​During the week of July 5-11, the postseason commandeered the spotlight in high school baseball, with substate action kicking off for Classes 3A and 4A while district play pressed on for 2A and 1A. The opening full week of postseason baseball delivered a slate of compelling matchups and notable performances that highlighted the region’s talent. From the Des Moines metro area, several players stood out as the week’s top performers, and the Des Moines Register prepared a list of male Athlete of the Week candidates to recognize their contributions.
The process to determine the winners began with reader input at DesMoinesRegister.com, with the honorees to be unveiled at the end of the week. Among the standout moments that captured attention, Valley’s Nathan Popovich (16) slid into third base as Waukee’s Brayden Moore (1) tagged him out on June 29, 2026, at Waukee High School, a reminder of the competitive atmosphere surrounding these postseason contests. In a separate substate matchup on July 10 at Waukee, No. 4 Waukee rolled to a 14-1 victory over Des Moines Lincoln in Class 4A Substate 2, with Moore delivering a strong performance as the winning pitcher—allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out 11 over five innings. Moore also contributed at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, and three runs scored.
Edwards played a pivotal role for Dowling Catholic in an 8-5 upset of No. 9 Urbandale during the Class 4A Substate 3 quarterfinals on July 10 at Urbandale. He went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, fueling the Dowling Maroons’ upset bid as they improved to 10-24 on the season. In another Class 4A showcase, Blake delivered a powerful night for Indianola in a commanding 11-1 win over Des Moines East on July 6 at Indianola, belting two home runs, scoring three runs, and driving in four as the Indians rolled to victory.
Roemmich was on display for Valley in a doubleheader against Ankeny on July 6 at West Des Moines, helping the Tigers to an 11-1 win with a standout pitching performance. He retired 12 Hawkeyes by strikeout over 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits and one walk to earn the win in a dominant showing. Lamfers took the mound for Class 3A No. 5 North Polk in an impressive 13-0 win over No. 3 Carlisle on July 6 at Alleman, securing a share of the Raccoon River Conference title. He scattered two hits, registered three strikeouts and two walks over four innings, becoming the winning pitcher. At the plate, Lamfers added a pair of appearances with a single and a walk, finishing with one run and one RBI.
As always, Joe Randleman continues to cover high school sports for the Ames Tribune, and readers can reach him at jrandleman@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman. This recap originally appeared as part of the Des Moines Register’s coverage, highlighting the vote-for-the-Register male Athlete of the Week for July 5-11, with readers shaping the final list of nominees and the eventual winners to be announced at week’s end.