Dowling wide receiver Jakob Skau breaks down the Maroons' win over Southeast Polk, the receiver core and his confidence in Dowling's quarterbacks.
In a week that featured several down-to-the-wire wins, there was no shortage of excitement across the state. Aside from upsets and big wins, several individual players separated themselves from the crowd with big performances.
Here are 10 of the top performers from Week 8 of Iowa high school football.
Names are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
D'Angelo Barkue, RB, Johnston
Several players stood out in the Dragons' defeat of Urbandale, but Barkue played on another level. He finished the game with four touchdowns - three of which he scored in the first half.
More: 3 reasons why Johnston will make a deep run in the Iowa high school football playoffs
Ryan Harrington, K, Ankeny
Talk about coming up big at the right moments. Harrington nailed a game-tying 30-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in regulation, forcing overtime. He followed that with about a 20-yard kick to give Ankeny a 13-10 lead, ultimately pushing the Hawks to a win.
Kellen Haverback, QB, Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon improved to 7-1 on the season with a major boost from Haverback. He threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns in the Mustangs' victory over Washington.
Will Hawthorne, RB, Gilbert
Few weeks pass without Hawthorne's name landing on this list. He rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 48 carries in Gilbert's win over Newton.
It was a hat trick type of night for the Jaguars' running back. Jackson collected 252 yards on 25 carries and found the end zone three times to push Centennial past Waukee Northwest.
Owen Rosenberg, DB, Clear Creek Amana
Clutch. Rosenberg came down with two critical picks, including one when Xavier was in the red zone. His second interception sealed Clear Creek Amana's win over ranked Xavier, 28-24.
Jack Wallace, QB, Iowa City West
West's quarterback played his heart out in the upset over Pleasant Valley. He collected over 400 yards of offense and played a part in all seven touchdowns: throwing for five and running in another two.
Independence's defense
The Mustangs stopped West Delaware four times on fourth down, including twice in the red zone, in a game decided by six points. Those are some solid stops in a rivalry game with playoff implications.
Linn-Mar's defense
Iowa City High won two games this season on last-minute touchdowns with two-point conversions. The Little Hawks found themselves in a similar situation against Linn-Mar, scoring a touchdown with under 30 seconds remaining to make it 28-27. But City High fumbled on the conversion and the Lions recovered to seal the victory.
Cedar Rapids Jefferson
The J-Hawks shut out Davenport Central, 35-0, on Thursday. The win pushed Jefferson to a 5-3 overall record, securing the program's first winning season since 2015,