Future Hawkeyes and Cyclones to collide in Iowa high school showdown

Iowa State commits Alex Manske and Jack Limbaugh will lead Algona against Iowa commit Thomas Meyer and Clear Lake

Algona's All-State quarterback Alex Manske (left), an Iowa State commit, got a chance to spend a few minutes with San Francisco 49ers quarterback and Iowa State alum Brock Purdy, at a Cyclones game last year. / Alex Manske X Page

Three of the state’s top recruits will square off on the same field Friday night when Algona battles district and North Central Conference rival Clear Lake in a key Class 3A showdown.

The Bulldogs are led by Iowa State University commits Alex Manske and Jack Limbaugh, having rolled out to a 5-0 start to begin the season. Manske, one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, has thrown for almost 1,200 yards with 15 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Manske, a three-time all-stater, has completed almost 68 percent of his passes while showing off his athleticism with another 182 yards and four scores on the ground. Junior William Weichert leads the team with 409 yards rushing while classmate Evan Allie has 410 yards receiving.

Limbaugh has caught six passes for 132 yards and has 13 tackles with three sacks and four tackles for loss on defense.

Thomas Meyer and the Lions rebounded from their only loss, stomping Webster City last week. The senior has caught 12 passes for 267 yards with half of those receptions going for touchdowns.

Clear Lake is the lone team in the state of Iowa ranked in the Top-5 for its classification in both passing and rushing this year. Sophomore Jaxson McIntire has thrown for 982 yards with 17 touchdowns and just one interception, adding 235 yards on the ground. He is joined by Titan Schmitt in the backfield, as the senior has 751 yards and seven TDs.

Last year, Clear Lake won a thriller on its way to claiming the district title, 29-28. Prior to that, Algona won two straight meetings to snap a six-game run by the Lions in the series.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with a live stream provided.