A rematch of one of the most exciting football games of a year ago is the highlight for this Friday night.

Linn-Mar had thrashed Washington during the regular season, 56-7, but put its No. 2 ranking on the line against the Warriors in the second round of the playoffs at Linn-Mar.

The Lions held a 12-point lead with six minutes to play when the Warriors caught fire, eventually winning the game on a touchdown pass with 9 seconds left to play.

The teams meet again at Linn-Mar Stadium. Both graduated large numbers and are struggling in the early going of this season.

But it's Wash and Linn-Mar. Expect the unexpected.

Friday

Washington (1-2, 0-1) at Linn-Mar (0-3, 0-1)

Site: Linn-Mar Stadium

Time: 7:15 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: KGYM (AM-1600, FM-107.5)

TV: KCRG 9.2 (Mediacom 109, Imon 709)

Storyline - These teams engaged in a classic battle the last time they met, on Halloween a year ago. Washington came from 12 points down with six minutes to play to upset second-ranked Linn-Mar, 28-26, in the Class 4A playoffs. Linn-Mar had mauled the Warriors 56-7 during the regular season. Both teams are in desperate need of a win Friday. Look for Washington to make it two in a row over the Lions.

Washington - The Warriors have lost games to ranked foes Iowa City West (62-37) and Cedar Falls (31-16) the last two weeks. Washington spotted Cedar Falls a 14-0 lead in the first three minutes of last week's game before battling back. Mitch Bredeson ran for 64 yards and Mitch Blades passed for 186. Season leaders - Rushing: Bredeson 70-328 3 TDs, Blades 38-241 3 TDs; Passing: Blades 27-60-4-412 1 TDs; Receiving: Jason Oney 15-206 1 TD; Tackles: Jake Bjornsen 31, Connor Vincent 18, Reid Snitker 18 (2 Int.); PATs: Riyad Ajram 8-9; FGs: Ajram 2-2 (long 42).

Linn-Mar - The Lions crumbled in the fourth quarter of a 27-14 loss at Waterloo West last Friday. West ran for 209 yards and four touchdowns. QB Rhys Davis, has been a threat running the ball, but ran for only nine yards. He averaged nearly 120 in the first two games. Season leaders - Rushing: Davis 52-248 4 TDs, Ross Lembeck 33-169 1 TD, Nick Trabucco 25-100 2 TD; ; Passing: Davis 18-42-2-226 1 TD; Receiving: Zach Martins 7-119 1 TD; Tackles: Nick Trabucco 31 (2 for loss), Lucas Meyer 29 (2 for loss), Dakota Digmann 24 (5 for loss); PATs: Austin Wolter 8-8; FGs: Wolter 0-2.

No. 9 Iowa City High (2-1, 1-0) at Jefferson (1-2, 1-0)

Site: Kingston Stadium

Time: 7:15 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: None

Storyline - Jefferson ended a 24-game losing streak last week in a 12-7 win at Dubuque Hempstead, but can the J-Hawks make it two in a row against an Iowa City High team that is averaging nearly 34 points per game? The J-Hawks will need to play their best defensive game of the season to thwart City High, and even that may not be enough. Jefferson has scored 19 total points and allowed 84. The nod goes to City High.

Iowa City High - The Little Hawks outscored Waterloo West and East by a combined 87-45 the last two weeks after falling to Cedar Falls 28-14 in their opener. Amos Lavela ran for 105 yards and three TDs against East and Jake Leohr tossed two TD passes. Xavier Washpun caught both TD passes. Season leaders - Rushing: Bryson Runge 36-222, Lavela 35-138 3 TDs, Washpun 20-126 2 TDs; Passing: Mitch Wieland 18-32-3-218 2 TDs, Jake Leohr 4-5-0-116 2 TDs; Receiving: Tony Perry 10-162 1 TD, Washpun 4-82 2 TDs; PATs: Drew Cornwell 14-14; FGs: Cornwell 1-1 (long 21).

Jefferson - The J-Hawks rolled up 277 yards of rushing offense in beating Hemppstead. Michael Moncivais, making his season debut, ran for 147 yards. Nick O'Connell added 75 and Layne Sullivan 53. The J-Hawk defense limited Hempstead to 76 rushing yards and 213 total yards. Season leaders - Rushing: Moncivais 18-147, O'Connell 36-133 1 TD, Sullivan 34-41 2 TDs ; Passing: Sullivan 16-40-0-230; Receiving: Hunter Kloubec 6-37, Peter Watson 4-54; PATs: Reece Suckow 1-1.

