City High (6-3) at Ankeny Centennial (7-2)

Where: Ankeny City Stadium, 5:30 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Ankeny Centennial senior running back Braeden Jackson has rushed for 1,044 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry and has nine receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Key stat: City High is averaging 266 rushing yards per game in its six wins and has averaged 167 rushing yards per game in its three losses.

About the Little Hawks: City High is appearing in the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and is attempting to advance past the opening round for the first time since 2021.

The Little Hawks bounced back from a 28-27 loss at Linn-Mar in week eight with a 42-23 win over previously unbeaten Bettendorf in the regular season finale.

City High has been among the best offensive teams in the state this season averaging 39.1 points and 450 total yards per game while averaging 7.5 yards per play.

The Little Hawks have produced at least 415 total yards in seven straight games and are averaging 264 rushing yards per game during that stretch.

Senior quarterback Bobby Bacon leads the City High offense and has passed for 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 72 percent of his passes.

Sophomore Dawson Kahl leads the City High rushing attack with 838 yards and 16 touchdowns while senior Gabe Egeland has rushed for 683 yards and nine touchdowns.

Senior Dominic Salibi has rushed for 445 yards and seven touchdowns and has caught 24 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore Chayse Newton has been the top target in the passing game with 29 receptions for 363 yards and senior tight end Parker Sutherland has caught 29 passes for 410 yards and six touchdowns.

Freshman linebacker Marshall Sheldon leads City High with 62.5 tackles including six for loss while Blaine Heick has 53 tackles.

Jalyn Ford and Raphael Etuma have combined for 19 tackles for loss and six sacks.

About the Jaguars: Ankeny Centennial is making its 12^th consecutive playoff appearance after advancing to the 5A semifinals last season.

The Jaguars enter the postseason on a three-game winning streak following a 49-7 win over Urbandale in the regular season finale.

Both losses for Ankeny Centennial were by single digits to Southeast Polk (21-13) and West Des Moines Dowling (41-35).

The Jaguars have been excellent defensively all season holding opponents to 14.1 points and 254 total yards per game while allowing 5 yards per play.

Ankeny Centennial has been especially stingy against the run allowing just 97 rushing yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry.

Senior Reed Anderson leads Ankeny Centennial with 65.5 tackles including 9.5 for loss while Mitchell Grider has 35.5 tackles and Malachi Curvey has 28 tackles with seven for loss.

Ankeny Centennial is averaging 36.8 points and 350 total yards per game while averaging 7.5 yads per play.

Senior quarterback Chase Kluver has completed 65 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,145 yards and 12 touchdowns and has rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jaguars have relied heavily on a running game led by senior Braeden Jackson that is averaging 209 yards per game.

Junior JJ Morgan has rushed for 318 yards and three touchdowns and Sam Heither has added 162 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Caleb Reed has been the top pass catcher with 32 receptions for 489 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior place kicker Ryan Bendezu has made all 44 PAT and is 5-fo-6 on field goal attempts including a 52 yarder.

West High (5-4) at Bettendorf (8-1) 

Where: Touvelle Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Bettendorf senior running back Jacob Whipple (5-11, 175) has rushed for 701 yards and 11 touchdowns and has caught 18 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Key stat: West High senior quarterback Jack Wallace has completed better than 71 percent of his passes and is averaging 11.5 yards per pass completion.

About the Trojans: West High had a three-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Cedar Rapids Prairie in its regular season finale but still reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Trojans went 1-3 against 5A playoff qualifiers this season posting a win over Pleasant Valley in week eight.

West High has been exceptional offensively all season averaging 40.7 points and 429 total yards per game while averaging 7.9 yards per play.

Senior quarterback Jack Wallace leads the potent West High offense and has been among the best in the state this season.

Wallace leads the state with 2,447 passing yards and has thrown 29 touchdowns with just four interceptions and also rushed for 320 yards and eight touchdowns.

Mason Woods has caught 44 passes for a 5A-best 934 yards and 11 touchdowns and Julian Manson has 43 receptions for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Senior Butali Butali has rushed for 712 yards and six touchdowns and junior Campbell Janis has added 261 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense West High is allowing 30.2 points and 385 total yards per game while giving up 6.2 yards per play.

Manson leads West High with 64 tackles while senior linebacker Declan Bunn has 58 tackles with 3.5 for loss.

Junior defensive back Ethan Headings has 45.5 tackles and senior linebacker Sterling Warren has 43.5 tackles with three for loss.

