Here are 15 Iowa high school football games to watch and our predictions for Week 2
Week 1 of Iowa high school football has come and gone, and it’s time for Week 2.
Some teams showed — for the first time in 2023 — what they’re made of, while others struggled to find their footing. And while the opening weekend was full of marquee matchups, that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t good on the second Friday.
Waukee and Waukee Northwest will meet on the football field for the first time. Johnston faces off against the same team that beat the Dragons in last season’s opener. Dowling and Valley renew a historic West Des Moines rivalry.
More: Friday's Week 2 schedule of Iowa high school football games, kickoff times
And those are just the matchups featuring Class 5A teams from central Iowa.
With so many good contests in the same week, we’re looking ahead and making educated guesses about the results of those games.
We picked 10 games last week and went 7-3 in our predictions.
This week, we’re looking at 15 different matchups across the state and from several of Iowa’s seven classes. We’re sticking to mostly central Iowa and 5A games but will throw in picks that draw statewide interest, as well.
No. 1 Dowling at No. 4 Valley
The Maroons' high-powered offense, fueled by Ra’Shawd Davis, held off a tough Cedar Rapids Kennedy team in Week 1. But Valley’s defense held its own against Southeast Polk, one of the top teams in the state. Dowling, 28-17
No. 3 Johnston at No. 9 Cedar Falls
Will Nuss threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns in his junior season opener, and two of those touchdown passes went to Jacob Simpson. Cedar Falls lost by a field goal to Prairie, but the Tigers did overcome a scoreless first half to make things interesting. Johnston, 24-20
More: Two new top teams highlight the Des Moines Register's Week 2 high school football rankings
No. 2 Southeast Polk at Ankeny
Connor Moberly threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and the Rams added 160 more yards and one additional touchdown on the ground. Ankeny battled back from a 24-14 deficit against its cross-town rival to pull off a double-overtime victory. Southeast Polk, 27-21
No. 7 Waukee at Waukee Northwest
The Warriors and the Wolves will meet on the football field for the first time since the split. Waukee moved through the first week jitters with a win over Ames, while Northwest faced a tough opening challenge in Johnston. Northwest, 17-14
No. 10 Ankeny Centennial at Ames
The Jaguars have the pieces but couldn’t hold off an Ankeny comeback in Week 1. But Ames couldn’t muster up much of anything in its season-opening matchup against Waukee. Centennial, 35-10
Iowa City High at No. 8 Iowa City Liberty
A two-way stud who plays quarterback (Drew Larson, Iowa City High) versus one of the top quarterbacks in the state (Graham Beckman, Iowa City Liberty)? It doesn’t get much better than that in Week 2. Liberty, 28-20
More: 23 things we learned from Week 1 of the high school football season
Indianola at Norwalk
Norwalk opened the season with a 52-32 win over Carlisle, which included a 21-point third quarter. Indianola put together its own convincing performance, a 31-0 victory over Urbandale. Indianola, 38-31
3A-No. 7 Nevada at Roland-Story
Both offenses scored 30-plus points in Week 1; both defenses shut out their opponents. Nevada has won the previous four games in convincing fashion, and this matchup looks to follow that trend. Nevada, 42-29
3A-No. 2 Williamsburg at 4A-No. 1 Xavier
Nearly 300 combined yards and six touchdowns from Williamsburg’s Kellen Cockrell in Week 1. About half as many yards and three touchdowns from Xavier’s Ronan Thomas. Expect a good game between a reining state champion and a state runner-up. Xavier, 38-28
Des Moines Christian at 2A-No. 2 Van Meter
Van Meter has won the last six games against Des Moines Christian, tracking back to 2008. Lions quarterback, Tate Platte, threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1, but the advantage goes to Austin Baumhover and Ben Gordon, the Bulldogs’ one-two punch on offense. Van Meter, 34-18
More: Top performers in Week 1 of Iowa high school football
Clear Creek Amana at 3A-No. 9 Solon
Two teams looking to bounce back from losses in Week 1. CCA was shut out by Marion, but Solon couldn’t muster much against Assumption. This one could come down to defense, with Clippers junior Brody Clubb and Spartans senior Brett White both intimidating forces on that side of the ball. Solon, 18-15
1A-No. 3 Underwood at 2A-No. 9 Kuemper Catholic
In Week 1, Garrett Luett threw for 244 yards and one touchdown, and Underwood still lost. DJ Vonnahme threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns and Kuemper Catholic still lost. Could be interesting to see who picks up their first win of the season. Underwood, 28-22
8-Player-No. 9 Fremont-Mills at 8-Player-No. 10 Lenox
Braxton Blackburn kicked off his senior year with a stellar performance: 8.5 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery for Fremont-Mills. And then there’s Gabe Funk, who did a bit of everything for Lenox. Maybe this is the year Fremont Mills comes out on top. Fremont Mills, 32-26
More: Introducing the top 100 Iowa high school football players heading into the 2023 season
A-No. 9 South Central Calhoun at A-No. 5 Southwest Valley
Each of these teams scored 34 points in Week 1. But South Central Calhoun’s defense — led by Cole Higgins, Naylan Gulbranson, Brock Nattress and Caleb Juhl — held their opponent to fewer points. South Central Calhoun, 35-24
1A-No. 10 Aplington-Parkersburg at 1A-No. 1 Grundy Center
The top team in the rankings versus the team barely squeaking into the top 10, and both programs are undefeated through one week of high school football. Grundy Center is the easy favorite, but the Falcons haven’t lost a game to the Spartans tracking back to 2007. Aplington-Parkersburg, 49-24
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Predictions, games to watch for Week 2 of Iowa high school football
