Friday night is the ninth and final week of the regular season for high school football teams across the state and for the Belle Plaine squad, they can control their own destiny.
The Plainsmen host Eddyville-Blakesburg. It’s Super Friday and has also been designated “Pack the House” night. Students are asked to wear white and other fans are asked to wear blue.
Currently, undefeated West Branch and once-beaten Eddyville-Blakesburg have claimed two of the four substate berths from District Five. West Branch plays winless Van Buren to end the season. If Belle Plaine, now with a record of 4-2 in district games, can beat Eddyville-Blakesburg, the Plainsmen will host the substate game on Wednesday, Oct. 27.
While a win will assure postseason spot for the Plainsmen, they could still get in with a loss, but they might have to rely on several other teams to make it happen. Fewest losses is the first criteria in determining playoff spots in each district. The second criteria is head to head competition. If Belle Plaine loses, Eddyville-Blakesburg would claim second place in the district and if Pekin beats Durant (2-4) and Wapello beats Iowa Valley (1-5), three teams would be tied with 4-3 district records.
Pekin beat Belle Plaine, but the Plainsmen beat Wapello, which should guarantee the Plainsmen a finish no worse than fourth.
The top four teams in District Five will meet the top four teams in District Four in the substate round. The first place teams will meet the fourth place teams and the second place teams will meet the third place teams, with first and second place teams hosting the games.
Clayton Ridge is 6-0 going into this week and meets North Linn, 3-3. Northeast of Goose Lake at 5-1 faces Maquoketa Valley, 2-4. Starmont, 4-2 meets Ed-Co, 1-5 and Bellevue, 3-3, meets Alburnett, 0-6.
If the favored teams all win in that district and Belle Plaine beats Eddyville-Blakesburg, then Belle Plaine would host Starmont on Wednesday. If Belle Plaine fell to fourth place in the district, the Plainsmen would travel to Guttenburg to face Clayton Ridge on Wednesday.