About the Bulldogs: The last remaining unbeaten team in Class 5A this season Bettendorf couldn’t complete an unbeaten regular season as its eight-game winning streak ended with a 42-23 loss at City High last week.

Bettendorf had an impressive regular season posting victories over 5A playoff qualifiers Pleasant Valley and Linn-Mar.

The Bulldogs enter the postseason averaging 33.7 points and 341 total yards per game on offense while averaging 6.7 yards per play.

Senior quarterback Jackson Laver (6-2, 180) leads the Bulldog offense and has passed for 1,275 yards and 10 touchdowns and also rushed for 267 yards and six touchdowns.

Senior Jacob Whipple headlines a Bulldog rushing attack that is averaging 197 yards per game on the ground.

Senior Will Taylor (5-11, 210) has rushed for 551 yards and nine touchdowns.

Hayden Morrison (6-1, 175) has been the top target in the passing game with 38 receptions for 643 yards and six touchdowns.

Bettendorf has relied on a stingy defense this season holding opponents to 19.8 points and 273 total yards per game while allowing 5.4 yards per play.

The Bulldogs are giving up 149 rushing yards per game at a clip of 4.5 yards per carry.

Senior Sam Beecher (5-8, 205) leads the way with 60 tackles while sophomore Gavin Stecker (6-1, 190) has 52.5 tackles.

Senior Amari Washington (6-4, 260) has 38 tackles including a team-high 15 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Waukee (6-3) at Liberty High (8-1)

Where: Liberty Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Waukee junior quarterback Beckett Bakker (5-11, 190) has completed 69 percent of his passes (112-of-163) while throwing for 1,582 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions and has rushed for 427 yards and four touchdowns.

Key stat: Waukee is +3 in yards per play average this season, averaging 8 yards per play on offense while allowing 5 yards per play on defense.

About the Lightning: Liberty High is making the fourth playoff appearance in program history and first in Class 5A.

The Lightning enter the postseason top-seeded, riding a six-game winning streak and with five victories over Class 5A postseason qualifiers.

Under first-year head coach Scott Chandler the Lightning have been among the most productive and explosive offenses in the state.

Liberty High is averaging 44 points and a 5A-leading 458 total yards per game while producing better than 8 yards per play.

The Lightning have averaged better than 8.2 yards per offensive snap in six of their nine games this season.

Junior quarterback Reece Rettig directs the Lightning offense and has completed 73 percent of his passes (139-of-190) while throwing for 2,177 yards and 27 touchdowns with just two interceptions and has also rushed for 295 yards and four touchdowns.

Senior Dallas Miller has been the top target with 52 receptions for 772 yards and seven touchdowns and Collin Decker has caught 32 passes for 387 yards and five touchdowns.

Senior Sutton Koller has caught 28 passes for 762 yards and 10 touchdowns and has rushed for 428 yards and seven touchdowns.

Senior Owen Drapeaux has rushed for a team-high 760 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Defensively Liberty High is allowing 28.2 points and 358 total yards per game while giving up 6.3 yards per play.

Koller leads the Lightning with 54.5 tackles including 4.5 for loss and Landon Bell has 47.5 tackles with 2.5 for loss.

Ethan Barber has 25 tackles and leads the Lightning with eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks and junior Logan Laubenthal has a team-high four interceptions.

About the Warriors: After a two-year playoff drought Waukee is back in the 5A playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Led by former Clear Creek Amana coach Gabe Bakker, the Warriors are 14-6 over the past two seasons and advanced to the 5A quarterfinals last year.

All three losses for Waukee this season have come to 5A playoff qualifiers in West Des Moines Valley (42-25), Johnson (21-7) and Southeast Polk (31-28).

The Warriors bring a two-game winning streak into the postseason after downing Des Moines Roosevelt and Council Bluff Abraham Lincoln in back-to-back games to close the regular season.

Led by junior quarterback Beckett Bakker Waukee has been among the best offenses in all of 5A this season.

The Warriors are averaging 42.4 points and 412 total yards per game while putting up 8 yards per play.

Senior Grant Gammell (5-10, 190) has rushed for 930 yards and 16 touchdowns as Waukee has averaged 216 rushing yards and 7 yards per carry.

Senior Maverick Inman (6-1, 170) has been the top target in the passing game with 43 receptions for 686 yards and eight touchdowns while four other players have at least 11 receptions and 140 receiving yards.

