Xavier Football

Cougars deserve cheers, not jeers

It would be easy to make fun of the Kennedy Cougars for making the Class 4A football playoffs with a 2-7 record, but that would be a big mistake.

First of all, the Kennedy players are not responsible for the new district format this year that made it possible for 2-7 clubs to advance. Administrators did that, not the athletes.

Secondly, the Cougars should be applauded for sticking with it and playing hard after a rough 0-6 start. They had to adjust to a new head coach and new offensive scheme, and they lost a couple of games they could have - maybe should have - won.

Kennedy began the season with a 12-9 setback at Iowa City City when the Trojans threw a 33-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-15 with 1:59 left in the game. Four weeks later, the Cougars missed a 33-yard field on the final play of the fourth quarter and fell to Jefferson, 27-24, in overtime

Two weeks ago, the Cougars scored a touchdown with 71 seconds left against Cedar Falls to pull within 21-20, but they unable to convert a two-point conversion and lost by a single point.

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Saints knock off proud Indians

Marion’s hard-luck football season came to a merciful end Friday night with another tough defeat, this time a fiercely fought 37-6 loss to Xavier on the Saints home turf.

But at least Indians senior Dontavious Young closed out his career with a bang.

Down 16-0 at halftime, Marion kicker Carter Stigge opened the second half with a boot that bounced around the near the goal line. Running pell-mell downfield, Young pounced on the loose ball at the 1 yard line.

“Astonished, that’s what I was,” Young said of his fortuitous fumble recovery. “It hit one of their players, and then I think he thought it was going to go out of bounds or in the end zone.

“It was kind of amazing, but it shows you should never give up on a play ‘til the whistle blows.”

The lead was whittled two plays later when Hayden Meister made a sliding catch of a short pass from hard-nosed quarterback Gage Kray.

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3 Metro teams seek playoff berths

It will be interesting to see how many high school football teams with 2-and-7 records make the Class 4A playoffs this year.

The Kennedy Cougars will make the 32-team field with a 2-7 mark if they defeat Waterloo West at Kingston Stadium Friday night, but they're not the only ones who could advance with a 2-7 record.

Iowa City High, Clinton and Mason City also could "earn" spots in the Class 4A tournament with 2-7 marks. That would be an improvement for Mason City, which qualified a few years ago with a 1-8 record.

We can thank - or blame - the district format for all this. The only results that count are district games. The non-district games are simply exhibitions, as far as making the playoffs, so it's a lot easier to make the playoffs now.

You can lose all of your non-district games, finish fourth in your district with a wobbly record and march into the playoffs at 2-7 (and sometimes even 1-8).

Under the old conference format, it normally took at least four victories to make the playoffs, although occasionally a team would slip through with a 3-6 mark. The schools voted for this system, so now everyone has to live with it.

Washington, Linn-Mar and Xavier have clinched playoff berths. The top-ranked Warriors are 8-0 and rolling along. The sixth-ranked Lions are 7-1, with the only loss to Washington. The Saints are 5-3, but have struggled on offense in their losses to Dowling (24-2), Western Dubuque (7-6) and Iowa City Regina (21-7) with only one touchdown on offense.

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Warriors stay No. 1 in football poll

The Washington Warriors remained at the top of the Class 4A football rankings Sunday by the Des Moines Register.

The Warriors and Bettendorf Bulldogs are both 8-0 heading into the final week of the regular season. They are the only undefeated teams in Class 4A.

Washington defeated Iowa City High, 28-7, Thursday night and plays this Friday at Burlington.

The Linn-Mar Lions (7-1) stayed in the No. 6 spot in the Class 4A poll after defeating Waterloo West, 63-28. Linn-Mar's only setback this season was to Washington. The Lions host Jefferson Friday night.

The Xavier Saints (5-3) fell from No. 5 to No. 10 in Class 3A after losing to Iowa City Regina, 21-7, Friday. The Saints host Marion Friday night.

CLASS 4A

1. Washington (8-0), 2. Bettendorf (8-0), 3. West Des Moines Valley (7-1), 4. Dowling (7-1), 5. Waukee (7-1), 6. Linn-Mar (7-1), 7. Ankeny (6-2), 8. Southeast Polk (5-3), 9. Pleasant Valley (5-3), 10. Lewis Central (7-1).

CLASS 3A

1. Pella (8-0), 2. Solon (7-1), 3. Sioux City Heelan (7-1), 4.Waverly-Shell Rock (6-2), 5. Dallas Center-Grimes (7-1), 6. West Delaware (7-1), 7. Clear Creek-Amana (7-1), 8. Carroll (7-1), 9. Humboldt (7-1), 10. Xavier (5-3).