Iowa high school football roundup: Week 7 scores, stats and more

Gazette area scores, stats and more from Week 7 of the 2022 Iowa high school football season.

1A No. 3 West Branch 23, Iowa City Regina 0

Jack McCullough looked to the sideline for guidance, but, as he said, “the coaches weren’t looking.”

So he made a decision based on instinct:

Act now, explain later.

McCullough rushed the line and blocked a punt for a tone-setting safety, igniting third-ranked West Branch in a cleansing 23-0 victory over Iowa City Regina on Friday at Butch Pedersen Field, clinching the Class 1A District 5 football championship.

“It was huge,” Coach Butch Pedersen said after the Bears (7-0 overall, 4-0 district) secured their first victory over Regina since 2005. “That was a big turning point. It gave us some momentum.”

The Bears got a touchdown on their next possession, and the way their defense was performing, that was plenty.

West Branch held the Regals (4-3, 2-2) to 106 yards of total offense, only 29 on the ground.

“I think we just wanted it more,” said Andy Henson, who rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown. “We have big goals, and they were in our way.”

» Read more from The Gazette’s Jeff Linder

5A No. 9 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 44, Davenport West 0

On paper, the game promised to be competitive.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy was ranked ninth, coming off its lone loss of the season. Davenport West was one of just two unbeaten Class 5A teams, gaining recognition for its start.

The game was played on turf, however, and that provided a much different outcome. A more lopsided affair.

The Cougars ran roughshod over the Falcons, scoring on their first four possessions of the game and three in the second half, for a 44-0 victory football game last night at Kingston Stadium. Kennedy amassed 315 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in the romp.

The result checked off multiple boxes for Cougars Coach Brian White.

“We’re going to get physical, establish the run and we did,” White said. “We’re going to play fast defense and I thought we did. We’re going to play good special teams and with the exception of PAT I thought we did. We just wanted to get back to playing Kennedy football.”

Kennedy’s signature style of play starts up front at the line of scrimmage. The Cougars won the battle in the trenches, pushing the Falcons around, especially after halftime. Kennedy rushed 43 times with just four negative plays. Jacob Doyle rushed for 95 yards – all in the second half – Donovan Slick-Driscoll added 86 on just four runs, including a 66-yard TD on the second play of the third for a 30-0 lead. Anthony Franklin accounted for 52 on 10 carries.

“They let us know they’re going to put it on our (offensive line) backs,” Senior Maxx Meyer said. “We’re going to have to step up to the challenge. We work on it every practice.”

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

5A No. 3 Pleasant Valley 51, 5A No. 7 Iowa City High 21

The eastern half’s best hope to finally get that championship breakthrough in Iowa’s largest class of prep football appears to be a team that employs a unique offense.

The veer triple option, flexbone, or whatever you want to call it, didn’t used to be different. But when it comes to Class 5A these days, you just don’t see it.

PV’s offensive attack features a quarterback under center (imagine that) and one running back up close behind him. There are wingbacks lined up just off the line of scrimmage on either side, one of which sometimes goes into motion.

The QB can hand it to his running back, plunge the interior or perimeter himself, or pitch it to his wingback. This ain’t shotgun, RPO stuff.

But it’s winning football.

“We’re a unique offense, and I think it’s tough for opponents to reenact what we do in practice,” Pleasant Valley quarterback Caden McDermott said Friday night, after his third-ranked team smacked No. 7 Iowa City High, 51-21, at Bates Field. “It’s different on Friday nights. It’s full speed, it’s our guys versus their guys. We’ve been practicing it since freshman year.”

Pleasant Valley (7-0) has multiple players who can do damage, as evidenced by six different guys scoring touchdowns in this game. One of those was Makhi Wilson, who had substantial rushing yardage but who actually scored on a 95-yard kickoff return.

McDermott had two 1-yard touchdown runs and two TD passes. He threw it just times, which is about PV’s average attempts per game.

The Spartans had 410 yards, 348 on the ground.

“I just kind of think what we do and how we play, the style of play we use is tough to prepare for a lot of times,” said Pleasant Valley Coach Rusty VanWetzinga. “It might be kind of an old-school approach, I don’t know. I learned something a long time ago when I played for Bob Reade at Augustana. You play great defense and control the clock, you’re going to win a lot of football games.”

