Iowa high school football 2024: Gazette-area Week 6 games to watch

The following are area football capsules for Week 6 of the Iowa high school football season:

Cedar Rapids Xavier at North Scott

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Eldridge

Records and rankings: Xavier (3-2 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 3) is ranked No. 8; North Scott (4-1, 1-0) is No. 7.

Overview: It’s no stretch to call this a de facto district-championship game. Xavier will attack a North Scott defense that leads 4A in points allowed (10.2 per game). The Saints snapped a two-game losing streak by blasting Clinton, 56-0, last week behind Carter Hoffman’s 113 rushing yards and a smothering defense that allowed 76 yards and forced five turnovers. North Scott earned its own shutout, 38-0, at Burlington. Lancers QB Chase Smith ranks third in 4A in passing yards (945) and second in passing touchdowns (13, five each to Cash Bowe and Carson Lage).

Iowa City Liberty at Cedar Rapids Washington

When and where: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Kingston Stadium

Records and rankings: Class 5A No. 8 Liberty is 4-1; Washington is 2-3.

Overview: Liberty is closing in fast on its third postseason berth, its first as a 5A program. The Lightning sit at No. 2 in this week’s 5A RPI standings. A blinding offensive attack is the major reason; the Bolts’ 41.6 points per game is second-best in the big-school class. Junior QB Reece Rettig has completed 74 percent of his passes for 1,101 yards and 12 touchdowns (against one interception). Sutton Koller is averaging 25.6 yards per catch, with five TDs. Washington is coming off a thrilling 30-27 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson and has surpassed its win total of 2023. Wyatt Young leads 5A in sacks (10) and tackles for loss (13).

Cedar Rapids Jefferson at Iowa City West

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Trojan Field

Records and rankings: Jefferson is 4-1; West is 2-3.

Overview: If Jefferson is going to take its next step forward and make its first playoff appearance since 2015, it probably needs at least two wins in its last four games. That likely means the J-Hawks must beat one of three teams — West (Friday), Cedar Rapids Prairie (next week) or Iowa City Liberty (Week 9). Jefferson will try to rebound from last week’s 30-27 heartbreaker against Cedar Rapids Washington while West seeks to break a two-game losing streak. Trojans QB Jack Wallace leads Class 5A in passing touchdowns (15), passing yards (1,307), offensive yards (1,466) and completions (93).

Linn-Mar at Muscatine

When and where: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Muscatine

Records and rankings: Class 5A No. 7 Linn-Mar is 4-1; Muscatine is 2-3.

Overview: After splitting a pair of difficult games in close fashion (lost to Bettendorf 27-24, beat Cedar Falls 28-27), Linn-Mar will be heavily favored in the next two and should get to 6-1 before a challenging final stretch. Down 21-13 after three quarters against Cedar Falls, the Lions scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally. Dylan Muszynski rushed for 206 yards and four TDs, running his season totals to 861 and 14, respectively. Both of those figures rank fourth in 5A. Muscatine snapped a two-game losing streak with a 36-6 win over winless Davenport West behind Jake Meier’s 205 rushing yards.

Cedar Rapids Prairie at Ankeny

When and where: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Ankeny

Records and rankings: Both teams are 2-3.

Overview: Disregard Ankeny’s record. The Hawks have been steeled by a brutal Central Iowa schedule (they did beat No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling in Week 3, remember) and picked up a 38-22 win over Iowa City West last week. Prairie knocked off a Central Iowa power in Week 3 (Southeast Polk), but followed that with competitive losses to Pleasant Valley and Iowa City Liberty, and the Hawks probably can afford only one more loss if they’re going to make the 5A playoffs (they are 21st in RPI presently). David Fason and Denzil Green both have 21 receptions for Prairie.

Davenport Central at Iowa City High

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Bates Field

Records and rankings: Central is 2-3; City High is 3-2.

Overview: Late-game gambles have paid off in each of the last two games for surging City High. The Little Hawks converted a two-point conversion in the final minute to beat Iowa City West in Week 4, then did it again to outlast Cedar Rapids Kennedy last week. City’s three-game win streak has moved it to 12 in this week’s 5A RPI list, and the Little Hawks are heavily favored to make it four straight. Bobby Bacon has completed 75 percent of his passes for 1,088 yards (not counting those two massive conversions). City’s leaky defense (38.9 ppg allowed) should get some relief this week against a Blue Devils attack that has managed just two TDs in the last three weeks.

West Branch at Iowa City Regina

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Regina

Records and rankings: West Branch is 2-3 overall, 1-1 Class 1A District 5; No. 6 Regina is 5-0, 2-0.

