Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Liberty High (0-1) at 4A RV Cedar Rapids Jefferson (0-1)

Where: Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play.

Player to Watch: Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior Josiah Szabo (6-1, 205) ranked second on the team with 70 tackles last season and had a team-high six tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss in the season opener.

Key Stat: Cedar Rapids Jefferson allowed 209 rushing yards and 6.3 yards per carry in its opener against Cedar Rapids Washington. Liberty High will attempt to get its ground game going against the J-Hawks after managing just 98 yards on the ground in its opener against West High.

About the J-Hawks: Jefferson showed major improvement a year ago going from one win in 2018 to a 4-5 mark a season ago. The J-Hawks struggled out of the gate this season, falling to cross-town rival and tenth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington 55-0 in the season opener last Friday.

Jefferson struggled to get anything going offensively against the Warriors, managing 100 yards of total offense and just 26 yards on 24 rushing attempts. Junior Carson Blietz was 7-of-17 passing for 74 yards in his first career start with Szabo (2-22) and juniors Lonny Melvin (2-15) and Brayden Kindhart (2-11) all catching two passes.

About the Lightning: Liberty High will be looking to rebound from a 27-0 loss to cross-town rival and eighth-ranked West High in its first game as a 4A program. The Lightning may be without senior standout tailback Max Tafolla who left last week’s game late with an injury.

After failing to crack 100 yards rushing for just the third time as a varsity program, Liberty High will look to establish the line of scrimmage against a Jefferson team that is allowing 218 yards per game on the ground in its last 10 games.

City High (1-0) at 4A No. 8 West High (1-0)

Where: Trojan Field, 7:15 p.m.

Last Season: West High 36, City High 32

Player to Watch: The running game is always key when these two teams meet but the Battle for the Boot seems to bring out the best in West High senior quarterback Marcus Morgan. In the past two meetings with City High Morgan has accounted for six touchdowns (four passing, one rushing and one receiving).

Key Stat: During its three-game winning streak in the Boot series West High is averaging 220 rushing yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry. Those numbers will likely need to go down for City High to snap the Trojans’ win streak on Friday.

About the Little Hawks: City High got off to the strong start it was looking for with a 35-14 win over Davenport Central in the season opener. The Little Hawks had five plays rush for more than 30 yards while rolling up 299 yards on the ground in the opener. City High held a 250-122 advantage in rushing yards in last year’s loss to West High, snapping a string of 11 consecutive meetings in the series where the team with more yards on the ground was victorious.

While City High will certainly pound away with its ground game senior quarterback Raph Hamilton will be a key as well. A three-year starter, Hamilton went 7-of-13 passing for 112 yards and a touchdown in week one with Gable Mitchell catching four passes for 82 yards and a score.

About the Trojans: West High broke open a six-point game at the half with 21 second-half points in a 27-0 win over Liberty High in its opener.

The Trojans showed a balanced offense led by senior quarterback Marcus Morgan, putting up 200 yards through the air and 149 on the ground in its opener.

Morgan rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and senior tailback Trey King (5-10, 180) added 52 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 57 yards.

Senior Grahm Goering (6-1, 190) was the top target for Morgan hauling in five passes for 93 yards and a score.

The most impressive performance by the Trojans on Friday came on the defensive side of the ball as West High came up with five sacks and held Liberty High to 98 yards of total offense.

Muscatine (0-1) at Clear Creek Amana (0-1)

Where: Clipper Field, 7:30 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play.

Player to Watch: Muscatine senior running back Timothy Nimely (5-8, 185) missed the season opener with a hamstring injury but is a difference maker when if he’s back on the field. Nimely rushed for 927 yards and eight touchdowns last season averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Key Stat: Clear Creek Amana has eclipsed 400 yards of total offense six times in its last nine games dating back to last season and is 5-1 in those games when it reaches 400 total yards.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana rolled up 413 yards of offense in the opener but couldn’t overcome three turnovers in a 28-27 loss to Mount Pleasant.

The Clippers were clicking offensively in the opener, rushing for 258 yards and averaging 8.1 yards per play.

Senior tailback Alex Figeruoa rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns while senior quarterback Ryan Navara completed 14-of-23 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Clear Creek Amana will look to clamp down defensively after allowing 381 total yards including 244 rushing yards in the week one loss.

About the Muskies: Muscatine saw its losing streak stretch to six dating back to last season with a 26-0 loss to Class 3A eighth-ranked North Scott in the opener.

The Muskies were 1-8 last season and haven’t won since a week three victory over Davenport West.

Muscatine has playmakers on offense, especially with Nimely in the backfield. Senior Mentor Cooper (5-7, 175) ran for 78 yards in replace of Nimely in week one and senior receiver Eli Gaye (5-6, 170) is always a threat.

