Prep football capsules: Quarterfinals

Jeremiah Davis, The Gazette

CLASS 4A

Iowa City West (7-4) at

No. 1 C.R. Washington (11-0)

l Site: Kingston Stadium

l Overview: This is a rematch from the Sept. 12 game, also at Kingston Stadium, in which the Warriors won, 28-0. The Trojans have been a much different team since that time, going 6-2, with their only losses coming to No. 2 Bettendorf (28-27) and Pleasant Valley (38-24), which won six straight to end the regular season and win the district. The I.C. West offense, which was clicking in the second-round win against Linn-Mar, faces a stout Washington defense allowing just 10.7 points per game. If West is going to pull the upset, it'll need to rely on the passing game of quarterback Aaron Bleil (57.7 percent completion, 2,254 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs).

CLASS 3A

No. 7 West Delaware (10-1) at No. 8 C.R. Xavier (8-3)

l Site: Saints Field

l Overview: The Saints have thrived all season on the run game and defense, but took a hit on both sides in their 33-20 second round win against Waverly-Shell Rock. Starting running back Jay Kortemeyer and linebacker/fullback Nick Eckland are both out with injuries suffered on Monday. Sean Murphy stepped in well for Xavier with 112 yards in 16 carries and one touchdown in relief. West Delaware averages 36.1 points per game and allows an average of 13.8, only amplifying the loss of the top two Saints in total rushing and receiving, as well as the seventh leading tackler.

Washington (Iowa) (8-3) at

No. 1 Pella (11-0)

l Overview: Another rematch in the quarterfinals, and also was a shutout, with the Dutch winning 35-0 in the season-opener. The Demons are winners of six straight after starting 2-3. For Washington, the game comes down to if it can get in the endzone. In their eight wins, the Demons average 46.1 points per game; in the three losses, it's 11.3. That's easier said than done against a team that shut them out in the opener, and three other teams the rest of the season, and without tight end Dallas Hobbs, who has a knee injury and won't play. Washington, too, will have to stop a three-headed Dutch rushing attack of quarterback Noah Clayberg (1,255 yards, 18 TDs), Quinton Murphy (690 yards, 12 TDs) and Nathan Henry (658 yards, 16 TDs).

CLASS 2A

No. 7 Albia (10-1)

at No. 3 Williamsburg (11-0)

l Overview: This is a game of strength versus strength, and likely to be a high-scoring affair. Albia is the No. 1 team in 2A in scoring, with 43.9 points per game, and Williamsburg is No. 8 at 33.7. The Raiders were one of two Class 2A teams who remain undefeated (Spirit Lake), while Albia's lone setback was a one-point loss to Collins-Maxwell-Baxter. They have two common opponents in Mid-Prairie and PCM-Monroe. Both teams got wins in those games, but Albia was much more convincing with a 49-8 win against Mid-Prairie and a 48-14 win against PCM. Williamsburg trailed Mid-Prairie at halftime before pulling away and beat PCM 45-31.

New Hampton (8-3)

at No. 5 North Fayette Valley (10-1)

l Overview: The third rematch of the nine area games in the quarterfinals, the Oct. 24 season-finale saw North Fayette Valley win, 15-13, in one of its three most low-scoring games of the season. The two games since saw NFV score 73 against Monticello and 55 against Mount Vernon. NFV gets nearly all of its offense on the ground, with two 1,000-plus-yard rushers this season in Josh Mackey (1,212, 24 TDs) and Derrick Kuehner (1,076, 14 TDs).

Dyersville Beckman (9-2) at

No. 9 Hampton-Dumont (10-1)

l Overview: The Blazers enter on a five-game winning streak, including shutouts of New Hampton and Waterloo Columbus. They also got a second-round upset of No. 6 Cascade on Monday, 28-20, making them one of the hottest teams in 2A. Beckman relies heavily on running back Tyler Hirsch, who has 1,293 yards and 12 TDs this season. First-year starter Connor Klostermann has been servicable but not great at 46.1 percent completion, 987 yards, 5 TDs and 5 INTs to this point, so if they're going to score on a Hampton-Dumont defense allowing just 10.5 points per game, Hirsch will have to have a big game.

CLASS 1A

Central Decatur (9-2) at

No. 1 I.C. Regina (10-1)

l Overview: Since the Week 1 loss to Solon (on the final play), Regina has won by an average of 39.6 points each game, and easily vaulting itself into the No. 1 scoring offense in Class 1A at 46.5 points per game. Drew Cook, the future Iowa Hawkeye, has been sharp again this season, at 64.1 percent completion, 1,729 yards, 21 TDs and just one INT. Running back Jake Brinkman is just shy of 1,000 yards at 995 and 14 TDs this season. And looking at common opponents, Regina beat Pella Christian (63-14) and Panorama (57-13) by a combined 93 points. Central Decatur went 1-1 against those two, falling to Panorama, 42-14.

No. 10 Dike-New Hartford (9-2)

at No. 3 South Winneshiek (11-0)

l Overview: Fresh off an upset of No. 4 West Branch, No. 10 Dike-New Hartford heads to No. 3 South Winneshiek, which has won the last two times these teams have played. South Winn won earlier this season, 28-19, and in the first round of last year's playoffs, 36-17. South Winn is also one of three undefeated teams in Class 1A, while Dike-New Hartford's only other loss was to Class A No. 4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck in Week 2. The Warriors' are led by running back Ryan Hageman, who has 1,243 yards and 24 TDs so far this season.

8-MAN

No. 6 HLV (10-1) at

No. 5 Elkader Central (11-0)

l Overview: One team emerged as a surprise undefeated team this season, the other is coming off an upset of No. 2 Janesville in the second round of the playoffs. Elkader Central is by far the top-scoring team in 8-man this season, outpacing even Don Bosco, who had the infamous 102-6 win against Tri-County. The Warriors scored 94 points twice this season, against Dunkerton and Cedar Valley Christian, and only scored less than 60 twice.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com