CEDAR FALLS — The long quest for a dozen Iowa high school football teams will come to an end at the UNI-Dome either Thursday or Friday as state championships in all six classes will be contested on the artificial turf.
This is the first year the IHSAA has used a RPI ratings to determine postseason qualifiers. District champions automatically advanced, with the remaining at-large spots granted to the teams with highest RPI rankings.
Those numbers were generated by taking a team’s win-loss percentage (counted as 37.5 percent of RPI), all opponents win-loss record (another 37.5 percent) and the combined win-loss of the opponents of each opponent (25 percent). No adjustment was made for margin of victory, district/non-district, location or out-of-class opposition.
In Class 4A there were nine at-large teams chosen by RPI, with seven at-large squads advancing in 1A, 2A and 3A while six A schools and eight 8-player schools earning at-large spots.
Thursday’s championship slate begins with the 8-player final at 10 a.m. as Rockford (11-1), ranked 10th in RPI, battles No. 9 New London (11-1). The only match up of undefeated teams kicks off at 1:30 p.m. as No. 4 AHSTW (12-0) faces No. 1 Hudson (12-0) for the Class A championship while No. 13 Western Dubuque (10-2) squares off against No. 3 Cedar Rapids Xavier (12-0) at 7 p.m. for bragging rights in 3A.
Class 1A starts Friday’s title competitions with an 11 a.m. kick off between No. 9 West Sioux and No. 6 Dike-New Hartford (12-0). Friday’s 2 p.m. duel is the lone 1 vs 2 showdown, as the 2A title will be decided between 11-1 Boyden Hull/Rock Valley and top-ranked and 12-0 PCM.
The final contest of the season will begin at 7 p.m. and feature five-time defending state champion Dowling Catholic (10-2), ranked seventh, facing undefeated at third-rated Cedar Falls (12-0) for the 4A crown.
