Will Nevada upset No. 3 Creston? Our Week 8 Ames-area Iowa high school football predictions
The Ames football team continued building momentum in hopes of earning a playoff spot in Class 5A last Friday with a convincing 48-14 victory at Marshalltown.
The Little Cyclones ran for 356 yards and held Marshalltown to 202 total yards of offense to earn their third victory in four games and improve to 3-4 on the season.
"The kids have done a great job responding," said Ames coach Brian Sauser. "Our focus after Valley (a 52-13 loss on Sept. 22) is that we have a four-game season and if we can win them all we get to keep playing. Our kids have played at a different level the last two weeks and hopefully, we can keep it going."
Cameron Cantonwine ran for 152 yards and six touchdowns and added 65 yards passing last week for Ames. Running back Jamison Poe tallied 169 yards rushing and Jeffrey Roberts continued his productive sophomore year at receiver with two catches for 42 yards.
For the season, Cantonwine has 596 yards and nine touchdowns rushing and 646 yards and three scores through the air. Poe has 521 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground and 162 yards and four scores as a pass-catcher. Roberts has 20 catches for 461 yards and six scores and tight end/quarterback Lane Kenny has posted four catches for 126 yards and a touchdown, plus 485 yards and five touchdowns passing.
More: How the Ames football team cruised past Marshalltown for its second win in a row
This Friday, Ames will host Sioux City East. The Black Raiders are 4-3 and coming off back-to-back victories over Council Bluffs Lincoln (48-27) and Des Moines Lincoln (45-18).
Sioux City East likes to air it out, with quarterback Cal Jepsen throwing for 1,998 yards and 17 touchdowns against six interceptions. Richard Steward is Jepsen's favorite target, with 45 catches for 729 yards and six touchdowns and Myles Wegher has 420 yards and six scores running the football.
"We've got to stop their passing game and then stop the run with fewer kids in the box," Sauser said. "We're putting faith in our kids up front."
Ames also plans to control the line of scrimmage on offense.
"We want to continue to run the football the way we have been," Sauser said. "Just kind of a straight-ahead running game."
Ames vs. Sioux City East prediction
Both teams need this victory to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
With 16 teams qualifying for the postseason, the current 5A RPI has Sioux City East ranked 15 and Ames 21.
Ames will need to control the line of scrimmage and the clock with its running game and keep the Black Raider's passing attack in check. Sioux City East will get their yards and score some points, but the Little Cyclones will do enough in the trenches to prevail. Ames 42, Sioux City East 28
Other Week 8 predictions from Ames area teams
Nevada (6-1, 3-0) at Class 3A No. 3 Creston (7-0, 3-0)
This will be the battle for the 3A District 6 championship.
Nevada is coming off a huge 39-20 home victory over two-time defending state champion Harlan. The Cubs have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball.
Running back Cason Stevenson leads Nevada with 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground and quarterback Connor King has thrown for 1,110 yards and 15 scores with just four interceptions. Jacob Khounsourath and Kyle Kingsbury are a dynamic duo at receiver, with Khounsourath hauling in 23 receptions for 540 yards and eight touchdowns and Kingsbury posting 24 catches for 466 yards and six scores.
More: How Nevada football player Kyle Kingsbury delivered a memorable performance against Harlan
On defense, linebackers Jackson Burlage (55 tackles, 3.5 sacks), Anthony Eaton (51 tackles, eight stops behind the line) and Austin Waldera (41.5 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) set the tone. In the defensive backfield, Kingsbury has five interceptions, Khounsourath has three and Isaac Williams has two. Will Palmer is a dominant force up front with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Creston enters the game with a perfect 7-0 record. The Panthers are coming off back-to-back lopsided road wins over Atlantic (39-0) and Knoxville (56-14).
Creston quarterback Cael Turner has thrown for 1,789 yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Running back Brennan Hayes has 1,042 yards and nine scores on the ground plus 29 catches for 653 yards and six touchdowns receiving, and receiver Brandon Briley has 27 catches for 523 yards and seven scores.
Austin Evans has 44.5 tackles and three interceptions while Dylan Calvin's posted 20 stops and three picks for the Panthers on defense.
This one will be a barn burner. Creston will hit the Cubs with a few big plays through the air and force a couple of turnovers, but Stevenson will wear the Panthers down and the Nevada defense will come up with some big stands late. Nevada 34, Creston 31
Class 4A No. 4 Gilbert (6-1, 2-1) at Newton (4-3, 2-1)
Gilbert is coming off its first loss of the season, a 38-7 setback at No. 1 Bondurant-Farrar last week.
The Tigers were held to just 125 yards of offense and they had trouble slowing down the Bluejays' running game led by back Titus Cram.
Linebacker and back Will Hawthorne has 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks on defense this season and 819 yards and nine touchdowns rushing and receiving for Gilbert. Quarterback Connor Rash has thrown for 503 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions and Tayshawn Gillen has seven sacks and he returned a fumble for a touchdown.
More: Bondurant-Farrar 38, Gilbert 7: Titus Cram scores three touchdowns in win for Bluejays
Six different Tigers defenders have an interception and six more have recovered a fumble.
