Area prep football first-round playoff capsules

Capsules for area first-round playoff games Friday night:

Class 4A: Western Dubuque (7-2) at No. 4 Cedar Rapids Washington (8-1)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Kingston Stadium

Playoff history — Western Dubuque is making its 13th appearance; the Bobcats were Class 3A state champions in 2001. Washington has qualified for the 24th time, and the fourth year in a row.

Overview — Washington prevailed in a do-or-die game last week, earning a playoff berth with a 35-21 victory over Waterloo West, a win that propelled the Warriors to the District 5 championship. Drew Dostal has caught 34 passes for 643 yards and eight touchdowns, and also has three interceptions. Western Dubuque made a smooth and successful transition to 4A football, finishing second in its district to North Scott. The Bobcats have allowed just one touchdown in the last two games.

Class 4A: No. 9 Iowa City High (7-2) at North Scott (5-4)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Eldridge

Playoff history — City High is in the playoff field for the 27th time. The Little Hawks have won four championships, most recently in 2009. North Scott is making its 13th appearance, its ninth consecutive.

Overview — Despite a ho-hum 5-4 overall record, North Scott won the District 6 championship, and the Lancers were justly rewarded with a home date in Round 1. After a 44-7 thumping at the hands of Bettendorf in Week 8, City High bounced back emphatically with a 55-20 win over Davenport North. Nate Wieland has passed for 1,261 yards and rushed for 595 more with a combined 15 touchdowns. Sam Stonskas has passed for 1,315 yards and 12 TDs for North Scott.

Class 4A: No. 10 Iowa City West (7-2) at No. 5 Bettendorf (7-2)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Bettendorf

Playoff history — Two rich traditions here. West has qualified for the 14th time, its sixth in a row. The Trojans have won three titles, most recently in 1999. Seven-time state-champion Bettendorf is a 32-time qualifier with 19 consecutive appearances.

Overview — After a 1-2 start, Bettendorf has won six straight games and has become more dominant by the week. The Bulldogs have won their last three games by a 127-14 margin, and that includes an impressive Week 8 win over Iowa City High. Keegan Glaus has rushed for 1,029 yards and 14 touchdowns. West lost two straight games midseason, but has won four in a row behind playmaker Oliver Martin (59 catches, 907 yards, 10 TDs).

Class 4A: No. 8 Waterloo West (8-1) at No. 6 Cedar Rapids Prairie (8-1)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at John Wall Field

Playoff history — West has qualified for the eighth time, the first occurrence since 2013. Prairie is in the postseason for the 19th time, the fifth year in a row. The Hawks were 1981 Class 3A champions.

Overview — Year 2 under Mark Bliss has been a memorable one for Prairie, which rides an eight-game winning streak and a District 8 championship into the postseason. The Hawks have scored 38 points or more in each of their last eight games behind a rushing attack that features Joseph Meyer (1,220 yards, 23 touchdowns) and Zachary Ganske (933 yards, 11 TDs). West won its first eight games before falling to Cedar Rapids Washington, 35-21, last week. Quarterback Devon Moore, an Iowa State recruit, is closing in on 2,000 passing yards and has thrown for 26 touchdowns.

Class 3A: Waverly-Shell Rock (6-3) at No. 8 West Delaware (8-1)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Manchester

Playoff history — Waverly-Shell Rock is in the field for the seventh straight year, its 21st overall. The Go-Hawks won 3A titles in 1990 and 1992. West Delaware is making its 22nd appearance, its ninth straight. The Hawks were 3A champions in 1991.

Overview — West Delaware recovered from a Week 6 loss to Clear Creek Amana and won the District 6 championship. The Hawks are averaging more than 40 points per game. Quarterback Tanner Wessels has compiled 2,349 yards of total offense and 29 touchdowns, and Caleb Kehrli has rushed for 1,132 yards and 15 TDs. Waverly-Shell Rock is one of two teams to earn 3A wild cards. Take away a 42-0 loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier, and the Go-Hawks haven't allowed more than two touchdowns to anybody else.

Class 3A: Davenport Assumption (7-2) at No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier (9-0)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Saints Field

Playoff history — Assumption is a 28-time playoff qualifier, with 10 consecutive appearances. Xavier's current 11-year playoff string began with a 4A championship in 2006. The Saints are making their 13th postseason voyage.

Overview — After motoring through their District 3 foes like clockwork (287-47 in seven games), the Saints begin a new season. Maliki Wilson ranks third in Class 3A rushing with 1,435 yards, and it has taken him only 153 carries to get there. Bryce Schulte is an extremely efficient passer, completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,140 yards with 17 TDs and only one interception. Assumption has a productive back of its own in Justus Burke, who has rushed for 1,172 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Class 3A: Benton Community (7-2) at No. 5 Solon (8-1)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Solon

Playoff history — Benton is making its ninth playoff appearance, but is seeking just its second postseason victory. Solon has qualified for the 27th time, and its current 12-year string includes four straight titles from 2007 through 2010.

Overview — Solon won the 3A District 5 title in a runaway, racking up a seven-game margin of 290-39. Quarterback Blayze Griffis has thrown for 1,368 yards and 18 touchdowns, with a balanced receiving corps led by Jacob Coons. Benton has enjoyed a football revival under Kal Goodchild, and the Bobcats have displayed the ability to win close games; they're 4-0 in contests decided by six points or less. Maurice Williams has rushed for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Riley Pfiffner has 57 catches for 638 yards.

