Iowa high school football 2025: Gazette-area Week 2 games to watch

The following are area football capsules for Week 2 of the Iowa high school football season:

North Scott at Cedar Rapids Washington

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

Records and rankings: North Scott is 0-1; Washington is 1-0.

Overview: Down 21-7 after a quarter, Washington scored the final 28 points of the game and defeated Cedar Rapids Jefferson for the sixth consecutive time. Win this one, and the Warriors have a decent chance to head into district play at 4-0. QB Grady McGuire ran for 154 yards (11.0 per carry) and two touchdowns, highlighting a 303-yard rushing attack. North Scott is coming off a 31-0 home loss to 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier in which it managed just 124 yards of total offense.

Iowa City Liberty at Southeast Polk

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Pleasant Hill

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Liberty is ranked No. 4 in Class 5A; Southeast Polk is No. 5.

Overview: This is one of four 5A ranked-vs.-ranked encounters; the others are all-Central Iowa affairs. Liberty got a late touchdown and two-point conversion to edge Cedar Falls, 15-14, last week. Reece Rettig completed 22 of 28 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns (but three interceptions); eight different players caught at least one pass. Southeast Polk is the four-time defending big-school state champion (beating Liberty in the semifinals, 38-35), and the Rams kicked off their drive for five with a 30-14 conquest of Ankeny Centennial.

West Branch at Iowa City Regina

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. West Branch is ranked No. 10 in Class 2A: Regina is No. 3 in 1A.

Overview: It’s too early to say that West Branch is “back” after a 3-7 2024 campaign, but Week 1 was a solid first step. The Bears ran for 372 yards and topped West Liberty, 35-21. Keaton Gates did much of the damage — 23 carries, 274 yards, two touchdowns. This will be a good test as to where the Bears truly are. Regina avenged last year’s postseason loss to Wilton, 42-20, scoring three fourth-quarter touchdowns to break it open. The Regals piled up 233 rushing yards, 116 (and three touchdowns) from Savion Miller.

Cedar Rapids Prairie at Cedar Rapids Kennedy

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Prairie is ranked No. 9 in Class 5A.

Overview: It’s been five years since these Metro rivals last collided. Optimism followed both squads after Week 1. Prairie blanked Linn-Mar, 38-0, limiting the Lions to 141 yards. Cael Kongshaug passed for 151 yards and a touchdown, Dawson Kahl and Colt Hobson both went over 100 yards rushing, and the Hawks got a score apiece from their defense and special teams. Kennedy, meanwhile, pulled away from Dubuque Hempstead for a 42-20 road victory. William Woodring completed 11 of 14 passes for 128 yards and four TDs.

Western Dubuque at Cedar Rapids Xavier

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

Records and rankings: Western Dubuque is 0-1; Class 4A No. 1 Xavier is 1-0.

Overview: Xavier impressed on both sides of the ball in an emphatic 31-0 win at North Scott last week. The Saints allowed 124 yards of total offense in the shutout, and Cash Parks (10 of 12 passing, 177 yards, three touchdowns) engineered a balanced, productive attack. Ryan Kelly caught two TD passes, and Carter Hoffmann ran for 91 yards. The Saints grabbed four takeaways, including two interceptions by Michael Bean. Western Dubuque fell short in its opener, 10-6 against reigning 3A state champion Dubuque Wahlert.

Dubuque Hempstead at Iowa City West

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

Records and rankings: Hempstead is 0-1; West is 1-0.

Overview: West opened some eyes statewide with a convincing 30-0 road rout of Iowa City High in Week 1, emphatically reclaiming The Boot. Campbell Janis rushed for 111 yards, and was one of three Trojans to run for a touchdown. Hempstead stayed with Cedar Rapids Kennedy for three quarters before the Cougars pulled away, 42-20. West won the last meeting between the teams, 40-15, in 2022.

Benton Community at Mount Vernon

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at Mount Vernon

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Mount Vernon is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A; Benton is No. 9.

Overview: If last year’s encounter (a 15-13 Mount Vernon victory) was any indication, this could be a dandy. The Mustangs exploded for 49 first-half points and blitzed Monticello in their opener, 56-12. Kellen Haverback passed for 366 yards and three touchdowns, with Jase Jaspers gathering seven receptions for 114 yards. As for Benton, Carson Nolan rushed for three touchdowns, passed for one, and accumulated 314 yards of total offense as the Bobcats pulled away in the second half of a 29-12 home win over Fairfield.

Solon at Williamsburg

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Solon is ranked No. 6 in Class 3A.

Overview: The Austin Blythe era kicked off triumphantly last week; Williamsburg went to the southeast tip of the state and came away with a 44-0 rout of Keokuk. Credit a ground attack that clicked off 253 yards (8.2 per carry), and a defense that more than stymied the Chiefs’ running attack (minus-22 yards on 20 carries). Solon opened with a 36-13 victory against Davenport Assumption. Eli Kampman passed for 272 yards and five touchdowns (on a 15-of-25 completion rate), three to Maddox Kelley.

Mid-Prairie at Alburnett

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 4 in Class 2A.

Overview: Alburnett’s transition to Class 2A had a promising start, a 14-0 victory over Center Point-Urbana in the border rivals’ first meeting in 30 years. Laken Caves scored a pair of touchdowns, and the Pirates’ defense held tight each of the four times CPU drove inside the 50. Now, they face a squad that put up 50 points on Washington (Iowa) last week. Hudson Ehrenfelt ran for 136 yards and three touchdowns, and Brooks Weber threw for 136 yards, on 13-of-passing.

North Linn at Maquoketa Valley

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Maquoketa Valley is ranked No. 1 in Class A.

Overview: Class A opens district play this week, and this encounter will go a long way toward deciding the District 4 champion. Maquoketa Valley strengthened its hold on the No. 1 state ranking with a commanding 33-0 victory over Starmont. Rogan Heidt rushed for 156 yards, and the Wildcats kept the Stars out of the end zone. North Linn opened with a 26-7 victory over Hudson as Will Sommerfelt rushed for a touchdown and passed for another. Maquoketa Valley has won the last two in the series, 35-16 last year.

Clear Creek Amana at Davenport North

When and where: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Davenport (Brady Street Stadium)

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. CCA is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A.

Overview: The Clippers look to make it two in a row against the Davenport public schools; they scored five first-quarter touchdowns and blasted Davenport West at home last week, 63-0. Three different players rushed for 80 yards or more, and CCA ran up 328 ground yards, 13.1 per carry. North was remarkably balanced — 165 yards passing, 168 rushing — in a 27-14 victory over Muscatine. Neil Brown completed 14 of 20 passes and two touchdowns.

Dubuque Wahlert at Anamosa

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

Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-0. Wahlert is ranked No. 7 in Class 3A.

Overview: The reigning 3A state champion, Wahlert sent its winning streak to 14 with a tough 10-6 victory over Western Dubuque in which neither team scored in the second half. This very well might be the first meeting between these two programs. Anamosa warmed up for it with a 20-7 road win over Maquoketa. Hudson Scranton and Reilly Shaw combined for 50 rushing attempts and 227 yards.

Other games involving Metro/Iowa City teams

* Cedar Rapids Jefferson (0-1) at Muscatine (0-1), 7 p.m. Friday

* Center Point-Urbana (0-1) at Marion (0-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday

* Iowa City High (0-1) at Bettendorf (0-1), 7:15 p.m. Friday

* Linn-Mar (0-1) at Ankeny Centennial (0-1), 7 p.m. Friday

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com