The start of high school football season is just around the corner. The first official week of the season begins on August 30th (24 days away), but there will be area football before then, my friends! A handful of area teams had gaps in their schedule due to schools not fielding teams and this opened the door for teams to play games on "Week Zero". It's certainly not ideal for those teams, but it means that we get football seven days earlier and I'm OK with that because it means I only have to go without football for 17 more days rather than 24.
I've already been preparing myself (and hopefully you) for the 2019 season with a look at returning production from area districts. You can view those here.
CLASS 8 MAN
CLASS A
CLASS 1A & 2A
CLASS 3A & 4A
Last year I took a look at the 10 most intriguing games for the upcoming season. I decided to do it again. The 2019 schedules are, for the most part, the same as 2018 except the home and away games have been flipped. So let's get to it.
Week 0: East Mills @ Audubon
These two teams were among the first teams outside qualifying for the playoffs last season. East Mills suffered losses to Fremont-Mills and Stanton during the season that kept them out while Audubon was upset in the final week of the season by CAM. The good news for these teams is that they both return the majority of their production from last year. The quarterback matchup between East Mills' Michael Schafer and Audubon's Skyler Schultes will be well worth the price of admission. Schafer led East Mills' air-raid attack last season to the tune of 2,003 yards and 28 touchdowns while Schultes guided a more balanced Audubon offense with 2,090 total yards (1154 rushing, 936 passing) and 40 touchdowns (26 rushing, 14 passing).
I think East Mills and Audubon are two of the top 8-man teams to watch in southwest Iowa, so a win here for either team would certainly set a statement to start the season and bolster their RPI ranking come postseason time.
You can tune into myself and Todd Jacobson's call of this game on KMA 960 in exactly 17 days.
Week 1: Harlan @ Denison-Schleswig
This is one of many sneaky good rivalries in the Hawkeye Ten. Harlan has held the edge in football for a long time, winning the last seven meetings with their Highway 59 foe, six of which occurred by at least 21 points. Harlan's two recent victories have come by a combined score of 105-21. Denison's has not defeated Harlan since a 43-42 victory on August 19th, 2011 (which was also Denison alum DMart's last day as a bachelor), but I think this is the best chance the Monarchs have had to snap the skid in a long time.
I have a feeling Harlan will be their usual stellar self, but there are some voids to fill for the Cyclones such as quarterback Preston Mulligan, running back Caleb Bieker, wide receiver Brett Sears and linemen Jake McLaughlin and Derec Weyer. Meanwhile, Denison returns the combination of quarterback Charlie Wiebers and leading rusher/receiver Terrance Weah as well as some nice pieces on defense. Offensively, the Monarchs return 90 percent of their 2018 production and should only get better this year. Throw in the fact that this game will be played on Denison's beautiful home turf and I would not be surprised if the Monarchs defeat Harlan for the first time in 2,933 days.
Week 2: St. Albert @ Treynor
These would probably be my top two 11-man teams if I had to do a preseason power ranking, fortunately, I do not. Treynor posted an 8-1 regular-season record en route to a district championship. Their lone loss? A 30-20 defeat to St. Albert. St. Albert's 2018 season got off to a rocky start with a 1-3 record before peeling off five straight wins. The Falcons then suffered a heartbreaking week nine defeat to eventual Class A runner-up AHSTW in a de facto district championship game, the loss meant St. Albert missed the postseason for the first time since 2014.
The Falcons have not missed the postseason in back-to-back years since 1995-96 and they appear primed to keep that streak alive. The Falcons return all of their offensive production from 2018 and I think their strong finish before the AHSTW loss gave the program lofty expectations coming into this season. Treynor is without 1,000 yard-rusher Kyle Christensen, but that likely means an increased workload from Jake Fisher and Will Halverson. This should be one of the most entertaining non-district football games in all of the land and I have no idea who I would pick if this game were today.
Week 3: Stanton/Essex vs. Bedford
I'm not certain where this game will be played. Last year's game was slated to be played in Stanton but was moved to Bedford because of weather. Schools typically just swap dates when something like that happens, so I'm guessing the game will be in Stanton, but Bedford's school website lists this game as a home game, so I dunno.
This game is intriguing to me wherever it happens. Bedford started 2018 0-6 before peeling off three straight wins and perhaps gaining some momentum heading into 2019. The Bulldogs return quarterback Cooper Nally, dynamic wide receiver Brennan Sefrit and a duo of running backs. I expect the Bulldogs to bounce back from a rough 2018 season and this could be their opportunity to showcase it. The first-year combination of Stanton/Essex will also have many nice offensive pieces to rely on such as Keygan Day, Colby Royal and Colton Thornburg. Stanton edged Bedford last season in a 36-32 thriller and I think this game could be just as exciting and could loom large in determining how the final standings in 8-Man District 8 shakeout.
Week 4: Clarinda @ Southwest Valley
This is the only repeat game from last season's list, so that's cool. Southwest Valley started the season 5-0 but finished 0-4 while Clarinda never could find a rhythm and finished the season 3-6. Southwest Valley's season was marred by injuries, which allowed for many underclassmen prominent playing time and gives the Timberwolves hope to bounce back in 2019. Coach Anthony Donahoo told me this year's team reminds him a lot of the 2016 squad that went 6-3 and laid the groundwork for an undefeated 2017 regular season.
