The switch to eight-man football isn’t always smooth, and it takes some time to adjust a game plan.

For three straight seasons Bishop Garrigan hasn’t had a winning record and in its fourth season on the eight-man field, the Golden Bears ended that drought.

Garrigan (7-1 overall) ended all of that last week, scoring in the final 29 seconds to claim the eight-man, district 2 championship and earning a first round home playoff game.

Ten Messenger-area teams earned playoff spots with Emmetsburg (6-2), Manson Northwest Webster (3-5) and West Bend-Mallard (6-2) gaining home games.

The E-Hawks, who were the Class 1A, District 2 champions will host Ridge View (4-4). The Cougars (3-5) finished second behind the E-Hawks and will now face Dike-New Hartford (5-3) in Manson.

West Bend-Mallard (6-2) was a district runner up to the Golden Bears and will host Riceville (6-2).

Also earning playoff spots were Southeast Valley (5-3) and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows (3-5) in 2A. The Jaguars will head to Spirit Lake (7-1) and the Cowboys will travel to West Lyon (7-1).

In Class 1A, East Sac County (4-4) will head to Underwood (7-1). Pocahontas Area (4-4) travels to Waterloo Columbus (6-2).

Class A teams will be represented by North Union (5-3) and South Central Calhoun (5-3). The Warriors, who were fourth, faced Woodbury Central (8-0) on the road. The third-place Titans head to Logan-Magnolia (7-1).

Janesville (6-2) at Bishop Garrigan (7-1)

This is Bishop Garrigan’s 27th postseason trip and first in eight-man. The Golden Bears last appearance was in 2018 as part of a 15-year stretch.

Bishop Garrigan enters the postseason hunt after sophomore quarterback Tate Foertsch plunged in from one-yard out with 29 seconds left to earn the district championship.

Caden Roethler had 131 yards and a touchdown and Ethan Marso also scored.

Janesville beat Tripoli (60-0) last week, their third straight victory. Dane Appleby had three touchdowns, while Blayne Porter and Jayden Butler had two each and Talan Pletz had one.

Appleby has run for 1,089 yards and 12 scores, while throwing for 10 touchdowns. The Wildcats have 33 rushing touchdowns. Pletz has six running touchdowns.Trevor Forey has seven touchdown catches.

Foertsch has 22 combined scores. He has thrown for 978 and 16 touchdowns, while running for six.

Sam Plathe (six) and Drew Lappe (four) are the Golden Bears’ receiving leaders.

Roethler has run for 668 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Marson has five.

Ridge View (4-4) at Emmetsburg (6-2)

This is the 44th state appearance for the E-Hawks, who are 72-34 in the postseason with nine state championships and seven runner up performances.

In their fourth-straight trip, they’ll face Ridge View, who is making their third straight trip and seventh overall.

Emmetsburg enters on a six-game win streak and a 54-6 victory over Manson Northwest Webster.

The E-Hawks ran for 279 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Carson Baak, Gavin Swanson, Jace Nelson-Brown, Tyce Jenness and Jacob Grau-West each reached the endzone.

Swanson threw for two touchdowns, both to Byron Maina.

The Raptors enter with a 45-6 win over MVAOCOU where they ran for 272 yards. Lucas Hailman had 219 yards on the ground and two scores. Raif Jensen threw for two touchdowns, one to Kinnick Jensen and one to Isaac Goettsch.

Nelson-Brown has been the E-Hawks groundhog, toting the ball 158 times for 876 yards and 13 scores. Swanson has eight rushing touchdowns and Baak has five.

For the Raptors, the freshman Jensen, has four passing touchdowns and three on the ground.

Dike-New Hartford (5-3) at Manson Northwest Webster (3-5)

This is the 14th postseason trip for Manson Northwest Webster and the first since 2015. They are 3-8 in their trips.

The Wolverines have now made 23 playoff trips, their third in a row with a 38-20 record.

Dike-New Hartford enters the postseason on a three-game win streak with a 14-8 win over Denver, where Micah Walston and Noah Borcherding each had rushing touchdowns.

This season for the Cougars, they have used a balanced offense, throwing for 1,111 yards and running for 981.

Junior quarterback Logan Moline has thrown for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns, while running for four scores.

Kamden Birkey has 511 yards on the ground and five scores.

Borcherding has been the main threat on the ground for the Wolverines, running for 730 yards and eight trips to the endzone. Colin Meester has 807 yards through the air and five scores.

Riceville (6-2) at West Bend-Mallard (6-2)

As a consolidated school, the Wolverines are back for the second straight season and 21st overall. They’re 38-17 in their appearances.

The Wolverines entered the playoffs on a five-game win streak and a 78-8 victory over Rockford, where they ran for 241 yards and threw for 192.

Landon Montag had a combined seven touchdowns, four through the air (195 yards) and three on the ground (127).

Logan Grimm had a score on the ground, while he also caught two. Aiden Yoch and Cortlyn Schupbach had touchdown catches.

Riceville lost last week, ending a four-game win streak. On the season Jack Adams has thrown for 697 yards and 10 scores, while running for 656 and six touchdowns.

Andrew Beran has 836 rushing yards and 16 trips to the endzone. Kaden Kobliska has six touchdown catches.

For West Bend-Mallard, Landon Montag is fifth in eight-man with 21 rushing touchdowns and fifth with 1,132 rushing yards.

Cole Fehr has 726 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while Grimm has seven rushing touchdowns and two scoring catches.

South Central Calhoun (5-3) at Logan-Magnolia (7-1)

As a consolidated school, the Titans are making their 13th trip and 11th overall. With a 13-12 record.

The Titans finished the regular season with a 52-14 loss to Earlham and placed third in the district.

Gavin Batta had both touchdowns, throwing a 19-yard strike to Keegan Soard and running for a two-yard score.

Batta has thrown for 1,437 yards and 13 touchdowns and has five on the ground. Brock Nattress is the leading rusher for the Titans (551) and six scores.

Evan Roden has been the groundhog for the Panthers, running for 1,062 yards and 15 scores. Calvin Collins has 10 rushing touchdowns and 694 yards.

Other area playoff games: Southeast Valley (5-3) at Spirit Lake (7-1); Clarion-Goldfield-Dows (3-5) at West Lyon (7-1); East Sac County (4-4) at Underwood (7-1); Pocahontas Area (4-4) at Columbus Catholic, Waterloo (6-2); North Union (5-3) at Woodbury Central (8-0); South Central Calhoun (5-3) at Logan-Magnolia (7-1). Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (1-7) at Eagle Grove (0-8) (non-playoff contest).