Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West High (0-0) at City High (0-0)

Where: Bates Field, 7 p.m.

Last season: City High 40, West High 39

City High player to watch: Sophomore linebacker Marshall Sheldon (6-0, 173) had a team-high 69 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season.

West High player to watch: Senior linebacker/wide receiver Julian Manson (6-3, 220) had a team-high 86.5 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and caught 52 passes for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

Key stat: City High’s 40-39 win over West High last season was the first game in the series decided by less than two touchdowns since a 36-32 West High win in 2019.

About the Trojans: West High finished 6-5 last season advancing to the Class 5A quarterfinals where it lost to eventual state champion Southeast Polk.

West High returns 13 starters from last season’s state quarterfinal squad led by returning all-staters and Iowa commits Julian Manson (6-3, 220) and Colin Whitters (6-4, 310).

Whitters will anchor a West High offensive line that also returns senior starter Lowden Van Daele (6-1, 195).

Manson is among the top players in the state and joins senior Henry Elser (6-1, 175) who caught 25 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns in an experience Trojan receiving corps.

Seniors Ethan Headings (6-2, 205) and Adrian DeWaard (5-10, 190) return to lead the West High secondary while Campbell Janis (5-9, 175) had 35 tackles at linebacker and Jackson Law (6-3, 185) had 38 tackles and four sacks from his defensive end spot.

About the Little Hawks: City High posted a third consecutive 6-4 last season advancing to the 5A playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

The Little Hawks return 11 starters from last year’s squad but must replace the program’s all-time passing leader in departed senior Bobby Bacon, their top four rushers and three of their top four pass catchers.

Junior Chayse Newton (5-8, 146) returns at receiver after making 36 receptions for 426 yards and senior Jack Lampe (6-0, 160) had 12 receptions for 172 yards and a touchdown last season.

Sophomores Coden Kurtz (5-11, 170) and Chris Kabaiza (5-10, 175) are expected to split reps at quarterback for City High.

Sheldon returns to lead a City High defense that allowed 333 total yards per game last season and is joined at linebacker by senior Blaine Heick (6-2, 190) who ranked second on the team with 64 tackles last season.

Senior defensive lineman Kane Willey (6-0, 220) and Raphael Etuma (6-2, 220) combined for 62 tackles with 20 for loss and five sacks last season.

Cedar Falls (0-0) at Liberty High (0-0)

Where: Liberty Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Liberty High 49, Cedar Falls 42

Player to watch: Cedar Falls senior quarterback Leyton Wolf (6-7, 210) completed 64 percent of his passes (111-174) while throwing for 1,556 yards and nine touchdowns last season and rushed for two touchdowns.

Key stat: These two teams combined for 1,064 total yards in a 49-42 Liberty High win in North Liberty last season.

About the Tigers: Cedar Falls is coming off a 5-5 season that ended with a 41-21 loss to West Des Moines Dowling in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Tigers won back-to-back games to open the season, lost four in a row that included a 49-42 loss at Liberty High and a 28-27 loss at Linn-Mar, before closing the regular season with two consecutive wins.

Wolf is back to lead the Tiger offense and has his top target returning in senior Will Remmert (5-11, 174) who caught 30 passes for 566 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Trey Reuter (6-4, 210) caught 17 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown last season.

Senior Tyler Hermansen (6-1, 175) returns to lead the defense after making 62.5 tackles last season while junior Brayden Hanks (6-2, 214) had 53.5 tackles with 5.5 for loss.

About the Lightning: Liberty High is coming off the best season in school history as the Lightning won a program-record 10 games and advanced to the 5A semifinals for the first time.

Senior quarterback Reece Rettig (5-10, 175) returns to lead a Liberty High offense that averaged 40.3 points and 433 total yards per game last season on 7.7 yards per play.

Rettig earned second-team all-state honors a year ago after passing for 2,719 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushing for 482 yards and six touchdowns.

Junior linebacker Landon Bell (6-0, 210) returns to lead the Lightning defense after ranking second on the team with 50.5 tackles last season.

Senior defensive back Logan Laubenthal (5-9, 180) had 33.5 tackles and four interceptions and junior Pryor Reiners (5-10, 160) had 31 tackles last season.

Davenport Assumption (0-0) at Solon (0-0)

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

Last season: Solon 33, Davenport Assumption 7

Player to watch: Davenport Assumption senior linebacker Luke Argo (6-0, 205) had a team-high 78 tackles with three tackles for loss and two sacks last season.

Key stat: Solon limited Davenport Assumption to 186 total yards and 3.1 yards per play in a 33-7 win over the Knights last season.

About the Knights: Davenport Assumption overcame an 0-4 start to finish 4-6 and reach the Class 3A playoffs lats season.

The Knights won four of their final five regular season games to reach the playoffs, falling to eventual 3A state champion Dubuque Wahlert in the opening round.

Assumption must replace its starting quarterback, top four rushers and top two pass catchers from last season.

Senior Synceare Simons (6-3, 175) returns after making nine receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Argo is back to anchor the Knight defense while senior Ben Armstrong (6-0, 230) had 41.5 tackles with three sacks last season and Ben Leinart (5-10, 170) had 36 tackles.

About the Spartans: Solon went 8-3 last season advancing to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.

