Vote now for the High School On SI Iowa Class 1A high school football regular season player of the year.
Five nominees have been narrowed down from hundreds of worthy candidates for this honor. Along with taking into consideration individual statistics, the High School On SI committee factored in the win-loss record and the importance to the team that each player represented.
Voting will conclude on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Winners will be revealed once voting has wrapped up.
There will be a separate vote for the player of the year in each class that includes playoff performance and factors in the regular season.
Here are the five nominees for the High School On SI Iowa Class 1A Player of the Year.
Mason Pruisner, Aplington-Parkersburg, Junior, Running Back/Linebacker
Pruisner has helped lead the resurgence of the proud Falcon program. This year, he has rushed 128 times for 1,163 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns. The junior is averaging over nine yards per carry. He has also recorded 7.5 quarterback sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss among his 16 tackles while forcing a fumble.
In a season-opening win over Grundy Center, Pruisner served notice, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Tate Wallace, Iowa City Regina Catholic, Senior, Linebacker/Tight End
A highly sought-after recruit who has committed to the University of Minnesota, Wallace has backed up all his preseason accolades this year. On defense, he has recorded 37 tackles, with 19 of those resulting in a loss and 9.5 being registered as quarterback sacks. Wallace has 24 receptions for 365 yards and four TDs, three rushing scores and 10 pancake blocks on offense.
In the only relatively close game for the Regals this year, a 28-12 win over Alburnett, Wallace made his impact on defense with 4.5 tackles, 2.5 for loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
Braden Weig, South Hardin, Junior, Quarterback/Defensive Back
Weig leads all of Class 1A with 2,176 yards passing, finishing over 500 yards ahead of second place in yards passing in the class. He has thrown 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, completing 61 percent of his passes overall. Weig has also kept defenses honest with a pair of rushing scores.
In a big 35-3 win on Homecoming over Garner-Hayfield/Ventura, Weig completed 10 of 13 for 276 yards and four touchdown passes.
Maxzen Eskildsen, Northeast, Junior, Quarterback/Linebacker
A dual-threat for the Eagles, Eskildsen has thrown for 972 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 1,349 yards and 14 scores. He is completing 53 percent of his passes with just four interceptions on 112 attempts while averaging over nine yards per carry. On defense, Eskildsen has 17 tackles, including 14 solos, with a pick-6, a fumble recovery and four passes defended.
In a meeting of unbeaten teams at the time vs. Dyersville Beckman Catholic, Eskildsen had 186 yards rushing and two TDs, throwing for another score and 88 more yards.
Easton DeJong, West Lyon, Senior, Quarterback
DeJong just continues producing for the Wildcats. He has thrown for 891 yards with 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions on 83 attempts, adding another 507 yards rushing and five scores while averaging 10 yards per carry.
West Lyon spreads the wealth on offense, and DeJong is the one at the controls for all of it. He capped off the regular season with a 6-for-7 passing performance for 122 yards and two scores as the Wildcats won their sixth straight.
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