Gaye had 35 receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns last season and caught five passes for 17 yards in the season opener.

Class 3A No. 6 Washington (1-0) at Class 2A No. 5 Solon (0-1)

Where: Spartan Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Last Season: Solon 35, Washington 20

Player to Watch: Washington senior quarterback Trashaun Willis (6-5, 230) passed for 78 yards and a touchdown last week and also made 4.5 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in an upset of Bettendorf.

Key Stat: Solon has won five straight over Washington, dating back to 2015, and has scored at least 35 points in each of its last four meetings with Demons.

About the Demons: Washington pulled off one of the biggest stunners of the opening week picking off three passes in a 19-10 win over defending 4A semifinalist Bettendorf.

The Demons are seeking a ninth consecutive winning season after going 7-3 and falling in the opening round of the 3A playoffs last season.

Washington had just 99 yards of total offense against Bettendorf but held the Bulldogs to 261 yards and forced three turnovers in the win.

Senior Wyatt Stout (5-10, 175) rushed for 55 yards and a score and Zac Stout (6-3, 165) led the Demons with two receptions for 35 yards.

About the Spartans: Solon let a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 17-14 loss to second-ranked Williamsburg in the first game under head coach Lucas Stanton.

The Spartans will attempt to get back on track against an old 3A rival they have beaten five straight times including a 35-20 win last season.

Solon outgained Williamsburg 256-190 in the season opening including a 182 to 56 edge in rushing yards.

Senior Jackson Ryan (5-10, 180) led Solon rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while four other Spartans rushed fore 15 yards or more.

Class 1A No. 5 West Branch (1-0) at Class 2A No. 7 West Liberty (1-0)

Where: Memorial Field, 7 p.m.

Last Season: West Branch 28, West Liberty 6

Player to Watch: West Liberty junior running back/defensive back Jahsiah Galvan (6-1, 175) rushed for 244 yards and a touchdown and had 5.5 tackles including two for loss in a week one win over Mediapolis.

Key Stat: In the past two meetings between these two rivals West Branch has limited West Liberty to an average of 143 total yards and six points.

About the Comets: West Liberty went 7-4 last season, reaching the Class 2A quarterfinals and opened the season with a 24-14 at 2019 Class 1A playoff qualifier Mediapolis.

Behind the 244 rushing yards from Galvan the Comets put up 332 yards of total offense as junior quarterback Caleb Wulf (5-9, 165) completed 5-of-14 passes for 79 yards.

Sophomore Joshua Zeman (5-9, 155) caught two passes for 55 yards while senior tight end/H back Kobe Simon had a pair of touchdown runs.

The 6-4, 240-pound Simon is a difference maker on both sides of the ball and had two sacks in the opener.

About the Bears: West Branch has defeated West Liberty each of the past six seasons and has won eight in a row over the Comets since 2010.

The Bears have won the past six meetings by an average of more than 26 points per game and have scored at least 28 points in each of those games.

West Branch used big game from senior quarterback Gavin Hierseman and a strong performance from its defense that forced three turnovers to defeat Tipton 17-8 in its opener.

Hierseman completed 23-of-32 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns with junior Peyton Miller catching nine passes for 105 yards.

Class A No. 3 Regina (0-1) at Class 2A No. 3 Clear Lake (1-0)

Where: Lions Field in Clear Lake, 7 p.m.

Last Season: Did not play.

Player to Watch: Clear Lake senior running back Jaden O’Brien-Green (5-11, 160) rushed for 1,015 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and got off to a strong start with 121 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in week one.

Key Stat: After averaging 366 total yards per game and 6.8 yards per play last season Clear Lake picked up where it left off in week one putting up 522 yards of offense while averaging better than 10 yards per play in a 54-21 win over Aplington-Parkersburg.

About the Lions: Clear Lake is coming off a 10-1 season that included a trip to the 2A quarterfinals and opened the season with a 54-21 win over Aplington-Parkersburg in which it led 35-0 at the half.

Junior quarterback Carson Toebe accounted for more than 350 yards of offense in the opener, completing 12-of-17 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 67 yards and two more scores.

Senior Tyres Green (5-11, 165) was the top target for Toebe, snagging four passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.

About the Regals: For the second week in a row a mid-week COVID-19 cancellation by an opponent left Regina scrambling for a game and for the second straight time the Regals ended up with an opponent for a larger class.

After falling to Class 4A Pleasant Valley 45-13 in its impromptu season opener the Regals will face a top-three ranked 2A program in Clear Lake.

Regina moved the ball in the opener, racking up 324 yards of total offense against Pleasant Valley behind a stronger opener from senior quarterback Ashton Cook.

Cook completed 21-of-33 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns with senior Alec Wick catching 10 passes for 162 yards and two scores.

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