Iowa high school boys’ state soccer 2023 superlatives: A look at the brackets in all 4 classes

The first day of the Iowa high school boys’ state soccer tournament that is perhaps best described as Cownie chaos gets a new element this year: Lights.

With the addition of a fourth class, the last games of the day kick off at 7 p.m. or later, a scene that should be worth savoring even more.

The first of the 16 quarterfinal games kicks off at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Des Moines’ Cownie Soccer Park. Boys’ semifinal games are Thursday and the state championships are Saturday.

To get ready for the week, let’s run through a few superlatives in each of the classes.

Class 4A boys’ state soccer superlatives

Tuesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (17-2) vs. No. 8 Ankeny Centennial (9-5), 7 p.m.

No. 4 Johnston (15-3) vs. No. 5 Cedar Rapids Prairie (15-2), 7:10 p.m.

No. 3 Iowa City West (15-2) vs. No. 6 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (12-2), 7:20 p.m.

No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (15-2) vs. No. 7 Ames (13-4), 7:30 p.m.

Highest seed: West Des Moines Valley has won 10 straight games, giving up a goal in just one. The Tigers are 4-1 against teams in the 4A field, with only a 1-0 setback at Johnston.

Most prolific scorer: Opposing teams can’t lose sight of West Des Moines Dowling sophomore Jonathan Mendez, who ranks fourth in Class 4A in goals (21) and assists (13).

Most tradition: Iowa City West is making its state record 23rd state tournament appearance. The Trojans also have won the most state championships and seek a 10th again this week after runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2019. Three of its state-best 41 state tournament victories have come against quarterfinal opponent Cedar Rapids Kennedy, which is seeking its first win over the Trojans since 2015.

Best rematch: Cedar Rapids Prairie’s road to state already featured a familiar foe in a penalty-shootout win over Pleasant Valley, which beat the Hawks in the state semifinals on its way to last year’s 3A title. Prairie’s state quarterfinal match brings back fonder memories; the Hawks upset Johnston in penalties in the same round last year for their first win at state.

Biggest underdog: Four of Ankeny Centennial’s five losses came in the uncompromising CIML. The 11th-ranked Jaguars always were dangerous and proved it with a 2-1 win over No. 4 Waukee Northwest to get to state.

Class 3A boys’ state soccer superlatives

Tuesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Des Moines Hoover (16-1) vs. No. 8 Cedar Rapids Xavier (6-10), 4 p.m.

No. 4 Humboldt (16-1) vs. No. 5 Norwalk (11-7), 4:10 p.m.

No. 3 Dallas Center-Grimes (13-3) vs. No. 6 Iowa City Liberty (9-8), 4:20 p.m.

No. 2 Marion (18-0) vs. No. 7 Denison-Schleswig (10-4), 4:30 p.m.

Highest seed: Des Moines Hoover’s lone loss was to 2A top-ranked Gilbert, 2-1, in a Saturday tournament, but the Huskies haven’t faced any 3A or 4A state qualifiers. Third-seeded Dallas Center-Grimes was the top-ranked team in the final coaches association rankings.

Most prolific scorer: Marion’s Jackson Kirsch has followed up a 55-goal junior season with 69 more this spring to set a state single-season record. Classmate Elijah Smith leads 3A with 28 assists.

Most tradition: Cedar Rapids Xavier may be in an unfamiliar spot as the eighth seed, but the Saints have made Cownie home many times before. This is 20th trip to state for a program that has won eight state championships.

Warmest welcome: Iowa City Liberty makes its state tournament debut in its fifth season, its first under Coach Matt Harding.

Biggest underdog: Denison-Schleswig joins Xavier as unranked teams in the field, but its latest results have been convincing. The Monarchs knocked off No. 14 Sioux City West, 3-1, in the substate semifinals, then overturned a regular-season defeat with a 4-1 substate-final win over Storm Lake.

Class 2A boys’ state soccer superlatives

Tuesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Davenport Assumption (15-1) vs. No. 8 Perry (11-7), 1 p.m.

No. 4 Webster City (14-1) vs. No. 5 Nevada (15-4), 1:10 p.m.

No. 3 Gilbert (18-2) vs. No. 6 Greene County (13-4), 1:20 p.m.

No. 2 Sioux City Heelan (13-2) vs. No. 7 Center Point-Urbana (12-3), 1:30 p.m.

Highest seed: Davenport Assumption won its third state championship in Class 1A last season and returns to try its hand at 2A. Gilbert ended the regular season as the coaches association’s No. 1 team.

Most prolific scorer: Gesser Gutierres had a hat trick in Greene County’s substate-final win over Charition, giving him a 2A-best 42 goals this season.

Most tradition: Assumption has the most titles of this year’s 2A field, but Nevada is here for the 13th time and is the only other program with a state championship (2000).

Best rematch: Gilbert beat Greene County in three of the last four Nevada tournaments. The stakes are higher this time.

Biggest underdog: A Center Point-Urbana team with only one senior starter grew up fast. Drew Schellhorn’s overtime goal gave the 11th-ranked Stormin’ Pointers the only road victory in the 2A substate finals, 1-0 at No. 9 Decorah.

Class 1A boys’ state soccer superlatives

Tuesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck (18-0) vs. No. 8 Waterloo Columbus (9-8), 10 a.m.

No. 4 Des Moines Christian (11-4) vs. No. 5 West Branch (14-3), 10:10 a.m.

No. 3 West Liberty (15-2) vs. No. 6 Iowa City Regina (17-4), 10:20 a.m.

No. 2 Western Christian (12-2) vs. No. 7 Treynor (13-5), 10:30 a.m.

Highest seed: Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck lost twice by a goal last spring, including to West Liberty in the substate finals, and has yet to lose since.

Most prolific scorer: West Liberty’s Juan Mateo is having a senior season to remember with a 1A-best 36 goals. Now he’ll try to help the Comets get past the semifinals for the first time.

Most tradition: After a Class 1A record 13 consecutive state tournament bids, it was strange not seeing Iowa City Regina there last spring. The Regals are back for the 15th time.

Best rematch: The first River Valley Conference title race came down to Regina’s 1-0 win over West Liberty on April 28, the only time the Comets were shut out this season. The local rivalry heads west for its first state tournament edition since Regina’s 3-1 semifinal win on its way to the 2019 1A title.

Warmest welcome: West Branch is known for its American football tradition, but is setting a winning foundation in association football, too. The Bears are 45-13 in their four seasons and now set to make their state debut.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com