More than 50 teams get an early start on the high school football season, tonight, with week zero action. It includes a couple of teams with playoff hopes matching up in class 4A as Marshalltown visits Ankeny. Two of the state’s top quarterbacks are featured in the game with Blake Gimble for the Bobcats and Joel Lanning for the Hawks.
Ankeny was 11-2 last year, while Marshalltown was 8-2.
West Central of Maynard plays host to Tripoli in an eight-man non district contest. West Central coach Steve Milder believes he has a team that can compete for a district title this season.
Milder says the early start to the season allows them to open against a non-district foe. He says it’s someone who is close and they should have a good gate and a good opponent to get the season rolling.
Milder says they believe they will make a lot of improvement between the first two games and Tripoli gives them a good first look in this game.
West Marshall visits Iowa Falls-Alden in a week zero high school football contest. This game was scheduled after South Hardin decided not to field a varsity team this season.
West Marshall coach Ken Winkler says they didn’t know they were going to play this early until May and they had to work around vacations with their practice. Winkler says Iowa Falls will offer a difficult test as his team is the next to smallest 2A and they are a 3A school.
Iowa Falls-Alden coach Pat Norem says his team has already adjusted to the early start to the season. “Two weeks ago it seemed extremely early, and now it seems like we’re starting school late,” he says.
Norem says the Cadets will face a typical West Marshall team that plays solid, physical, fundamental football. He says it’s fund to play against because you know what to expect.
Elwin Huffman KOEL Oelwein and Lance Renaud KFJB Marshalltown contributed to this story.