Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The high school football season is three weeks old which means teams playing a nine-game regular season are a third of the way through the regular season.

For the smaller classes that feature an eight-game regular season district play begins this week.

That makes this week the perfect time for a quick breakdown of what has happened so far and what to watch the rest of the way.

A third of the way through the season Your Prep Sports takes a look at a few lists of three of what we’ve already learned so far this season.

Tomorrow Your Prep Sports will be taking a look at lists of threes to watch over the rest of the season.

Three Things We’ve Learned

The Liberty High Offense is Elite

Among the most pressing questions for any area team this season was at Liberty High where the Lightning had to replace four starters on its offensive line and one of the most productive quarterbacks in the state in Graham Beckman.

Three games into the season Liberty High hasn’t just answered those questions they have established themselves as one of the best offenses in all of 5A.

Through three games this season the Lightning have actually been statistically better offensively than they were last year.

Significantly better actually.

Liberty High averaged 442 total yards and 37.6 points per game last season on 6.7 yards per play.

This season the Lightning are averaging 483 total yard, 44.3 points and 8.4 yards per play during a 2-1 start that includes wins over City High and West High.

Junior quarterback Reece Rettig has been efficient, seniors Owen Drapeaux, Dallas Miller and Sutton Koller have been exceptional and the Lightning offensive front has impressed.

Solon Is Again a Playoff Threat  

With just five returning starters there were more questions around the Spartans this fall than there have been to start a season since Lucas Stanton’s first year as a head coach in 2020.

In three weeks many of those questions have been answered.

Solon has outscored opponents 130-23 in a 3-0 start that includes road wins over Clear Creek Amana and Central DeWitt.

Tougher tests are coming for Solon starting this week with rival Mount Vernon (3-0) but Solon has showed early it should be in for another run in the 3A postseason.

Regina Isn’t Going Anywhere

There were a lot of changes at Regina this season in a program that hasn’t often seen a lot of change.

The Regals changed coaches, changed quarterbacks and replaced a talented senior class that helped lead the Regals to a 9-2 record and spot in the 1A quarterfinals last season.

Despite all of those changes it has been business as usual for the Regals who are off to a 3-0 start for the third time in the past four seasons under first-year head coach Dustin Elsbury.

Junior quarterback Kyle Tracy has been excellent, passing for 574 yards and six touchdowns and running for 170 yards and three scores in his first three starts helping Regina average 369 total yards and 33.7 points per game.

Three Early Surprises

The Solon Defense

It’s should never really be a shock that a program built on defense like Solon is strong defensively but what the Spartans have done on defense with just one full-time returning starter from a year ago has been impressive.

Solon has allowed 7.7 points and 248 total yards per game while giving up 4.3 yards per play during its 3-0 start.

Marshall Sheldon Leads City High in Tackles 

City High coach Mitch Moore singled out Sheldon for praise early in the preseason so perhaps this isn’t a huge shock to those in the City High program but the play of the freshman linebacker has certainly stood out so far.

In his first three high school football games the 6-foot, 173-pound Sheldon has racked up a team-high 24.5 tackles including 18 solo stops and a tackle for loss.

Reece Rettig Among Most Prolific QBs in Iowa

There was certainly internal confidence at Liberty High that Rettig could handle running the offense but it’s hard not to be surprised at the incredible level of production and efficiency of the first-year starter through three games.

Rettig ranks third in the state in passing yards (874) sixth state-wide in passing touchdowns (10) and fourth in total offensive yardage (1,058) while completing 70 percent of his passes.

That is impressive for any quarterback let alone a first-year starter.

Three Early Not So Surprising Results

Jack Wallace Sharp Early 

The expectation was for Wallace to play his best football in his fourth season behind center and the West High senior quarterback has done that and then some.

Wallace is completing 73 percent of his passes while throwing for 778 yards and eight touchdowns and has rushed for 70 yards and four touchdowns.

Dallas Miller Making Plays 

Another player expected to produce at a high level this fall Miller is off to an exceptional start this fall.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Liberty High senior receiver ranks fifth in the state with 412 receiving yards on 21 receptions and has three touchdown grabs.

Miller has also rushed for 187 yards on 10 carries, thrown a 50-yard touchdown pass, ranks second in the state in all-purpose yardage (1,015), has four tackles and an interception and is averaging 39.9 yards per kick off return.

West Branch Trending Up

Just as it did a year ago West Branch opened the season with back-to-back losses to defending 3A champion Williamsburg and 1A power Dike-New Hartford.

Just as it did at this time last year the Bears are building off those losses as district play approaches.

West Branch (1-2) dominated Waterloo Columbus in a 49-7 win last week and opens district play at Cascade (2-1) on Friday.

It wasn’t a shock West Branch opened the season 0-2 and it won’t be a surprise when the Bears rebound from that start and push for a playoff run next month.

Three Early Offensive Standouts

Tate Wallace  

Wallace is a force defensively from his linebacker spot but the versatile 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore is an absolute mismatch offensively at tight end.

Wallace has caught 15 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns already and has also rushed for a touchdown.

Eddie Johnson

Johnson has been a beast in his first season as the Spartan’s lead back opening the year with three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior has rushed for 461 yards and seven touchdowns and caught three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.

Mason Woods and Julian Manson

Good luck to defenses forced with the challenge of defending both Woods and Manson.

The duo has already combined for 33 receptions for 558 yards and seven touchdowns through three games.

Woods has 16 receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns and Manson has 17 receptions for 274 yards and four scores.

Three Early Defensive Standouts

Dylan Schrock

In his first season as a starter Schrock has made an immediate impact leading the Clippers in both tackles and tackles for loss.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Schrock has 10 solo tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss among this team-leading 20.5 tackles and has an interception.

Cole Carney  

The senior outside linebacker was one of only a handful of players returning with starting experience for the Solon defense and has been impressive so far.

Carney ranks second on the team with 15 tackles including a team-high five tackles for loss to help Solon hold opponents to 7.7 points per game.

Lincoln Naber

A first-year starter West Branch the junior linebacker has flashed early against a challenging slate of opponents.

Naber ranks second on the team with 14 tackles and three tackles for loss and leads the Bears with 2.5 sacks.

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