Your Prep Sports

The same day Iowa Western earned a commitment from the leader of the Liberty High offense in senior quarterback Graham Beckman the two-time defending national champs picked up a pledge from one of the defensive leaders.

Liberty High senior linebacker Gavin Benton announced his commitment to Iowa Western on Wednesday with a post on social media.

“Excited to announce my commitment to Iowa Western,” Benton wrote on X.

Benton led Liberty High in total tackles, solo tackles and tackles for loss last season from his linebacker spot while earning first-team all-district and all-Mississippi Valley Conference honors.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Benton had 59 tackles with 31 solo stops and 18.5 tackles for loss and added 1.5 sacks helping the Lightning to a 4-5 record.

Benton had 29.5 tackles, with 20 solo spots, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in an injury-shortened junior season.

Iowa Western won its second consecutive NJCAA D1 title in December defeating East Mississippi 61-14 in the national title game.

The Reives have a 32-4 record over the past three seasons and have reached the NJCAA title game three consecutive years.

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