Iowa high school football roundup: Week 9 scores, stats and more

Gazette area scores, stats and more from Week 9 of the 2022 Iowa high school football season, the last week of the regular season for 5A, 4A and 3A teams.

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5A No. 9 Linn-Mar 28, 5A No. 6 Cedar Rapids Prairie 13

Don’t leave it to some sort of mathematical equation to determine if you’re truly in the playoffs. Just control your controllables, as they say, and win.

Which is exactly what Linn-Mar’s football team did Friday night at John Wall Field, topping Cedar Rapids Prairie, 28-13, to clinch a spot in the Class 5A postseason.

“We knew we needed a win,” said Linn-Mar’s Carter Henderson. “Our defense had an amazing game, held them down to a low score. Our preparation this week was really good. We had really good practices all throughout the week. We knew we had to play fast and physical because they’re a good football team. This is what we needed to do.”

Henderson rushed 24 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns, as Linn-Mar played heads up on both sides of the line of scrimmage against a larger Prairie team. His 11-yard scoring run early in the third quarter provided an important two-score spread of 22-13.

Jackson Severson’s interception of a desperation fourth-down flip by Prairie quarterback Cal Sullivan in his own end zone went for a clinching touchdown with 3:18 left. Severson caught the ball despite having a large cast on his left hand that’s safeguarding a broken hand.

“I’ve got a club on,” he said with a smile. “The ball just came right to me, and I’ve got to make the play.”

» Read more from The Gazette’s Jeff Johnson

4A No. 6 Iowa City Liberty 42, Clinton 7

Go ahead, let out a sigh of relief, Lightning fans.

Graham Beckman is back and ready for the playoffs.

A week after a dramatic, district-clinching, 29-28, victory over Burlington, the Lightning (8-1) followed up Friday at home with a much more convincing win.

With junior quarterback Beckman returning to the lineup, Liberty routed Clinton (2-7), 42-7, in its regular season finale.

Beckman left last week’s contest with a thigh bruise.

“It’s a little sore after the game, but during the game with all the adrenaline, especially with the temperatures warming up, it kind of goes all away,” Beckman said. “It kind of gets loose especially being on the bikes and warming it up before the game. If I don’t focus on it, it all goes away and I’m just out there to play.”

“His quad’s a little tight, but he’s getting through it,” said Liberty Coach James Harris. “If anyone’s going to be diligent with their treatment and preparation, it’s Graham.”

Beckman played strong, completing 14 of 18 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns.

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

4A No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier 52, Oskaloosa 6

With a Class 4A playoff berth and a home playoff game already secured, the Cedar Rapids Xavier football team was in search of a quick, clean effort in the regular-season finale Friday night with Oskaloosa at Saints Field.

Mission accomplished.

Xavier used the big play early and often, rolling to a 52-6 win over the visiting Indians on Senior Night.

Senior running back Michael Cunningham had only seven first-half carries, but made the most of them. He had scoring runs of 63 and 86 yards, finishing with 170 total yards.

Cunningham's first TD came on Xavier's first snap after the kickoff. The big plays kept coming as the Saints built a 42-0 halftime lead, allowing Coach Duane Schulte to get his starters out and give them some rest with the playoffs coming up.

“I'm happy with the way our guys were focused from the start,” Schulte said. “They didn't take anything for granted and really got after it.”

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Mike Condon

Marion 42, Waterloo East 13

The lights went out at Thomas Park Field for the last time.

Having served as the home for Marion football since 1936, the Wolves will move into a brand new facility next season. Marion provided a proper farewell, flying past Waterloo East, 42-13, on Friday night.

“It feels amazing,” Marion two-way star Alex Mota said. “I know the team’s gonna love (the new facility). I don’t think we’ll make the playoffs this year, but we went out with a bang.”

The Wolves were supposed to begin life in their new home this season, but following construction delays and weather issues, Marion (5-4, 3-2) spent one last season at Thomas Park.

Symbolically, maybe this was for the best. After finishing 1-8 last season, Friday night saw the Wolves end their 2022 regular season with a winning record.

“It’s great,” Mota said. “It’s gonna be great for the younger kids. They’re seeing us winning. They’ll know what it feels like to win some games.”

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Culley Kline

Western Dubuque 36, Mason City 26

Grant Glausser ran for more than 200 yards for the fourth time this season, Caleb Klein intercepted a pass and caught two touchdown passes, and Western Dubuque punched its first official ticket to the postseason since the 2019 state championship season with a 36-26 victory over Mason City on Friday night at Buchman Field.

The Bobcats (6-3, 4-1 Class 4A District 2) are officially into the postseason for the 16th time in program history.

WD had a chance to qualify for the postseason with a win in the regular-season finale last year, but Mason City beat the Bobcats, 38-22.

Glausser carried the ball 24 times for a school-record 339 yards and three touchdowns. Harris completed 5 of 7 passes for 135 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and Klein caught two passes for 51 yards and the two scores.

— Tim O’Niell, Dubuqe Telegraph-Herald

3A No. 5 Independence 38, Center Point-Urbana 13

Mitchell Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another as the Mustangs closed the regular season with a victory.

Trey Weber rushed for 99 yards and two TDs. Johnson completed 9 of 17 passes for 140 yards and a TD to Brady Kurt, who caught five passes for 102 yards.

— Matt Shannon

West Delaware 35, Charles City 0

Will Ward rushed for 251 yards on 27 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Hawks won on the road.

Brent Yonkovic completed 12 of 18 passes for 139 yards with TD passes to Ward and Seth Jackson. He also scored on a 1-yard run.

Ward scored on runs of 23 and 6 yards.

— Bill Logan

3A No. 2 Mount Vernon 55, Vinton-Shellsburg 6

Joey Rhomberg completed 23 of 28 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns as the Mustangs rolled to a regular-season ending rout.

Evan Brase caught six passes for 71 yards, but did not have one of the three TDs. Those went to Brady Erickson, Ethan Wood and Clark Younggren.

4A No. 2 Waverly-Shell Rock 32, Decorah 13

McCrae Hagerty rushed for 227 yards on 27 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Go-Hawks completed their first unbeaten season since 1990.

Hagerty scored on runs of 71, 19 and 11 yards.

The Vikings scored twice in the second half on a Brady Stille pass to Kelley Gates of 22 yards and a Ben Wymer 66-yard run.

— Randy Iverson

Scoreboard

» Round of 32 playoffs roundup

» Live Gazette area scoreboard

» How the ranked teams fared in Week 9

» Bound statewide scorelist