Iowa high school football 2023: Gazette-area Week 1 games to watch

The following are area football capsules for Week 1 of the Iowa high school football season. We are spotlighting six games within the Cedar Rapids Metro/Iowa City and six games in the area:

5A No. 3 Cedar Falls at Cedar Rapids Prairie

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at John Wall Field

2022 records: Cedar Falls was 8-3; Prairie was 7-4.

Overview: The Kyle Knock era begins Friday at Prairie; a former Kennedy assistant, Knock succeeds Mark Bliss, who stepped down after eight seasons. He faces a big challenge in his debut against a Tigers outfit that has the potential to be explosive offensively. Drake Gelhaus rushed for 1,469 yards and 14 touchdowns last year, and Cedar Falls also brings back QB Tate Hermansen. Prairie has won two of the last three in the series, including a 24-7 triumph last season.

4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier at 4A No. 8 Waverly-Shell Rock

Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Waverly

2022 records: Xavier was 13-0; Waverly-Shell Rock was 11-1.

Overview: Xavier has dropped only two regular-season games in the last eight years, but the Saints are challenging themselves greatly in the non-district portion of the schedule with games against WSR, Williamsburg, Western Dubuque and Pella. Xavier is set at quarterback with the return of Ronan Thomas, who completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,598 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Saints led Class 4A in scoring defense at 7.5 points per game; the Go-Hawks were No. 2 at 8.4 ppg allowed.

Dubuque Hempstead at Cedar Rapids Washington

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Kingston Stadium

2022 records: Hempstead was 1-8; Washington was 5-5.

Overview: After two years in Class 4A, Washington returns to 5A this season, and the Warriors open at Kingston with an extremely winnable game. Washington lost a good portion of its speed (Michael Blank and Miles Thompson, for example) to graduation, but there are opportunities in the front half of the schedule to gain confidence and momentum.

Iowa City Liberty at Iowa City West

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Trojan Stadium

2022 records: Liberty was 9-2; West was 4-5.

Overview: This should be an entertaining “arms race” between Liberty’s Graham Beckman and West’s Jack Wallace. Beckman, a senior, threw for 2,580 yards and 31 touchdowns (against just four interceptions) last year as the Lightning posted a breakthrough 9-2 season, and the Bolts make the move to Class 5A this season. Wallace, a junior, will be a third-year varsity signal-caller this year; he passed for 1,754 yards in 2022 with a 17-to-2 TD-to-INT ledger. Both QBs lost their top targets to graduation, so keep an eye on who emerges on the edge for both teams.

5A No. 10 Linn-Mar at Dubuque Senior

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Dubuque (Dalzell Field)

2022 records: Linn-Mar was 6-4; Senior was 4-5.

Overview: Linn-Mar opens with a pair of road games, but will be favored to be 2-0 when it faces Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a potential Week 3 showdown. This ought to be a productive passing team with the return of junior quarterback Austin Waller, who welcomes back a trio of highly-capable targets in Keaton Roskop (an Iowa State recruit), Dylan Muszynski and Tayden Ferguson, who combined for 63 catches, more than 1,000 yards and 13 TDs.

5A No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling at 5A No. 6 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (Saturday)

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Saturday, at Kingston Stadium

2022 records: Dowling was 10-2; Kennedy was 7-3.

Overview: Credit all parties — Kennedy, Dowling and the IHSAA — for making this season-opening Saturday showdown a reality. If last year is any indication, this could be a defensive showcase: Kennedy ranked No. 1 in 5A in points allowed (9.1 per game) while Dowling was No. 3 (11.0). The Maroons will lean on a ground attack that features Ra’Shawd Davis, who rushed for 787 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore. QB Vincenzo Gianforte threw for 1,362 yards and 15 TDs last year for Kennedy, and top target Cyrus Courtney (35 receptions, 521 yards, five TDs) is back.

