Iowa state football playoffs: Looking ahead to the Class 3A semifinals

New champion will be crowned with Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Dubuque Wahlert, Humboldt and Mount Vernon remaining in 3A

A new champion will be crowned in Class 3A this year as Williamsburg did not make it back to the semifinals. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

The lone class without a returning champion will also wrap things up on Saturday night, as Sergeant Bluff-Luton takes on Dubuque Wahlert and Humboldt meets Mount Vernon in 3A action. Williamsburg won the title last year.

Here is a closer look at both Class 3A semifinal round games: 

Class 3A Semifinals

(Saturday, November 16)

Sergeant Bluff-Luton vs. Dubuque Wahlert

In the first 3A semifinals we have 11-0 Sergeant Bluff-Luton against 11-0 Dubuque Wahlert in what should be nothing short of a classic. These two teams have rolled through the playoffs as of late, as the Warriors dominated Independence and Davenport Assumption while the Golden Eagles handled Nevada and MOC-Floyd Valley.

Dubuque Wahlert is led by a healthy blend of quarterback Drew Reilly and running back Michael Bormann. Both seniors, Reilly has completed almost 69 percent of his passes for 1,058 yards while adding 208 with his legs. Bormann is the to rusher with 913 yards and 11 TDs, but the offense also has Tom Scherr, who has 564 and nine, along with Tate Schope, who has rushed for 431 with six scores.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton is one of the top running teams in the state. As a team, the Warriors have rushed 506 times for 4,011 yards with 50 touchdowns, averaging almost eight yards per carry. Ryan Husen, as sophomore, has 1,062 yards and 14 TDs, senior Zayvion Ellington has 891 with nine and juniors Isaiah Jervik and Joe Hardy each have over 700 with 18 combined scores. 

Humboldt vs. Mount Vernon

Redemption will be on the minds of the Wildcats, who earned the No. 1 seed thanks to a schedule that included games vs. Van Meter, North Polk, Algona and Clear Lake. In 2022, it was the Mustangs who ended Humboldt’s hopes of a second state title, winning 14-6 in the dome.

After recovering to post a 13-10 win over the Lions in the opening round, the Wildcats worked Solon, 35-3, in the quarters. Coen Matson, the younger brother of Caden Matson who is at Iowa State and was on that ‘22 team, has thrown for 2,249 yards with 24 touchdowns, adding another 313 yards and five TDs on the ground. He has capable targets in Chase Flaherty, Keegan Groat, Valley Davis and Mason Van Pelt, who all have over 20 receptions and 200 yards.

Mount Vernon, meanwhile, used a second half rally to defeat Algona, 31-28. Kellen Haverback is over 2,000 yards passing with 34 combined touchdowns as a junior, with Jase Jaspers, a classmate and top wrestler, recording over 1,000 yards of offense and 10 touchdowns.