Clarinda's hope for a rebound season is sparked by a new head coach. Former Creston and Northwest Missouri State star Collin Bevins is now the head man in Clarinda. Southwest Valley plays a throwback style of football that relies on pounding the rock and playing physical defense and I expect Clarinda's philosophy to be similar under the guidance of Coach Bevins. This is going to be your grandpa's style of football with lots of rushing, low scoring and physical defense much like Southwest Valley's 20-16 victory in 2018 and I'm completely here for it.
Week 5: Earlham @ St. Albert
I think St. Albert is the team to beat in Class A District 9 this season, but you still cannot discount Southwest Valley, AHSTW or Earlham. All three teams are capable of vying for that top spot and I'm not sure who I'd consider the favorite behind St. Albert. I've already mentioned Southwest Valley's outlook and AHSTW has a lot of holes to fill from their state runner-up team a year ago. Meanwhile, Earlham returns the bruiser, Caleb Swalla (1,669 yards, 14 touchdowns) from their run-oriented offensive attack. The Cardinals also return their quarterback Alex Caskey and some important pieces on a defense that should be much improved.
St. Albert has lost the district championship in the last two years (to Southwest Valley in 2017 and AHSTW in 2018) by losing just one district game. The district championship tends to come down to one particular matchup in virtually every district and this could very well be that matchup in Class A District 9 unless Southwest Valley or AHSTW have something to say about it.
Week 6: Mound City @ East Atchison (Missouri)
The most intriguing Week 6 matchup occurs in the Show-Me state. Last year, Mound City razzled and dazzled their way to an undefeated state championship campaign that was capped off by a thrilling 36-32 victory over Worth County in the 8-Man Show-Me Bowl. The champs lose some key pieces but also return just as many. The Panthers will be forced to replace the dynamic playmaker that was Dylan Marrs, but they still have leading rusher TJ Hopkins as well as electrifying quarterback Landon Poppa to rely on.
The buzz from people I've talked to in northwest Missouri is that East Atchison will take another step forward this season. The Wolves posted a respectable 7-4 record in 2018 but fell short of their goal of claiming the 275 Conference title. The cupboard is almost completely full for Coach Aaron Behrens, who returns quarterback Jake McEnaney (1,899 total yards, 33 total touchdowns) and running back Briacin Bywater (1,318 yards and 23 touchdowns). The Wolves have never won the 275 Conference crown under the Tarkio/Fairfax co-op and this looks as if it might be their best chance to date, but until otherwise, the conference runs through Mound City, who defeated East Atchison 62-12 last year.
Week 7: East Mills @ Fremont-Mills
As I noted earlier, I am really high on East Mills this year. They return too many pieces to overlook and should be highly motivated after being forced to sit at home during the postseason despite a 7-2 record. Fremont-Mills thumped East Mills 62-3 in one of the Wolverines' two blemishes last season. The Knights dominant victory was guided by an impressive performance from Division I prospect, Seth Malcom, who ran for 201 yards and three scores while also recovering a fumble on defense. F-M does have some pieces to replace, but a storied program like them rarely has trouble plugging new kids in and picking up where they left off.
It's also worth noting this should be East Mills' final district game. The Wolverines were scheduled to complete the season with games against Essex and Clarinda Academy, but neither school will field a team this season, so the Wolverines' regular-season could end here, meaning that this could serve as de-facto district championship game if both teams come in with an undefeated district record. East Mills has not beaten their Corner Conference brethren since 2007, their first year as East Mills. I'm sure the Wolverine faithful would love nothing more than to finally get the best of their foe and this could be their best shot in quite some time
Week 8: Lenox @ Lamoni
This might look like a strange choice on the surface but hear me out. Class 8-Man District 6 is wide open this season. Defending champion Southeast Warren lost a bunch of pieces from a state semifinalist squad, so the door is open for somebody else to snag the crown and I think these are the two most likely candidates.
Lenox grounded and pounded their way to a 7-2 record and a playoff berth in 2018. The Tigers graduated quarterback Carter Still, but he was a third of their three-headed monster rushing attack of Cullen Wood and Colton Gordon, so the cupboard is still full. I have a feeling that Gordon is going to churn out a monster year, Wood will produce better numbers and someone new will step into a bigger role.
Lamoni started 2018 with two losses, won five in a row and then closed the season with losses to Lenox and Southeast Warren to end the season at 5-4. The Demons had just five seniors on the roster last season and return all offensive production from 2018. Quarterback Patrick Savage made ground with his arm and legs last year. The senior-to-be threw for 895 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one interception and ran for 1,364 yards and 27 scores. This game looks to feature a pair of dynamic playmakers and a possible district championship on the line. Sign me up.
Week 9: Creston @ Glenwood
These are two programs that have been to the UNIDome within the past five years but posted losing records in 2018. Creston finished 3-6 and Glenwood 4-5, but Creston defeated Glenwood. I expect both teams to vastly improve this season. Creston's offense should focus around versatile quarterback Eli Loudon. Coach Cory Faust's team will continue to pound the rock and play stellar defense. Throw in an added year of experience for quarterback Zach Carr and the recipe for improvement is there.
Creston and Glenwood also benefit from the top dogs of Class 3A District 9 (Harlan and Lewis Central) losing many key pieces. I am not sure I'm ready to predict a district championship for either of these teams, though I certainly would not count it out. However, I don't think it's crazy to say that this game could have large playoff implications in Class 3A if these teams perform like I think they will this season. Glenwood and Creston have played games with postseason implications in the past and this year could be another.
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