Iowa High School Football: Class 4A Semifinals Preview

Top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier leads field in 4A semifinals

Pella's Emmanuel Diers runs the ball at Pella High School on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Pella. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Class 4A state runner-up from a year ago, a semifinalist from 3A and the top-ranked team in the class are three of the four left standing in Iowa high school football’s 4A semifinals.

Pella dropped a heartbreaker to North Polk for the state championship last fall, but the Dutch have made another run to Cedar Falls, Iowa and the UNI-Dome.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton was in this same position last season, only it came in 3A. They have dominated in a bigger class and are back.

Meanwhile, Cedar Rapids Xavier has owned the top spot in 4A throughout the season and are the favorite to win it all.

As for the fourth and final team, there just might not be anybody hotter right now than Newton, led by quarterback Caden Klein.

Here is a breakdown of the semifinal games in Class 4A in Iowa high school football:

Iowa High School Football Class 4A Semifinals

Pella vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton

When the Dutch have the ball: Emmanuel Diers is one of the key players back for Pella from a year ago, as the senior has been nearly unstoppable. He has 1,503 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, adding 368 yards and four more scores in the passing game. Speaking of that, Michael Manning has stepped right in as the starting quarterback, completing 137 of 209 for 1,365 yards and 16 touchdowns, adding 205 more yards and a TD on the ground.

When Manning is looking for someone other than Diers, he has junior Logan VanDenBroek causing problems for opposing defenses. VanDenBroek has 24 receptions for 397 yards with five touchdowns. Harrison Mullens has caught 34 passes for 326 with seven TDs.

When the Warriors have the ball: Ryan Husen was one of the key running backs for Sergeant Bluff-Luton a year ago. But the junior has been limited to 43 carries this year, with Beckett Verros taking over as the top rusher with 128 carries for 1,317 yards and 14 scores. Joe Hardy has 505 yards and nine TDs, Isaiah Jervik has 502 with 10 touchdowns and the Warriors have 3,510 yards overall.

Jervik handles quarterback duties, throwing for 545 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 55 percent. Gavin Warren is the top receiver, catching 19 balls for 305 yards and eight scores.

Newton vs. Cedar Rapids Xavier

When the Cardinals have the ball: Newton has scored in bunches in the first half this postseason, running past both Fort Dodge and Gilbert. Caden Klein has been at the controls all year, throwing for 1,700 yards and running for another 769. He has 20 passing touchdowns and 19 more on the ground, with Finn Martin his top target catching 42 passes for 1,078 yards and 14 touchdowns.

When it isn’t Klein running the football, Isaiah Hansen takes over. The junior has 149 carries for 1,271 yards with 18 touchdowns, adding another 176 yards and a TD in the aerial attack.

When the Saints have the ball: Cash Parks might be the most accurate quarterback in the state, completing 77 percent of his passes for 1,921 yards with 26 touchdowns and just one interception on 133 attempts. He also has 354 yards on the ground and eight more scores.

Carter Hoffmann provides the bulk of the run production, carrying the ball 158 times for 1,013 yards with 16 touchdowns. Ryan Kelly averages 17 per catch with nine scores, as Dustin Cook has an eye-popping 25 yards per reception.

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