Trey Franck steps in at QB and helps steer Marion past CCA
Trey Franck has not practiced one play at quarterback. All Franck did was produce a pair of first downs that set up Marion's first TD, a 19-yard Hunter Horak run. He capped his night by throwing a 34-yard strike to Darius Rouson in the fourth quarter to seal the Wolves' impressive 15-0 win on a warm night at Clipper Field.
Late score, late pick lift West over Liberty
Ashton Honore scored on a 5-yard run with 1:52 left, then Adrian DeWaard intercepted a pass with 20 seconds left as Iowa City West beat Iowa City Liberty, 35-28, in a back-and-forth thriller Friday night at West.
Williamsburg looks the part in season-opening win
If Game 1 was a test for Williamsburg starting quarterback Kellen Cockrell, he passed … with flying colors. With Cockrell at the helm, the Raiders offense, which led Class 2A in touchdowns last season, picked up right where it left off Friday in an impressive season-opening, 42-14, win at home against 1A No. 9 West Branch.
Washington moves the ball, but has trouble scoring
The Dubuque Hempstead defense stiffened when it needed to and the Mustangs left Kingston Stadium with a 28-7 win over Cedar Rapids Washington on Friday night.
4th-down magic key in Mount Vernon's win over Monticello
Mount Vernon converted on fourth down on its first four touchdown drives and handled Monticello, 35-6.
Hard-Knock Life: Prairie beats 5A No. 3 Cedar Falls
Quarterback Will Phillips connected with Apollo Payne for two touchdowns, including a 26-yard strike with a little more than five minutes left, and Cedar Rapids Prairie knocked off Class 5A No. 3 Cedar Falls, 20-17, in Kyle Knock's debut as the Hawks' head coach.
Final: Marion 15, Clear Creek Amana 0
Hunter Horak scored on a 19-yard run with 13 seconds left in the first quarter and the Marion defense took over from there.
Marion, which got an insurance score late on a Trey Frenck 34-yard pass to Darius Rouson, avenged a 26-0 loss in last year's opener to the Clippers.
CCA was hurt by three first-half turnovers, including two in the red zone along with a bad snap on a fourth down punt.
Kaleb Diers passed for 105 yards for Marion, connecting on 10-of-20 passes. Franck rushed for 47 yards.
FINAL: Mount Vernon 35, Monticello 6.
Story in a little while.
MOUNT VERNON TOUCHDOWN.
Benny Pospisil 61 run (Collin Crawford kick).
8 plays, 92 yards.
7:25 4th: Mount Vernon 35, Monticello 6.
Marion 15, CCA 0 (3:21 4th)
Marion gets insurance score on Darius Rouson 24 pass from Trey Franck (Kaysn VandeBerg kick).
Close calls for No. 1 teams
Some exciting games to start the season for some of our top-ranked teams ...
Class 1A No. 1 Grundy Center beat Dike-New Hartford, 7-6, while 2A No. 1 Van Meter held off 1A No. 2 Underwood, 21-14.
Final: Iowa City West 35, Iowa City Liberty 28
Adrian DeWaard with the interception of tip by teammate Mason Woods, who broke on pass over middle. That'll do it.
End-3: Mount Vernon 28, Monticello 6.
Panthers have been the better team since intermission, outgaining the Mustangs 212-68 in the 3rd quarter.
Monti has 2nd and 10 from the Mustangs 20 when we return.
End-3: Mount Vernon 28, Monticello 6.
Panthers have been the better team since intermission, outgaining the Mustangs 212-68 in the 3rd quarter.
Monti has 2nd and 10 from the Mustangs 20 when we return.
End-3: Mount Vernon 28, Monticello 6.
Panthers have been the better team since intermission, outgaining the Mustangs 212-68 in the 3rd quarter.
Monti has 2nd and 10 from the Mustangs 20 when we return.
West 35, Liberty 28 (1:52 4th)
Ashton Honore bowls over from the 5, and West takes the lead. Liberty has one timeout remaining.
West QB Jack Wallace hung in under pressure and threw a strike over the middle on a post to ... Izaiah Loveless, who else? 32-yard gain to the Liberty 5. Loveless has 7 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Final: Lansing Kee 52, Tripoli 12
Dalton Mudderman rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown, passed for 112 and three TDs and returned an interception for a score.
Monti's Tallman returns the favor with a pick of Rhomberg.
Panthers have it, own 18.
