Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Opening night of the high school football season is still more than six months away but the excitement for the season ramped up a notch on Monday with the release of the 2025 regular season schedules.

Teams across the state got their first official look at opponents for the next two seasons when the Iowa High School Athletic Association released regular season schedules for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Here is a quick look at 10 games featuring Your Prep Sports area teams that stood out in the 2025 season.

West High at City High on August 29

Is there a better way to kick off the 2025 season than a Battle for the Boot season opener?

That’s what we will get in 2025 as West High travels to Bates Field to face City High in week one.

City High has won four in a row over West High after winning last year’s Battle for the Boot 40-39 at West High in a down to the wire thriller.

West High went 6-5 a year ago and City High finished 6-4 with both teams reached the Class 5A playoffs last season and should both be in the postseason hunt again

Liberty High at Southeast Polk on September 5

Fresh off its first ever state semifinal appearance Liberty High won’t have to wait long for a rematch against the team that ended the best season in program history.

Liberty High travels to defending state champion Southeast Polk in week two after the Rams rallied for a 38-35 win over the Lightning in the Class 5A semifinals last season.

Southeast Polk (9-4) completed an improbable title run with a come-from-behind 38-35 win over West Des Moines Valley in the 5A title game.

Liberty High went 10-2 in its first season under head coach Scott Chandler and will be looking to back up that success this season.

West Liberty at West Branch on August 29

The Matt Hughes era officially opens at the Little Rose Bowl in a rivalry game against West Liberty.

West Branch is coming off a 3-7 season a year ago that included a trip to the second round of the Class 1A playoffs.

The Bears make the move up to Class 2A this season and open against a West Liberty team that went 3-6 in the first season under former Regina head coach Jason Dumont.

West Branch at Regina on Sept 5

The past several season Regina and West Branch have locked horns as district rivals.

This season one of the best small-class rivalries continues in a non-district showdown at Regal Field in week two.

Regina went 9-2 last season and advanced to the 1A quarterfinals, a season that included a 28-10 home win over West Branch that stopped a two-game losing streak to the Bears who defeated Regina 23-0 in 2022 and 21-17 in 2023.

Solon at Benton Community on Sept 19

The WAMAC Conference rivals meet for the fourth time in three seasons in the final non-district game for both teams after splitting a pair of nailbitters a year ago in Van Horne.

Benton Community defeated Solon 21-20 in the regular season contest a year ago and Solon got a measure of revenged with a come-from-behind 34-27 win over the Bobcats in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Each of the last three meetings between the two teams have been decided by a touchdown or less with Solon going 2-1 in those games.

Clear Creek Amana at Cedar Rapids Xavier on Sept 12

One of the best games in the area last season was Clear Creek Amana’s 28-24 win at Cedar Rapids Xavier in week eight.

The come-from-behind win over the Saints propelled Clear Creek Amana (6-4) into the Class 4A postseason in year one under head coach Lance Pedersen.

After back-to-back games against Davenport West and Davenport North to open the season, Clear Creek Amana makes a return trip to Cedar Rapids Xavier for a non-district game in week three.

Liberty High at West High on September 26

Another cross-town rivalry that comes with potential postseason implications has Liberty High heading to West High in week five.

Liberty High won a 56-46 shootout over West High in the season opener for both teams last season in North Liberty after the Trojans won each of the first two meetings between the teams.

The week five matchup comes at a pivotal time for both teams.

Liberty High opens the season with four consecutive games against 2024 playoff qualifiers while West High faces three playoff qualifiers in its first four games which are all against teams that won at least six games a year ago.

City High at Liberty High on October 17

The Battle for Zeus returns to Liberty High after the Lightning won 49-20 last season at City High.

There will likely be more than just the traveling trophy on the line when these two playoff contenders meet in week eight in North Liberty.

Both teams reached the Class 5A postseason a year ago and should be in the playoff hunt again this season making a late-season rivalry clash that much more interesting.

Mount Vernon at Solon on Sept 12

Solon hosts it Highway 1 rival in week three in what should be another matchup between Class 3A contenders.

Mount Vernon downed Solon twice in 2022 but the Spartans have rattled off two consecutive wins in the series since including a 7-6 win in Solon last season.

Solon went 8-3 and advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals last season while Mount Vernon is coming off a 10-2 season that included a trip to the 3A semifinals.

Clear Creek Amana at Pella October 17

Clear Creek Amana gets an early season rematch with the team it beat for its biggest win last season when it travels to Cedar Rapids Xavier in week three.

In week eight the Clippers get another shot against the team that ended its season.

Clear Creek Amana travels to Pella to face the defending 4A runner-up Dutch in a key week eight District 4 contest.

Last season Pella defeated Clear Creek Amana 34-7 in the opening round of the Class 4A postseason on its way to reaching the 4A title game where it fell to North Polk.

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