Can Ames earn a home playoff game? Our Week 9 predictions for area high school football teams

The Ames football team can lock up a Class 5A playoff spot and likely earn home-field advantage for the first round with a win over Johnston in the final game of the regular season Friday at Ames High.

But it won't be easy.

The Little Cyclones (6-2) face a 5-3 Dragon team ranked seventh in 5A. Johnston upset then-No. 5 Cedar Rapids Kennedy last week with an impressive 28-7 victory.

"They know their fundamentals," Ames head coach Brian Sauser said. "They're not going to mess up on their own. They're just a good, disciplined and solid football team."

Ames boasts the top passing attack in 5A with quarterback Dallas Sauser (2,853 yards and 28 touchdowns passing) and receivers Jalen Lueth (66 catches for 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns) and DeShawn Long (39 receptions for 501 yards and three scores).

Jamison Poe is a nice dual threat in the backfield with 672 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing and five scores receiving. Braydon Beelner (332 yards and two touchdowns) and Lane Kenny (238 yards and three scores) give Ames two more weapons at receiver.

Johnston will come at Ames with a 4-3, Cover-4 defense. The Dragons could also mix in some odd fronts.

"They are a little more simplistic on defense," Brian Sauser said. "With how much we've thrown the ball I wouldn't be surprised if they went with a three-man front."

Jared Klahn has 50.5 tackles, Josh Kerber 46 stops and two sacks, Jack Chiota 41 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack and Taylen Proctor three interceptions for Johnston on defense.

More:Here's your Iowa high school football team's RPI ranking ahead of Week 9 playoffs, district races

The Johnston offense revolves around tight end/receiver Jacob Simpson, who has received a Division 1 offer from Texas Tech. Simpson has 30 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns.

Rex Woodley and Tatum Fox have 437 and 417 receiving yards, respectively, with five touchdowns apiece for Johnston. Dragon quarterback Will Nuss has thrown for 1,508 yards and 15 scores with just three interceptions.

Blake Tubbs is Johnston's leading rusher with 269 yards and two touchdowns.

"They're very versatile in what they do," Brian Sauser said. "They run anywhere from an 11 to 10 to 0 personnel on offense. We're focused on stopping the run. We need to get more production out of our defensive line."

Kenny has 38.5 tackles, linebacker Bobby Uthe 31, linebacker Roger Lopez 29.5 and freshman safety/linebacker Cameron Cantonwine 28 for Ames on defense. Sophomore Coldon Bray leads the Little Cyclones in sacks with 2.5 and Jaxon Danielson has two interceptions.

Ames vs Johnston prediction

Ames is in search of its first landmark win under coach Sauser.

Beating Johnston will be a tough task. But with the weapons they have on offense the Little Cyclones will be capable of pulling the upset.

"The kids have been extremely excited working toward this point," Brian Sauser said. "They know with a win they have a chance to play at home in the first round of the playoffs and you never know what could happen after that."

The Ames defensive line will rise to the challenge and one of Ames' big three playmakers (Lueth, Poe and Long) will have a huge game. Ames 34, Johnston 31

Roland-Story (4-4) at Clarinda (5-3) — 2A playoff first round

Roland-Story qualified for the 2A playoffs by placing third in 2A District 7.

The Norsemen will go on the road to face a Clarinda team that has won three straight after starting 2-3.

Roland-Story features talented running back Jonovan Wilkinson (770 yards and seven touchdowns rushing) and versatile quarterback Hesston Johnson (924 yards and seven touchdowns passing and five rushing touchdowns). Kale Lande has 243 yards and three touchdowns and Dillon Lettow 226 yards and three scores as part of a balanced Norse receiving core.

Linebacker Charlie Watts has 68 tackles and defensive lineman Luke Patton 39.5 for the Norsemen on defense. Boaz Clark has three interceptions.

Clarinda features 1,000-yard rusher Taydn Brown (1,053 yards and 14 touchdowns). Wyatt Schmitt has 605 yards and seven touchdowns passing and 394 and five rushing.

More:Roland-Story sports round-up: Norse girls take second at HOIC cross country meet

Jase Wilmes leads the Cardinals defensively with 6.5 sacks and one fumble recovery and Isaac Jones has four interceptions.

