So Long, Non-District Games! On To What Counts

The non-district part of the season (or, what my son refers to as "exhibition") is over. All the non-4A teams in Iowa have completed their out-of-district games, playing schools of higher or lower or same class, keeping old rivalries or filling schedule spots with somebody not that far away. This week it gets serious. District play gets started.

This is what determines who goes to the postseason. The top two teams in each district make the playoffs, then a point system is applied to the remainder of the teams from all seven districts, with two additional at-large schools selected. Last season, Xavier won District 3 with a 7-0 district record. Benton finished second at 6-1, and Waverly-Shell Rock made it in as one of the at-large selections. The Go-Hawks then won their first playoff game before losing to Xavier in the second round. So what I'm trying to say is, District 3 is a pretty tough district.

Now that everyone has a couple of games under their belt, let's take a look at District 3 as the nitty-gritty gets going this coming week.

XAVIER (2-0, wins over Iowa City Regina and Linn-Mar)

The defending district champions look to be the team to beat again, even after replacing pretty much the entire starting offense from last year. Quinn Schulte, the third Schulte brother to take over as Saints quarterback, has been smooth and efficient in wins over Iowa City Regina and Linn-Mar. Braden Stovie has shown speed and power out of the backfield, and Jax Junge picks up hard yardage when it's needed. It's the defense that's really shining, forcing six turnovers in the first two games. The only points scored on the Saints came in the final seconds of the Regina game against the scout team players.

BENTON (2-0, wins over Oelwein and Marion)

The Bobcats won six straight games after losing to Xavier last September, gaining a second-place district finish and playoff spot, and they've picked up this season where they left off. Spencer Touro has completed almost 80 percent of his passes for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Matt Davis has rushed for 215 yards and 3 more scores. In addition to a rather prolific offense (over 327 yards per game), the Bobcats have been terrific on the other side of the ball, with the top rush defense and overall defense in District 3. Benton is going to be a playoff contender again this season.

WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK (2-0, wins over Crestwood and North Fayette Valley)

The Go-Hawks have a great football tradition, and it's easy to see why. In 2016, with their only district losses coming to Xavier and Benton, Waverly-Shell Rock made it into the 3A playoffs as one of just two at-large teams in the state. They showed they belonged by beating West Delaware in the first round before losing to Xavier again in the second round. The Go-Hawks are tough again this year, pounding out almost 240 yards per game on the ground and once again boasting the district's best pass defense. Luke Velky and Gabe Santioemma have teamed up for 312 yards rushing and 5 TDs. Mosai Newsom already has a couple of sacks in the first two games.

DECORAH (2-0, wins over North Fayette Valley and Crestwood)

There's plenty of tradition at Decorah as well, with longtime coach Bill Post still leading a program that's got a 2012 state championship trophy in the case. The Vikings, as you might expect, have started out strong on the ground (273 yards per game) with Jake Muhlbauer averaging 10.2 yards per carry. Decorah's defense is solid, as expected, giving up just two scores in the first two games.

CHARLES CITY (1-1, lost to New Hampton, win over Osage)

The Comets had a rough year last year, struggling on defense in particular and only accounting for 123 yards per game rushing, but their offense has certainly perked up in 2017. Dylan Koresh is averaging almost 8 yards a carry, and Charles City sports a tidy 262 yards per game rushing average. The Comets haven't looked great on defense again, but the offense threatens to score on just about anybody.

SOUTH TAMA (1-1, win over Grinnell, lost to Williamsburg)

The Trojans had a strong run in Class 2A, especially in 2014-15, but the return to 3A coupled with a new coach made it a rebuilding season last year. South Tama does have the potential to make some noise this year, particularly with a defense that's pretty salty against the pass. Colton Vest averages over 7 yards a carry with a couple of scores, and Lane Koch has thrown for 180 yards and two scores.

INDEPENDENCE (1-2, losses to Dike-New Hartford and West Delaware, win over Clear Creek-Amana)

2016 was a disaster for the Mustangs, who finished 0-9 with less than 30 points scored for the entire season. This was quite a fall after back-to-back playoff appearances. This year already looks like a move in the right direction - Independence gets an extra game (one got added to help opponents of Collins-Maxwell-Baxter, who ended their athletic sharing agreement and therefore dropped out of 3A this season), and they've scored 62 points in two games (sandwiched around a shutout loss to West Delaware). Sophomore quarterback Logan Schmitt has thrown for 330 yards and 3 TDs while rushing for 310 more yards. Noah Gall (4 TDs) and Seth House have teamed for 297 yards rushing.

VINTON-SHELLSBURG (0-2, losses to Center Point-Urbana and Union-La Porte City)

I just have the feeling this is going to be a long season for the Vikings. Will Dudley is averaging almost 9 yards a carry, but Blake Bohnsack has completed only 9 of 22 passes and the team has the worst offense and third-worst defense (yardage wise) in the district.