Vote for Iowa City Press-Citizen Male Athlete of the Week for Aug. 23-29

The first full week of high school sports was Aug. 23-29, and the Iowa City area saw top performances.

Five of six Iowa City-area football teams took home wins in Week 1. From come-from-behind wins to blowout statement starts to the season, the football season is here.

Clear Creek Amana took down Davenport West 59-0. Solon took down Davenport Assumption 48-14 in a rematch of Week 1 from last season.

Regina Catholic beat Wilton 36-0 as the Regals start their quest for another 1A state title. In the Iowa City West vs. Iowa City High showdown, a 16-0 halftime lead for the Little Hawks turned into a 30-29 win for the Trojans.

Here are the Iowa City Press-Citizen's nominees for Male Athlete of the Week for Aug. 23-29. The winner will be announced at the end of the week.

Savion Miller, Iowa City High

In his debut in 5A, Miller showed he belonged. He scored the game's first touchdown and then proceeded to score the next three Iowa City High touchdowns on the ground.

Miller debuted with a four-touchdown game, 149 yards rushing on 30 carries for 5.0 yards per carry. On defense, Miller had a tackle for loss and a pass breakup in coverage.

Neil James, Iowa City West

The Trojans lost Ethan Headings (1,200+ receiving yards) to graduation, and coming into Week 1 there was a question about who would be the Trojans' top receiving option.

On Friday night, after being shut out in the first half, James caught a pass and took it 73 yards for a touchdown. He had another touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished with five receptions for 149 yards.

He also shined on defense , making 3.5 tackles and the game-winning interception to get the Trojans the win.

Maddox Kelley, Solon

After a successful season at wide receiver, Kelley was asked to play an entirely different position for the Spartans this season. Debuting Friday night at quarterback on the road, Kelley led Solon to a 48-14 win over Davenport Assumption.

Kelley passed for 166 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 189 yards on seven carries. He averaged 27.0 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns on the ground, with his longest rush a 71-yard carry.

On defense, Kelley came up with three solo tackles to add to his performance.

Gabriel Hegelheimer, Regina Catholic

Running back was a position that needed to be filled after Savion Miller transferred to Iowa City High. And Regina knew from the start of summer that Hegelheimer was the guy.

In his debut as the lead back for the Regals, Hegelheimer ran for 135 yards on 16 carries and scored in the 36-0 win.

He had three receptions for 50 yards and another touchdown, and on defense came up with 2.0 tackles and one for loss.

Reece Wheeler, Iowa City West

Wheeler started his 2026 senior campaign with 287 yards passing and three touchdown passes, and he had the game-winning rushing touchdown from one yard out Friday night.

Preston Zbroszczyk covers prep sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Contact him at [email protected] or Twitter @PrestZbroszczyk

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Vote for Iowa City Press-Citizen Male Athlete of the Week for Aug. 23-29