SIOUX CITY — There are no foregone conclusions in football.

The message Fort Dodge football coach Nik Moser is sending to his players this week is simple: take nothing for granted, and assume even less.

“You only get nine guaranteed opportunities a year to do this,” Moser said. “The last thing you want to do is go through the motions and look back feeling like you didn’t give your all in your last regular-season game.

“We’ve got too much ahead of us to take a step back now.”

With a state playoff berth for a second straight year already in tow, eighth-ranked (Class 4A) Fort Dodge now turns its attention to a potential Dodger Stadium return for a first-round postseason assignment. The Dodgers (7-1 overall, 3-1 4A-1) must first take care of business against Sioux City West (1-7, 0-4) inside Olsen Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Moser’s squad isn’t just playing for a higher RPI score and a more favorable playoff draw next Friday. Fort Dodge is 48 minutes away from its fourth 8-1 record since 1946 – a feat only accomplished in 1974, 1981 and 2010.

Only six Dodger football teams have earned at least eight regular-season victories in the last 95 years.

“We have the chance to put the finishing touches on a rare accomplishment,” Moser said. “Combined with last year, a lot of these kids have been on the field for 14 wins and counting. That’s a big deal and something they’ve earned.”

Fort Dodge pulled out a 9-3 Homecoming and Senior Night victory over Le Mars last week to solidify District 1 runner-up honors behind fourth-rated Sergeant Bluff-Luton. The Dodgers were stout again defensively, surrendering negative-two rushing yards in the second half, forcing three turnovers and recording the season’s first safety by junior nose guard Alex Beekman. That helped overcome the offense stalling out on seven of the eight drives into Bulldog territory.

“We still need to be more consistent with finishing and making better use of our (offensive opportunities),” Moser said. “That’s a continued point of emphasis. But we have to be better in all phases, as players and as coaches. We’re getting there, but it’s a never-ending process. You can never be satisfied with the improvements. No one is perfect.”

Senior Dreshaun Ross is one-half of a sack (12) and tackle for loss (30) behind the overall state lead in both categories. The Oklahoma State wrestling recruit already has both a 4A best and single-season program record for sacks and TFLs.

The Dodger defense is currently allowing only 12.9 points per game – the fifth-best mark in 4A, and on pace to be FDSH’s fourth-best single-season total since 1978 (behind only 1981, 1984 and 1988). Fort Dodge is also surrendering less than 200 yards per contest, which has only been done by one other Dodger squad (1984) in the last 47 years.

Junior Sam Moser, Ross, junior Jayce Skow and senior Jesse Egli have all recorded 45 or more tackles.

Offensively, junior Will McElroy (825 yards) and Ross (694) have combined for 1,519 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Junior Tru McBride has thrown for 931 yards and rushed for nine scores.

West sophomore quarterback Tavin Irvine has thrown for 465 yards and three TDs, adding 476 and five scores on the ground.

“He’s an impressive athlete,” Moser said of Irvine. “He’s a threat to run and throw. That’s someone we’ll have to contain. We can’t allow him to break out of the pocket or get into an early rhythm.

“(Junior Kash) Olson is solid on defense. They have some good pieces.”

There are a number of opening-round 4A playoff options for the Dodgers, including Gilbert, Glenwood, Adel-ADM and a slew of others. The brackets and locations will be determined by a combination of RPI rating and geography, and released early Saturday morning.

“We just need to keep taking care of business and controlling what we can,” Moser said. “It would be great to be back at home (for just the fourth postseason game at Dodger Stadium since 1994), but there are a lot of variables and scenarios that are happening elsewhere and have yet to be determined.”