Iowa high school football playoffs: Thursday’s state semifinal scores, stats and more

It was a full day of Iowa high school state football semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, with games in Class A and Class 4A.

Get all the scores and stats here, plus a recap of our live updates and complete Gazette area coverage.

State football coverage

» Cedar Rapids Xavier rolls past Winterset to reach Class 4A championship game

» West Hancock goes back to basics, back to Class A title game with win over East Buchanan

» How to watch state football semifinals on TV and live stream

» Cedar Rapids Xavier football seniors go from 1-6 as freshmen to state semifinals

Class 4A: No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier 40, No. 7 Winterset 14

Alex Neal completed 10 of 12 passes for 155 yards and two TDs and ran for 73 yards and another score, while Trysten Vasquez — who was on the receiving end of the first of those two TD passes — was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts as the Saints rolled to the Class 4A final.

Star running back Dawson Forgy rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns for Winterset, but the Huskies couldn’t keep up with the Saints.

» Game story | Photo gallery | Box score

1:23 4TH: Cedar Rapids Xavier 40, Winterset 14

Alex Neal ran in a 3-yard touchdown after an Aidan McDermott interception that he returned 29 yards to the Winterset 23. That was McDermott’s second fourth-quarter pick, the first ending the Huskies’ comeback hopes after they recovered an onside kick.

6:02 4TH: Cedar Rapids Xavier 33, Winterset 14

Xavier has kept Dawson Forgy somewhat in check since his 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but he broke loose for an 18-yard TD here.

7:15 4TH: Cedar Rapids Xavier 33, Winterset 7

Make it four field goals in the game for Trysten Vasquez. The Xavier kicker connected from 29 yards after Brogan Zahn recovered a Winterset fumble at the Huskies 34.

10:36 4TH: Cedar Rapids Xavier 30, Winterset 7

Trying to come back, the Huskies went for it on fourth-and-1 from their 29 and Xavier’s Michael Cunningham and Spencer Mesch combined to stuff quarterback Caden Kleemeier for no gain.

The Saints took advantage of the turnover on downs with a 1-yard touchdown run from Will Hiserote.

3:02 3RD: Cedar Rapids Xavier 23, Winterset 7

Trysten Vasquez kicked his third field goal of the game, this one from 28 yards. It was a nine-play, 63-yard drive for the Saints, highlighted by Alex Neal’s 23-yard pass to Aidan McDermott from the Winterset 40.

0:28 2ND: Cedar Rapids Xavier 20, Winterset 7

Xavier forced a quick three-and-out and added another touchdown through the air before halftime. Alex Neal rolled out and threw an 8-yard pass to Josef Lemker for the score. It was a six-play, 45-yard drive. Neal ran four times for 20 yards and completed a 17-yard pass to Grayson Hartman to set up the TD.

2:48 2ND: Cedar Rapids Xavier 13, Winterset 7

Trysten Vasquez gave Xavier its first six points with kicks. This time, he found the end zone. He found himself wide open near the goal line and Alex Neal hit him for a 30-yard touchdown pass.

8:07 2ND: Winterset 7, Cedar Rapids Xavier 6

Trysten Vasquez kicked a 31-yard field goal after the Winterset defense bent, but didn’t break for the second time in the first half. It was a 10-play, 50-yard drive for the Saints. Alex Neal completed a 20-yard pass to Christian Stanek and a 12-yard pass to Aidan McDermott to get Xavier moving.

1:07 1ST: Winterset 7, Cedar Rapids Xavier 3

Dawson Forgy’s speed was on display on Winterset’s first play from scrimmage after the Xavier field goal. The running back burst through the defense and down the sideline for a 76-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies the lead.

1:28 1ST: Cedar Rapids Xavier 3, Winterset 0

Trysten Vasquez gave the Saints the game’s first points with a 38-yard field goal. Alex Neal ran for 14 yards on the drive’s first play, but the Huskies limited Xavier to 22 on the next seven.

Class 4A: No. 3 Lewis Central 35, No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock 10

Lewis Central outscored Waverly-Shell Rock 28-3 in the second half to advance to the Class 4A state title game.

Jonathan Humpal rushed for 189 yards and two second-half touchdowns on 28 attempts. Braylon Kammrad (11 of 20) passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Luciano Fidone, who had eight catches for 114 yards.