Defensively Waukee is allowing 18.9 points and 248 total yards per game while giving up 5 yards per play.

The Warriors have been solid against the run, allowing 126 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

Senior Carter Johnson (6-4, 205) leads the Warriors with 49 tackles including seven for loss and Wesley Anderson (6-1, 185) has 40 tackles with six for loss.

Clear Creek Amana (6-3) at Pella (8-1)

Where: Central College Football Field, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Pella senior quarterback Colin Kerndt (6-2, 190) has completed 64 percent of his passes (122-of-191) while throwing for 1,373 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions and has rushed for 592 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Key stat: In the Clippers back-to-back wins to close the regular season senior receiver Owen Rosenberg has caught 17 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana is back in the postseason for the first time since 2021 and is seeking just the second playoff win in program history and first since 2009.

The Clippers enter the postseason red hot, winners of five of their last six games including a 28-24 win over playoff qualifier Cedar Rapids Xavier in week eight.

After averaging 20.7 points per game during a 1-2 start to the season Clear Creek Amana has averaged 33.3 points per game while going 5-1 down the stretch.

Led by junior quarterback Conlan Poynton the Clipper offense is averaging 29.1 points and 335 total yards per game on the season while producing 6.1 yards per play.

Poynton has passed for 1,119 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions and has rushed for a team-leading 843 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Senior Owen Rosenberg has been the top target for Poynton with 43 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns.

Tay Seals has caught 12 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns and senior Cale Nash has 30 receptions for 171 yards.

Junior Ethan Vice has rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns and Noah Collis has added 233 rushing yards and a touchdown.

On defense the Clippers are holding opponents to 21 points and 290 yards per game while allowing 5 yards per play.

Senior linebacker Trace Robertson leads the team with 58 tackles including 11.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Dylan Schrock has 56 tackles with 10.5 for loss and Vinnie Keller has 23 tackles with 6.5 for loss.

Senior Jacek Wauters has seven tackles for loss and Rosenberg has a team-high eight interceptions.

About the Dutch: A perennial playoff contender, Pella broke a rare two-year postseason drought last season when it returned to the 4A playoffs falling to Bondurant-Farrar in the first round.

Pella has gotten back to its familiar territory this season winning eight games for the first time since 2019.

The Dutch had an eight-game winning streak snapped with a 14-7 loss to Gilbert in the regular season finale but still enters the postseason with one of the best resumes in Class 4A.

Pella is 3-1 against 4A playoff qualifiers with wins over Ballard (29-17), Cedar Rapids Xavier (21-19) and Newton (35-28) and the loss to Gilbert last week.

The Dutch have been solid on both sides of the football this season.

Pella is averaging 28.9 points and 320 total yards per game on offense while averaging 6.4 yards per play.

Senior quarterback Colin Kerndt leads a balance Dutch offense that averages 160 passing yards and 160 rushing yards per game.

Senior Tyson Barnes (6-4, 205) has caught 35 passes for 421 yards and six touchdowns and junior Harrison Mullens (6-1, 160) has 25 catches for 281 yards and four touchdowns.

Emmanuel Diers (5-9, 175) has rushed for a team-high 726 yards and 10 touchdowns and also 34 receptions for 358 yards and a touchdown.

On defense the Dutch are allowing 18.3 points and 298 total yards per game while holding opponents to 5.5 yards per play.

Pella is allowing 183 rushing yards per game and 5 yards per carry.

Junior Nate Warner (6-1, 190) leads the team with 70.5 tackles including seven for loss and sophomore Kyler VanMaanen (6-2, 195) has 61.5 tackles with four for loss.

Ben Wilcox (6-2, 220) leads the Dutch with 4.6 sacks and has six tackles for loss while senior Lake Cowman (6-3, 190) has a team-high five interceptions.

Solon (7-2) at Benton Community (7-2)

Where: Van Horne, 7 p.m.

Last season: Solon 16, Benton Community 13; Week 6 Benton Community 21, Solon 20

Player to watch: Solon senior Dylan LeFebvere (5-10, 190) has rushed for a team-high 813 yards and 18 touchdowns, ranks third on the team with 46 tackles including six for loss and has four interceptions.

Key stat: The previous two meetings between Benton Community and Solon have been decided by a combined four points.

About the Spartans: Solon returns to the postseason seeking a third trip to the UNI-Dome in the past four seasons.

The Spartans responded to back-to-back road losses to 3A playoff qualifiers Benton Community and Williamsburg with wins over Fairfield and South Tama to close the regular season.

