Iowa high school football rewind: IHSAA releases state playoff semifinal pairings

CEDAR RAPIDS — You’ll either be getting up early or staying awake late if you want to watch Gazette-area prep football teams play in the state playoff semifinals.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has released pairings for the final four in each class. All semifinal games will be played at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

West Branch is the fourth seed in Class 1A and will play top-seeded and defending champion Van Meter in a 10 a.m. semifinal Friday. The Bears (11-0) rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to win their quarterfinal over MFL MarMac, while Van Meter (10-1) has posted shutouts in four consecutive games (including a 45-0 quarterfinal win over Sigourney-Keota) and six of its last seven.

The Bulldogs’ lone loss came way back in Week 2 of the regular season to Williamsburg, which is the top seed of Class 2A’s final four. The Raiders (11-0) play Dubuque Wahlert (9-2) in a 10 a.m. semifinal Saturday.

Wahlert’s losses have come to Waukon and Class 4A semifinalist Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Mount Vernon is the No. 2 seed in Class 3A and plays a semifinal against third-seeded Humboldt at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Mustangs (11-0) beat Solon for the second time this season in Friday night’s quarterfinals to earn a semifinal berth for the first time since 2016.

Humboldt (10-1) is in the semis for the second consecutive season after outlasting Independence in the quarters, 34-26. Its lone loss came to Nevada in mid-October.

Xavier is a semifinalist for the sixth time in seven years, drawing North Scott in a 7 p.m. game Thursday. The Saints (11-0) beat the Lancers (9-2) in mid-September, 17-0.

Xavier is the 4A final four’s top seed. The other 4A semifinal pits Carlisle (10-1) against defending champ Lewis Central (11-0) at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Adel ADM and top-seeded Harlan, both 10-1, are paired in the other 3A semifinal Saturday afternoon at 4. Ida Grove OABCIG (10-1) and Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (11-0) follow Williamsburg and Wahlert in the other 2A semifinal Saturday afternoon at 1.

Following West Branch and Van Meter in Friday’s 1A semifinals are Underwood (11-0) and West Sioux (10-1) at 1 p.m.

Shutout in Class A, 5A and 8-Player

The Gazette area has no semifinalists in Class A, 5A or 8-Player.

Montezuma lost its quarterfinal Thursday night at WACO, 52-7. Quarterback Owen Cook threw for 217 yards and a touchdown for the Braves (9-3), connecting with Garrett Watts eight times for 129 yards and a TD.

Both area quarterfinalists in Class A lost. North Linn hung with top-ranked West Hancock for a half before falling 52-21.

East Buchanan was held to just 111 rushing yards and 127 total yards in a 20-6 loss at Grundy Center. The Buccaneers (9-2) had run for 507 yards the week before in knocking off Alburnett.

“Anytime you play a team that’s only thrown it about 30 times all year, you know where the emphasis is going to be,” Grundy Center Coach Travis Zajac told The Waterloo Courier.

The Class 5A semifinals are completely a suburban Des Moines affair. Cedar Rapids Prairie lost its quarterfinal Friday night at Southeast Polk, 41-0, while Cedar Falls lost at home to West Des Moines Valley, 27-13.

This is the first time ever Eastern Iowa has been shut out of the semifinals in the state’s largest class. The IHSAA began sponsoring playoffs in 1972, with only four teams in each class qualifying from 1972 to 1974.

Fundraiser for Butch Pedersen

West Branch is selling T-shirts and sweatshirts to help defray the out-of-pocket costs of medical bills incurred by legendary head coach Butch Pedersen as he undergoes treatment for cancer.

The shirts are $14.99 for short sleeve, $19.99 for long sleeve and $29.99 for crewneck and hooded sweatshirts. They can be purchased online.

The 71-year-old Pedersen, who has been West Branch head coach since 1983, has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. He began chemotherapy treatments last week, though has attended Bears playoff games last week and Friday night.

His son, Lance, is head coach at Mount Vernon, which also has qualified for the state playoff semifinals.

Ben Kueter selling T-shirts

Iowa City High all-state linebacker and Iowa Hawkeyes commit Ben Kueter is selling T-shirts commemorating his U20 freestyle wrestling world championship.

Kueter, who plans on wrestling and playing football at Iowa, is donating 10 percent of his T-shirt proceeds to help City High build a new weight training facility at the school.

The shirts can be purchased online. Prep athletes in the state can make NIL (name, image, likeness) money, as long as their school logos or names are used.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com