Cedar Rapids Xavier-Decorah Highlight Big Week in Iowa

Several key matchups are on the docket around Iowa high school football

Cedar Rapids Xavier head coach Duane Schulte talks with players after a Class 4A varsity football game against Clear Creek Amana, Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, at Saints Field in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

This coming week in Iowa high school football will give us a nice taste of what to expect come this postseason.

Among the key battles scheduled for Friday night are a meeting of top Class 4A teams when Cedar Rapids Xavier welcomes Decorah. In terms of the latest Iowa High School Athletic Association rankings, Xavier is No. 1 and Decorah is No. 2.

These two teams have not met since 2019 when the Saints scored a 36-14 victory. Since 2015, Cedar Rapids Xavier leads the series, 5-1, with the lone win for the Vikings being all the way back in 2015.

Xavier has had little trouble with the opposition, including a 61-18 thumping of Waterloo East last week. Cash Parks and Carter Hoffmann lead the way, as Parks has thrown for 1,173 yards and 19 touchdowns while Hoffmann has 664 yards rushing and 11 scores.

Decorah has won three in a row since a loss to Western Christian, scoring 58, 53 and 48 in those wins. Tanner Caddell is a dual-threat at QB, throwing for 868 and running for 340 with 16 TDs in the air and six more on the ground.

But Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Decorah is just one of the key matchups, as here are several others this week:

Centerville at PCM

Mack Murdock and the unbeaten Big Red take to the road for a showdown with PCM. Murdock, a sophomore, has over 1,700 yards passing and 22 touchdowns.

Murdock is flanked by Makoa Kaleponi, who has 706 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, along with top receiver Klayton Lawson, who has 34 receptions for 703 and 11 TDs.

PCM counters with Chase Wagaman, a senior who has 1,231 yards passing and 21 total touchdowns. Gavin Steenhoek is his favorite target, catching 28 passes for 657 with 10 touchdowns.

Okoboji at Kuemper Catholic

One of the surprise teams this year has been Okoboji, as the Pioneers are unbeaten heading into a district showdown with fellow unbeaten Kuemper Catholic.

Trey Vander Pol, a junior, has been exceptional at quarterback, throwing for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns. Asa Jacobsen is a threat out of the backfield while Avery Simington is the top receiving threat.

For the Knights, they have a three-headed monster in Brock Badding, Jarin Hoffman and Griffin Glynn. Badding has 1,720 yards passing and 24 TDs; Hoffman has 966 yards rushing and 14 TDs; and Glynn has 582 yards receiving and eight scores.

Riverside at ACGC

Two of the top running backs in the state square off when Jaxon Gordon leads Riverside into action with Joe Crawford and ACGC.

Gordon has 1,827 yards rushing with 24 touchdowns while Crawford has 787 and 13 rushing scores to go along with 104 yards receiving and two more TDs.

Riverside has won its last four by multiple touchdowns while ACGC is unbeaten

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