The Gazette’s 2025 all-area football Player of the Year: Iowa City Liberty's Reece Rettig

IOWA CITY – Reece Rettig serves as his harshest critic.

He won’t be shackled by satisfaction or bogged down by complacency. Rettig prefers to dissect the best performances to find the smallest flaws in order to improve. His quest to be the best is insatiable.

“I’m such a critic of myself I always think I could have done a lot of things better,” Rettig said. “I don’t think I ever had a perfect game. I try to find something to complain about. Even if I thought I had a good game, I’m going to say I should have done something better.”

Rettig’s persistent pursuit of peak production made him invaluable part in Iowa City Liberty football reaching new heights, advancing to the Class 5A state finals for the first time in school history. In his senior campaign, the Lightning quarterback amassed 3,372 offensive yards, including 2,465 passing and rushing for 908. He accounted for a 5A-best 36 touchdowns, earning The Gazette’s 2025 Player of the Year honors.

“Right away, it’s really hard to look at all the positives that come out of it,” Rettig said of the state runner-up season. “Looking back, it was really cool. A great opportunity. Everything our team accomplished was awesome. It’s definitely not a one-man sport. You learn that pretty quickly.”

Liberty Coach Scott Chandler witnessed Rettig’s transition into an elite dual-threat quarterback capable of willing his team to win. Some of that drive stems from doubters, saying his 5-foot-10 frame was a liability. The numbers and wins proved otherwise.

“He has been told he’s too small his entire life and has a chip on his shoulder,” Chandler said. “He wants to prove all those people wrong. In order to do that he realized, at a very young age, that criticism of himself is essential to improving. He is always willing to work to improve and loves the grind. He knows he is willing to do more than anyone to win and that gives him the confidence he needs to succeed.”

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The fact that he was surrounded by like-minded teammates. Rettig said the Lightning devoted numerous hours in the film room, breaking down video and learning schemes and strategies. He said this team was motivated to excel.

“It’s what set us apart,” Rettig said. “We were all working toward the same goal the last two years. We had a goal in mind. We didn’t quite reach it. It’s going to live with us the rest of our lives but we know we left it all out there.”

Interestingly, his family helped mold that giant-sized heart pumping competitive juices through his arteries. The influence of his parents, Garrett and Denise, and being pushed by younger brothers, Tate and Trey formed his ambition to succeed. Never taken a backseat to anyone, whether it was on the football field, other sports, a test score in school, Monopoly or Go Fish.

“I think I learned that when I played board games against my parents,” Rettig said. “If I didn’t win, I wasn’t happy. The feeling of losing just sat with me, even if it was some dumb thing. Someone just proved they were better than you. I take that to heart. You can’t be satisfied with losing a card game to my parents. You have to be like, ‘Dang, I’m not happy with it.’”

Rettig has been a varsity player all four years, which is rare for large schools. He replaced all-stater Graham Beckman as a starter last season and sustained the production for the Lightning. Rettig had his best overall season in terms of yardage, ranking third in 5A for passing yards and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns.

“I think at the beginning of the season I tried to do too much,” Rettig said. “I don’t think I trusted my teammates as much in the beginning of the year as I did at the end of the year. Obviously, new guys and different relationships will take longer to develop.

“Realizing not to force things and not be all me. I had to rely on them and trust them. I think that showed later in the season. It was a big step for me this season, trusting my guys even if I haven’t been with them as long.”

In two seasons as a starter, Rettig had 6,573 offensive yards, 75 touchdowns and 452 points scored over that stretch, leading Liberty to its first state semifinal in 2024 and the championship game this year.

For his career, Rettig finished with 6,841 total yards and 78 TDs, including 5,335 and 57 TDs passing through the air and 1,436 and 20 scores on the ground.

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As much as statistics, his leadership may have made the biggest impact.

“Reece wants to elevate everyone around him and at times that led him to be overbearing on his teammates, especially the younger ones,” Chandler said. “He expects everyone to think and work like him. He realized this year that’s not the case and there are ways to get the most out of guys who don’t have the same drive as he does. He became more positive and patient with certain guys and saw them flourish with a different approach.”

Rettig highlighted the Johnston game as a defining moment. He said the Lightning played their worst game of the season after a strong first quarter. They lost by just three to a highly-rated team but just three, allowing them to realize they were good enough to compete with any team.

For Chandler, the quarterfinal against Southeast Polk, avenging last year’s semifinal and knocking off the four-time defending state champion, was a prime example of Rettig’s tough mentality.

”He was really banged up and had a knee that hindered him from running and scrambling to make the plays he usually does,” Chandler said. “We had to come from behind and convert multiple fourth downs. When the odds were stacked against us, he made the throws and plays necessary to get us the win.”

Rettig fought through injury the rest of the way, knocking off Waukee Northwest in the semifinal and returning from injury in the final against West Des Moines Dowling.

“I think that’s part of the competitiveness in me,” Rettig said. “It was my last game. I’m going to do everything I can to be in the game and win it.”

Liberty has huge shoes to fill with Rettig’s departure. He did so much as a rusher, passer, decision-maker and leader on and off the field.

“Reece has been a joy to coach. He’s open to criticism and willing to argue, sometimes at length, without taking things personally,” said Chandler, noting he was three to four seasons in the NFL before he had that mindset. “He has been an amazing example for our entire program of how to be relentless in the pursuit of excellence.”

Rettig has been busy applying to college. He plans to continue his football career but is unsure where that road will lead. Rettig said his love for the game, and the passion to master it, will keep him connected to football beyond his playing days.

“I’m going to find a four-year school and go play football,” Rettig said. “I’m going to be around the sport as long as I can. Playing it for as long as I can and I’ll probably end up coaching, I bet, because that’s how much I love the sport.

“I’ve spent that much time on it already. It’s like second nature.”

Comments: k.j.pilcher@thegazette.com