Looking at the Week 2 high school football schedule for Iowa City-area teams
Here's a look at the Week 1 matchups for Iowa City-area high school football. All games but one take place Friday evening at 7:15 p.m. Clear Creek Amana vs. Independence is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
City High (0-1) at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (0-1)
After all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding last week's "Clash at Kinnick," City High found itself on the losing end vs. Liberty 36-19.
The Little Hawks' offense was stifled for much of the game, other than the second quarter when they scored all 19 of their points. Junior quarterback Drew Larson accounted for all three of the team's touchdowns and threw for 328 yards. Senior linebacker Ben Kueter was all over the field, leading the team with 12 tackles and three tackles for loss.
The J-Hawks had a tough go of things in their season opener as well, taking a 47-6 loss to Cedar Rapids Washington. Collectively, the team had minus-18 yards and committed three turnovers. Their defense managed to make highlights, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by junior cornerback Tyler Huston.
After a shaky performance last week, the Little Hawks' defense has a prime opportunity to return to form against the J-Hawks and have a statement-making performance.
Clear Creek Amana (1-0) vs. Independence (1-0)
After a great team performance in Clear Creek Amana's season-opening 26-0 win against Marion, CCA hopes that its momentum can carry over against a tough Independence team.
Senior quarterback Jackson Schmidt shined in his new starting role in which he threw for 127 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 80 yards and a score. Another dual-threat worth noting was sophomore tight end/defensive end Brody Clubb, who led the team with 57 receiving yards while also racking up 8.5 tackles and a sack.
Speaking of big wins, Independence gave Maquoketa several problems in a 44-9 victory. Senior quarterback Mitchell Johnson threw for four touchdowns, and junior running back Trey Weber rushed for an astounding 242 yards.
While Independence's offensive prowess could spell problems for the Clippers, one must not ignore that CCA boasts one of the best defensive fronts in Class 4A. If the Clippers can replicate their stinginess from the game against Marion, they have a shot to start the year 2-0.
Liberty (1-0) vs. Linn-Mar (1-0)
Liberty had a strong performance in a Week 1 victory over City High at Kinnick Stadium, 36-19.
Their new starting quarterback, junior Graham Beckman, put on a show in his first start, gaining 282 yards (passing and rushing) and four touchdowns. Liberty's defense was just as effective, forcing three turnovers, including a game-sealing interception by senior defensive back Amari Thigpen.
Linn-Mar shut out Muscatine 41-0. Junior tight end Keaton Roskop was the driving force with his three catches being touchdowns and going for 116 yards. Defensively, they lived in Muscatine's offensive backfield where they had seven tackles for loss.
While it will be a tough task for Liberty to replicate its season-opening performance, the Lightning have all the tools to pull out another tough win. As a more pass-happy offense than Muscatine, Liberty can force Linn-Mar to respect its receivers rather than load the box. In doing that, it should create more opportunities for the run game.
Iowa City Regina (0-1) vs. West Liberty (0-1)
Regina's 31-0 loss to Williamsburg last Friday was a shock to a team that rarely gets handled so decisively.
The Regals' offense was stifled all game, particularly on the ground where they had minus-42 rushing yards on 20 rushing attempts. Their passing game produced 68 yards but also threw two interceptions. Junior wide receiver Jackson Neave was one of the team's few bright spots after catching five passes for 57 yards. Junior defensive back Gentry Dumont picked off a pass.
West Liberty's debut was no better after it suffered a 42-0 loss at the hands of Solon.
Solon (1-0) vs. Mount Vernon (1-0)
Speaking of blowouts, Solon had an unrelenting performance against West Liberty, winning 42-0.
The Spartans' rushing attack was the highlight of the game, as they rushed for 234 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Junior running back Brett White led the way with 114 yards and a touchdown. He also was a stalwart defensively where he had 6.5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and an interception. The team also had two sacks courtesy of defensive linemen Zeb Kleinsmith and Ben Kampman.
Mount Vernon had a shutout victory of its own, beating Anamosa 28-0. Senior running back Henry Ryan was a menace, rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. Junior linebacker Jackson Jasper was a nuisance in Anamosa's backfield with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
While the excitement for rivalry games is always high, the game has even more intrigue for Solon. If the Spartans can notch the win, this would be the 20th straight year that the Spartans have beaten the Mustangs.
Iowa City West (0-1) vs. Muscatine (0-1)
Despite showing flashes of brilliance against Cedar Rapids Kennedy, West High's inconsistencies cost the Trojans the game 28-19.
Sophomore quarterback Jack Wallace's connection to wide receiver Christian Janis was on full display, connecting for six catches, 170 yards and three touchdowns. While the score may not reflect it, the defense made valuable plays too, including an interception in the end zone by sophomore defensive back Mason Woods.
Muscatine suffered a 41-0 loss to Linn-Mar. The Muskies' biggest offensive weapon was junior running back Ty Cozard, who rushed for 101 yards.
Learning from their mistakes from a week ago, the Trojans have a shot to turn out a much more balanced performance.
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: Looking at Week 2 high school football games for Iowa City-area teams
