Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

After nine weeks of regular season football the postseason has finally arrived.

Four Your Prep Sports area teams are among the 96 teams across the state to extend their seasons into the playoffs with 16 teams reaching the postseason across six classes.

Rather than looking back at the final week of the regular season the Week 9 Rewind will take a quick look ahead with some facts and figures for the four area teams that will open postseason play on Friday.

The most intriguing opening-round matchup in the Your Prep Sports area comes in Class 3A where postseason regular Solon (9-0) hosts first-time qualifier Liberty High (7-2).

One of only three unbeaten teams in Class 3A, Solon is making its 15th consecutive playoff appearance after earning the overall top-seed in the 3A bracket.

By earning the top seed Solon has a chance to reach the state semifinals in the UNI-Dome without leaving Spartan Stadium.

Liberty High (7-2) navigated a rugged district schedule to reach the playoffs for the first time, earning the overall No. 15 seed.

Both losses for the Lightning have come to 3A qualifiers in North Scott and Washington.

The winner of Friday’s first ever meeting between Solon and Liberty High will face the winner of No. 11 seed Independence (9-0) and seventh-seeded Pella (7-2) in the quarterfinals.

The other two area qualifiers are no strangers to the postseason or each other.

Regina (7-2) and West Branch (9-0) each landed in Bracket B in the Class 1A field and could meet for the first time since 2016 in the quarterfinals if both teams pick up opening-round wins.

One of five undefeated teams in 1A West Branch earned the overall second seed and will host North Linn (7-2) in the opening round on Friday.

The Bears are making their 12th consecutive playoff appearance and are seeking their first semifinal appearance since 2011.

Regina returns to the postseason after having a 14-year string of postseason appearances end in 2018.

The Regals are the overall 11th seed in Class 1A and travel to Mediapolis (8-1) in the opening round.

Regina would need to win back-to-back road games to return to the UNI-Dome for the first time since a runner-up finish in 2017.

BOOT NOTES: West High earned its second three-game win streak in the Battle for the Boot series with its 36-32 win over City High on Friday marking the first time since the Trojans won three in a row since 1999.

The streak from 1997 to 1999 was the only other time West High has won back-to-back games at Bates Field.

The 68 combined points on Friday tied for the most ever in the Battle for the Boot series, matching a 54-14 City High win in 1984 while the four-point margin was the closest game in the series since a 14-12 City High win in 2015.

THE STREAK GOES ON: Solon completed its third consecutive unbeaten regular season with a 54-6 win over Fairfield and has now won 34 consecutive regular season games dating back to 2016.
The Spartans haven’t lost a regular season game since September 2 of 2016 and

RECORD BREAKER: With a pair of touchdown grabs in a 44-20 win over Dyersville Beckman in the regular season West Branch senior Trey Eagle set a new single-season record for touchdown receptions with 12.

Eagle finished with three receptions for 85 yards on Friday and has caught 33 passes for 727 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

1,000 AND COUNTING: Two players in the Your Prep Sports area went over 1,000 yards rushing in the regular season finale and both will get at least one more chance to add to their season total.

West Branch senior Tanner Lukavsky cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season with 156 yards in a win over Dyersville Beckman on Friday and has now rushed for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.

Liberty High junior Max Tafolla pushed his season rushing total to 1,052 yards with 196 yards in a 56-0 win over Clinton.

Offensive performer of the week: City High senior running back Tonka Hickman capped an excellent career with one of his best games as a prep.

Hickman rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 38 carries in a 36-32 loss to West High.

It was the fourth 100-yard game of the season for Hickman who finished with 883 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Best of the rest: Liberty High senior Kaleb Williams rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-0 win over Clinton.

Clear Creek Amana junior Ryan Navara completed 18-of-25 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-21 win over Central DeWitt.

Solon senior AJ Coons had four receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-6 win over Fairfield.

Defensive performer of the week: Clear Creek Amana senior defensive back Kaden Gisleson had a team-high 5.5 tackles and picked off his team-leading fourth pass of the season as the Clippers closed the season with a 35-21 win over Central DeWitt.

Best of the rest: Liberty High senior Brian Lively had 6.5 tackles and two sacks in a 56-0 win over Clinton.

Regina sophomore Josh Gaffey had a team-high eight tackles including five solo stops in a 42-10 loss to Dike-New Hartford.

West Branch junior Jeff Bowie had three tackles for loss including a sack in a 44-20 win over Dyersville Beckman.

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