Class 2A: No. 7 New Hampton (8-1) at No. 1 North Fayette Valley (9-0)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at West Union

Playoff history — New Hampton has qualified for the 19th time. The Chickasaws were 3A champions in 1999. North Fayette Valley has qualified for the fourth straight time under its current arrangement (including the 2A title two years ago). North Fayette qualified 15 times and won the 2A title in 1992.

Overview — North Fayette Valley was decidedly the best team in definitely the best 2A district, and the TigerHawks are coming off back-to-back convincing wins over Union and Waukon. Their defensive average of 8.4 points per game surrendered ranks second in 2A. North Fayette Valley's ground attack is spearheaded by Tanner Kuhens (902 yards, 10 touchdowns). New Hampton's lone loss was a one-pointer to Crestwood in Week 6 in a game that determined the District 2 championship. Keaton Geerts has rushed for 980 yards for the Chickasaws.

Class 2A: Centerville (5-4) at No. 3 Mount Vernon (7-2)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Mount Vernon

Playoff history — Centerville will make its fifth appearance, its first since 2013. Mount Vernon has qualified 24 times, including nine trips to the championship game. The Mustangs have won three titles, most recently in 1994. They were runners-up last year.

Overview — After an 0-2 pre-district start against elite 3A competition, Mount Vernon is rolling. The Mustangs exploded for 720 yards of total offense in a 56-21 blasting of Williamsburg in a game last week that decided the 2A District 5 title. Mount Vernon scored 57.6 points per game in district play behind quarterback Drew Adams (2,023 yards, 22 TDs, three interceptions). Centerville is a 2A wild card and will try to keep up behind QB Brett Kauzlarich (1,273 passing yards).

Class 1A: West Branch (6-3) at No. 1 Iowa City Regina (8-1)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Regina

Playoff history — West Branch's 24 trips to the playoffs includes a current run of nine in a row. The Bears are three-time champions, most recently in 1992. Regina has captured six consecutive championships, including the last two in Class 1A. The Regals are making their 14th appearance (13 in a row) and own a 43-6 postseason record.

Overview — A Regina win Friday would likely set up a mammoth 1-vs.-2 quarterfinal showdown with Pella Christian, but let's not get ahead of ourselves yet. This is a rivalry game between two teams less than 10 miles apart, and the Regals will undoubtedly get West Branch's best shot. The Bears' Luke Lenoch has compiled another splendid season, with 1,722 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. Regina's attack, which averages 41.8 points per game, is based on balance. Trae Rogers and Brady Bigley spearhead the secondary with a combined 11 INTs.

Class A: No. 6 Lisbon (8-1) at No. 8 East Buchanan (7-2)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Winthrop

Playoff history — Lisbon joins Regina with the area's longest current playoff streak — 13 years in a row. The Lions are making their 17th appearance. They won the Class A title in 2011. East Buchanan also is a 17-time qualifier, including its second in a row.

Overview — These teams finished in a three-way tie for the Class A District 4 championship with Wapsie Valley, with East Buchanan capturing the title due to the point-differential tie-breaker. Lisbon was the third team, but received an at-large bid. The first meeting between these teams was Week 5 at Winthrop, won by the Bucs, 44-20. That triggered a five-game stretch in which the Bucs scored 50.2 points per game and won them all convincingly. EB's Carter Downer and Tyler Williams have combined for 2,229 rushing yards and 29 TDs.

8-Player: No. 4 Don Bosco (8-1) at No. 2 Turkey Valley (9-0)

Time and site — 7 p.m., at Jackson Junction

Playoff history — Don Bosco is making its sixth trip, all since 2011. The Dons were 2013 8-Player champions, and runners-up last year. Turkey Valley has qualified for the 15th time, the eighth year in a row. The Trojans' last two trips ended in second-round losses to Don Bosco.

Overview — Without a doubt, the 8-Player game of the night. With the exception of Don Bosco's Week 5 loss to Elkader Central, both of these squads have squashed the competition. Turkey Valley's closest game this season was a 25-point margin, and the Trojans average 58.4 points and surrender 16.8. Wyatt Blazek has rushed for 1,201 yards and 16 touchdowns, along with 77 tackles. Don Bosco leads the 8-player game in offense at 62.9 points per game, and the defense has posted back-to-back shutouts.

Other Area Games

(All 7 p.m.)

Class 2A: No. 4 Union (8-1) at No. 10 Crestwood (7-2)

Class 2A: Central Lee (7-2) at Williamsburg (7-2)

Class 1A: Clayton Ridge (7-2) at No. 4 Denver (9-0)

Class 1A: South Winneshiek (7-2) at No. 8 Bellevue (9-0)

Class 1A: Sigourney-Keota (8-1) at No. 2 Pella Christian (9-0)

Class A: BGM (5-4) at Montezuma (7-2)

8-Player: Ackley AGWSR (7-2) at Elkader Central (7-2)

8-Player: HLV (7-3) at Midland (7-2)

8-Player: Iowa Valley (7-2) at No. 8 Twin Cedars (9-0)

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com