Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Pleasant Valley (1-1) at Liberty High (1-1)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Liberty Stadium

Week three is probably too early for a must win game but if you look at the remaining six weeks on the schedule for both Liberty High and Pleasant Valley the winner on Friday has a much better path to the postseason.

Any way you shake it this is a big game for both teams.

Liberty High and Pleasant Valley have followed similar paths to 1-1.

Both lost road games to arch rivals to open the season.

Pleasant Valley fell to Bettendorf 30-10 in week one and Liberty High lost 35-28 at West High.

Both teams got back on track with impressive home wins in week two.

Pleasant Valley downed Cedar Rapids Kennedy 36-35 in overtime and Liberty High routed City High 41-14.

Week three brings a pivotal matchup for both sides as Liberty High faces road trips to Cedar Falls (1-1) and Cedar Rapids Prairie (2-0) the next two weeks while Pleasant Valley faces Cedar Rapids Prairie next week hosts Cedar Falls in week six.

Players to Watch

Liberty High

The last two weeks this has been Liberty High senior quarterback Graham Beckman’s spot in the Game of the Week feature.

While Beckman is always one to watch due to his importance to the Lightning offense this week it’s the Lightning defense that takes center stage.

Senior linebackers Gavin Benton (5-11, 190) and Devin Anderson (5-11, 200) have been excellent so far, combining for 24 tackles including six for loss.

The Lightning linebacking duo and the Liberty High defense in general get an entirely different test on Friday with Pleasant Valley and its patented triple option attack.

Strong linebacker play is essential in slowing the Spartan ground and pound game so Benton and Anderson will need to be active but disciplined against a scheme that pounces on missed assignments

Pleasant Valley  

There aren’t a bunch of gaudy statistics for Pleasant Valley junior lineman Joey VanWetzinga but he’s a stud and he’s the Spartan to watch on Friday.

The 6-foot-2, 255-pound VanWetzinga is an Iowa commit, an-all-state defensive linemen and a force anywhere he lines up on either side of the ball.

Van Wetzinga has impressive athletic ability and burs for a player his size and is ferocious at the point of attack.

He sets the tone for the Spartans who take pride in being the more physical team on both sides of the ball.

Keys to the Game

Liberty High

Stop the run.

The offensive game plan for Pleasant Valley under head coach Rusty VanWetzinga isn’t overly complicated so neither is the analysis on what needs to happen for Spartan opponents to be successful.

Liberty High must stop, or at the very least, slow the Pleasant Valley triple option running game.

It’s easier said than done.

Pleasant Valley is averaging 252.5 rushing yards per game this season and 5.8 yards per carry.

In its last 12 games dating back to last season Pleasant Valley is averaging 299 yards per game on the ground.

Liberty High has been strong against the run in two games this season holding teams to 47 yards per game, 1.96 yards per carry and a single rushing touchdown.

To get a win on Friday that type of defense at the point of attack needs to continue.

Pleasant Valley  

Control the ball.

The Spartans always want to possess the ball while rolling the clock and grinding the game down.

When facing a Graham Beckman-led Liberty High offense possessing the football becomes another form of defense for the Spartans.

Beckman and Liberty High have been impressive offensively average 435 total yards and 34.5 points per game.

Perhaps most impressive the Lightning have run a whopping 84 offensive plays in their first two games (84 against West High, 80 against City High).

The Spartans want to play keep away on Friday and keep Beckman and the explosive Lightning offense on the sideline.

Both Teams

Hold on to the ball.

Simply analysis again but turnovers could loom large in what looks like an even game on paper.

In a game where possessions could be limited giving away the ball and an opportunity to put points on the board could be the difference in a tight game.

Liberty High is -2 in turnover margin this season after turning the ball over five times in a season-opening loss to West High.

Pleasant Valley is +3 in turnovers forcing five while committing just two in two games.

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