Iowa high school football roundup: Week 3 scores, stats and more

Gazette area scores, stats and more from Week 3 of the 2022 Iowa high school football season.

5A No. 5 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 27, 4A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Washington 6

Special teams? You bet they were.

“They carried us most of the game,” Cedar Rapids Kennedy quarterback Vincenzo Gianforte said. “And that’s a fact.”

A blocked punt for a touchdown. A recovered onside kick. Two field goals, by two different kickers. A blocked PAT.

Class 5A fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy did all of that in a 27-6 Metro football triumph over 4A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Washington on Friday at Kingston Stadium.

Special teams? You bet they were.

And that’s a fact.

“From Day 1, we tell our guys that we have 77 starters,” Kennedy Coach Brian White said after the Cougars went to 3-0. “Eleven on offense, 11 on defense, 55 on special teams.

“We have guys who want to play special teams. We consider them starters, and they can get a letter just by playing on special teams.”

» Read more from The Gazette’s Jeff Linder

2A No. 3 Williamsburg 38, 3A No. 6 Solon 25

It wasn’t pretty.

The start was even downright ugly. An ugly win is still a win, after all. Williamsburg will take it.

The Class 2A third-ranked Raiders overcame four first-half turnovers and quarterback Carson Huedepohl contributed to five touchdowns to defeat 3A No. 6 Solon, 38-25, in a non-district prep football game Friday night at Bob Murphy Stadium.

“All kinds of stuff we can talk about and still know you won by two scores, it just shows what this team is capable of,” Williamsburg Coach Curt Ritchie said. “We’ll keep getting better and it’s fun to work on those things after a win. Our guys will stay hungry and get better.”

Carson Huedepohl had 188 total yards, including 147 passing. Weisskopf accounted for 92 yards and six receptions.

Not bad for Huedepohl, who missed last season due to injury and has moved from running back to quarterback for the first time since junior high.

“It’s great and I love the sport,” Huedepohl said. “I love getting on the field. Last year, it was really tough just watching the game.

» Read more from The Gazette’s K.J. Pilcher

4A No. 4 Cedar Rapids Xavier 40, 2A No. 6 Dubuque Wahlert 7

When you’ve got guys like Michael Cunningham and Aidan McDermott on offense, you’ve got a chance.

When you’ve got a defense that played like it did Friday night, you’ve got an even better chance.

Cunningham and McDermott each accounted for three touchdowns, and Cedar Rapids Xavier held Dubuque Wahlert to exactly 1 first-half yard in a 40-7 win at Saints Field.

Fourth ranked in a loaded Class 4A, Xavier (3-0) had no problems disposing of a Wahlert team that also had won its first two games, over West Delaware and Davenport Assumption. The Golden Eagles (2-1) came in ranked sixth in 2A.

Yet this was no contest.

“I think this might have been our biggest jump, from Week 2 to Week 3,” said McDermott. “You’ve got to keep making those jumps because, obviously, later in the season we’ll be starting to play those better teams. We’ve got to keep making those jumps from week to week, and then I think good things will happen.”

Cunningham has the size, speed and toughness you like to see in a tailback. He scored Xavier’s first three touchdowns: on a 21-yard run late in the first quarter, a 10-yard run in the second and then a 34-yard catch.

That latter touchdown came on a pass from McDermott, whose normally a receiver but who lined up at the quarterback spot a couple of times in this game. McDermott also caught a 3-yard TD pass from Ronan Thomas, then returned a punt 72 yards for a score less than a minute later.

Oh, by the way, Cunningham also had a 2-point conversion run as part of a 27-point Xavier second quarter.

“That’s the O-line doing its job,” Cunningham said. “They’re all continuing to work hard and keep getting better. Getting off the ball better, blocking their man, doing their job. It’s a team effort.”

— Jeff Johnson, The Gazette

5A No. 10 Iowa City High 55, Ames 19

The Little Cy-Hawk Trophy will remain in Iowa City for at least another year.

The 10th-ranked Iowa City High Little Hawks defeated Ames, 55-19, Friday night at Bates Field in a non-district matchup.

