Iowa City Liberty looks to stay perfect: A Week 3 preview of area high school football games

With Iowa City Liberty as the lone local team without a loss, Week 3 of the high school football season is a chance for several teams to get themselves back on track.

Iowa City High, Regina and West's games will take place at 7 p.m.

Clear Creek Amana, Solon and Liberty's games are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Iowa City High Little Hawks (1-1) vs. Ames Little Cyclones (2-0)

Just in time for this weekend's highly anticipated Cy-Hawk college football game, the Little Hawks hope to give Iowa City the edge by beating their cross-state rivals for the Little Cy-Hawk Trophy.

It is easy to understand the Little Hawks' confidence heading into this game after their 77-0 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson last week. Running back Ronnie Major had a big game with 64 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. He also had a receiving touchdown. Defensively, linebacker Ben Keuter had eight tackles, with four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Ames had a much tougher contest, duking it out against Fort Dodge for the win 36-32. The Little Cyclones' offense had its best showing of the year led by quarterback Dallas Sauser's 374 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jamison Poe was one of his favorite targets, with three catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for an impressive 206 yards and three touchdowns.

With both offenses looking to be a threat, the winner will come down to which defense will be able to make a stop. As the Little Hawks have made tremendous strides defensively, this weekend could be just the game they need to show that they are still a threat for the Class 5A state title.

Clear Creek Amana Clippers (1-1) at Washington Demons (2-0)

Hoping to bounce back from their last-second 13-7 loss to Independence last week, the Clear Creek Amana Clippers will have a tough task ahead of them to take down Washington.

Despite being the team's starting quarterback, Jackson Schmidt had more big plays on the ground rather than through the air. He led the team with 130 yards on 23 carries, but also threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter. The CCA defense was impenetrable for most of the game, in large part because of the play of linebacker Brock Sherman, who had 10 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Washington's offense also relied heavily on the run game, particularly with the busy night that Tayven Stuart had. He rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries, while also catching a touchdown. Quarterback Ethan Patterson may not have thrown for many yards, but he did have four passing touchdowns.

The Demons will present another difficult task for the Clippers' defense, but if the first two weeks are any indication, they look ready for the challenge. Boasting one of the stingiest run defenses in the state, CCA will dare Washington to rely more on its passing game.

Iowa City Liberty Lightning (2-0) at Western Dubuque Bobcats (0-2)

The Liberty Lightning are riding high after notching their second impressive win in as many weeks, with their latest victory over the Linn-Marr Lions 25-14.

Graham Beckman gave an admirable encore in his second career start after decimating the Lions' defense by throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team with 38 rushing yards and added another touchdown. Lucas Meyer was his go-to target, catching four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

The Bobcats' offense left much to be desired in a 45-7 loss to North Scott. Their defense had their struggles too, but they did pick off a pass.

Though many may see this game as an easy Liberty win, as a team that was on the other side of the coin last season, they know not to take any opponent lightly. Still, the Lightning have what it takes to make this game get out of hand pretty early on.

Iowa City Regina Regals (1-1) vs. Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks (2-0)

Getting in the win column after using a hot start to defeat West Liberty 49-14, the Regals could use another statement-making performance to remind the rest of the state why they are still a threat.

The Regals' rushing attack was their biggest asset, with the team gaining 195 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Gadget player Jack Tierney led the team with 96 yards and also rushed for a touchdown. Their defense was tough to penetrate, especially with defensive back Ty Joss getting a sack, tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.

Mid-Prairie survived a tight game against Sigourney Keota 23-20 in which running back Braden Hartley had a historic performance. He rushed for 219 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. Senior wide receiver/defensive back Cain Brown was another noteworthy player after catching a 79-yard touchdown pass and securing nine tackles.

Regina will have its hands full if it hopes to win its second game of the season. Luckily for them, they are a team that has no problem facing pressure, especially with high expectations of returning to the UNI-Dome this season.

Solon Spartans (1-1) at Williamsburg Raiders (2-0)

After suffering their first loss to the Mount Vernon Mustangs in nearly two decades, the Solon Spartans are looking to put that 17-14 defeat behind them.

The Spartans' offense had a tough go of things, but running back Sean Stahle was one of the few bright spots after rushing for 111 yards. Their defense had a more balanced performance, but no one stood out more than linebacker Brett White, who had 16.5 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Williamsburg was taken to the limit in an 18-13 win over Van Meter. The Raiders' offense did not have an explosive showing, but their defense more than picked up the slack. In the game, they had three fumble recoveries and picked off two passes.

After facing their share of struggles last week, all eyes will be on Solon's offense to see how it will respond to another strong defense. However, if last season is any indication, do not be shocked if Solon's star players have their best games of the year.

Iowa City West Trojans (1-1) vs. Dubuque Hempstead Mustangs (0-2)

With another game under their belts, the West High Trojans look like they are taking steps in the right direction to make last year's wayward season a thing of the past. Their 42-21 win against the Muscatine Muskies was a prime example.

Running back Davontae Morris had the best game of his career after leading the way with 127 yards and three touchdowns. Though Muscatine had success of its own running the ball, Trojans linebacker Ashton Honore made it hard for them after securing four tackles for loss.

Dubuque Hempstead had a difficult time getting anything going in a 42-0 loss to Pleasant Valley in which it allowed six sacks.

Hoping to do a better job of stopping the run, the Trojans' defense has a shot to get back on track by using their front seven's speed to infiltrate the Mustangs' offensive line.

Raven Moore covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at RSMoore@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Raven_XReport.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: A look at Week 3 slate for Iowa City area high school football games