The Spartans return seven starters from last year’s team including its top receiver from a year ago in junior Maddox Kelley (5-10, 180), all-state lineman Lucas Feuerbach (6-2, 260) and its top tackler in senior linebacker Kyler Jensen (6-0, 225).

Kelley caught 54 passes for 675 yards and seven touchdowns last season while Feuerbach had 28.5 tackles with five tackles for loss and a sack.

Jensen had a team-high 63.5 tackles for the Spartans with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Senior Eli Kampman (6-0, 185) moves from wide receiver to quarterback for Solon this season to replace two-year starter Ty Bell.

Davenport West (0-0) at Clear Creek Amana (0-0)

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

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Clear Creek Amana senior quarterback Conlan Poynton accounted for better than 2,100 total yards and 28 touchdowns last season.

Key stat: Clear Creek Amana averaged 189 rushing yards per game in its six wins last season and was held to 135 yards per game on the ground in its four losses.

About the Falcons: Davenport West makes the move to Class 4A this season after going 0-9 last year in Class 5A.

The Falcons will look to bounce back this season after back-to-back winning seasons in 2022 and 2023.

Davenport West went 7-3 in 2022 and was 5-4 in 2023 before its winless season a year ago.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana is coming off a 6-4 season that included a trip to the Class 4A playoffs.

The Clippers closed the regular season with back-to-back wins over Cedar Rapids Xavier and Clinton to secure a playoff berth before falling to Pella in its postseason opener.

Ten starters return for the Clippers this season led by senior quarterback Conlan Poynton (5-11, 190) who passed for 1,228 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 901 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

Senior Ethan Vice (6-0, 185) rushed for 342 yards and junior Noah Collis (5-8, 169) added 283 yards on the ground last season.

The top returning target for Poynton is junior Tay Seals (5-9, 143) who caught 12 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Senior linebackers Dylan Schrock (6-1, 220) and Aidan Schrock (6-1, 200) return to anchor the Clipper defense.

Dylan Schrock had 61.5 tackles last season while Aidan Schrock had 20.5 tackles with 4.5 for loss.

Regina (0-0) at Wilton (0-0)

Where: Wilton High School, 7 p.m.

Last season: Regina 20, Wilton 8; Wilton 21, Regina 14 (Class 1A quarterfinals)

Player to watch: Senior Hayden Hill (5-9, 185) led Wilton with 80 tackles last season including a team-high 55 solo stops, 10.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Key stat: Regina rushed for 262 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-8 regular season win over Wilton and was held to 124 rushing yards and one touchdown in a 21-14 loss to the Beavers in the 1A quarterfinals.

About the Beavers: Wilton is coming off the best season in recent history, a 10-2 campaign that ended with a 42-7 loss to eventual state champion Grundy Center in the Class 1A semifinals.

The Beavers lost their starting quarterback, top rusher, top receiver and two of their top three tacklers from last year’s semifinal team to graduation.

Senior linebacker Hayden Hill returns to lead the defense after making 80 tackles while senior Gabe Brisker (6-0, 160) had 55.5 tackles and two interceptions and senior Gatlin Rogers (6-3, 215) had 39.5 tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season.

Rogers is the top returning receiver with 18 receptions for 149 yards and four touchdowns and Hill is the top returning rusher after going for 193 yards and four touchdowns last season.

About the Regals: Regina enters as one of the favorites in Class 1A this season with 12 starters returning from a team that went 9-2 and reached the state quarterfinals.

Among the returners from the Regals are starting quarterback Kyle Tracy, the top rusher in Savion Miller and top pass catcher in Tate Wallace from last season.

Tracy earned all-state honors last season after passing for 1,901 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushing for 751 yards and nine touchdowns.

Miller rushed for a team-high 922 yards and eight touchdowns and Wallace had a team-high 51 receptions for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.

Junior linebacker Roan Eckhoff had 42.5 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss last season while senior Edwin Gangba had 40.5 tackles with two for loss.

West Liberty (0-0) at West Branch (0-0)

Where: The Little Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: West Liberty senior Owen Daufeldt (5-8, 152) caught 27 passes for 405 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Key stat: West Liberty won the last meeting between the two River Valley Conference rivals 20-7 back in 2020.

About the Comets: West Liberty went 3-6 in the first season under head coach Jason Dumont last fall but won three of its final five regular season games to reach the Class 2A postseason.

The Comets must replace quarterback Ryker Dengler who passed for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 600 yards and 11 scores.

Junior Briggs Collins (6-2, 170) returns after rushing for 334 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry and senior Owen Daufeldt ranked second on the team in receptions and receiving yards last season.

The Comets lost their top four tacklers to graduation but return senior Perry Lehman (6-3, 250) who had 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

About the Bears: The Matt Hughes era will officially kick off on Friday as Hughes replaces John Nestor who went 3-6 in one season leading the program.

West Branch returns 13 starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the second round of the Class 1A playoffs.

Among the returning starters for the Bears are senior quarterbacks Nolan Staker and Brennen Dale, last season’s top rusher and tackler Cooper Gates and the Bears top receiver from last season in senior Brandon Pedersen.

Gates rushed for 492 yards and five touchdowns and had a team-high 61.5 tackles with 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Pedersen caught 15 passes for 330 yards and seven touchdowns and senior Conner Capper caught 25 passes for 212 yards.

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