4 Downs: The Gazette staff’s final drive of Iowa high school football

The Gazette’s Iowa high school football staff lines up for the final drive on the season. We face the final questions of the season. See how much Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford can gain in 4 Downs:

1st & 10: What are your thoughts on all four Iowa City schools making the playoffs?

Jeff Linder: Heck of a deal, isn’t it? The three 5A ICCSD teams all are entertaining teams led by extremely good quarterback play, and Regina is capable of going on a deep run. Liberty gaining the No. 1 seed is quite an accomplishment but can’t overlook Waukee in Round 1.

Jeff Johnson: Very impressive achievement that they all made it to the round of 16. No school district ever has had three or more biggest-class qualifiers in the 16-game format. Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Des Moines achieved that in the 32-team field.

K.J. Pilcher: All four Iowa City programs have had solid seasons, posting a combined 27-9 record. Not only is it impressive that all four programs qualified but consider some of the circumstances. Liberty and Regina started the season with first-year head coaches and big shoes to fill with new quarterbacks. Coach Scott Chandler and Reece Rettig have helped the Lightning finish atop the Class 5A RPI. Coach Dustin Elsbury and Regals QB Kyle Tracy have returned Regina to the Round of 16. All four teams have successful QBs. Iowa City West’s Jack Wallace leads 5A with 2,447 passing yards and Iowa City High’s Bobby Bacon is sixth at 1,850, three spots behind Rettig (2,177). Coincidence? Nope.

Nathan Ford: There might have been some concern when Liberty opened that success in sports would become tougher for City and West, but all three schools have successful programs. Many of those are capable of winning state championships. It’s unlikely, but can you imagine two of them meeting in the Dome this year? Maybe just move that to Kinnick.

2nd & Long: Which is the best Metro matchup and which is most likely to advance?

Jeff Linder: Let’s be frank, it wasn’t a stellar year for Metro football, with only two teams qualifying for the playoffs, especially after you consider the feats of the Iowa City teams listed above. Kingston Stadium will be a dark, lonely place. Kudos to Linn-Mar for its 7-2 season and for Xavier for doing what it always does and extending yet another fall into November. Both of them have an opportunity to win on the road this week in Central Iowa; I would give a slight nod to the Saints for having the better shot, based on past success.

Jeff Johnson: I like Cedar Rapids Xavier to win on the road against Norwalk. And it is not out of the realm of possibility that Linn-Mar goes to Ankeny and wins.

K.J. Pilcher: I’m going to go out on a gigantic homer limb. Even though both Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Xavier are on the road, I think both will move on to the quarterfinals. The Lions have a tough meeting at Ankeny, which has a deceptive 5-4 record due to a tough schedule. Norwalk and Xavier are both 6-3. The Warriors handed two-time defending state champion Council Bluffs Lewis Central its only loss. The Saints are almost automatic in the first round and should be strong enough to advance.

Nathan Ford: Linn-Mar and Ankeny is the best matchup, by nature of an 8-9 game. I’ll say Xavier has a slightly better chance to beat Norwalk. Tough to pick against the Saints in the postseason.

3rd & Short: What team is the most capable of avenging a regular loss Friday?

Jeff Linder: After winning at North Scott in Week 4, Western Dubuque has to go back to Eldridge for a 4A battle which can be considered a tossup. I would say of the games listed above, North Scott would be the most likely to be a table-turner, with Solon a close second.

Jeff Johnson: I like Solon here. Not saying they will beat Benton Community again, but if you’re looking for a different winner in a rematch, that’s my pick.

K.J. Pilcher: I would have said Solon against Benton Community before I watched the Bobcats’ shutout against Williamsburg last week. Benton’s defense is getting healthier, which is bad, bad news for foes. Crestwood recorded a big upset last week, but Cinderella’s glass slipper will break against North Fayette Valley this week. Dubuque Wahlert is too good not to beat Davenport Assumption again and Mid-Prairie has gotten better each week and should be fine against Mediapolis. North Scott lost to Western Dubuque earlier this season. The Bobcats will have their hands full topping the Lancers twice.

Nathan Ford: The North Scott-Western Dubuque-Xavier-WSR circle of parity has helped make compiling Class 4A rankings difficult all season. WD beat North Scott 21-7 back in Week 4 but any meeting between these four seems like it can go either way.

4th & Goal: Will football ever become like basketball and baseball where all teams participate in the playoffs?

Jeff Linder: It was an all-comers tournament in 2020 (COVID year), and it was kind of a neat event for one year. I don’t see it happening permanently, because that would force the shortening of the regular season, probably to seven games for everybody. I like that the regular season counts for something, and (unpopular opinion coming) I wouldn’t mind seeing all sports handled that way.

Jeff Johnson: No way. Too many teams, especially in the smaller classes. It would take forever. I’m good with this format. And I like the way the qualifiers are selected. I don’t want qualifiers decided in Class 5A by a committee.

K.J. Pilcher: I waver on this topic. Sometimes I think I would love to see all teams make it. Just look what a 2-6 West Branch was able to do against a highly-ranked, 7-1 Sigourney-Keota team. Then, I recall those outcomes are so few and far between it’s not worth the more common 56-6 scores in the first couple rounds. I also don’t think it is reasonable unless the finals are held after Thanksgiving. The intrusion on winter seasons wouldn’t be right.

Nathan Ford: Sometimes you wonder if, after hearing complaints about every format it’s tried, the IHSAA might throw up its hands and let everyone in. But the thing is, this structure does offer every team a chance to advance to the postseason and the exclusivity of the actual brackets is still exciting.