Iowa state football championship game predictions: Who leaves the UNI-Dome with the crown?

The final seven games of the Iowa prep football season take place over two days inside the UNI-Dome

Zay Robinson and West Des Moines Valley take on Southeast Polk Friday night for the Class 5A state football title. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We have reached the final stretch of what has been an incredible prep football season in Iowa. Now, we crown champions in all seven classifications starting Thursday with the 8-Man final.

From there, three more games will be played in Cedar Falls from the UNI-Dome throughout the day, with the final three taking place Friday. 

Of the 14 teams left standing, all but Tri Center-North Polk and Dubuque Wahlert have won a state title previously, with Dike-New Hartford doing it as just Dike in 1981 before consolidating with New Hartford. 

This is the first appearance in the championship round for both Tri-Center and Dubuque Wahlert, while North Polk and Humboldt are here for the second time in program history.

Championships, championship game appearances for schools

Here is a look at the titles won and runner-up trophies claimed by the teams remaining by class. The appearance total does not include this year:

8-Man

• Remsen St. Mary’s: 4 appearances, 3 championships (2004, ‘20, ‘22)
• Gladbrook-Reinbeck: 4 appearances, 2 championships (2015, ‘16) *all four came before moving to 8-Man

Class A

• West Hancock: 7 appearances, 4 championships (1996, 2019, ‘21, ‘23)
• Tri-Center: 0 appearances

Class 1A

• Grundy Center: 8 appearances, 5 championships (1984, ‘87, ‘88, 2022, ‘23)
• Dike-New Hartford: 6 appearances, 1 championship (1981, as Dike)

Class 2A

• West Lyon: 9 appearances, 5 championships (1998, ‘99, 2010, ‘13, ‘19)
• Spirit Lake: 3 appearances, 2 championships (2012, ‘15)

Class 3A

• Humboldt: 1 appearance, 1 championship (2006)
• Dubuque Wahlert: 0 appearances

Class 4A

• North Polk: 1 appearance, 0 championships
• Pella: 5 appearances, 3 championships (2014, ‘15, ‘16)

Class 5A

• West Des Moines Valley: 10 appearances, 5 championships (2002, ‘03, ‘05, ‘08, ‘11)
• Southeast Polk: 5 appearances, 3 championships (2021, ‘22, ‘23)

Previewing each championship game by class with predictions

8-Man: Remsen St. Mary’s vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.

Nobody has had a bigger run over the postseason than Drew Eilers, as the two-way standout continues to carry the Rebels. This is the first time as an 8-Man school Gladbrook-Reinbeck has made it this far, and they do so against quite possibly the best program the class has.

Eilers has thrown for over 1,800 yards and rushed for another 1,103 with 26 passing TDs and 28 more on the ground. Hudson Clark is his favorite target, catching 48 passes for 922 yards and 14 touchdowns while running in nine more scores.

Keaton Harpeanau will be the one Eilers has to keep an eye on, as he ranks among the state leaders in interceptions this fall along with being a threat on offense. Landon Waldschmitt has over 2,000 yards of total offense to lead the Hawks with 49 combined scores. 

Prediction: Remsen St. Mary’s 56, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 48

Class A: West Hancock vs. Tri-Center, Thursday, 1 p.m.

Even though they have four championships all-time, West Hancock has yet to go back-to-back. They can accomplish the feat with a win over Tri-Center and standout QB AJ Harder. 

As is customary, the Eagles rely on one of the top rush offenses in the state led by Brady Bixel. The senior has 1,852 yards and 37 touchdowns this year as part of an attack that has amassed 4,288 yards and 64 scores on the ground.

Harder, meanwhile, has the chance to lead the state in passing yards, coming in with 2,675 to go along with 28 touchdowns. Cael Witt, a junior, has 68 receptions for 1,084 yards and 11 scores while Carter Kunze surpassed 2,200 yards rushing and has 38 trips to the end zone.

Prediction: West Hancock 45, Tri-Center 30

Class 1A: Grundy Center vs. Dike-New Hartford, Thursday, 4 p.m.

This marks the sixth consecutive state finals appearance for Grundy Center, as they finished second three straight years before hoisting the trophy the last two. And while the names have changed, the results have stayed the same.

The Spartans have not lost in a very long time, coming in riding a 38-game win streak. That includes dominating performance all postseason over Wilton, Sumner-Fredericksburg and West Branch. They have also owned the series with Dike-New Hartford as of late, winning the last four meetings, including a 21-7 victory in August.

