Iowa high school football roundup: Week 3 scores, stats and more (Sept. 13, 2024)

The Gazette’s Week 3 Iowa high school football roundup with Friday night’s statewide scores and complete coverage from Gazette-area games.

5A No. 8 Linn-Mar 21, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 7

One play. That was it.

That was Dylan Muszynski’s contribution to last year’s Linn-Mar/Cedar Rapids Kennedy football game. He suffered a high-ankle sprain on the very first play and sat the rest of the way.

But the Lions’ very talented junior running back was fully healthy Friday night at Kingston Stadium. And Kennedy paid for that.

Muszynski rushed 25 times for 272 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion as Class 5A eighth-ranked Linn-Mar beat its rival, 21-7.

“Last year, very first play ... Very tough,” Muszynski said. “Wanted to come out here and show them what I’m all about.”

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So what’s he all about?

“I’m about trusting my guys and making plays when I can,” Muszynski said.

Those made plays included an 82-yard touchdown burst over the middle late in the first quarter. It included a 45-yard cut-heavy run that set up a 25-yard Bradley Duncan-Porter field goal for a 10-7 lead in the second quarter.

Also along the way was a 33-yarder in which he showed his quick feet with an array of cuts: bobbing and weaving past the defense. His second TD came from 8 yards out on a pitch play with 6:20 left in the game, his ensuing two-point run coming off a fake of an extra point.

“Very tired,” Muszynski said. “I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.”

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

North Linn 14, A No. 6 Starmont 0

Ten straight wins, six straight shutouts and 24 scoreless quarters.

All remained intact after the Lynx upended the No. 6 Stars, 14-0, in a Class A District 4 prep football showdown Friday night at Starmont. Cole Griffith reeled in a touchdown pass from Will Sommerfelt and rushed for another, connecting with Cael Benesh on a two-point conversion to all but seal the victory.

“I’m just really happy,” Griffith said. “This was one of our biggest games of the season. Starmont is really good.

“Our biggest goal is to win the district. That was the first step and maybe the biggest step.”

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The game promised to be a slobber-knocker that featured stout defenses and it delivered. Points were hard to come by but the Lynx were able to produce two scoring drives late in the second and fourth quarters.

North Linn conjured a huge 71-yard, 10-play drive that melted 5:04 off the clock. It was the longest drive of the game, using Sommerfeldt and Drew Ries runs to reach the 1.

After a penalty, the Lynx capped the drive with a new wrinkle from the week of practice. Griffith lined up in the wildcat formation, took the snap and ran around left end for a 6-yard TD run.

“He’s so shifty,” Collum said of Griffith. “He can find a hole even when there isn’t one. These bigger backs will try to put their nose down and push through. He can do that but then he can beat you with his feet to the outside, which he did.”

North Linn (3-0) got on the board with 24 seconds to go before halftime. After squandering good field position with four straight incompletions, the Lynx went back to the corner post. Sommerfelt hit Griffith in stride for the TD.

“I just trusted him,” Collum said. “He’s completed that 100 times in practice. We liked that route combo.”

Sommerfelt finished with 80 yards on 6-of-13 passing. Griffith hauled in three catches for 52 yards to lead the Lynx, who amassed 236 offensive yards.

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

3A No. 3 Mount Vernon 15, Benton Community 13

Blowouts are cool and all. But this — THIS — is the good stuff.

“This might have been the most fun I’ve ever had,” Jase Jaspers said after Class 3A third-ranked Mount Vernon fought past Benton Community, 15-13, in a non-district football game Friday night at Bobcat Stadium.

“I live for these kinds of games, close competition. If we want to win a state championship, you have to win the close games.”

Ethan Wood knocked the ball free on Benton’s final, frantic drive, the Mustangs recovered and improved to 3-0.

“I came off the edge where (Benton quarterback Carson Nolan) was rolling, and punched it out,” Wood said.

Mount Vernon had whipped its first two opponents by an 87-12 ledger. Benton (2-1) had romped by a similar 89-13 margin.

This was a 48-minute dandy.

Both defenses were stout. Mount Vernon finished with 241 yards, Benton 190.

Jaspers ran for 75 yards on 14 carries, and Wood was a horse on third- and fourth-and-short.

