Iowa high school football roundup: Week 7 scores, stats and more (Oct. 6, 2023)

Here’s our Week 7 roundup with Iowa high school football scores, stats and complete Gazette-area coverage from Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.

3A No. 7 Solon 21, 3A No. 1 Williamsburg 14

Multiple times the Solon defense hoisted the team on its shoulders Friday night, canceling out short fields and turnovers, limiting scores and putting up points of their own in the No. 7 Spartans’ 21-14 victory over top-ranked Williamsburg in a Class 3A District 5 battle at Spartan Stadium. Solon (6-1, 3-0) won its sixth straight game and took control of the district title race.

“Our resiliency has been key with these guys all year from Week 1 to now,” Solon Coach Lucas Stanton said. “It’s never easy and they know that. I’m proud of the toughness they show. They never fold. They stick together.”

The defense shined in the first half, matching the Raiders’ seven points. Brett White’s sack of Kellen Cockrell popped the ball loose and Barret Schade picked it up and rumbled 60 yards for the tying TD.

Solon’s defense came up big again in the fourth, setting up the winning score. Cole Carney intercepted a pass at the Raiders 13. Four plays later, Johnson scored on a 1-yard run for the final score.

“It does a lot because that’s a really good team,” White said. “That’s a state championship team, right there. They have a lot of dawgs. This gives us confidence to launch our team.”

» Read the game story from The Gazette’s K.J. Pilcher

Maquoketa Valley 22, North Linn 15

Lance McShane scored the go-ahead touchdown, a 5-yard surge on fourth-and-4 with 4:04 left, and Maquoketa Valley out-mudded North Linn, 22-15, in a Class A District 4 football showdown Friday night at Maquoketa Valley High School.

Somewhere in the muck, you’ll find a contact lens. It had been in McShane’s left eye until early in the third quarter, when it became dislodged.

“My vision is pretty bad,” he said. “If I would lose both of them, I wouldn’t be able to see three feet in front of me.”

So now it’s a three-way tie atop the A-4 standings: Maquoketa Valley, Starmont and East Buchanan all are 6-1 overall, 5-1 in the district. All have clinched a playoff berth.

North Linn (5-2, 4-2) rallied from an early 14-0 deficit, taking a 15-14 lead early in the second quarter.

It was still stuck at 15-14 when Maquoketa Valley got the ball with 7:21 left, 67 muddy yards away from the end zone.

“At that point, you go behind your best players and you give it to your best player,” Wildcats Coach Scot Moenck said.

» Read the game story from The Gazette’s Jeff Linder

5A No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie 48, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 7

However you want to slice it or dice strength of schedule, Cedar Rapids Prairie has been through the meat grinder that way, if you will, this football season. Yet the Hawks have survived it, moving closer to a Class 5A playoff berth Friday night at Kingston Stadium by overwhelming Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 48-7, in the battle of west-side schools affectionately known as the Kolache Bowl.

Prairie has ridden the legs of running back Casey Kelley most of this season but he left the game early with an apparent ankle injury. Bryce Kavitz took his place and had a 118-yard, one-touchdown performance.

Fullback Collin Velky had three carries, all for touchdowns: from 1, 2 and 6 yards. Then there was the passing game.

Quarterback Will Phillips completed 18 of 23 throws for 285 yards and three touchdowns, two to good-looking receiver Apollo Payne. He had seven catches for 103 yards.

But wideouts Denzil Green (five catches for 76 yards) and T.Y. Pour (five grabs for 100 yards) also played well in this game.

“Going into it, I was looking at the weather, 17-mile-per-hour winds,” Phillips said. “We were just working on the (runs), then we figured out the wind wasn’t as bad, so we started throwing it. The pocket was kind of collapsing, so I stepped up, and our receivers have really been feeling it lately.”

» Read the game story from The Gazette’s Jeff Johnson

Iowa City West 58, Cedar Rapids Washington 8

Eight players contributed to at least one touchdown for Iowa City West (4-3).

