Iowa high school football 2025: Picking the area Class 2A districts

Fourth in a series diving into the area Iowa high school football districts for the 2025 season. Today, we examine Class 2A.

Forty-eight teams are assigned to Class 2A, with 32 advancing to the playoffs. The top four teams in each of eight districts advance.

The Class 2A regular season will consist of eight games, with five rounds of playoffs.

A closer look at area districts:

District 4

OVERVIEW

Let’s start with the two area teams in this group of six. Vinton-Shellsburg (0-9) and Oelwein (0-8) both are trying to gain some traction this season; both enter with 21-game losing streaks. With a roster nearly intact from last season, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Vinton-Shellsburg in the postseason. Moving to the top ... Roland-Story (6-3) is a fairly comfortable pick to win the district, though Hampton-Dumont/CAL (3-6) could be a viable threat. Ben Mazyck rushed for 692 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore for the Norsemen.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Roland-Story

2. *Hampton-Dumont/CAL

3. *Dike-New Hartford

4. *Denver

5. Vinton-Shellsburg

6. Oelwein

District 5

OVERVIEW

West Branch (3-7) is up a class after suffering through its first losing season in years ... so why are the Bears the pick here? For one thing, momentum; they shocked Sigourney-Keota in the first round of the playoffs last year. For another, they return a good share of their team from 2024, including Cooper Gates and speedster Brandon Petersen, with whom we became familiar during track season. Another former 1A team, Alburnett (5-4) is led by a strong junior class, including QB Brody Kaestner, RB Laken Caves and leading tackler Cooper Franklin. Anamosa (9-2), Bellevue (7-3) and Monticello (2-7) figure to vie for the other two playoff spots. Bellevue is up two classes after competing in Class A last season.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *West Branch

2. *Alburnett

3. *Anamosa

4. *Bellevue

5. Monticello

6. Tipton

District 6

OVERVIEW

Despite an 0-3 start, Mid-Prairie was able to use an ambitious pre-district schedule to set itself up for late-season success in 2024. The Golden Hawks (7-4) won a district title and advanced to the 2A quarterfinals. The return of Hudson Ehrenfelt (1,365 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns) and Kaden Kos (108.5 tackles, 22.5 for loss) makes Mid-Prairie a relatively easy choice to capture another crown. It gets trickier after that. Wilton (10-2) suffered massive graduation losses after reaching the 1A semifinals last season, but the Beavers hold the inside track in the race for second place, slightly, over West Burlington-Notre Dame (8-2), Mediapolis (5-5) and West Liberty (3-6).

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Mid-Prairie

2. *Wilton

3. *West Burlington-Notre Dame

4. *Mediapolis

5. West Liberty

6. Central Lee

Other districts with area teams

DISTRICT 3

1. *Osage

2. *North Fayette Valley

3. *Crestwood

4. *Waukon

5. Forest City

6. New Hampton

1. *Monroe PCM

2. *Centerville

3. *South Tama

4. *Pella Christian

5. Davis County

6. Albia

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com