Has football reached its nadir among the Metro public schools?

Jefferson and Washington share the best record among the Cedar Rapids public schools at 1-4. Kennedy is 0-5.

That is a cumulative record of 2-13. Add in 1-4 Linn-Mar and the record sags to 3-17.

Marion is 4-1 and Prairie 3-2, bringing the mark up to 10-20.

Parochial school Xavier, which would have been reclassified to 3A status if a plan to reorganize all of Class 4A into districts had been approved, stands atop the Metro at 5-0.

The Saints are carrying the Metro banner, behind record-setting quarterback Reggie Schulte and receiver Corbin Woods, and a swarming defense that is allowing 7 points a game.

One day, the public schools will rebound.

But it is Xavier's time to shine right now.

Thursday

No. 4 Xavier (5-0, 2-0) at Washington (1-4, 0-3)

Site: Kingston Stadium

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

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: KGYM (AM-1600, FM-107.5, FM-106.3), KMRY (AM-1450, FM-93.1), WMT (AM-600)

TV: KCRG 9.2 (Mediacom 109, Imon 709)

Storyline - These team have not played each other since 2007, when the Warriors hung a 41-23 loss on the Saints. Those were better days for Washington, which came into that game 5-0 and ended up in the playoffs. Xavier also qualified for the playoffs that season. The Saints have outscored their foes this season 233-35, although the cumulative record of those clubs is 5-20. Washington has been outscored 163-121. Its foes are a combined 13-12 and include unbeatens Iowa City West and Cedar Falls. You never count out a Tony Lombardi-coached team, but these Saints are stacked.

Xavier - The Saints blanked Kennedy 35-0 last Friday behind four TD passes by Schulte. Woods caught four passes for 70 yards and 2 TDs. Brendan Miller ran for 100 yards and a TD.  Schulte is tied for first in the state with 18 TD passes and his 76.3 completion percentage ranks second among 4A QBs with more than 25 attempts. Season leaders - Rushing: Miller 44-362 4 TDs; Passing: Schulte 55-72-1-883 18 TDs; Receiving: Woods 18-343 7 TDs, Bryce Grimm 11-135 3 TDs, Jim Moore 6-173 3 TDs; Tackles: Craig Murtha 25 (14 for loss); PATs: Ryan Persick 30-31; FGs: Persick 3-5.

Washington - The Warriors dropped their fourth straight game, 40-30, at Waterloo West last Friday. Mitch Bredeson rushed for 74 yards and two TDs, and Mitch Blades threw two TD passes. Jason Oney caught six passes and scored a TD. Season leaders - Rushing: Bredeson 94-402 5 TDs, Blades 67-265 4 TDs; Passing: Blades 59-123-7-863 4 TDs; Receiving: Oney 32-410 3 TDs, Noah Dostal 11-221 1 TD; Tackles: Jake Bjornsen 38; PATs: Riyad Ajram 14-15; FGs: Ajram 3-4 (long 42).

Friday

Jefferson (1-4, 1-2) at Kennedy (0-5, 0-2)

Site: Kingston Stadium

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

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

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

TV: Mediacom 22 (Replays Saturday at 9 p.m., Sunday at 6 p.m.)

Storyline - Where to begin. Neither team has had much success this season, although Jefferson owns a win over Hempstead and played a salty game before falling to Waterloo East last week. Kennedy has been a disappointment. The Cougars were expected to contend for another playoff berth with an experienced offensive line and running game, but the defense has let the Cougars down. The Cougars have been outscored 149-67, Jefferson 152-43. Kennedy's foes are a combined 18-7, Jefferson's 15-10. Kennedy won 32-0 a year ago, but this one is a tossup.

Jefferson - The J-Hawks bounced back from a 17-point deficit, but came up short against Waterloo East, 30-24, last Friday. Layne Sullivan ran for 94 yards and passed for 177. Ben Koering caught six passes for 112 yards. Jefferson scored five more points than it had totaled in its first four games. Season leaders - Rushing: Michael Moncivais 39-194, Sullivan 55-152 3 TDs, Nick O'Connell 48-139 3 TDs; Passing: Sullivan 33-75-2-437; Receiving: Koering 8-141, Hunter Kloubec 8-38; Tackles: Drake Allen 37, Sullivan 33; PATs: Nick Rocha 3-3; FGs: Rocha 1-1 (long 30).

