Class 5A semifinals: Valley eliminates rival Dowling, Southeast Polk knocks off Liberty

WDM Valley gets key INT by Jayden McGregory, TD from Zay Robinson to advance where they will face three-time defending champ Southeast Polk

Valley's Zay Robinson (3) reaches for the end zone on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, IA. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The saying that big players make big plays in big games definitely held true for West Des Moines Valley on Friday in the Class 5A state football semifinals. 

Jayden McGregory picked off a pass and returned it 98 yards to set up a Zay Robinson touchdown that propelled the Tigers past rival West Des Moines Dowling, 28-21. Valley will play for its sixth state title next Friday and first since 2011. 

McGregory ended up with the ball in his hands as the Maroons were attempting to take the lead on the first drive of the fourth quarter. He sprinted all the way to the Dowling 1. Two plays later, Drake DeGroote found Robinson, an Iowa State commit, in the end zone.

Prior to catching the game-winner, Robinson had just one reception for 14 yards. 

Valley would work six of the final eight-plus 10 minutes off the clock, including after taking over with 2:31 left in the game and converting a first down. 

King Coleman ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns while DeGroote had 158 yards passing on the day. McGregory also shined on offense, catching a team-high six passes for 84 yards. Jayden Brown added four for 68 with a TD.

For Dowling, Ra’Shawd Davis had 149 yards rushing and a touchdown, Joey Nahas had a rushing touchdown and Parker DePhillips threw a TD to Jakob Skau. Trey Wilson had seven catches for 47 yards. 

The two rivals have met 25 times since 2008 with the Maroons winning 16 times. Dowling had won the last two meetings and seven of nine coming into the semifinals. The last time they met in the playoffs in 2022, though, Valley won, 22-21. 

Surprising Southeast Polk gets crack at fourth straight title after outscoring Iowa City Liberty

The kings of 5A just will not go away, as three-time defending champion Southeast Polk rallied to derail top-seed Iowa City Liberty in a scorefest, 38-35. 

A wild 28-point fourth quarter saw the Rams get two first downs after star quarterback Holden Hansen recovered an onside kick attempt by the Lightning. 

Hansen overcame an early interception to go 18-for-25 passing for 255 yards and four touchdowns to Kaden Hills, who burned the Liberty defense all night. Hills finished with eight receptions for 168 yards. 

As a team, the Rams ran for 104 yards, doing just enough to give Hansen the support he needed to take over. 

For Liberty, who just a few years back was playing in 4A, Reece Rettig threw for 334 yards on 20 of 26 with three touchdowns while Dallas Miller caught eight passes for 245 and two scores. They were held to just 66 yards rushing on the night. 

The Lightning took a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter on a 62-yard TD strike from Rettig to Miller after going up 14-0 less than seven minutes into the game. 

Southeast Polk scored 17 unanswered, as Hansen hit Hills on short touchdown passes before Samer Arafa hit what would eventually be the deciding points on a 24-yard field goal.

Miller hauled in a 62-yard touchdown from Rettig to start the fourth but Hansen and Hills again found each other on 32- and 76-yard scoring strikes. Rettig led one last drive to cut the deficit to three. 

What’s Next

Valley, the preseason No. 1 team, will try to finish in that spot when they take on Southeast Polk next Friday, Nov. 22. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in the final game of the prep football season.

The Rams had their 22-game win streak snapped earlier this season at the hands of the Tigers, who won 20-17 on a late touchdown followed by an interception. The two met in the 2022 state finals, as current Iowa State star Abu Sama ran for 372 yards and six touchdowns to lead Southeast Polk to a 49-14 victory.