Photo by David Borer: Webster City's Jaxon Cherry is just 28 yards from becoming the school’s all-time leader for rushing yards.

The push for the postseason continues Friday across the Messenger area.

Teams in Classes 1A and 2A open district play this week, while eight-man and Class A district action has already begun.

Class 3A, 4A and 5A squads will fight for district supremacy beginning next week.

There are a couple of intriguing matchups in the area tonight. Humboldt (2-1) will face North Polk (2-1), which dropped a tight decision to No. 5 Webster City last week. The Wildcats are looking to bounce back after last week’s loss to powerhouse Van Meter.

Webster City senior Jaxon Cherry is in line to become the school’s all-time career rushing leader at West Delaware.

No. 10 South Central Calhoun (3-0) goes toe-to-toe in a ranked showdown with seventh-rated ACGC (3-0).

Newell-Fonda (2-1) and Harris-Lake Park (2-1) square off in an eight-player showdown.

Manson Northwest Webster (0-3) looks for its first win in an area clash with Pocahontas Area (1-2).

No. 7 ACGC (3-0, 2-0) at No. 10 South Central Calhoun (3-0, 2-0)

The matchup between the Top-10 squads could ultimately be the deciding factor for the Class A, District 7 championship.

Both teams enter the matchup with unbeaten records and two wins over district opponents.

The Chargers defeated Panorama (55-44) and Earlham (28-14). The Titans have victories over then-No. 4 Southwest Valley (47-0) and Riverside (34-28).

Last week, ACGC beat Panorama behind a 417-yard rushing performance. Jathan South rushed for 200 yards and four touchdown. South also threw a 54-yard touchdown to Anthony Solorzano.

Nate Chance had 102 yards rushing and a TD. Mike Fuller also scored.

On the season, South has rushed for 288 and six scores, while Solorzano has three scores. Fuller and Chance have three rushing touchdowns each.

Last weekm the Titans used a balanced attack of 273 passing yards and three touchdowns from Gavin Batta and 196 team yards on the ground.

Batta and Zach Trott each hit paydirt. On the season, Batta has thrown for 606 and six touchdowns.

Batta and Trott have three TDs on the ground, while Cole Higgins and Brock Nattress have two each. Keegan Soard has four scoring catches.

No. 5 Webster City (3-0) at West Delaware (1-2)

Senior Jaxon Cherry already became the school’s all-time leader for rushing touchdowns in Week 2, passing Gavin Dinsdale (55). Cherry, who has reached the end zone 10 times this year in just three games, now has 61 career touchdowns.

This week, Cherry has the chance of becoming the school’s all-time rushing leader. He currently sits at 3,616 yards and needs only 28 yards to pass Dinsdale (3,643) as Webster City’s career champ.

Last week in a tight 21-20 win over the Comets, Cherry ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns with a 44-yard score and a nine-yard jaunt.

Cherry’s junior season of 1,804 yards was the single-season record for the Lynx in 2022.

Senior Keegan Hisler had the momentum breaker last week, picking up a fumble for scoop-six 99 spanning yards with Webster City down 13-0.

West Delaware is coming off its first win of the season over Union (42-12).

In that contest, quarterback Brent Yonkovic threw for 183 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 150 and three scores.

Macoy Rolling also had a rushing touchdown. Conrad Smith had two scoring catches for 73 yards.

On the season, Yonkovic has thrown for 423 yards and rushed for 329.

Humboldt (2-1) at North Polk (2-1)

The Wildcats had a tough go last week, playing now No. 1 (Class 2A) Van Meter. The 52-14 defeat was only the second regular-season loss in the last two years for Humboldt.

Humboldt did get two touchdown passes from Coen Matson — who threw for 158 yards — to Corey Dettmann. Dettmann had eight grabs for 112 yards.

On the season Matson has thrown for 374 and three TDs.

In a 21-20 loss to Webster City last week, Isaac Zoske threw for 170 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Brock Miller (18 yards), Kale Yoakum (26) and Nathan Feldman (30).

Zoske has thrown for 666 yards and 11 TDs. The leading rusher for the Comets is BJ Tate (249 yards). Colton Manock has three touchdown catches.

This is the third straight meeting between the two schools. The Wildcats hold a 2-0 advantage.

Newell-Fonda (2-1) at Harris-Lake Park (2-1)

Newell-Fonda will step out of conference play for a meeting with Harris-Lake Park on Friday.

After dropping their season opener to West Bend-Mallard, the Mustangs have reeled off high-scoring victories over West Harrison (64-28) and Woodbine (54-46).

In last week’s victory, quarterback Max Carlson threw two touchdowns and ran for four. Carlson was 5-for-8 passing for 94 yards. He ran for 156.

Trenton Struss and Ty Tauber also had rushing TDs. Struss and Jacksyn Hogrefe had touchdown catches.

On the season Carlson, Struss and Tabuer have five rushing scores each. Carlson has thrown for three. Carlson has 333 yards on the ground, while Struss has 286.

Harris-Lake Park has now won two straight as well after beating Northwood-Kensett, 34-27. Quarterback Lucas Ahrenstorff threw for 121 yards and 137 more rushing, while scampering for four touchdowns.

Ahrenstorff has two passing and six rushing TDs on the season.

Manson Northwest Webster (0-3) at Pocahontas Area (1-2)

Both the Cougars and the Indians look to open district play with a victory.

This will be the eighth meeting since 2012 between the two schools. Pocahontas Area has won the last five, beating the Cougars 38-0 a year ago.

Last week, the Indians fell to Western Christian 41-0 after they had earned their first victory against Okoboji (35-32).

On the season, Lucas Kopriva has thrown for 313 yards and touchdowns to Gabe Ehn and Ryan Panbecker.

Ryan Sommerlot is the leading rusher at 231 yards, with four trips to the end zone.

The Cougars nearly broke into the win column last week, falling to MVAOCOU, 37-30. Logan Moline threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns, while Caydin Anderson also had a touchdown pass. Moline had a TD on the ground as well.

Matt Condon (18 yards), Broc Patzner (57), Grayson Klocko (eight) and Anderson (47) had TD catches.

On the season, Moline has 475 yards passing and five touchdown strikes. Condon and Anderson have two touchdown catches each.

Other area games: Algona (2-1) at Boyden Hull/Rock Valley (1-2); Garner-Hayfield/Ventura (1-2) at Clarion-Goldfield/Dows (1-2); No. 5 Southeast Valley (3-0) at Des Moines Christian (1-2); Greene County (2-1) at Saydel (1-2); Sioux Central (1-2) at Eagle Grove (0-3); East Sac County (2-1) at Emmetsburg (1-2); North Union (2-1) at West Hancock (2-1); West Bend-Mallard (1-2) at No. 6 GTRA (3-0); Northwood-Kensett (0-3) at Bishop Garrigan (2-1).