Prep football schedules released: Xavier to play Dowling, Assumption and Regina

Its drop to Class 3A meant no one else in town chose to play the Cedar Rapids Xavier Saints in football. That's with the exception of Marion, which didn't have a choice, being in the same district.

But that doesn't mean Xavier has uninteresting schedules in 2014 and 2015. It's quite the opposite.

The Saints have picked up non-district games against West Des Moines Dowling, Davenport Assumption and Iowa City Regina. Schedules for all schools for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were officially released Friday morning by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, which put them together.

"To me, it's one of the most demanding schedules in the state, if not the most demanding," said Xavier Coach Duane Schulte. "It is a huge challenge. Hopefully we'll be up for it."

Dowling beat Xavier in the 2013 Class 4A state championship game and returns all-state quarterback Ryan Boyle, a Division I college prospect who owns an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes. The teams play in the season opener Aug. 29 at West Des Moines.

Assumption, which also is dropping to 3A, is a traditionally strong program and was a regular 4A playoff qualifier. The Saints and Knights play Week Two at Davenport.

The really interesting game comes Oct. 17 at Xavier, the penultimate game of the regular season against Regina, which goes into the 2014 season with a state-record 56-game win streak. That's in Class 1A.

"Our thought was that we always want to challenge our program and our kids," said Regina Coach Marv Cook. "By doing that, we feel they can reach their potential as players and as a team. We played Solon when James Morris was there, and we always felt that made us a better football team ... It's going to be a huge challenge for us."

"From what I hear, they think they might have their best team ever," Schulte said. "By the eighth week, we'd better have our stuff together because we know they're going to be pretty good ... If you talk to Marv, tell him to take it easy on us."

Schulte and Xavier Athletics Director Mike Winker said they were disappointed none of the 4A schools in the Metro agreed to play them. Schools could make lists of five teams they wished to play out of district.

Even the "Battle of 42nd Street" has gone by the wayside for now, with Cedar Rapids Kennedy picking up non-district games against Cedar Rapids Washington, Iowa City West, Pleasant Valley and North Scott. Linn-Mar also is playing two Mississippi Athletic Conference schools in PV and Clinton out of district, as is Cedar Rapids Jefferson (Davenport West, Davenport North).

Most of the other Metro rivalries, such as Kennedy-Washington, Washington-Jefferson and Linn-Mar/Prairie, remain intact.

"We were hoping the Metro schools would want to play us," Winker said. "But when we found out they didn't, we had to go to Plan B."

"Yes, it was," Kennedy AD Aaron Stecker said, when asked if it was difficult to give up its game with Xavier, which always produced a large gate and much interest. "Xavier chose to play 3A football, which is great. I wish them the best. But we want to play 4A football."

Other interesting non-district games include Iowa City High and Ames, played Sept. 12 in Iowa City, the night before the annual Iowa-Iowa State college game. Iowa City West has picked up Central Iowa Metro League power West Des Moines Valley.

Here are all of the schedules by class:

CLASS A

2014-15ClassAFootballSchedules by Jeff Johnson

CLASS 1A

2014-15Class1AFootballSchedules by Jeff Johnson

K 2e CLASS 2A

2014-15Class2AFootballSchedules by Jeff Johnson

CLASS 3A

2014-15Class3AFootballSchedules by Jeff Johnson

CLASS 4A

2014-15Class4AFootballSchedules by Jeff Johnson

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