Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The finish line is in sight for prep football teams.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season the playoff picture is beginning to come into focus and every team in the Your Prep Sports area remains in playoff contention.

The release of the first set of RPI rankings by the Iowa High School Athletic Association on Monday gave a little more clarity to the playoff situation.

After two weeks of district play we take a look at postseason scenarios for area teams.

In Class 4A, West High (1-5) and City High (2-4) are both 1-1 in District 4 play where Linn-Mar (4-2, 2-0) is in the drivers’ seat as the lone unbeaten team in district play after a 28-12 win over West High on Friday.

“It was really huge,” Linn-Mar James said of being 2-0 in district play. “What can I say, it’s big for us to be in that spot.”

Linn-Mar closes the season with home games against Muscatine (1-5) and Pleasant Valley (2-4) and a road trip to City High.

City High and West High join Davenport North (4-2) and Pleasant Valley at 1-1 in district play in the only 4A district with only one remaining unbeaten team.

“It’s a wide-open district,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “I don’t think there is really a dominant team.”

Already with one district loss, City High and West High each face de facto elimination games the rest of the way starting on Friday as the Little Hawks travel to Pleasant Valley and West High hosts Davenport North.

“I think Linn-Mar is really good, I think Iowa City West and Pleasant Valley are the best 1-4 teams in the state,” Davenport North coach Adam Hite said. “Those are two teams that we aren’t taking lightly in any way.”

After rallying to down Washington 35-20 in a district showdown last Friday Solon (6-0) can seize control of the Class 3A, District 6 race when it travels to Mount Pleasant (5-1) on Friday.

At 2-0, Solon and Mount Pleasant are the lone remaining unbeaten teams in District 6

West Branch (6-0) controls its own destiny as the lone remaining unbeaten team in 1A District 4 while Regina (5-1) is 2-0 along with Dike-New Hartford (6-0) in 1A, District 6.

Regina and Dike-New Hartford play in Dike in the regular season finale.

In Class 3A, Clear Creek Amana (4-2) and Liberty High (4-2) are both 1-1 in District 5, trailing unbeatens North Scott (5-1) and Davenport Assumption (4-2).

Clear Creek Amana travels to Davenport Assumption on Thursday while Liberty High hosts the Knights in week eight.

Clear Creek Amana travels to North Scott in week eight.

Solon Storms Back: For the second time in three weeks Solon used a strong second half to stay undefeated.

Two weeks ago Solon scored 14 unanswered points in the second half of a 17-13 win over Davenport Assumption.

On Friday the Spartans had an even more explosive second half, outscoring Washington 28-0 after halftime in a 35-20 road win.

Cam Miller threw three touchdown passes in the second half as the Spartans erased a 20-7 halftime deficit.

AJ Coons caught two touchdown passes and Joe Stahle had a touchdown grab for the Spartans which have allowed just seven second-half points in their past four games.

Another Big Game for Wick: Week after week Alec Wick continues to come up with big performances for Regina.

The most recent stellar showing for the Regal junior receiver was a six-catch, 86-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 30-7 win at South Hardin.

Six weeks into the season Wick leads Class 1A with 50 receptions and 11 touchdowns and is second in Class 1A with 742 yards.

Wick has caught at least five passes in all six games this season and has a touchdown catch in each of the last five games.

Offensive performer of the week: Solon senior quarterback Cam Miller accounted for 290 total yards and four touchdowns in a 35-20 come-from-behind win at Washington.

Miller completed 11-of-18 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for a career-high 169 yards and a score.

Best of the rest: Regina junior running back Theo Kolie rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for 15 yards in a 30-7 win over South Hardin.

West High junior running back Tyus Bell rushed for 103 yards and caught a pass for 12 yards in a 28-12 loss to Linn-Mar.

Clear Creek Amana junior quarterback Ryan Navara completed 9-of-11 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score in a 43-0 win over Clinton.

Defensive performer of the week: Another week another defensive touchdown for West Branch senior Tanner Lukavsky.

Lukavsky scored his third defensive touchdown of the season and the fifth of his career on Friday, taking a pass back 54 yards for a score in a 42-21 win over North Cedar.

Lukavsky added 2.5 tackles including an assisted tackle for loss as West Branch improved to 6-0.

Best of the rest: Clear Creek Amana senior defensive lineman Sam Noska had three tackles for loss among his six tackles in a 43-0 win over Clinton.

West Branch junior defensive end Jeff Bowie had 3.5 tackles for loss including a sack among his six tackles in a 42-21 win over North Cedar.

West High sophomore Mason Applegate had 4.5 tackles including four solo stops and two tackles for loss in a 28-12 loss to Linn-Mar.

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