“We had that in late last year, and put it back in,” Wood said. “It’s good when we need to pound it up the middle.”

Nolan passed for 111 yards for Benton, completing 11 passes to seven different receivers.

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

Cedar Rapids Prairie 30, 5A No. 5 Southeast Polk 20

Prairie (2-1) gave an indication of what kind of night it might be on its first drive. Even though they turned it over on downs, the Hawks held the ball for over half of the quarter.

On Southeast Polk’s first drive, junior Brady Peterka grabbed the first of his two interceptions and his 50-yard return set up Prairie’s first score, a 10-yard pass from Wyatt Eash to David Fason.

Prairie upped the lead to 14-0 on its next drive. Junior Bjay Bush Jr. turned a straight dive play into a 48-yard TD run.

The Prairie defense held the Rams to 10 total rushing yards, which forced the visitors to rely almost exclusively on the pass to move the ball. That passing attack allowed the Rams to score twice in the second quarter.

Senior receiver Sam Zelenovich, who committed to Iowa State earlier this week, scored on pass plays of 21 and 58 yards in the final five minutes of the first half to get the game tied at intermission.

“We talked a lot at halftime, telling them if we stick together, nobody can pull us apart,” Prairie Coach Kyle Knock said.

The Hawks regained control after halftime, marching down the field on their first drive, taking the lead back on a 37-yard field goal from Junior Boxa. With Bush out with cramping late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, senior Quinton Alexander took over. He scored on runs of 1 and 58 yards to give Prairie a 30-14 lead with 9:22 remaining.

Bush finished with 108 yards on 19 carries. Alexander had 92 yards on eight carries. Eash completed 10 of 14 passes for 127 yards. Fason had five catches for 96 yards.

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Mike Condon

1A No. 7 Iowa City Regina 31, Mediapolis 21

A combination of steady offense, turnover-inducing defense and a little trickery proved to be the winning formula for Iowa City Regina on Friday.

The Regals (3-0), powered by quarterback Kyle Tracy’s 249 passing yards and the defense’s four forced turnovers, defeated Mediapolis, 31-21, in a non-district home football game.

Tracy got things started for Regina, capping an opening 11-play, 73-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. He also went 4-for-4 for 58 passing yards on the first march.

“Kyle, with his feet, being a dual-threat, it’s so nice having a quarterback that can sling it, but also scramble and pick up yards on his own,” first-year Regina Coach Dustin Elsbury said.

Two minutes after Tracy’s first score, Leren Fernandez jumped on a Mediapolis (1-2) fumble at its 27. Tate Wallace scored two plays later, taking a Tracy screen pass 22 yards to give Regina an early 14-0 lead.

“We can put the ball in multiple guys’ hands,” Elsbury said. “It makes it fun as a coach when you have guys like that and can spread the wealth.”

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Mediapolis got in the scoring column with 22 seconds left in the first half as Noah Schmidgall broke through a hole and sprinted 36 yards to the end zone.

Schmidgall then capped a short 42-yard drive to begin the third quarter with a 2-yard TD to tie at 14-all.

“No. 4 (Schmidgall), he’s tough to bring down,” Elsbury said. “He’s a heck of a player. Hats off to Mediapolis.”

The Regals drove to the 11 on its next possession, setting up a 28-yard Gabriel Hegelheimer field goal to put them back on top.

Following the score, Hegelheimer put the ball right where it needed to be on an onside kick — Regina recovered at Mediapolis’ 43.

On the next play, Tracy found Drew Greve streaking down the field on a reverse pass for a 43-yard score.

The Regals scored 10 points in 13 seconds.

“(Assistant coach Ed) Hinkel is such a great mentor for me,” Elsbury said. “He’s like, ‘let’s take a shot right away.’ The guys, they were all for it.”

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

A No. 8 Lisbon 49, Columbus Community 6

Dakota Clark did it all.

The Lisbon senior quarterback ran for a touchdown, threw for two more and even returned a punt 40 yards for a score. And that was just the first half.

Clark added a third touchdown toss in the third quarter as the Class A eighth-ranked Lions routed Columbus Community, 49-6, in a District 5 prep football game Friday night at Walmer Field.

