Class 1A & 2A Underclassman Stats and Analysis: RB’s
The Iowa High School season is underway and a majority of teams are four weeks in, whereas some teams have had to take a week or two off because of COVID-19 concerns. I am taking a look at the statistics…
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Continue ReadingThe Iowa High School season is underway and a majority of teams are four weeks in, whereas some teams have had to take a week or two off because of COVID-19 concerns. I am taking a look at the statistics provided by ia.varsitybound.com and watched film on the highest producing underclassman signal callers, running backs, and receivers and broken them down. Here are the RB’s that have impressed so far this season:
Junior RB, Preston Pope, West Marshall High School (2A) – 5’9, 200 lbs.
Stat line: 100 rushing attempts, 781 rushing yards, 9 rushing TD’s, 7.8 yards per carry, 2 receptions 38 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD, 19 yards per catch
Breakdown: The leading rusher in Class 2A is Preston Pope. Playing in a wing T offense Pope is the bell cow back but making his attempts well worth it with a 7.8 yards per carry. Pope is a strong runner, who likes to get downhill on the defense and be physical at the point of attack. He takes more than one defender to be brought down, but with all that being said he’s also a quick back who can burst through the open space. With the rushing attack that West Marshall has always had and a top runner in the state this team could be tough to put out of the playoffs.
Junior RB, Marcus Beatty, Independence High School (2A) – 5’9, 200 lbs.
Stat line: 81 rushing attempts, 515 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD’s, 6.4 yards per carry, 4 receptions, 97 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 24.3 yards per catch
Breakdown: Having a 248 yards rushing game is impressive, and that’s exactly what Marcus Beatty did the first game of the season vs Center Point-Urbana. Beatty has the potential to break it every time he touches the ball. He has good straight line running speed, and can breakaway from the defense in the open field. When he’s called upon to make the defense miss, he can do so with shifty cut in space. He has good vision and uses it at times to know when to bounce outside or run between the tackles. Beatty is an under the radar RB prospect in the state that deserves some more attention.
Junior RB, Jahsiah Galvan, West Liberty High School (2A) – 6’2, 180 lbs.
Stat line: 82 rushing attempts, 779 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD’s, 9.5 yards per carry, 4 receptions, 9 receiving yards, 2.3 yards per catch, 1/1 passing attempts, 75 passing yards
Breakdown: Galvan is an interesting prospect in the 2022 class. He’s both a good RB and CB, but I want to focus on his RB skillset. Galvan is a good in a box, and what I mean by that is you can give him the ball and he can make something happen with multiple moves to get out of it. He’s a shifty runner, who can make defenses miss and can be a menace in the open field in 1-on-1 situations. With all that being said, Galvan is a fast ball carrier as well. He has breakaway speed, and on the other side of the ball has good closing speed. Galvan has a nice frame and room to grow on both sides of the ball and if he can continue to develop he could be someone to watch out for in the next year or two.
Sophomore RB, Aiden Anderson, Prairie City-Monroe High School (2A) – 6’0, 180 lbs.
Stat line: 63 rushing attempts, 692 rushing yards, 8 rushing TD’s, 11 yards per carry, 2 receptions, 69 receiving yards, 34.5 yards per catch
Breakdown: The #1 team in Class 2A is the Mustangs, and Aiden Anderson is a big part of why. Anderson is a talented, young RB right now who likes to run between the tackles and follow blocks through the holes. He has a nice jump cut in the backfield to get around would-be tacklers and gain positive yardage. With that, Anderson is also good at squeezing through holes to get to the second level. When he does have open space he is good at using a burst of speed to get through it and exploit the defenses weak spots. If Anderson continues play the way he has the Mustangs will be in a good position to repeat.
Sophomore RB, Travain Donaldson, West Burlington High School (2A) – 5’10, 175 lbs.
stat line: 92 rushings attempts, 650 rushing yards, 8 rushing TD’s, 7.1 yards per carry, 3 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 10.7 yards per carry
Breakdown: It hasn’t quite ticked for West Burlington yet in Class 2A, but Donaldson has been a highlight for their offense. Donaldson is hard to tackle with the football and runs out of arm tackles with ease. He is good about following his blockers and weaving through the defense to gain positive yardage. He can receive the ball out of the backfield on short routes or screen passes and has the ability to move the ball down the field for his offense. He is a compact runner with good burst. Donaldson helps his team stay competitive and will help put them in a winning position the rest of the season.
