The 2023 Gazette all-area high school football team

It’s not as if Grant Glausser is lacking of speed.

“I love seeing the back of No. 10 when he’s running away from everybody,” said Garret Kluesner, a lineman and Glausser’s teammate at Western Dubuque. “It’s the best feeling in the world, man.”

But it’s not THE best feeling for Glausser.

“I really enjoy running people over,” he said. “It’s just a trigger in my mind.”

Glausser ran over, around and away from opposing defenses all season long. He finished the season with 2,909 yards on 334 carries (8.7 per carry) with 33 touchdowns as Western Dubuque reached the Class 4A state final.

The senior, and a future preferred walk-on at the University of Iowa, has been selected as the offensive player of the year on The Gazette’s all-area football team.

“He’s somebody that’s not fun to tackle,” Bobcats Coach Justin Penner said. “If you want to go low to tackle him, his shoulder-pad level will match yours.

“He keeps coming at you. His physicality is something that people don’t enjoy.”

Glausser ran for 4,948 yards on 633 carries in his high school career, with 56 TDs.

“I have to give props to the guys around me,” he said. “The O-line and the tight ends made all of this possible.”

Class 3A state champion Williamsburg earned the majority of the major postseason awards.

* Derek Weisskopf shares overall player-of-the-year honors with Monticello’s Preston Ries.

* Curt Ritchie is the coach of the year.

* And play-anywhere Rayce Heitman is the defensive player of the year.

Williamsburg, Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Mount Vernon each had four selections on the 40-man team. Western Dubuque had three.

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A junior, Heitman scored 19 touchdowns in a variety of ways — 10 receiving, four rushing, two on interceptions, two on punt returns and one on a kickoff return.

“He’s just an amazing football player,” Weisskopf said. “He’s an athlete you don’t see often. He can run and jump ... he can do it all.”

So why was he selected as the defensive player of the year?

A linebacker, he finished with 118.5 tackles (21.5 for loss) and 7.5 sacks. He recovered two fumbles and intercepted four passes.

In Williamsburg’s win over South Tama on Sept. 22, Heitman scored four TDs — punt returns of 52 and 44 yards, interceptions of 20 and 25 yards — and the Raiders had a 27-0 lead, seven minutes in, and hadn’t taken an offensive snap.

With the Raiders trailing Mount Vernon 21-17 late in the first half of their 3A quarterfinal, Heitman made a game-shifting interception at the goal line, and the Raiders went on to win, 38-35.

“I followed (Mount Vernon QB Joey Rhomberg’s) eyes. He threw my direction, and I went and made a play,” Heitman said.

The 2023 Gazette all-area football team

OFFENSE

QB Graham Beckman, 6-1, 194, sr., Iowa City Liberty

QB Gentry Dumont, 6-2, 205, sr., Iowa City Regina

QB Preston Ries, 6-0, 215, sr., Monticello

RB Grant Glausser, 5-11, 200, sr., Western Dubuque

RB Lance McShane, 6-3, 210, sr., Maquoketa Valley

RB Miles Parlet, 5-9, 185, sr., Iowa City High

RB Tanner Thurn, 5-10, 185, sr., East Buchanan

WR Evan Brase, 6-4, 195, sr., Mount Vernon

WR Cyrus Courtney, 6-2, 195, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

WR Jackson Naeve, 6-1, 180, sr., Iowa City Regina

WR Peyton Schilling, 6-0, 170, sr., Monticello

OL Nick Brooks, 6-8, 350, jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

OL Bryce Diehl, 6-2, 215, sr., MFL MarMac

OL Cody Fox, 6-5, 295, sr., East Buchanan

OL Garret Kluesner, 6-2, 225, jr., Western Dubuque

OL Evan Vittetoe, 6-2, 220, sr., Sigourney-Keota

UT Joey Rhomberg, 6-3, 195, sr., Mount Vernon

UT Derek Weisskopf, 6-3, 210, sr., Williamsburg

UT Brent Yonkovic, 5-10, 190, jr., West Delaware

K Dylan Augustine, 5-9, 140, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

DEFENSE

DL Eddie Becu, 6-2, 220, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

DL Mekhi Benton, 6-4, 205, sr., Central City

DL Micah Lang, 6-1, 190, jr., Williamsburg

DL Ethan Wood, 6-5, 220, jr., Mount Vernon

DL Logan Wright, 6-3, 235, sr., West Branch

LB Carver Blietz-Bentien, 6-1, 210, sr., MFL MarMac

LB Rayce Heitman, 6-1, 175, jr., Williamsburg

LB Jackson Jaspers, 5-8, 155, sr., Mount Vernon

LB Brett White, 6-0, 210, sr., Solon

LB Calvin White, 6-0, 210, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

LB Tate Wood, 5-10, 205, jr., Independence

DB Cael Benesh, 5-10, 160, jr., North Linn

DB Adam Cook, 5-10, 165, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier

DB Anthong King, 5-8, 145, sr., Starmont

DB Drew Larson, 6-1, 175, sr., Iowa City High

DB Braylon Wetjen, 6-0, 175, sr., Williamsburg

UT Derek Hoerner, 5-10, 200, sr., Western Dubuque

UT Collin Velky, 5-11, 210, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

UT Sam Watts, 6-3, 225, sr., Linn-Mar

P Logan Rosauer, 6-2, 200, sr., Union Community

CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Preston Ries, sr., Monticello

Derek Weisskopf, sr., Williamsburg

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Grant Glausser, sr., Western Dubuque

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Rayce Heitman, jr., Williamsburg

COACH OF THE YEAR

Curt Ritchie, Williamsburg

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com