The Southeast Polk varsity football team (Pleasant Hill, IA) will play a neutral playoff game against Iowa City (IA) on Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m.
What: Iowa High School Football
Who: Southeast Polk (IA) vs Iowa City (IA)
When: Friday, November 15, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Live stream: Watch live on NFHS Network
Iowa City vs. Southeast Polk: A Competitive Overview of the 2024-2025 Season
As the 2024-2025 season progresses, both Iowa City and Southeast Polk have proven to be strong contenders in their respective leagues, each boasting a 7-4 overall record. While the teams share a similar overall performance, their paths to these results have been marked by distinct strengths and challenges. Here’s a detailed look at how these two teams compare across key metrics, including overall records, league play, home/away performance, and head-to-head matchups.
Overall Performance & League Records
Both teams have demonstrated resilience and consistency, finishing with identical overall records of 7-4. Iowa City has been dominant in conference play, with a perfect 4-0 record, showcasing their strength within the league. In contrast, Southeast Polk holds a solid 3-1 conference record, underscoring their competitive nature in the same division.
Looking at non-league play, Iowa City has a 3-3 record, while Southeast Polk stands at 2-3, highlighting that while both teams can perform well in conference play, their consistency outside of the league has been somewhat varied.
Home, Away, and Neutral Game Performance
Both teams have shown similar resilience when playing at home, with Iowa City recording a 3-1 record and Southeast Polk matching it with an equally impressive 3-1 home record. Their ability to defend home turf has been a crucial factor in their successful seasons.
However, when it comes to away games, both teams experienced mixed results, with Iowa City having a 3-3 record and Southeast Polk posting a 3-3 record as well. The true test of their capabilities lies in how they perform in hostile environments, and both teams have shown they can compete on the road.
In neutral-site games, both teams have demonstrated strong results, with Iowa City securing a 1-0 record, while Southeast Polk also holds an undefeated 1-0 neutral-site record, suggesting that both teams are equally capable of performing in neutral venues.
Head-to-Head Matchups
While neither team has faced each other head-to-head during the 2024-2025 season, common opponent results provide some insight into their relative strengths. Both teams have a 2-1 record against common opponents, with notable victories against Iowa City West, with both teams defeating the same opponent by narrow margins. Iowa City triumphed over Iowa City West with a 40-39 victory on both September 20 and 21, 2024. Southeast Polk also won against Iowa City West, posting a dominant 42-15 result on November 8, 2024.
Additionally, both teams have faced Ankeny Centennial, with Iowa City falling short in a 52-28 loss on November 1, 2024, while Southeast Polk triumphed over the same opponent with a 21-13 win on September 20, 2024.
Team Scoring Averages
When comparing scoring averages, Iowa City leads in total points scored, averaging a strong 38.2 points per game across all four quarters. Southeast Polk, on the other hand, has a more modest average of 27.9 points per game, with a stronger showing in the first and fourth quarters (6.5 and 7.0 points per quarter, respectively). This suggests that Iowa City has a more consistent and potent offensive output, whereas Southeast Polk might struggle with consistency in the middle quarters.
Breakdown of Record Performance
| Record Category | Iowa City | Southeast Polk |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 7-4 | 7-4 |
| Conference | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Non-League | 3-3 | 2-3 |
| Home | 3-1 | 3-1 |
| Away | 3-3 | 3-3 |
| Neutral | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Playoff | 0-1 | 2-0 |
| In-State | 7-3 | 7-4 |
| Out-of-State | 0-1 | 0-0 |
Conclusion
In summary, both Iowa City and Southeast Polk have had impressive seasons, posting identical overall records with notable performances in conference play. Iowa City excels with an undefeated record within their league, while Southeast Polk has shown competitiveness, particularly with their win against Ankeny Centennial. Despite similar home and away records, Iowa City has a more potent offense, while Southeast Polk’s defense and occasional clutch performances have kept them in the race. Moving forward, both teams will likely remain strong contenders in the league, with their playoff potential dependent on key matchups and continued improvement.