Newton has won its last two games in 4A District 4 after knocking off Pella in a 21-18 battle at home two weeks ago and rolling to a 44-6 victory at Carlisle last week. Caleb Mates is an excellent dual-threat quarterback for the Cardinals with 746 yards and seven touchdowns through the air and 580 yards and eight scores on the ground.
Nate Lampe is a big playmaker on defense for Newton with 24 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Gilbert will find more success against Newton than it did against Bondurant-Farrar. But the Tigers will fall just short on the road. Newton 27, Gilbert 17
Des Moines North (2-5, 1-2) at Ballard (3-4, 1-2)
Ballard is a team that is much stronger than its record indicates.
The Bombers gave 4A No. 2 Adel-Desoto-Minburn all it could handle last week on the road before falling by a 20-13 score. They also have close losses to Humboldt (14-13) and Indianola (30-27) and a 48-28 setback at 3A No. 2 Creston to go along with a big 7-6 win over 4A No. 3 North Polk.
Ballard should have no problems with Des Moines North during homecoming week.
Eli Rouse has 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing and Chance Lande 294 yards and three scores receiving plus three interceptions and a touchdown on defense for Ballard. Linebackers Brody Sampson (47.5 tackles and 11 sacks), Jackson Wacha (78 tackles and 4.5 sacks) and Jack Nelson (53 tackles and 4.5 sacks) are all disruptive forces for a formidable Bombers defense.
North is coming off its first 4A District 5 win with a 36-35 victory at Boone. The Polar Bears feature a balanced rushing attack led by Kinnick Dutcher (431 yards and two scores) and Aaron Marino-Moreno (339 yards and six scores).
Ballard will overpower North on both sides of the ball and send the homecoming crowd home happy. Ballard 54, Des Moines North 6
Saydel (1-6, 0-4) at Class 2A No. 8 Roland-Story (5-2, 3-1)
Roland-Story wraps up its regular season and starts to get ready for the 2A playoffs with a home game against an overmatched Saydel team on Friday.
Roland-Story going for its fourth win in a row since falling to 2A District 8 leader Kuemper Catholic (42-7) on Sept. 15. The Norsemen will wrap up second place in the district with a victory over Saydel.
More: How freshman Fiston Carlson is a game changer for Roland-Story football
Hesston Johnson has 678 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing, Jonovan Wilkinson has 613 total yards and nine total scores and freshman Fiston Carlson has 254 yards and four touchdowns rushing for Roland-Story. Johnson (53 tackles), Charlie Watts and Cody Long (50 stops apiece), Christian Chelsvig (3.5 sacks) and Carlson (three sacks and two fumble recoveries) lead the Norsemen on defense.
Saydel suffered a 56-14 home loss to Kuemper Catholic last week. Eagles quarterback A.J. Ollin has 847 yards and seven touchdowns passing and 208 yards and two scores on the ground.
Roland-Story heads into the playoffs full steam ahead. Roland-Story 63, Saydel 7
Colo-NESCO (5-3, 2-3) at Coon Rapids-Bayard (2-5, 2-3)
Colo-NESCO is coming off a heartbreaking 48-42 loss to Fort Dodge St. Edmond on senior night.
The Royals will attempt to close out the regular season on a high note with a road win over a Coon Rapids-Bayard team coming off a 24-6 home loss to Glidden-Ralston.
Breckin Clatt has 835 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing and 365 yards and seven scores passing for Colo-NESCO. Mark Bower has come on over the past couple games at running back and he has 569 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Lucas Frohwein is Colo-NESCO's top receiver with 24 catches for 316 yards and five scores. On defense, linebacker Trenton Beard has 91.5 tackles and 4.5 sacks, defensive end Ben Ryan has 10 sacks and Frohwein has eight sacks.
Wyatt Oswald has 707 yards and 10 touchdowns passing and 447 yards on the ground and Cal Heydon's posted 31 catches for 445 yards and nine scores for Coon Rapids-Bayard. Freshman Caden Oswald gives the Crusaders another rushing threat with 344 yards and nine scores on the ground.
Colo-NESCO will outlast Coon Rapids-Bayard in a slugfest. Colo-NESCO 58, Coon Rapids-Bayard 54
East Union (3-4) at Collins-Maxwell (1-6)
Collins-Maxwell will end its season with two non-district home games starting with Friday's contest against East Union.
The Spartans are looking to snap out of a slump. They have lost six in a row since opening the season with a 60-28 victory at GMG.
Cooper Wierson has 955 yards and six touchdowns passing and seven scores on the ground for the Spartans. Josef Dvorak has rushed for 522 yards and seven touchdowns and has 35 catches for 415 yards and three scores on offense to go along with 66 tackles and three interceptions and fumble recoveries apiece on defense.
East Union's Seth Hudson has 478 yards and eight touchdowns passing, Fischer Buffington has 439 yards and four scores on the ground and Rason Grail's posted 24 receptions for 335 yards and six touchdowns.
Collins-Maxwell will hang with the Eagles for three quarters, but the Spartans will come up just short. East Union 40, Collins-Maxwell 28
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Week 8 Iowa high school football picks: Nevada-Creston, Ames SC East
