Each Teams MVP Heading into Next Season (5A) Group Two
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Here is Group Two! This will feature Dowling Catholic, Johnston, Waukee, Ames, CB Lincoln, and Sioux City North! Lets dive in! If you have not checked out part one of this series make sure to check it out! Dowling Catholic…
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Continue ReadingHere is Group Two! This will feature Dowling Catholic, Johnston, Waukee, Ames, CB Lincoln, and Sioux City North! Lets dive in! If you have not checked out part one of this series make sure to check it out!
Dowling Catholic – Jaxon Smolik Jaxon Smolik 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Dowling Catholic | 2023 State IA (QB) Class of 2023 Hudl Twitter
Jaxon Smolik Jaxon Smolik 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Dowling Catholic | 2023 State IA shared reps with former Dowling Catholic QB Jake Steingreaber. In the snaps this sophomore played, he looked poised and calm playing varsity. Jaxon does a great job with pre-snap reads, noticing mismatches and capitalizing on them at a high rate. He showed flashes of mobility against Ankeny, but that was about the only game he showed an ability to escape the pocket and make plays. I think he has the athleticism to create more plays with his legs, and I would like to see more of that from Jaxon next season. Other than that he is going to be one of the best QBs in that 2023 class.
Johnston – Jack Rutz Jack Rutz 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Johnston | 2022 State IA (QB) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
Who doesn’t love a kicker that can play QB as well? Jack Rutz Jack Rutz 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Johnston | 2022 State IA put up a quality junior season with some great performances against high-quality teams. Jack is mobile, which is one of his better strengths and has quality arm power as well. I would like to see Jack improve with his playing IQ. At times he forced throws into coverage, too often creating turnovers. If he improves this aspect of play, his name will be mentioned by more college coaches. Another focus is consistency. The Jack Rutz Jack Rutz 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Johnston | 2022 State IA that beat Dowling is right up there with some of the best QBs in the state, but Jack Rutz Jack Rutz 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Johnston | 2022 State IA also played against Indianola, where he went 5/15 with 58 yards. I like Jack, and I think he will open a lot of eyes during his senior season.
Sadly, I cannot do either of Waukee’s teams yet. They have not come out with official rosters. A player that I think will have the best season recruitment-wise is Benjamin Reiland Benjamin Reiland 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Waukee Northwest | 2022 State IA . Benjamin is a tremendous defensive end and has gotten attention from multiple Division One schools. Except for him, it is too early to tell.
Ames – Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 6'5" | 250 lbs | TE Ames | 2022 State IA (TE) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
It’s not often you see a TE listed as Most Valuable Player. Corey has a great frame at 6-5 235 lbs. He is a great route runner for his size and surprisingly quick. He will bear a heavy load for a team that is losing their star QB, Tamin Lipsey. Currently, Corey has offers from UCF, Kansas, and Northern Iowa. Another name to watch is Trenton Smith Trenton Smith 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Ankeny Centennial | 2024 State IA who will most likely take over Tamin Lipseys old spot
Council Bluffs Lincoln – Quentin Bradley (LB) Class of 2022 Hudl
Council Bluffs Lincoln lost a lot of production from last year. Quentin is good at block shedding and gets through some holes. He put up 40.5 Tackles, 18 Solo Tackles, 5 Sacks, and 1 Interception. It will be interesting to see if he improves his senior season. Quentin is a possible Division 3 or Division 2 linebacker.
Sioux City North – Desmond Grace II (ATH) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
Desmond had a quality junior season. He played offense and defense and was a crucial contributor in both. At WR, he had 231 Receiving Yards and 1 Touchdown. He is a quality route runner and plays solid after the catch. On the defensive side, he had 34 Tackles, 19 Solo Tackles, and 2 Tackles for loss. I would expect he has a better junior season, especially with so many seniors leaving.
Next part will feature Group 3. Group 3 consists of Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Dubuque Senior, Dubuque Hempstead, Muscatine, and Davenport West.