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Iowa High School Football

I've heard people say Xavier has an unfair advantage over public schools with the same numbers, just not clear on what those advantages are? With open enrollment for publics, seems like the fact that Xavier can draw from all over the CR area isn't much different from what publics can do.
The only advantage Xavier has is having a great coaching staff for as long as they have. Shulte knows how to coach and even better has a couple kids on the team.
 
Yeah, back in the 90s Iowa City High and Iowa City West were dominating the Des Moines area schools- primarily Dowling in Valley. What’s changed is the eastern Iowa schools are still “city” schools and Des Moines-area schools now are pure “suburb”’schools (Ankeny x 2, Waukee x2, SE Polk, Valley, Johnston, Dowling). The socio-economic advantages those suburb schools have in training facilities, year-round coaching, parental involvement are huge.

So what do you call Liberty? And more and more Clear Creek-Amana?
 
I've heard people say Xavier has an unfair advantage over public schools with the same numbers, just not clear on what those advantages are? With open enrollment for publics, seems like the fact that Xavier can draw from all over the CR area isn't much different from what publics can do.
Get ready for the following
Predominately two parent families
Low level of free and reduced lunches
Don’t have IEP plans
Can control enrollment to stay in a class
Major metro area
Those are usually the big ones. Also be prepared for emotional, not supported by facts and the ‘well I have a guy who knows a guy who said…’
It gets fairly entertaining.
 
Xavier needs to play 5A. They can play with (and in many cases beat) the other MVC schools. It's kind of a joke that they play 4A - but they can add to their trophy case easier by playing small schools. They only have ONE State Championship vs big schools. Congrats on that one back in early 2000s. The others? Meh.
They have a BEDS of 474. They are the small school.
 
Xavier needs to play 5A. They can play with (and in many cases beat) the other MVC schools. It's kind of a joke that they play 4A - but they can add to their trophy case easier by playing small schools. They only have ONE State Championship vs big schools. Congrats on that one back in early 2000s. The others? Meh.
Xavier won in 2017 & 2018 in 3A and had a nice run there, but they have hardly dominated the lower class since they dropped out of the largest class in 2014. Get back to me when they rack up the number of titles that Harlan, Dowling, Emmetsburg, Regina & Bettendorf have enjoyed over the years.
 
Xavier needs to play 5A. They can play with (and in many cases beat) the other MVC schools. It's kind of a joke that they play 4A - but they can add to their trophy case easier by playing small schools. They only have ONE State Championship vs big schools. Congrats on that one back in early 2000s. The others? Meh.
Class size is around 155 per. Quite a bit less than say a CR Prairie or other CR schools. I think CR Prairie is at 400 students per class. People seem to think Xavier is bigger than it really is.
 
No offense to Schulte or his staff, I'm sure they are really good. If they coached at Jefferson right now, I don't think "a Coach Schulte" would make any difference

"It ain't the X's and the O's. It's the Jimmy's and the Joe's.

Take a look at Jeff's feeder schools (Wilson, Roosevelt, and most of Taft). Look at Wash's feeder schools (McKinley, and most of Franklin). Then look at Xavier.

Kennedy is fortunate because they have all of Harding and the best kids from Franklin.

Duane Schulte is I'm sure a really good coach. But the reality is that Xavier benefits from what kids are sitting in their classroom moreso than the quality of their coaches.

Xavier also benefits because their 450 (or 700) students are a little different Pella or Oskaloosas 450 students.
 
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I've heard people say Xavier has an unfair advantage over public schools with the same numbers, just not clear on what those advantages are? With open enrollment for publics, seems like the fact that Xavier can draw from all over the CR area isn't much different from what publics can do.

The wealthiest population that have the ability to pay for club sports and draw from one of the biggest populations in Iowa. It's not all about the size of the school. That said, I have much less issue with Xavier playing 4A than Regina or Assumption.
 
My son plays for Dubuque Senior. He’s a freshman. They suffer from low participation numbers. He plays both ways OL/DL for freshman play. No sophomore team. Plays as a starter for JV OL, and 2nd team DL, but generally goes in on the second series and plays the rest of the game two-way. He was promoted to play Varsity last week, and played a QTR as he didn’t have any eligible playing time left, can only play 5 QTRs per week. He only played Freshman last night, did not play varsity in their loss to CR Kennedy.
 
My son plays for Dubuque Senior. He’s a freshman. They suffer from low participation numbers. He plays both ways OL/DL for freshman play. No sophomore team. Plays as a starter for JV OL, and 2nd team DL, but generally goes in on the second series and plays the rest of the game two-way. He was promoted to play Varsity last week, and played a QTR as he didn’t have any eligible playing time left, can only play 5 QTRs per week. He only played Freshman last night, did not play varsity in their loss to CR Kennedy.
Did you stick around for the Varsity game? You'll never believe this, but I'm a Kennedy alumnus. What'd you think of them, if you did? Trying to get an honest assessment over the radio is troublesome. Seems like their trenches are shored up, which wasn't the case when I played there. Only three or four kids could you say that about at a time.
 
Did you stick around for the Varsity game? You'll never believe this, but I'm a Kennedy alumnus. What'd you think of them, if you did? Trying to get an honest assessment over the radio is troublesome. Seems like their trenches are shored up, which wasn't the case when I played there. Only three or four kids could you say that about at a time.
I’m sorry, I didn’t stay long. My only impressions were the freshman team was well coached and the varsity squad was big, and had good number of players… the end score backs that up.
 
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Final 5A scores
Dowling 41 Waukee NW 7
SE Polk 41 CR Prairie 0
Johnston 23 Ankeny 13
Valley 27 Cedar Falls 13

An all CIML semi-final
 
Final 5A scores
Dowling 41 Waukee NW 7
SE Polk 41 CR Prairie 0
Johnston 23 Ankeny 13
Valley 27 Cedar Falls 13

An all CIML semi-final
Isn't a school with a supposed high 4* QB and another D-1 player expected to at least make the semi-finals?

LOL Clone fans should expect to be disappointed. Strong arm, but a statue, and with the typical ISU OLine, kid better keep paying those health insurance premiums.
 
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Our Bolts fantastic season ended with a drubbing at home to Carlisle. They just ran us over and the wet conditions took the offensive game plan away.

Still, a massive improvement from last year! Great work to Coach Harris in his 2nd year in the program.

I think 4A is
CR Xavier
Carlisle
North Scott
Lewis Central
 
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Why is the east side of Iowa so bad at high school football
Combination of things...Coaching and off season training facilities play a big part.

A lot of the Eastern Iowa schools with elite kids are limited enrollment schools and can stay below the 5A cutoff.

BTW...look for Waukee NW to join the DM metro party and replace Ankeny or SEP next year.
 
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Is it like off-season lifting/conditioning?
I get some of my info second hand, but there are A LOT of Polk/Dallas County kids with personal trainers and rabid parents willing to do what it takes to succeed.
The $$$ around Waukee/Ankeny is big.
Within 10 years, DSG(Dallas Center Grimes) will join the party.
One casualty of the growth is Urbandale who for decades had really good programs. But Urbandale is now land locked with no place to expand housing/growth.
 
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I know when I graduated in 05, Coach Tim Lewis was making a heavy heavy push for weight lifting even into middle school for Kennedy kids. Feels like there’s only been that push for 20 years or so.
 
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