Two teams with matching 12-0 records square off for the Class A Iowa high school football state championship on Thursday.
Saint Ansgar will meet MMCRU at 1 p.m. from inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Live streaming for the contest will be available on YouTube via Iowa PBS of all the championship games.
Here is a breakdown of what to look for when each team has the ball and when each team is on defense, along with key season information for the teams still alive.
When the Saints are on offense: It has been a sensational sophomore season for Porter Schwiesow, as he has stepped right in at the quarterback position for Saint Ansgar. Schwiesow has looked as experienced as can be, completing 71 percent of his passes for 989 yards with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions on 89 attempts. He also has 143 yards rushing with a pair of scores. Of course, having Korben Michels in the backfield helps, as the senior is averaging 14 yards per carry, rushing 114 times for 1,628 yards and 31 touchdowns. And as he showed in the semifinals, he is equally as dangerous in the passing attack, catching 19 balls for 359 and seven touchdowns.
Connor Mullenbach is a strong No. 2 to Michels in both, as the senior has 530 yards rushing and seven TDs with another 388 and four scores on 27 receptions. Joe Clevenger, a third 12th-grader, is second on the team with 851 yards rushing and 11 scores.
When the Saints are on defense: Keep an eye on No. 44 Chase Haugen, as the senior has 17.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Clevenger has a team-leading 90 tackles, with three sacks and 7.5 stops for loss on the year. And of course Michels is a presence on defense with his 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Trey Johanns has picked off five passes and the Saints have Connor Mullenbach in the return game with his three touchdowns on special teams.
When the Royals are on offense: Junior quarterback Eli Harpenau has turned it up a notch in the postseason, sitting at 1,814 yards passing and 403 yards rushing for the year. Harpenau is completing 63 percent of his passes with 28 touchdowns in the air and nine more on the ground. Bryson Mulder is the featured back, rushing for 683 yards with seven touchdowns, as John Schmillen has 450 yards and seven scores.
Michael Schmillen has become the No. 1 target for Harpenau, but he has spread it around to several capable receivers. Schmillen has 24 receptions for 664 yards and 14 TDs, Kamden Bork has 31 receptions for 422 and four scores, and Gage Johnson has 20 for 427 with six trips to the end zone.
When the Royals are on defense: The aforementioned John Schmillen has had a phenomenal year on defense as well, registering 18.5 tackles for loss and five sacks among his 55.5 stops. As a team, MMCRU has 84 tackles for loss and 25.5 sacks, with Eli Schlenger and Brandon Dreckman being credited with a combined 16 tackles for loss. The Royals have picked off 27 passes and recovered 16 fumbles, as Michael Schmillen has nine of those picks and Wyatt Alesch six.
