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Ten Messenger area teams will open postseason football play on Friday night, with five kicking off at home.
District champions (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows (7-1 overall), and Emmetsburg (5-3) will be on their own turf in Class 1A. Eight-player district champion Bishop Garrigan (7-1) will also be home, as will district runner-ups North Union (7-1 in eight-player) and South Central Calhoun (7-1 in 1A).
Hitting the road in 1A will be Manson Northwest Webster (4-4), Eagle Grove (4-4), and East Sac County (5-2). Southeast Valley (5-3) is doing the same in 2A.
It will be the final night of the regular season for Class 3A contender Algona (5-3, 4-0), which holds all the cards in District 1. With a win the Bulldogs are champions. A loss would create a three-way tie and the title would be decided by the 17-point rule, which likely will go to Sioux City Heelan and put the Bulldogs in the runner-up slot.
MANSON NW WEBSTER (4-4) at WEST MARSHALL (6-2)
The Cougars are in the postseason for the third straight year and won district titles in 2024 and ’25.
MNW was fourth in its district and will travel to face West Marshall, a district champion. The Cougars enter the contest after beating South Hamilton 42-20, while the Trojans have earned five straight victories.
Last week, Cougar Tegan Thoma had his best game of the season, running for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Cameron Wood had two TDs in the rout, and Coy Moline had one.
Moline has rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 scores so far this fall. Charlie Sturgis has a receiving touchdown and and four on the ground.
For the Trojans, Blayk Hart has thrown for 729 yards and six touchdowns while running for 1,001 and 12 scores.
SOUTHEAST VALLEY (5-3) at No. 1 CENTRAL LYON/GLR (8-0)
After finishing fourth in one of the toughest 2A districts, the 2021 state champion Jaguars drew top-ranked Central Lyon/George-Little Rock.
The Jaguars have run their offense through two quarterbacks, and it has been effective. Casey Hanson has thrown for 771 yards and 14 scores, while Mason Bahr has 464 yards and three touchdowns.
Hanson has run for 708 yards and five TDs as well.
Seniors Logan Jaeschke and Bryce Harrison have been the main receiving targets. Jaeschke has caught 34 balls for 519 yards and nine scores. Harrison is right behind at 28 grabs for 416 and seven TDs.
For the undefeated Lions, quarterback Jayden Daale has thrown for 853 yards and five touchdowns, while also running for five. Michelet Sedam has 754 yards and 15 scores.
LAWTON-BRONSON (5-3) at No. 8 SOUTH CENTRAL CALHOUN (7-1)
The Titans were two points away from being district champions, but as the runner-up, they still earned a home game.
SCC is coming off a 49-15 victory over Pocahontas Area – its third straight overall. In that contest, Garrett Krause ran for 156 yards and two scores. Four other backs reached the end zone, with Hayden Stickrod also scoring twice.
Dustin Dean, Cooper Nattress and Layth Witte had one TD each.
Nattress (697 yards) and Krause (605) have provided balance for the Titans, rushing for six and eight touchdowns, respectively. Stickrod (399) has four scores on the ground, as does Brayden Werneburg (272).
South Central Calhoun has rushed for 2,450 yards and 28 TDs as a squad.
The Eagles have had a balanced attack, throwing for 1,705 yards and running for 1,336. Quarterback Noah Drew is 116-for-211 with 1,665 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. He also has three TDs on the ground.
Jaxson Otto has been the groundhog, with 730 yards and five trips to the end zone.
Drew has hit 13 different receivers, and four have double digit catches. Kolson McNear has 584 yards and five scores, Kallen Goosmann (326) and four, Rhett Roth (268) and Even Otto has one score.
No. 13 ALGONA (5-3, 4-0) at No. 14 BISHOP HEELAN (5-3, 3-1)
The Bulldogs are one spot ahead of the Crusaders, and with a victory, would earn a home playoff game.
A loss would muddy the standings, with both Heelan and Sioux Center still in the mix.
The last loss for Algona was before district play, when it fell to Waverly-Shell Rock. Last week, the Bulldogs defeated Webster City by a 42-10 count.
In that contest, Owen Moe (118) and Nathan Manske (107) went over 100 yards rushing, and both hit paydrt. Moe had an 89-yard score.
Wyatt Kelly, Tayten Rummel and Cael Rotert had one touchdown each. Manske also threw a TD to Jacob Burns.
Heelan's Elijah Melke has thrown for 1,458 yards and 12 touchdowns, while running for five more scores. Leading the ground attack is Dylan Knapp at 329 yards and 11 TDs.
GTRA (4-4) at No. 5 BISHOP GARRIGAN (7-1)
The defending eight-player champion Golden Bears claimed their fourth straight district crown, and now, start with the Titans.
The Bears have been relentless on the ground, running for 2,258 yards and 40 touchdowns. CJ McGregor is a 1,000-yard back, with 1,070 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Carter Cink has run for 526 and 11 scores. Michael Joyce has five TDs, while Wyatt Schaffer has three.
Joyce has thrown for 782 and 11 touchdowns. Brad Meister has been the main receiver, with six scores. Weston Rosenmeyer has three.
The Golden Bear defense has seven fumble recoveries and 11 interceptions. McGregor and Joyce have three picks each, and McGregor has returned one for a touchdown.
Dalton Klenz took a kickoff back for a score. Joyce had two punt returns for TDs.
On the ground, GTRA has 1,564 yards and 19 scores. Brady Harris has run for 473 yards and six touchdowns, while Cayden Wilson and Jace Hough have four scores each.
Jaxson Nock has nine touchdown passes, while Landen Dietrich has six.
Other area games: Janesville (4-4) at No. 8 North Union (7-1); Hinton (4-4) at Emmetsburg (5-3); MFL-Mar-Mac (4-4) at No. 6 Clarion-Goldfield (7-1); Eagle Grove (4-4) at No. 3 Aplington-Parkersburg (8-0); East Sac County (5-2) at No. 5 Underwood (7-1); No. 7 Sioux Center (7-1, 3-1) at Humboldt (0-8, 0-4); MOC-Floyd Valley (3-5, 1-3) at Webster City (1-7, 1-3).