Iowa high school football 2023: Picking the Gazette area Class 3A districts

This is the fifth in a series diving into the area Iowa high school football districts for the 2023 season. Today, we examine Class 3A.

Thirty-six teams will play Class 3A football this season, with 16 advancing to the playoffs. The top two teams in each of six districts advance automatically, plus four at-large teams (based on RPI).

The Class 3A regular season will be nine games.

A closer look at area districts:

District 3

OVERVIEW

It’s a virtual dead heat here between DeWitt Central and Independence, which square off Week 5 in DeWitt. The Sabers (6-4 in 2022) were playoff qualifiers and should have a stiff defense with the return of top tacklers Michael Cabrera and Conner Pena. Independence (10-2) was a quarterfinalist and welcomes back top rusher Treyton Weber, leading receivers Brady Kurt and Brady McDonald, who combined for 71 catches and 923 yards. If Indee can locate a suitable replacement for Mitchell Johnson at QB, it will be a handful again. West Delaware (5-5) and 2A semifinalist Dubuque Wahlert (9-3) comprise the chase crew.

PREDICTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *DeWitt Central

2. *Independence

3. West Delaware

4. Dubuque Wahlert

5. Maquoketa

6. Center Point-Urbana

District 4

OVERVIEW

Mount Vernon’s Joey Rhomberg is the top 3A returner in passing yards (2,543), passing touchdowns (25) and completions (225), and his return keeps the Mustangs (12-1 and state runner-up last year) among the 3A elite. Rhomberg’s top target will be Evan Brase (48 receptions, 640 yards, 8 TDs), while Jackson Jaspers (110.5 tackles) spearheads a defense that led 3A at 7.3 points allowed per game. The Mustangs’ key district game is Week 6, at home against Davenport Assumption (4-5), because there’s a wide gap between these two teams and the rest of the pack. Assumption QB Jake Timmons was a 1,000-yard passer last season.

PREDICTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Mount Vernon

2. *Davenport Assumption

3. Fort Madison

4. Keokuk

5. Washington

6. Mount Pleasant

District 5

OVERVIEW

After earning 2A state runner-up honors last season, Williamsburg (12-1) makes the climb to 3A this fall, and the Raiders are well-equipped for the promotion. One of the area’s top all-around athletes, Iowa recruit Derek Weisskopf averaged 17 yards per reception last year and scored 12 touchdowns while intercepting six passes. Rayce Heitman returns to spearhead a defense that allowed 8.6 points per game. Solon (8-3), Grinnell (5-5) and Benton Community (6-4) are the candidates for the other automatic bid, with the other two pursuing at-large spots. Benton’s Carson Bruns (1,067 yards) was third in 3A in rushing TDs, with 17.

PREDICTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Williamsburg

2. *Solon

3. *Grinnell

4. *Benton Community

5. Fairfield

6. South Tama

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com