Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (9/25/2023)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Sept. 18-24. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email nate@scorebooklive.com.
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Blake Aalbers, MOC-Floyd Valley football
Aalbers was 19 of 25 passing for 320 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing score in the Dutch’s 40-34 victory over Carroll. Ahman Langton had seven catches for 198 yards and a touchdown.
Jacob Adams, Ankeny boys golf
The Hawks’ senior fired a 68 to win medalist honors, edging Valley’s Braeden Nelson by a stroke, in the Southeast Polk tournament at Copper Creek.
Luke Anderson, Ankeny football
The junior was 17-for-22 for 268 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Hawks cruised past Iowa City West 48-21. Devon Akers had eight catches for 159 yards.
Graham Beckman, Iowa City Liberty football
The senior gunslinger passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns, including 12 completions to Sutton Koller for 135 yards, in a 38-30 loss to Cedar Rapids Prairie.
Ethan Eichhorn, Lewis Central boys cross country
The senior claimed the Harlan Invitational championship with a winning time of 15:26.20, and LC claimed the team title with all five runners finishing in the top 18.
Aidan Flora, ADM football
The senior QB put up another huge performance Friday, passing for three touchdowns and 94 yards and rushing for two scores and 146 yards on only six carries. Flora leads Class 4A with 23 touchdowns and 14 rushing scores.
Faith Frantum, Johnston girls swimming
The junior claimed two gold medals at the Cedar Rapids Kennedy Cougar Invitational, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:56.76 and 500 free in 5:13.38.
Max Froeschle, Central DeWitt boys golf
The junior carded a 68 to win the MAC Championship by five strokes at the Midland Golf Club in Kewanee, Ill.
Kyler Gerardy, North Scott football
The senior completed all seven of his passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, while tacking on two rushing scores for the Class 4A third-ranked Lancers in a 48-0 shutout of Burlington.
Micah Grier, Denver football
Grier rambled for 319 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Class 1A fifth-ranked Cyclones to a 48-0 shutout of Aplington-Parkersburg. Grier averaged 16.9 yards per carry as 5-0 Denver rushed for 409 yards.
Rayce Heitman, Williamsburg football
Heitman scored five touchdowns in Class 3A top-ranked Williamsburg’s 61-6 win over South Tama. Heitman scored on punt returns of 52 and 44 yards, interception returns of 20 and 25 yards and a 7-yard run.
Luke Hardman, Pella football
The senior QB helped the Dutch post a 38-14 victory over Carlisle, passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 58 yards.
Brenton Hoard, Keokuk football
The junior connected on 18 of 23 passes for 252 yards and four touchdown strikes. He also ran for 79 yards and two TDs to lead the Chiefs to a 47-0 win over Washington.
Jaxan Huyser, West Lyon football
Huyser had three sacks among his 7.5 tackles and also rushed for a pair of touchdowns, leading the Class 2A third-ranked Wildcats to a 20-3 triumph over Orange City Unity Christian.
Andrew Johannsen, Johnston boys golf
The Dragons’ sophomore claimed the Valley Golf Classic medalist with a blistering round of 65 at Willow Creek. Johnston went on to win the meet by eight strokes over runner up Waukee Northwest.
Casey Kelley, Cedar Rapids Prairie football
Kelley carried 23 times for 226 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 38-30 win over Iowa City Liberty.
Kaiden Knaack, Don Bosco football
Knaack scored on six of the seven times he carried the football for the Dons, No. 8 in the 8-player rankings. Knaack finished with 134 yards and Don Bosco racked up 468 yards on the ground in a 58-0 rout of West Central.
Laytin Koch, Akron-Westfield football
The senior quarterback rushed for 169 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 154 yards as the Class A 10th-ranked Westerners beat Le Mars Gehlen Catholic 38-7.
Jayden Kuper, Monticello volleyball
The junior leads Class 3A with 321 kills and has helped the Panthers to a 17-7 record.
