Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Week three was another strong week for Your Prep Sports area teams.

Class 1A fifth-ranked West Branch remained unbeaten with its third consecutive lopsided win while West High, City High, Regina and Clear Creek all improved to 2-1 on the season.

Lets dive into what we took away from week three in the area.

What Stood Out?

Regina

Regina continued to prove on Friday night there was no need to panic over it’s season-opening loss to top-ranked Williamsburg.

It’s a familiar formula that Regina has followed for more than a decade.
The Regals annually test themselves early against top-notch competition and then steadily improve.

Friday was another example of that as Regina (2-1) controlled the game from the outset in a 35-7 win over previously unbeaten Mid-Prairie.

Regina seems to have harnessed its two-quarterback situation with junior Gentry Dumont posting his best game of the season with 152 yards through the air and two touchdowns and senior Jack Tierney using his speed to rush for a team-high 83 yards and a score while throwing a touchdown pass.

Speedy junior Jackson Naeve has emerged as a nice threat on the outside catching four passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns and Ronan Poynton continued to make his presence felt defensively making 13.5 tackles from his middle linebacker spot.

Regina picked off four passes on Friday and held Mid-Prairie to 189 total yards.

The Regals are going to be just fine.

The Clear Creek Amana Defense

Since taking over at Clear Creek Amana last season Matt Haddy has discussed his affinity for playing complementary football.

Haddy wants to rely on a smother defense, play sound offense and be exceptional in special teams.

While perhaps not as explosive offensively as last year’s team with the likes of Ben Swails, Gage Freeman and Harrison Rosenberg this year’s group of Clippers is shaping up to be a Matt Haddy-type team.

Clear Creek Amana shut down another offense on Friday in a 31-6 road win at previously unbeaten Washington.

In three games this season the Clippers have allowed three touchdowns with one coming on a 51-yard desperation heave in the waning seconds of a 13-7 loss at Independence.

The three opponents for CCA this season, Marion, Independence and Washington, are averaging 25.5, 33.7 and 37.5 points per game in games against other teams.

Against the Clippers those three teams have scored 0, 13 and 6 points.

That’s stingy defense.

Christian Janis (Again)

It’s a broken record at this point and it’s only week three but Janis just keeps making plays and keeps making this list.

The senior receiver had five more receptions for 129 yards, a ho hum game by his early-season standards.

Janis also returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown and recovered a fumble.

In three games Janis has eight touchdowns coming via reception, punt return or interception return.

City High’s Offense

The Little Hawks hadn’t started slow by any means, averaging 408.5 total yards per game during a 1-1 start.

However, the Little Hawks kicked it up a notch on Friday.

City High (2-1) showed off its tempo early on Friday, grinded out a 94-yard touchdown drive with 11 consecutive running plays late and all-around impressed offensively while rolling up 463 total yards in a 55-19 win over Ames (2-1).

Drew Larson is a budding star at quarterback and was excellent once again completing 16-of-19 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns while also running for a score.

Ben Kueter is a force, we know this. Ronnie Major has elite speed, that too has been proven.

But Sam Rew made big plays, Akili Mattox had an impressive touchdown grab and the rest of the Little Hawk receivers looked more in sync with Larson on Friday.

Who Stepped up?

Tye Hughes

The West Branch senior signal caller did a little bit of everything while accounting for four touchdowns in a 59-0 win over Maquoketa Valley.

Hughes spun it, going 7-of-9 for 134 yards with touchdown tosses of 41 and 48 yards to Carver Boelk.

He ran it for 19 yards and a touchdown and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from tailback Andy Henson.

Hughes has been a boost for a West Branch offense that is only going to get better as the season progresses.

What’s Next?

Three Games to Watch Next Week

City High (2-1) at West Des Moines Dowling (2-1) – City High travels to West Des Moines to take on fifth-ranked West Des Moines Dowling which upset second-ranked Ankeny 17-10 on Friday.

Liberty High (2-1) at Clear Creek Amana (2-1) – The budding rivalry shifts to Tiffin after the Clippers won a 31-30 thriller over Liberty High last season in North Liberty.

Davenport Assumption (1-2) at Solon (1-2) – Two of the best one-win teams in the state meet on Friday in Solon both seeking to gain momentum before the start of district play.

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