Location: Little Rose Bowl

Date: October 20, 2023

Time: 7:00pm CDT

Game Notes

PLEASANTVILLE is a team playing with extreme confidence entering the postseason. Fresh off three consecutive shutout victories, the Trojans are team on the upswing. On offense, they are led by the fleet feet of RB Caleb Cook (1088 yards, 18 TD, 8.0 yards per carry) and arm of freshman QB Braylon Bingham (776 yards, 7 TD). Bingham’s top targets, Trent Jolly and Yusef Galley, are big play threats that average 18 and 20 yards per catch, respectively. Defensively, you will need to account for Dayson Leerhoff (8 TFL) and Jury Ellis (7.5 TFL). They love having a party at the football…in the backfield. PK Edwin Escalante will play a key role when his foot touches the ball. At 6’3”, 215 pounds, he has a big leg (6 touchbacks).

WEST BRANCH needed a week like it had in week 8 to reaffirm its sanguinity moving forward (feel free to look that up in the dictionary, folks; you’re welcome.) A shutout win while holding an opponent under 40 total yards is the right medicine. QB Brennen Dale racked up 5 total TD and 272 yards of offense (3 rush TD, 2 pass TD, 208 pass yd, and 64 rush yd) to help pace the offense. TE Connor Capper hauled in one of the passing touchdowns – his first as a Bear. The stat of the night: THREE fumble recoveries by LB Trenton Schutte (one shy of the school record 4 in a game by Chad Fiderlein in 1991). DT Logan Wright collected six tackles for loss. All-in-all, the win locked in a home playoff game for West Branch. That is always a good thing.

CHASING HISTORY: These teams have met on four previous occasions (1988, 1994, 1995, 2017), with all being in the postseason…and all favoring the Trojans in the end. Current Trojan assistant coach Hunter Tyree played a big role in Pleasantville’s 2017 victory at the Little Rose Bowl. He rushed for 222 yards and 3 TD, and added an 87 yard kickoff return for a TD.

KEEP AN EYE ON: #5 Cook. He will be the bell cow on offense, and is a ball hawk on defense – leading the team in tackles.  

GET YOUR KICKS: West Branch PK Reese Gingerich ranks 7th in Class 1A with 7 touchbacks… the aforementioned Escalante is tied for 11th with 6. WB punter Nolan Staker is averaging 38 yards per attempt (top 10 in 1A). Special teams are a very important piece of the puzzle, just in case you needed a reminder.

MILESTONES: West Branch has now reached the postseason in 16 consecutive seasons, which ties for the 13th longest streak in the history of Iowa HS football (all classes). It is the 31st time in program history the Bears have earned extra games – all since 1988.

Go Bears!

Team Records & Rankings

Pleasantville is 5-3 on the season and is unranked. West Branch is 5-3 and is ranked #9 by the CR Gazette.

Last Meeting

In 2017, the Trojans defeated the Bears 32-13 at Little Rose Bowl. View more from that game.

Media & Broadcast Coverage

The BearCast will be on the play-by-play call with live video. Find out more info on the BearCast page.

Tune in to the BearCast at 6:40 for the pregame where Mike Quinlan and Jarod Tylee will be calling the game live, offering in-game analysis and halftime/postgame interviews.

For print media, the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the West Branch Times, YourPrepSports.com, and WestBranch.Football will be at the the game.