First-round playoff capsules

 A dozen key area football games for the first round of the playoffs Wednesday: 

CEDAR FALLS at CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (Class 4A)

Time and site: 5:30 p.m., at Kingston Stadium

Records and rankings: Both teams are 6-3.

Notable: The opener of Wednesday's Kingston twinbill is a rematch of a Week 3 game won by Cedar Falls, 21-7. The MVC Valley Division-champion Warriors haven't been beaten since, winning six straight games and heading into the playoffs with momentum and confidence. Cedar Falls' Eli Berregaard is fourth in Class 4A in rushing, with 1,277 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Tigers are making their 10th consecutive playoff appearance. Washington has flourished in the first year back for Coach Paul James, and the best appears to be on the horizon for this program. Junior Reid Snitker has proven to be a more-than-capable quarterback, passing for 1,302 yards and rushing for 491.  

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE at CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (Class 4A)

Time and site: 8 p.m., at Kingston Stadium

Records and rankings: Prairie is 5-4; Kennedy is 6-3.

Notable: Kennedy gained a home-field date by knocking off Iowa City High, 35-14, last week, getting a school-record 300 rushing yards from Miles Moa. This is a rematch from a Week 2 encounter, won by the Cougars, 28-24, at John Wall Field. This one figures to be just as close. Kennedy is a playoff qualifier for the ninth straight year behind a bruising running attack led by Moa (1,128 yards). Prairie has climbed back to prominence under third-year coach Mike Morrissey; the Hawks reached the 4A quarterfinals last year. Mitch Christensen has rushed for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns for the Hawks. 

CLINTON at CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (Class 4A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Saints Field

Records and rankings: Clinton is 4-5; No. 3 Xavier is 8-1.

Notable: If districts replace conference football on the east side of the state, this will likely be Xavier's last run as a 4A program. It figures to be a long, joyous ride. The 4A state runner-up in 2012, Xavier owns the best scoring defense in big-school football, allowing 6.8 points per game. That unit is led by guys like Nic Ekland, Logan Clarahan, Daniel Vega and University of Iowa recruit Matt Nelson. Brendan Miller rushed for a school-record 275 yards Friday against Linn-Mar, and has posted 1,118 yards this season. Clinton lost its last two regular-season games, giving up 93 points to MAC heavyweights Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf.  

DUBUQUE HEMPSTEAD at IOWA CITY WEST (Class 4A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Trojan Field

Records and rankings: Hempstead is 4-5; No. 5 West is 8-1.

Notable: When these teams met in Iowa City in Week 6, the Trojans needed a touchdown from Micah Kelsay with 8 seconds left to win a slugfest, 39-35. Hempstead's 4-5 record is somewhat deceiving; four of the Mustangs' five losses were decided by eight points or less, including the heartbreaker to West. Still, it's been a gigantic jump for a team that went 0-9 in 2012. Matt Zenner has rushed for 1,216 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Mustangs. He'll have to pile up a bundle for Hempstead to keep pace with West, which averages 40.7 points per game. Nate Boland has passed for 1,298 yards and has rushed for 733 for West.  

MUSCATINE at IOWA CITY HIGH (Class 4A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Bates Field

Records and rankings: Muscatine is 5-4; City High is 7-2.

Notable: City High captured the MVC Mississippi Division crown, but took a pop last week in its regular-season finale, absorbing a 35-14 loss to Cedar Rapids Kennedy. That ended a seven-game win streak for the Little Hawks. Xavier Washpun is the third-leading rusher in Class 4A, accounting for 1,549 ground yards and 17 touchdowns. City High is making its 11th consecutive playoff appearance and its 25th overall. Muscatine won its last two games, including an impressive 28-24 win over North Scott in Week 8. A pass-happy outfit last year, the Muskies are more diverse now behind running back Austin Moss (814 yards, 12 touchdowns).  

MARION at WEST DELAWARE (Class 3A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Manchester

Records and rankings: Marion is 4-5; West Delaware is 8-1.

Notable: Just when it seemed Marion was spiraling toward oblivion, the Indians rose up, played the game of their season (a 10-0 win over DeWitt Central) and pushed into the playoffs for the 17th time. They face a stiff opening test against the West Delaware squad that has won four straight games and averages 42.8 points per game. The Hawks are potent behind Coy Roussell, who has rushed for 1,520 yards (more than 10 per carry) and 17 touchdowns. QB Brent Lammers has passed for 14 touchdowns and has rushed for 13 more. Marion's offensive strength is in its receivers -- Quinn Cannoy has 33 catches for 583 yards; Logan Fuller 25 for 311.  

WESTERN DUBUQUE at SOLON (Class 3A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Solon

Records and rankings: Western Dubuque is 4-5; Solon is 8-1.

Notable: "Solon" and "under the radar" generally aren't two terms used in the same story, let alone the same sentence. But the Spartans have quietly assembled another excellent season, averaging 45.8 points against district competition and winning all their league games by 18 points or more. Jacob Black, a transfer from Monticello, has engineered the Spartans' offensive might by passing for 13 touchdowns (against no interceptions) and rushing for 933 yards and 14 scores. In a bit of a scheduling quirk, Western Dubuque has neither won nor lost consecutive games this season. The Bobcats were beaten 57-14 last week by defending 3A champion Decorah.  

UNION at CASCADE (Class 2A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Cascade

Records and rankings: Union is 5-4; Cascade is 7-2.

