***2023 Iowa High School Football Playoffs***

[NWICY]

This play has been circulating on Twitter tonight. Funny thing is I actually think it was the right call cause when you slow it down and go frame by frame, to me it looks like the kid bobbles it when he hits the ground. Full speed it looks like a clear catch. Regardless, neither ref making the call right away is pretty poorly officiated. If you see the bobble, call it.

I'd say catch for TD.

 

[nfrine]

Just look at the 5A quarters. Bettendorf the only school left outside of the Des Moines area that might be “favored”, and I bet Centennial wins that game.

How did the balance of power shift so dramatically?

All the good schools wanted to get closer to ISU...maybe?

 

[nfrine]

This play has been circulating on Twitter tonight. Funny thing is I actually think it was the right call cause when you slow it down and go frame by frame, to me it looks like the kid bobbles it when he hits the ground. Full speed it looks like a clear catch. Regardless, neither ref making the call right away is pretty poorly officiated. If you see the bobble, call it.

Must have been B1G refs thinking it was the hoks vs minny.

Actually, the linesman gave the "out" signal very clearly. Kind of a Cooper DeJean hand signal.

 

[JM4CY]

Judging by the sound it seems like the officials were influenced by the crowd yelling “he was out.” At full speed that sure looked like a catch inbounds.

Agreed. The first time I saw it I thought he was in for sure but I don’t think his feet or knee touched until his upper body hit the ground clearly out of bounds.

 

[Pope]

There is only so many spots. Wouldn’t you rather more kids get the experience instead of trying to be west des moines

Like I said, I'm happy Ankeny voted to build a second high school. I'm an Ankeny parent and that's what I voted for. Nevertheless, I can't help but think Ankeny would be a regular state champion in just about every sport if they hadn't split their talent pool in half.

 

[Cyclone06]

Lol at pleasant valley. Again.

 

[madguy30]

Quarterfinal teams:
2023 - West 6, East 2
2022 - West 6, East 2
2021 - West 4, East 4
2020 - West 5, East 3
2019 - West 5, East 3
2018 - West 5, East 3
2017 - West 4, East 4

City High was the last large-class champ from the East, in 2009.
Cedar Falls was the last Eastern finalist, in 2018.

Any idea what the general range was in the 80s and 90s? That was an era that I grew up around and it seemed like it was pretty much eastern teams every year.

 

[wxman1]

Must have been B1G refs thinking it was the hoks vs minny.

Actually, the linesman gave the "out" signal very clearly. Kind of a Cooper DeJean hand signal.

The L needs to own it then and make the call not this wimpy subtle signals to the B. Also those are not approved IHSAA officials uniforms.

 

[enisthemenace]

Any idea what the general range was in the 80s and 90s? That was an era that I grew up around and it seemed like it was pretty much eastern teams every year.

It for sure was.

I was thinking about this a bit last night. The true Des Metro schools (ie East, North, Lincoln, Hoover, Roosevelt) have basically died out. I can give one example of a big shift.

My dad grew up in Pleasant Hill way back in the day and went to East. At that time, East and Roosevelt were powerhouses. Lincoln was also tough. I doubt SEP even existed back then. (EDIT: Looked it up. SEP became a school in 1961, so it was a school when my dad went to HS, but I’m sure it was really, really small).

When I was growing up, again in Pleasant Hill, SEP was a school by then, but it wasn’t “large school” yet. By the time I was in High School…I too went to East…the dynamic had changed pretty drastically. Altoona grew at an exponential rate, and PHill was growing fast too. That PHill growth was all to the east, because it couldn’t grow in any other direction (DSM to the west, the River to the south and Altoona to the north). When I was in HS, SEP had made it to 4A, and shortly after I graduated, a very large swath of Pleasant Hill was rezoned and a ton of land between the Highway 65 bypass was annexed to Pleasant Hill, including the land where the SEP high school is located. With Altoona growing like crazy and now the majority of Pleasant Hill in the SEP district, East “died” overnight, and SEP slowly became a power. It helps that SEP has some pretty damn good coaches too.

Similar population explosions in Ankeny and Waukee, and here we are.

 

[KidSilverhair]

The L needs to own it then and make the call not this wimpy subtle signals to the B. Also those are not approved IHSAA officials uniforms.

If either official makes the call right away with conviction, based on what they saw in front of them, probably hardly anybody is talking about this today. I know they wanted to get it “right” and that’s why they discussed it, but making snap decisions and looking like you’re certain in the moment goes a long way for officials. Plus that play was close enough either way in live action that either a TD or an incompletion makes sense at first glance.

(I personally think it was a catch, looks like he got the left foot down with possession, but he might not have secured it, I don’t know. There’s no replay in high school, though, so …)

 

[BCClone]

Must have been B1G refs thinking it was the hoks vs minny.

Actually, the linesman gave the "out" signal very clearly. Kind of a Cooper DeJean hand signal.

Maybe the ref just runs that way.

Agreed. The first time I saw it I thought he was in for sure but I don’t think his feet or knee touched until his upper body hit the ground clearly out of bounds.

Bobble when he hits the ground too it appears.

 

[BCClone]

Any idea what the general range was in the 80s and 90s? That was an era that I grew up around and it seemed like it was pretty much eastern teams every year.

Valley, dowling and Bettendorf are the teams I remember from them.

 

[theshadow]

If either official makes the call right away with conviction, based on what they saw in front of them, probably hardly anybody is talking about this today. I know they wanted to get it “right” and that’s why they discussed it, but making snap decisions and looking like you’re certain in the moment goes a long way for officials. Plus that play was close enough either way in live action that either a TD or an incompletion makes sense at first glance.

I don't think either one could see all aspects (catch/no catch, in/out) from their respective angles. I'd rather they confab instead of both making "snap decisions" and signaling two different outcomes.

 

[TitanClone]

LC and Denison having better records than Harlan is so weird compared to when I was in high school. Duggan turned LC around and Scherff turned Denison around with his donations.

 

[907CY]

The North Polk vs Ballard game was a good one and the Comets came out on top. On to the Dome.

 

[ISUTex]

I'd say catch for TD.

Yeah. That ref choked. To bad for MMCRERTYSRFV.

 

[madguy30]

Valley, dowling and Bettendorf are the teams I remember from them.

I was thinking City High, West (90s), Linn Mar and Bettendorf many years at least always being around..

 

[ISUTex]

I don't even think its been a dramatic shift. Central Iowa has dominated for the past 10+ years. Before SEP and their current run, Dowling won like 6 in a row.

When was the last time a school outside of the metro won a title in 5A?

No kidding. Add Ankeny and Valley in there too. The DSM Metro has been dominate for close to 20 years now. Bettendorf maybe was the last eastern team to win it? I could be wrong.

 

[Trice]

The North Polk vs Ballard game was a good one and the Comets came out on top. On to the Dome.

Have to beat Xavier in Alleman first.

 

[ISUTex]

Any idea what the general range was in the 80s and 90s? That was an era that I grew up around and it seemed like it was pretty much eastern teams every year.

Yeah. The 90's seemed like it was either IC, ICW or Bettendorf every year.