City High (4-3) played without quarterback Drew Larson, who suffered broken ribs in an ATV accident earlier in the week. Miller said he wasn’t sure if Larson would miss the rest of the season.

— Jeff Johnson

4A No. 6 Iowa City Liberty 49, Fort Madison 0

There’s no shortage of weapons at Graham Beckman’s disposal.

And he knows how to use them.

“Starting outside with Wyatt (Williams) and Lucas (Meyer), they’ve got speed, they’ve got hands,” Beckman said. “They can go up and grab it.

“With Garret (Gregiore) inside, he’s got speed, but he’s also quick and moves back and forth really easy. Christian (Barney) has great hands and he’s a big target.”

Beckman completed 10 of 17 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns (all to different targets), leading Class 4A sixth-ranked Iowa City Liberty (6-1) to a 49-0 victory over Fort Madison (6-1) in a 4A District 3 matchup at home Friday night.

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

4A No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier 49, Clear Creek Amana 0

The Saints (7-0, 3-0 4A District 4) got off to a hot start, scoring twice in the first six minutes to take a quick 14-0 lead. After batting down a fourth-and-goal pass to prevent a third Xavier score, the Clippers defense responded, not allowing a first down for nearly a quarter and a half.

With 35 seconds left in the first half, Clear Creek Amana (3-4, 1-2) found itself hanging around with Xavier lined up to punt. With the Clippers set to receive the second-half kickoff and momentum on their side, spirits were high.

The good vibes quickly evaporated.

A running into the kicker penalty gave the Saints a first down and new life at midfield. After an incompletion, Ronan Thomas threw downfield to Aidan McDermott, who hauled it in for a 50-yard catch and run for a touchdown. Further compounding the Clippers’ problems was a roughing-the-passer penalty on the play, putting the ensuing kickoff at the Clear Creek Amana 45.

With the short field, the Saints opted for an onside kick, which they promptly recovered. With 18 seconds left and the ball at the 30, Thomas hit McDermott for 15 and Grayson Hartman for 14 more. Xavier took a timeout with four seconds left and the ball at the 1. Thomas sneaked it in.

“I think the dimensions of the game changed a little bit when we went for it on fourth-and-goal,” Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. “We had a wide-open guy and we just didn’t complete it. Credit to our guys. They stuck with it.”

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Culley Kline

Marion 14, Decorah 13

The Wolves offense was bottled up for most of the game, with the exception of two plays, the second of which was an 80-yard run from senior Alex Mota with 5:20 remaining.

That score gave Marion a 14-13 lead and it took two defensive stands over the final five minutes, the last culminating with Decorah's Erik Hjelle coming up short on a field-goal attempt with 10 seconds remaining that allowed that score to hold, sending the Wolves and their fans into a wild celebration.

“This game tonight just showed how much our guys really believe in each other,” said Marion Coach Michael Joyner. “Our defense bent a bit on the first drive of the second half, but they did a whole heck of a lot better in the fourth quarter.”

And, as Joyner was quick to point out, it doesn't hurt to have an athletic talent like Mota on the roster. The University of Iowa commit hadn't done much over the first three quarters. However, when Decorah took a 13-7 lead on a 1-yard plunge from Hjelle with 5:34 remaining, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound speedster seized the moment.

The play was a basic part of the Wolves’ veer package. Mota read the movement of the Decorah defensive end, then it was simply a race to the end zone between Mota and the Vikings’ defensive backs.

“To me, the key on that play was the offensive line,” Mota said. “We had struggled some but I just trusted my guys and they made a play and it turned out to be a good run for me, too."

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Mike Condon

1A No. 9 MFL MarMac 33, Cascade 20

This game figured to be a challenge all along.

The absence of all-state running back Jack Menster made it that much more daunting.

Still, Cascade gave MFL MarMac everything it had on Friday night behind a revamped offensive playbook and an inspired overall effort.

In the end it wasn’t enough, however, as the Class 1A District 4-leading Bulldogs wore down Cascade in the second half for a 33-20 victory on homecoming night at O’Meara Field.

“Of course our kids were gonna play hard,” Cascade Coach Tim Frake said. “We have a lot of seniors out there who care and I thought they fought hard tonight. We knew we had to mix up our offense a little bit and we put some things in. At this point in the year, you’re going to have to do some different things anyway.”

