Iowa
Iowa high school football: Gazette-area Week 6 games to watch
The following are area football capsules for Week 6 of the Iowa high school football season:
Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Thursday, at Kingston Stadium
Records and rankings: West is 2-3; Jefferson is 4-1.
Overview: The Trojans and the J-Hawks clash for the first time in 10 years, and it’s a pivotal game on both sides. West is 21st in this week’s 5A RPI race, and the Trojans have some climbing to do to reach the playoffs. Jefferson looks to regain its mojo after suffering its first setback last week, 21-13 to Cedar Rapids Washington. The J-Hawks outgained the Warriors, but were beaten on the edge for long touchdowns on three occasions. They’ll try to avoid the same fate against West’s dangerous air attack piloted by Jack Wallace, who is closing in on 1,000 passing yards. Jefferson’s Ishara Kalolero has rushed for 720.
Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Kingston Stadium
Records and rankings: Class 5A No. 3 Bettendorf is 5-0; No. 7 Kennedy is 3-2.
Overview: After an 0-2 start, here come the Cougars. Kennedy has rattled off three consecutive wins, scoring 140 points in that span. That includes last week’s 61-34 romp at Iowa City High. You’ll find QB Vincenzo Gianforte and receiver Cyrus Courtney all over the 5A aerial leader boards, and they’ll look to put a dent in Bettendorf’s 5A-leading defense (the Bulldogs are surrendering just 8.2 points per game). Bettendorf suffered a rare 3-6 season in 2022, but set the tone for a big bounceback immediately, whipping archrival Pleasant Valley, 30-10, in Week 1. Among the Bulldogs’ strengths are their special teams: Caden Buhr is 6 of 7 in field goal attempts and has recorded 29 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Western Dubuque at Marion
Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Marion Stadium
Records and rankings: Both teams are 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 4A District 2. Western Dubuque is co-No. 1 in 4A.
Overview: Marion waited out last Friday’s storm for 2 1/2 hours before taking care of Waterloo East on the road, 45-16. That was the Wolves’ seventh win in the last eight games, dating back to Week 7 of 2022. Their next two games are huge (they’ll go to Decorah — also currently 4-1 — next week). Western Dubuque continues to share the 4A No. 1 slot with Adel ADM in The Gazette’s poll. The Bobcats’ Grant Glausser leads the class in rushing yards (1,132, with 12 TDs) and all-purpose yards (1,301). Marion’s Logan Tilkes has accumulated six quarterback sacks.
Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at West Branch
Records and rankings: Class 1A No. 3 Regina is 5-0 overall, 2-0 1A District 5; West Branch is 3-2, 2-0.
Overview: Regina takes its prolific, consistent passing attack to West Branch for its toughest challenge to date. Gentry Dumont leads 1A in passing yards (1,261) and passing touchdowns (15), with Jackson Naeve on top in receiving yards (528) and TDs (eight). Ty Joss has five TD catches of his own. West Branch has rattled off three straight wins after an 0-2 start and has allowed just three points in the last two weeks. Eight different defenders have at least one takeaway. The Bears’ 23-0 win over Regina last year was their first in the series since 2005.
Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Saints Field
Records and rankings: Class 4A No. 4 North Scott is 4-1 overall, 1-0 4A District 3; Xavier is 3-2, 1-0.
Overview: Go ahead and say it, even though three weeks remain. The 4A District 3 championship will be decided Friday. These two teams are far superior to the other four of the district. Xavier will try to stack consecutive wins together for the first time this season, and if it does, a lengthy streak should follow. The Saints opened district action with a 42-0 win at Clinton, getting 200 passing yards from Ronan Thomas and 101 on the ground from Noah Schimberg. North Scott was similarly successful in a 48-0 rout of Burlington. Lancers QB Lance Gerardy has more than 1,500 yards of total offense to his credit, with 10 passing touchdowns and eight more on the ground.
Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at John Wall Field
Records and rankings: Both teams are 3-2. Ankeny is ranked eighth in Class 5A; Prairie is No. 10.
Overview: Each of Prairie’s next three opponents are above .500, and if the Hawks can get through this stretch with at least two wins, they should be in good shape for a home game in the first round of the 5A playoffs. That’s because of a good strength of schedule that has them at No. 6 in this week’s RPI. Casey Kelley ranks No. 2 in 5A in all-purpose yards, with 1,107, and has 10 rushing touchdowns to his credit. Ankeny is journeying to Eastern Iowa for the second straight Friday; it romped at Iowa City West last week, 48-21, behind a sterling passing performance by junior QB Luke Anderson (17 of 22, 268 yards, three touchdowns).
Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Linn-Mar Stadium
Records and rankings: Muscatine is 3-2; Linn-Mar is 2-3.
Overview: Linn-Mar has dropped three in a row, but the Lions have been competitive in the last two against strong competition (21-14 vs. Bettendorf, 33-21 at Cedar Falls). The schedule lightens a bit for the next three weeks, and there is still time to get back on the right side of the top-16 line for making the 5A playoffs (the Lions are 20th right now). They’ll have to contain Ty Cozad, who has rushed for 200-plus yards in each of the last two games to fuel the surging Muscatine offense; the Muskies have scored 76 points in the last two weeks.
Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Davenport (Brady Street Stadium)
Records and rankings: City is 2-3; Central is 1-4.
Overview: City High heads to the Quad Cities each of the next two weeks (the Little Hawks will be at Davenport North in Week 7), and the Little Hawks sorely need to string together back-to-back wins after suffering a 61-34 defeat at the hands of Cedar Rapids Kennedy last week. At No. 24 in this week’s 5A RPI list, City might need to run the table to make the playoffs, and unbeaten Bettendorf looms in Week 9. With guys like Bobby Bacon, Miles Parlet and Jeremiah Madlock, scoring isn’t the problem. But the Little Hawks are yielding 37.2 points per game, fifth-most in 5A.
Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at North Liberty
Records and rankings: Both teams are 1-4.
Overview: When Liberty is involved, points follow. The Lightning are scoring at a 31.4-point clip, but are allowing 35.6. After splitting with their ICCSD rivals in the first two weeks, they have dropped three in a row. If the Bolts can get past this week, a Week 7 game at Ankeny could determine their postseason fate. This is Liberty’s first game against Washington all-time, and the Bolts have a prolific passing attack centered around QB Graham Beckman and receivers Dallas Miller and Sutton Koller. Washington picked up its first win of the season last week, 21-13, over Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Brock Davis had a long touchdown excursion and a key interception late.
Site and time: 7:15 p.m. Friday, at Mount Vernon
Records and rankings: Both teams are 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 3A District 4. Assumption is ranked No. 3; Mount Vernon is No. 6.
Overview: Mount Vernon’s new on-campus facility will host the de facto 3A District 4 title game. Assumption has clicked off back-to-back convincing wins since a Week 3 setback against North Scott, including a district-opening 38-7 romp over Fort Madison. Mount Vernon bounced back from a loss to Solon, piling up 76 points last week against Mount Pleasant. The Mustangs’ Joey Rhomberg is third among 3A passers, with 1,121 yards (528 to Evan Brase). Assumption is more ground-oriented, with Angelo Jackson at No. 3 in 3A rushing, with 873 rushing yards. Jackson is tops in the class in all-purpose yards, with 1,196.
Benton Community at Solon
Site and time: 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Solon
Records and rankings: Both teams are 4-1 overall, 1-0 Class 3A District 5. Solon is ranked No. 7.
Overview: Spartan Stadium will be one of the state’s focal points for the next two Fridays. First, the surging Spartans face a test against Carson Bruns (571 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) and the Bobcats. Next week, No. 1 Williamsburg comes calling. After scoring a lone touchdown in each of its first two games, Solon has opened up its offense the last three weeks, scoring 118 points in that span. In a 40-7 win over Grinnell last week, Tyler Bell threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Solon’s Brett White is among the 3A leaders in tackles (46), while Benton’s Jace Biery has compiled three interceptions.
MFL MarMac at Dike-New Hartford
Site and time: 7 p.m. Friday, at Dike
Records and rankings: Class 1A No. 9 MFL MarMac is 4-1 overall, 1-1 1A District 3; No. 6 DNH is 3-2, 2-0.
Overview: This week’s Gazette Class 1A rankings features four teams from District 3 (No. 4 Denver and No. 8 Sumner-Fredericksburg are the others), and those four teams are going to lock heads through the final three weeks. MFL MarMac suffered its first defeat last week, 13-9, to Sumner-Fredericksburg, and there’s no time for the Bulldogs to sulk about it. They travel to Dike on Friday, then welcome Denver next week. The Wolverines allow just 8.6 points per game, which is third-best in 1A, and three of their games have been decided by two points or less.
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com