CJ Phillip discusses Southeast Polk’s win over Dowling
CJ Phillip focuses on “staying humble and working with (his) team)” as Southeast Polk beat Dowling, Phillip’s former program.
Eight weeks into the Iowa high school football season, athletes and teams continue to show us something new with each game. Friday night brought a new set of lessons learned.
This week’s slate of matchups presented some questions about teams in central Iowa and beyond. Let’s look at 10 things we learned from Week 8 – the final week of the regular season for some of the smaller classes – of the Iowa high school football season.
1. Southeast Polk seems to have all the pieces for another state title run. It seems a little premature to say something like that, especially since Friday’s game against Dowling was decided in triple overtime, but the Rams are going to be a tough team to beat.
More: Southeast Polk 37, Dowling 34: Connor Moberly pushes Rams past Maroons in triple overtime
Connor Moberly can run the ball as well as throw it, and when he can’t, Southeast Polk’s CJ Phillip is incredibly reliable. Sam Zelenovich was one of the best receivers we’ve seen in Class 5A this season, and he made big plays when the Rams really needed something from him.
The defense looked incredibly sound – save for later in the game when they allowed Dowling to march down the field and score a field goal to send the game to overtime. But, the Maroons could have scored a touchdown on that drive. It was Southeast Polk’s defense that prevented that from happening.
2. Ra’Shawd Davis’ production can be limited, but he finds ways to make plays when needed. The Dowling running back had his moments against the Rams, which included two touchdowns but only 76 rushing yards. There is no denying that Davis is among the best rushers in the state, and when he was limited on Friday, Dowling needed to find other options on offense.
Dante Cataldo and Curtis Horras were big factors in Dowling’s ability to get something going. There wasn’t really one player on offense who stood out, which just goes to show that Dwoling can spread out the success, especially when Davis is held back.
3. Friday’s matchup was a contest between two of the top defenses in the state. These two teams have stars on offense, but we were most impressed by the defense from both programs.
More: Iowa high school football scores, results from Week 8, Oct. 12-13 of the 2023 season
A handful of Southeast Polk defenders had massive moments, from broken-up passes to trying to shut down Davis. Dowling’s defense had strong performances of its own and came out swinging from the start of the game.
4. Based on the returning players alone, next year should be fun for Dowling and Southeast Polk. We’ve already talked about their current success, but Dowling will return Davis and Southeast Polk will have Zelenovich back next season. Statistically, those two players were the most productive for their respective teams Friday, which makes it even more exciting that Iowa high school football fans will see both juniors return to the field next season.
5. ADM really struggled in its first game since losing Aiden Flora. The Tigers came into the season with one of the best running back-quarterback duos in the state – Flora and Brevin Doll – but injuries have forced both players to the sidelines.
Taylor Kinney – who had six completions for 53 total yards prior to Friday – took over at quarterback, but it was ADM’s entire offense that had issues. From interceptions to incompletions, there was a real problem with ball security, and the Tigers couldn’t muster any points against Indianola.
6. Speaking of teams with injury issues, Bondurant-Farrar lost a big piece of its offense and defense. With 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns on offense and 47 total tackles and two interceptions on defense (prior to Friday’s game), there is no denying that Titus Cram is the total package for Bondurant-Farrar. He even handles some of the Bluejays’ kicking duties.
He was among the favorites for the Des Moines Register’s Player of the Year…and then he went out with an apparent lower-body injury in the first half against Pella. Bondurant-Farrar has dealt with its fair share of injuries this year, but none are as impactful as this one. The Bluejays need Cram, which was evident in Friday’s shocking loss.
More: Recap: Scores, highlights and analysis from Week 8 of Iowa high school football
7. That’s led to a serious shakeup in the 4A standings. Bondurant-Farrar had just moved to the No. 1 spot in the Register’s 4A rankings; ADM was poised for some success in the postseason, even with Doll’s injury. But recent injuries to Flora and Cram have changed all of that because both of those players are major difference-makers.
Those injuries forced Bondurant-Farrar and ADM down the standings, while North Polk and Lewis Central moved into the top spots. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks since the timetable for return on Cram and Flora’s injuries is unclear. But, right now, the 4A title is attainable for quite a few teams.
8. Caleb Moore put on a clinic in Lewis Central’s win over Norwalk. He had 29 carries for 203 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and added 30 yards and one more touchdown in the air. On defense, he had three solo tackles and two pass breakups. So, based on those stats alone, it’s easy to see why Lewis Central came out on top over Norwalk.
More: 3 takeaways from No. 5 Lewis Central’s dominating 42-13 win over No. 8 Norwalk
Who did Lewis Central’s Caleb Moore model his multi-touchdown day after?
Caleb Moore says he channelled his inner Marshawn Lynch during his three-touchdown performance against Norwalk.
9. Creston looks like a truly tough team to beat. OK, that isn’t really news with the Panthers’ 8-0 record. But they have wins against traditional powerhouses Lewis Central and Harlan. The postseason will hold some challenges for Creston, especially if the Panthers have to face Solon or Williamsburg. Regardless, this has been a solid season for the current top team in 3A, and it’ll be fun to see how far the Panthers can take it.
10. Let’s take a guess at who will win the titles in Class 2A and below, now that those regular seasons are complete. Central Lyon is prepared to repeat in 2A, especially with how the Lions have performed against other highly-ranked opponents. Van Meter could make things interesting, and teams like West Lyon and Monticello have upset potential.
In 1A and A, undefeated Grundy Center and Woodbury Central look like the early favorites. But we’d get behind Madrid and what the Tigers have put together this season in Class A. We also wouldn’t count out the big-name recruits on East Buchanan and Logan-Magnolia to make moves when it matters.
And in 8-Man, well, this is a tough one. Cam Buffington – on top-ranked Winfield-Mt. Union – is something special. Remsen-St. Mary’s brings a lot of successful history into the postseason, and Bedford is flying a bit under the radar.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
2023-10-16 11:08:30
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