Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 4A

No. 5 Carlisle (9-1) at No. 4 Liberty High (9-1)

Where: Liberty Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Carlisle senior Jes Krcil (6-1, 205) has rushed for 1,210 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 7.4 yards per carry and leads the Wildcats with 89 tackles including 13.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Key stat: Liberty High and Carlisle have each scored 53 touchdowns this season which is tied for fourth most in Class 4A. Liberty High leads 4A with 32 passing touchdowns and Carlisle is tops in 4A with 48 rushing touchdowns.

About the Wildcats: Carlisle is making its first quarterfinal appearance since 2010 and seeking its first trip to the semifinals since 2007.

The Wildcats snapped a string of five consecutive opening-round playoff losses with a 48-28 win over Newton in its postseason opener last Friday.

Carlisle has won eight straight since a 28-21 loss to top-ranked Council Bluffs Lewis Central in week 2 outscoring opponents 319-111 during that stretch.

The Wildcats have been solid defensively this season holding opponents to 17.4 points and 268 total yards per game.

Carlisle has been especially good against the run, limiting teams to 77 yards per game on the ground on 3.4 yards per carry.

Krcil leads the Carlisle defense while senior Jack Laughlin (6-1, 195) ranks second on the team with 47 tackles including five for loss and senior Nolan Pagel (5-10, 200) has 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

On offense Carlisle has relied on a power running game that has produced a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Krcil and Laughlin, ranks second in 4A with 327 yards per game on the ground and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

Laughlin has rushed for 1,054 yards and 18 touchdowns to join Krcil with 1,000 yards while senior quarterback Joe Goodhue (5-10, 155) has rushed for 373 yards and eight touchdowns.

Goodhue has completed 46-of-96 passes while throwing for 680 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions.

Ryan Petersen (6-1, 175) has caught 10 passes for 118 yards, Tyler Deal (5-9, 215) has nine receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown and Mart Mast (6-3, 175) has six receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.

About the Lightning: Liberty High secured the first playoff win in program history last Friday with a 24-14 opening-round victory over Webster City.

The Lightning will look to add a few more firsts to a season filled with them on Friday as they seek their first semifinal appearance and first 10-win season.

Liberty High has won seven straight games since a week-three loss at Western Dubuque and is averaging 41 points per game during the winning streak.

The Lightning have been dynamic offensively all season averaging 37.8 points and 384 total yards per game.

Junior quarterback Graham Beckman leads the Liberty High offense completing 64 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,312 yards and 29 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

Four different Liberty High seniors have at least 27 receptions, 430 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Garrett Greogire has caught 36 passes for 699 yards and eight touchdowns and Christian Barney has 30 receptions for 376 yards and six touchdowns.

Wyatt Williams has 29 catches for 492 yards and eight touchdowns and Lucas Meyer has caught 27 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Trey Gregoire has rushed for 534 yards and nine touchdowns and Beckman has rushed for 295 yards and four touchdowns.

The Liberty High defense is allowing 14.7 points and 262 total yards per game and is giving up 153 rushing yards per game.

Barney leads Liberty High with 46.5 tackles including eight for loss and Devin Anderson has 45.5 tackles.

Trey Gregoire has 42 tackles including seven for loss and leads the Lightning with 4.5 sacks.

Class 3A

No. 7 Solon (8-2) at No. 2 Mount Vernon (10-0)  

Where: First Street Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Solon 41, Mount Vernon 27. Week 2: Mount Vernon 17, Solon 14

Player to watch: Mount Vernon junior quarterback Joey Rhomberg (6-2, 185) has completed 66 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,218 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions and has also rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Key stat: Mount Vernon has thrown six interceptions while attempting a Class 3A-high 301 passes this season or one interception every 50 pass attempts. Solon has 18 interceptions in 245 passes defended this season or one interception every 13 passes by an opponent.

About the Mustangs: Mount Vernon is making its first quarterfinal appearance since 2017 and seeking its first trip to the UNI-Dome since 2016.
The Mustangs have reached double digit wins for the first time since going 12-2 on its way to a 2A runner-up finish in 2015.

Mount Vernon advanced to the quarterfinals with a 23-9 win over Central DeWitt in its playoff opener last Friday, its second win over the Sabers in three weeks.

The Mount Vernon offense led by Rhomberg has been among the most productive in Class 3A this fall.

The Mustangs have scored 55 touchdowns, third most in 3A, and are averaging 39.2 points and 375 total yards per game.

After a 17-14 win over Solon in week two the Mustangs scored at least 42 points in seven consecutive games until putting up 23 in its postseason opener last week.

Rhomberg leads 2A in passing yards and touchdowns and has spread the ball around with four different Mustangs with at least 320 receiving yards.

Brady Erickson (6-3, 170) has a team-leading 43 receptions for 459 yards and seven touchdowns while Evan Brase (6-3, 180) has caught 41 passes and leads the Mustangs with 589 receiving yards to go with six touchdowns.

Caden Stimmell (5-9, 165) has 36 receptions for 363 yards and four touchdowns and Jensen Meeker (5-11, 140) has caught 21 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns.

Senior Henry Ryan (6-2, 175) leads the Mount Vernon rushing attack with 703 yards and 10 touchdowns and has also caught 19 passes for 172 yards.

While the offense gets the headlines the Mustangs have been equally impressive on defense holding opponents to 5.9 points and 142 total yards per game.

