Iowa high school football 2024: Picking the area Class 3A districts

Fifth in a series diving into the area Iowa high school football districts for the 2024 season. Today, we examine Class 3A.

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

The 3A regular season will consist of nine games, with four rounds of playoffs.

A closer look at area districts:

District 3

OVERVIEW

Archrivals West Delaware (7-4, 4-1) and Independence (7-3, 4-1) shared the title last year, with the Hawks claiming the tie-breaker by virtue of a 29-21 home victory. West Delaware has a new coach and new turf, but the same dual-threat playmaker in Brent Yonkovic, who ran for 1,559 yards and 25 touchdowns, and passed for 1,445 and 12. Like Yonkovic, Indee counterpart E.J. Miller is productive both by land and air, producing 2,497 total yards and 27 TDs. This year’s Highway 20 collision is at Independence on Oct. 18. The other contender, Dubuque Wahlert (5-4, 3-2) knocked off West Delaware last year and plays the Mustangs and the Hawks on consecutive Fridays (Weeks 6 and 7).

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *West Delaware

2. *Independence

3. *Dubuque Wahlert

4. Center Point-Urbana

5. Maquoketa

6. Central DeWitt

District 4

OVERVIEW

The non-conference portion of the schedule is where the greatest challenges lie for Mount Vernon (9-2, 5-0), which outscored its five district foes by an average of 45 points per game last season, and it might be more of the same in Brad Meester’s first year at the helm. The Mustangs lost a good share of their skill-position guys, but the return of all-state defensive linemen Ethan Wood and Tyler Williams will give them an advantage in the trenches against just about anybody. If anyone in the district is going to challenge, it is Davenport Assumption (7-3, 4-1). But the Mustangs’ best games will come in Week 3 and Week 4, against Benton Community and archrival Solon.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Mount Vernon

2. *Davenport Assumption

3. Keokuk

4. Washington

5. Fort Madison

6. Mount Pleasant

District 5

OVERVIEW

Oct. 11, Week 7, at Williamsburg. That’s when the host Raiders and Solon go at it in a game that should have seismic ramifications. Williamsburg (12-1, 4-1) dropped a 21-14 verdict to the Spartans (10-2, 5-0) in the regular season last year, then answered with a 45-14 romp in the semifinals. The Raiders went on to win their first state title. Versatile Rayce Heitman leads Williamsburg’s bid to repeat. Solon counters with all-state picks Grant Wilson and Cole Carney. Benton Community (5-4, 2-3) and Grinnell (6-3, 3-2) should be in the mix of the pool for at-large postseason bids.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualifier)

1. *Williamsburg

2. *Solon

3. *Benton Community

4. Grinnell

5. Fairfield

6. South Tama

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com