Week 9 playoff primer

We have reached the final week of the regular season for high school football in Iowa. Here is how the area playoff scene shapes up:

CLASS 4A: MVC & MACEleven of the 16 berths have been decided on the east side of the state in Class 4A, and six of those berths belong to MVC teams.

Iowa City West (8-0) is the Mississippi Division champion while

Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-0) reigns in the Valley Division. If all goes as projected, West will be the No. 2 seed (behind MAC champion 

Pleasant Valley) while Xavier will be No. 3.

Cedar Falls has clinched home field for the opening round and is in line for the No. 4 seed with a win. The MVC's

Dubuque Senior (6-2),

Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-3) and

Waterloo East (5-3) are assured of playoff berths, as are

Muscatine (6-2),

Davenport Assumption (6-2),

Bettendorf (5-3) and

North Scott (5-3) of the MAC.

Davenport Central and

Iowa City High are 4-4, and though neither are officially in yet, both can clinch with wins -- and it would take an avalanche of upsets for either to miss the playoffs.That leaves six teams wrangling for the final three spots, and four of them are 3-5.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy and

Linn-Mar lead those teams in playoff points, and Kennedy (which had won three straight games and plays at fading City High) is the most likely Week 9 winner. Linn-Mar travels to Xavier while

Waterloo West is at Prairie and

Burlington meets Pleasant Valley.

Cedar Rapids Washington and

Clinton are 2-6 and mathematically alive, but barely.

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 5

Decorah (8-0, 5-0) is the champion while

West Delaware (6-2, 4-1) has clinched the second spot and home field for Round 1.

Western Dubuque (4-4, 3-2),

Crestwood (3-5, 3-2) and

Vinton-Shellsburg (3-5, 2-3) are wrestling for the final two spots. If Crestwood wins at Vinton, the Cadets are the third qualifier and Western Dubuque is No. 4, provided the Bobcats lose to Decorah. Vinton-Shellsburg can qualify with a win if Western Dubuque also wins, or a win of eight points or more regardless of Western Dubuque's result.

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 6The math is simple if

Marion (7-1, 5-0) goes to

DeWitt Central (5-3, 4-1) on Friday and wins: The Indians would be district champions. Central claims the title with a win and a loss by

Solon (6-2, 4-1), or a win by 11 points or more regardless of Solon's outcome. The Spartans can't win the district, but can place second with a win over Benton Community and a Central loss. Friday's winner between

Clear Creek Amana and

Maquoketa (both 4-4, 2-3) snags the fourth spot.

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 7

Williamsburg (7-1, 5-0) owns the district championship, and

Washington (5-3, 4-1) is guaranteed second place while

Keokuk (4-4, 3-2) is penciled in at third.

Mount Pleasant (2-6, 2-3) grabs the fourth spot if it can win at Williamsburg; otherwise, the final slot likely belongs to

Fairfield (2-6, 2-4).

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 3

Union (7-1, 5-0) has clinched the title, and the second position will be determined by Friday's winner between

New Hampton (7-1, 4-1) and

Waukon (7-1, 4-1).

Osage (4-4, 2-3) and

Central Springs (2-6, 2-3) will decide the fourth spot at Manly.

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 4

Dyersville Beckman leads the way at 7-1 and 5-0, and the Blazers are champions if they win Friday at

Cascade (5-3, 4-1). The Cougars can take the title with a victory and if

Center Point-Urbana (7-1, 4-1) is upset by

Mount Vernon (5-3, 3-2). If Cascade and CPU win, the title will be decided by points: Beckman is currently at plus-52, CPU at plus-34 and Cascade plus-30. Mount Vernon (plus-19) could move all the way up to second with a win of eight-plus and a decisive loss by Cascade.

CLASS 2A DISTRICT 5This is easy to decipher.

Mediapolis (8-0, 5-0) is the champion while the runner-up will be Friday's winner between

Mid-Prairie (6-2, 4-1) and

West Liberty (5-3, 4-1).