Ashton Honore rushed for two and Izaiah Loveless caught two. Jack Wallace and Erik Caperon both threw for one, while Marquise Rose, Jacob Gilliam, Aaron Honore and Butali Butali all had rushing scores.

Butali had an impressive game, leading the Trojans in rushing yards with 214 on 17 carries.

“I didn’t expect to come out here and just do all this, but it feels pretty good,” Butali said. “I think it was just the grit and grind. I was just trying to get through and get all the yards I can.”

Sitting at No. 15 in the Class 5A RPI rankings (the top 16 qualify for postseason play), the Trojans needed this victory to boost their playoff position before facing two ranked opponents (No. 5 Pleasant Valley and No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie) to close the regular season.

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

4A No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier 42, Oskaloosa 0

Coleton Beasler-Weber returned a pair of punts for scores and added a third on a 24-yard run as No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier rolled to a 42-0 homecoming win over the Indians on a blustery night at Saints Field.

“To be a good kick returner, you have to have good vision and see the guys in front of you,” Beasler-Weber said. “When they are making their blocks like they did tonight, it is pretty easy to take it to the house.”

Coach Duane Schulte’s Saints (4-2) dominated from the start, pushing the game to continuous clock status midway through the second quarter.

Beasler-Weber needed just over two minutes to get the Saints on the board. After stopping Oskaloosa (3-4) on three plays, a punt pushed Beasler-Weber back to his own 24 where he took off up the field, then made a cut to break free on a 76-yard scoring jaunt.

On Xavier's next possession, Beasler-Weber scored on a jet sweep from 24 yards out. Then it was a Noah Schimberg 38-yard scoring run and a 20-yard TD pass from Ronan Thomas to Carter Hoffman.

That set the stage for Beasler-Weber’s second scoring return. He let the ball bounce past him, then raced back and picked it up and weaved through Oskaloosa defenders for a 70-yard score.

“He's got natural ability,” Schulte said of Beasler-Weber’s kick returning prowess. “He's got good awareness of his surroundings and he also has some good guys blocking for him.”

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Mike Condon

1A No. 9 Iowa City Regina 48, Dyersville Beckman 21

Following a difficult loss to a rival, Iowa City Regina was in need of a palette cleanser.

The Regals wiped the slate clean and got back to their high-flying ways, dispatching Dyersville Beckman, 48-21, Friday night in prep football game at Regina.

Sandwiched between last week’s 21-17 setback at West Branch and a big showdown with Class 1A fifth-ranked Wilton, the Blazers provided an opportunity to get right. Lamenting missed opportunities in their loss to the Bears, the ninth-ranked Regals hope the setback propels them to a deep postseason run.

“Coming off last week’s loss and watching film, we just made so many mental errors,” Regina Coach Jason Dumont said. “The message tonight was, we just need to clean that up. I thought we did a good job of that.”

The Regals turned the consistently short field into quick points. Regina entered the half with a 45-7 lead. The Regals forced four turnovers on the night. Ty Joss hauled in three of Gentry Dumont’s four touchdown passes.

“We flushed that last game down the toilet,” Regina receiver Ty Joss said. “We learned from all the mistakes we had. We regained that momentum and we’re getting ready for the playoffs.”

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Culley Kline

Marion 28, 4A No. 10 Decorah 21

Quarterback Kaleb Diers found Darius Rouson in the end zone on a beautiful pass and catch with 20.7 seconds left as the Wolves rallied in Decorah.

Marion trailed the Vikings, 21-20, with 2:43 left in the game, starting the final drive on its own 16-yard line.

With quick passes to the sideline and a Viking 15-yard pass interference penalty, Marion drove to the Decorah 11 with 28 seconds to play.

Dakota Johnson had a 52-yard touchdown run in third quarter for the Vikings.