Dubuque Wahlert (1-2, 0-0) at No. 6 Xavier (3-0, 1-0)

Site: Saints Field

Time: 7:15 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: KMRY (AM-1450, FM-93.1)

Storyline - Who will run the ball for the Saints now that Cal Stovie has been sidelined for the season by a knee injury. Stovie was having a great season with 488 yards until he was tackled at the end of a 55-yard run last Friday against Prairie and tore his ACL. Is it a crippling blow for the Saints, who have routed their first three foes by a combined 145-21? Probably not. But a running game will be necessary as the season goes along. Xavier wins this one, easily.

Wahlert - The Golden Eagles were beaten by Dubuque Senior 21-16 last Friday. John Burgmeier ran for 121 yards and passed for 78 more and two touchdowns. Kyle Steines caught six passes for 40 yards. Burgmeier barely played the week before when Wahlert beat Hempstead, 21-20. Jared Walker passed for 168 yards in that game. Season leaders - Rushing: Jacob Decker 52-218 1 TD, Burgmeier 30-168, Passing: Walker 21-44-1-287 2 TDs, Burgmeier 11-21-1-78 2 TDs; Receiving: Steines 16-219 3 TDs; PATs: Nick Nemmers 6-6; FGs: Nemmers 1-3 (long 28).

Xavier - The Saints humbled previously unbeaten Prairie, 48-14, last Friday. Reggie Schulte threw three more touchdown passes, tying him for third in the state among Class 4A QBs with 10. His 76.9 completion percentage is best among 4A QBs with more than 20 attempts. Season leaders - Rushing: Stovie 48-488 4 TDs, Logan Jones 12-87; Passing: Schulte 30-39-1-451 10 TDs; Receiving: Corbin Woods 8-103 3 TDs, Bryce Grimm 7-77 1 TD, Jim Moore 5-161 3 TDs; Tackles: Craig Murtha 13 (6 for loss); PATs: Ryan Persick 19-20; FGs: Persick 2-2.

Kennedy (0-3, 0-1) at Dubuque Senior (3-0, 0-0)

Site: University of Dubuque

Time: 7:15 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Storyline - Kennedy's playoff hopes could be on the line in this game. The Cougars still have games remaining with Xavier, Waterloo East and Iowa City High, all tough opponents. You figure 4-5 will get you in, so a loss to Senior could be a critical blow. It's not like the Rams are a walkover. They have won their three games by the slimmest of margins (one, three and five points) and have two overtime wins. Some would call that destiny.

Kennedy - The Cougars played much better in a 35-14 loss to Iowa City West last Thursday, moving the ball well on the ground behind Alex Hillyer's 168 yards. But the defense struggled to stop West's running game (173 yards) and was riddled for 277 yards passing. Season leaders - Rushing: Hillyer 85-517 3 TDs; Passing: Riley Fergus 14-34-0-138 4 TDs, Joel Smetzer 5-16-2-65 0 TDs; Receiving: Frazier-Flores 6-102 3 TDs; Tackles: Grant Miller 27, David Hynek 26, Dalvin Dixon 22 tackles (3 for loss); PATs: Eric Bertroche 4-5; FGs: Bertroche 2-2 (long 38).

Dubuque Senior - The Rams have won three games by a combined score of 81-72. They beat Wahlert 21-16 last Friday. Austin Clemens passed for 185 yards and three touchdowns. Alex Duster ran for 92 yards. The Rams beat Linn-Mar in triple overtime the previous week, when Clemens again threw three TD passes and Duster ran for 128 yards. Season leaders - Rushing: Duster 75-306 1 TD; Passing: Clemens 42-70-1-499 6 TDs; Receiving: Keegan Gallery 20-214 2 TDs; Tackles: Streat Hoerner 49 (1 for loss); PATs: Ben Martin 9-10; FGs: Martin 2-2 (long 25).

Prairie (2-1) at No. 5 Iowa City West (3-0)

Site: Trojans Field

Time: 7:15 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: KGYM (FM-106.3)

Storyline - Prairie absorbed a 48-14 shellacking at the hands of Xavier last Friday and now faces explosive Iowa City West, which is averaging nearly 49 points per game. Can the Hawks bounce back in this non-divisional encounter that does not count in the league standings? Maintaining ball control and scoring like they did against Kennedy two weeks ago in a 41-33 win is a must. Otherwise, this one could get blotto.

Prairie - The Hawks' Pistol offense ran out of bullets against Xavier last Friday. Prairie managed only 188 total yards that included 40 on the ground. Jace Hanna was continuously harassed, although he did complete 13 of 21 passes for 148 yards. The week before he was 21 of 27 for 341 yards and four TDs against Kennedy. Season leaders - Rushing: Hanna 29-129 1 TD, DeMetrius Harper 9-77 1 TD; Passing: Hanna 43-68-3-696 8 TDs; Receiving: Harper 19-198 2 TDs, Jarred Edmonds 14-329 5 TDs; Tackles: Cam Rathje 33, Casey Becker 29; PATs: Sam Drysdale 11-11.

