Can Ames defeat Iowa City? Our Week 3 Ames-area high school football predictions
The 2023 Little Cy-Hawk game features two teams desperate for a victory when 0-2 Iowa City High travels to Ames to take on 0-2 Ames on Friday night.
Both Ames and Iowa City struggled in each of their first two games. But each loss came against quality opposition.
Ames fell at Class 5A No. 10 Waukee (35-7) and at home to then-No. 10 Ankeny Centennial (42-6). Iowa City lost to Illinois power Joliet Catholic (48-13) and 5A No. 3 Iowa City Liberty (41-14).
Iowa City enters this week with the momentum in the Little Cy-Hawk series. The Little Hawkeyes have won both games since it resumed in 2021.
"It's a big game for both teams," said Ames coach Brian Sauser. "Hopefully we can find a way to bring the trophy back to Ames."
Ames will try and slow down Iowa City High quarterback Drew Larson and a talented group of Little Hawkeye receivers. Larson is a threat with his arm and his legs.
"If he's healthy, he's a big factor for them," Sauser said. "He's a great dual-threat kid."
Larson has completed 74.3% of his passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and he has run for 41 yards on seven carries. Junior Bobby Bacon has 142 yards on 10-of-27 passing with no interceptions if Larson cannot go Friday night.
The top receivers for Iowa City are Jeremiah Madlock, Carsen Newton and Connor Cross. Madlock has seven catches for 160 yards and one touchdown, Newton has posted 14 grabs for 142 yards and one score and Cross has added six receptions for 117 and a touchdown.
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The Little Hawkeyes have struggled running the football so far this season. They are only averaging 75.5 yards on the ground.
Defensively, Clay Holdon has 22.5 tackles and Jake Mitchell has 13.5 stops plus an interception. Dax Judge has the only sack thus far for Iowa City.
Ames enters the week averaging 272.5 yards per game, including 184.5 through the air. The Little Cyclone defense is giving up 368 yards per game.
Ames quarterback Lane Kenny had his first healthy start last week. He has thrown for 242 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.
Cameron Cantonwine has five catches for 141 yards and Jeffrey Roberts posted nine grabs for 120 with a touchdown as the top receiving threats for Ames. Jamison Poe is the Little Cyclones' top rusher with 115 yards on 22 carries.
Sauser said his team must play a clean game and be more physical in order to get past Iowa City on Friday.
"They are extremely physical and well-coached, and they aren't going to beat themselves," Sauser said. "They know what they are doing on both sides of the football. We've gotten pushed around a little bit the first two weeks and that's been a big emphasis at practice — playing for a full six seconds. The kids have responded very well."
The Ames coach is optimistic his team can start turning the corner this week in front of the home crowd.
"We haven't played terrible football," Sauser said. "We just haven't answered the bell at the point of attack. There is a lot of season left and we still have a chance to be a pretty good football team."
Ames vs. Iowa City High prediction
Both teams need this win.
If Ames is to pull through and win its first Little Cy-Hawk trophy since the rivalry resumed, it will need a mistake-free game and much better play in the trenches. It would also help to take advantage of any rare mistakes made by Iowa City.
Expect Poe and the Ames offensive line to have their best outings of the season. Kenny will also perform well and the Little Cyclone defense will turn it up a couple of notches.
More: 28 things we learned from Week 2 of the Iowa high school football season
Ames plays by far its best game to date and pulls off a thriller. Ames 24, Iowa City 23
Other Week 3 predictions for Ames-area teams
Gilbert (2-0) at Mason City (1-1)
Gilbert has proved doubters wrong so far in 2023.
After winning just one game over the previous two seasons the Tigers are 2-0 in 2023 despite moving up from 3A to 4A. Both victories were hard-fought home triumphs over Dallas Center-Grimes (14-12) and Carroll (21-14).
Now the Tigers go on the road for the first time to take on Mason City (1-1). Mason City is coming off a 42-21 loss to Fort Dodge, but the Riverhawks pummeled 5A school Marshalltown in their opener, 32-3.
Mason City quarterback Braden Miller has completed 60% of his passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and sophomore Drew Hobart is a threat at receiver with seven catches for 238 yards.
Logan Eide has 18 tackles and Andrew Novak has 12.5 plus two sacks for the Riverhawks on defense.
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Gilbert is led by junior Will Hawthorne, who has 125 yards and two touchdowns rushing, one touchdown receiving and 16 tackles. Tayshawn Gillen has 4.5 sacks and 77 yards rushing and Ean Eldred has four catches for 76 yards and two scores.
Mason City will provide a stiff challenge to the Tigers. But fortune will continue to smile on the Gilbert football program. Gilbert 21, Mason City 20
Ballard (1-1) at Creston (2-0)
Ballard is coming off a heartbreaking 14-13 home loss to 3A No. 5 Humboldt during its home opener at Rich Strouse Field last week.
Creston is on the opposite end of the spectrum, having upset then-No. 1 and defending 4A state champion Lewis Central in a 22-20 battle on the road.