Other Metro/Iowa City games

Cedar Rapids Jefferson at Muscatine

Joliet Catholic (Ill.) at Iowa City High

Recommended Reading

City High starts with an intriguing test: Illinois powerhouse Joliet Catholic

Marion at Clear Creek Amana

West Liberty at Iowa City Regina

2A No. 7 Monticello at 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon

Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Mount Vernon

2022 records: Monticello was 7-3; Mount Vernon was 12-1.

Overview: Two of the state’s top quarterbacks — in any class — face off. Would you believe that Monticello’s Preston Ries and Mount Vernon’s Joey Rhomberg passed for an identical yardage total (2,543) last year? Ries threw for 24 touchdowns and five interceptions, while it was 25 TDs and eight picks for Rhomberg, who led the Mustangs to the 3A state final. Rhomberg has an advantage in the return of Evan Brase (48 receptions, 640 yards, 6 TDs).

3A No. 7 Solon at Davenport Assumption

Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Davenport

2022 records: Solon was 8-3; Assumption was 4-5.

Overview: Solon cruised to a 35-10 non-district win over the Knights last season. It should be more competitive this time around, because Assumption should be starkly improved. QB Jake Timmons passed for more than 1,000 yards last year and has a playmaker in Angelo Jackson. Brett White is a two-way star for Solon, rushing for 922 yards and 12 touchdowns, while collecting 77 tackles and intercepting three passes.

Sumner-Fredericksburg at A No. 3 East Buchanan

Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Winthrop

2022 records: Sumner-Fredericksburg was 4-5; East Buchanan was 9-2.

Overview: This has the potential to be a memorable season for the Buccaneers, who advanced to the Class A quarterfinals last year and played a competitive game with eventual champion Grundy Center. There’s not much confusion as to what East Buc will try to do; it’s going to run right at you. The Bucs averaged 392 rushing yards per game, and 1,000-plus-yard RBs Tanner Thurn and Hunter Bowers are back and will run behind Iowa recruit Cody Fox. They’ll battle a Cougars squad that returns five of its top six tacklers from last year, when it allowed 16.8 points per game.

1A No. 9 West Branch at 3A No. 2 Williamsburg

Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Williamsburg

2022 records: West Branch was 11-1; Williamsburg was 12-1.

Overview: Both programs are in transition, for different reasons. West Branch moves on after the loss of longtime coach Butch Pedersen, while Williamsburg faces life as a 3A school after reaching the 2A championship game in 2022. The Raiders are well-equipped for the promotion behind two-way star Derek Weisskopf, an Iowa recruit. He and Rayce Heitman anchor a defense that allowed 8.6 points per game last year. West Branch reached the 1A semifinals last season behind an attack that averaged 43 points per contest.

4A No. 6 Western Dubuque at West Delaware

Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Manchester

2022 records: Western Dubuque was 6-4; West Delaware was 5-5.

Overview: This Highway 20 rivalry is renewed after two years off. Western Dubuque gave the keys to the offense to freshman Brett Harris last year, and he completed 61 percent of his passes, including 13 TD tosses. His continued progress should keep enemy defenses honest, because the running game featuring Grant Glausser (1,564 yards, 19 TDs) remains the focus. West Delaware recovered from a 1-3 start last year to make the 3A playoffs and brings back QB Brent Yonkovic.

8-Player: No. 4 Winfield-Mount Union at No. 3 Central City

Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Central City

2022 records: Winfield-Mount Union was 6-4; Central City was 8-2.

Overview: Quite possibly, the two best 8-Player teams on this side of the state. Central City climbed from 3-6 in 2021 to 8-2 last season, and even better days should be ahead. The Klostermann boys (Aidan is a senior, Matthew a junior) combined for more than 1,800 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns, and two key components of a defense that returns nearly intact. WMU has a stud of its own in Iowa recruit Cam Buffington, who netted nearly 1,500 rushing yards and 25 TDs. Central City is the favorite in District 5; WMU is the team to beat in District 6.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com