Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The football season is a third of the way done.

At least for the teams that play a nine-game regular season.

With district play opening this week and the season nearing the half way mark Your Prep Sports is looking back at what has been learned and looking at what lies ahead.

On Tuesday Your Prep Sports published lists of three of what we’ve already learned so far this season.

Today we are taking a look at lists of threes to watch over the rest of the season.

Three Things Still to Be Learned  

Is Liberty High a 5A Playoff Team?

Through three weeks Liberty High has looked every bit like a 5A playoff team picking up wins over City High and West High and pushing perennial power Pleasant Valley on the road.

Will the Lightning reach the 5A postseason for the first time?

That question will be answered over the next month as Liberty High hosts 2023 5A playoff qualifiers Cedar Falls (2-1), Cedar Rapids Prairie (2-1) and Ankeny (1-2) in a four-week stretch.

Liberty High went 0-3 in those games last season on its way to a 4-5 finish.

One win in that stretch, along with victories over Waterloo West (3-0) and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (3-0) to close the season would like get the Lightning into the postseason.

How Does Solon Handle Its 4-Week Gauntlet?

Solon has been dominant through three weeks outscoring opponents 130-23 during a 3-0 start against teams with a combined 1-8 record.

The level of difficulty kicks up in a hurry for the Spartans starting this week as it welcomes rival Mount Vernon (3-0) to Spartan Stadium on Friday.

Friday’s meeting with Mount Vernon starts a four-week stretch that will tell is Solon is a playoff caliber team or a title contender in 3A.

After Friday’s meeting with Mount Vernon the Spartans host Grinnell (3-0) and travel to Benton Community (2-1) and defending 3A champion Williamsburg (2-1) in its first three 3A, District 5 games.

Who Wins Class 1A, District 5?

Last season the top three finishers in District 5 all took turns beating one another.

West Branch defeated Regina, Regina defeated Wilton and Wilton knocked off West Branch as all three teams finished 4-1 in district play.

It should be those three teams again vying for the top spot this season.

Regina (3-0) and Wilton (3-0) enter district play unbeaten while West Branch (1-2) got back on track last week after losses to 3A defending champion Williamsburg and Dike-New Hartford to open the season.

Wilton travels to West Branch in week seven and Regina in week eight so the district title will likely come down to the final week once again.

Three Big Games Remaining

City High at West High

The annual Battle for the Boot heads to West High on Friday in a rivalry game that comes with major playoff implications.

A win in the cross-town rivalry would be huge for either West High (2-1) or City High (1-2) as both teams battle for postseason positioning.

City High has won three in a row in the series including a 23-8 win last season at Bates Field.

West Branch at Regina

The River Valley Conference rivals meet in Iowa City on October 4 in a Class 1A, District 5 showdown that will shape the playoff projections for both teams.

West Branch defeated Regina 21-17 last season at the Little Rose Bowl and has won two in a row over the Regals.

This season’s matchup between the two long-time rivals shapes up as another down-to-the-wire contest.

Solon at Williamsburg

The 3A, District 5 title could be up for grabs on October 11 in Williamsburg when Solon and Williamsburg meet for the third time in a little more than a year.

Solon won the regular season meeting 21-14 over the Raiders last season in Solon and Williamsburg won the rematch 45-14 in the 3A semifinals at the UNI-Dome.

The two WAMAC rivals have played every year since 2020 with Williamsburg going 3-2 in that span.

In the past five meetings only two games have been decided by more than a touchdown.

Three Offensive Players to Watch the Rest of the Way

Dominic Salibi

Salibi has done a little bit of everything for City High through the first three weeks of the season and he will likely need to do more of the same down the stretch to help the Little Hawks return to the 5A postseason.

Salibi has rushed for a team-high 230 yards and two touchdowns, he has caught eight passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns and has thrown a 26-yard touchdown pass.

The 6-foot-1, 183-pound Salibi also has 6.5 tackles including five solo stops and is averaging 35 yards per kick return.

Savion Miller

The Regina sophomore tailback has been impressive this season and the more Miller plays the better he is going to get.

Miller has rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns through three games averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

The 5-11, 180-pound Miller also has caught four passes for 40 yards and is averaging better than 40 yards per kickoff return.

Owen Rosenberg

The Clear Creek Amana senior defensive back/receiver has impressed early on both sides of the ball and will be a key piece on offense and defense if the Clippers are to make a push down the stretch.

Rosenberg ranks fourth on the team with 13.5 tackles and leads the Clippers with two interceptions from his defensive back spot.

As a receiver Rosenberg (6-2, 180) has caught a team-high 10 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown.

Three Defensive Players to Watch the Rest of the Way

Declan Bunn

The West High offense is going to put up points.

That seems like a certainty after the Trojans have averaged 43.7 points and 400 yards of total offense per game during a 2-1 start.

That leaves it up to Bunn and the Trojan defense to make stops.

Bunn has been excellent as the leader of the West High defense for the second straight season as the 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior linebacker has a team-high 22.5 tackles including 11 solo stops and 1.5 for loss.

Maddox Kelley

Kelley has been a big boost for Solon on both sides of the ball.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound sophomore has caught a team-high 17 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns but has been just as productive on defense.

Kelley leads the Spartans with 16.4 tackles including 12 solos and has recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.

Landon Bell

If you didn’t know Bell before you likely know the Liberty High junior linebacker now.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Bell has been all over the field during the first three games making a team-high 24.5 tackles including 15 solo stops.

If Bell and the Lightning defense can tighten up a bit more down the stretch it will go a long way in helping Liberty High earn a postseason berth.

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