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Recap: Scores, highlights and analysis from Week 8 of Iowa high school football

will kennedy, des moines register
·15 min read
Southeast Polk’s Sam Zelenovich scores a touchdown in the first half against Dowling Catholic on Friday.

Week 8 of the Iowa high school football season is in the books and it was a fun one.

We had reporters out throughout the state on Friday night to bring you the best action from top games everywhere in Iowa. But we couldn’t staff every single game, unfortunately.

Luckily, we have this live blog to bring you action from the games were aren’t able to be at in-person.

Here’s a look at all the incredible highlights and big moments from throughout Friday night’s games, including highlights from an all-time classic, No. 2 Southeast Polk's triple overtime win over No. 1 Dowling.

More: Southeast Polk 37, Dowling 34: Connor Moberly pushes Rams past Maroons in triple overtime

10:30 Final scores rolling in

We couldn't staff every game tonight, but we were able to pull together a list of final scores from throughout the state.

Check that out here.

More: Iowa high school football scores, results from Week 8, Oct. 12-13 of the 2023 season

10:10 Humboldt gets massive win over No. 1 Clear Lake

10:05 Cedar Falls takes down Kennedy

10:00 Pella knocks off No.1 Bondurant-Farrar

Bluejays running back Titus Cram left the game in the first half with an injury, according to reports at the game.

9:55 Newton earns a win over No. 4 Gilbert

9:44 Southeast Polk topples Dowling 37-34

It took three overtime periods, but the Rams prevailed thanks to a Connor Moberly touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Moberly looked stopped short on the goal line, but he reached the ball across at the final second to earn the win.

Don’t be shocked if this isn’t the only time we see these two teams play in 2023, it could very well be a rematch in the state title game.

But for now, the Rams win what will surely go down as an all-time Iowa high school football classic.

9:41 Dowling tacks on a FG in 3OT

The Maroons take a 34-31 lead in triple overtime thanks to a 23-yard field goal. Southeast Polk wins the game with a touchdown. A FG moves it to the fourth OT and Dowling wins with a defensive stand.

9:39 Big INT for Cedar Falls as Kennedy was driving

9:36 Ra’Shawd Davis answers for Dowling to send it to 3OT

The Dowling running back made the Southeast Polk defense look silly on that one, making two guys miss as he ran eight yards to the right pylon to get into the end zone.

Dowling and Southeast Polk tied up at 31 as we head to triple overtime.

9:32 CJ Phillip gives Southeast Polk the lead in 2OT

Double overtime was far less dramatic than the first OT was for the Rams offense. CJ Phillip found the end zone easily from short yardage to give Southeast Polk a 31-24 lead.

Maroons get a chance to answer now.

9:29 Southeast Polk ties it with some drama

It was fourth-and-goal from the 18-yard-line and it looked like the Rams were cooked. But Connor Moberly found Sam Zelenovich wide-open for a score. The PAT makes it 24-24 as we head to double overtime.

9:25 Tight one in the UNI-Dome

9: 22 Dowling scores in OT, now Southeast Polk gets the ball

Dante Cataldo gets in from inches out to get a score in the first overtime. Rams get the ball now to try and answer.

Dowling up 24-17 now

9:21 Valley wins on last-second field goal

The Tigers get a 9-point comeback over Ankeny and cap it off with a Rico Alvarenga-Servellon field goal from 31-yards out. That win keeps the Tigers playoff hopes alive

9:14 Dowling and Southeast Polk headed to overtime

Andrew Schumacher drills around a 30-yard field goal for Dowling to tie the game at 17 as the clock expires.

The top two teams in Class 5A are headed for overtime.

9:08 Dowling driving deep in SEP territory

There are under 30 seconds to play but the Maroons are in the red zone against Southeast Polk.

Maroons have one timeout left at their disposal and SEP leads 17-14.

9:05 Southeast Polk takes a late lead over Dowling

With under two minutes to play in the game, the Rams re-take the lead over Dowling on a CJ Phillip run from inside the 10-yard line.

Southeast Polk up 17-14 with 1:38 left to play. Maroons have two timeouts remaining.

9:00 Ankeny takes two-score lead over Valley

The Hawks found the end zone again to take a 23-14 lead over Valley with 7:55 to play. If the Tigers can’t find a way to come back, they’ll miss out on the playoffs this season just a year after making it to the state title game.

8:54 Waukee Northwest takes lead into final quarter

8:49 Southeast Polk can’t convert on fourth down

Dowling holds the Rams and gets a turnover on downs after a solid drive that took plenty of time off the clock. Coming away with nothing there really hurts Southeast Polk.

Dowling drive starts just outside their own 20. Less than seven minutes to play.

8:45 Cedar Falls up on Cedar Rapids Kennedy

8:40 Bettendorf extends lead on Prairie

Gavin Barta finds the end zone from five yards out to cap a six-play drive. Bettendorf up 14-2 late in the first half.

8:35 Dowling re-takes the lead on Southeast Polk

Ra’Shawd Davis finds paydirt for the first time on the night on a short run from inside the 10-yard line.

Maroons up 14-10 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.

8:34 Valley strikes right back

Just after the long Ankeny scoring drive, the Tigers take the lead right back on a Darius Mason six-yard scoring run.

Tigers up 14-10 late in the third quarter.