— Randy Iverson

3A No. 10 Independence 41, Maquoketa 0

Quarterback E.J. Miller passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 76 and another score as the Mustangs rolled at home.

Miller completed 13 of 21 passes, including six for 106 yards to Brady Kurt. Bryce Christian caught two passes for 94 yards and a TD.

2A No. 5 Monticello 48, West Liberty 3

The Panthers spotted the visiting Comets an early field goal, then scored 48 unanswered points to move to 6-1 overall, 4-0 in Class 2A District 4.

Preston Ries rushed for 180 yards and four touchdowns, and passed for 120 yards.

Ryker Dengler had 115 passing yards for West Liberty (1-6, 0-4).

— Pete Temple

1A No. 5 Wilton 21, 1A No. 8 West Branch 17

Owen Hassell scored on a 7-yard run with 1:02 remaining to give the host Beavers the win.

West Branch led 17-7 as the fourth stanza began.

The Beavers moved to 7-0 and the top of Class 1A District 5. They play ninth-ranked Iowa City Regina next week in Wilton.

West Branch ends the season at home against Durant.

— Jason Miller

8P No. 7 Don Bosco 59, Turkey Valley 14

The Dons scored on their first nine possessions in Jackson Junction.

Kaiden Knaack rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns and Kyler Knaack added 115 yards and a score.

Oliver Schmitt had 68 rushing yards and 66 receiving yards, scoring two TDs.

— Darin Svenson

Dubuque Wahlert 14, West Delaware 13

A blocked PAT with 9:04 left in the game was the difference in Dubuque.

Brent Yonkovic hit Conrad Smith on a 29-yard TD pass to bring West Delaware with one point, but the PAT kick was blocked. Macoy Roling scored on a 5-yard run for the Hawks’ first TD.

Tom Scherr, on a 37-yard pass from Spencer Commer, scored for Wahlert and Jackson Weber recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.

— Bill Logan

Camanche 43, Anamosa 28

Quarterback Bryce Buckley rushed for one touchdown and threw for three more as the Storm won in Anamosa.

Austin Scranton rushed 28 times for 108 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Raiders.

Easton Wheeler added the other two TDs, one on a 60-yard kick return and the other on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Vince Diers. Nate Fischer had four receptions for 61 yards for the Raiders.

— Daryl Schepanski

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Statewide Week 7 Iowa high school football scores

CLASS 5A

Ames 48, Marshalltown 14

No. 6 Ankeny 40, Iowa City Liberty 21

No. 8 Ankeny Centennial 43, Des Moines Roosevelt 7

No. 9 Bettendorf 63, Davenport Central 0

Cedar Falls 42, Dubuque Senior 7

No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie 48, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 7

Iowa City West 58, Cedar Rapids Washington 8

Johnston 42, Council Bluffs Lincoln 10

Linn-Mar 14, Davenport West 12

No. 5 Pleasant Valley 48, Muscatine 21

Sioux City North 49, Des Moines East 3

No. 1 Southeast Polk 38, No. 3 Waukee 0

No. 7 Waukee Northwest 76, Ottumwa 14

No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling 29, Urbandale 0

West Des Moines Valley 49, Waterloo West 0

No. 3 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 44, Dubuque Hempstead 0 (Thursday)

Iowa City High 47, Davenport Central 13 (Thursday)

Sioux City East 45, Des Moines Lincoln 18 (Thursday)

