Iowa high school football 2024: Picking the area 8-Player districts

First in a series diving into the area Iowa high school football districts for the 2024 season. Today, we examine 8-Player.

Sixty-eight teams are assigned to 8-Player, with 32 advancing to the playoffs. The top three teams in each of 10 districts advance, plus two at-large qualifiers.

The 8-Player regular season will consist of eight games, with five rounds of playoffs.

A closer look at area districts:

District 3

OVERVIEW

This is what 8-Player excellence looks like. Don Bosco has won eight-plus games each of the last 13 years, including a 9-2 mark (6-0 district) in 2023. The Dons have compiled a 137-16 record in that time with four state championships, most recently in 2019. Led by returners like Kyler Knaack (67.5 tackles, 541 rushing yards), Ty Christensen (798 rush yards) and Ben Belew (seven receiving TDs), the Dons are prohibitive favorites to control this district. Riceville (6-3, 4-2), Lansing Kee (5-4, 4-2) and Turkey Valley (5-4, 4-2) tied for second last year, and a similar scenario is possible this time around. Kee’s Dalton Mudderman was a second-team all-state defensive player (seven interceptions), and also accounted for 44 touchdowns offensively.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Don Bosco

2. *Riceville

3. *Lansing Kee

4. Turkey Valley

5. Elkader Central

6. West Central

7. Waterloo Christian

District 5

OVERVIEW

After Central City (8-2, 6-0) dominated this district last year, don’t be a bit surprised if its Tractor Bowl rival makes a swift move to the top. Springville (4-5, 2-4) is virtually intact from last season, and with juniors — including Mason Hoy (930 rushing yards) and Braden Jordan (766 yards of total offense, team-high 58 tackles) — comprising a large amount of the production, this could be a stepping stone for a monster 2025. The gap from top to bottom, or at least 1 through 5, is relatively slim, though. Easton Valley (2-7, 1-5) should be primed for a big rebound, with Lone Tree (6-3, 5-1), Central City and Edgewood-Colesburg (6-3, 4-2) also thinking playoffs at least, and possibly district title if the cards fall the right way.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Springville

2. *Easton Valley

3. *Lone Tree

4. Central City

5. Edgewood-Colesburg

6. Midland

7. Calamus-Wheatland

District 6

OVERVIEW

This district has produced Dome teams each of the last two seasons: WACO reached the championship game in 2022, Winfield-Mount Union advanced to the semifinals last year. This year, WACO (7-2, 4-1) appears to be the district favorite. Clayton Miller (18 TDs, 2 INTs) returns at quarterback, and Louden Huisenga led the team in rushing (785 yards, 11 TDs) and tackles (54). Iowa Valley (7-3, 3-2) and WMU (11-1, 5-0) are safe bets to grab the other two automatic playoff berths. Iowa Valley won that wild 78-77 first-round playoff game last year over BGM in which both teams combined for 1,263 yards. QB Nolan Kriegel rushed for 1,053 yards and passed for 1,283 last year ... as a freshman.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *WACO

2. *Iowa Valley

3. *Winfield-Mount Union

4. New London

5. English Valleys

6. HLV

District 7

OVERVIEW

If you want offense, you’ve come to the right place. Defending district champ BGM (5-4, 4-1) was the 8-Player scoring leader last year, averaging 59.2 points per game behind explosive quarterback Beau Burns, now a junior. Burns accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense last year, and 56 offensive touchdowns. Montezuma (5-5, 3-2) can score, too, piling up 49.7 points per contest. The Braves also have a dual-threat quarterback in junior Brady Boulton (2,430 total yards, 48 TDs). Belle Plaine was 4-5, 3-2 in its first year in 8-Player, with two of its losses coming by a touchdown or less. The Plainsmen’s top three running backs, all of whom amassed 350 yards or more, are back.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Montezuma

2. *Belle Plaine

3. *BGM

4. Moravia

5. Twin Cedars

6. Melcher-Dallas

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com