A Week 9 high school football smorgasbord: RPIs, district races and small-school playoff games

In Iowa high school football, Week 9 is a hybrid week.

The regular season comes to a dramatic close Friday in Class 5A, 4A and 3A. The 16-team field will be determined for those classes late Friday night, with pairings scheduled to be posted at 10 a.m. Saturday.

In the other four classes, Friday represents the first round of the playoffs, with the 16 winners in each class bracketed Saturday into four pods of four teams for the rest of the journey.

The following is a primer on big-school playoff outlooks and small-school playoff matchups:

Class 5A

Seven of the 16 qualifiers are locked in: West Des Moines Dowling (7-1, .6711 RPI), Waukee Northwest (7-1, .6443), Sioux City East (7-1, .6323), Iowa City Liberty (7-1, .6300), Johnston (6-2, .6294), Ankeny (6-2, .6246) and West Des Moines Valley (6-2, .6208). Each of those seven are favored to win in Week 9 and secure first-round home-field advantage.

Cedar Falls (6-2, .5777) can lock down a berth if it wins at home against one-win Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Other in-with-a-win teams include the following:

* Dallas Center-Grimes (6-2, .5775), at Cedar Rapids Kennedy (3-5).

* Iowa City West (6-2, .5615), home against surging Linn-Mar (4-4).

* Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-3, 5511), at Dubuque Senior (5-3).

* Waterloo West (5-3, .5488), at Waukee (3-5).

* Norwalk (5-3, .5361), home against Waukee Northwest.

* Indianola (5-3, .5353), home against Urbandale (4-4).

* Southeast Polk (4-4, .5324), home against Des Moines East (1-7).

* Ankeny Centennial (4-4, .5251) home against Sioux City North (1-7).

DCG and Iowa City West probably still qualify with a loss. For everybody else, their standing would be much more shaky with a defeat.

Norwalk will be a decided underdog, and Iowa City West, Prairie and Waterloo West will be facing teams with playoff hopes of their own: Waukee (.5243) is 17th in the RPI standings, Dubuque Senior (.5104) is 18th, Linn-Mar (.5048) is 19th.

Linn-Mar has won four straight games after an 0-4 start to enter the discussion.

Class 4A

DISTRICT 2

Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-0, 4-0) is the champion. Decorah (6-2, 3-1) and Waverly-Shell Rock (4-4, 3-1) will settle the matter of the runner-up slot at Decorah.

DISTRICT 3

Western Dubuque (6-2, 4-0) is the champion. North Scott (5-3, 3-1) and Davenport North (6-2, 3-1) determine the second automatic qualfier at Eldridge.

THE AT-LARGE POOL

The WSR-Decorah and Davenport North-North Scott games are two of three statewide that will complete the 12 at-large bids. The other is Pella (7-1, 3-1) at Grinnell (4-4, 3-1) in District 4.

Pella and Decorah — currently fifth and 10th on the RPI list — are assured at-large bids if they stumble this week, and North Scott (12th) appears to be in good shape, win or lose.

Le Mars (4-4, .5289 RPI) and Lewis Central (4-4, .5222) are sitting 14th and 15th, and both are solid favorites to wrap up at-large berths with Week 9 victories.

Next on the list is Mason City (4-4, .5108), which hosts Xavier, at 16th. Waverly-Shell Rock is 17th, followed by Burlington, Spencer and Grinnell.

Each of those five teams are Week 9 underdogs, meaning Davenport North probably is sitting well, win or lose.

Class 3A

DISTRICT 2

West Delaware (8-0, 4-0) and Clear Lake (8-0, 4-0) are 1-2 in this week’s 3A state RPI and automatic qualifiers. All that’s left in the regular season for these two is to settle the district title Friday at Clear Lake.

DISTRICT 3

Defending state champion Dubuque Wahlert (6-2, 4-0) is the champion. Davenport Assumption (5-3, 3-1) has the edge for the second automatic slot on Central DeWitt (6-2, 2-2) and Mount Vernon (5-3, 2-2).

If Mount Vernon wins at Assumption this week and it’s a three-way tie, it comes down to point-differential in district games. Assumption currently stands at plus-31, Mount Vernon plus-23, Central plus-17.

DISTRICT 4

Solon (8-0, 4-0) has wrapped up the title. Mount Pleasant (6-2, 3-1) can secure the runner-up spot if it wins at Fairfield (3-5, 2-2)

If Fairfield pulls the upset, it could mean a three-way tie for second, with Washington (4-4, 2-2) also in the mix. Mount Pleasant’s point differential is plus-18, Fairfield minus-4, Washington minus-5.