First turnover is an INT by MV's Francis, and a long return. Mustangs at the M30.
MOUNT VERNON TOUCHDOWN.
Krob 44 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
8 plays, 65 yards, 2:41.
5:15 3rd: Mount Vernon 28, Monticello 6.
END OF 3RD: C.R. PRAIRIE 13, CEDAR FALLS 9
Prairie lined up to punt from its own 29 on 4th and 4. Casey Kelley pulls down a fake punt and races around the right end for a 5-yard gain. Gutsy call. Hawks have 1st and 10 from own 34 to start the 4th.
CEDAR FALLS CONVERTS
Cedar Falls goes 47 yards on seven plays. Logan Wroe with a 3-yard TD reception from Hermansen. Tigers pull wihtin 13-9 with 1:15 left in the third.
Liberty 28, West 28 (6:22 4th)
Liberty responds. 72-yard scoring drive culminated by 26-yard TD pass from Beckman to Dallas Miller. Looked like a curl or something over middle. Wide open, broke to outside for score.
MONTICELLO TOUCHDOWN.
Peyton Schilling 24 pass from Preston Ries.
10 plays, 74 yards, 4:04.
7:56 3rd: Mount Vernon 21, Monticello 6.
West 28, Liberty 21 (8:34 4th)
Another big passing play from Jack Wallace to Izaiah Loveless for West. This one a 56-yard beauty over top on left side. Loveless has 6 catches for 170 yards. That's good, right?
C.R. PRAIRIE 13, CEDAR FALLS 2, 4:33 3RD
Cedar Falls pins Prairie inside the 1. Three plays later, Prairie called for holding in the end zone for a safety. Tigers get on the board and will get the ball as well. Cedar Falls looking to capitalize on the miscue.
First-half recap:
The Mustangs scored on three of their first four drives, converting on fourth down on all three of them.
Joey Rhomberg clicked from the first snap, connecting with Ethan Wood for 32 yards. He was 4-for-4 on the first drive, including a 7-yard pass to Jase Jaspers on fourth-and-6. He scored on a 1-yard sneak on the following play to cap an eight-play, 53-yard march.
Monticello went three-and-out on the next drive, and a long punt return put the Mustangs in business at the Panthers 13.
On fourth-and-goal from the 4, Rhomberg located Watson Krob for the score.
Mount Vernon made its longest scoring journey midway through the second quarter, 67 yards in six plays. Rhomberg hit Michael Ryan on first-and-goal from the 16.
The Mustangs outgained Monticello by a 188-52 margin in the first half.
HALF: Mount Vernon 21, Monticello 0.
Half: Independence 14, NFV 14
Trey Weber has 73 rushing yards for Indee and NFV QB Heins Decklyn has completed 12 of 15 passes for 150 yards.
HALF: Mount Vernon 21, Monticello 0.
First downs: Monti 3, Mt V 10.
Rushing: Monti 9-20, Mt V 16-37.
Passing: Monti 5-9-0-32, Mt V 12-20-0-151.
Total yards: Monti 52, Mt V 188.
HALFTIME: C.R. PRAIRIE 13, 5A #3 CEDAR FALLS 0
The Hawks intercepted a pass late in the second quarter to prevent the Tigers from producing a late drive. It didn't result in points but it kept the Tigers from doing anything.
Leaders
Rushing - C.R. Prairie: Casey Kelley13-50, Bryce Kavitz 1-7, Will Phillips 4-0; Cedar Falls: Will Remmert 9-25, Tate Hermansen 2-(-11)
Passing - C.R. Prairie: Phillips 8-13-0-141; Cedar Falls: Hermansen 4-10-1-52
Receiving: C.R. Prairie: Apollo Payne 3-60, Malaki Gelo 2-18, Denzil Green 1-32, T.Y. Pour 2-31. Cedar Falls: Cade Courbat 1-21, Ben Backes 1-20, Logan Wroe 1-8, Remmert 1-3.
Cedar Falls received the 3rd quarter kickoff and starts on own 29
Williamsburg 42, West Branch 0 (0:54 2nd)
Cockrell finds Steckly again, this time for a 34-yard score.
Hempstead 21, C.R. Washington 0 (3rd)
Justin Potts returns the 2nd half kick-off 94 yards for a touchdown.
Williamsburg 35, West Branch 0 (5:51 2nd)
Cockrell finds Clayten Steckly for a 7-yard TD. Cockrell’s 4th passing TD, 5th total score of the game.
