The high school football playoffs move into the quarterfinal round tonight, with the winners of this evening’s games advancing to the UNI-Dome. In Class 4A, Cedar Falls will face their toughest test of the season as the Tigers visit Pleasant Valley, the top offensive team in 4A.
Tiger co-head coach Brad Remmert says PV mixes a very strong option run attack with some very efficient passing with a quarterback who spreads the ball around with no interceptions. They also have a good rushing attack.
Tiger co-head coach Pat Mitchell says that the type of old-school option attack that Pleasant Valley features isn’t seen much anymore in the high school ranks. In addition to their top flight offense, Pleasant Valley’s defense is only allowing a touchdown per game.
Mitchell says that unit features solid players up and down the lineup.
He says they are all good players who are steady and there are no weaknesses. Remmert says that for Cedar Falls to have a chance tonight, the Tigers will have to hold onto the ball longer than Pleasant Valley.
Dike-New Hartford and Aplington-Parkersburg met for a district title two weeks ago, but they’ll meet again tonight in the Class 1A quarterfinals. The fifth-ranked Wolverines came out on top last time in double-overtime.
Head coach Don Betts says his secondary deserves a lot of credit for how well his team has fared so far as they are very good and athletic with speed.
With a 26-0 halftime lead against Sumner-Fredericksburg, Betts says he was glad to be able to get his starters out of the game early and get them some rest with a short turnaround ahead, and it gives the other players an opportunity to gain some experience.
Aplington-Parkersburg comes into tonight as the state’s seventh-rated team. A-P’s Brady Frey had three long touchdown runs in a school-record 349-yard performance at South Winneshiek on Monday.
Falcons coach Alex Pollock says it was a good overall win for the team. Aplington-Parkersburg has not been to the semifinals since 2003, and Pollock says his kids are excited to have a chance to make it back to the UNI-Dome this season.
In class 2A, second ranked Mediapolis is at home against tenth ranked Bondurant-Farrar. Mediapolis coach Brian Borrison says his defense will need to stop a balanced Bondurant-Farrar attack. He says they didn’t win 10 games by accident and do a solid job of mixing the run with the pass.
Borrison says Bondurant-Farrar hs an impressive ground game as their tailback has rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and scored 20 some touchdowns and will be the best runningback they have seen in awhile.
Austin Draude, KLMJ, Hampton/ Brian Crozier, KBUR, Burlington and Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls contributed to this story.