DISTRICT 5

Three teams share the lead with one game to play — Nevada (6-2, 3-1), Winterset (5-3, 3-1) and Williamsburg (4-4, 3-1). Nevada and Williamsburg are heavily favored, while Winterset travels to Des Moines Christian (6-2, 2-2).

Williamsburg is in a unique, precarious position. If the Raiders win and DMC tops Winterset, they will win the district title. Otherwise, point-differential and RPI might keep them out of the playoffs altogether.

THE AT-LARGE POOL

Seven auto-bids are accounted for — Sioux City Heelan in District 1, Clear Lake and West Delaware in District 2, Wahlert in District 3, Solon in District 4, Carroll and Atlantic in District 6.

At No. 9 and No. 12 in the RPI, there’s a very good chance that Independence (5-3) and Benton Community (4-4) will join Clear Lake and West Delaware and make District 2 a four-bid district ... if they both win.

Other than that, this murky class will become much more clear Friday.

Class 2A

FIRST-ROUND AREA GAME OF THE WEEK

Crestwood (4-4) at No. 8 Alburnett (6-2)

Alburnett safely navigated its first year as a 2A program, joining West Branch and Bellevue at the top of District 5 at 4-1 (West Branch earned the title via tie-breaker). In speedy junior Laken Caves, the Pirates possess the 2A state leader in rushing yards (1,374) and all-purpose yards (2,102). Caves averages 8.6 yards per rush and has been responsible for 20 total touchdowns. Each of Crestwood’s last three games has gone down to the wire. The Cadets won by four points in Week 6, then dropped the last two by a combined three points.

OTHER GAMES INVOLVING AREA TEAMS

Anamosa (3-5) at Roland-Story (6-2)

Bellevue (7-1) at Waukon (5-3)

Denver (4-4) at No. 9 West Branch (6-2)

North Fayette Valley (3-5) at No. 10 Mid-Prairie (7-1)

South Tama (5-3) at No. 5 Van Meter (6-2)

West Liberty (3-5) at No. 2 Monroe PCM (7-1)

Class 1A

FIRST-ROUND AREA GAME OF THE WEEK

Union Community (6-2) at Cascade (6-2)

Prepare for points in this one, courtesy Cascade’s aerial theatrics and Union’s ground attack. Cascade QB Mick Hoffman has passed for 30 touchdowns (against just two interceptions), and that figure leads 1A, as does Hoffman’s 2,066 passing yards. Eli Fritz paced the Cougars with 56 receptions, while 17 of Brody Otting’s 41 catches have gone for touchdowns. Union counters with a rushing game led by QB Caden Sorensen (13 rushing TDs, 11 passing). All told, Cascade averages 33.8 points per game, Union 31.1.

OTHER GAMES INVOLVING AREA TEAMS

Interstate 35 (5-3) at Sigourney-Keota (4-4)

Jesup (2-6) at No. 6 Dyersville Beckman (7-1)

Northeast (3-5) at No. 3 Iowa City Regina (8-0)

Class A

FIRST-ROUND AREA GAME OF THE WEEK

BGM (6-2) at Oakland Riverside (6-2)

It’s 177 yards from Brooklyn to Oakland, and that’s not the only big number surrounding these teams. BGM QB Beau Burns and Riverside counterpart Jaxon Gordon are prolific run-first signal-callers. Burns leads Class A in total touchdowns with 39 (Gordon has 26), while Gordon is the class leader in all-purpose yards and rushing yards (Burns is second in both categories). No wonder both teams average more than 40 points per game.

OTHER GAMES INVOLVING AREA TEAMS

Columbus Community (3-5) at No. 10 North Linn (7-1)

Maquoketa Valley (6-2) at Danville (6-2)

Starmont (3-5) at No. 6 Wapsie Valley (8-0)

8-Player

FIRST-ROUND AREA GAME OF THE WEEK

Springville (5-4) at Turkey Valley (5-3)

Those 0-4 days are long, long gone for Springville, which enters the postseason as an extremely dangerous crew. Once the schedule eased (those first four opponents, all ranked, are a combined 29-3), the Orioles have averaged 50.4 points in the last five weeks. Mason Hoy has rushed for 912 yards (11.0 per carry) and 14 TDs. Turkey Valley started 3-0, lost three straight (all against top-10 teams) then regrouped to win its last two. Logan Busta has 15 rushing TDs.

OTHER GAMES INVOLVING AREA TEAMS

Belle Plaine (4-4) at No. 10 Easton Valley (7-1)

East Union (6-2) at No. 9 Montezuma (6-2)

Moravia (5-3) at No. 4 Iowa Valley (8-0)

WACO (3-5) at No. 6 Edgewood-Colesburg (8-0)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com