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 1

Denison-Schleswig 41, Storm Lake 13

No. 9 Le Mars 42, Fort Dodge 7

Spencer 69, Sioux City West 6

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 2

Marion 28, No. 10 Decorah 21

Waverly-Shell Rock 44, Mason City 7

No. 1 Western Dubuque 52, Waterloo East 29

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 3

Burlington 28, Clinton 21

No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier 42, Oskaloosa 0

No. 7 North Scott 16, Clear Creek Amana 14

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 4

No. 3 Bondurant-Farrar 38, No. 4 Gilbert 7

Newton 44, Carlisle 6

Pella 54, Des Moines Hoover 8

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 5

No. 1 Adel ADM 20, Ballard 13

Des Moines North 36, Boone 35

No. 8 North Polk 27, No. 10 Indianola 0

CLASS 4A DISTRICT 6

No. 5 Council Bluffs Lewis Central 42, Winterset 6

Glenwood 21, Dallas Center-Grimes 14

Norwalk 62, Council Bluffs Jefferson 6

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 1

Carroll 24, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 20

No. 6 Sioux Center 19, MOC-Floyd Valley 12

No. 10 Sioux City Heelan 42, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 12

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 2

Algona 34, Humboldt 17

No. 3 Clear Lake 21, Hampton-Dumont-CAL 6

Webster City 49, Charles City 13

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 3

Center Point-Urbana 40, DeWitt Central 13

Dubuque Wahlert 14, West Delaware 13

No. 10 Independence 41, Maquoketa 0

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 4

No. 8 Davenport Assumption 35, Washington 0

Keokuk 47, Mount Pleasant 26

No. 4 Mount Vernon 45, Fort Madison 7

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 5

Fairfield 20, South Tama 7

Grinnell 21, Benton Community 20 (OT)

No. 7 Solon 21, No. 1 Williamsburg 14

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 6

Atlantic 21, Perry 0

No. 2 Creston 56, Knoxville 14

No. 9 Nevada 39, No. 5 Harlan 20

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 1

No. 2 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 42, No. 5 Western Christian 7

