Class 3A Underclassman Stats and Analysis: RB
The Iowa High School season is underway and a majority of teams are three 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 three 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, Dawson Forgy Dawson Forgy 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Winterset | 2022 State IA , Winterset High School – 5’11, 185 lbs.
Stat line: 64 rushing attempts, 566 rushing yards, 8 rushing TD’s, 8.8 yards per carry
Breakdown: The third leading rusher in the state of Iowa in Class 3A is Dawson Forgy Dawson Forgy 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Winterset | 2022 State IA from Winterset. Forgy is a playmaker with the ball in his hands to say the least. He always makes something happen, highlighted by his 8.8 yards per carry. He’s patient, but fast through the hole when he needs to be, otherwise he uses his speed to follow blocks and break through arm tackles. Forgy is a RB you want on your team because he makes the offense run smoother. Opponents must be keyed in on Forgy otherwise he’s going to make them pay the rest of the season.
Junior RB, Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware High School – 6’0, 209 lbs.
Stat line: 61 rushing attempts, 392 rushing yards, 4 rushing TD’s, 6.4 yards per carry
Breakdown: West Delaware is an offense hard to slow down, and when you have a QB who can run it that’s dangerous, but then you add in a good RB to the mix and it makes it even harder at the high school level. Voelker, who may be more well known on the wrestling mat, is tough, downhill runner on the football field. With the wrestling background you can only imagine that he has a bulldog running style who will put his head down and try to run a defender over, but also is agile and able to move quickly. Good luck stopping this West Delaware offense to future defensive opponents.
Junior RB, Kjuan Owens Kjuan Owens 6'0" | 240 lbs | RB Waterloo East | 2022 IA , Waterloo East High School – 6’0. 205 lbs.
Stat line: 64 rushing attempts, 347 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD’s, 5.4 yards per carry, 2 receptions, 42 receiving yards, 21 yards per catch
Breakdown: Kjuan Owens Kjuan Owens 6'0" | 240 lbs | RB Waterloo East | 2022 IA is an appealing prospect to me out of Waterloo East, who is a tough RB. He makes plays with the ball in his hands and if a defender is not ready to tackle he will make them hurt. He looks for contact and looks to run defenders over in order to advance the ball. He’s a downhill runner who looks to plant his foot in the ground and come down the line at the defensive players. Another thing he does well for the Trojans is lead block on other running plays or on passing plays to pickup blitz’s. He’s obviously a threat out of the backfield as well to catch and move the ball down the field. Though East’s offense hasn’t been clicking yet this season, Owens could give it the jump start that it needs.
Sophomore RB, Asa Newsom, Waverly-Shell Rock High School – 6’2, 210 lbs.
Stat line: 32 rushing attempts, 308 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD’s, 9.6 yards per carry, 2 receptions, 42 receiving yards, 21 yards per catch
Breakdown: Asa Newsom is a class of 2023 name that people and programs need to get familiar with moving forward over the next 3 years. He has the body build already to be a good back at the next level, and his skills are not too far behind him as he continues to get better after coming off of an injury that kept him out of his freshman season. Newsom’s number would be higher but he shares the backfield with another good RB who I will highlight later in this category. He’s explosive and has posted a game where he rushed for 244 yards against Waterloo East. Newsom is a fast, efficient runner who is hard for defenses to tackle. Though he’s really just starting, Newsom is someone we should be excited to watch over the course of the next 3 years.
Junior RB, Jacob Blomquist, North Polk High School – 6’3, 180 lbs.
Stat line: 51 rushing attempts, 248 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD’s, 4.9 yards per carry
Breakdown: At 6’3, Jacob Blomquist has the frame to be a towering RB when all is said and done. Blomquist right now is a RB who has good straight line speed who can bust big runs and get away from the defense. He is a patient runner, who bursts through the line when he sees the open space. One move that impressed me with Jacob is his jump cuts that allows him to go around defenders when in the hole or in the open field. He can put his head down and pick up an extra yard as well, and is a tough runner. Blomquist is someone to keep an eye on over the next 2 years.