Creston features big-play back Brennan Hayes, who has 391 yards and two touchdowns rushing on 7.8 yards per carry and talented quarterback Cael Turner, who has completed 65.4% of his passes for 371 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
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Josh Schaefer has 16 catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns at receiver and Dillon Calvin has two interceptions on defense.
Senior running back Eli Rouse leads Ballard with 371 yards and three touchdowns rushing at 7.1 yards a pop. Rhett Hedrick has 17.5 tackles and two sacks, Brody Sampson 13.5 tackles and five sacks and Jack Nelson 13 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery for Ballard on defense.
The Ballard defense will once again step up this week. But Creston will also make it tough for the Bombers to move the football and with the home-field advantage the Panthers will scratch out a victory. Creston 17, Ballard 10
Class 2A No. 9 PCM (1-1) at 3A No. 7 Nevada (2-0)
Nevada has been untouchable through its first two games, outscoring West Marshall and Roland-Story by a combined score of 73-7.
The Cubs face a PCM team that has become one of the best programs in 2A over the past decade years, including a state title run in 2018. PCM lost a 29-28 heartbreaker to 1A No. 10 Pella Christian last week after edging 1A No. 7 Sigourney Keota by a 22-15 score in its opener.
PCM features defensive playmaker Griffin Olson, who has eight tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. Running back Adrien Robbins is the top offensive threat for the Mustangs with 322 yards and four touchdowns rushing.
Jackson Burlage has 20.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Kyle Kingsbury eight tackles and one interception, Anthony Eaton 13 tackles and one fumble recovery and Will Palmer one sack and fumble recovery apiece for a dominant Cub defense that has only allowed one score all season. Cason Stevenson has rushed for 286 yards and three scores, Jacob Khounsourath has nine catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns plus a kickoff return for a score and quarterback Connor King is 17 of 30 through the air for 275 yards and three touchdowns with one interception for Nevada on offense.
More: Friday's Week 3 schedule of Iowa high school football games, kickoff times
Nevada will face its stiffest challenge to date. PCM will punch the Cubs in the mouth early, but the Cubs will respond well in the second half and wear down the Mustangs. Nevada 27, PCM 17
Class 1A No. 10 South Hamilton (2-0) at Roland-Story (1-1)
Roland-Story, a 2A program, faces its second top-10 foe from another class when it hosts South Hamilton this Friday at Kerry Van Winkle Field in Story City.
The Norsemen will try to regroup from its loss to Nevada by shoring up some holes in the defense and continuing to get running back Hesston Johnson and receiver/back Jonovan Wilkinson as many touches as possible. Johnson has 243 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 7.1 yards per carry and Wilkinson has five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown plus 61 yards rushing.
Linebacker Charlie Watts and defensive back Cody Long both have 14 tackles and Johnson has 13.5 on defense. Long also has a fumble recovery.
South Hamilton is a run-heavy team that has thrown only one pass all season. Nick Severseike has 297 yards and three touchdowns rushing on 13.5 yards per carry and Noah Gunderson has 150 yards and two scores.
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Owen Renaud had two sacks, Gunderson posted 11.5 tackles and Ashton Williams added 10 stops for the Hawks on defense.
Roland-Story will put up a better fight this Friday than it did against Nevada. But South Hamilton will have too much strength up front on both sides of the ball for the Norsemen. South Hamilton 34, Roland-Story 19
More: What we learned from Class 3A No. 7 Nevada's decisive 42-7 win over Roland-Story
Colo-NESCO (2-1) at Glidden-Ralston (1-1)
Colo-NESCO will be out to atone for last week's tough 28-24 loss to Audubon.
The Royals are among the best statistical teams in 8-player football. They lead 8-player teams in sacks (19), rank second in rushing touchdowns (17) and fourth in total rushing yards (818).
Breckin Clatt has 538 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing on 10.3 yards per carry, Ben Ryan has eight sacks and Trenton Beard has added 31 tackles plus 5.5 sacks for the Royals. Landon Gjerde has two fumble recoveries and Gannon Short has a pair of interceptions on defense.
Stats for Glidden-Ralston were not available at press deadline.
Look for the Royals to regroup in a big way on the road this week to earn their first 8-Player District 9 victory. Colo-NESCO 58, Glidden-Ralston 36
Collins-Maxwell (1-1) at Coon Rapids-Bayard (0-2)
Collins-Maxwell's first home game since 2021 did not go well as the Royals fell to Fort Dodge St. Edmond last Friday in Maxwell 61-14.
The Spartans will attempt to bounce back this week against a winless Coon Rapids-Bayard team.
Cooper Wierson has 395 yards passing, 106 rushing and eight total touchdowns for Collins-Maxwell. Josef Dvorak has 192 receiving, 52 rushing and three total touchdowns and Reed Oswalt has six receptions for 148 yards and one score.
Dvorak paces Collins-Maxwell on defense with 14.5 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Statistics for CRB were not available at press deadline.
Collins-Maxwell will come back strong this week with a big road victory. Collins-Maxwell 44, Coon Rapids-Bayard 40
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him atjrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at@JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Week 3 predictions: Ames vs Iowa City, Gilbert takes on Mason City
