Iowa high school state football championships: Scores, stats and more from Thursday’s games

It’s time to crown the 2021 state football champions. The Iowa high school state football championships kicked off Thursday with four games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Find all the scores and stats and a recap of our live updates here.

State football coverage

» Cedar Rapids Xavier falls to Lewis Central in 3OT Class 4A state football championship

» UNI-Dome lights go out as Lewis Central-Cedar Rapids Xavier state championship game goes to 3 overtimes

» Photos: Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Lewis Central in Class 4A state championship

» How to watch Iowa high school state football championships on TV and live stream

» 50 years of Iowa high school state football championships

Class 4A: No. 3 Lewis Central 32, No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier 24 (3OT)

In probably the classic of all classics on a day full of them, Lewis Central (11-2) earned its first state title.

The Titans won it after three overtimes and a delay between the second and third OTs when the lights at the UNI-Dome went out. Braylon Kammrad’s 1-yard TD run held up as the winner thanks to a goal-line stand on Xavier’s ensuing possession.

Kammrad threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-26 passing. Jonathan Humpal ran for 92 yards and a score.

Xavier (11-2) rallied from 10-0 down to force overtime. Alex Neal (10-of-17) passed for 158 yards and a TD and rushed for 72 yards and two more scores.

» Game story | Photo gallery | Box score

3OT: Lewis Central 32, Cedar Rapids Xavier 24

A goal-line stand gave Lewis Central the state championship. Xavier quarterback Alex Neal tried to sneak it from the 1 on third down and fourth down and the Titans stopped him both times.

3OT: Lewis Central 32, Cedar Rapids Xavier 24

Two completions got the Titans to the goal line, then quarterback Braylon Kammrad punched in a 1-yard touchdown run on third down. Holder Luciano Fidone bobbled the snap, so he picked up the ball, raced to the end zone and narrowly got to the pylon for the 2-point conversion.

2OT: Lewis Central 24, Cedar Rapids Xavier 24

Braylon Kammrad made something out of nothing for the Titans on third down. He rolled right, avoided pressure and tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Loftin on a broken play. Boston Hensley’s extra point forced a third OT. Then the lights went out and the game was delayed.

2OT: Cedar Rapids Xavier 24, Lewis Central 17

Xavier got the ball first in the second OT and quarterback Alex Neal gave the Saints their first lead. Both Xavier plays were 5-yard Neal runs, the second going for a touchdown as he absorbed hits at the goal line. Trysten Vasquez kicked the extra point.

OT: Lewis Central 17, Cedar Rapids Xavier 17

Xavier responded in the first overtime with a touchdown on its second play. On play-action, Alex Neal hit Josef Lemker for a 9-yard TD pass. Trysten Vasquez tied it with the extra point to send this to a second OT.

OT: Lewis Central 17, Cedar Rapids Xavier 10

Lewis Central got the ball first and scored on its second play. Braylon Kammrad rolled right and hit Luciano Fidone, who toe-tapped in the end zone to secure the 8-yard touchdown. Boston Hensley kicked the extra point.

0:00 4TH: Lewis Central 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 10

This one is going to overtime, the first title game to go to OT since 2009. Punter Lane Feierfell might be the hero for the Titans. He chased down two straight high snaps and was able to get off punts. Xavier still scored after the first, but the second came with less than a minute remaining and the Saints took a knee after his 38-yard net boot from just in front of the end zone.

4:39 4TH: Lewis Central 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 10

Xavier didn’t let the fumble affect it. After forcing a punt (on which the snap was airmailed, leading to good field position), the Saints needed only four plays to go 69 yards and tie the score. They took advantage of a couple Lewis Central penalties, too. Quarterback Alex Neal ran in a 15-yard touchdown and Trysten Vasquez converted the extra point.

8:18 4TH: Lewis Central 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 3

Xavier methodically drove to the Lewis Central 11, then the Titans made a game-changing play. Nick Miller sacked and stripped Alex Neal and Parker Matiyow recovered the fumble to maintain the lead. That stopped a 13-play, 65-yard drive that included third-and-13 and fourth-and-3 conversions.

0:34 2ND: Lewis Central 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 3

Trysten Vasquez got Xavier on the board with a 24-yard field goal just before halftime. The 10-play, 73-yard drive started with Vasquez’s 20-yard catch, then a 19-yard Alex Neal run. Neal fit in a 25-yard pass to Will Hiserote on fourth-and-6 from the Lewis Central 37 to get the Saints in scoring range.

4:21 2ND: Lewis Central 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 0

Jonathan Humpal capped a 12-play, 81-yard Lewis Central drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal. Luciano Fidone’s 24-yard catch while absorbing a pass interference penalty got the Titans in the red zone.

1:00 1ST: Lewis Central 3, Cedar Rapids Xavier 0

Lewis Central dropped two would-be touchdown passes and missed a field goal on its first drive, but some defense gave the Titans another shot. Wyatt Hatcher intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards to the Xavier 15, but they settled for a field goal again. Boston Hensley connected on a 30-yard kick.