8:33 Ankeny re-takes lead on Valley

The Hawks take a 10-7 lead over Valley on a bit of a trick play. Running back Caden Henkes took the handoff from QB Luke Anderson. Henkes then stopped on a dime before the line of scrimmage and hit a Tim Tebow-like pass to Devon Akers who was wide open in the end zone for the score.

Fun play design there from Ankeny, who leads halfway through the third quarter.

8:30 Dowling drive stalls, Maroons miss long field goal

The Maroons seemed to be driving well against Southeast Polk, but the drive stalled out shortly after getting into Rams territory. They’re forced to try a long field goal, but it sails wide right.

Rams up 10-7 halfway through the third.

8:25 Iowa City High takes two-score lead over Linn-Mar

8:20 No. 5 Lewis Central cruising over No. 8 Norwalk

It’s 27-0 out there after Brady Hetzel hits paydirt on a QB keeper. It’s halftime in that one.

8:15 Ames takes the lead over Sioux City East

Cameron Cantonwine finds paydirt from one yard out to give Ames a 28-21 lead over Sioux City East. The Little Cyclones score was set up by a 25-yard catch from Lane Kenny.

8:08 No. 6 Bettendorf down to Prairie early

A safety by the Prairie defense gives them a 2-0 lead over Bettendorf.

8:05 It's the Caleb Moore show for Lewis Central

The running back finishes Lewis Central’s 90-yard drive with his second touchdown run of the night here.

20-0, Titans over Norwalk with 6:16 left in the half.

7:59 HALFTIME: No. 2 Southeast Polk 10, No. 1 Dowling 7

It's been a tight one. Rams get the ball to start the second half.

7:57 No. 4 Kennedy down early against No. 10 Cedar Falls

7:56 Johnston up over Urbandale at the break

7:55 Southeast Polk takes its first lead of night over Dowling

The Rams drive down the field but the offense stalls out in the red zone thanks to some good pressure by the Dowling defensive line. Southeast Polk is able to tack on a field goal though, thanks to Hunter Chanthaphon.

Rams up 10-7 with less than a minute left in the opening half. Southeast Polk gets the ball to start the second half as well.

7:50 Ames and Sioux City East all knotted up at 14

7:45 No. 3 Creston up on Nevada

It’s a good one out in Creston between two teams with one total loss between them. Creston capitalizes first to go up 7-0.

7:40 Williamsburg up over Grinnell

Raiders trying to bounce back after their first loss of the season last week to Solon.

7:36 Southeast Polk ties it up with Dowling

Connor Moberly finds Sam Zelenovich wide open for a 32-yard scoring strike on third-and-17. Big-time play for the Rams to tie it up.

Dowling 7, Southeast Polk 7. We’ve got just over eight minutes to play in the half.

7:35 No. 7 Iowa City Regina leads No. 4 Wilton

It's the end of the first quarter in that one.

7:30 Lewis Central up on Norwalk

Caleb Moore found paydirt for the first score of the game as No. 5 Lewis Central takes a 7-0 lead on No. 8 Norwalk early in the first.

7:25 Dowling picks off Connor Moberly

Iowa State commit Connor Moberly was driving Southeast Polk right down the field, but when he tossed the ball into the end zone for the potential game-tying score, but Nick Freichs picks it off for the Maroons.

They’re driving now and trying to take a two-score lead. Second quarter about to begin.

7:20 Urbandale gets two points

The J-Hawks defense has the first say of the evening. Urbandale’s Axel Ramazani brings down Johnston QB Will Nuss in his own end zone to get the safety.

Urbandale up 2-0 over Johnston.

7:15 Dowling takes the early lead

The Maroons wasted no time on the first drive of the game, marching down the field to find paydirt. They got into the end zone thanks to a trick play after Dante Cataldo tossed the ball to Trey Wilson behind the line who then passed the ball to a wide-open Curtis Horras in the back of the end zone.

Maroons up 7-0 over the Rams early on.

7:10 Weather delays out east

7:08 Waukee Northwest takes lead over Centennial

Wolves quarterback Sam Johnston scampers to the left side and tip-toes the sideline through some Centennial defenders to hit paydirt from about 15 yards out.

Waukee Northwest up 7-0 over Ankeny Centennial early in that one.

7:05 Down goes Independence

The No. 10 team in Class 3A suffers its second loss of the season, a 29-21 game against West Delaware. That game kicked off much earlier in the day, obviously.

7:01 First score of the night goes to Madrid

This is the first score from the 7 p.m. kickoffs from what we can tell.

7:00 We are underway across the state

The bulk of the games just kicked off. Let’s have some fun.

6:50 Rainy conditions throughout the state

It’s a gloomy and dark day throughout the state of Iowa, with rain showers scattered throughout. Most of central Iowa’s games look good to kick off without impacts of weather, but they could deal with them as the night goes on. Several other areas are already dealing with the elements.

6:30 Biggest game of the year? You know we're there

Our lead HS sports and recruiting reporter Alyssa Hertel has checked in from Southeast Polk for the big game between the No. 2 Rams and top-ranked Dowling Catholic.

Fans can also livestream that game by clicking here.

Week 8 Iowa high school football preview coverage

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Recap: Scores, highlights from Week 8 of Iowa high school football