Iowa high school football 2024: Gazette-area state semifinal games to watch

CEDAR FALLS — The following are area capsules for the semifinal round of the Iowa high school football playoffs in the UNI-Dome:

Class 5A: No. 5 Iowa City Liberty (10-1) vs. No. 9 Southeast Polk (7-4)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Overview: Liberty has advanced to the semifinal round for the first time in school history, and it’s up to the Lightning to keep the big-school final from being an all-Central Iowa affair for the sixth straight year. Despite the four losses, Southeast Polk remains the three-time defending champion until proven otherwise. The Rams have two postseason road wins under their belts (against Pleasant Valley and Iowa City West). The top 5A seed via RPI, Liberty has won eight consecutive games, including postseason conquests of Waukee (31-14) and Ankeny (21-13). The Bolts have the second most potent offense in 5A, averaging 40.7 points per game. Junior QB Reece Rettig pilots the attack, passing for 2,385 yards, 29 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Seniors Dallas Miller, Collin Decker and Sutton Koller all are explosive targets. Southeast Polk’s Holden Hansen has passed for 1,937 yards and 15 TDs, but has surrendered 12 interceptions.

Class 3A: No. 4 Mount Vernon (10-1) vs. No. 3 Humboldt (10-1)

Saturday, 7 p.m.

Overview: A victory would send Mount Vernon to the championship round for the 11th time. The Mustangs advanced with an improbable quarterfinal comeback at Algona, rallying from a 22-0 deficit to stun the Bulldogs, 31-28. Kellen Haverback engineered the comeback with three touchdown passes, including a 7-yarder to Michael Ryan with 1:38 remaining. That marked the Mustangs’ seventh consecutive win; their only defeat this season was a 7-6 heartbreaker to Solon in Week 4. Haverback has crossed the 2,000-yard plateau this season, passing for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Jase Jaspers heads the receiving corps with 54 catches, 833 yards and eight TDs, and also has recorded five interceptions. Humboldt throttled Solon last week at home, 35-3, its second-most decisive victory of the season. The Wildcats scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to erase an early 3-0 deficit. Coen Matson (2,249 passing yards, 24 TDs, five INTs) is the triggerman for the Wildcats’ air attack, with four guys in excess of 20 receptions.

Other semifinal games

WEDNESDAY

8-Player

No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (11-0) vs. No. 2 Algona Garrigan (11-0), 10 a.m.

No. 4 Lenox (11-0) vs. No. 6 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (10-1), 1 p.m.

THURSDAY

Class A

No. 1 West Hancock (11-0) vs. No. 10 Madrid (9-2), 10 a.m.

No. 3 Saint Ansgar (10-1) vs. No. 5 Tri-Center (10-1), 1 p.m.

Class 4A

No. 4 Lewis Central (10-1) vs. No. 5 Pella (10-1), 4 p.m.

No. 1 North Polk (11-0) vs. No. 7 North Scott (9-2), 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

Class 1A

No. 1 Grundy Center (11-0) vs. No. 7 Wilton (10-1), 10 a.m.

No. 2 Dike-New Hartford (10-1) vs. No. 6 Hinton (10-1), 1 p.m.

Class 5A

No. 1 West Des Moines Dowling (10-1) vs. No. 3 West Des Moines Valley (9-2), 4 p.m.

SATURDAY

Class 2A

No. 2 Monroe PCM (11-0) vs. No. 3 Spirit Lake (10-1), 10 a.m.

No. 1 West Lyon (11-0) vs. No. 4 Van Meter (10-1), 1 p.m.

Class 3A

No. 1 Dubuque Wahlert (11-0) vs. No. 1 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (11-0), 4 p.m.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com