Class 1A: No. 1 Van Meter 17, No. 7 West Sioux 14

Katie Lindsay’s 27-yard field goal ended up being the difference as top-ranked Van Meter (13-0) won its second state football championship.

Lindsay’s kick put the Bulldogs up 10 in the fourth quarter. West Sioux cut into the lead with its second touchdown of the game a few minutes later, but couldn’t get the ball back for a chance to tie or take the lead.

Jack Pettit completed 11 of 18 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for the Bulldogs. Dalten Van Pelt ran for 126 yards.

Dylan Wiggins was 13-of-24 for 139 yards and a TD for the Falcons (11-2).

» Box score

4:24 4TH: Van Meter 17, West Sioux 14

West Sioux stayed in this. Dylan Wiggins rolled right and threw a pass to the end zone that Brady Lynott came down with after getting position in front of a Van Meter defender. It was a 31-yard touchdown pass and a six-play, 59-yard drive.

7:22 4TH: Van Meter 17, West Sioux 7

Katie Lindsay kicked a 27-yard field goal that bounced in off the right upright to make this a two-possession game. It was a 14-play, 47-yard drive for the Bulldogs that included a fourth-and-4 conversion from the West Sioux 38. Lindsay had already made history in this one, becoming the first girl to score in an IHSAA state football championship game when she hit the first extra point.

0:14 2ND: Van Meter 14, West Sioux 7

After turning the ball over on downs at the Van Meter 7 earlier in the second quarter, West Sioux didn’t let another opportunity go to waste with time running out in the first half. Dylan Wiggins fired a third-and-5 pass to Levi Koopmans for a 16-yard gain to the Van Meter 1. Then, on third-and-goal, Blake Van Ballegooyen took a handoff, stayed patient as he rolled right and tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Carter Bultman.

10:20 2ND: Van Meter 14, West Sioux 0

Van Meter’s second scoring drive was a slightly more drawn-out possession of nine plays and 70 yards that took 3:12. Quarterback Jack Pettit punched in the score with a 1-yard run. Dalten Van Pelt set it up with runs of 14 and 5 yards after Pettit’s 12-yard completion to Chris Schreck converted a fourth-and-4 at the West Sioux 38.

3:59 1ST: Van Meter 7, West Sioux 0

Jack Pettit’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Chris Schreck started the scoring in this one. It came three plays after Van Meter’s John Braun blocked a punt.

Class A: No. 1 West Hancock 19, No. 2 Grundy Center 14

West Hancock rushed for 211 yards and won its second state title in the last three years. Matthew Francis ran for 119 yards and a touchdown and Braden Walk added 67 yards and a TD.

The Eagles (13-0) attempted three passes and completed two, one of which was a 34-yard touchdown from Mitchell Smith to Rylan Barnes.

Grundy Center (11-2) became the first team to score more than seven points against West Hancock this season and reached the Eagles 9 on its final drive, but ran out of time. Logan Knaack was 15-of-25 passing for 184 yards and ran for 77 yards and a touchdown.

» Box score

0:00 4TH: West Hancock 19, Grundy Center 14

Grundy Center forced a punt and got the ball back at its 20 with 2:38 to go. The Spartans reached the West Hancock 24 with 12 seconds to go. On third-and-7, Logan Knaack scrambled for a 15-yard gain, but with no timeouts Grundy Center ran out of time for another snap.

8:48 4TH: West Hancock 19, Grundy Center 14

Grundy Center is the first team to score more than seven points against West Hancock this season. Dayne Zinkula’s 8-yard touchdown run capped a six-play, 49-yard drive to cut into the Eagles’ lead. Big response from the offense after a turnover on downs in the red zone in the third quarter.

7:57 3RD: West Hancock 19, Grundy Center 7

Of 63 West Hancock touchdowns this season entering the game, only eight were via the pass. Add a ninth. Mitchell Smith delivered a 34-yard touchdown pass to Rylan Barnes as the Eagles started the second half with a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive. The 2-point run was stopped.

3:49 2ND: West Hancock 13, Grundy Center 7

An 11-play, 74-yard drive that stayed on the ground gave West Hancock its first lead. Matthew Francis scored on a 19-yard touchdown run on third-and-4 and accounted for 59 yards on the drive. The extra point was missed.

1:50 1ST: West Hancock 7, Grundy Center 7

West Hancock followed up Grundy Center’s first-drive success with a scoring march of its own. Braden Walk scored on a 24-yard run to complete a seven-play, 66-yard drive.

4:41 1ST: Grundy Center 7, West Hancock 0

West Hancock hasn’t given up more than seven points in any of its 12 games this season. Grundy Center got to seven after one drive. The Spartans went 70 yards on 13 plays, punching it in on quarterback Logan Knaack’s 1-yard touchdown run. They converted a fourth-and-1 from the 4 with Dayne Zinkula’s 3-yard run.

8-Player: No. 1 Anita CAM 42, No. 4 Easton Valley 40

CAM took its first lead with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter and didn’t look back, completing a 13-0 season and winning its first state football championship.

