4 Downs: Gazette staff addresses topics about Iowa high school football

The Gazette’s Iowa high school football staff poses and answers questions about the current season. See how much Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford can gain for 4 Downs:

1st & 10: Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa City High and West Branch are among area teams at 0-2. What is the most surprising 0-2 team?

Linder: Judging by schedule so far, I would say City High is the most surprising 0-2. I thought maybe the Little Hawks would rebound against Iowa City Liberty.

Johnson: None. They’ve all had incredibly tough schedules. Kennedy played West Des Moines Dowling and then went on the road to play Pleasant Valley. City High had Illinois powerhouse Joliet Catholic, then had a rivalry game with Liberty. West Branch played Williamsburg, then Dike-New Hartford. That’s tough.

Pilcher: Here are the number of winless teams in each class: 5A 11, 4A 10, 3A 7, 2A 19, 1A 16, A 18, 8P 19. All three of the teams have faced tough teams early, which will benefit them down the road. Waverly-Shell Rock paddles in the same boat. Carlisle was a top-10 team in my preseason poll and is 0-2. The Wildcats have lost by an average of 28 points to Norwalk and North Polk. Good news is Carlisle heads to 0-2 Winterset this week. One of them will crack into the win column.

Ford: I’m not too surprised by any 0-2 team; many had tough early schedules and someone has to lose those games. I was pretty surprised Liberty’s margin of victory against City High was 27 points. I would expect Week 5 opponents Kennedy and City High to get in the win column soon, but their schedules don’t let up too much, either.

2nd & long: What defense has tackled your attention through Week 2?

Linder: How about Decorah? Last year, the Vikings gave up 66 points in a split with Waukon and West Delaware. Against the same two teams this fall, they’ve allowed 13, and they’re 2-0.

Johnson: Mount Vernon, MFL MarMac and Maquoketa have only allowed six points apiece, Benton Community and North Linn seven. But that pales in comparison to Lisbon. Back-to-back shutouts for the Lions the first two weeks. You can’t beat that. Literally.

Pilcher: Look no further than Lisbon. The Lions have been rock solid defensively. A straight stone wall. Lisbon has shut out both Durant and Louisa-Muscatine. Dive into those games and you’ll be even more impressed. Lisbon has given up just 207 total yards (103.5 per game), including a a mere 58 (14 passing, 44 rushing) in Week 2 against the Falcons. Through the first two weeks, Lisbon has forced 12 turnovers, including seven fumble recoveries. The Lions have 28.5 tackles for loss. Lisbon neighbor Mount Vernon has been as good, tallying five interceptions, 22 TFL and 12 sacks. Benton has allowed just 142 per game, holding Marion to 102. Mount Vernon and Benton battle Friday.

Ford: Dike-New Hartford has played two games against preseason Class 1A ranked teams and none of the teams have reached double-digits – including the Wolverines. DNH came within 7-6 of No. 1 Grundy Center, then held off West Branch, 9-7 last week. You don’t see scores like that too much unless you’re deep in the archives.

3rd & short: Is prep football more celebrated in smaller towns or in larger cities?

Linder: I’m a small-town guy, so I’m biased that direction. The sense of community is different in rural areas. The crowds might not be as large in terms of raw numbers, but per capita, I’m sure it’s much higher.

Johnson: Smaller towns. Seems like everyone congregates to games on Friday nights.

Pilcher: Make no mistake high school football is a major social and spirit event for all schools. Small towns seem to rally around the event more than most. Towns shut down to attend. Three generations are often in the stands, cheering on the team. It can be a tougher draw at bigger schools with livestreams, live TV and other activities available.

Ford: My hometown bias shows in my answer. Give me a Class 3A town. Big enough for large and loud crowds, small enough that the game is the only show in town on a Friday night.

4th & goal: The Netflix series “Quarterback” detailed the daily on and off the field life of three QBs during a season. What position player would you be most interested in following for a high school season?

Linder: I have no idea who my casting choice would be (I’m illiterate in pop culture these days), but the two leaders I would like to see followed would be Derek Weisskopf of Williamsburg and/or Nicolai Brooks of Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Johnson: Long snapper. No, seriously, I’d be interested in a show on females playing football. I think that’d be interesting.

Pilcher: I think people would have their eyes opened, following a student-athlete path through the course of the season, regardless of sport. Even their own parents, who think they know the daily demands. With that said, give me a linebacker, who are a different personality altogether. Linebackers have to be tough, smart tenacious, versatile and a leader. They are called to stick their nose in all the action and take on blockers/rushers head-on. They also have to be smart enough to read action to direct teammates where to go and react to passes. Don’t forget the emotional boost they give. A day in the life of any linebacker would be interesting.

Ford: Monticello all-around star and University of Iowa commit Preston Ries would naturally provide entertainment with how busy his schedule and practice routine must be. I’d probably be out of breath just watching that series.