Iowa high school boys’ soccer 2024 substates: Breaking down the Gazette-area brackets

There are four classifications in Iowa high school boys’ soccer in 2024, meaning a total of 32 state tournament qualifiers.

Substate semifinals are Monday in all four classes and the finals are Wednesday.

Substate winners advance to the state quarterfinals at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines on May 29.

Here’s a breakdown of the brackets with a look at how Gazette-area teams are set up:

Class 4A

Substate 4: Fourth-ranked Iowa City West (16-2), last year’s 4A state runner-up, as the top seed. The Trojans will host Dubuque Senior (5-11) in the semifinal round, with the winner to face Dubuque Hempstead (13-3) or Davenport North (10-5) in the final.

Substate 6 is loaded with Mississippi Valley Conference teams, with top-seeded and eighth-ranked Ankeny (9-8) the lone non-MVC squad. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (3-11) knocked out Cedar Rapids Jefferson (5-12) in the first round Tuesday, setting up a semifinal contest against Ankeny. In the other semifinal, it’ll be a battle between two familiar foes as Linn-Mar (8-6) hosts Cedar Rapids Prairie (8-7). The Lions beat the Hawks, 1-0, on April 20.

Substate 7: Ninth-ranked Des Moines Roosevelt (11-4) is the ace and will square off against Ottumwa (9-3) in semis. No. 10 Iowa City High (10-2) faces Ankeny Centennial (5-11) on the other side of the bracket, potentially setting up a No. 9-vs.-No. 10 matchup for a shot at state.

Class 3A

Substate 2: No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-5) is the 1-seed in and will face North Scott (6-9) in the semis. Should the Saints advance, they’ll face the winner of Washington (10-3) and Fort Madison (8-8).

Substate 3: Eighth-rated Marion (12-4) is the top dog and will open against Western Dubuque (4-12). On the other side of the bracket are Clear Creek Amana (10-4) and Burlington (8-6).

Substate 4: Cedar Rapids Washington (9-7) finds itself back in the rankings at No. 9, earning the 2-seed in this substate. The Warriors will face Mount Vernon (7-8) in the semis. The winner of that contest is likely to face No. 3 Adel ADM (14-1) for a shot at state.

Substate 6: Even at 5-8, Iowa City Liberty has a realistic shot at qualifying for state and defending its crown. The Lightning are seeded third and will meet Carlisle (9-6) in the semis. If they can find a way past the Wildcats, they’re likely to face No. 6 Norwalk (9-8) in the substate final — a rematch of last year’s 3A state championship game.

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Class 2A

Substate 2: A strong regular season helped Benton Community (9-5) secure the 2-seed here. It will meet Clear Lake (9-7) in the semis. The Bobcats’ toughest roadblock to state is top seeded and fourth-ranked Webster City (13-1).

Substate 3: No. 7 AP-DNH United (13-4) is the 1 and Center Point-Urbana (9-4) the 2. The Stormin’ Pointers will have a challenging semifinal matchup against Wamac foe Solon (9-9). The winner will likely face AP-DNH in the finals, barring a West Delaware (3-12) upset.

Substate 4: Decorah (13-3) has climbed the 2A rankings all season, settling in at No. 3 and earning the Vikings the top seed in this substate and a semifinal match against Dubuque Wahlert (4-12). On the other side, DeWitt Central (8-6) has some quality wins this year and is likely to give the Vikings their toughest challenge on the road to state.

Substate 5: No. 6 Williamsburg (13-2) has had an exceptional regular season, especially considering it lost top scorer Mason Eggleston to injury early. The top-seeded Raiders will face Keokuk (1-11) in the semis, with Davenport Assumption (8-7) and Notre Dame/West Burlington (9-8) on the other side.

Class 1A

Substate 4: No. 3 North Fayette Valley (12-3) is the top seed in what should be a competitive substate. Postville (12-3) and Dyersville Beckman (10-6) will be formidable challenges for the TigerHawks in this bracket.

Substate 5: No. 5 West Liberty (10-5) takes the 1-seed with River Valley Conference foe Tipton (10-5), a team that beat the Comets, 1-0, on April 29, the 2-seed. If all plays out like it should on paper, it’ll be a rematch for a shot at state.

Substate 6: Undefeated, No. 1-ranked West Branch (16-0) is the front-runner. If the Bears get past Central Lee (5-5), they’ll face the survivor of Mediapolis (11-3) and Danville/New London (10-3) in the final.

Substate 7 has two strong Gazette-area teams in No. 2 Iowa City Regina (13-3) and Hillcrest Academy (10-3). The Regals are on top and will battle Pella Christian (8-7) in the semis, while the Ravens take on Mid-Prairie (8-7).