Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Football is back!

The high school football season got underway for most teams across the state on Friday and there is a lot to dissect from the week 1 games in the Your Prep Sports area.

Rapid Reaction is a quick, first look at some of what stood out from Friday night in the Your Prep Sports area.

Lets get into it.

What Stood Out?

City High. Simple answer.

The Little Hawks were crisp, clean and dominant in all three phases of the game in head coach Mitch Moore’s City High debut on Friday posting an eye-opening 41-0 win at Liberty High.

City High showed playmakers on offense, made key plays on special teams and was dominant defensively while snapping a two-game skid to the Lightning.

The previous two meetings between the two teams came down to the final play and were decided by a total of seven points.

This one was over by halftime as City High built a 35-0 lead by intermission and rolled.

City High held a 270 to 57 advantage in total yards in the first half and outgained Liberty High 232 to -17 on the ground in the first half.

A program with four consecutive two-win seasons, City High certainly appeared poised for a breakthrough 2021 on week one.

“City High football is back and people need to be ready,” City High junior linebacker Ben Kueter said. “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

Noted.

What Were We Watching?  

Coaching Debuts

New Your Prep Sports area head coaches went 3-1 on Friday with the lone loss coming for new Liberty High leader James Harris against City High.

While Moore had a comfortable win in his City High debut first-year Regina coach Jason Dumont and new Clear Creek Amana coach Matt Haddy needed late rallies to earn career win No. 1.

Clear Creek Amana rallied from a 35-23 fourth-quarter deficit to win a 36-35 thriller at Marion in Haddy’s first game leading the Clippers.

Meanwhile, Regina saw a 10-0 halftime lead disappear against Williamsburg but got a 1-yard touchdown dive from Jack Tierney with 22 seconds left to give Jason Dumont a 16-14 victory in his first game as head coach.

Where Was The Focus?

New Quarterbacks

Five Your Prep Sports area quarterbacks made their first career starts on Friday night as West Branch, Clear Creek Amana, Regina, West High and City High all broke in new signal callers.

West High freshman Jack Wallace bounced back from an early interception and showed his enormous potential going 10-of-20 for 108 yards and a touchdown.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman also rushed for a touchdown in a 27-20 loss to Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

City High and Regina each used a rotation under center.

City High sophomores Drew Larson and Quinton Tran each threw a touchdown while alternating series and combined to go a solid 7-of-13 for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Tran also rushed for 60 yards and a score.

Junior Jack Tierney and sophomore Gentry Dumont combined to go 3-of-11 for 26 yards for Regina.

Clear Creek Amana senior Ben Swails threw three touchdowns in his first career start at quarterback in the win at Marion

West Branch junior Carver Boelk was 3-of-6 passing for 24 yards in his first career start at quarterback.

Who Stepped Up?

Solon Junior Blake Timmons

Solon was the only team in the area with a full-time starter returning at quarterback this season.

Junior Blake Timmons looked like a returning starter in his 2021 debut on Friday.

Timmons accounted for 284 yards of offense and four touchdowns in a half as Solon routed West Liberty 63-0.

Timmons went 5-of-7 passing for 137 yards and three touchdowns with scoring strikes of 39, 38 and 30 yards to three different receivers and also rushed for 147 yards and a score on four carries.

What’s Next?

Three games to keep an eye on next Friday

Waterloo Columbus (0-1) at West Branch (1-0) – Waterloo Columbus fell to Dike-New Hartford 35-21 in week one

Independence (1-0) at Clear Creek Amana (1-0) – Independence got 249 rushing yards and four touchdowns from all-stat tailback Marcus Beatty in a 50-7 week-one win over Maquoketa

Solon (1-0) at Mount Vernon (1-0) – Mustangs opened with a 47-18 win at Anamosa

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