Roland-Story played Prairie City-Monroe tough in defeat last Friday and the Norsemen also showed flashes against elite Nevada and West Marshall teams. The Norsemen will have enough to get it done Friday. Roland-Story 26, Clarinda 23

Colo-NESCO (4-4) at Lenox (8-0) — 8-player playoff first round

An emotional Colo-NESCO football team will be playing for fallen teammate Christian Oswalt when the Royals travel to Lenox to face the fifth-ranked 8-player team in the state.

The Royals feature exciting sophomore back Breckin Clatt, who has 864 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing, 234 yards and two scores receiving and one punt return for a touchdown. Clatt also has 69 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

Linebacker Trenton Beard has 78.5 tackles, quarterback Spencer Hansen 823 yards and nine touchdowns passing, fullback Kaleb Gray 512 yards and 10 scores rushing and Nolan Smith four sacks plus 21 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns for the Royals.

Isaac Gundman leads a balanced Lenox attack with 952 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing. Keigan Kitzman has 561 yards and 12 scores on the ground, Gabe Funk 11 touchdown passes with just one interception and Trayce Miller four sacks for the Tigers.

Colo-NESCO will give a great effort for Oswalt, but Lenox will have too much firepower to overcome. Lenox 64, Colo-NESCO 34

Class 3A No. 4 Nevada (7-1, 4-0) at No. 8 North Polk (6-2, 3-1)

The final regular-season game for Nevada will determine the 3A District 2 championship.

After last Friday's big 16-8 win over then-No. 2 Humboldt, the Cubs can clinch the district title outright with a victory over North Polk. But it won't be easy against a Comet team coming off impressive 42-19 and 28-0 wins over Ballard and Gilbert.

Quarterback Noah Mills has 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns passing and 661 yards and eight scores rushing for Nevada. Running back Cason Stevenson has 926 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground and Drew Robinson (465 yards and five touchdowns) and Kyle Kingsbury (445 and four) give the Cubs a lethal combo at receiver.

More:What we learned from No. 5 Nevada's 16-8 victory over No. 2 Humboldt in 3A District 2 football

Linebacker Jackson Burlage (53.5 tackles, 5.5 sacks) Dylan Fritz (42 tackles) and Robinson (44 tackles and three interceptions) lead Nevada on defense.

North Polk features talented runner Brady Miller, who has 890 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing, along with outstanding linebacker Brayden Foster, who has 70.5 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery.

Nevada has come painfully close to district championships only to fall short in recent years. This is the year the Cubs break through. Nevada 24, North Polk 20

Gilbert (1-7, 0-4) at Ballard (2-6)

The Tigers and Bombers will play for pride Friday night.

Though neither team will make the playoffs, they both are better than their records indicate. Gilbert has three losses by four points or less and Ballard three by less than 13 points.

Gilbert features quarterback Owen Kautman (931 yards and seven touchdowns passing), back Will Hawthorne (354 yards and five touchdowns rushing) and receiver Owen Wirth (45 catches for 564 yards and six touchdowns). Hawthorne (52 tackles and one interception and fumble recovery apiece) and Hank Johnson (56 tackles and one fumble recovery) lead the Tigers on defense.

More:What we learned from Ballard's 35-19 victory over Algona in 3A District 2 football

Eli Rouse has 725 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing, 143 yards receiving and 133 with a touchdown as Ballard's top offensive weapon. Luke Hartsook has thrown for 553 yards and three scores and Chance Lande has 244 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

The Bomber defense is led by linebackers Brody Sampson (56 tackles and six sacks), Gabe Christensen (47.5 tackles and two fumble recoveries) and Jayden Swain (38.5 stops). Lande has three interceptions.

Gilbert will once again push a team to the wire Friday night. But the Tigers will have to wait another year for a district victory. Ballard 33, Gilbert 27

Collins-Maxwell (3-4) at Grand View Christian (4-4)

The Collins-Maxwell football team will conclude a season that consisted entirely of road games Friday at Grand View Christian.

The Spartans have versatile freshman Cooper Wierson, who has three touchdowns apiece rushing, passing and receiving along with three interceptions and one touchdown on defense and one kick and punt return for a touchdown apiece. Josef Dvorak adds 324 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and 59 tackles at linebacker.

GVC quarterback Noah John has 1,275 yards and 16 touchdowns passing and 548 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing. Colin Woodbury adds 514 yards and eight scores at receiver and he leads the Thunder in tackles with 58.

After back-to-back losses to ranked opponents Collins-Maxwell will do just enough to get past GVC to end the season on a high note. Collins-Maxwell 54, GVC 51

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This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Week 9 predictions for Ames-area high school football