Iowa high school football playoffs 2024: Previewing Thursday’s area 8-Player quarterfinal games

The following are area 8-Player state quarterfinal football capsules:

Montezuma at Lenox

When and where: 7 p.m. Thursday, At Lenox

Records and rankings: Montezuma is 10-1; No. 4 Lenox is 10-0.

Overview: The Braves are making their seventh quarterfinal appearance. They reached the semifinals in 2020 and 2012. Brady Boulton has powered Montezuma with 2,383 offensive yards and 34 touchdowns, passing for 1,280 and 18. Boulton threw for 224 yards and two scores and rushed for 95 and a TD in the 32-28 second-round win over Bedford last week. His top receivers are Carter Michalek (32-423, six TDs) and David Rose (29-582, 5 TDs). Broox Stockman, who leads the Braves with 79 tackles, has rushed for 882 yards and 21 TDs and Brett Plants adds 747 and 19 TDs on the ground. Rose has six of the team’s 17 interceptions, including one returned for a score. Montezuma ranks seventh in the class with 56.5 points per game.

Lenox ranks third, allowing just 9.8 points a game. The Tigers have 86.5 tackles for loss and 20 sacks. Offensively, Gabe Funk is the leading passer with 1,193 yards and 17 TDs. Funk is also the top rusher with 932 yards and 22 scores. Lenox was a quarterfinalist last year and made the 2022 semifinals.

Edgewood-Colesburg at Algona Garrigan

When and where: 7 p.m. Thursday, At Algona

Records and rankings: No. 8 Ed-Co is 10-0; No. 2 Garrigan is 10-0.

Overview: The Vikings are making their 11th playoff appearance and seventh straight. Ed-Co has reached its third state quarterfinal and first since advancing to the semifinals in 2018. Pryce Rochford has been a dynamo for the Vikings. He leads 8-Player with 2,507 rushing yards and 45 rushing TDs, averaging 12.2 yards per carry. Rochford has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 740 yards and 13 TDs, averaging 20 yards per completion. He also owns a 251.0 QB rating. Rochford’s 63 total TDs leads the entire state. He impacts the defensive side, leading the Vikings with 72 tackles, adding four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Ed-Co is solid up front and Carson Ingles has rushed for 743 yards and 11 TDs.

Garrigan is the defending state champion and has won 22 straight games. The Golden Bears’ last loss was to Fort Dodge St. Edmond on Aug. 25, 2023. Trayton Cink highlights Garrigan’s rush attack that has amassed 2,380 yards. Cink has 989 yards and 22 TDs on 108 carries.

Other 8-Player quarterfinals

• No. 6 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (9-1) at No. 3 Don Bosco (10-0)

• No. 5 Audubon (10-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (10-0)

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com