Iowa high school football 2024: Gazette-area Week 8 games to watch

For the state’s smaller schools (Class 2A and down), Friday marks the end of the regular season. Thirty-two teams in each class will advance to the playoffs next week (first-round pairings will be released at 10 a.m. Saturday).

For the larger schools (Class 3A and up), this is merely Week 8 of a nine-week regular season. Nonetheless, the playoff field will begin to take shape Friday.

Here are 17 key games this week, and their playoff ramifications (all games are Friday unless noted):

Class 5A

No. 9 IOWA CITY HIGH (5-2) at No. 7 LINN-MAR (6-1), 7 p.m.

Who knows? This could be a preview of a first-round playoff game. Neither team has officially clinched a postseason slot yet, but it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which either team is out. Both teams face a difficult Week 9 challenge (City hosts Bettendorf; Linn-Mar is at Pleasant Valley). This winner probably will host a first-round game.

No. 8 IOWA CITY LIBERTY (6-1) at WATERLOO WEST (5-2), 7:30 p.m.

Five teams are stone-cold locks to qualify, and Liberty is one of them. Favored to win their last two games, the Lightning are the likely No. 2 RPI team if that happens, and could climb to No. 1 if Bettendorf drops one of its last two games. West locks up a berth if it wins one of its last two games (the Wahawks are at Ottumwa next week), and will be on the fence if it drops both.

No. 4 PLEASANT VALLEY (6-1) at IOWA CITY WEST (4-3), 7 p.m.

One win probably gets West into the playoffs, though it’s not assured. One win won’t come easy, because the Trojans — currently 14th in RPI — follow Friday’s game with a road trip to Cedar Rapids Prairie. Pleasant Valley is No. 3 in RPI and has clinched a playoff berth.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE (3-4) at No. 3 BETTENDORF (7-0), 8 p.m.

If the playoffs began today, Prairie would have the last of the 16 berths. The Hawks have faced an extremely difficult schedule, and that carries into the final two weeks (they close at home against Iowa City West). Win both, and Prairie is in. Drop one, and it might be one of the first teams — maybe THE first team — on the outside looking in. The lone 5A unbeaten, Bettendorf sits atop the RPI chart and has clinched a berth.

CEDAR FALLS (3-4) at CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (2-5), 7:30 p.m.

No other way to put it: This is an elimination game. Cedar Falls is 21st in the RPI; Kennedy is 24th. The winner of this contest also will be favored next week, and if it wins out, it is likely to make the field. That includes a potential 4-5 Kennedy team, which owns the state’s best opponents’ win-loss record (43-20).

DAVENPORT CENTRAL (2-5) at CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON (4-3), 7:15 p.m. Thursday

A three-game losing streak has virtually eliminated Jefferson from postseason consideration. But there still is plenty for the J-Hawks to play for; a victory would assure them their first winning season since 2015.

Class 4A

No. 10 WESTERN DUBUQUE (5-2, 2-1) at No. 4 DECORAH (7-0, 3-0), District 2, 7:30 p.m.

Western Dubuque can force a probable three-way tie for the title along with Decorah and Waverly-Shell Rock (4-3, 2-1) if it prevails Friday. If Decorah wins, the Vikings are district champions while the Bobcats likely would be the top at-large team.

CLEAR CREEK AMANA (4-3, 2-1) at No. 6 CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (5-2, 3-0), District 3, 7:30 p.m.

Xavier can clinch a district title with a victory. Despite great strides in Lance Pedersen’s first season at CCA, the Clippers probably would not qualify as an at-large, so this qualifies as a must-win.

Class 3A

WEST DELAWARE (4-3, 2-1) at No. 8 INDEPENDENCE (5-2, 2-1), District 3, 7:30 p.m.

Dubuque Wahlert (7-0, 3-0) has beaten both teams and clinches the title with one win in its last two games, so that makes this the contest that determines the other automatic qualifier. Independence is a likely at-large qualifier in the event of a loss; West Delaware’s slope would be much more slippery as a 5-4 team.

No. 4 MOUNT VERNON (6-1, 3-0) at WASHINGTON (5-2, 2-1), District 4, 7:15 p.m.

Mount Vernon wraps up the district title with a victory. Washington’s RPI stands at 20, so the Demons are unlikely to qualify as an at-large team. Their only path to the playoffs probably is to win out, forcing a three-way first-place tie with themselves, the Mustangs and Davenport Assumption (2-5, 2-1).

No. 1 WILLIAMSBURG (6-1, 3-0) at GRINNELL (5-2, 1-2), District 5, 7:30 p.m.

Williamsburg passed its first test of a tough three-game closing swing last week, 42-13 over Solon. Win Friday, and the Raiders likely face a winner-take-all Week 9 showdown with Benton Community (5-2, 3-0). There is a decent chance that RPIs allow this district to send four teams to the playoffs — Williamsburg, Benton, Grinnell and Solon (5-2, 1-2).

Class 2A

CRESTWOOD (3-4, 3-1) at No. 6 NORTH FAYETTE VALLEY (6-1, 6-0), District 3, 7 p.m.

Both teams are in the playoffs. A winner of six consecutive games, North Fayette Valley wraps up the title with a victory. Crestwood has a chance to force a three-way tie with the TigerHawks and Osage (5-3, 4-1), which already received a Week 8 forfeit against Oelwein.

No. 7 NORTHEAST (7-0, 4-0) at ANAMOSA (6-1, 3-1), District 4, 7:30 p.m.

Despite a Week 5 loss to West Liberty, Anamosa has earned a winner-take-all opportunity for the district championship.

Class 1A

No. 2 WILTON (7-0, 4-0) at No. 9 IOWA CITY REGINA (6-1, 3-1), District 5, 7 p.m.

Circumstances of this showdown have changed, but only just a bit, after Regina suffered a loss at Dyersville Beckman (5-2, 3-1) last week. Wilton is the undisputed champion with a win, while Regina can forge a likely three-way tie with the Beavers and the Blazers.

Class A

NORTH LINN (6-1, 5-1) at BELLEVUE (5-2, 5-1), District 4, 7 p.m.

Maquoketa Valley (6-1, 6-0) is the district champion, and Starmont (5-2, 4-2) is the fourth qualifier regardless of their outcome Friday at Arlington. This becomes the key contest, because the winner earns a first-round home game.

8-Player

CALAMUS-WHEATLAND (4-3, 2-3) at SPRINGVILLE (5-3, 3-2), District 5, 7 p.m.

Edgewood-Colesburg (7-0, 6-0) and Central City (5-3, 4-1) have wrapped up the top two spots. Springville can join the postseason dance with a victory.

No. 6 IOWA VALLEY (7-0) at BELLE PLAINE (6-1), non-district, 7 p.m.

No playoff ramifications here: Iowa Valley has wrapped up the District 6 title, and Belle Plaine is the District 7 runner-up. But it’s a great warmup test for the postseason for both teams. Iowa Valley leads the class in scoring offense at 70 points per game, and Belle Plaine has a very good defense, allowing 17.7 points per contest.

Other Metro/Iowa City games

* Cedar Rapids Washington (3-4) at Dubuque Senior (1-6), 7:15 p.m.

* Marion (2-5 overall, 1-2 Class 4A District 2) at Mason City (2-5, 0-3), 7:30 p.m.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com