Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (11/13/2023)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Nov. 6-12. 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. 

Tyler Bell, Solon football

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. Grant Knipper had six receptions for 136 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown from Bell.

Carver Blietz-Bentien, MFL MarMac football

The senior had a huge night on both sides of the football in the Bulldogs’ 41-28 Class 1A semifinal victory over Underwood. Blietz-Bentien had 158 yards rushing playing quarterback to go with 11 tackles and a sack on defense. He made two key defensive plays to force turnovers. First he blitzed and caused an interception returned for a touchdown and later knocked the ball loose to force a fumble that led to a touchdown.

Cam Buffington, Winfield-Mt. Union football

Buffington was all over the field defensively, wrangling nine solo tackles and assisting on seven, including one assist for a loss.

Isaac Clark, Gladbrook-Reinbeck football

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 football

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.

Drew Eilers, Gladbrook-Reinback football

Eilers had a big night on defense with nine solo tackles, eight assists, including a sack and 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage.

Ricky Feauto, Sioux City Bishop Heelan football

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.

Faith Frantum, Johnston girls swimming

Frantum took first in the 200 freestyle and repeated as state champ in the 500 free at the state swim meet where she shared swimmer of the year honors with Waukee’s Willa Hage. Franthum will continue her swimming career at the University of Iowa.

Sasha Gisi, WDM Dowling Catholic girls diving

Gishi took the silver medal in the state diving competition, turning in a finals score of 458.55.

Grant Glausser, Western Dubuque football

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 football

Gordon rushed for four touchdowns and 208 yards on 33 carries, including a go-ahead score with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter and the lone touchdown of the fourth quarter. That performance helped Van Meter make the Class 2A state championship game where it’ll defend its title against last year’s Class 1A champion Central Lyon/George-Little Rock.

Colin Gordon, Grundy Center football

The senior quarterback was incredibly accurate, completing 17 of 20 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns as Grundy Center rolled past Waterloo Columbus Catholic 42-7 in a Class 1A state semifinal tilt.

Willa Hage, Waukee girls swimming

Hage shared top swimmer of the year honors with Johnston’s Faith Frantum at the state swim meet. Hage took first in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. She also set new school record times in both events. She also helped Waukee win the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Sam Henrickson, Spirit Lake football

Henrickson led the Indians’ defense with seven solo tackles and assisted on eight others in a Class 2A state semifinal loss.

Brady Hetzel, Council Bluffs Lewis Central football

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 football

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 football

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 football

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 football

Luett had a solid game under center, passing for 282 yards and three touchdowns, including a 66-yard strike to Mason Boothby in a 41-28 loss to MFL MarMac.

Caden Lundt, Spirit Lake football

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 football

The junior running back scored five touchdowns and ran for 161 yards on 27 carries in a 41-28 triumph over Underwood in a Class 1A semifinal.

Jayden McGregory, West Des Moines Valley football

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 football

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 football

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.

Jacob Mohrfield, Ankeny football

Mohrfield returned an interception 66 yards, broke up a pass and blocked a pass.

C.J. Phillip, Southeast Polk football

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 football

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 football

The senior and 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 football

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.

Jordan Rial, Bondurant-Farrar football

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 football

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 football

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.

Peyton Schilling, Monticello football

Schilling caught just three passes but had a 94-yard reception that he brought to the house. He finished with 111 yards.

Drew Schultz, Waterloo Columbus Catholic football

Schultz had a heck of a defensive performance with six solo tackles and nine assists, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage in a Class 1A state semifinal loss to Grundy Center.

Abby Tollefson, Marshalltown diving

The senior won the 1-meter state diving championship with a finals score of 504.55 after turning in a 556.35, which was the best score of the meet.

Cael Turner, Creston football

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 football

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 sTD tosses each to Rayce Heitman and Braylon Wetjen and also intercepted two passes on defense. Williamsburg, which moved up to 3A this season, also reached last year’s 2A title game.

Reece Vander Zee, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock football

University of Iowa recruit Reece Vander Zee rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries and passed for another 84 as Central Lyon/George-Little Rock overtook Spirit Lake in a Class 2A state semifinal. Vander Zee’s biggest play was a 65-yard scamper to paydirt that tied the game at 14-all.

Kale Zuehl, West Hancock football

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.