Mount Vernon defeats Humboldt to reach state football title game
Mount Vernon is back in the finals.
Second-ranked Mount Vernon received a touichdown pass and a rushing score from Joey Rhomberg and defeated No. 6 Humboldt, 14-6, in a Class 3A state football semifinal Saturday night at UNI-Dome. The Mustangs (12-0) return to the championship game for the first time since 2015.
Final: Mount Vernon 14, Humboldt 6
Second-ranked Mount Vernon (12-0) limited No. 6 Humboldt (10-2) to 178 yards of total offense and advanced to its 10th state championship game, its first since 2015.
The Mustangs tallied 13 tackles for loss, with Brad Vislisel leading nine MV players in that category with three, including 1.5 sacks.
Down eight with 4:35 left, Humboldt reached the Mount Vernon 16, only for the Mustangs to force a 13-yard loss, a fumble leading to a 12-yard loss and a fourth-down INT to pretty much wrap up the win.
Joey Rhomberg was 22-of-35 passing for 148 yards, a TD and two picks and ran for 36 yards and a score for the Mustangs. His top target was Brady Erickson (six catches, 64 yards, TD). Henry Ryan added 103 yards on the ground. Erickson and Ryan also intercepted passes on defense.
Scoring summary
MV — Brady Erickson 18 pass from Joey Rhomberg (Ben Crock kick), 9:28 1st
H — Trevor Beach 33 field goal, 4:07 1st
MV — Rhomberg 4 run (Crock kick), 11:55 4th
H — Beach 22 field goal, 5:52 4th
Catch up quick: Saturday's state football semifinals
• Top-ranked, defending Class 3A champion Harlan pulled away from No. 3 Adel ADM in the second half for a 49-35 win in a game that featured 931 yards of offense and 12 touchdowns.
• No. 2 Mount Vernon stayed undefeated with a 14-6 win over Humboldt in the Class 3A nightcap.
• Williamsburg got a pair of highlight-reel touchdown catches from Derek Weisskopf and produced its usual dominating defensive effort to beat Dubuque Wahlert in the first Class 2A game, 31-7.
• Top-ranked Central Lyon/George-Little Rock got 367 yards of offense from quarterback Zach Lutmer in a 37-14 win over No. 5 Ida Grove OABCIG, setting up a 1-vs.-2 final in Class 2A.
Final: Harlan 49, Adel ADM 35
Third-ranked ADM (10-2) went toe to toe with No. 1 Harlan (11-1) for much longer than most teams have, but the defending champion Cyclones scored 28 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to pull away from a 21-21 tie and return to the 3A title game.
Harlan, which beat ADM 42-7 in the regular season, is in the state finals for the third straight year and will play for its 14th all-time championship.
Iowa commit Aidan Hall ran for 238 yards and four touchdowns and caught seven passes for 74 yards and another score for the Cyclones. Harlan's Teagon Kasperbauer completed 15 of 20 passes for 138 yards and a TD and ran in a 1-yard score.
ADM quarterback Aiden Flora ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 149 and two TDs.
The Cyclones totaled 482 yards of offense, the Tigers 449.
Scoring summary
ADM — Aiden Flora 27 run (kick blocked), 9:27 1st
H — Aidan Hall 3 run (Stephen Leinen kick), 5:59 1st
H — Hall 1 run (Leinen kick), 11:57 2nd
ADM — Flora 36 run (Flora run), 8:50 2nd
H — Hall 14 pass from Teagon Kasperbauer (Leinen kick), 5:35 2nd
ADM — Flora 77 run (Sam Holloway kick), 5:00 2nd
H — Hall 5 run (Leinen kick), 1:37 2nd
H — Kasperbauer 1 run (Leinen kick), 9:53 3rd
H — Hall 62 run (Leinen kick), 5:46 3rd
H — Noah Schmitz 7 run (Leinen kick), 10:37 4th
ADM — Brevin Doll 32 pass from Flora (Holloway kick), 7:16 4th
ADM — Doll 37 pass from Flora (Holloway kick), 0:07 4th
Previewing Humboldt-Mount Vernon
How has Mount Vernon worked its way back into the ranks of the elite? The Mustangs have assembled a top-flight defense. The Mustangs have allowed just 5.4 points per game this season, and that was highlighted by a 17-0 blanking of archrival Solon in the quarterfinals. Mount Vernon picked up four takeaways and allowed only 2 second-half yards. First-year football guy Jensen Meeker was a major part of that effort, and also caught two long passes.
