The first Iowa high school football state championship game is set for next Thursday, November 19, in Cedar Falls, with Gladbrook-Reinbeck facing Woodbine at the UNI-Dome for the eight-player title.

Behind a five-touchdown performance from Treyvon Herron, the Rebels knocked off Audubon in a battle of unbeatens on Wednesday, 44-39.

Herron, the key figure in an explosive offense all season long, rushed 20 times for 144 yards and four scores. He added four receptions for 42 yards and another touchdown from Bennett Sieh.

Sieh was perfect, completing all 11 of his pass attempts for 221 yards. He had a second touchdown strike to Devin Boldt, who caught three passes for 89 yards. Laken Thesing added three receptions for 55.

For the Wheelers, Aiden Kjergaard led the way, rushing 35 times for 324 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Kjergaard was 9-for-16 for 93 yards with two touchdowns. Mason Kasperbauer had 89 yards of total offense, as Ty Bowlin and Hudson Hooker each caught touchdown passes.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck broke the game open with 27 points in the second quarter, taking a 34-26 lead into the break. Audubon last led 27-20 when Kjergaard went in on a 65-yard run for his second rushing score of the half.

Herron’s 1-yard TD plunge early in the fourth made it 44-32, answering a Kasperbauer score.

Brayden Utter added a 20-yard field goal for Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Brayton Dripps forced a pair of fumbles and had a team-high 8.5 tackles, as Mason Heise recorded a quarterback sack.

For Audubon, Kjergaard had seven tackles.

Woodbine, Iowa Valley Exchange Touchdowns In Wild Semifinal

Landon Blum will get another crack at a state title, and another opportunity to add to his record-setting career.

Blum, a Penn State commit, helped lead Woodbine back to the eight-player state championship game with a 53-34 victory over Iowa Valley. Woodbine will square off with Gladbrook-Reinbeck on Thursday, November 19, from the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

The game featured several exchanges of both touchdowns and turnovers before Woodbine took control in the second half. 

Woodbine was 5-for-5 on third-down attempts, piling up 367 yards of total offense. Cal Pryor was 21-for-22 for 317 yards and five TDs, as his lone incompletion was an interception. Blum finished with seven receptions for 169 and three touchdowns, as Ayden Coenen and Brayden Blum each caught scores.

Reagan Blum and Pryor both had a rushing TD.

Blum, already the eight-player leader for career touchdown receptions, became the yardage king in the first half when he caught six passes for 134 yards and two scores. He will head into the state finals with 77 receiving touchdowns and 4,003 receiving yards for his career.

Nolan Kriegel, a record-setter himself for Iowa Valley, completed 17 of 28 for 179 yards and three touchdowns, adding 96 yards on the ground. Zavier Pedersen caught eight passes for 94 with a pair of scores, as Chance Hoyt had a rushing TD and Dane Smith a receiving score.

Pryor and Blum led Woodbine to a 26-20 halftime lead, as Pryor was 12-for-12 passing for almost 200 yards and three scores. Kriegel paced the Iowa Valley offense, throwing for 96 and running for 63 with a pair of TD passes.

Lucas Olson and Cal Pryor both picked off passes, as Brock Crook made eight tackles for Woodbine. Mason Hoyt had seven tackles a quarterback sacks and four for loss for Iowa Valley, Chance Hoyt had two tackles for loss and Layne Peska an interception.