Sophomore RB, Nolan Delong, Durant High School (1A) – 6’0, 190 lbs.
Stat line: 54 rushing attempts, 730 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD’s, 13.5 yards per carry
Breakdown: One of the best RB’s in the state in the Class of 2023 is Nolan Delong. To go with his frame already, he has big play ability who is a threat to take the ball to the end zone every time he gets it. He has breakaway speed to go along with a strong running style that covers all facets of the run game. He is also someone who you can give the ball to in a bad situation and he can make it a positive. He does not oppose contact either, as he is able to drop his head and run other defenders over with his strength and power. Delong has the ability to be a P5 RB by the end of his high school career.
Junior RB, Logan Cassady Logan Cassady 6'1" | 180 lbs | RB Interstate 35 | 2022 State IA , Interstate 35 High School (1A) – 6’1, 165 lbs.
Stat line: 56 rushing attempts, 653 rushing yards, 7 rushing TD’s, 11.7 yards per carry
Breakdown: While watching film on Cassady I was impressed by his running ability and the way he was able to use his speed while toting the rock. Cassady has speed who is able to get to the edge of the defense and turn the corner to gain positive yardage. Cassady is also a strong runner who runs through arm tackles and vision to get to the hole between the tackles. He has good straightline speed that allow him to break big runs for his team’s offense. The second leading rusher in the state in Class 1A is an effective rusher who will only get better over the next two years.
Sophomore RB, Jack Menster, Cascade High School (1A) – 5’10, 160 lbs.
Stat line: 86 rushing attempts, 642 rushing yards, 9 rushing TD’s, 7.5 yards per carry, 9 receptions, 88 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD, 9.8 yards per catch
Breakdown: An up and down early season so far for Cascade, but Jack Menster has been someone who has pushed the offense forward. Menster has straight line speed that provides as breakaway once bursting into the open field proven by his longest rushing TD of 96 yards. He is able to get to the edge before the defenses sets it and turn it up field to get positive yardage. He also knows when to stick his foot in the ground and get downhill at the defense. He can catch it out of the backfield and make positive plays for his team. In the open field he is an agile back who is good at weaving through the defense. Menster is an all-around good back for the Cougars and if he continues his success this season they could turn the corner.
Junior RB, Blake McAlister, South Central Calhoun High School (1A) – 6’0, 165 lbs.
Stat line: 58 rushing attempts, 513 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD’s, 8.8 yards per carry, 8 receptions, 122 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 15.3 yards per catch
Breakdown: South Central Calhoun is off to a good start thus far this season, a big part of that is Blake McAlister. McAlister is jack of all trades and does a lot for his team. Not only is he an offensive and defensive player, he also handles returns where he is a good return man. McAlister is a shifty back who has a strong stiff-arm move that he likes to use and uses effectively. He can also split out wide and catch passes while running routes or screen plays as he has good hands. While running he has a good side step to get by defenders and speed to get away from them. If McAlister can keep this pace up South Central Calhoun can make waves in Class 1A. We will see how good as soon as this Friday when they play a tough Southeast Valley team.
Junior RB, Dalten Van Pelt Dalten Van Pelt 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Van Meter | 2022 State IA , Van Meter High School (1A) – 5’11, 180 lbs.
Stat line: 64 rushing attempts, 504 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD’s, 7.9 yards per carry, 2 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 6 yards per catch
Breakdown: Van Meter is good again and that’s surprising to nobody who has even somewhat followed Iowa High School Football. Van Pelt is was a part of their team last year, and continue his success on the ground for the Bulldogs. He’s good at sticking his foot into the ground and getting up field with the ball. He’s good at finding open space and weaves through small lanes to get there. He can catch the ball out of the backfield on screen plays or on routes. Van Pelt runs through soft tackles and is reliable in short yardage situations using his strength and leg power to move the pile. Continued running success could be a key part of Van Meter’s run to the championship, and Van Pelt will be a prime subject of that.