Iowa High School Football 2024: Choosing Area Class A Districts

Favourites include Maquoketa Valley, Lisbon and Wapsie Valley

Second in a series diving into Iowa high school football districts for the 2024 season. Today we examine Class A.

Fifty-eight teams are assigned to Class A, with 32 advancing to the playoffs. The top four teams in each of the eight districts advance.

The regular season of Class A consists of eight games, with five play-off rounds.

A closer look at the districts:

District 4

OVERVIEW

Last year, four Tri-Rivers Conference rivals were within a game of each other. Starmont (8-2, 6-1) was the district champion, but East Buchanan (9-3, 6-1) made the deepest playoff run, reaching the semifinals. Starmont is the highest-ranked A-4 team in The Gazette’s preseason rankings at No. 8, but I’m going to deviate from the consensus and pick Maquoketa Valley (7-3, 5-2) as the champion. Lance McShane and his 2,000-plus rushing yards are gone, but the Wildcats return QB Brady Wall and top receiving target Taten Intorf. Second-team all-state linebacker Avery Vaske is the front-runner for Starmont’s repeat bid. East Buchanan and North Linn (6-3, 5-2) are both poised to return to the postseason fray. Cole Griffith was a second-team all-state kick returner for the Lynx last year.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualification)

1. *Maquoketa Valley

2. *Star Mount

3. *East Buchanan

4. *North Linn

5. Bellevue

6. Claytonback

7. Post town

8. Northern Cedar

District 5

OVERVIEW

Lisbon (9-1, 7-0) was the 2023 champion thanks to a 34-28 Week 3 win over Columbus Community (6-3, 6-1), and the Sept. 13 rematch in Lisbon likely will decide the title this fall. Give the Lions a slight edge behind QB Dakota Clark, who ran for 17 touchdowns and nine passing last season. He has one of the state’s fastest guys on the perimeter in Tiernan Boots. Meanwhile, the Lions’ defense has held seven opponents to a touchdown or fewer. Riley Kaalberg (942 rushing yards, 14 TDs) will be Columbus’ primary back. Expect Pekin (6-3, 5-2) to challenge the co-favorites. Highland (2-6, 2-5) won its last two games last year and could carry that momentum into a postseason berth.

PROJECTIONS (*playoff qualification)

1. *Lisbon

2. *Columbus Community

3. *Beijing

4. *Highland

5. Danville

6. Van Buren County

7. Louisa Muscatine

8. Wapello

Other districts with area teams

DISTRICT 3 (*playoff qualification)

1. *Wapsie Valley

2. *North Tama

3. *South Winneshiek

4. *Nashua-Plainfield

5. North Butler

6. Conrad BCLUW

7. Ackley AGWSR

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