HALFTIME - #1 Dowling 45, #2 Waukee 7

[LukeFeddersen]

Is the rest of the state playing for 2nd?

 

[cruhawk]

It is almost impossible to believe that Waukee is really the second-best 4A team in Iowa.

 

[IA Steel]

To answer your question Luke...yes, everyone else is playing for 2nd. I still can't believe that was the score at HALF!!

 

[maxstabs13]

No. Bettendorf and Washington I think are in the conversation still. Everyone else has to improve drastically.

 

[screwloose]

Comparatively speaking to Dowling...
...Johnston also played Urbandale, also won by 20 points less. Will know more next week when they also play Waukee.
...WDM Valley also played Waukee and lost by 22. Dowling beat Waukee by 31. Valley and Dowling play next week.
...SC East, CB Lewis Central & Ank Centennial are all undefeated but against what is perceived lesser competition. A better gauge will be gained on Centennial next week when they play SE Polk, who's also played Waukee, Johnston and Valley.

Jury is out on Southeast Polk, also they have played a brutally tough schedule. They may end up being the barometer by which the haves and have nots are determined.

Comparatively speaking to Bettendorf...
...Cedar Falls also played IC High, also won by 9 points less. Cedar Falls also lost to Ames, who looks like a mid-level team in the West.
...North Scott also played Pleasant Valley, also won by 19 points less.
...Linn-Mar Marion also played Pleasant Valley, also won by 16 less. A better gauge on Linn-Mar next week when they play Washington.

Comparatively speaking to Washington...
...North Scott also played CR Kennedy, also won by 16 points less.
...Washington beat IC West by about a touchdown more than WDM Valley, which will give us a better gauge on where that victory stands after Valley's game with Dowling this coming week.

Jury is totally out on Ottumwa and Dubuque Senior, who have been largely untested. North Scott seems a notch below Bettendorf and Washington.

Dowling looks like the only team on their tier right now. Bettendorf and Washington are the only teams on the next tier with North Scott floating between tiers two and three. SC East, Valley, Waukee and Linn-Mar appear the teams on the third tier. Everyone else I see below this or the byproduct of a brutal schedule - and may end up here anyway.

 

[RamBling]

Great post Screwloose - what we sometimes forget is that these are HS teams that in many cases have to reload/rebuild/replace and that it often takes a few weeks for that to happen.

In the west, Dowling is head-and-shoulders the best team right now....but that is not to say that an improving Valley team (with a new QB and main RB) won't be at least within shouting distance by playoff time. Or that Waukee (if Pat Gray can return to shore up the defense) won't hit their stride by season end and inflict some "pay back". Or Johnston continues their run.

As you noted, this week will take us another step closer to identifying the "studs", "almost theres", "2nd tiers" and "not what we thought they weres".

Valley looked very good dissecting SEP Friday night - especially Rocky Lombardi - if he continues on this upward trend and can find a couple of other receivers to throw to (can't rely completely and solely on Dominique Daffney), they will make a deep run in the playoffs. But unless someone catches fire or (God forbid) Dowling suffers a setback (injury, etc) - this is in Dowling's hand to lose.