Sophomore RB, Devionne West JR, Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School – 5’8, 200 lbs.
Stat line: 53 rushing attempts, 244 rushing yards, 6 rushing TD’s, 4.6 yards per carry, 7 receptions, 46 receiving yards, 6.6 yards per catch
Breakdown: Bishop Heelan is not the same Crusaders team we have been accustomed to in the state of Iowa over the years, but nonetheless they are competitive. Devionne West is a positive play RB who doesn’t lose yardage when he has the ball. He keeps his feet moving and is a strong ball carrier. He has good vision and understands when to put his head down and get positive yardage and when to keep probing to see if he can find an opening. He’s a smart runner who understands the run game. He is capable out of the backfield and will catch some balls and advance it forward. West is a good back who has a promising future as only a sophomore right now.
Sophomore RB, McCrae Hagarty, Waverly-Shell Rock High School – 5’11, 175 lbs.
Stat line: 39 rushing attempts, 199 rushing yards, 2 rushing TD’s, 5.1 yards per carry, 1 reception, 21 receiving yards, 21 yards per catch
Breakdown: McCrae Haggarty is the 2nd sophomore RB in the Go-Hawk backfield that has been productive this season so far. Hagarty is more of the downhill, straight line runner type who is a physical runner. Hagarty is another wrestling background RB who is quick in his movements but also knows how to stick his foot in the ground and puts pressure on the defense. Hagarty knows how to pickup short yardage runs successfully and can also be a threat out of the backfield. I’m sure Hagarty will continue to produce on the football field as well as on the wrestling mat for the Go-Hawks through the next three seasons.
Junior RB, Lawrence Wallace, Benton Community High School – 5’9, 185 lbs.
Stat line: 51 rushing attempts, 190 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 3.7 yards per carry
Breakdown: I’ve talked about the QB for Benton, Colin Buch, already in this series, but Lawrence Wallace is another weapon for the Bobcats. He’s a volume runner who can carry the load of attempts he’s going to get and does positive things with them. He’s a fast straight line runner, who will breaks tackles well when running the ball north and south on the defense. He is a positive runner and understands when to keep his feet moving and when to be patient when seeing the defense. He hits the hole hard and is able to get to the second level quickly when there’s an opening. As Wallace gets going, Benton will start picking up speed as well.
Sophomore RB/WR, Jonathan Humpal, Lewis Central High School – 5’10, 165 lbs.
Stat line: 25 rushing attempts, 115 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 4 receptions, 137 receiving yards, 2 receiving TD’s, 34.3 yards per catch
Breakdown: Jonathan Humpal is a rising sophomore who does it all, but will be a good RB/slot WR prospect when all is said and done. Humpal is a speedster and can score in many different ways whether that’s taking a hand-off, catching a pass in the slot or out of the backfield, or returning kicks/punts. Agile player who is shifty in the open field and takes a few defenders to coral him because of the way he is in 1-on-1’s. He has solid hands and as has been said, is a big time threat out of the backfield. Whenever he has the ball there’s always potential of it being a big play. He’s a swift cutter who gets in and out of his breaks quickly on routes or with the ball in his hands. Humpal is going to be next in the long line of Lewis Central playmakers.
Junior RB/WR, Nathan Maki, Newton High School – 5’11, 170 lbs.
Stat line: 21 rushing attempts, 177 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 8.4 yards per carry, 4 receptions, 56 receiving yards, 14 yards per catch
Breakdown: Newton hasn’t quite gotten it going yet, but Nathan Maki has been a bright spot all over the field for the Cardinals. Maki is played in a lot of different spots on the field and sets. He is used in the backfield as a true RB who is shifty and quick through the opening, he is used as a slotted out WR who gets end around plays where he can use his speed to accelerate to the edge before it can get setup by the defense, and he is used as a receiver who can run short routes to get him into the open. When he gets the ball in the open he can make a man miss and pickup good yardage for his team. Maki is going to be a positive for Newton so far in the early going, but will look to help his team get into a rhythm to turn it around.