yards and five more scores. Caves also has 20 tackles and a team-high three interceptions.

Key Stat: Regina has a player that ranks in the top four in Class A in passing touchdowns (Ashton Cook), rushing touchdowns (Theo Kolie) and receiving touchdowns (Alec Wick).

About the Pirates: One of the most improved teams in the state, Alburnett ranks as one of the best stories in the state in any class this season.

Alburnett went from one win a year ago to 6-2 with a spot in the round of 16 this season after a 25-12 win over Belle Plaine in the second round last Friday. The six wins are the most for the Pirates since going 7-2 in 2017.

The Pirates opened the season 1-2 with back-to-back losses to top-10 teams MFL Mar-Mac (35-13) and Edgewood-Colesburg (7-0).

Since the loss to No. 4 Edgewood-Colesburg on September 11 the Pirates have rattled off five straight wins including back-to-back postseason victories over Highland and Belle Plaine.

Defense has been the calling card for Alburnett during its turnaround, holding opponents to 11.8 points per game during its five-game winning streak.

The Alburnett offense is led by Caves and senior tailback Shane Neighbor (6-1, 196) who has rushed for 550 yard and five touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

Kale Rose (5-8, 150) has caught a team-high 16 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns while Gavin Soukup has 12 receptions for 180 yards and a score.

Senior Reed Stallman (6-4, 180) leads the Pirate defense with a team-high 66.5 tackles, including eight for loss and has recovered two fumbles.

About the Regals: Regina returned to the state semifinals for the ninth time in the past ten seasons last fall and the Regals appear to be trending toward making second consecutive UNI-Dome trip this fall.

The Regals have won seven straight since a season-opening loss to Class 4A fourth-ranked Pleasant Valley after a 42-0 shutout of Wapello in its playoff opener last week.

Regina has scored at least 42 points in each of its past six games and is averaging 51 points per game during that stretch.

The Regals have been stellar offensively all season behind the senior trio of Ashton Cook, Theo Kolie and Alec Wick.

Regina is averaging 412 total yards and 42.5 points per game while averaging 8.1 yards per play.

Cook ranks second in Class A with 1,655 passing yards, throwing for 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Wick has hauled in 41 passes for 745 yards (second in Class A) and has caught a Class A best 13 touchdown passes.

Kolie has rushed for 1,091 yards and 23 touchdowns while averaging 9 yards per carry.

Regina has been nearly as impressive on defense, holding teams to 261 total yards and 18.5 points per game.

During its current seven-game winning streak the Regals have held tams to 230 yards per game and hasn’t allowed more than 22 points in a game while posting a pair of shutouts.

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