Humboldt is in the semifinals for the second straight year after holding off Independence, 34-26. The Wildcats advanced despite giving up 441 yards of total offense, because Lance Coon rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and Corey Dettmann compiled 152 receiving yards and two TDs.
With ‘huge heart,’ Clayton Flack develops into key player for undefeated Mount Vernon football team
MOUNT VERNON — Measurements can tell you a lot about a player’s potential.
Stopwatches indicate speed and quickness. Scales show size, while squat and bench max reveal strength. The spreadsheets don’t have columns for determination, dedication and devotion.
When it comes to Mount Vernon senior center and linebacker Clayton Flack, those categories make him much bigger and stronger than his 6-foot, 200-pound frame.
“You can measure the size of a kid by his height and weight, but you can never measure the size of a kid by his heart,” Mustangs Coach Lance Pedersen said. “This kid has huge heart. He loves his teammates. He loves the game of football. Those are things you can’t measure with a measuring stick or scale, but those are the things that make a difference between him being a stud for us this year and not.”
Flack evolved from an idle reserve his first two years to limited action last season. Now he’s a two-way starter in his senior campaign. Second-ranked Mount Vernon takes on No. 6 Humboldt in a Class 3A state football semifinal Saturday night at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, beginning at 7.
“It’s amazing,” Flack said about reaching the UNI-Dome with an 11-0 mark. “A lot of our guys have put in the hard work in the offseason, even during the season. I think we’re all excited and ready to play.”
Final: Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 37, Ida Grove OABCIG 14
Top-ranked CL-GLR set up a 1-vs.-2 title game in Class 2A against Williamsburg.
Lions quarterback Zach Lutmer ran for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The Iowa commit was 6-of-13 passing for 98 yards, a TD and an INT. He also picked off a pass on defense. Graham Eben added 83 yards rushing and a score.
CL-GLR (12-0) led 17-0 at halftime. Beckett DeJean was 10-of-27 passing for 108 yards, a TD and two picks for the fifth-ranked Falcons (10-2).
Scoring summary
CL-GLR — Graham Eben 2 run (Matthew Dieren kick), 1:30 1st
CL-GLR — Josh Elbert 19 pass from Zach Lutmer (Dieren kick), 5:24 2nd
CL-GLR — Dieren 25 field goal, 0:00 2nd
CL-GLR — Lutmer 6 run (kick blocked), 4:35 3rd
OABCIG — Lennon Wells 0 fumble return (Carter Hoefling pass), 1:59 3rd
CL-GLR — Lutmer 66 run (Dieren kick), 1:10 3rd
CL-GLR — Lutmer 23 run (Dieren kick), 9:55 4th
OABCIG — Griffin Diersen 8 pass from Beckett DeJean (pass failed), 2:27 4th
Williamsburg will play for a state football championship
CEDAR FALLS — Williamsburg’s Carson Huedepohl and Derek Weisskopf make a dangerous duo.
As far as quarterback-receiver combos, they have built a strong rapport in a short amount of time. Weisskopf didn’t move to receiver until the end of last season. Huedepohl, who missed last year due to a knee injury, is in his first season at quarterback, moving from tailback in the second half of the season opener.
“They’re special,” Williamsburg Coach Curt Ritchie said. “It’s not like there is anything unique or tricky about what they’re doing. Trying to get them good matchups and letting them make plays. They both did it today.”
Dubuque Wahlert witnessed it. The Raiders’ passing pair connected nine times for 177 yards and two scores, leading No. 2 Williamsburg to a 31-7 victory over the Golden Eagles in a Class 2A state football semifinal at UNI-Dome. The Raiders have a chance for their first state football title in school history.