Kennedy - The Cougars were held to 171 total yards in a 35-0 loss at Xavier last Friday. Alex Hillyer ran for 82 and Riley Fergus passed for 90 yards. The defense held Xavier to 321 total yards, but 197 came through the air. Kennedy has been susceptible to the pass, allowing more than 200 yards in each of its three previous games before Xavier. Season leaders - Rushing: Hillyer 128-685 4 TDs; Passing: Fergus 30-73-2-322 5 TDs; Receiving: Jacob Frazier-Flores 8-159 3 TDs, Patrick Martin 5-59 1 TD; Tackles: Grant Miller 41; PATs: Eric Bertroche 6-7; FGs: Bertroche 2-2 (long 38).

No. 2 Cedar Falls (5-0, 3-0) at Prairie (3-2, 1-1)

Site: John Wall Field

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

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: None

TV: KCRG 9.2 (Mediacom 109, Imon 709)

Storyline - Prairie has not played well in its two previous games against ranked opponents, falling to Xavier (48-14) and Iowa City West (58-27). Quarterback Jace Hanna was hurt and did not play against West. Hanna passed for 361 yards and nearly led the Hawks to an upset of Cedar Falls a year ago in a 41-28 loss. The game was tied at 21-21 after three quarters. This has not been a typical Cedar Falls team, despite the 5-0 mark. The Tigers run the ball, but have yet to prove they can throw it consistently. Prairie has yet to prove it can run the ball. This game smells of upset.

Cedar Falls - The Tigers scored 14 unanswered points in the second half and pulled away for a 27-10 win at Linn-Mar last Friday. Eli Berregaard ran for 112 yards and a TD and Nick Clark rushed for two TDs. Brayden Longnecker passed for 103 yards. Season leaders - Rushing: Jake Buck 83-345 4 TDs, Berregaard 38-314 2 TDs, Clark 46-306 6 TDs; Passing: Longnecker 31-51-2-449 5 TDs; Receiving: Brandon Corkery 11-192 3 TDs, Ike Boettger 11-178 2 TDs; Tackles: Jared Farley 48 (7 for loss); PATs: Jacob Newton 16-17; FGs: Newton 1-2 (long 28), Berregaard 2-3 (long 37).

Prairie - The Hawks bounced back from defeats to Xavier and Iowa City West with a 44-14 shellacking of Dubuque Wahlert last Friday. Jace Hanna passed for 205 yards and four TDs in little more than a quarter. Jarred Edmonds caught two passes and both went for TDs. Backup QB Trey Beckman also threw two TD passes. Season leaders - Rushing: Hanna 32-149 1 TD; Passing: Hanna 52-81-3-901 12 TDs; Receiving: Demetrius Harper 23-327 4 TDs, Jarred Edmonds 19-519 9 TDs; Tackles: Cam Rathje 57, Casey Becker 40; PATs: Sam Drysdale 19-21; FGs: Drysdale 1-1 (long 34).

Linn-Mar (1-4, 1-2) at Wahlert (1-4, 0-2)

Site: Rock Bowl (Loras College), Dubuque

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

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: None

Storyline - The road has not been kind to Linn-Mar this season. The Lions are 0-2 with losses at Dubuque Senior in triple overtime and at Waterloo West. Wahlert has given up more than 40 points three times, including losses the last two weeks to Xavier (53-14) and Prairie (44-14). The Golden Eagles also are on their third quarterback after injuries sidelined the first two. Linn-Mar appears to be primed for its second win.

Linn-Mar - The Lions were down by three to Cedar Falls, but ended up losing 27-10 last Friday. Ross Lembeck ran for 88 yards and a TD. Rhys Davis ran for 66 yards and passed for 110. Fumbled gave Cedar Falls short fields twice in the second half and the Tigers scored from 21 and 33 yards out. Season leaders - Rushing: Davis 94-375 5 TDs, Lembeck 63-307 2 TDs, Nick Trabucco 35-125 2 TDs; Passing: Davis 39-85-4-429 2 TDs; Receiving: Zach Martins 11-137 1 TD; Tackles: Lucas Meyer 48, Trabucco 41, Dakota Digmann 38 (9 for loss); PATs: Wolter 12-12; FGs: Wolter 2-5 (long 38).

