Iowa high school football: Top stars, best performances from Iowa high school football semifinals (11/13/2023)

Here are some stars from the Iowa high school football playoff semifinals. 

If you know of a top performance we should include, please email nate@scorebooklive.com. 

Tyler Bell, Solon

Bell passed for 224 yards and a touchdown, but Williamsburg beat the Spartans 45-14 in a Class 3A semifinal, avenging a regular-season loss to Solon. Solon’s Grant Knipper had six receptions for 136 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown.

Carver Blietz-Bentien, MFL MarMac

Not only did Blietz-Bentien rush for 158 yards and record 10 tackles, but he made two key defensive plays to force turnovers in the Bulldogs’ 41-28 victory over Underwood in a Class 1A semifinal. He blitzed and caused an interception returned for a touchdown and knocked the ball loose to force a fumble that led to a touchdown.

Isaac Clark, Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Clark passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, but the Rebels fell a point short of Bedford, 31-30, in an 8-player semifinal. Clark completed 16 of 20 passes for 164 yards.

Max Delaney, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

The senior linebacker charted a team-high 5.5 tackles, including one for a loss, and the Crusaders shut down No. 1-ranked Creston 16-13 in a Class 3A semifinal. A 34-yard field goal by George Tsiobanos in the first quarter turned out to be the difference in the outcome.

Ricky Feauto, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

Feauto rushed for a team-high 99 yards on 16 carries, scoring on a 37-yard scamper for the Crusaders in their 16-10 Class 3A semifinal win over top-ranked Creston. Heelan reached its first state title game since 2014.

Grant Glausser, Western Dubuque

Glausser rambled for 204 yards and two touchdowns as the Bobcats beat Bondurant-Farrar 28-21 in a Class 4A semifinal. Glausser, who is the state’s leading rusher with 2,657 yards, carried 37 times.

Ben Gordon, Van Meter

Gordon rushed for 208 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to their fifth straight berth in a state title game. Gordon had scoring runs of 74, 8, 4 and 15 yards in a 35-21 Class 2A semifinal win over Monticello. Van Meter won each of the last two Class 1A state titles.

Colin Gordon, Grundy Center

Gordon passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, helping the Spartans down Waterloo Columbus 42-7 in a Class 1A semifinal. Gordon had 164 yards passing and scored on runs of 4 and 11 yards as last year’s Class A champions earned a spot in the 1A championship game.

Brady Hetzel, Council Bluffs Lewis Central

Hetzel completed 21 of 31 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, leading the Titans past North Polk 31-5 in a Class 4A semifinal. Lewis Central advanced to the state title game for the third straight season and will play Western Dubuque.

Braeden Jackson, Ankeny Centennial

Jackson, filling in for leading rusher Elijah Porter – out with an illness – carried 27 times for 96 yards and the team’s only touchdown in a 10-7 Class 5A semifinal loss to Ankeny.

Connor Kayser, Ankeny

Kayser had nine tackles, a quarterback sack and a QB hurry as the Hawks clipped city rival Ankeny Centennial 10-7 in a Class 5A semifinal. Jacob Mohrfield was also a defensive star, getting an interception and blocking a field goal

Drew Kluender, Woodbury Central

The Southwest Minnesota recruit passed for 205 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 51 yards and two more scores, leading the Wildcats to a 28-20 Class A semifinal win over East Buchanan. Kluender completed 10 of 15 passes and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 4-yard run with just over eight minutes left.

Garrett Luett, Underwood

The sophomore had 282 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles’ 41-28 loss to MFL MarMac in a Class 1A semifinal. Mason Boothby, who finished with 183 yards on five receptions, caught both scoring passes.

Caden Lundt, Spirit Lake

The sophomore passed for 175 yards and two touchdowns while adding 31 rushing yards in a 35-21 Class 2A semifinal loss to defending state champion Central Lyon/George-Little Rock.

Quinn McGeough, MFL MarMac

McGeough, picking up the slack after leading rusher Wyatt Powell left the game because of an injury in the first quarter, carried 26 times for 139 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs beat Underwood, 41-28, in a Class 1A semifinal to reach the school’s first state title game.

Jayden McGregory, West Des Moines Valley

McGregory intercepted a pass to keep his team alive in the fourth quarter and made a game-tying touchdown pass with four seconds left in regulation, but the Tigers fell to two-time defending Class 5A state champion Southeast Polk 30-27 in overtime in a thrilling semifinal contest.

Connor Moberly, Southeast Polk

The Iowa State commit passed for 192 yards, including a 79-yard scoring strike to Carson Robbins, as the Rams outlasted West Des Moines Valley in a Class 5A semifinal, 30-27 in overtime. Southeast Polk plays Ankeny for the state title next week.

Garrison Moetsinger, Bedford

Moetsinger carried 26 times for 134 yards in the Bulldogs’ exciting 31-30 8-player semifinal victory over Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Kase Coleman’s 24-yard field goal with 13 seconds left sent Bedford into the 8-player championship game against Algona Garrigan.

C.J. Phillip, Southeast Polk

Phillip rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, helping the two-time defending state champion Rams return to the Class 5A championship game with a 30-27 overtime win over West Des Moines Valley in a semifinal. Phillip scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run.

Jordan Rial, Bondurant-Farrar

The junior passed for 264 yards and two touchdowns and tacked on 31 rushing yards in the Bluejays’ 28-21 loss to Western Dubuque in a Class 4A semifinal.

Preston Ries, Monticello

The senior University of Iowa recruit passed for 264 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 92 yards and two more scores in a 35-21 loss to Van Meter in a Class 2A semifinal.

Caden Roethler, Algona Garrigan

Roethler rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns in Garrigan’s 34-20 8-player semifinal win over top-ranked Winfield Mt. Union. Roethler, who carried 32 times, scored on runs of 5, 7, 10 and 5 yards.

Cael Turner, Creston

Turner passed for 253 yards and a touchdown, but the top-ranked Panthers fell to Sioux City Heelan, 16-13, in a Class 3A semifinal. Turner was 34-for-35, while Brennan Hayes rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Derek Weisskopf, Williamsburg

The senior, headed to the University of Iowa, threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Raiders to a 45-14 win over Solon in a Class 3A semifinal. Weisskopf was 12-for-19 with two scoring tosses each to Rayce Heitman and Braylon Wetjen and also intercepted two passes on defense. Williamsburg, which moved up to 3A this season, reached last year’s 2A title game.

Reece Vander Zee, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock

The senior University of Iowa recruit had 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with 84 passing yards in the Lions’ 28-14 victory over Spirit Lake in a Class 2A semifinal. Defending state champion Central Lyon/G-LR returned to the title game. Vander Zee also had a forced fumble and intercepted a pass on defense.

Kale Zuehl, West Hancock

Zuehl rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles rolled to a 39-14 win over Madrid in a Class A semifinal. West Hancock rushed for 261 yards while advancing to the title game for the third consecutive season.

--Barry Poe 

Williamsburg quarterback Derek Weisskopf celebrates at the of Saturday’s win over Solon. (Photo by Nick Petaros)