With the win, City High (2-1) retains the Little Cy-Hawk Trophy, which it’s held since Sept. 13, 2019.

“It’s really good to be home,” said Iowa City High Coach Mitchell Moore. “Bates is an iconic place to play Iowa high school football.

“That was the message I talked to the team about. It’s about representing this community, this historic field. There’s a buzz about this place when you play good football.”

Friday’s matchup featured two of the top aerial attacks in Class 5A.

Ames (2-1) and City High entered the contest tied atop Class 5A with seven passing TDs. The Little Cyclones ranked second in passing yards with 752, while the Little Hawks came in third with 589.

“Offensively I think you saw that we are more talented than we were last year,” said Moore. “We can stretch the field deep. We’ve got two quarterbacks that really know what they’re doing.”

One of those quarterbacks, Drew Larson, completed 16 of 19 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns.

“I think people need to start taking note of Drew Larson,” said Moore. “He’s a special talent.”

City’s Ronnie Major rushed for 94 yards in the first half on seven carries, three of which went for TDs.

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

Iowa City Regina 35, Mid-Prairie 7

In a hard-hitting matchup between a pair of evenly-matched lines, the big play made the difference.

Regina used a few well-placed chunk plays to seize momentum, and ultimately, the game. The Regals knocked off Mid-Prairie, 35-7, Friday night at Regina.

The Golden Hawks (2-1) entered the night after a pair of wins over West Burlington/Notre Dame and Sigourney-Keota. They left little doubt as to what the offensive game plan would be. Feed the ball to big tailback Braden Hartley, who came into the game with 417 rushing yards.

Hartley got his yards, but the Regals (2-1) took away the big run. A pair of 11-yard runs was as much as they allowed him to get loose. Struggling to throw the ball, and unable to break off big gains on the ground, the Golden Hawks drives ultimately stalled out.

“A lot of it’s trying to play good, fundamental football,” Regina Coach Jason Dumont said. “You’ve gotta be careful. You can’t blitz a team like that a whole heck of a lot. Every safety had to make a couple of plays tonight when we were blitzing and stop a touchdown.”

The Golden Hawks rushed for 159 yards, but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.

“Our coaches did a good job of putting our linebackers and defensive ends in the right position to make plays and our defensive front is just tremendous,” Regina defensive back Jackson Naeve said.

The Regals used a balanced rushing attack to keep Mid-Prairie honest. With 6:39 left in the first quarter, Gentry Dumont dropped back to pass. With Cobi Hershberger coming free on a blitz, Dumont unleashed a ball as he got drilled, hitting Naeve in stride for a 40-yard touchdown.

“It was a perfect throw,” Naeve said. “That just adds to his character on how he does anything for his team where he takes big hits.”

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Culley Kline

Cedar Rapids Prairie 24, 5A No. 6 Cedar Falls 7

Cedar Falls’ defense had tossed eight quarters of scoreless football to start the season, but Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Makelle Taylor had other ideas Friday night.

Taylor broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter as the Hawks used that momentum to upset Class 5A sixth-ranked Cedar Falls, 24-7, in the UNI-Dome.

Prairie improved to 2-1 overall.

Taylor finished with 113 rushing yards on 12 carries. More importantly, the run seemed to soften the Tigers’ vaunted defense, allowing the Hawks’ potent ground game to pick up steam and effectively grind clock the rest of the contest.

Prairie finished with 279 yards rushing, including 170 in the first half.

— Sean Hylton, Waterloo Courier

West Delaware 42, Decorah 6

Brent Yonkovic completed 13 of 18 passes for 160 yards and rushed for 126 as the Vikings rolled on the road.

Yonkovic completed his last 10 passes, hitting Will Ward on a 15-yard TD pass and Seth Jackson from 22 yards out.

Ward rushed for 119 yards and two TDs and Logan Peyton added 103 yards and a TD as the Hawks totaled 518 yards of offense.

Decorah scored late on a 50-yard pass from Brady Stille to Kelly Gates.

— Bill Logan and Randy Iverson

1A No. 4 West Branch 59, Maquoketa Valley 0

West Branch scored early and often en route to a home victory.