“Just really trusting my guys,” Clark said. “Knowing that they are going to do their job. My linemen are going to block me for me up front, give me time to do what me and (senior tailback) Tiernan (Boots) need to do. Really just trusting them and trusting our offensive plan to get the ball where it needs to go.”

Early on, the game had the look of a shootout to match last season’s 34-28 Lisbon win at Columbus. On the first drive of the night, Columbus drove the length of the field and claimed a 6-0 advantage on a 5-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Riley Kaalberg.

“It definitely hit us,” Clark said. “We knew they were going to do stuff on us defensively. You have to stay calm and collected there. Trust what our D (defensive)-coordinator has got for us.”

After softening up the Columbus defense with handoffs and pitches to Boots, Lisbon broke through on a 55-yard quarterback keeper by Clark late in the first quarter.

“That fake to Tiernan really just helped pull those (line)backers over,” Clark said. “I saw that hole and I just hit it hard. Put a little move on one guy to miss and off to the races.”

After Lisbon blocked a punt, Clark threw the first of his three touchdown passes to senior receiver Quinn Coleman early in the second frame. Clark’s punt return touchdown and a short TD toss to senior receiver Gage Holub with 25 seconds left until halftime extended the Lions’ lead to 28-6.

» Read the game story from Gazette correspondent Douglas Miles

4A No. 10 Western Dubuque 21, 4A No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier 17

With history and injuries stacked against them, the Bobcats fought off the Saints with a strong second-half defense.

Tanner Anderson scored the go-ahead TD for Western Dubuque and completed 9 of 14 passes for 172 yards.

Xavier backup QB Cohen Honkamp hit on 8 of 13 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

— Steve Stolze

Iowa City High 53, Ames 14

The Little Cy Hawk Trophy is staying in Iowa City.

The Little Hawks’ Dom Salibi scored a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown, the latter on a fourth-and-13 double pass where he found Conner Cross for a 23 yard touchdown.

Senior Running back Gabe Egeland also found the end zone twice, including on a 53-yard run.

— Kyle Prondzinki

4A No. 7 Decorah 28, Crestwood 21

Louis Bucksa completed 10 of 22 for 98 yards and two touchdowns and Trevor Kuennen rushed 134 yards and a TD as the Vikings moved to 3-0.

Bucksa hit Noah Milburn for a TD that have Decorah a 21-13 lead, then connected with Will Larson from 18 yards out with 16 seconds left in the first half.

Decorah led 28-13 at halftime.

— Randy Iverson

3A No. 2 Williamsburg 47, Clear Creek Amana 20

Grant Hocker threw five touchdown passes, three to Rayce Heitman covering 19, 7 and 27 yards as the Raiders won in Tiffin.

Grady Wetjen added two rushing touchdowns for Williamsburg (2-1).

Hocker and Heitman have connected on seven touchdowns in the first three games of the season.

— Jonah Frey

Cascade 20, Monticello 15

Mick Hoffman’s third touchdown pass, a 4-yarder to Jackson Green with 11:10 to play, was the difference as the Cougars (2-1) rallied to win at home.

Hoffman completed 14 of 23 passes for 227 yards, including touchdown tosses of 72 yards to Brody Otting and 20 yards to Nathan Schockemoehl.

Monticello (0-3) scored on 2-yard touchdown runs by quarterback Brady Gogel and Lincoln Schneiter. Gogel finished with 102 passing yards.

— Pete Temple

Anamosa 42, Vinton-Shellsburg 7

Austin Scranton rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders improved to 3-0 for only the third time in the last 20 years.

Hudson Scranton and Jacob King add touchdowns for Anamosa who outgained the Vikings 391-89 in total offense.

— Daryl Schepanski

West Branch 49, Waterloo Columbus 7

Connor Rios accumulated more than 300 yards of offense and scored three touchdowns as the Bears rolled at home

Rios led a West Branch opening-drive touchdown with a 48-yards run for a TD.

Cooper Gates rushed for 119 yards and three TDs for the Bears (1-2), giving John Nestor his first win as the head coach in West Branch.

The Bear defense limited the Sailors to just 37 total yards.

— Jason Miller

North Fayette Valley 51, Denver 15

Decklyn Heins completed 7 of 10 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns as the TigerHawks won on the road.

