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Coming into the year, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows had won just three total football playoff games in program history.
On Friday night, the Cowboys could equal that number and reach the first state semifinal ever at the school when they take on two-time defending state champion West Lyon in a Class 2A quarterfinal.
Due to poor field conditions, the game has been shifted from Inwood to Sioux Center and the Open Space Athletic Complex.
The sixth-ranked Cowboys (9-1 overall) are in the postseason for a fourth time in five years, but had only one playoff victory in those previous appearances. They have knocked off both MFL MarMac and district rival South Hardin, rated 10th.
Clarion-Goldfield/Dows is one of the top rushing teams in the state, racking up 3,118 yards and 43 touchdowns on 437 carries. Colin Sesker has 879 and 12 scores, J.D. Morrical has 597 and six TDs, and Charlie Campbell has 564 with nine touchdowns.
Morrical also has 649 passing yards and 10 scores.
Second-ranked West Lyon (9-1) has reached the postseason every year since 2003, winning five state titles while reaching the finals three other years. They are 73-29 all-time in the playoffs.
Over their last five games, the Wildcats have allowed just 26 points, including a 35-0 victory over Hinton last Friday. Senior Easton De Jong led the Wildcats to the state title last year and has completed 54 of 92 for 1,124 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2026, also rushing for 689 yards and eight more scores.
River Kramer has over 600 receiving yards and 600 rushing yards with 20 combined touchdowns.
No. 1 Iowa City Regina hosts ninth-ranked Grundy Center in a state semifinal rematch, while West Marshall is at No. 3 Aplington-Parkersburg and fourth-ranked Treynor welcomes No. 5 Underwood in the other 1A matchups.
Meanwhile, in a 3A quarterfinal of area interest, No. 15 Algona (6-4) gets a rematch with district rival and 11th-ranked Bishop Heelan (7-3) – a state runner-up a year ago.
The Bulldogs upset No. 3 Carroll last Friday, 35-21, as Nathan Manske carried the ball 33 times for 118 yards with two touchdowns and had a pick-6 on defense. Cael Rotert added 98 rushing yards and a score, and Owen Moe returned a kickoff for a TD while the defense forced four turnovers.
Manske, a senior and the brother of current Penn State quarterback Alex Manske, has returned from an injury. He has 451 passing yards and 447 rushing yards with 12 combined TDs. Rotert leads with 718 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns.
The Crusaders knocked off another district foe in sixth-ranked Sioux Center last week, 28-21, behind 235 passing yards and three touchdowns from Elijah Mielke. Grant Whitcomb caught six passes for 109 and a score.
Mielke, a senior who was recently offered by Iowa Central, has 1,854 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, adding six scores on the ground. Whitcomb has over 800 receiving yards and eight TDs.
During the regular season, Heelan won by a final of 24-14. Mielke had 161 passing yards, and Dylan Knapp ran for 57 yards with two scores.
Rotert had 79 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
No. 9 Mount Vernon heads to fourth-ranked Clear Lake, No. 5 Mount Pleasant is at second-ranked Des Moines Christian, and No. 7 West Delaware takes on top-ranked Solon in the other 3A quarters.