Xavier 27, WSR 6 (1:13 2nd)
Noah Schimberg returns a punt 68 yards for a TD and the Saints are rolling now.
Liberty 21, West 21 (3rd)
West's Ahmed Ajmaki breaks a couple takes and takes the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a TD. Extra point good, and the score is tied. How about that?
Halftime: Hempstead 14, C.R. Washington 0
Wash has made it inside the Hempstead 40 on four occasions and has two missed field goals to show for it.
Williamsburg 28, West Branch 0 (8:32 2nd)
Cockrell rolls out to the left and throws a ball up to Derek Weisskopf who leaps over a defender to haul it in for an 8-yard touchdown.
MOUNT VERNON TOUCHDOWN.
Michael Ryan 16 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
6 plays, 67 yards, 3:21.
6:19 2nd: Mount Vernon 21, Monticello 0.
Rhomberg 11-14-0-142.
Xavier 21, WSR 6 (3:05 2nd)
Coleton Beasler-Weber 13-yard touchdown run gives the Saints their largest lead.
End 1st: Williamsburg 21, West Branch 0
On the last play of the 1st quarter, Cockrell connects with Rayce Heitman for a 25-yard score.
End-1: Mount Vernon 14, Monticello 0.
Panthers with their first positive offensive play of the game, a 23-yard pass to end the quarter.
Monti has 1st and 10 from the 38 when we return.
Panthers with 15 yards, Mustangs with 82.
Mustangs reach the M32, punt, touchback.
Xavier 14, WSR 6 (6:53 2nd)
Big play for the Saints on play-action. Carter Hoffmann gets behind the defense and Ronan Thomas hits him for a 70-yard touchdown pass.
C.R. PRAIRIE 13, 5A #3 CEDAR FALLS 0, 4:53 2ND QUARTER
Phillips lofted a pass up to the near pylon and Apollo Payne out-jumped defender in the front corner of the end zone for a 30-TD. PAT is blocked but the Hawks with a two-score lead over the Tigers.
Notable halftime scores
Joliet Catholic (Ill.) 27, 5A No. 7 Iowa City High 13
5A No. 1 Southeast Polk 14, 5A No. 5 West Des Moines Valley 8
Ankeny Centennial 24, Ankeny 14
Mediapolis 26, A No. 5 Columbus Community 0
And with 2:55 in the 2nd ... 3A No. 3 Harlan 14, 4A No. 2 Lewis Central 12
Halftime: Iowa City Liberty 21, Iowa City West 14
Lightning have completely dominated time of possession, but three interceptions have been costly. Two of them have been by Mason Woods, the son of Iowa Hawkeyes assistant coach LeVar Woods.
Williamsburg 14, West Branch 0 (2:17 1st)
On 4th-and-2, Kellen Cockrell finds Braylon Wetjen for a 5-yard TD in the corner of the end zone.
Xavier 7, WSR 6 (7:51 2nd)
Andrew Mohan converts his second field goal of the night, this one from 39 yards to cut Xavier's lead to one.
MOUNT VERNON TOUCHDOWN.
Watson Krob 4 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick).
6 plays, 13 yards, 2:15.
4:13 1st: Mount Vernon 14, Monticello 0.
Williamsburg 7, West Branch 0 (6:09 1st)
Kellen Cockrell caps a 5-play, 62-yard drive with a nifty 5-yard TD run, reaching out for the pylon to score.
Liberty 21, West 14 (1:51 2nd)
Liberty goes on 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive. Sutton Kolder with 2-yard TD run and two-point run.
Marion 8, CCA 0 (0:13 1st)
Marion scores first: Hunter Horak 19 run (Kaleb Diers run).
Panthers start own 25.
END 1ST: C.R. PRAIRIE 7, CEDAR FALLS 0
Cedar Falls is driving on just its second possession. A couple of big pass plays from Tate Hermansen to Cade Courbat (21 yards) and ben Backes (20). Tigers will have 3rd and 5 from the Prairie 20 when we resume.
TOUCHDOWN, MOUNT VERNON
Joey Rhomberg 1 run (Bennett Harp kick).
8 plays, 53 yards, 3:09.
8:51 1st: Mount Vernon 7, Monticello 0.
Xavier 7, WSR 3 (2:40 1st)
Long Go-Hawk drive stalls inside the 10 and Andrew Mohan's 25-yard field goal attempt is good.