“It would mean everything,” Huedepohl said. “We’ve never won it. It would mean everything for the team, coaches and even the community. It would put smiles on everybody’s faces.”
Williamsburg (12-0) reached the semifinals for the second straight season but fell short a year ago. The Raiders are back in the title game for the first time since 2017. A feat a year in the making.
“It’s awesome,” Weisskopf said. “Coach Ritchie and Coach Eck (assistant Grant Eckenrod) were like ‘we’re going to make it this year.’
“It’s huge to us because we wanted it last year and didn’t get it. We came back this year and did it.”
Photos: Williamsburg vs. Dubuque Wahlert
Check out photos from Williamsburg's 31-7 win over Dubuque Wahlert in the Class 2A semifinals.
𝟭𝟮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗪𝘀
— Iowa Prep Sports (@iowaprepsports) November 12, 2022
📸 Photos from @WCSD_Raiders' win over Dubuque Wahlert in the Class 2A #iahsfb state semifinals
Final: Williamsburg 31, Dubuque Wahlert 7
Iowa commit Derek Weisskopf caught eight passes for 164 yards and two highlight-reel touchdowns and second-ranked Williamsburg (12-0) rolled to the state finals for the third time and first since 2017.
Williamsburg advances to the 2A State Championship w/31-7 win over Dubuque Wahlert Catholic. @HyVee @Iowa_Radiology @IFBCA @CoachRaiderFB @wchsfootball1 @DerekWeisskopf @CarsonHuede24 @StecklyClayten @OwenDougWB pic.twitter.com/fnVc1eXRYH
— Dome Dynasty (@DomeDynasty) November 12, 2022
Carson Huedepohl completed 10 of 13 passes for 207 yards and the two TDs to Weisskopf, plus ran for 89 yards. The Raiders led 17-0 at halftime and extended it to 31-0 before Wahlert got on the board in the fourth quarter. They'll seek their first state championship next week.
Williamsburg forced two Wahlert (9-3) turnovers, including a fumble returned for a touchdown by Braylon Wetjen, who led the team with 5 1/2 tackles. Trenton Davies tallied 2 1/2 tackles for loss. Williamsburg has allowed 14 total points in four playoff wins.
Scoring summary
WILL — Logan Rethwisch 25 field goal, 6:03 1st
WILL — Derek Weisskopf 16 pass from Carson Huedepohl (Rethwisch kick), 1:34 1st
WILL — Braylon Wetjen 79 fumble return (Rethwisch kick), 5:23 2nd
WILL — Gable Dayton 4 run (Rethwisch kick), 2:00 3rd
WILL — Weisskopf 30 pass from Huedepohl (Rethwisch kick), 8:36 4th
DW — Zach Callahan 53 pass from Bryce Rudiger (J.P. Weber kick), 6:13 4th
Previewing Dubuque Wahlert-Williamsburg
In some fashion, Williamsburg will conclude its season in the UNI-Dome for the fourth time in the last six years. That run was highlighted (so far) by a runner-up finish in 2017.
The Raiders have put the continuous clock to work in each of their last games, including a 35-0 win over Centerville last week, holding the Big Reds to 58 yards of total offense. Carson Huedepohl ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns.
Wahlert is the only unranked team, in any class, to advance to the Dome. The Golden Eagles pulled a second-round shocker at No. 4 West Marshall, then whipped Crestwood at home in the quarterfinals, 41-6. Ryan Brosius ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown pass.
How to watch the state football semifinals
TV: MC22 for Mediacom subscribers (More local options)
Live stream: Iowa High School Sports Network — Watch.IHSSN.com
Mobile: Download the IHSSN app
Live stats: Iowa High School Athletic Association
Saturday's state football schedule
CLASS 2A
10 a.m. — Dubuque Wahlert (9-2) vs. No. 2 Williamsburg (11-0)
1 p.m. — No. 5 Ida Grove OABCIG (10-1) vs. No. 1 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (11-0)
CLASS 3A
4 p.m. — No. 3 Adel ADM (10-1) vs. No. 1 Harlan (10-1)
7 p.m. — No. 6 Humboldt (10-1) vs. No. 2 Mount Vernon (11-0)