Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

It is more than five months until the first football Friday night of the fall but it is never too early to start looking at the best possible matchups of the prep season.

Teams got their first look at full fall slates on Thursday morning when the Iowa High School Athletic Association released complete schedules for teams in all six classes.

It is early but we take a look at 10 games in the Your Prep Sports area that should be circled on calendars before week one kicks off.

West High at Liberty High (August 28) – The 2020 season kicks off with a bang as the new rivals meet for the first time in a week one showdown at Liberty High that is among the most anticipated games of 2020. West High (4-5) missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 last season while Liberty High made its first trip to the postseason but bumps up to 4A for the first time this fall.  

Liberty High at City High (September 4) – If the first two meetings between these cross-town rivals are any indication this could be one of the best games of the season. The two teams split entertaining games the past two seasons with City High pulling away late for a 38-21 in the inaugural meeting in 2018 and Liberty High hitting a last second field goal in a 23-20 win last season.

City High at West High (October 2) – One of the best rivalries in the state is set for week 6 with the annual Battle for the Boot returning to West High. The Trojans have won three straight in the series following a 36-32 win over City High last season in the closest Boot game since a 14-12 City High win in 2015.

Regina at West Branch (September 18) – Speaking of rivalries they don’t get much better at the small school level than Regina and West Branch. The two long-time rivals won’t meet in the postseason this fall with Regina dropping to Class A and instead will play in the regular season for the first time since 2013 in week four in a rematch of last year’s 1A quarterfinal won by Regina 30-20.  

Williamsburg at Clear Creek Amana (September 11) – A couple of fierce WAMAC West rivals rekindle a rivalry that hasn’t been settled on the gridiron in nearly a decade. Williamsburg and Clear Creek Amana are conference rivals in nearly every sport but haven’t met on the football field since 2011. That changes in week three when the two collide at Clipper Field. Williamsburg won five straight over CCA from 2008 to 2011 and is coming off an 8-4 season that included a trip to the 2A semifinals.

Mount Vernon at Solon (October 16) – Another in an exciting list of area rivalry games the annual meeting between Highway 1 rivals comes with added incentive this season with Mount Vernon and Solon both falling in Class 2A, District 6. The week seven showdown at Spartan Stadium could very well have district championship implications as Solon goes for an 18th straight win in the series.

Ankeny at Liberty High (September 18) – As if back-to-back matchups with arch rivals to open the season wasn’t a stiff enough test in its first year in Class 4A the Lightning welcome an Ankeny team on the ascent in week four. The Hawks were 7-4 a year ago with two of those losses coming to state champion West Des Moines Dowling and return their starting quarterback, top rusher and one of the state’s best receivers in Iowa recruiting target Brody Brecht.

Bettendorf at West High (October 23) – Is there a better way to close out the regular season than two of the top 4A programs in Eastern Iowa battling it out?  West High and Bettendorf have met five times over the past four seasons with the Bulldogs winning each of the past three including a 42-15 victory last year at Trojan Field.

Washington at Solon (September 4) – With its move to Class 2A Solon has plenty of new opponents on its 2020 schedule but the Spartans gets a familiar foe in week two when it hosts Washington. The two teams have played six times in the past five seasons with the Spartans winning the last five meetings after rallying for a 35-20 win over the Demons last year in Washington.

Clear Creek Amana at Cedar Rapids Xavier (September 25) – Clear Creek Amana wants to establish itself as a premier program in Class 3A and there is perhaps no better measuring stick in that regard than Xavier. The district opener for both teams gives the Clippers a shot at making a big statement in 2020.

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