Menster broke his collarbone late in the fourth quarter of last week’s win at Sumner-Fredericksburg after gaining more than 200 yards on the ground to put him at 975 for the season.

Will Hosch was solid at quarterback, completing 18 of 27 passes for 168 yards, a rushing score and a touchdown pass as the Cougars relied more prominently on his arm. The junior also gave his team some late first-half momentum with an interception.

Carver Blietz-Bentien caught a 16-yard pass from Zach Driscoll to cap off an 11-play, 64-yard opening drive to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead at 6:15 of the first quarter.

— Danny Miller, Dubuque Telegraph-Herald

3A No. 4 Mount Vernon 49, Maquoketa 7

Joey Rhomberg completed 19 of 28 passes for 348 yards and six touchdowns as the Mustangs rolled on the road.

Jensen Meeker caught three passes for 80 yards and two TDs, Evan Brase had four catches for 78 yards and two TDs and Caden Stimmel caught four passes for 80 yards and a TD.

Monticello 52, Anamosa 24

Trailing 10-9 at halftime, the Panthers racked up 43 second-half points to win at Anamosa and keep the Cowbell Trophy.

Preston Ries passed for 329 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed 33 times for 191 yards and two more scores for the Panthers (5-2, 4-0).

For Anamosa (1-6, 1-3), quarterback Devin Brophy was 15 of 25 for 253 yards and two TDs.

— Pete Temple

3A No. 7 Independence 53, Charles City 7

Mitchell Johnson passed for 182 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 70 and two scores as the Mustangs rolled at home.

Johnson completed 16 of 21 passes — all in the first half. Trey Weber added 56 rushing yards and three TDs.

Turkey Valley 42, Tripoli 36 (OT)

Ryan Franzen returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown in overtime as the Trojans won on the road.

Oliver Schmitt rushed for 228 yards and three TDs and also caught a TD pass. Carson Busta added 132 rush yards and a TD.

— Darin Svenson

West Delaware 39, 3A No. 9 Hampton-Dumont-CAL 16

Will Ward led a stellar ground attack with 207 yards and three touchdowns as the Hawks won on the road.

Logan Peyton added 130 yards and also scored three times and Brent Yonkovic chipped in with 110 as West Delaware totaled 446 yards the ground.

Ward, who had 18 carries, scored on runs of 23, 28 and 8. Peyton rushed 15 times and scored on runs of 32, 5 and 23.

— Bill Logan

3A No. 6 Solon 45, Fairfield 25

The Trojans showed a lot of fight against the Spartans, but Solon had it rolling on both sides of the ball.

They scored on all but two drives in the win.

Waterloo West 42, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 3

West shattered its five-game losing streak in decisive fashion.

A 66-yard kickoff return by Cavelle Fay teased the explosive evening the Wahawks would have, but they had to wait until their second drive to score, with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Alex Willis to Terez Smith — his first touchdown of the year. Willis followed it up with another 23-yard touchdown pass to Parker Engstrom.

With 14 seconds left in the first quarter, the J-Hawks got on the board with a 45-yard Bertin Gisubizo field goal, but Fay answered with 66-yard run in the last second for a touchdown, bringing the score to 21-3.

West later got creative with a lateral pass from Willis to his twin brother Josh, who then made a 34-yard touchdown pass to Engstrom.

“That’s a play we’ve been working on actually a couple of weeks, but it’s been in our system for about three or four years,” West Coach Lonnie Moore said. “But they did a good job, one twin to the other and down to Parker was great. The whole thing was executed really well.”

Fay got the ball on the next drive for 40 yards, giving him 106 yards for two touchdowns on two carries. West’s final score was a 52-yard pass from Alex Willis to DePree Banks

“This has been a tough five weeks for our guys, but I thought if we continued to keep working hard, we’ve got to keep a good attitude and those things, we’ve got to finish out the season,” Moore said. “We’ve got two more good games we’ve got to go in and take, but a lot credit to our seniors who have led this way from here.”

— Waterloo Courier

Scoreboard

» Live Gazette area scoreboard

» How the ranked teams fared in Week 7

» Bound statewide scorelist