Mount Vernon has been especially stingy against the run holding teams to just 52.2 yards per game on the ground.

Leading the way for the Mustang defense are a pair of difference makers on the defensive line.

Senior Clark Younggreen (6-0, 230) has 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks while Brad Vislisel (6-3, 220) has a team-high 18 tackles for loss and leads the Mustangs with 7.5 sacks.

Seniors Cardell Berry (5-11, 185) and Clayton Flack (6-0, 200) each have five sacks and have combined for 21.5 tackles for loss and 55.5 tackles.

About the Spartans: Solon is back in the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive season attempting to make a third trip to the UNI-Dome in the past four seasons.

The Spartans have won seven straight games after back-to-back losses to unbeaten teams Mount Vernon and Williamsburg and have outscored opponents 294-67 during their current seven-game win streak.

Solon advanced to the quarterfinals with a 42-18 win over West Delaware last week and has scored at least 35 points in seven consecutive games.

The strength for the Spartans this season has been a defense that is holding opponents to 12.2 points and 212 total yards per game while allowing just 89 rushing yards per game.

Solon has limited teams to just 3.9 yards per offensive play this season and just 3 yards per rush attempt.

Junior linebacker Brett White leads Solon with 69.5 tackles including 12.5 for loss while junior defensive lineman Ben Kampman has 40 tackles and leads Solon with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

Senior Blake Timmons has a team-high five interceptions while White and senior Sean Stahle each have three interceptions.

Solon enters averaging 343 total yards and 37.5 points per game and has done most of its damage on the ground averaging 234 rushing yards per game.

White has rushed for a team-leading 865 yards and 12 touchdowns and Timmons has rushed for 740 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Timmons has completed 52 percent of his passes while throwing for 905 yards and seven touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Senior Oaken Foster has been the top pass catcher for the Spartans with 29 receptions for 286 yards and three touchdowns and Stahle has caught 14 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns.

Class 1A

No. 8 MFL-Mar Mac (9-1) at No. 1 West Branch (10-0)

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

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: MFL Mar-Mac junior Wyatt Powell (6-1, 210) has rushed for 1,036 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 10.8 yards per carry, has caught 11 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns and ranks second on the team with 54 tackles including 15.5 for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Key stat: MFL-Mar Mac is averaging 303 rushing yards per game and has 40 rushing touchdowns and West Branch is allowing 71 rushing yards per game and has allowed four rushing touchdowns all season.

About the Bulldogs: MFL Mar-Mac is making its fourth consecutive quarterfinal appearance and chasing its first ever trip to the state semifinals.

The Bulldogs reached the Class A quarterfinals in 2019 and 2020 and fell to Dyersville Beckman 35-6 in the 1A quarterfinals last season.

MFL Mar-Mac has won nine straight games following a 22-19 season-opening loss at New Hampton and 360-67 during that stretch.

The Bulldogs have been impressive defensively holding opponents to 9.9 points and 185 total yards per game while allowing just 92 rushing yards per game.

Junior Kade McElwaine (6-0, 185) leads the Bulldogs with 98.5 tackles including a team-high 19.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks.

Powell, junior Carver Blietz-Bentien (6-0, 205) and Tristen Koehn (5-8, 170) all have at least 45 tackles.

Blietz-Bentien has 50.5 stops with five for loss and Koehn has 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks among his 45 tackles.

Sophomore quarterback Zach Driscoll (6-0, 160) leads a MFL Mar-Mac offense that is averaging 433 total yards and 42.1 points per game.

Driscoll has completed 56 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,110 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions and has rushed for 115 yards and four touchdowns.

Karter Decker (5-11, 160) is the top target for Driscoll with 20 receptions for 421 yards and three touchdowns and has also rushed for 484 yards and eight touchdowns.

Blietz-Bentien has rushed for 784 yards and eight touchdowns as the Bulldogs average 303 rushing yards per game.

About the Bears: One of the premier small school programs in the state West Branch is seeking its first trip to the state semifinals since 2011.

West Branch has been among the most dominant teams in the state this season outscoring opponents by a combined total of 470 to 80.

The Bears have posted four shutouts and held teams to 13 or few points eight times this season while scoring 34 or more points eight times.

West Branch has won a pair of playoff games by a combined total of 69-14 after defeating Waterloo Columbus 27-14 in the second round last Friday.

The Bears are holding opponents to 154 total yards and 8 points per game and are allowing just 71 rushing yards per game.

Senior linebacker Andy Henson leads West Branch with 60 tackles including nine for loss while junior defensive lineman Logan Wright has a team-high 16.5 tackles for loss and six sacks among 28 total tackles.

Kinnick Boelk and Carver Boelk have combined for 68 tackles and six interceptions from their defensive back spots.

West Branch has been highly efficient on offense averaging 47 points and 350 total yards per game.

The Bears have been balanced, putting up 214 rushing yards and 137 passing yards per game.

Senior quarterback Tye Hughes has completed 68 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,303 yards and 12 touchdowns with just two interceptions and has also rushed for 371 yards and eight touchdowns.

Henson leads West Branch with 1,354 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns and has also caught 14 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Kinnick Boelk has caught a team-high 26 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns and Carver Boelk has 23 receptions for 476 yards and six touchdowns while averaging nearly 21 yards per reception.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.