MFL MarMac’s football team lost in last season’s Class 1A state playoff quarterfinals to West Branch, 27-24, blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. That made Friday night’s 21-0 win in a 1A second-round game extra special.
Friday was a night for Iowa high school football state playoffs, so of course the neighboring towns of Lisbon, Mount Vernon and Solon were busy.
Here’s our Round of 16 playoff roundup with Iowa high school football scores, stats and complete Gazette-area coverage from Friday night’s games.
One game away from the Dome. The 2023 Iowa high school football playoff quarterfinals are set after Friday’s first-round (5A, 4A and 3A) and second-round (2A, 1A, A and 8-Player) games.
Mount Vernon’s football team got the first offensive possession of Friday night’s Class 3A first-round football playoff game at home against Independence. The Mustangs ran 19 offensive plays, took over 10 minutes off the clock but didn’t score. That was one of the few unsuccessful drives as MV rolled to a 50-6 win
East Buchanan beat Lisbon 38-7 Friday night to advance to the Class A Iowa high school state football quarterfinals.
For No. 6 Central City, the harsh realities of football came to light in Friday night's game with No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck. The Wildcats lost one of their most versatile players in last week's win over Lansing Kee when Matthew Klostermann went down with a knee injury. That was compounded by the loss of Christoper Greif and Braxton Davis during the team's 36-12 loss to the Rebels in a second-round game.
If it isn’t broken, don’t pass it. That’s the approach East Buchanan took in its 38-7 rout of fifth-ranked Lisbon Friday night in a Class A second-round prep football playoff game. The Buccaneers, led by “thunder and lightning” backs Tanner Thurn and Hunter Bowers, rushed for 379 yards. All their offensive yards came on the ground.
Cedar Rapids Xavier scored two touchdowns in the final 4:25, including a 3-yard TD pass from Ronan Thomas to Quinn Oleson with 31 seconds remaining, for a 17-10 victory in the Class 4A state playoffs Friday night at Saints Field.
Two weeks after blanking Wilton, 35-0, in the regular-season finale, the first three quarters were more of the same. Whatever adjustments the Beavers (8-2) tried were ineffective as the Regals started quick, breezing past Wilton again, 33-18, in a Class 1A state playoff game Friday night at Regina.
Mount Vernon advanced to the Class 3A Iowa high school football state quarterfinals with a 50-6 win over Independence on Friday.
Iowa City Regina advanced to the Class 1A Iowa high school football state quarterfinals with a 33-18 win over Wilton on Friday.
Cedar Rapids Xavier advanced to the Class 4A Iowa high school football state quarterfinals with a 17-10 win over Indianola on Friday.
Girls basketball: Cedar Rapids Washington moves into sole possession of the MVC Valley Division lead with a 43-37 win at Cedar Falls.
Iowa State, Iowa and University of Northern Iowa had held steady most of the season but all three dropped in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association dual rankings.
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