Friday night lights are shining bright across Iowa as high school football teams battle for one of the most coveted prizes in the state — a trip to the UNI-Dome. The quarterfinals are here, and for every team still standing, one more win means a shot at a state championship.
Dozens of programs across all classifications took the field Friday, November 6, with kickoff temperatures hovering in the low 40s under partly cloudy skies. According to KCCI’s latest weather conditions, most of the state stayed dry throughout the evening, keeping conditions manageable for players and fans bundled up in the stands.
A Scare on the Sideline
One of the more unsettling moments of the night came during the Ankeny vs. Iowa City Liberty game, when a coach required emergency medical attention during the fourth quarter and was taken away by ambulance. Details on the coach’s condition were not immediately available, but the incident cast a somber note over what was otherwise a competitive playoff atmosphere.
Notable Game Highlights
Dowling Catholic’s Grayson Pennington broke off a long touchdown run against Cedar Falls, helping fuel a dominant performance by the Maroons. Cedar Falls had come out of the gate fast — Carsen Gary returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, briefly giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead. The moment was captured live and shared by the IAfootball account on X, drawing attention under the #IAfootball and #iahsfb hashtags, with video circulating widely. Dowling ultimately pulled away, winning 42-14.
Who Punched Their Ticket to the UNI-Dome
Across all classifications, here are the teams that have secured their spots for the next round:
Ankeny 51, Iowa City Liberty 29 | Woodbury Central 54, West Fork 21 | Johnston 21, West Des Moines Valley 7 | Roland-Story 28, Van Meter 14 | Western Dubuque 27, Waverly-Shell Rock 24 | Southeast Polk 38, Prairie 28 | Alburnett 28, Wilton 21 | Dowling Catholic 42, Cedar Falls 14 | Treynor 17, Underwood 14 | Sergeant Bluff-Luton 28, Glenwood 17 | West Lyon 42, Clarion-Goldfield Dows 14 | Des Moines Christian 43, Mount Pleasant 26 | Carlisle 27, Pella 14 | Spirit Lake 24, Carroll Kuemper 17 | Maquoketa Valley 22, Lynnville-Sully 12 | Solon 23, West Delaware 14 | Clear Lake 36, Mount Vernon 0 | Algona 31, Bishop Heelan 0 | Iowa City Regina 42, Grundy Center 14 | Aplington-Parkersburg 24, West Marshall 0 | Cedar Rapids Xavier 48, Newton 9 | West Sioux 35, St. Albert 0 | North Linn 41, Saint Ansgar 0
Thursday’s 8-Player Quarterfinal Results
The 8-player bracket also saw quarterfinal action on Thursday, with four teams advancing. Audubon topped North Union 59-34, Gladbrook-Reinbeck handled Coon Rapids-Bayard 56-8, Iowa Valley rolled past Edgewood-Colesburg 70-32, and Woodbine defeated Bishop Garrigan 50-22.
For a full look at the quarterfinal schedule and bracket across all classes, the complete matchup grid is available online.
Fans looking to follow the season beyond the playoffs can also tune in to KCCI’s “Big College Kickoff,” now in its third season and streaming live every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on Very Local. The free streaming channel is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and smartphones. Learn more about Very Local, or follow the channel on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.