Playoff football has arrived to southeast Iowa. Several area teams kick-off Friday, October 21, with their sights set on a trip to the UNI-Dome in November.
Mid-Prairie opens up the 2A playoff schedule with a trip to Northeast Goose Lake. The Golden Hawks finished the regular season at 5-3 overall, and 3-2 against district opponents. This is Mid-Prairie’s third consecutive playoff appearance, aiming to reach the Dome for the first time in school history. KCII has coverage between the Golden Hawks and Rebels on AM 1380 and FM 102.5, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The WACO Warriors earned the title of district champions for the second straight year with a perfect 9-0 record this season. They are hosting the Martensdale-St. Mary’s Blue Devils in the first round of the 8-man postseason at 7 p.m. with live coverage available on the KCII2 app starting with pregame at 6:30. After falling in the quarterfinals last year, the Warriors are looking for their first semifinal appearance since 2010. A win for the Warriors would ensure them another home game in the second round.
The 8-man playoffs also include the Winfield-Mt. Union Wolves, making their first postseason appearance in seven years. The Wolves finished the regular season 6-3 overall, with a 4-3 district record. They travel to Don Bosco to take on the Dons. A trip to the Dome would be Winfield-Mt. Union’s first since 1999.
Class 1A features the district champion Sigourney-Keota Cobras, coming off of a perfect district record and finishing 6-2 overall. This is the third consecutive playoff berth for Sigourney-Keota. The Cobras are seeking their second Dome appearance in the last three years, and the campaign begins Friday when they host Sumner-Fredricksburg. With a win, Sigourney-Keota would host a second-round game next week.
In Class A, the Columbus Wildcats fell just short of a district title, but with an impressive 7-1 record overall, they earned their first playoff appearance since 2015. The Wildcats host Maquoketa Valley in the first round. Making it to the semifinals would put Columbus in the Dome for the first time since 1996.