By Jon Gremmels
Herald Sports Editor
CLINTON — Success on the football field this fall has taken most of the suspense out of the playoff picture for area high school teams in Illinois and Iowa.
Clinton, Preston and Morrison enter the final week of the season with 8-0 records, while Maquoketa and Northeast also have locked up postseason bids.
But, while those teams await only word of their substate or first-round opponent, Central DeWitt and Bellevue have a lot riding on their outcomes Friday night.
“We haven’t really looked at the scenarios,” Central DeWitt coach Kurt Kreiter said. “The common denominator is we have to win.”
Central DeWitt kept its hopes alive last Friday when it handed La Porte City Union its second loss of the season.
“It was perfect (timing),” Kreiter said. “We’re still not a sure bet, but staying in the postseason hunt and getting a little momentum, the timing is perfect.”
The Sabers (5-3, 3-3 district) enter Friday’s game at Vinton-Shellsburg tied with Benton Community for fourth place in Class 3A District 4, with the top four teams advancing to next Wednesday’s substate round. The bad news for the Sabers is that Benton has the tiebreaker edge on DeWitt. The good news: Benton plays unbeaten Marion on Friday.
“I think even Vinton-Shellsburg (3-5, 2-4) has a chance of getting in if they beat us and Benton Community loses,” Kreiter said of a scenario that would create a three-way tie for fourth place. “Somebody told me they’re the team that goes then.”
Bellevue (5-3) enters its game Friday at winless Alburnett tied for fourth place in Class 1A District 4, but the Comets will get in with a win because they have the head-to-head tiebreaker edge over North Linn, also 3-3 in the district. They might get in with a loss, too, because they also beat Maquoketa Valley (2-4 district) this season.
Even for the teams that don’t have to sweat it out Friday night, they still want to end the regular season on a positive note.
“We were in that situation last year and didn’t get it done,” Maquoketa coach Kevin Bowman said of being one the teams that stayed home after finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place in the district. “It’s nice not to have that, but we don’t want to go into playoffs with two losses.”
High School Sports
Postseason bids on line for Sabers, Comets
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Camanche celebrates victory
After suffering through 38 consecutive losses, Camanche won its first football game since the 2006 opener when it beat Bellevue 35-19 on Friday.
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Lancers blank River Kings
Clinton was shut out for the second week in a row, falling 44-0 to North Scott on Friday in Mississippi Athletic Conference football.
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Top-rated Sterling Newman thumps Fulton
Tim Wilson scored three touchdowns Friday as No. 1 (2A) Sterling Newman beat Fulton 51-0 in high school football.
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Football roundup: Tebbe leads Preston to third win
Preston improved to 3-0 on Friday, beating Central City 62-2 in eight-man football.
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River Kings seek first win at home
Clinton High will try to rebound from an season-opening loss to Davenport Assumption when it takes on North Scott in high school football Friday night at Coan Field.
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Volleyball roundup: River Queens suffer first loss
North Scott came back to win the final two games on its home court and beat Clinton High School in a five-game volleyball match Thursday night. It was the first loss of the year for the River Queens after a 5-0 start.
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Franks wins title at Schoolhouse Open cross country meet
Emily Franks picked up where former teammate Morgan Casey left, winning the individual girls title Tuesday at the Schoolhouse Open cross country meet at Emma Young Park.
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Volleyball roundup: River Queens improve to 5-0
Clinton swept Burlington on Tuesday to improve to 5-0 in high school volleyball.
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Fulton golfers win again
Evan Eissens and Kyle Workman shot 38s to lead Fulton to a golf triangular victory against Prophetstown and Erie on Tuesday at Deer Valley Country Club.
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Tipton swimmers defeat Clinton
Tipton defeated Clinton 95-61 on Tuesday in high school girls swimming.
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Camanche celebrates victory
