Vote now for the High School On SI Iowa Class A 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 A Player of the Year.
Jackson Verschoor, Woodbury Central, Senior, Quarterback
The Wildcat offense has been under the direction of Verschoor for years now, and the senior put together maybe his most impressive season yet this past fall. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,361 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions, adding 245 yards rushing and four scores to his totals.
Verschoor was at his best in a 42-0 victory on the road over Logan-Magnolia, completing 12 of 16 for 282 yards and four touchdowns.
Max Wittmaack, Sioux Central, Senior, Running Back
The leading rusher with 1,542 yards, opposing defenses planned and focused on taking Wittmaack away. Guess what? They still could not do it all season long. The senior carried the ball 235 times for 21 touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He also recorded 25 tackles with three for loss on defense, returned a kickoff for a score and handled punting duties.
On a Homecoming win over Belmond-Klemme, he had 324 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries.
Braylon Lopez, West Sioux, Senior, Running Back/Defensive Back
With an average of over 12 yards per carry, the damage Lopez continually did to opponents was impressive. He ran the ball 107 times for 1,301 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns on the season. Lopez caught another 20 passes for 497 yards and nine more touchdowns while recovering two fumbles and returning a kickoff for a score.
In the regular season finale vs. Le Mars Gehlen Catholic, Lopez went off for 260 yards rushing, 73 yards receiving and five total touchdowns.
Landon Mertens, North Linn, Senior, Defensive End/Running Back
Talk about a disruptor, as that is exactly what Mertens is. The senior defensive end leads Class A with 8.5 quarterback sacks, registering 42.5 tackles overall, with 19.5 of those coming for a loss.
Meanwhile, he has rushed 36 times for 384 yards, scoring six touchdowns while averaging almost 11 yards per carry, with another 63 yards receiving.
Porter Schwiesow, Saint Ansgar, Junior, Quarterback/Defensive Back
In his second season leading the Saints, Schwiesow continues to show incredible growth. He has completed 65 percent of his passes for 802 yards and 15 touchdowns, throwing just two interceptions on 72 attempts. On the ground, Schwiesow has 181 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 11 per carry.
He is one of the state leaders with four interceptions on defense, returning one of those for a score while making 21 tackles.
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