Solon is 3-2 against playoff qualifiers this season with wins over 3A qualifiers Davenport Assumption and Mount Vernon and 4A qualifier Clear Creek Amana.

Senior quarterback Ty Bell leads a Solon offense that enters postseason play averaging 34.6 points and 380 total yards per game while producing 6.7 yards per play.

Bell has completed 66 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,475 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions and has rushed for a touchdown.

Senior Eddie Johnson has rushed for 1,086 yards and 16 touchdowns and has caught 10 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore Maddox Kelley has caught a team-high 43 passes for 542 yards and five touchdowns and Karsyn Regennitter has 25 receptions for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Solon has been impressive defensively holding opponents to 13.8 points and 258 total yards per game while allowing just 4.8 yards per play.

The Spartans have been solid against the run holding teams to 138 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry.

Kelley has a team-high 44 tackles and junior Tripp Johnson has 40 tackles with 4.5 for loss.

Junior Colby Myers has six tackles for loss and two sacks and Eddie Johnson has a team-high nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

About the Bobcats: Benton Community is back in the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons after missing out a year ago.

The Bobcats enter the postseason riding a five-game winning streak that includes wins over playoff qualifiers Williamsburg and Solon.

Since back-to-back losses to playoff qualifiers Mount Vernon and Clear Creek Amana the Bobcats have won five straight games by a combined margin of 165-67 capped by a 21-0 victory over Williamsburg last week.

Benton Community has relied on its defense all season.

The Bobcats haven’t allowed more than 26 points in a game and have held opponents to 15 points or fewer in six of nine games.

Benton Community is allowing 12.9 points and 246 total yards per game while giving up just 4.4 yards per play.

The Bobcats have been excellent against the run allowing just 137 rushing yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry.

Senior Grant Volesky (6-0, 190) leads Benton Community with 56 tackles including 8.5 for loss while Blayke Heying (5-10, 170) has 55 tackles with seven for loss.

The Bobcats have 13 interceptions, Eli Patterson (6-4, 175) has five and LeFebvere 4, and have returned three for touchdowns.

On offense Benton Community is averaging 30.7 points and 313 total yards per game while averaging 6.6 yards per play.

The Bobcats rely heavily on the run, averaging 228 yards per game on the ground.

Junior quarterback Carson Nolan (6-0, 185) has passed for 548 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Brenden Heying (6-1, 195) has rushed for 381 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

Logan Upah (5-9, 160) has 16 receptions for 292 yards and three touchdowns and Brody Timmerman (5-10, 150) has caught 15 passes for 133 yards.

Regina (8-1) at Woodward-Granger (8-1)

Where: Hawk Stadium in Woodward, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Woodward-Granger junior quarterback Talan Fuson (5-11, 165) has completed 65 percent of his passes (95-of-146) while throwing for 1,639 yards and 22 touchdowns and has also rushed for a team-high 859 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Key stat: Woodward-Granger allowed 245 rushing yards in a season-opening win at Madrid. In eight games since the Eagles have allowed a combined total of 253 rushing yards.

About the Regals: Regina returns to the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season seeking its first trip to the UNI-Dome since it won the Class A title in 2000.

The Regals lost at MFL Mar-Mac in the quarterfinals a year ago but would host a quarterfinal match this season with a second-round win.

First Regina must earn a second consecutive playoff road win against a Woodward-Granger team riding a seven-game winning streak.

Regina won 32-21 at Pleasantville in the opening round of the postseason last week.

Junior quarterback Kyle Tracy directs a Regina offense that is averaging 364 yards and 29.6 points per game while posting 6.7 yards per play.

Tracy has completed 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,479 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions and has rushed for 622 yards and seven touchdowns.

Sophomore Savion Miller has rushed for a team-leading 790 yards and six touchdowns and has also caught 15 passes for 173 yards.

Sophomore Tate Wallace has caught a team-high 40 passes for 590 yards and six touchdowns.

On defense Regina is allowing 17.1 points and 227 total yards per game while holding opponents to 4.6 yards per play.

Senior Will Aitchison leads Regina with 57 tackles including four for loss and senior Spencer Winders has 46.5 tackles.

Senior Noah Clark leads Regina with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

About the Hawks: Woodward-Granger is making its fourth consecutive playoff appearance and is coming off its first postseason win since 2020 last week.

