Week 8 of Iowa high school football delivered drama, dominant performances, and a double-overtime thriller that left fans breathless — all under chilly mid-40s temperatures across the state. From a top-two Class 5A showdown to a blowout eight-player Wild Card game, Friday night’s action gave Iowa football fans plenty to talk about heading into the playoffs.
Johnston Upsets No. 1 Southeast Polk in Class 5A Showdown
The biggest game of the night lived up to its billing. In a highly anticipated 1 vs. 2 matchup in Class 5A, Johnston defeated top-ranked Southeast Polk 38-30, handing the Rams their first loss of the season. Johnston entered the game at 6-1, with its only blemish coming in Week 2 against Dowling Catholic.
Southeast Polk had been powered all season by the Cooper brothers. Senior Stanley Cooper leads Class 5A with 1,163 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while junior Adrian Cooper added 801 yards and 10 TDs on the ground. Sophomore Jack Wolfe contributed three of the team’s six interceptions, including a 51-yard pick-six, and seniors Owen Oberbroeckling and Fredrick Tarasid-Tarawally each added a pick-six of their own.
Johnston’s offense was equally sharp coming in. Senior quarterback Trevin Helming had accumulated 1,400 yards on 86-of-132 passing with 18 touchdowns — second in 5A — and just one interception entering the game. Senior Bryce Beachem leads the Dragons with 30 catches for 556 yards and three touchdown receptions, while sophomore Kamryn Chapman has hauled in a team-high six TD catches. Senior Emri Jones leads Johnston on the ground with 544 yards and 10 scores. Beachem is also second in 5A with four interceptions on defense.
Valley Survives Ankeny in Double-Overtime Classic
West Des Moines Valley edged Ankeny 36-35 in double overtime after converting a walk-off two-point conversion — one of the most dramatic finishes of the season. Video of the game-winner, shared by #iahsfb followers on social media, spread quickly online and captured just how electric the ending was. The play was also featured by @CISNtv, and footage is available here.
Roland-Story’s Luke Thoreson Puts on a First-Quarter Clinic
Roland-Story wasted no time against Oelwein, racing out to a 35-0 lead before the first quarter was even finished. The driving force was receiver Luke Thoreson, who caught three touchdown passes from quarterback Willis in a jaw-dropping opening period.
The scoring started with a 47-yard shovel pass touchdown at the 11:19 mark, as noted in a post on October 17, 2026. Thoreson then hauled in a 2-yard score with 7:50 remaining in the first quarter — posted October 17, 2026. He capped the opening period with a 52-yard touchdown reception with just 39.3 seconds left in the quarter, as captured on October 17, 2026. Roland-Story went on to win 49-0.
Wild Card: Coon Rapids-Bayard Rolls Glidden-Ralston
Selected by voters on the KCCI Facebook page, this week’s Wild Card game featured an eight-player matchup between the Coon Rapids-Bayard Crusaders (5-3) and the Glidden-Ralston Wildcats (2-5) — and it turned into a rout. Coon Rapids-Bayard won 72-15.
Glidden-Ralston had been struggling entering the game, riding a four-game losing streak after opening 2-1. Junior quarterback Brody Hunt had thrown for 1,133 yards and 18 touchdowns, but also 11 interceptions. Junior Colton Rohrbeck led the Wildcats with 674 rushing yards and 395 receiving yards, combining for 17 total touchdowns. Senior Jackson Whitaker and junior Colby Sibenaller each brought three interceptions on defense.
Coon Rapids-Bayard was led offensively by sophomore quarterback Tucker Lewis (893 yards, 17 TDs, 5 interceptions). Sophomore Andrew McAlister rushed for 635 yards and 11 touchdowns, while senior Caden Oswald added 516 yards and 10 TDs on the ground, along with a team-high 409 yards receiving. Sophomore Griffin Mohr leads the entire eight-player class with 15 sacks.
Other Notable Week 8 Final Scores
Across the state, several other teams posted impressive results Friday night. Waukee Northwest shut out Waukee 44-0, Dallas Center-Grimes beat Ames 42-3, and Dowling Catholic handled Ankeny Centennial 37-10. Sigourney Keota blanked Cardinal 62-0, Clarksville topped Collins-Maxwell 71-16, and Audubon posted a 51-0 shutout of Lenox. Le Mars edged Fort Dodge 24-21 in one of the tighter games of the night.
For a full look at undefeated teams still standing after Week 7, click here for the complete list by class heading into Week 8.
On Thursday, Cedar Rapids Jefferson beat Dubuque Hempstead 42-6, Muscatine defeated Davenport Central 28-13, and Starmont blanked South Winneshiek 46-0.
Fans can also catch KCCI’s Big College Kickoff every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. on Very Local, hosted by Cullen Holt with live reports from Scott Reister and Shannon Ehrhardt. The show is free to stream on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or your smartphone, and you can follow along on YouTube as well. Check KCCI’s latest weather conditions before heading out to any remaining weekend events.