Just a few days remain in August, and that means Week 1 of the Iowa high school football regular season is here.
As we approach the first big Friday Night Lights of the fall, let us take a look at some of the top games by classification on the schedule this week.
Here are some of the top games in 5A in Iowa high school football for Week 1:
The Battle for the Boot takes place for the 57th time this season, as Iowa City High scored a thrilling 40-39 victory over Iowa City West thanks to a successful late two-point conversion. The Little Hawks sent their most recent senior class out 4-0 vs. the Trojans after Iowa City West won five in a row from 2017-2020.
Last year, the Rams entered as defending 5A state champions, and they ended the season the exact same way. Southeast Polk is the only program to hoist the 5A crown, and they will look to do it once again this year. As for Ankeny Centennial, they are looking to end a six-game losing skid to the Rams, which includes a 21-13 setback last year.
The UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls will host one of the longest-running rivalries in Iowa high school football. Waterloo West picked up a 19-6 victory last year, and has won 12 encounters between the two. The series will soon cease to exist as they combine schools in the near future. The current timeline has that happening with the 2028-29 school year.