Louisa-Muscatine (4-4, 3-2) has wrapped up the final spot.

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 4The four qualifiers have been determined, led by champion

South Winneshiek (7-1, 5-0).

Sumner-Fredericksburg (6-2, 4-1) has clinched the second spot while

Saint Ansgar (6-2, 3-2) and

Denver (4-5, 3-2) -- which play this week -- are the other two teams in. 

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 5

Clayton Ridge is in the clubhouse at 6-2 and 5-1 with a non-district game remaining, but

Maquoketa Valley (7-1, 4-1) can overtake the Eagles for the district title if it defeats winless North Cedar this week at Delhi.

Tipton (5-3, 3-2) has wrapped up a slot, and

Alburnett (4-4, 3-2) can join the party if it defeats the Tigers. If Alburnett loses and

Durant (2-6, 2-3) beats Bellevue, then Durant is in.

CLASS 1A DISTRICT 6The qualifiers have been determined, and barring a major upset, the order will be as follows:

Iowa City Regina (8-0, 5-0),

Wilton (6-2, 4-1),

West Branch (6-2, 3-2) and

Sigourney-Keota (4-4, 3-2).

CLASS A DISTRICT 3

Wapsie Valley (8-0, 6-0) is the champion while

Starmont (6-2, 5-1) is the runner-up.

North Butler (5-3, 4-2) also has assured itself a berth, with

North Linn (4-4, 3-3) and 

Turkey Valley (3-5, 3-3) in the mix to qualify. North Linn is in with a win over North Butler (based on a points advantage on Turkey Valley), and the Trojans qualify with a win over winless Edgewood-Colesburg and a North Linn loss.

CLASS A DISTRICT 4Despite getting tripped up last week,

Belle Plaine (6-2, 4-1) plays for the district title at home this week against

North Tama (7-1, 5-0). Both teams have qualified. So has

Gladbrook-Reinbeck (4-4, 3-2), which is heavily favored to finish third by beating Garwin GMG this week. If Gladbrook-Reinbeck wins,

Iowa Valley (5-3, 2-3) can get the fourth spot by beating Conrad BCLUW.

Grundy Center (3-5, 3-3) is idle and must wait and watch Friday's developments. The Spartans win if Gladbrook-Reinbeck loses or if Iowa Valley loses.

CLASS A DISTRICT 5The champion will be determined Friday at Lone Tree, where defending state champion

Lisbon (7-1, 6-0) faces

Lone Tree (6-2, 6-0).

WACO (6-2, 4-2) and

Highland (5-3, 4-2) have qualified and meet at Riverside with third place on the line.

CLASS A DISTRICT 6It's a four-way tie for the lead, and all four co-leaders wrapped up berths long ago. The number of one-loss teams will be carved from four to two Friday, when

Pekin (7-1, 5-1) visits

BGM (6-2, 5-1) and

Montezuma (6-2, 5-1) travels to

Lynnville-Sully (6-2, 5-1). Four potential tie-breakers: Pekin would get it over Lynnville-Sully, which would get it over BGM, which would get it over Montezuma, which would get it over Pekin.

EIGHT-MAN DISTRICT 4

Preston (7-1, 7-0) is the champion while

Springville (7-1, 6-1) has wrapped up its first playoff berth in school history, as well as a home game in the first round.

West Central (6-3, 5-2) and

Lansing Kee (6-2, 5-2) have captured the other two spots, and play for third place Friday at Lansing.

EIGHT-MAN DISTRICT 5

HLV (8-0, 7-0) takes a well-deserved bye week after wrapping up the championship in its first season of eight-man ball.

Melcher-Dallas (6-1, 5-1) and

Wayne (6-2, 5-2) also have qualified. The winner between

Twin Cedars (4-4, 3-3) and

Tri-County (2-6, 2-4) is likely to grab the other spot. Twin Cedars also can qualify if it loses by 12 points or less and if Meskwaki Settlement upsets Melcher-Dallas at Tama.