Wahlert - The Golden Eagles were blown away by Prairie, 44-14, last Friday. Jacob Decker ran for 32 yards and a TD. Danny Broderick, a wide reciver pressed into service at quarterback when John Burgmeier was injured, had a 71-yard TD run and completed 6-of-16 passes for 50 yards. Kyle Steines caught five passes for 42 yards. Season leaders - Rushing: Decker 81-319 3 TDs; Passing: Burgmeier 18-40-1-158 3 TDs, Broderick 6-16-0-50; Receiving: Steines 25-309 4 TDs; PATs: Nick Nemmers 10-10; FGs: Nemmers 1-3 (long 28).

Marion (4-1, 2-0) at Benton Community (1-4, 1-2)

Site: Van Horne

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

Sophomore game: 5 p.m.

Radio: None

Storyline - Both teams run the ball. Marion appears to have the much stronger defense. The Indians have allowed 66 points (35 in one game against Decorah) and Benton has allowed 194, more than 45 on three occasions. Benton graduated a very good senior class that the Indians beat 28-14 a year ago. The teams have met the last four years and Marion has won all four by an aggregate score of 129-42. Indians roll.

Marion - The Indians barreled over Maquoketa, 25-14, last Friday night. Trev Biery ran for 145 yards and two TDs for Marion. The Indians battled back from a 14-0 deficit, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. Marion held Maquoketa to 157 total yards. Season leaders - Rushing: Biery 69-555 7 TDs, Colton Mowry 49-208 3 TDs, Tyler Gunderson 23-139 2 TDs; Passing: Trevor Hardman 21-46-1-282 2 TDs; Receiving: Quinn Cannoy 6-110, Ethan Herren 6-60 1 TD. Tackles: Isaac Frazier 39 (14 for loss), Biery 38; PATs: Dalton Ott 6-8, Ben Kroemer 4-5; FGs: Ott 0-1.

Benton - The Bobcats won their first game of the year, beating Anamosa, 35-28, last Friday. Benton had 410 yards of rushing offense and scored all five of its TDs on the ground. Ben Twedt ran for 134 yards and TD, and Matt Gessner 106 yards and a TD. Jake Petersen had 77 yards and two TDs. Season leaders - Rushing: Twedt 81-391 5 TDs, Petersen 77-257 3 TDs, Gessner 23-136 1 TD; Passing: Noah Fisher 13-43-5-229; Receiving: Owen Hopkins 7-145; Tackles: Twedt 40, Fisher 38, Gessner 32; PATs: Keaton Betterton 9-9.

Midland (2-4, 2-3) at Cedar Valley Christian (0-5, 0-4)

Site: LaSalle Middle School

Time: 7 p.m.

Radio: None

Storyline - Cedar Valley Christian has scored points in its last three games. The Huskies can't stop anyone from scoring. Opponents are averaging 79 points against them. But the offense is getting better with 42 points in the last three weeks. Expect more of the same.

Midland - The Eagles were outscored by West Central, 69-46, last Friday night. Ryan Leonard ran for 163 yards and three TDs. Hagan Ackley completed 6 of 13 passes for 224 yards and two TDs. Leonard caught four passes for 156 yards and a TD. Midland has outscored its opponents 303-269. The average score of its two wins is 58-9. Season leaders - Rushing: Leonard 123-1097 18 TDs; Passing: Ackley 42-82-5-991 15 TDs; Receiving: Leonard 18-451 8 TDs, Seth Groth 17-378 4 TDs; Tackles: Leonard 80; Int.: Groth 4; PATs: Jon Carrera 1-1.

Cedar Valley - The Huskies were drubbed by Lansing Kee, 85-20, last Friday night. Daniel Ostroot had five carries for 100 yards and a TD and he also caught a TD pass. Spencer Zielke threw a TD pass and ran for another score. Arturo Melendez caught four passes for 36 yards. CVC has been outscored 394-42, but has scored 6, 16 and 20 points in each of its last three games. Season leaders - Rushing: Ostroot 18-201 1 TD; Passing: Melendez 21-69-7-104, Zielke 10-35-1-177 3 TDs; Receiving: Eric Gustafson 14-57, Melendez 6-88 2 TDs; Tackles: Gustafson 35;  PATs: None.