Tracking the 2023 area Iowa high school football playoff races as Week 8 approaches

This is where you ordinarily would have found weekly area high school football capsules for the approaching Friday.

Now, in Week 8, it’s all about district races and tie-breakers and all of that. It’s about the playoffs.

Here is a primer of area races as the season heads into its final week in Class 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player.

Class 5A, 4A and 3A teams have one more week of regular-season play next week, while the “smaller” schools transition to first-round playoff games.

The 2A-through-8P qualifiers will be released Friday night by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, with first-round pairings out Saturday.

Class 2A

(Top 4 in each district qualify automatically)

DISTRICT 3

All four bids have been secured, and two games Friday carry major importance -- Waukon (4-3, 3-1) at New Hampton (3-4, 3-1), and North Fayette Valley (3-4, 3-1) at Crestwood (2-5, 2-2).

New Hampton is the team that has the cards solely in its hand; the Chickasaws are champions with a win.

Waukon wins the title if it wins and if Crestwood knocks off North Fayette Valley.

North Fayette Valley can claim the crown with a win and a Waukon victory.

DISTRICT 4

Monticello (5-1, 4-0) has rolled through district play, and is the champion regardless of its outcome Friday at Tipton (4-3, 1-3). Camanche (3-4, 3-1) will be the runner-up.

Anamosa (4-3, 2-2) and Northeast (3-4, 2-2) have nailed down the other two berths and play Friday at Goose Lake.

Recommended Reading

A turnaround football season at Anamosa

DISTRICT 5

Mediapolis (5-2, 4-0) is the champion and concludes district play at Central Lee (3-4, 0-4).

Mid-Prairie (3-4, 3-1) has locked down a playoff berth and can earn home field in the first round with a win at home against Albia (4-3, 2-2).

Albia is a likely qualifier, win or lose, and West Burlington-Notre Dame (4-3, 2-2) clinches a slot with a win at home against Davis County (2-5, 1-3).

DISTRICT 6

Monroe PCM (4-2, 4-0) is the champion, and Jesup (4-3, 3-1) has wrapped up a playoff berth for only the third time in school history, and a first-round home date.

PCM hosts Iowa Falls-Alden (2-5, 2-2) in Week 8; Jesup is at Vinton-Shellsburg (0-7, 0-4).

West Marshall (2-5, 2-2) hosts Union Community (1-6, 1-3), and a Trojans win would send them and Iowa Falls-Alden both to the playoffs. Should Union win, a likely three-way tie would ensue for the two remaining spots.

Class 1A

(Top 4 in each district qualify automatically)

DISTRICT 3

The four qualifiers have been determined. A pecking order, anything but.

MFL MarMac (6-1, 3-1) and Sumner-Fredericksburg (6-1, 3-1) are heavily favored to win Friday over Central Springs (1-6, 0-4) and Aplington-Parkersburg (3-4, 1-3), respectively.

The key game is at Denver, where the Cyclones (5-2, 2-2) host Dike-New Hartford (4-3, 3-1). If DNH wins, a likely three-way tie for first place will ensue, with the 17-point rule coming into play. Currently, MFL MarMac is at plus-47, DNH plus-27, Sumner-Fredericksburg plus-23.

In the event of a Denver win, Sumner-Fredericksburg would be the champion based on the Cougars’ 13-9 win over MFL MarMac in Week 5. And that would put Denver 3, DNH 4 in playoffs placement.

DISTRICT 5

If Wilton (7-0, 4-0) can close out an undefeated regular season with a home win over Iowa City Regina (6-1, 3-1), this becomes simple: Wilton would be the champion, followed by West Branch (6-1, 3-1), and Regina.

If Regina wins — and West Branch handles Durant (0-7, 0-4) — the 17-point rule comes into play in a three-way tie. Currently, Wilton is at plus-54, Regina plus-47, West Branch plus-34.

The final bid will be determined at Cascade, where the Cougars (1-6, 1-3) welcome Dyersville Beckman (1-6, 1-3).

Class A

(Top 4 in each district qualify automatically)

DISTRICT 3

The champion will be determined at Nashua, where Nashua-Plainfield (5-2, 4-1) welcomes Wapsie Valley (6-1, 5-0).