Cherokee 20, Unity Christian 16

No. 3 West Lyon 35, Sheldon 7

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 2

Clarion CGD 55, Okoboji 27

Estherville-Lincoln Central 35, Forest City 14

No. 4 Spirit Lake 62, Garner GHV 6

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 3

New Hampton 35, Crestwood 6

North Fayette Valley 50, Oelwein 8

Waukon 20, Osage 8

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 4

Camanche 43, Anamosa 28

No. 5 Monticello 48, West Liberty 3

Northeast 50, Tipton 14

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 5

Mediapolis 42, Davis County 7

Mid-Prairie 33, Central Lee 13

West Burlington/Notre Dame 19, Albia 8

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 6

Jesup 32, Iowa Falls-Alden 8

No. 8 Monroe PCM 49, West Marshall 20

Union Community 38, Vinton-Shellsburg 8

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 7

No. 10 Clarinda 50, Chariton 14

Clarke 35, Interstate 35 0

No. 1 Van Meter 63, Centerville 6

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 8

No. 7 Carroll Kuemper 56, Saydel 14

No. 9 Roland-Story 41, Des Moines Christian 14

Southeast Valley 26, Greene County 21

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 1

Ida Grove OABCIG 12, Hinton 6

Lawton-Bronson 48, Mapleton MVAOCOU 12

West Sioux 42, Ridge View 6

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 2

Emmetsburg 49, Eagle Grove 8

Manson-Northwest Webster 8, East Sac County 0

Pocahontas Area 12, Sioux Central 6

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 3

No. 10 Dike-New Hartford 41, Aplington-Parkersburg 8

No. 4 MFL MarMac 28, No. 6 Denver 7

No. 3 Sumner-Fredericksburg 47, Central Springs 0

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 4

No. 1 Grundy Center 35, Alburnett 0

South Hardin 42, Hudson 21

No. 7 Carroll Kuemper 56, Saydel 14

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 5

Cascade 42, Durant 7

No. 9 Iowa City Regina 48, Dyersville Beckman 21

No. 5 Wilton 21, No. 8 West Branch 17

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 6

Pella Christian 43, Cardinal 0

Pleasantville 35, Eddyville EBF 0

No. 7 Sigourney-Keota 82, Colfax-Mingo 0

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 7

Grand View Christian 26, Nodaway Valley 0

South Hamilton 50, Woodward-Granger 0

West Central Valley 38, Ogden 32

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 8

Avoca AHSTW 56, Red Oak 12

Treynor 40, Shenandoah 9

No. 2 Underwood 63, Missouri Valley 0

CLASS A NON-DISTRICT

Ackley AGWSR 41, Belmond-Klemme 0

No. 6 Guthrie Center ACGC 42, Mount Ayr 18

Marcus MMCRU 42, Sloan Westwood 7

CLASS A DISTRICT 1

Akron-Westfield 25, Alta-Aurelia 0

Hartley HMS 28, Sibley-Ocheyedan 21

Le Mars Gehlen 33, South O’Brien 0

CLASS A DISTRICT 2

North Union 41, Mason City Newman 6

No. 1 Saint Ansgar 69, West Fork 8

No. 3 West Hancock 41, No. 7 Lake Mills 0

CLASS A DISTRICT 3

Nashua-Plainfield 26, North Butler 12

South Winneshiek 34, North Tama 28

No. 9 Wapsie Valley 50, Conrad BCLUW 8

CLASS A DISTRICT 4

East Buchanan 45, Clayton Ridge 0

Maquoketa Valley 22, North Linn 15

North Cedar 40, Postville 0

No. 10 Starmont 33, Bellevue 12

CLASS A DISTRICT 5

Highland 20, Louisa-Muscatine 18

No. 5 Lisbon 63, Danville 14

Pekin 44, Wapello 0

Columbus Community 61, Van Buren County 14 (Thursday)

CLASS A DISTRICT 6

Central Decatur 21, Wayne 8

No. 4 Madrid 41, North Mahaska 0

No. 7 Lynnville-Sully 33, Martensdale-St. Marys 12

CLASS A DISTRICT 7

Earlham 49, Oakland Riverside 35

IKM-Manning 45, Southwest Valley 7

South Central Calhoun 39, Panorama 13

CLASS A DISTRICT 8

Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley 48, West Monona 6

Logan-Magnolia 43, Council Bluffs St. Albert 18

No. 2 Woodbury Central 41, Tri-Center 21

8-PLAYER NON-DISTRICT

Baxter 52, Montezuma 46

Griswold 66, West Harrison/Whiting 16

Janesville 70, Rockford 16

Moravia 74, New London 14

Springville 54, West Central 12

No. 2 Winfield-Mount Union 17, Mormon Trail 0 (forfeit)

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 1

Boyer Valley 38, Siouxland Christian 22

No. 5 Remsen St. Mary’s 56, Woodbine 26

Westside Ar-We-Va 50, Newell-Fonda 13

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 2

Algona Garrigan 48, Ruthven GTRA 20

Harris-Lake Park 49, North Iowa 8

West Bend-Mallard 60, Northwood-Kensett 7

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 3

No. 7 Don Bosco 59, Turkey Valley 14

Lansing Kee 64, Elkader Central 2

Riceville 64, Waterloo Christian 12

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 4

No. 9 Clarksville 38, No. 1 Gladbrook-Reinbeck 36

Dunkerton 74, Tripoli 6

Garwin GMG 64, Meskwaki 6

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 5

No. 6 Central City 44, Lone Tree 13

Edgewood-Colesburg 50, Calamus-Wheatland 22

Midland 40, Easton Valley 34

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 6

Iowa Valley 54, HLV 6

No. 10 WACO 51, English Valleys 6

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 7

BGM 98, Melcher-Dallas 0

Belle Plaine 60, Twin Cedars 0

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 8

No. 4 Bedford 87, Lamoni 6

No. 8 Lenox 60, Southeast Warren 18

Murray 24, East Union 14

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 9

Audubon 68, Collins-Maxwell 18

Fort Dodge St. Edmond 48, Colo-Nesco 42

Glidden-Ralston 24, Coon Rapids-Bayard 6

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 10

No. 3 Anita CAM 37, Fremont-Mills 20

Exira-EHK 58, East Mills 6

Stanton/Essex 54, Sidney 40