Week 6 area football capsules

Area capsules for Week 6 of the high school football season:

CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON at CEDAR FALLS

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Thursday, at Cedar Falls (UNI-Dome)

* Records and rankings: Jefferson is 3-2 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 5; No. 9 Cedar Falls is 4-1, 1-0.

* Overview: Jefferson has established itself as a winning team, claiming three straight victories (albeit against teams with a combined 1-14 mark). A win Thursday would vault the J-Hawks into 'district contender” mode. Cedar Falls owns the best scoring defense in 4A, allowing just 9.4 points per game. The J-Hawks will attack it with Jesse Furrow, who has passed for 832 yards and nine touchowns (against just one interception). The Tigers are balanced and deep across the board, both running and passing effectively. Six different players have rushed for at least one touchdown.

LINN-MAR at CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Thursday, at Kingston Stadium

* Records and rankings: Linn-Mar is 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 5; Kennedy is 0-5, 0-1. Both teams are unranked.

* Overview: Linn-Mar's turnaround season now includes an impressive bounce-back. The Lions rebounded from their first loss of the season handsomely, throttling Waterloo East 45-0 last week. If the Lions glance ahead to next week's game against Cedar Falls, though, that could be dangerous. Recent history would indicate that Kennedy is due to turn its season around. The Cougars have started to show some signs of life offensively, with Sammy Lizarraga-to-Shaun Beyer becoming a productive pass-catch combination. They hooked up for three TDs in last week's overtime loss to Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE at IOWA CITY HIGH

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Thursday, at Bates Field

* TV: KCRG 9.2

* Records and rankings: Prairie is 3-2 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 6; City High is 0-5, 0-1. Both teams are unranked.

* Overview: Despite the absence of quarterback Trey Beckman, Prairie was more than able to tread water last week at Burlington. The Hawks pasted the Grayhounds 49-10 for their third win in four weeks. Keagan Pinter has picked up the load offensively with 584 rushing yards and six touchdowns. City High continues to struggle offensively. The Little Hawks are averaging just 8.6 points per game and have been held to a touchdown or less on three occasions. How brutal is City's schedule? Currently, all nine teams on their slate have a winning record, so it won't get any easier.

OTTUMWA at CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Kingston Stadium

* Records and rankings: Ottumwa is 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 6; No. 2 Washington is 5-0, 1-0.

* Overview: If Washington stays healthy and can develop a consistent passing attack, it will be extremely difficult to beat. For anyone. The Warriors compiled 357 rushing yards, including 212 by Tavian Patrick, and got six touchdowns from six different players last week in a 42-21 win over a fine Muscatine outfit. Patrick has rushed for 589 yards, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. Ottumwa handled Iowa City High, 34-0, last week and has some weapons in running back Isaiah Cox (610 rushing yards), quarterback Brok Hopwood (871 passing yards and nine touchdowns) and receiver Papay Kruah (27 catches for 489 yards).

BETTENDORF at IOWA CITY WEST

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Trojan Field

* Records and rankings: Class 4A top-ranked Bettendorf is 5-0; West is 3-2.

* Overview: After escaping Davenport Central 28-24 last week, the Trojans step out of district play for a week. But this is anything but a respite. Bettendorf has been a wrecking crew thus far, leading 4A in scoring offense (45 points per game) and winning by 33.6 points per contest. Justice O'Conner and Cyle Cox have combined for 14 rushing touchdowns. On the other hand, West probably is the Bulldogs' toughest opponent to date. West appears to be getting the kinks out of its offense. Oliver Martin has 23 catches for 281 yards, and three interceptions.

WESTERN DUBUQUE at CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Saints Field

* Records and rankings: Western Dubuque is 3-2 overall, 2-0 Class 3A District 4; No. 2 Xavier is 4-1, 3-0.

* Overview: The move to 3A football has resulted in staggering dominance for Xavier, which has outscored its first four 3A opponents by a margin of 166-15. The Bobcats are the final district opponent that currently sports a winning record. As usual, the defense has been close to impenetrable, and this year's team is doing it without stars. Thomas Ickes leads the stop unit with 17 tackles, with eight others reaching 10 or more. Dylan Eller has three interceptions, one for touchdown. Ben Burds has rushed for 498 yards for the Bobcats, who outlasted Dubuque Wahlert 27-21 in overtime last week.

COLUMBUS JUNCTION at IOWA CITY REGINA

* Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Regina

* Records and rankings: Columbus is 3-2 overall, 1-1 Class 1A District 6; No. 2 Regina is 4-1, 3-0.