» Box score

4:30 4TH: Lewis Central 35, Waverly-Shell Rock 10

Make it 28 unanswered points for the Titans, with Luciano Fidone catching a 3-yard pass from Braylon Kammrad for their second touchdown connection of the game. That was on third-and-goal and it was set up by a third-and-4 conversion when Kammrad found Wyatt Hatcher for a 33-yard gain to the 3.

11:41 4TH: Lewis Central 28, Waverly-Shell Rock 10

Waverly-Shell Rock cannot stop Jonathan Humpal in the second half. He broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run on the first play after a Go-Hawks punt, his second touchdown of the half.

1:25 3RD: Lewis Central 21, Waverly-Shell Rock 10

Lewis Central’s offense is showing some explosion in the second half. Jonathan Humpal ran for an 18-yard touchdown one play after a 9-yard run to put the Titans up two scores. He also started the eight-play, 76-yard drive with a 13-yard run.

6:46 3RD: Lewis Central 14, Waverly-Shell Rock 10

The Titans needed just four plays to take the lead. Luciano Fidone took a short pass from Braylon Kammrad 40 yards to the end zone. Jonathan Humpal carried three times on for 40 yards on the previous three plays.

8:23 3RD: Waverly-Shell Rock 10, Lewis Central 7

Simon Ott kicked a 35-yard field goal to give the Go-Hawks the lead. It was a 10-play, 62-yard drive to begin the second half, highlighted by Austin Dewey’s 13-yard run to the Lewis Central 19.

HALF: Waverly-Shell Rock 7, Lewis Central 7

Simon Ott missed a 30-yard field goal just left as time expired in the first half. The Go-Hawks got in that position thanks to McCrae Hagarty converting a third-and-15 from the WSR 35 with a 15-yard run, then Ott hauling in a 24-yard pass from Grant Halvorson and two more short completions.

Waverly-Shell Rock drove 41 yards to the Lewis Central 28 earlier in the second quarter, but turned it over on downs when Payton Ludington and Dallas Davis held Hagarty to a gain of 1 on fourth-and-2.

4:19 1ST: Waverly-Shell Rock 7, Lewis Central 7

Waverly-Shell Rock had a quick answer after Lewis Central’s first touchdown. Layne McDonald got behind the defense and Grant Halverson found him for a 47-yard TD pass to tie the score.

5:54 1ST: Lewis Central 7, Waverly-Shell Rock 0

The Titans got on the board first when Braylon Kammrad dropped in a 30-yard pass to Blake Cyboron at the goal line.

Lewis Central overcame a first-possession fumble at its own 28 thanks to a Curtis Witte interception on third-and-13.

Class A: No. 2 Grundy Center 28, No. 6 Woodbury Central 7

Grundy Center used a pair of first-half interceptions — including an 88-yard Dayne Zinkula pick-6 — to take a 14-0 lead, then pulled away in the second half.

Zinkula also rushed for 120 yards. Logan Knaack threw for 112 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-21 passing and scored two TDs on the ground.

» Box score

3:31 4TH: Grundy Center 28, Woodbury Central 7

The Wildcats got on the board late in the game with a 15-yard Dallas Kluender pass to Kaleb Bleil.

2:46 3RD: Grundy Center 28, Woodbury Central 0

The Spartans mostly used the rushing attack to score here. Quarterback Logan Knaack completed an eight-play, 42-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. Knaack returned a Woodbury Central punt 11 yards to the Wildcats 42 to set up the drive.

8:58 3RD: Grundy Center 21, Woodbury Central 0

Grundy Center forced a three-and-out on Woodbury Central’s first drive of the second half, then put together its best drive of the game as Logan Knaack completed 3 of 4 passes for 60 yards.

The Spartans went 65 yards in six plays, with Knaack finding Colin Gordon for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Knaack and Gordon connected for a 12-yard gain earlier in the possession, then Knaack completed a 29-yard pass to Dexter Whitehill.

1:21 2ND: Grundy Center 14, Woodbury Central 0

The Wildcats drove 63 yards on 10 plays late in the first half, looking to tie the score heading into the break. Instead, they find themselves down 14.

Dayne Zinkula returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown to double Grundy Center’s lead. The Spartans have scored both their TDs off of interceptions.

11:56 2ND: Grundy Center 7, Woodbury Central 0

Quarterback Logan Knaack punched it in from 1 yard out on the the first play of the second quarter for the game’s first points.

