Forty-second Street has been a one-way road the last three times Xavier and Kennedy have met on the gridiron.

Xavier has owned the Cougars, winning all three games by a combined score of 87-0. That includes a 24-0 victory on Sept. 27 at Kingston Stadium.

The teams meet again Friday night in a Class 4A quarterfinal playoff game at Saints Field.

This game shapes up as strength vs. strength. Kennedy runs the ball and has averaged 280 yards rushing in its two playoff games. Xavier is allowing 69 yards rushing per game and has shutout seven foes.

The Saints held the Cougars 57 yards rushing, 76 total yards and four first downs in the first meeting.

But this is the playoffs. Kennedy and Xavier have met twice in playoff games and split close contests. The Saints won 16-10 in 2008 and the Cougars posted a stunning 11-7 upset in 2010.

Kennedy is 11-14 in playoff games and 1-4 in the quarterfinals. The Cougars reached the semifinals in 1993, but have never played in a state championship game.

Xavier has a 15-8 overall record in the playoffs, won the state title in 2006 and played for the championship last season.

This promises to be a game for the ages and guarantees the Metro one representative in next week's semifinals. The winner will play either Pleasant Valley or Bettendorf at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

And the winner will have bragging rights on 42nd Street until the 2014 season - and maybe beyond, if the Eastern half of the state is reorganized into districts as has been discussed.

That's a story for another time.

Friday

Kennedy (8-3) at Xavier (10-1)

Site: Saints Field

Time: 7 p.m.

Radio: KGYM (AM-1600/FM-107.5/FM-106.3), KMRY (AM-1450/FM-93.1)

Last meeting: Xavier 24, Kennedy 0 (Sept. 27)

Line: Xavier by 6

Kennedy - The Cougars roared back from a 12-7 deficit and beat Davenport Assumption, 35-12, Monday in their second-round game. Kennedy had 282 rushing yards. Miles Moa ran for 187 yards and a TD. Derek Jacobus ran for 59 yards and 3 TDs. It  was Kennedy's fifth win in its last six games. The Cougars finished third in the MVC Mississippi Division and are seeded No. 7 in the playoffs. Their losses were to Iowa City West, Xavier and Dubuque Hempstead. Moa leads the team in rushing with 1,436 yards and 11 TDs. Jacobus has rushed for 502 yards and 10 TDs. He also has completed 56 of 112 passes for 653 yards and 7 TDs. TE Drew Heitland has 19 receptions for 277 yards and 3 TDs. Jacob Sannon has 13 receptions. PK Mark Schulz is 37 of 40 on PAT kicks. He has not attempted a FG. Jordan Lunsford has 92 tackles, Prince Kollie 89 and Triston Christopher 80. The Cougars have forced 13 turnovers. Logan Daughetee has 5 interceptions. Kennedy has reached the quarterfinals five times, but won only once and that was back in 1993. The Cougars have never played in a football state championship game.

Xavier - The Saints leveled Iowa City High, 34-0, in their second-round game for their seventh shutout of the season. They have outscored their two playoff opponents by a combined score of 79-0. The defense held City High to 133 total yards after limiting Clinton to 61 total yards in the first round. Brendan Miller ran for 132 yards and a TD and Quinton Scholer threw a pair of TD passes. Xavier tied for first place with Washington in the MVC Valley Division and is seeded No.3. Miller has rushed for 1,323 yards and 16 TDs. Scholer has been slowed somewhat by a gimpy ankle the past four games. He has completed 68 percent of his passes (85 of 125) for 949 yards and 14 TDs. He also has rushed for 346 yards and 6 TDs. WR Bryce Grimm has 26 receptions for 289 yards and 3 TDs. Frank Hill has 19 receptions for 261 yards. TE Matt Nelson has 10 receptions, but 4 have scored TDs. PK Ryan Persick is 44 of 45 on PAT kicks and 9 of 13 on FGs. Nic Ekland has 46 tackles. Daniel Vega has 43 tackles, including 19 solos for losses. Nelson has 35 tackles, 12 solos for losses. The defense has forced 16 turnovers. The Saints reached the Class 4A championship game last season and won the state title in 2006. They have won three straight games against the Cougars by a combined scored of 87-0 since an 11-7 playoff loss to Kennedy in 2010.