Cael Reichter had three catches for 60 yards and a TD and Kyler White rushed for 92 yards, caught two passes for 42 more with a TD.

— Darin Svenson

Statewide Week 3 Iowa high school football scores

Alburnett 21, Dyersville Beckman 14

Algona 34, Estherville-Lincoln Central 12

Anamosa 42, Vinton-Shellsburg 7

Ankeny 23, West Des Moines Dowling 16

Ankeny Centennial 31, Cedar Falls 14

Atlantic 21, Greene County 17

Ballard 55, Creston 28

Bettendorf 20, Urbandale 7

Boone 56, Des Moines Hoover 0

Carroll 45, Denison-Schleswig 3

Carroll Kuemper 41, Avoca AHSTW 33

Cascade 20, Monticello 15

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 53, Des Moines North 6

Cedar Rapids Prairie 30, Southeast Polk 20

Cedar Rapids Washington 36, Davenport West 6 (Thursday)

Center Point-Urbana 24, Marion 21

Centerville 16, Fort Madison 6

Central Lee 21, Durant 7

Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 35, West Sioux 29 (OT)

Central Springs 20, Garner GHV 14

Chariton 35, Albia 14

Charles City 32, Waterloo East 8

Cherokee 25, Ridge View 13

Clear Lake 38, Iowa Falls-Alden 0

Council Bluffs Jefferson 42, Storm Lake 34

Council Bluffs Lincoln 35, Des Moines East 6

Davenport North 28, Marshalltown 14

Davis County 69, Eldon Cardinal 6

Decorah 28, Crestwood 21

Des Moines Christian 85, Clarke 0

Dike-New Hartford 35, Osage 6

Dubuque Hempstead 16, Dubuque Senior 14

Dubuque Wahlert 57, Clinton 0

East Marshall 35, Eddyville EBF 0

East Sac County 42, Missouri Valley 0

Emmetsburg 56, Sheldon 14

Forest City 47, Eagle Grove 14

Fort Dodge 20, Dallas Center-Grimes 17

Gilbert 42, Mason City 22

Grand View Christian 40, Southwest Valley 22

Grinnell 43, Oskaloosa 0

Grundy Center 40, Pella Christian 7

Hampton-Dumont-CAL 16, West Marshall 13

Harlan 38, Glenwood 22

Hinton 47, Akron-Westfield 7

Hudson 35, Jesup 21

Humboldt 28, Van Meter 21

Independence 35, Waukon 8

Iowa City High 53, Ames 14

Iowa City Regina 31, Mediapolis 21

Iowa City West 56, Muscatine 20

Keokuk 45, Burlington 7

Knoxville 36, South Tama 6

Le Mars 35, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 2

Lewis Central 30, Adel ADM 27 (OT)

Linn-Mar 21, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 7

Mapleton MVAOCOU 20, Manson-Northwest Webster 16

MFL MarMac 62, New Hampton 20

MOC-Floyd Valley 35, Okoboji 14

Monroe PCM 30, Nevada 7

Mount Pleasant 33, Tipton 24

Mount Vernon 15, Benton Community 13

Newton 29, Norwalk 21

North Butler 36, West Fork 14

North Fayette Valley 51, Denver 15

North Polk 41, Webster City 8

North Scott 35, Davenport Assumption 0

Northeast 39, Maquoketa 33

Ottumwa 62, Des Moines Lincoln 21

Pella 24, Indianola 22

Perry 23, Ogden 6

Pleasant Valley 42, Iowa City Liberty 28

Pleasantville 34, Lynnville-Sully 24

Red Oak 30, West Central Valley 22

Roland-Story 56, South Hamilton 0

Saydel 30, Colfax-Mingo 18

Sergeant Bluff-Luton 49, Sioux City West 13

Shenandoah 55, Nodaway Valley 14

Sigourney-Keota 21, Mid-Prairie 14

Sioux Central 20, Lawton-Bronson 10

Sioux City East 26, Sioux City Heelan 7 (Thursday)

