Iowa High School Football: Eight-Player Quarterfinal Predictions

Six of eight remaining teams are unbeaten on the season

Remsen St. Mary's Keaton Harpenau (2) intercept’s a pass meant for Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Hudson Clark (3) during the Iowa high school 8-player championship Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / JULIA HANSEN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Four state semifinal spots will be determined in Iowa high school football’s eight-player classification this Thursday night.

Six of the eight remaining teams hold unbeaten records, including a pair of matchups that will see 10-0 take on 10-0.

One of those six unbeatens, Bishop Garrigan, is seeking a third consecutive trip to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa and a chance at a second state championship in three years under head coach Marty Wadle.

The Golden Bears host Don Bosco, a multi-time state champion, in Algona. 

Matchups featuring 10-0 teams doing battle include Edgewood-Colesburg at Gladbrook-Reinbeck and Audubon at Iowa Valley. The other quarterfinal sees Fremont-Mills meet unbeaten Woodbine.

Here are game-by-game predictions and more for eight-player Iowa high school football playoffs. Statistics are accurate as of November 3, 2025.

Iowa High School Football Class Eight-Player Playoffs

Pod A

Don Bosco (7-2) at Bishop Garrigan (10-0)

• Winner: Bishop Garrigan

• Bishop Garrigan Key Player: Ethan Marso eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last week, entering with 1,067 and 23 rushing TDs while averaging almost nine per carry. He is a force on defense with seven tackles for loss and four sacks.
• Don Bosco Key Player: Senior Ty Christensen has 20 rushing touchdowns and seven more receiving, recording almost 900 yards rushing and another 404 in the air. He also has two punt returns for scores and a pick-6.

Pod B

Fremont-Mills (8-2) at Woodbine (9-0)

• Winner: Woodbine

• Woodbine Key Player: Landon Blum is a quarterback’s favorite weapon, as the athletic wide receiver has 42 receptions for 806 yards and 19 touchdowns this year.
• Fremont-Mills Key Player: JW Linkenhoker will be tasked with trying to slow down the high-octane Woodbine offense, as the senior has recorded 65 tackles with 20.5 for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Pod C

Edgewood-Colesburg (10-0) at Gladbrook-Reinbeck (10-0)

• Winner: Gladbrook-Reinbeck

• Gladbrook-Reinbeck Key Player: The Rebels could lean on running back Treyvon Herron, as the junior has been the bellcow with 1,062 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on just 75 attempts. He also has 208 yards receiving and three more scores.
• Edgewood-Colesburg Key Player: With almost 3,000 yards of total offense, Jax Steger has been one of the top sophomores in the state, throwing for 1,749 and running for another 1,131. He has 28 passing TDs and 19 rushing scores.

Pod D

Audubon (10-0) at Iowa Valley (10-0)

• Winner: Iowa Valley
• Iowa Valley Key Player: Nolan Kriegel will be at the controls of the offense, as the junior has 1,731 yards rushing with 41 touchdowns. Kriegel also has thrown for 721 yards and 12 more scores, completing 33 of 49.
• Audubon Key Player: Aiden Kjergaard, a sophomore, directs the Wheeler offense, rushing 106 times for 1,256 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also is effective with his arm, completing 29 of 37 for 657 and 10 scores.

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