On the opposite side of Judd Jirovsky, Tiernan Vokes and Grundy Center sits Noah Borcherding and Colin Meester. Borcherding has 1,722 yards rushing with 27 touchdowns while Meester has thrown for almost 1,200 yards and has 20 combined TDs. 

Prediction: Grundy Center 27, Dike-New Hartford 7

Emmanuel Diers and Pella will play for the Class 4A state title Thursday night vs. North Polk. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Class 4A: North Polk vs. Pella, Thursday, 7 p.m.

The main event of night one of the state finals pits the Dutch and the Comets against one another for the first time since 2022. Pella took out defending champion Lewis Central in the semis as star Emmanuel Diers had a big game.

Diers, a junior, has over 1,500 yards of offense with 15 touchdowns, as Colin Kerndt has thrown for 1,882 yards with 17 scores while adding 791 yards and 14 more TDs on the ground. Nate Warner is a stud on defense, recording 102 tackles.

North Polk, meanwhile, just continues to churn out win after win, topping Fort Dodge, Cedar Rapids Xavier and North Scott in the playoffs. Nathan Feldmann has rushed for 1,710 yards with 23 touchdowns out of the QB spot, adding another 915 yards and 12 scores with his arm. 

Prediction: Pella 24, North Polk 21

Class 2A: West Lyon vs. Spirit Lake, Friday, 10 a.m.

Making their 10th appearance in the finals, the Wildcats are one of the last unbeaten teams left standing. They feature a balanced offense led by quarterback Bryson Childress, as the senior has 1,459 yards passing and 574 yards rushing. He has had a hand in 30 touchdowns, including 20 passing scores. 

Evan Hildring has 962 yards on the ground while Jorden Meyer is the top target, catching 22 passes for 526 with seven scores.

Caden Lundt orchestrates a Spirit Lake offense that really can push the ball down the field. The senior has thrown for 2,547 yards with 38 TDs, as Dylan Stecker has 54 receptions for 1,065 with 18 of those touchdowns. Bode Higgins provides the ground support and Iowa State commit Ethan Stecker is a dangerous weapon as well.

Two elite defensive talents will be on display in JD Schneider of Spirit Lake and Jaxan Husyer from West Lyon. Schneider has 88 tackles including 18 for loss while Huyser has 70.5 stops with 12 for loss. 

Prediction: Spirit Lake 34, West Lyon 24

Class 3A: Humboldt vs. Dubuque Wahlert, Friday, 1 p.m.

You would be hard-pressed to find a team outside of 5A that has played a more daunting schedule than the Wildcats. Along with facing off against district rivals Algona and Clear Lake, Humboldt met North Polk and Van Meter during the season. All of that has helped prepare them for this, including a close win in the semis over Mount Vernon.

Derrick Elman has led the Wildcats to three appearances in the final four, but this is the first time they have made it to the finals. Coen Matson is one of the big reason why, as the senior has 2,457 yards passing and 27 touchdowns with another 325 and five on the ground. He has two big-play threats in Keegan Groat and Chase Flaherty.

While not as flashy as some teams, Wahlert just wins. The Golden Eagles are 12-0 thanks in large part to Michael Bormann. The senior has 1,097 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns, 213 yards receiving with two scores, 91 tackles on defense including 20.5 for loss and two sacks.

Prediction: Humboldt 14, Dubuque Wahlert 10

Class 5A: West Des Moines Valley vs. Southeast Polk, Friday, 7 p.m.

What a showdown we have to conclude the 2024 prep football season as the Tigers and Rams do battle. Earlier this year, West Des Moines Valley snapped Southeast Polk’s streak of consecutive wins with a 20-17 victory. Many wondered if that was the start of the end of the dynasty for the Rams.

Instead, they regrouped and have picked up four straight wins including postseason victories over Pleasant Valley, Iowa City West and top-seed Iowa City Liberty. Holden Hansen, a multi-sport standout, has 2,196 yards passing with 19 TDs, adding another 366 yards and nine scores with his legs. The defense is anchored by Cooper Martinson, as the senior has 74 tackles including 10 for loss.

Valley, meanwhile, topped rival West Des Moines Dowling in the semis after surviving three-point wins vs. Johnston and Sioux City East. Iowa State commit Zay Robinson has 12 receiving touchdowns while King Coleman has racked up almost 1,000 yards on the ground with junior Drake DeGroote executing the offense. 

Prediction: West Des Moines Valley 33, Southeast Polk 30