Joseph Lawry, Waukee boys cross country
The Warrior runner claimed the individual championship at a 13-team meet at Indianola’s Pickard Park in a time of 16:32.1, beating Des Moines Christian’s Collin Houg by 7 seconds and 151 other runners. Waukee went on to win the team title as well.
Carson Lullmann, Storm Lake football
The senior QB passed for four touchdowns and 193 yards in the Tornadoes 28-19 triumph over Sioux City West.
Kaden Lynch, Grundy Center boys cross country
The senior held off sophomore teammate Emerson Vokes by 5+ seconds to win its Sam Iverson Invitational in 16:31.74. The Spartans went on to win the team title by a point over Charles City.
Alex Manske, Algona football
The junior quarterback passed for three touchdowns and 238 yards and also ran for a score in the Bulldogs’ 48-0 rout of Charles City.
E.J. Miller, Independence football
Miller passed for 209 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 157 yards and another score as the Mustangs improved to 4-1 with a 39-14 win over Central DeWitt.
Drew Obstarczyk, ADM football
The sophomore linebacker registered 10 tackles, including three for loss, as the Class 4A No. 2 Tigers blanked Boone, 42-0.
Brody Patlan, Lewis Central football
The junior carried 31 times for 189 yards and four touchdowns as the Titans, ranked seventh in Class 3A, outscored 10th-ranked Glenwood 49-21. Patlan also hauled in one of Brady Hetzel’s three touchdown passes.
Tate Platte, Des Moines Christian football
The senior QB passed for five touchdowns and 235 yards, breaking the school record for TD passes, in a 47-0 triumph over Saydel.
Preston Ries, Monticello football
The Iowa Hawkeye commit completed 12 of 16 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Class 2A ninth-ranked Panthers to a 55-14 win over Goose Lake Northeast.
Javon Sanders, Des Moines Lincoln football
The junior running back had a huge night, rushing for 337 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln. Sanders leads Class 5A with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Austin Scranton, Anamosa football
The junior piled up 274 rushing yards on 34 carries, leading the Blue Raiders to a 38-16 victory over West Liberty.
Gavin Sleezer, Alta-Aurelia football
Sleezer accumulated 216 receiving yards on just six receptions, scoring five touchdowns in the Warriors’ 44-27 win over South O’Brien.
Lindsey Sonderman, Harlan girls cross country
The junior gave the host school an individual championship by winning the Harlan Invitational in 18:55.90.
Noelle Sutcliffe, Norwalk volleyball
The senior leads Class 4A with 295 kills for the Warriors, who won four of five matches last week.
Tanner Thurn, East Buchanan football
Thurn rushed for 232 yards and scored five touchdowns, leading the Buccaneers past North Linn, 41-14. Thurn rushed for four scores and scooped up a blocked punt and returned it for another touchdown.
Jake Timmons, Davenport Assumption football
Timmons, a senior, completed 17 of 22 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Class 3A seventh-ranked Knights to a 38-7 victory over Fort Madison.
Hillary Trainor, Sumner-Fredericksburg girls cross country
The senior won the Sam Iverson Invitational with a time of 18:29.87, besting a couple of Jesup runners.
Reece Vander Zee, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock football
The Iowa recruit completed 12 of 15 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, carried nine times for 126 yards and three touchdowns, recovered a fumble and had 6.5 tackles in the Lions’ 52-7 win over Cherokee.
Sydney Wagner, Regina Catholic volleyball
The 14-7 Regals have won six straight matches, thanks in part to the performance of the senior Wagner. She leads the state with 757 assists, setting up teammate Reese Naeve for a state-best 394 kills.
Brent Yonkovic, West Delaware football
The junior passed for 152 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns for the Hawks, who shut out Maquoketa 28-0 for their third straight win after an 0-2 start.
Charlie Zimmerman, Bettendorf football
The senior passed for 156 yards and a touchdown and led the Class 5A third-ranked Bulldogs with 99 rushing yards and a score in a 49-14 win over Dubuque Hempstead.
