Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

A year ago, West High and Regina each advanced to the state title game only to come up short of a title.

Both programs got a look at their first step to returning to title game games on Saturday morning when the Iowa High School Athletic Association released first-round playoff pairings for all classes.

Defending Class 4A runner-up and top-ranked West High (9-0) will host Cedar Rapids Washington (5-4) in the Class 4A opening round on Friday at Trojan Field.

West High defeated Cedar Rapids Washington 35-7 in the 4A semifinals last season.

Fourth-ranked Regina (7-2) is seeking its eighth straight state title game appearance and will host South Winneshiek (6-3) in the 1A opening round on Friday.

It is the first meeting between the two teams since Regina defeated South Winneshiek 56-18 in the 1A semifinals in 2014.

No. 6 West Branch (9-0) hosts Pleasantville (7-2) in a Class 1A opener on Friday at the Little Rose Bowl.

Class 3A top-ranked Solon (9-0) will host Decorah (7-2) in an opening round matchup at Spartan Stadium.

Solon and Decorah have split a pair of postseason matchups since 2012.

Decorah won 35-10 in 2012 and the Spartans won 28-20 in Decorah the following season.

“We are just focusing on ourselves,” Solon senior Zach Wegmann said. “Whoever they put in front of us we will deal with it then, right now we are looking at ourselves and how we can improve and we will take it from there.”

Postseason Pairings

Class 4A

Opening Round

Oct. 27

Cedar Rapids Washington (5-4) at West High (9-0)

Cedar Falls (8-1) vs. Cedar Rapids Prairie (8-1) at Wartburg College

Pleasant Valley (7-2) at Bettendorf (8-1)

Davenport Central (6-3) at North Scott (8-1)

Council Bluffs Lewis Central (8-1) at West Des Moines Valley (8-1)

Waukee (6-3) at Ankeny Centennial (7-2)

Southeast Polk (6-3) at Johnston (8-1)

West Des Moines Dowling (8-1) at Urbandale (6-3)

Class 3A

Opening Round

Oct. 27

Oskaloosa (6-3) at Cedar Rapids Xavier (9-0)

Washington (8-1) at Davenport Assumption (7-2)

Decorah (7-2) at Solon (9-0)

Waverly-Shell Rock (8-1) at West Delaware (7-2)

Glenwood (8-1) at Sergeant Bluff-Luton (9-0)

Sioux City Heelan (7-2) at Harlan (8-1)

Carlisle (8-1) at Dallas Center Grimes (9-0)

Webster City (8-1) at Pella (8-1)

Class 1A

Opening Round

Oct. 27

South Winneshiek (6-3) at Regina (7-2)

Wilton (8-1) at Bellevue (8-1)

Sigourney-Keota (5-4) at Pella Christian (9-0)

Pleasantville (7-2) at West Branch (9-0)

IKM-Manning (7-2) at West Lyon (9-0)

Western Christian (7-2) at AHSTW (8-1)

Belmond-Klemme (7-2) at Van Meter (9-0)

South Hamilton (8-1) at Denver (8-1)