Iowa City West - The Trojans ground out a 35-14 win over Kennedy last Thursday. After lobbing a pair of TD passes over the top of the Cougars in the first quarter, but only holding a 21-14 lead at halftime, the Trojans went to ground in the second half and finished with 173 rushing yards. QB Nate Boland is third in completion percentage (71.8) in 4A. Season leaders - Passing: Boland 51-71-1-848 8 TDs; Receiving: Dondre Alexander 17-325 1 TD, Jeremy Morgan 15-274 5 TDs; Rushing: Ezra Reiners 30-187 1 TD, Kelsay 20-99 5 TDs; PATs: Morgan 11-11, Mueng Sunday 9-9.

Marion (2-1) at Washington, Iowa (2-1)

Site: Washington

Time: 7:30 p.m. (approximately)

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Storyline - Marion plays its last non-district game against a foe it has rarely faced in the past. The Indians have a pair of lopsided wins over Mount Pleasant (70-7) and Anamosa (28-0) and a lopsided loss to No. 1 Decorah (35-0). Washington beat 2A Mid-Prairie (30-14), was beaten by Pella (16-10) and nipped Fairfield (14-13).  Both teams emphasize the run. Washington can throw it a little bit, too. That could be the difference.

Marion - The Indians overcame 15 penalties to blank Anamosa last Friday. Trev Biery ran for 163 yards and two TDs and the Lions had 330 yards rushing. They had 350 yards rushing against Mount Pleasant, but were held to 81 total yards by Decorah. Season leaders - Rushing: Biery 28-299 4 TDs, Colton Mowry 33-151 3 TDs, Tyler Gunderson 16-110 2 TDs; Passing: Trevor Hardman 12-25-0-157 2 TDs; Receiving: Ethan Herren 4-40 1 TD, Andrew Davis 2-53 1 TD. Tackles: Herren 26, Biery 18; PATs: Dalton Ott 5-7, Ben Kroemer 3-4; FGs: Ott 0-1.

Washington - The Demons won on a missed PAT kick by Fairfield last Friday. QB Daryn Seibelius completed 11 of 14 passes for 105 yards and a TD. Tanner Knupp rushed for 58 yards and a score.  Washington ran for 178 yards against Fairfield and 213 against Mid-Prairie, but was held to 78 in its loss to Pella. Season leaders - Rushing: Kyle Roder 50-164 2 TDs, Knupp 21-134 1 TD, Alex Coker 28-89; Passing: Seibelius 26-39-0-244 2 TDs; Receiving: Knupp 8-75 1 TD, Alan Sanchez 7-62 1 TD; Interceptions: Sanchez 3; PATs: Mason Quigley 6-7; FGs: Quigley 2-4 (long 22).

Cedar Valley Christian (0-2, 0-3) at West Central (2-1, 3-1)

Site: West Central High School, Maynard

Time: 7 p.m.

Storyline - Cedar Valley Christian celebrated its first touchdown of the season on the last play of last Friday's 68-6 loss at Springville. The Huskies scored their first touchdown in school history last season in a 62-8 loss at West Central. Another touchdown this week would be a great achievement.

Cedar Valley - The Huskies have been outscored 216-6 in losses to HLV (76-0), Valley (72-0) and Springville. After throwing a minimum of passes in their first two games, the Huskies unloaded 45 against Springville. Eric Gustafson caught 12 for 42 yards. Arturo Melendez threw 25 passes, then caught the scoring bomb from Spencer Zielke. The Huskies have had no success running the ball, so the ball likely will be back in the air against West Central. Cedar Valley has 33 total yards of offense for the season. Season leaders - Not available.

West Central - The Blue Devils are averaging 57 points per game and have scored 68 and 76 the last two weeks. Their only loss is a 77-68 decision to Preston two weeks ago. Michael Lincoln ran for 273 yards and six TDs last week in a 76-40 win over Valley. West Central ran for 423 yards and 10 TDs. Lincoln is the state's leading rusher in 8-player with 828 yards and 18 TDs. Season leaders - Rushing: Lincoln 101-828 18 TDs, Amos Miller 40-255 2 TDs, Spencer Grimm 21-215 3 TDs; Passing: Colton Ingels 9-14-0-249 3 TDs; Receiving: Mason Shannon 6-179 2 TDs; PATs: Miller 2-3.