Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

With the first three meetings between City High and Liberty High coming down to the final few minutes the growing rivalry between the two cross-town foes hasn’t lacked for excitement.

The 2022 meeting between the two teams got a little more interesting on Monday when City High announced the season opener between City High and Liberty High on August 26 would be played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

The season opener will be just the third prep game to be played at Kinnick Stadium and is the first in 50 years.

Kinnick Stadium hosted the Class 3A and 4A state title games in 1972 with Cedar Rapids Jefferson defeating West Des Moines Dowling 6-0 for the 4A crown and Harlan downing Cedar Rapids Regis 14-12 in the 3A title game.

City High and Liberty High have split the first four meetings in the series with City High snapping a two-game losing skid to the Lightning with a 41-0 win in the season opener last fall.

Liberty High won back-to-back games by a combined total of seven points in 2019 (23-20) and 2020 (28-24) after City High won the first meeting between the two teams 38-21 at Bates Field in 2018.

City High went 10-2 last season and advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals while Liberty High was 3-6 a year ago.

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