North Butler (5-2, 3-2) and South Winneshiek (4-3, 3-2) also have clinched playoff berths, and both are favored Friday. Should both take care of business and should Nashua-Plainfield lose, it would create a three-way tie, with the 17-point tie-breaker determining the second, third and fourth slots.

DISTRICT 4

Let’s start with the assumption that East Buchanan (5-2, 5-1) wins at home against Postville (0-7, 0-6).

That makes Friday’s battle at Arlington between Maquoketa Valley (6-1, 5-1) and Starmont (6-1, 5-1) the key encounter. If Starmont wins, the Stars are district champions. If Maquoketa Valley wins, East Buchanan earns the title.

All three of the teams with one district loss are comfortably in the playoffs. The other bid will go to the winner of North Linn (5-2, 4-2) and Bellevue (3-4, 3-3), who collide at Troy Mills.

DISTRICT 5

Lisbon (7-0, 6-0) has the title in its pocket and looks to conclude a perfect regular season at home against Van Buren County (3-4, 3-3).

Columbus Community (5-2, 5-1), Pekin (5-2, 4-2) and Danville (4-3, 4-2) hold the other bids. Columbus hosts Danville on Friday.

8-Player

(Top 3 in each district qualify automatically, plus 2 at-large bids statewide)

DISTRICT 3

Don Bosco (6-1, 5-0) is the champion, with three teams — Riceville (6-1, 4-1), Lansing Kee (5-2, 4-2) and Turkey Valley (4-3, 3-2) — battling for the other two auto-bids.

If Riceville wins at home against Turkey Valley, that simplifies matters (Kee’s home game with Edgewood-Colesburg is non-district).

Should Turkey Valley win, the 17-point tie-breaker comes into play. Kee is done at plus-34, with Riceville at plus-51 and Turkey Valley plus-22 heading into their game Friday.

DISTRICT 5

The three automatic bids have been determined: Central City (6-1, 5-0) is the champion, Lone Tree (5-2, 4-1) the runner-up, Edgewood-Colesburg (5-2, 4-2) the third-place team.

Springville (4-4, 2-3) still has a shot at one of the two at-large bids; the Orioles finish Friday at Calamus-Wheatland.

DISTRICT 6

The three automatic bids have been determined, in this order — Winfield-Mount Union (7-0, 4-0), WACO (6-1) and Iowa Valley (5-2, 3--2).

DISTRICT 7

Only one bid here as been wrapped up, and it is in the hands of Moravia (7-1, 4-0).

The Mohawks travel to BGM (4-3, 3-1) on Friday, and to the winner goes the district crown.

Montezuma (4-4, 2-2) is heavily favored at home against Twin Cedars (1-7, 1-3), while Belle Plaine (4-3, 3-2) plays a non-district game at Iowa Valley.

Should Montezuma win and BGM lose, it causes a three-way tie for the two auto-bids. If that’s the case, Montezuma would have the advantage.

Six key area Week 8 games in 5A/4A/3A

CLASS 5A

Bettendorf (6-1) at Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-3) — The Hawks (No. 9 in 5A RPI) need one more win to clinch a playoff berth, and two might get them a first-round home game.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy (5-2) at Cedar Falls (4-3) — You never would have guessed when the Cougars were 0-2, but if they run the table and get a bit of help, they could get two playoff games at Kingston.

Linn-Mar (4-3) at Iowa City High (4-3) — The Lions are 12th in 5A RPI, the Little Hawks are 13th. And with both teams facing a giant challenge in Week 9, the loser of this game is in trouble.

CLASS 4A

Decorah (5-2 overall, 2-1 District 2) at Western Dubuque (6-1, 3-0) — The Vikings’ loss to Marion last week tarnished this a bit, but the stakes remain high. The Bobcats clinch the district title with a win.

Cedar Rapids Xavier (5-2 overall, 3-0 District 4) at Clear Creek Amana (2-5, 2-1) — The Saints are heavily favored to wrap up a district title with a win.

CLASS 3A

Independence (6-1 overall, 3-0 District 3) at West Delaware (4-3, 2-1) — Winners of four straight games, the Mustangs can clinch a district title Friday, but it won’t come easy at the home of their archrivals.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com