Iowa high school football 2021: Picking the area Class 1A districts

Eastern Iowa favorites include MFL MarMac, Mediapolis and Sigourney-Keota

Aug. 20, 2021 12:00 pm, Updated: Aug. 22, 2021 10:40 am

Iowa City Regina's Aiden Udell (22) reacts after an interception against Van Meter in 2019. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

This is the third in a series diving into the area high school football districts for the 2021 season. Today, we examine Class 1A.

Forty-eight teams are assigned to 1A, with 32 advancing to the playoffs. The top four teams in each of eight districts advance.

The 1A regular season will be eight games, with five rounds of playoffs. Teams not making the playoffs will be permitted to play a ninth regular-season contest.

A closer look at area districts:

District 4

OVERVIEW

MFL MarMac (9-2 in 2020) has won 19 of 22 games in the last two seasons as a Class A program, and moves up a level. The Bulldogs have a rare luxury, the return of two 1,000-yard rushers from a year ago — Cullen McShane ran for 1,477 yards, Gabe McGeough added 1,100 and they combined for 30 rushing touchdowns. This is a team that averaged 289 yards on the ground. The key District 4 date is Sept. 17, when the Bulldogs visit Waterloo Columbus (8-2), home of senior quarterback Carter Gallagher, who rushed for 595 yards, passed for 1,381 and accounted for 26 touchdowns. Cascade and Dyersville Beckman, both 6-3 last year, appear to be the other playoff teams. A very solid top four.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *MFL MarMac

2. *Waterloo Columbus

3. *Cascade

4. *Dyersville Beckman

5. Sumner-Fredericksburg

6. Postville

District 5

OVERVIEW

Iowa City Regina’s foray into Class A football was both brief (just one year) and triumphant (the Regals won a state championship). It’s back to 1A now, and the Regals (11-1 last year) move on without many of their skill players and without Coach Marv Cook, who has moved on and is succeeded by Jason Dumont. The Regals do return a good amount of their line. The Regals will be challenged in their district by archrival West Branch (5-3) and Mediapolis (7-3). Andy Henson ran for 893 yards and eight touchdowns last year for the Bears, and four receivers with double-digit catches are back. Mediapolis will be keyed by junior Anthony Isley (1,056 rushing yards, 11 TDs).

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Mediapolis

2. *West Branch

3. *Iowa City Regina

4. *Durant

5. Wilton

6. Louisa-Muscatine