* Overview: After splitting games against ranked teams in classes above them, the Regals have been bent on destruction in district play, rolling up a 136-26 scoring margin in the last three games. Drew Cook is one of the state's most efficient quarterbacks, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 931 yards with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Nick Phillips has caught 21 of those aerials for 211 yards and four scores. Columbus is having one of its better seasons in recent years, but its three wins have come against opponents with a combined two wins. Maurico Ramirez has rushed for 800 yards and 11 TDs.

MARION at MAQUOKETA

* Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Maquoketa

* Records and rankings: Marion is 1-4 overall, 0-2 Class 3A District 4; Maquoketa is 0-5, 0-3. Both teams are unranked.

* Overview: Marion's playoff hopes have reached critical condition, and the Indians absolutely must win this week to remain a legitimate postseason candidate. The offense has fizzled in recent weeks, putting up just one touchdown in each of its first two district games, though the defense has kept them competitive. John Carstensen has a team-high 37 tackles, an inteception and a fumble recovery. Maquoketa has faced the toughest schedule in 3A (opponents have an 18-7 record), and has struggled to compete. The closest loss was 20 points, in Week 4 at Dubuque Wahlert.

HLV at DON BOSCO

* Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Gilbertville

* TV: KCRG 9.2

* Records and rankings: Both teams are 5-0 overall, 3-0 8-Man District 5. HLV is rated fourth, Don Bosco second.

* Overview: The area showdown spotlight shifts this week to the eight-player game with biggies at Gilbertville and Elkader. Don Bosco, the defending 8-Man state champion, is gunning for its 20th consecutive victory. The Dons are averaging 66.4 points per game (second most in the class) while allowing just 11.4. Mason Svoboda has emerged as the Dons' do-everything player, rushing for 1,138 yards and 21 touchdowns while passing for five scores. HLV is nearly as effective (and more balanced) offensively and has the second-best scoring defense (6.8 ppg) in the 8-Man game. Nate Van Buren leads that defense with 38 tackles, eight for loss.

TURKEY VALLEY at ELKADER CENTRAL

* Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Elkader

* Records and rankings: Both teams are 5-0 overall, 3-0 8-Man District 4. Turkey Valley is ranked ninth, Central seventh.

* Overview: Nobody abuses a scoreboard (or an opposing defense) like Central, which has hit the 94-point mark on a pair of occasions and averages 77.6 points per game. The Warriors do it behind Nathan Fitzgerald, who has rushed for 1,154 yards (15.2 per carry) and 20 touchdowns. Central has boomed this year after a modest 6-5 season in 2013. Turkey Valley has made a nice transition to the eight-man game, winning all of its games by 26 points or more. The Trojans haven't matched Central's offensive numbers, but has a stout defense that allows 14 points per game. Four Trojans have rushed for more than 200 yards.

DYERSVILLE BECKMAN at NORTH FAYETTE VALLEY

* Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at West Union

* Records and rankings: Beckman is 4-1 overall, 2-0 Class 2A District 3; North Fayette Valley is 4-1, 2-1.

* Overview: District 3 has lived up to its preseason billing as the best league in 2A. Beckman is unbeaten in the league, but the sledding gets a lot tougher for the Blazers down the stretch, with NFV, New Hampton and Center Point-Urbana still looming. The Blazers have been a little more run-oriented than in recent years, and it has been an effective plan. Tyler Hirsch leads the way at 597 yards and seven touchdowns. North Fayette Valley has allowed 14 points in four consecutive games, winning three of them. Josh Mackey has rushed for 558 yards and nine TDs for the TigerHawks.

MID-PRAIRIE at WILLIAMSBURG

* Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Williamsburg

* Records and rankings: Mid-Prairie is 3-2 overall, 2-0 Class 2A District 5; No. 5 Williamsburg is 5-0, 3-0.

* Overview: A consistent defense has allowed Williamsburg to rise to the front of the 2A-5 race. The Raiders are allowing 10.8 points per game, and nobody has exceeded 14 against them. Mitchell Stahl has fueled the Raiders' attack at 624 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. After dropping its first two games, Mid-Prairie found its offense (107 points in the last three weeks), and the wins have followed. Colin Weber, Jacob Kukuzke and Levi Duwa have been big-play receivers.

OTHER GAMES INVOLVING METRO/IOWA CITY TEAMS

* Midland (1-4 overall, 1-2 8-Man District 4) at Cedar Valley Christian (1-4, 0-3), 7 p.m. Friday, at LaSalle Middle School