4 Downs: Gazette staff are back to answer Iowa high school football questions

The Gazette’s Iowa high school football staff and Gazette contributor Scott Unash tackles high school football questions. See how much Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Unash can gain in 4 Downs:

1ST & 10: Week 1 included some notable football rivalries. What is your favorite Eastern Iowa football rivalry?

Jeff Linder: It’s the Battle for the Boot. Cool trophy. Never know who’s going to win, and it’s not like one team has dominated either for multiple years. Now that Mount Vernon has matched Solon’s excellence, the Highway 1 battle probably ranks No. 2. Same with Independence-West Delaware, with the Mustangs’ recent ascent.

Jeff Johnson: I’ve got two. Starmont and Center Point-Urbana because I had relatives who graduated from Starmont who played in those games, and coaches Dave Barclay and Ted Rogers were so friendly towards each other. Cedar Rapids Washington and Cedar Rapids Kennedy is the other because I grew up in a neighborhood that was in Kennedy district when I was a kid and then was switched to Washington district when I was in middle school. So, I kind of saw the rivalry from each side, rooting for both at one time.

K.J. Pilcher: The Battle for the Boot is probably the standard. Most of those games have been highly contested and some great players have contributed to the lore. The Cedar River Rivalry is a sentimental favorite. It has been pretty one-sided in favor of Cedar Rapids Washington and Cedar Rapids Jefferson. But it’s classic East vs. West. At one time, it was blue collar vs. more affluent communities as well. Some great players from Larry Lawrence and Blake Tiedtke to Bill Happel and Dedric Ward competed in it. My favorite as a spectator has to be West Branch and Iowa City Regina, especially during the Marv Cook/Butch Pedersen eras. Cook, a West Branch standout, against his former coach. Pedersen always referred to him as “Marvin.” The two teams got after one another each time and there might have been some extra penalties in those games. Regina has had the advantage recently but it has been entertaining. They meet this week.

Scott Unash: Eastern Iowa is peppered with great high school football rivalries. But for me, one stands out in particular: Solon vs Mount Vernon. The Highway 1 Rivalry has had it all over the decades, great coaches, terrific athletes and great programs from neighboring towns with 63 playoff appearances and eight State titles between the Spartans and Mustangs. And this year's matchup should also be a barnburner.

2ND & LONG: BGM’s Beau Burns rushed for 427 yards against Columbus Community. What is the most memorable single-game rushing performance you have witnessed?

Jeff Linder: I wasn’t covering the game, and I only watched the first half with one eye while I was writing a story with the other. But seeing North Mahaska’s Levi Ferguson in the Class A finals (has it really been 20 years?) was memorable.

Jeff Johnson: Can’t give you the specifics, but Tim Dwight’s senior season when Iowa City High won a state championship. Not even sure who the opponent was that year, but Dwight was a man among boys. It was SO fun to watch him run. He was incredible.

K.J. Pilcher: I drove to Iowa City with football teammates to watch the classic Bettendorf vs. Iowa City High playoff game, featuring Tavian Banks and Tim Dwight. Skill-wise it doesn’t get much better. The performance, however, is not my most memorable to witness. That came on Oct. 9, 2009. Andre Dawson rushed 265 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries, beating Jefferson 45-7. The numbers were excellent but the circumstances surrounding the game were more emotional. Washington wore pink jerseys and socks for breast cancer awareness. Dawson’s mother, Hilda, was a breast cancer survivor. He had promised his mother to score a TD for every year she had survived the diagnosis, which was five years at the time. Are you kidding me? Absolutely nothing beats that performance to me.

Scott Unash: I have seen and called some memorable single-game running back performances over the decades, but I always go back to October 15, 1993, and the great Tim Dwight in a Week 7 game at Kingston Stadium vs Jefferson. It wasn't the greatest statistical night for the future All-American, but his dominance of that game was incredible. Dwight scored five touchdowns, three rushing, one receiving and a final score on a punt return. Each time he touched the ball the crowd would hold their breath, sensing something spectacular was about to take place, and on that night it did as he totaled 218 all-purpose yards on about a dozen touches. Dwight and his City High teammates went on to win the 4A title that season.

3RD & SHORT: What are your top Week 2 matchups?

Jeff Linder: Each of the top six teams in Class 5A play one another, and that includes Iowa City Liberty, which gets a shot at four-time defending state champion Southeast Polk at Pleasant Hill. Closer to home, keep an eye on Benton Community at Mont Vernon, Solon at Williamsburg and Alburnett at Mid-Prairie.

Jeff Johnson: Cedar Rapids Prairie at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Solon at Williamsburg.

K.J. Pilcher: This week has plenty of high-profile matchups. Prairie and Kennedy are tops on my list. These are two teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year and could be two of the Metro’s top teams. Western Dubuque comes to Cedar Rapids Xavier. These two teams have had some bloody-knuckle battles, even though they had different outcomes last week this can be entertaining. West Branch at Regina, Solon at Williamsburg and Benton Community at Mount Vernon are top area games.

Scott Unash: Benton Community at Mount Vernon leads the list for my top matchups for Week 2. Can the Bobcats physicality limit the high-flying Mustangs? Other top games, in no particular order: Solon at Williamsburg, Mid-Prairie at Alburnett, Prairie at Kennedy, West Branch at Regina and North Linn at Maquoketa Valley.

4TH & GOAL: Which team is a likely playoff qualifier after a 2024 losing record?

Jeff Linder: I’m high on South Winneshiek (4-5 last year), which I think has a legitimate chance to compete with Saint Ansgar for a district title. I think West Branch makes a big leap and easily makes the 2A postseason. Call this a hot take or whatever … I’m predicting South Tama (winless in 2023 and 2024, 6-56 in the last seven seasons) to make the 2A playoffs.

Jeff Johnson: Prairie is my 1A pick. Kennedy is my 1B.

K.J. Pilcher: West Branch had a down season last season. The Bears opened with a good win against West Liberty. They have a new coach and are poised to rebound. Also, Kennedy will bounce back from a losing campaign and should return to the playoffs. Cougars Coach Brian White needs three wins to become the program’s wins leader. Kennedy will make sure that happens this season.

Scott Unash: Let's go to Class 5A for Prairie. Yes, there will be several squads that will go from under-.500 to the post-season, but I believe the Hawks have a chance to not only get into the postseason dance, but to make some noise before the dust settles in November. The schedule is challenging again this season, but Prairie has a talented and experienced group that does not want to repeat a four-win season again.