Solon 55, Central DeWitt 2

South Hardin 56, Aplington-Parkersburg 7

Southeast Valley 20, Clarion CGD 13

Spirit Lake 41, Spencer 7

Sumner-Fredericksburg beat Oelwein, forfeit

Treynor 20, Clarinda 6

Underwood 40, Council Bluffs St. Albert 13

Unity Christian 28, Sioux Center 14

Washington 34, Fairfield 26

Waterloo West 28, Davenport Central 7

Waukee 52, Sioux City North 8

Waukee Northwest 56, Des Moines Roosevelt 13 (Thursday)

Waverly-Shell Rock 20, Bondurant-Farrar 6

West Branch 49, Waterloo Columbus 7

West Burlington/Notre Dame 27, West Liberty 22

West Des Moines Valley 34, Johnston 24

West Lyon 33, Ida Grove OABCIG 7

Western Christian 35, Pocahontas Area 0

Western Dubuque 21, Cedar Rapids Xavier 17

Williamsburg 47, Clear Creek Amana 20

Wilton 38, Camanche 10

Winterset 28, Carlisle 26

Woodward-Granger 34, Interstate 35 7

Union Community at West Delaware, canceled

CLASS A DISTRICT 1

Le Mars Gehlen 35, Alta-Aurelia 6

Marcus MMCRU 44, Hartley HMS 0

Sibley-Ocheyedan 28, South O’Brien 22

CLASS A DISTRICT 2

Belmond-Klemme 15, North Union 12

Mason City Newman 30, Lake Mills 14

West Hancock 21, Saint Ansgar 20

CLASS A DISTRICT 3

Nashua-Plainfield 41, Conrad BCLUW 20

North Tama 38, Ackley AGWSR 9

Wapsie Valley 35, South Winneshiek 14

CLASS A DISTRICT 4

Bellevue 48, North Cedar 6

Clayton Ridge 34, Postville 20

Maquoketa Valley 40, East Buchanan 0

North Linn 14, Starmont 0

CLASS A DISTRICT 5

Highland 13, Van Buren County 0

Lisbon 49, Columbus Community 6

Pekin 54, Danville 10

Wapello 38, Louisa-Muscatine 0

CLASS A DISTRICT 6

Madrid 28, Mount Ayr 6

North Mahaska 69, Central Decatur 16

Wayne 44, Martensdale-St. Marys 8

CLASS A DISTRICT 7

Earlham 40, IKM-Manning 18

Guthrie Center ACGC 42, Panorama 11

Oakland Riverside 34, South Central Calhoun 21

CLASS A DISTRICT 8

Tri-Center 56, West Monona 6

Westwood 35, Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley 14

Woodbury Central 47, Logan-Magnolia 14

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 1

Ar-We-Va 42, Siouxland Christian 0

Boyer Valley 53, West Harrison/Whiting 0

Woodbine 72, Newell-Fonda 6

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 2

Algona Garrigan 56, North Iowa 7

Harris-Lake Park 35, Northwood-Kensett 25

Ruthven GTRA 74, Rockford 24

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 3

Don Bosco 55, Riceville 7 (Thursday)

Lansing Kee 57, Waterloo Christian 0

Turkey Valley 60, West Central 0

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 4

Dunkerton 44, Garwin GMG 26

Gladbrook-Reinbeck 88, Meskwaki Settlement 0

Janesville 64, Clarksville 12

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 5

Edgewood-Colesburg 52, Central City 50

Lone Tree 50, Midland 40

Springville 42, Easton Valley 11

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 6

Iowa Valley 72, New London 21

WACO 40, Winfield-Mount Union 24

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 7

Belle Plaine 52, Moravia 13

Montezuma 86, Melcher-Dallas 0

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 8

Lamoni 64, Mormon Trail 8

Lenox 42, Bedford 14

Southeast Warren 30, East Union 2

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 9

Collins-Maxwell 28, Coon Rapids-Bayard 20

Fort Dodge St. Edmond 74, Baxter 24

Glidden-Ralston 34, Colo-Nesco 30

8-PLAYER DISTRICT 10

Anita CAM 66, East Mills 24

Fremont-Mills 60, Stanton 22

Sidney 44, Griswold 24

8-PLAYER NON-DISTRICT

Audubon 72, Exira-EHK 0

Calamus-Wheatland 51, HLV 50

Elkader Central 58, Tripoli 31

Murray 52, Twin Cedars 20

Remsen St. Mary’s 49, West Bend-Mallard 8

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