Quarterback Lane Spieker compiled 465 yards and five touchdowns for the Cougars, completing 7 of 13 passes for 243 yards and two scores and rushing for an 8-Player title game record 222 yards.

Conor Gruver was 34-of-52 passing for 384 yards (both 8-Player championship records) and five touchdowns and added a TD on the ground for the River Hawks (12-1). Carson Fuegen also set records for receptions (20) and receiving yards (211).

» Box score

0:52 4TH: Anita CAM 42, Easton Valley 40

Easton Valley forced a punt and got the ball back at its 15 with 2:08 left thanks in part to a bad snap that led to a 17-yard loss on first down. The River Hawks picked up a first down on a fourth-and-1 completion, but two penalties and three incompletions resulted in a fourth-and-20 they could not convert.

2:52 4TH: Anita CAM 42, Easton Valley 40

Easton Valley gives itself a shot. It took just two plays for the River Hawks to score again, with Conor Gruver finding Aidan Gruver for a 45-yard touchdown pass.

3:29 4TH: Anita CAM 42, Easton Valley 33

The door opened again for Easton Valley with a fourth-and-2 stop at its 32. But the tables turned. The River Hawks got to the red zone with Conor Gruver’s 20-yard pass to Carson Fuegen on fourth-and-2, but they were stopped behind the line on fourth-and-1 from the CAM 11. The Cougars converted two third downs on the ensuing drive, the second being a Lane Spieker 23-yard touchdown run that could put this game out of reach. The 2-point run failed.

1:06 3RD: Anita CAM 36, Easton Valley 33

CAM has its first lead of the game. Cade Ticknor hauled in a pass from Lane Spieker over a defender, spun away from two tackles and found the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown. The seven-play, 70-yard drive came after an Easton Valley punt. Ticknor scored on the 2-point attempt as well.

6:53 3RD: Easton Valley 33, Anita CAM 28

Easton Valley started the second half with a long drive. CAM responded with a more typical quick strike. It was two plays, two Lane Spieker runs. He gained 10 yards on the first play, then got loose for a 48-yard touchdown on the next. The 2-point run came up short.

7:15 3RD: Easton Valley 33, Anita CAM 22

After four first-half passing touchdowns, Easton Valley quarterback Conor Gruver added a rushing score to begin the second half. The River Hawks used 11 plays to drive 49 yards, capped by Gruver’s 1-yard TD. An unusually long possession of 4:39 for this game. The 2-point attempt failed.

4:12 2ND: Easton Valley 27, Anita CAM 22

The Cougars went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Easton Valley 39 and it converted in a big way. Quarterback Lane Spieker broke through for a 39-yard touchdown run, then threw to Cade Ticknor for the 2-point conversion.

5:59 2ND: Easton Valley 27, Anita CAM 14

After a defensive start to the second quarter, two straight Conor Gruver passes to Carson Fuegen lit up the scoreboard again. The River Hawks got the ball at their 8 with a Fuegen interception two plays after an EV fumble. Gruve then completed four straight passes, the last two to Fuegen for 20 yards and a 28-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked.

3:29 1ST: Easton Valley 21, Anita CAM 14

The Cougars needed just two plays to find the end zone after falling behind by 15. Lane Spieker found Sam Foreman wide open for a 65-yard touchdown pass, then Spieker tossed to Cade Ticknor for the 2-point conversion.

4:05 1ST: Easton Valley 21, Anita CAM 6

A big swing in Easton Valley’s favor. The River Hawks stopped CAM on fourth-and-4 from the CAM 39 when Hayden Felkey deflected a pass at the line. Conor Gruver and Carson Fuegen connected for a 28-yard pass on the next play, and Gruve eventually hit Felkey for a 6-yard touchdown.

6:56 1ST: Easton Valley 14, Anita CAM 6

On third-and-6, Conor Gruver threw more than a first-down pass. His 31-yard toss to Aidan Gruver went for a touchdown to extend the River Hawks’ lead.

7:48 1ST: Easton Valley 7, Anita CAM 6

The Cougars responded quickly after a turnover on their first drive. After quarterback Lane Spieker converted a third-and-11 with a 13-yard run, Cade Ticknor broke away for a 48-yard touchdown run on the next play. The 2-point run failed.

8:47 1ST: Easton Valley 7, Anita CAM 0

A turnover led to the first points of the game. Charlie Simpson forced a CAM fumble and Andin Farrell recovered at the CAM 34. Conor Gruver connected with Hayden Felkey, who delivered a stiff-arm and picked up a 23-yard gain on the ensuing drive. That set up a 3-yard Gruver touchdown pass to Farrell.

Thursday’s state football schedule

8-Player: No. 1 Anita CAM (12-0) vs. No. 4 Easton Valley (12-0), 9:30 a.m.

Class A: No. 1 West Hancock (12-0) vs. No. 2 Grundy Center (11-1), 1 p.m.

Class 1A: No. 1 Van Meter (12-0) vs. No. 7 West Sioux (11-1), 4 p.m.

Class 4A: No. 3 Lewis Central (10-2) vs. No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier (11-1), 7 p.m.