Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The halfway point of the regular season is fast approaching.

That official midway point for area teams comes at half time next week but the picture should be a little clearer for area teams following week four.

District play began for all classes except 4A last week and Friday brings the first week full of key district games for area opponents.

Solon hosts Washington in a battle of unbeatens with district title implications while Regina travels to last year’s district runner-up Sigourney-Keota and West Branch is on the road at 3-0 Maquoketa Valley.   

Then there is the biggest non-district game of the year as West High and City High meet in the Battle for the Boot.

Forecasts call for temperatures in the 90s on Friday so here are five things to watch in week four as the football season continues to heat up.

Battle For the Boot

It’s simple. This week all football talk in the Iowa City area starts with the Battle for the Boot.

Class 4A No. 2 West High (3-0) travels to Frank Bates Field to face City High (1-2) in the 49th regular season meeting between the two cross-town rivals.

City High is riding a two-game win streak in the series after a 20-7 win over the Trojans last season at West High.

Since its loss in the Boot Game last season West High has gone 10-2, reached the Class 4A title game and averaged 37 points per game.

The title game appearance for West High last season was its first since 1999, which is also the last year the Trojans won a game at City High.

Too Early For Title Talk?

Week four is early to be talking district titles but there is no question the winner of Friday’s showdown between Solon (3-0) and Washington (3-0) leaves Spartan Stadium in the Class 3A District 5 driver’s seat.

Solon and Washington are the only teams in District 5 to start the year 3-0 and both opened district play with a win last week.

The two perennial eastern Iowa powers have gotten plenty familiar with each other over recent years meeting five times in the past four seasons.

Solon holds a 3-2 edge in those matchups including a 36-15 win in Washington last season.

Washington outgained Solon 327-173 last season but the Spartans ended the game with 36 unanswered points the final 14 coming on interception returns for scores by Spencer Wegmann and Tyler Linderbaum.

“They are going to be a good team and they are going to be gunning for us,” Wegmann said. “It’s going to be a good, hard-hitting physical game and whoever executes better is going to come out on top.”

Home Sweet Home for Clear Creek Amana

It’s homecoming week for Clear Creek Amana and the Clippers are hoping a return home is just what they need to get going.

Clear Creek Amana (0-3) has been outscored 77-27 in back-to-back road trips to Independence and Dubuque Wahlert while allowing nearly 900 yards of offense.

The Clippers will try to right the ship on Friday in a homecoming tilt with Maquoketa (0-3) as first year coach Gabe Bakker goes for his first victory at Clear Creek Amana.

Avoiding A Bear Trap

West Branch has been impressive during its 3-0 start to the season.

The eighth-ranked Bears opened the season with a 35-20 win over upstart West Liberty and have outscored their past two opponents 77-6.

With a highly-anticipated rematch with No. 9 Bellevue lurking on September 22 the Bears can’t afford to overlook Friday’s trip to Maquoketa Valley (3-0).

West Branch won a high-scoring affair over the Wildcats last season 54-32 and expect another shootout in Delhi on Friday.

Maquoketa Valley has scored with a balanced offense capable of putting up points and West Branch has been explosive behind junior quarterback Beau Cornwell (569 passing yards, 9 touchdowns) and senior receivers Jacob Graves (13 receptions, 209 yards) and Ben Thompson (14 receptions, 239 yards).

White Wears the Crown

Regina got back on track last week with a 56-7 win over Wapello after back-to-back losses to 3A opponents to start the season.

The Regals will get another big boost this week with Cole White expected to make his Regina debut on Friday at Sigourney-Keota (1-2).

White had 15 sacks and 44.5 tackles in an all-state season last fall at Clear Creek Amana and sat out the first three games after transferring to Regina.

The 5-foot-10, 220-pound senior defensive end and offensive lineman should provide an immediate presence on both sides of the ball for Regina.