Notable: Cascade's seven-game winning streak came to a crashing halt Friday, 42-6, at the hands of Dyersville Beckman. Now the Cougars try to pick up the pieces against a team it beat earlier this season -- they defeated Union, 30-21, in Week 5, starting the Knights on a four-game losing streak. Union recovered to win Friday, 42-0 over Waterloo Columbus in a must-win for postseason qualification. The Knights still have University of Iowa recruit Jay Scheel, who has passed for 1,396 yards and 15 touchdowns. Cascade quarterback Derek Lieurance ranks second in 2A in passing yards (1,852) and Nate Bergfeld leads the class in receiving yards (956, in 49 receptions).  

TIPTON at IOWA CITY REGINA (Class 1A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Regina

Records and rankings: Tipton is 4-5; No. 1 Regina is 9-0.

Notable: Regina has completed its first chapter of another ultra-successful season, racing through regular-season and district play without a hitch. The Regals' winning streak stands at 51 games as they begin pursuit of a fourth consecutive state championship. It's hard to imagine them getting a stiff challenge in Round 1. Drew Cook is the latest in a line of efficient Regals quarterbacks; he has passed for 1,616 yards and 17 touchdowns (against only one interception). The Regals average 41 points while allowing just 9 per game. Tipton is paced by running back Chandler Harden, who has rushed for 1,362 yards and 15 TDs. The Tigers enter with a three-game losing streak.  

WEST BRANCH at MAQUOKETA VALLEY (Class 1A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Delhi

Records and rankings: West Branch is 6-3; No. 4 Maquoketa Valley is 9-0.

Notable: Only two running backs in 11-man football have rushed for yards than Maquoketa Valley's Ryan Parmely. The junior netted 1,951 yards and 19 touchdowns as the Wildcats posted a perfect regular season. They won a few games comfortably, and they've also won the close ones, including three games decided by seven points or less. Even though West Branch was fourth in its district, it would be unwise to overlook the tradition-rich Bears in this game. Michael Gould has rushed for 1,160 yards and 17 touchdowns, and Lucas Lamont has passed for 1,343 yards and 13 scores.  

MONTEZUMA at LISBON (Class A)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Lisbon

Records and rankings: Montezuma is 6-3; No. 5 Lisbon is 7-2.

Notable: Lisbon enters its 10th consecutive postseason after blazing through its district. The Lions outscored their last seven opponents by a 356-43 margin, including a 43-0 rout of Lone Tree on Friday in a game that decided the A-5 title. Logan Rickard has passed for 924 yards while Tyler Svatosch has rushed for 792. While the Lions have surged, Montezuma has slid. The Braves have dropped three consecutive games after starting 6-0, and they have been shut out in back-to-back games by BGM and Lynnville-Sully. Mitch Gibson is an opportunistic defender for the Braves, with five interceptions and two fumble recoveries.  

TRIPOLI at SPRINGVILLE (8-Man)

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Springville

Records and rankings: Tripoli is 4-5; No. 5 Springville is 9-0.

Notable: Last year, Springville was celebrating its first playoff appearance. This time around it's a different story. The Orioles have the capability to become the area's first eight-man team to reach the UNI-Dome. They demolished everything in their path in the regular season, averaging 66.8 points per game while allowing less than 10. Elias Nissen is the state's leading scorer, accumulating 296 points. On the ground alone, he rushed for 1,440 yards (13.7 per carry) and scored 38 touchdowns. Sam Scriver completed 59 percent of his passes, including 12 for touchdowns. Tripoli lost its last two regular-season games, but has a quality QB in Austin Newbrough (1,069 passing yards, 805 rushing yards).  

OTHER AREA GAMES (all 7 p.m.):

Class 3A: Carlisle (4-5) at No. 6 Washington (8-1)

Class 3A: Crestwood (5-4) at Maquoketa (6-3)

Class 3A: DeWitt Central (4-5) at No. 2 Decorah (9-0)

Class 3A: Norwalk (5-4) at Williamsburg (7-2)

Class 2A: Center Point-Urbana (5-4) at No. 2 New Hampton (9-0)

Class 2A: Davis County (5-4) at Mid-Prairie (7-2)

Class 2A: Hampton-Dumont (6-3) at No. 9 Dyersville Beckman (7-2)

Class 2A: Monticello (6-3) at No. 4 Waukon (8-1)

Class 2A: West Liberty (4-5) at Bondurant-Farrar (7-2)

Class 1A: Eddyville EBF (6-3) at No. 10 Clayton Ridge (8-1)

Class 1A: Hudson (5-4) at No. 8 North Fayette Valley (8-1)

Class 1A: North Cedar (5-4) at No. 5 Wilton (8-1)

Class 1A: South Hamilton (6-3) at No. 9 South Winneshiek (7-2)

Class A: Belle Plaine (4-5) at No. 3 Wapsie Valley (9-0)

Class A: Conrad BCLUW (5-4) at Turkey Valley (6-3)

Class A: Lone Tree (6-3) at No. 7 Pekin (7-2)

Class A: Postville (4-5) at No. 9 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (7-2)

Class A: Starmont (5-4) at Grundy Center (6-3)

Class A: Van Buren (5-4) at No. 1 BGM (9-0)

8-Man: Elkader Central (6-4) at No. 3 Don Bosco (9-0)

8-Man: Grandview Park Baptist (3-6) at HLV (8-2)

8-Man: Meskwaki Settlement (5-4) at No. 4 Adair-Casey (9-0)

8-Man: Northwood-Kensett (6-3) at Lansing Kee (6-3)