Tonight's top 10 prep football matchups

Here are the 10 best area football match-ups in Week 1:Also a reminder on how you can participate in the

live coverage tonight.We will have a live chat going from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. pulling in the Twitter hashtag #iahsfb to report scores and highlights from across Eastern Iowa.Jeff Linder, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Johnson will also take part in a live chat from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. to talk about what happens in tonight's games.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY at CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER

Time & place: 7:15 p.m., Saints Field

Records: Kennedy was 5-6 in 2009, Xavier was 10-3.

Notable: Xavier advanced all the way to the Class 4A semifinals last year, and the Saints are ranked No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press poll. Among last year's glory was a 43-19 win over Kennedy. The Cougars hope to build off last year's postseason run, which included a substate upset over Bettendorf.

CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON at LINN-MAR

Time & place: 7:15 p.m., at Armstrong Field, Marion

Records: Jefferson was 1-8 in 2009; Linn-Mar was 9-2.

Notable: Linn-Mar enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2009, tripling its win output and claiming an MVC divisional title. The Lions return all-state running back Jer Garman, who rushed for more than 1,800 yards last year. Friday's game opens the final season at Armstrong Field.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE at CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON

Time & place: 7:15 p.m., at Kingston Stadium

Records: Prairie was 3-7 in 2009; Washington was 9-3.

Notable: Washington was a Class 4A quarterfinalist last year and opens the season ranked No. 10. The Warriors defeated Prairie, 28-7, last year. Prairie was a postseason participant in 2009, but exited in the substate with a 42-13 loss to Clinton.

MOUNT VERNON at MARION

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at Thomas Park Field

Records: Mount Vernon was 2-7 in 2009; Marion was 10-1.

Notable: Marion enjoyed another successful regular season in 2009, and advanced to the first round of the Class 3A playoffs before dropping a 37-30, double-overtime heartbreaker to Decorah. Mount Vernon is a proud program that hopes to rebound after a rough 2009.

BENTON COMMUNITY at VINTON-SHELLSBURG

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at Vinton

Records: Benton was 4-5 in 2009; Vinton-Shellsburg was 4-6.

Notable: These Benton County rivals compete in different Class 3A districts, enabling them to compete in a Week 1 backyard showdown. Vinton-Shellsburg earned the fourth postseason slot from 3A-4 last year, thanks in part to a 16-6 win over the Bobcats. Benton's Zach Twedt is a returning all-stater at linebacker.

UNION at DECORAH

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at Decorah

Records: Union was 8-3 in 2009; Decorah was 9-3.

Notable: Both of these teams enjoyed robust success in 2009; both saw their seasons end with a seven-point loss to New Hampton (Union in the first round, Decorah in the quarterfinals). Decorah kicker Cody Sacquitne is a returning all-stater.

SOLON at DE WITT CENTRAL

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at DeWitt

Records: Solon was 14-0 in 2009; Central was 5-4.

Notable: The three-time reigning state champion in Class 2A, Solon moves up to 3A and has a tricky test right off the bat with a team that disappointed in 2009. The Spartans have won 41 consecutive games; their last defeat came in the 2006 state final. Derrick Loveless and Marshall Koehn are returning all-staters.

SOUTH WINNESHIEK at TURKEY VALLEY

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at Jackson Junction

Records: South Winn was 12-2 in 2009; Turkey Valley was 10-2.

Notable: South Winneshiek moves up a class after advancing to the Class 1A state final; the Warriors' postseason run included a 22-20 win over Turkey Valley in the quarterfinals. Turkey Valley won a regular-season matchup. Lineman Matthew Schmelzer was an all-stater last year. Turkey Valley opens the season rated No. 7 in 1A.

BGM at IOWA CITY REGINA

Time & place: 7 p.m., at Regina

Records: BGM was 9-2 in 2009; Regina was 10-2.

Notable: The Class A fifth-ranked Bears travel to Iowa City to face the top-ranked team in Class 2A.  Solon's departure to 3A could open things up in the 2A postseason for teams like Regina, which returns all-staters in Braden Lehman and Daniel Larew.

MONTICELLO at ANAMOSA

Time & place: 7:30 p.m., at Anamosa

Records: Monticello was 5-4 in 2009; Anamosa was 0-9.

Notable: Athletics director Derek Roberts will double as the football coach at Anamosa, and he has some work to do. The Raiders have lost 10 consecutive games. Last year's game was moved to Coe College due to flooding, with the Panthers rolling, 37-0.

OTHER METRO/IOWA CITY GAMESIowa City High at Dubuque Senior, 7:15 p.m.Waterloo East at Iowa City West, 7:15 p.m.