Overview: Regina’s schedule stiffens incrementally in the final three weeks of the regular season. The Regals welcome archrival West Branch, then travel to Dyersville Beckman, then host No. 2 Wilton in a climactic Week 8. Receiver Tate Wallace has caught 23 passes (five for touchdowns), netting 383 yards. West Branch has won the last two in this series, including 21-17 last year. Cooper Gates has rushed for 387 yards and leads the Bears in tackles with 387, with five touchdowns.

Independence at Dubuque Wahlert

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Dubuque (Rock Bowl)

Records and rankings: No. 7 Independence is 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 3A District 7; No. 4 Wahlert is 5-0, 1-0.

Overview: A three-week round-robin between the three heavyweights of 3A District 7 begins Friday (Wahlert goes to West Delaware in Week 7; Indee hosts WD in Week 8). Led by two-way standout Tom Scherr, Wahlert has been as impressive as anybody in 3A thus far, racking up 41.4 points per game, allowing 7.4 per game and beating all five of its opponents by double-digit margins. Indee QB E.J. Miller (1,142 yards, 14 TDs passing) has two excellent targets in Brady Kurt (43 catches, 631 yards, 7 TDs) and Ezekiel Symonds (32.4 yards per catch, six of his 11 receptions have gond for touchdowns).

Dike-New Hartford at MFL MarMac

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Monona

Records and rankings: Both teams are 4-1 overall, 2-0 Class 1A District 3. DNH is ranked No. 3; MFL MarMac is No. 10.

Overview: The victor gains sole ownership of the district lead. Both teams have followed Week 1 defeats with four-game win streaks, and MFL MarMac will try to take down DNH for the third consecutive year. The Bulldogs aim to dent a Wolverines defense that allows 7.8 points per game (second-best in 1A) with a running attack that averages nearly 300 yards per contest. Quinn McGeough and Eli Hanson have combined for 13 rushing touchdowns. DNH’s Carson Costello has picked off four passes in five games.

Waverly-Shell Rock at Decorah

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Decorah

Records and rankings: Waverly-Shell Rock is 3-2 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 2; No. 5 Decorah is 5-0, 1-0.

Overview: A 3-6 outfit last year, Waverly-Shell Rock served notice that it is a serious district-title contender in eye-opening fashion last week, racking up 350 rushing yards (228, and three touchdowns, from Ethan Bibler) in a 25-6 romp over Western Dubuque. Decorah is not averse to going down to the wire; it has won three games by seven points or less. That wasn’t the case last week — the Vikings were 41-7 victors over Mason City. Gatlin Dahlberg leads Decorah in tackles (34.5) and has recorded two fumble recoveries and an interception.

Belle Plaine at Montezuma

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Montezuma

Records and rankings: Belle Plaine is 5-0 overall, 3-0 8-Player District 7; Montezuma is 5-1, 3-0.

Overview: It’s only Week 6, but the championship of this district will be determined this week. Both teams have wrapped up playoff berths. Belle Plaine has blossomed in Year 2 as an 8-player program after going 4-5 in its debut season. Ty Alcott (634 yards, 12 TDs) leads a potent ground attack that averages 293 yards per game. After slowing BGM last week, 52-27, the Plainsmen will try to do the same with an explosive Montezuma outfit that ranks third in the state at 62.5 points per game. Braves quarterback Brady Boulton has amassed 19 touchdowns (11 passing, eight rushing).

Bellevue at Maquoketa Valley

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Delhi

Records and rankings: Both teams are 4-1 overall, 4-0 Class A District 4.

Overview: Bellevue is in. So is Maquoketa Valley. North Linn (5-0, 4-0) and Starmont (4-1, 3-1) are likely to lock down playoff berths Friday. Now, it’s a matter of determining the pecking order for the four A-4 contenders that have separated themselves from the other four teams. Maquoketa Valley has shut out four consecutive opponents after a 10-9 season-opening loss to Cascade, but those four teams have combined for one win, so the stretch run is a steep upgrade in difficulty. Brady Wall has passed for 10 touchdowns; sophomore Rogan Heidt has rushed for 12 (on 745 yards). Defensively, the Wildcats will have their eyes peeled upon Keenan Kilburg (36 catches, 495 yards).

Other games featuring Metro/Iowa City teams

* Cedar Rapids Kennedy (1-4) at Class 5A No. 3 Bettendorf (5-0), 7:30 p.m.

* Marion (2-3 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 2) at Western Dubuque (3-2, 0-1), 7:30 p.m.

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Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com