C.R. PRAIRIE 7, CEDAR FALLS 0, 2:40 1ST QUARTER
Both teams just trading possessions. Prairie has been plagued with penalties. Already 6 penalties for 50 yards.
Will Phillips was slow to get up after an incompletion on 3rd and long. He walks off with some small assistance. Appears to be OK.
Mustangs start at own 47.
Mustangs start at own 47.
Mustangs start at own 47.
12:00 1st: Mount Vernon 0, Monticello 0.
Mustangs will receive. Panthers will defend the southeast corner.
Hempstead 7, C.R. Washington 0 (7:00 1st)
Facing fourth-and-3 at the Wash 16, Quinn Breitbach takes it in for a Hempstead TD.
West 14, Liberty 13 (8:59 2nd).
Liberty's Cody Nichols returns ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a TD. Fielded it between left hash mark and sideline, found a crease and went untouched down the sideline. That man Santana Miller, however, blocks the XP.
West 14, Liberty 7 (9:11 2nd)
West linebacker Santana Miller steps in front of what appeared to be a slant pass from Liberty QB Graham Beckman and houses it 51 yards.
Xavier 7, WSR 0 (9:46 1st)
Class 4A top-ranked Saints march into the end zone on their first drive of the season at Waverly-Shell Rock. It's QB Ronan Thomas on a 21-yard TD run.
Ronan Thomas with the keeper for a touchdown! Saints up 7-0! pic.twitter.com/wipgeRBmGm
— Xavier Activities (@XavierSaintsAD) August 26, 2023
C.R. PRAIRIE 7, CEDAR FALLS 0, 9:40 1ST QUARTER
Prairie goes 73 yards on six plays. A heaping helping of Casey Kelley, who carried 4 times for 41 yards, including a 39-yard TD run. He used a nice spin move and picked up a key downfield block from Apollo Payne.
West 7, Liberty 7 (0:40 1st)
West strikes back. 3rd-and-4 play, QB Jack Wallace over middle to wide open Izaiah Loveless who scampers rest of way for 52-yard TD.
CEDAR FALLS AT C.R. PRAIRIE
Prairie will receive the opening kick.
F/S final: Monticello 30, Mount Vernon 20.
Varsity should kick off around 8 p.m.
Liberty 7, West 0 (6:27 1st).
West's Mason Woods with interception on Liberty's first possession. West goes 3 and out, punts. Liberty goes on 77-yard drive capped by 9-yard TD pass from Graham Beckman to Dallas Miller.
CLASS 5A #3 CEDAR FALLS AT C.R. PRAIRIE
At John Wall Field. Anthem is finished. We will have a tribute to the late John "Bubba" Randles, who was a longtime announcer for various Prairie athletics. He died earlier this year. John always had a smile on his face, love students and athletes and bled orange-and-black for sure.
Then we will have kickoff, guessing between 7:25-30.
Howdy from First Street Field in Mount Vernon.
I've got 2A #7 Monticello and 3A #1 Mount Vernon.
We'll be lucky to start before 8 p.m.
Why should Friday get all the fun? Week 1 of the Iowa high school football schedule also comes with a pair of ranked matchups on Saturday night. Here’s a look at who all the teams ranked in The Gazette’s preseason poll face this week.
Another Xavier football team sets the bar high
Consistency and discipline. Those traits form the foundation of Cedar Rapids Xavier’s football program. The players have grown to expect, accept and promote the tenets by Duane Schulte, the Saints’ only head coach who has 208 career victories, seven state finals appearances and four championships, including the Class 4A crown last season, in the 26-year history of the school.
Winfield-Mt. Union: An 8-Player football team with 2 FBS recruits
With the talent and experience the 2023 Winfield-Mount Union football team boasts, it’s easy to see why it has lofty aspirations.
Stay up to date with every Gazette area game via our live scoreboard.
GAZETTE COVERAGE FOR WEEK 1
In a few hours, high school football teams across Iowa will compete in Week 1 of the regular season. Here are games The Gazette will staff tonight.
Jeff Johnson: Iowa City Liberty at Iowa City West
K.J. Pilcher: Class 5A #3 Cedar Falls at C.R. Prairie
Jeff Linder: 2A #7 Monticello at 3A #1 Mount Vernon
Mike Condon: Marion at Clear Creek Amana
Ryan Pleggenkuhle: 1A #9 West Branch at 3A #2 Williamsburg
Culley Kline: Dubuque Hempstead at C.R. Washington
Enjoy the full return of Iowa high school football!