HS Football Playoff Pairings Unveiled: Dodgers Get A 1st Round Bye, Gaels To Host 1st Round & SC Calhoun In Familiar Spot

The IAHSAA released the playoff pairings for the 1st 2 rounds for each class on Saturday Afternoon. Every team in Iowa will make the playoffs this year adding 2 rounds to the playoff schedule. The decision to have every team make it this year is why they shortened the regular season. Each class will have some differences in format from the others due to the number of teams in each class and everyone making it. The playoffs will start Friday Oct. 16th then will continue on Oct. 23rd, pods will then be drawn up for the teams still standing. In 4A most of the field will avoid a first round game and will get a bye.

Fort Dodge will have a bye on Oct. 16th then travel to Waterloo West on October 23rd. Their are already has been some talk from Dodger fans as to why fort Dodge will be on the road in this one? It’s a legit question the two teams have the exact same record at 3-4. The schedule strength favors Fort Dodge as well. The Dodgers four losses are all to ranked teams with a combined 24-4 record. The combined record of the 4 teams who have beaten Waterloo West is 15-9, and they have played just one team that was ranked in the polls going into week 7 (also played Cedar Falls who was getting votes in poll). What about best win, you ask? Dodgers beat Sioux City East who is ranked in the top 10. Waterloo West has no win that really stands out nor have they beaten a ranked opponent.

The St. Edmond Gaels no doubt helped themselves with a lopsided win 62-14 over Bishop Garrigan in week 7. That moved St. Edmond to 5-2 with one of their losses to top 5 ranked and defending State Champs West Hancock. That body of work put St. Edmond in position to land a home game in the 1st round. They did just that and will host Madrid (2-3) Friday October 16th at Dodger Stadium for a 7 PM kick. It is the 1st playoff trip and 1st time St. Edmond has hosted a first round game since 2014. The Gaels also are guaranteed their 1st winning season under 3rd year Head Coach Matt Dillon. You can hear St. Edmond take on Madrid Friday starting at 6:45 PM with the pregame show on “Sunny” 99.7 and here on our website. (Voices: Casey Meiners Play-By-Play, Rob Jones on Color)

South Central Calhoun is in familiar territory hosting a 1st round playoff game, in 2019 they hosted and beat Mt. Ayr in the 1st round. The Titans are 5-1 this season (their week 6 game that was scheduled with Eagle Grove was cancelled due to covid-19 related concerns ) and they will host Sioux Central. SC Calhoun has used their tried and true formula of a “ground and pound” style offense and a stingy defense to get to this point. They allowed 32 in their loss to Southeast Valley but nobody else has put up more than 14 in a game against them. The Titans strength on defense starts with the play of their front 7 as they set the tone of physicality for Coach Brian Case’s squad. Sioux Central is 2-5 on the season, they have lost their last 5 in a row after starting 2-0, their last win came Sept. 4th. They have however played a pretty tough schedule during that losing streak. Hear South Central Calhoun take on Sioux Central Friday starting with the pregame show at 6:45 PM on 105.9 “The Beach”. (Voices: Mark Williamson Play-By-Play and Brian Peters on Color).

Elsewhere Around The Area

Class A Oct. 16th

Manson NW Webster is at West Hancock

Bishop Garrigan at Lake Mills

IKM-Manning at Southwest Valley

Ogden hosts BCLUW-Conrad

8 Player Friday Oct. 16th

Newell Fonda hosts West Bend-Mallard

Audubon hosts Bedford

Coon Rapids Bayard has 1st round bye. October 23rd they host the winner of Correctionville-River Valley vs Harris-Lake Park

1A Friday Oct. 16th

Eagle Grove at Emmetsburg

Carroll-Kuemper at Pocahontas Area

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows at Belmond-Klemme

East Sac County hosts Missouri Valley

Southeast Valley with 1st round bye. They host the winner of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows and Belmond-Klemme on October 23rd.

South Hamilton has 1st round bye. They host winner of Central Springs at South Hardin on Oct. 23rd.

OABCIG has a 1st round bye. They host the winner of East Sac County and Missouri Valley

2A Friday Oct. 16th

Red Oak at Greene County

Cherokee-Washington at Algona

Okoboji at Estherville Lincoln-Central

3A Friday Oct. 16th

Humboldt hosts Sioux City- Heelan. This year marks the first winning regular season for Humboldt since 2014. In just 3 years Coach Derrick Elman has Humboldt hosting a 1st round playoff game.

Webster City has a 1st round bye. They host the winner of Mason City and Gilbert on October 23rd.