For the fifth time in three games, the Bear defense had a scoop and score. Evan Striegel returned a fumble 15 yards to the south end zone. Every fumble the Bears have recovered this season has resulted in a return touchdown.

Tye Hughes passed for one TD, rushed for another and caught a third for West Branch (3-0).

Maquoketa Valley's Lance McShane was held to just 46 yards rushing after averaging 231 the first two games.

— Jason Miller

3A No. 5 Mount Vernon 42, Tipton 0

Joey Rhomberg completed 11 of 14 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown as the Mustangs rolled at home.

Tyler Panos, Henry Ryan, Clark Youggreen and Jackson Hird all rushed for TDs and Caden Stimmel returned a punt 60 yards for another.

1A No. 2 Dyersville Beckman 28, Monticello 14

The Blazers broke a 14-14 tie with two fourth-quarter touchdowns in Dyersville.

Quarterback Cayden Gassmann scored on a 25-yard run with 6:24 to play, and Nick Wulfekuhle set a school record with a 97-yard score with 2:44 left.

Wulfekuhle finished with 191 yards on the ground, and Gassmann rushed for 149 yards and three scores for Beckman (3-0).

Preston Ries passed for 197 yards and rushed for 101 for the Panthers (1-2). Tate Petersen had 107 receiving yards with one touchdown.

— Pete Temple

Independence 50, West Liberty 8

Mitchell Johnson rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another as the Mustangs won on the road.

Johnson completed 15 of 17 passes for 235 yards and rushed for 65 more, scoring on runs of 1, 10 and 10 yards. Trey Weber, A.J. Kitner and Brady McDonald also scored on runs as Indee totaled 506 yards, 271 on the ground. Weber rushed for 109, all in the first half.

Clear Creek Amana 31, Washington 6

All the big moments seemed to tilt toward the Clippers.

The Clippers converted on three fourth downs that led to 21 points. They led the host Demons 21-6 at halftime and Washington's offense could never answer the bell.

Quarterback Jackson Schmidt threw for a touchdown and ran for one more. Sam Pettinger found the end zone twice on the ground.

Tayven Stuart scored the Demons' only touchdown.

— Andy Krutsinger, Southeast Iowa Union

Cascade 46, Anamosa 7

The Cougars rushed for 276 yards and scored five touchdowns on the ground while quarterback Will Hosch completed 13 of 20 passes for 206 yards and two more TDs.

Anamosa was led by quarterback Devin Brophy, who completed 9 of 13 passes for 117 yards — including three to Tysen Gravel for 60 yards.

Angelo Cudahy scored the lone Anamosa TD, hauling in a 15-yard pass from Brophy.

— Daryl Schepanski

Waterloo Columbus 21, Vinton-Shellsburg 7

It was a little too much ball control for the visiting team and too many missed opportunities for the home team at the Karr Athletic Complex.

The Vikings (1-2) opened the scoring midway through the second quarter when slotback Austin Kemp flipped a 7-yard toss to Curtis Erickson. Merritt Bodeker converted and the Vikings were up 7-0 with 6:03 left in the half.

The Sailors came back in less than two minutes as Nick Merrifield scored around the left side to tie the game at 7 with 4:18 to in the half. Then it was quarterback Carter Lockert bookending two runs (one with 11:08 left, the other with 3:01 to go) to bring the final count to 21-7.

— Jeff Holmes

Western Dubuque 36, 4A No. 6 Iowa City Liberty 30

Grant Glausser ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns, and Brett Harris capped his first varsity start with a go-ahead 42-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left as the Bobcats stunned the Lightning.

The lead changed hands three times in the final 2:12 as Western Dubuque came away with its first win in three games this season.

Glausser led the WD offense, rushing for 106 of his 212 yards in the first half. He scored on runs of 35, 7 and 4 yards, and 14 of his 27 carries went for at least 7 yards.

— Tim O’Neill, Dubuque Telegraph-Herald

Scoreboard

» Live Gazette area scoreboard

» How the ranked teams fared in Week 3

» Bound statewide scorelist