END 1ST: Grundy Center 0, Woodbury Central 0

Woodbury Central drove to the Grundy Center 3 on its first possession, but two false start penalties pushed the Wildcats back and they eventually turned it over on downs.

Grundy Center’s offense did little in the first quarter, but was set up with good field position at the end of the period when Brayden Sawyer intercepted a Woodbury Central pass over the middle at the Wildcats 15.

Class A: No. 1 West Hancock 37, No. 7 East Buchanan 0

West Hancock rushed for 248 yards, led by Matthew Francis’ 129 and three touchdowns, and shut out East Buchanan.

The Eagles outscored the Buccaneers 29-0 in the second half, scoring touchdowns on all three of their drives and adding a pick-6 in the fourth quarter.

» Game story | Photo gallery | Box score

4:24 4TH: West Hancock 37, East Buchanan 0

West Hancock’s defense, already pitching a shutout, added a touchdown to its day with 4:24 left. Rylan Barnes returned an interception 43 yards to the end zone. There was a bad snap on the extra point attempt.

6:11 4TH: West Hancock 31, East Buchanan 0

The Eagles put together another dominant touchdown drive, this time going 88 yards on 12 plays. Eleven of the plays were runs, including Matthew Francis’ 5-yard TD.

2:42 3RD: West Hancock 24, East Buchanan 0

After an East Buc three-and-out, the Eagles stuck to the ground. This time it was a seven-play, 95-yard drive of all runs, with Francis breaking free for a 30-yard touchdown run. He again converted the 2-point try as well.

The Buccaneers didn’t give up. Keaton Kelly delivered a 64-yard pass to Hunter Bowers to reach the West Hancock 3, but a false start at the 1 hurt and they turned it over on downs.

7:47 3RD: West Hancock 16, East Buchanan 0

The Eagles opened the second half with a 4:13 touchdown drive of 68 yards. All 10 plays of the possession were runs. Matthew Francis scored on a 10-yard run and converted the ensuing 2-point try.

HALF: West Hancock 8, East Buchanan 0

Both teams turned it over on downs inside the opponent’s 25 in the second quarter.

West Hancock converted a third-and-18 with a 27-yard screen pass to Rylan Barnes, but a fourth-and-3 pass fell incomplete from the 20.

East Buc converted a fourth-and-1 from its own 34 with a 2-yard Adam Hackett run, then went to the flea-flicker on the next play, with Keaton Kelly finding Hunter Bowers for a 32-yard gain. But the Bucs only got to the West Hancock 25 before being stuffed on fourth-and-3.

0:06 1ST: West Hancock 8, East Buchanan 0

West Hancock found the end zone just before the end of the first quarter. Mitchell Smith delivered a 36-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Rylan Barnes with six seconds remaining. Smith found Matthew Francis for the ensuing 2-point conversion.

That was obviously the highlight of the first quarter. Before that? Both teams downed punts inside the 3.

The Buccaneers drove to the West Hancock 39 before a pass-interference penalty derailed the drive.

West Hancock’s Tanner Thurn recovered a fumble forced by Francis at the West Hancock 48, but the Eagles proceeded to go three-and-out.

Thursday’s state football schedule

CLASS A SEMIFINALS

No. 7 East Buchanan (10-1) vs. No. 1 West Hancock (11-0), 10 a.m.

No. 6 Woodbury Central (10-1) vs. No. 2 Grundy Center (10-1), 1 p.m.

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS

No. 3 Lewis Central (9-2) vs. No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock (10-1), 4 p.m.

No. 7 Winterset (9-2) vs. No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier (10-1), 7 p.m.

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Wednesday’s 8-Player semifinals

The 8-Player class kicked off the semifinal round Wednesday at the UNI-Dome. Anita CAM and Easton Valley will meet in next week’s championship game in a battle of 12-0 teams.

No. 1 Anita CAM 66, No. 5 Audubon 29

CAM outscored Audubon 44-7 in the second half after the game was tied at 22 at halftime.

Lane Spieker rushed for 299 yards and six touchdowns on 39 carries and passed for 136 yards and another TD.

» Box score

No. 4 Easton Valley 42, No. 3 Remsen St. Mary’s 36

Trailing 36-35 with 5:45 left, Conor Gruver hit Andin Farrell for a 5-yard touchdown pass to give Easton Valley the lead and the eventual win.

Gruver completed 20 of 23 passes overall for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Charlie Simpson scored two TDs on the ground, running for 142 yards.

» Box score