March 28, 2024

Mustangs, Hawks ready for first-round playoff opponents

Playoff bound

Prairie City-Monroe didn’t play last Friday night. The Mustangs, ranked No. 5 in Class 2A, had wrapped up the 2A District 6 district title and a playoff berth for the 10th straight season. They just awaited the announcement of their first-round opponent.

The Mustangs and Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks found out early Saturday morning which teams they would host in the opening round of the 2017 Iowa high school football playoffs.

Three teams from District 6 advanced to the 2017 Iowa Class A football playoffs — Lynnville-Sully, New London and Pekin. They are all in the same quarterfinal grouping of the bracket.

Class A No. 8 Lynnville-Sully (8-0) went undefeated in winning the District 6 championship. The Hawks recorded their first undefeated regular season since 1999. They have made the Class A playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.

The Hawks could have to beat the two district rivals to reach the semifinals. They open the playoffs at home against New London, which was third in the district, at 7 p.m. Friday in Sully.

Pekin (8-1) is matched up with second-ranked Hudson (9-0) in the bottom half of the grouping. The winner of the Lynnville-Sully and New London game takes on the winner of the Hudson and Pekin game in the quarterfinal round on Nov. 3.

In the other half Lynnville-Sully’s side of the Class A bracket has No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (8-1) playing at No. 4 Wapsie Valley (9-0) and No. 10 East Buchanan (8-1) at No. 9 Saint Ansgar (9-0). Winners of Friday’s opening round games play in the quarterfinals on Nov. 3.

Top-ranked West Sioux (9-0) hosts Sioux Central (7-2), No. 5 Bishop Garrigan (9-0) hosts West Hancock (6-3) in one quarterfinal grouping. Third-ranked Southwest Valley (9-0) has Gehlen Catholic (7-2) coming to town on Friday while No. 6 St. Albert (8-1) hosts Westwood (7-2).

Quarterfinal games are on Nov. 3. The semifinals move to the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls on Nov. 10 with the Class A championship game set for 1:36 p.m. on Nov. 16 in the UNI Dome.

PCM lost its season-opener to Pella Christian, now ranked No. 3 in 1A, 24-22. The Mustangs have blown out every other opponent this season.

The Mustangs’ first-round game is a No. 5 versus No. 6 matchup on Friday at Monroe. PCM hosts No. 6 Williamsburg (7-2) for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Third-ranked Mount Vernon (8-1) hosts Centerville (6-3), which is out of PCM’s district, in the other game in the quarterfinal grouping.

In the top quarterfinal grouping in PCM’s side of the 2A playoff bracket has Aplington-Parkersburg (8-1) hosting No. 10 Union (6-3) and second-ranked Cascade (9-0) hosting West Liberty (6-3) on Friday. The winners play a quarterfinal game on Nov. 3

Looking at the other side of the full bracket, No. 1 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (8-1) hosts Kuemper Catholic (7-2) and No. 8 South Central Calhoun (8-1) hosts No. 9 Sioux Center (8-1) with the winners playing in the quarterfinals.

Fourth-ranked Clear Lake (7-2) hosts No. 7 Waukon (8-1) and New Hampton (7-2) has Dike-New Hartford (6-3) at home. Those opening-round game winners play a quarterfinal.

Class 2A quarterfinal winners play semifinals on Nov. 11 at the UNI Dome. The 2A championship game is set for 2:06 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the UNI Dome.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com