Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Through four games the Liberty High offense was efficient if not outstanding.

Liberty High averaged 26.3 points and 368 total yards per game during a 3-1 start to the season.

The main issue for the Lightning offensively in its first four games was turnovers.

Liberty High had 12 turnovers in its first four games including three in a 27-24 loss at Johnston in week four.

The Lightning played turnover free football on Friday while turning in its best offensive effort of the season.

Liberty High (4-1) posted season highs in points (44), rushing yards (334) and yards per play (6.6) in a 44-31 win over West High on Friday.

“Nine interceptions in the first four games is a little humbling,” Liberty High coach Scott Chandler said. “I just think that we are kind of finding out who our team is.”

Liberty High averaged 212.5 passing yards per game during its 3-1 start but leaned on its running game while getting back in the win column on Friday.

On Friday Liberty High ran 52 running plays compared to 11 passes and averaged better than 6.4 yards per carry while racking up a season-high 334 rushing yards.

Senior quarterback Reece Rettig rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and junior Brody Beaver ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the win over West High.

“Reece running the football is really dangerous,” Chandler said. “We need those things to open up the passing game and if they are going to stay in two high we’ve got to run the football and that’s what we did.”

Injuries limited Beaver to just five carries for nine yards in the first four games but his emergence was key for Liberty High on Friday.

Beaver scored on a 50-yard run in the first quarter and averaged 7.3 yards per carry.

Rettig rushed for 121 yards in the second half as the Lightning outscored West High 20-7 after halftime.

“We looked at this year and the last two years and we realized that when we run the ball good that opens up the passing game,” Rettig said. “If we try to pass early it doesn’t work as good so we wanted to run the ball, trust our o-line and we feel that after we got that confidence.’

Rettig and Beaver both credited a Liberty High offensive line that had to replace four starters from last season.

Senior Jaryn Sertterh led the way for Liberty High on Friday as the Lightning held the ball for 10:54 in the third quarter with a pair of long drives.

“They are putting in work,” Beaver said of the offensive line. “They are all learning together and Jaryn (Sertterh) is helping them.”

News and Notes

Updated Unbeatens: The list of unbeaten teams in the state is down to 32.

Two Your Prep Sports area teams are among the 32 teams statewide without a loss as Regina and Solon each improved to 5-0 with wins on Friday.

Solon joins Clear Lake and West Delaware as the only remaining unbeaten teams in Class 3A and Regina is one of five unbeaten teams in Class 1A along with (Grundy Center, West Lyon, Union, South Hardin).

Waukee Northwest is the only remaining undefeated team in Class 5A and there are only three remaining unbeaten teams in Class 4A.

Class 2A has five unbeaten teams and there are nine undefeated teams in both Class A and 8-player.

Tracy Perfect Again: Last week Regina senior quarterback Kyle Tracy completed all nine of his pass attempts in a 55-6 win over Cardinal in the Regals district opener.

A week later Tracy was flawless again.

Tracy completed 7-of-7 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns in a 50-6 win over Durant on Friday as Regina improved to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in district play.

In two district wins Tracy is now 16-of-16 passing for 291 yards and six touchdowns.

Regina Defense Dominates: Through the first four weeks of the season it was the Regina offense that garnered most of the attention.

The Regals averaged 46 points per game and scored 42 points or more three times during its 4-0 start.

On Friday it was the Regina defense that stole the show.

Regina held Durant (3-2) to 80 total yards and 1.8 yards per play while forcing three turnovers in a 50-6 win.

The Regals had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks with sophomores Nathan Parizek and Evan Greve and senior Emmett Burke collecting sacks.

Drew Greve returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown, Aaron Honore recovered a fumble and Carter Slager had an interception.

Another Huge Game For Headings: West High senior receiver Ethan Headings came up with another huge game on Friday.

Headings had seven receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for seven yards and had two tackles the loss to Liberty High.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Headings leads the state with 746 receiving yards on 27 receptions and ranks seventh in the state and leads Class 5A with eight receiving touchdowns.

Headings is averaging a state-best 27.6 yards per catch.

Players of the Week

Offensive player of the week: Liberty High senior quarterback Reece Rettig completed 7-of-11 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-31 win over West High.

Defensive player of the week: Solon junior defensive end James Thomsen had 4.5 tackles including three solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss and returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown as the Spartans allowed just 89 yards of total offense in a 77-0 shutout of Fairfield.

Special teams player of the week: Regina senior Edwin Gangba returned a kick off 65 yards for a touchdown and averaged 40 yards per kick return in a 50-6 win over Durant.

Helmet stickers

Offense: Liberty High junior Brody Beaver rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 17 yards in a 44-31 win over West High.

Offense: City High senior Jack Lampe had 119 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 40-19 loss to Norwalk.

Offense: West High junior quarterback Reece Wheeler completed 13-of-20 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown in a 44-31 loss to Liberty High.

Defense: Clear Creek Amana sophomore linebacker Nolan Dao had seven tackles including four solo stops and a sack in a 28-25 loss at Grinnell.

Defense: Liberty High senior linebacker Landon Bell had six tackles including five solo stops, three tackles for loss and two sacks in a 44-31 win over West High.

Defense: Regina junior receiver Tate Wallace had four receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns and also had 4.5 tackles including two for loss in a 50-6 win over Durant.

Defense: West High senior linebacker Julian Manson had 14.5 tackles including 10 solo stops and a tackle for loss in a 44-31 loss to Liberty High.

Special Teams: West Branch senior linebacker Lincoln Naber had 6.5 tackles including two sacks and blocked a punt in a 20-17 loss at Alburnett.

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