The Eagles have won seven games in a row since a 42-30 loss to Pleasantville in week two including a 28-6 win over East Sac County in the opening round of the playoffs last week.

Woodward-Granger has been consistently productive on offense, scoring at least 28 points in every game this season.

The Eagles are averaging 39.3 points and 396 total yards per game while posting 7.5 yards per play.

Junior quarterback Talan Fuson has accounted for 35 of the Eagles’ 47 offensive touchdowns and leads a balanced offense that averages 183 passing yards and 213 rushing yards per game.

Senior CJ Petersen (5-7, 150) has rushed for 573 yards and seven touchdowns and junior Ethan Dunlavey (5-11, 175) has rushed for 222 yards and four touchdowns.

Max Dalton (5-9, 175) has caught a team-high 46 passes for 745 yards and eight touchdowns and Kane Mahler-Moreno (6-1, 175) has 27 receptions for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Woodward-Granger has been excellent defensively holding teams to 14.8 points and 174 total yards per game while allowing just 3.9 yards per play.

The Eagles are especially stingy against the run allowing just 52 rushing yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry.

Junior Oscar Potter (5-11, 165) leads Woodward-Granger with 53.5 tackles including 8.5 for loss while Mahler-Moreno has a team-high 18.5 tackles for loss including 7.5 sacks.

West Branch (3-6) at Grundy Center (9-0)

Where: Spartan Stadium, 7 p.m.

Last season: Did not play

Player to watch: Grundy Center junior quarterback Judd Jirkovsky (6-0, 165) has completed 74 percent of his passes (99-of-133) while throwing for 1,569 yards and 18 touchdowns with one interception and has rushed for 259 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns.

Key stat: During its current 35-game winning streak Grundy Center has had just three games decided by single digits and the Spartans have won 17 consecutive games by 14 points or more.

About the Bears: West Branch pulled off the upset of the postseason in any class snapping a four-game losing skid with a 41-33 victory at seventh-ranked Sigourney/Keota in the opening round of the 1A playoffs.

The third player to start at quarterback for the Bears this season, junior quarterback Nolan Staker threw for 228 yards and four touchdowns, including two touchdown passes covering 85 yards to junior Brandon Pedersen as West Branch won an opening-round playoff game for the fourth consecutive season.

The 41 points for West Branch last week were the most for the Bears since scoring 49 in a week three win over Waterloo Columbus.

On the season West Branch is averaging 20.4 points and 234 total yards per game and is producing 5 yards per play.

Staker has completed 23-of-38 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns with one interception on the season.

Conner Capper has caught 25 passes for 212 yards and Pedersen has 15 receptions for 330 yards and seven touchdowns.

West Branch is allowing 28.4 points and 313 total yards per game on defense while surrendering 5.8 yards per play.

Cooper Gates leads the West Branch defense with 55.5 tackles including 11.5 for loss and seven sacks.

Tate Frantz has 43.5 tackles with 10.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks and Conner Capper has 54.5 tackles with 5.5 for loss.

About the Spartans: Two-time defending state champion Grundy Center is putting together one of the best runs in state history.

The Spartans are 68-5 over the past six seasons and are seeking a sixth consecutive state title game appearance this fall.

Grundy Center is riding a 35-game winning streak and is chasing a third straight 13-0 season after winning the Class A title in 2022 and the 1A crown last season.

The Spartans have been dominant this season winning games by an average of 32.6 points per game and haven’t had a game decided by less than 28 points since a 21-7 season-opening win over second-ranked Dike-New Hartford.

Junior quarterback Judd Jirkovsky directs a Grundy Center offense that is averaging 40 points and 344 total yards per game while averaging 7.5 yards per play.

Senior Brody Zinkula (6-1, 180) has rushed for a team-high 530 yards and nine touchdowns and junior Pete Lebo (6-0, 175) has rushed for 338 yards and two touchdowns.

Tiernan Vokes (6-4, 210) has been the top target in the pass game with 44 receptions for 773 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Devin Hinders (6-3, 182) has 19 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensive Grundy Center is holding opponents to 191 total yards and 6.9 points per game while allowing 4.4 yards per play.

The Spartans have held seven opponents to a touchdown or less and haven’t allowed more than 16 points in a game this season.

Ryker Thoren (6-3, 215) has a team-high 41 tackles including five for loss and Ryder Slifer (6-5, 175) leads the Spartans with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.

Grundy Center has forced 22 turnovers in nine games with Jirkovsky leading the way with six interceptions.

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