It’s been a special football season for Manson Northwest Webster, and now, the Cougars get another chance to prove they belong among the very best.

MNW (7-1 overall) secured a district championship a week ago, knocking off perennial power and third-ranked Emmetsburg (7-1) to seal its first outright title since 1994.

“It took us a little bit to get grounded after an upset like that and such an emotional win,” Cougar head coach Zach Noffsinger said. “We had a good week of practice…we’re refocused and ready to go.”

No. 10 MNW now looks to do something their predecessors couldn’t and win their first playoff contest while sewing up a second straight home assignment.

“It’s nice that we are at home and we can have a normal day surrounded by playoff intensity,” Noffsinger said. “Last week, we really saw the community members come out and put together a big crowd.

“It was a huge benefit for us and the crowd got going, making a lot of noise.”

Noffsinger has his squad ready, but even as a district champion the Cougars are embracing the idea of being an underdog.

“In most polls and (projections) we look like we’re not favored to win,” Noffsinger said. “There are not a lot of No. 1 teams from the district against a No. 4 who are underdogs. We don’t have the respect we want or the respect we deserve.

“We will use that as motivation.”

The last playoff victory for the Cougars was in 2013, when a Jeff Anliker-led squad defeated Emmetsburg, 40-6.

After a loss in Week 3 on a last second play against MVAOCOU, the Cougars went on a four-game win streak to reach the playoffs for the second straight season.

Hudson quarterback Kiean Crile has thrown for 1,047 yards and seven touchdowns. He has 675 on the ground with eight more scores.

Anderson Yoder (466 yards) and Drew Sundine (378) have been the big targets for Crile. Sundine leads the squad with five TD catches.

“Hudson is a spread team and they can throw the ball around,” Noffsinger said. “Their quarterback (Crile) is one of the best or maybe the best we’ve faced. He’s a big kid and throws a tremendous ball.

“They also have a couple of pretty dynamic receivers, and they have a lot of size on the line.”

MNW comes into this contest with nearly 1,800 yards on the ground (1,795) and 828 through the air in 2024.

Senior Kamden Birkey, who tied the single-season rushing touchdown mark with his 12th last week, has 968 yards. He is now the co-TD record holder with his cousin, Michael Johnson.

Quarterback Logan Moline has 801 yards through the air and five scores.

Senior Matt Condon has been a dynamic threat for the Cougars as well, scoring in three different ways. Condon has caught 23 balls for 386 yards and two touchdowns, while running for three more scores. He has also returned a kickoff to paydirt.

“We have to get off the field on third down,” Noffsinger said. “We can’t give up big third down plays. We have to move the ball methodically and get them out of their rhythm, and we need to win the turnover battle as well.”

Tripoli (3-5) at No. 1 Bishop Garrigan (8-0)

The defending eight-man champion Golden Bears will look for blackjack on Friday, as they’ve won 20 straight contests overall.

Bishop Garrigan enters its first-round playoff contest against Tripoli coming off a 62-0 win over Harris-Lake Park.

Trayton Cink led the ground attack with 90 yards and two scores. Five different players reached the end zone, as Kyle Bormann, Tate Foertsch, Ethan Marso and Isaac Delange all scored.

Foertsch and Charlie McGregor had touchdown throws. Drew Muller and Owen Murphy caught the TD strikes.

The Panthers, who earned one of two at-large eight-man bids, have rushed for 1,478 yards. McKoy Nuss (479 yards), Logan Helm (440) and Kyle Boeckmann (441) have been a three-headed monster.

Nuss has nine scores, while Helm has seven and Boeckmann five. Drew Urbanek has four scores and has thrown 12 TDs.

For the Golden Bears, Cink has 816 yards and 19 touchdowns. Marso has nine scores.

Foertsch has thrown 11 touchdowns and ran for two.

Webster City (3-5, 2-2) at No. 4 Humboldt (7-1, 4-0)

Humboldt will look to wrap up a perfect district campaign with a victory against rival Webster City.

The Lynx earned a 26-7 victory last season, ending a two-game win streak in the series for the Wildcats. Webster City has won 10 of the last 14 matchups.

Humboldt clinched the district crown last Friday with a convincing 23-7 triumph at Clear Lake.

Coen Matson has had an effective senior season, throwing for 1,621 yards on 94 of 138 passing (68 percent). He has 16 touchdown strikes.

On the ground, Matson has rushed for four scores. Cash McIntire has four rushing touchdowns as well.

Chase Flaherty (31 catches) and Keegan Groat (23) have been Matson’s main targets. Flaherty has 471 yards and six TDs, while Groat has 635 yards and six scores.

Valley Davis has three touchdown catches for Humboldt.

Webster City has rushed for 2,000 yards on the season, led by senior Cael Nixon’s 778 and nine scores. Junior Jaxon Griffith has 720 yards and four scores.

Luke Estlund had five touchdowns before suffering an injury.

Grand View Christian (5-3) at No. 9 Emmetsburg (7-1)

After being upset by the Cougars on the final week of Class 1A, district runner-up Emmetsburg will host Grand View Christian.

The E-Hawks have run for nearly 3,000 yards (2,971), and have 42 rushing touchdowns.

Carson Baak (842 yards), Bradyen Yates (707) and Gavin Swanson (500) have been a three-headed monster for the E-Hawks.

Baak has 15 touchdowns, while Yates and Swanson both have nine.

Judah Lock has thrown for 1,811 yards and 18 TDs. He has also scampered for three scores.

Jake Albright has rushing touchdowns.

Class 2A

Greene County (4-4) at Clarinda (6-2)

Greene County enters the playoffs as winners of two straight games.

The Rams are led on the ground by Nick Stream (763 yards, eight scores). Crew Conner has three touchdowns on the ground, and has thrown for four.

Class 1A

East Sac County (3-5) at Woodward-Granger (7-1)

The Raiders are led by quarterback Sam Julin, who has thrown for 1,189 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has five rushing TDs as well.

Landon Grindle leads the ground attack with 539 yards and seven scores.

Asher Lawler has 570 receiving yards and six trips to the end zone for ESC, while Jack Gullett and Dawson Allen have three touchdowns each.

Class A

South Central Calhoun (4-4) at No. 8 Tri-Center (7-1)

Perennial power South Central Calhoun has featured a balanced attack this season. The Titans have thrown for 1,311 yards and ran for 1,281.

Andrew Anderson has 1,017 yards through the air and five scores, while Luke Patterson has thrown four touchdowns as well.

Cole Higgins has 333 yards on the ground and four TDs. Caleb Juhl also has four rushing touchdowns.

Garrett Krause has four receiving strikes in the end zone, while Charlie Nattress has three.

Eight-Player

West Bend-Mallard (5-3) at No. 2 St. Mary’s Remsen (8-0)

Wolverine quarterback Austin Schmidt has 1,058 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. He has thrown for six scores as well.

Cole Fehr has 645 yards on the ground and 13 TDs.

Micah Fehr, Eli Hanson and Wesley Anderson have two scores each through the air for WB-M.

No. 5 Algona (7-1, 3-1) at Hampton-Dumont/CAL (3-5, 1-3)

Algona will travel to Hampton-Dumont/CAL for their final regular season game.

The Bulldogs will again be without injured Iowa State commit Alex Manske, but will lean on his younger brother, Nathan.

In one and a half contests, Nathan has thrown for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He has two rushing scores as well.

Alex Manske threw for 1,456 yards and 18 touchdowns before getting hurt in a showdown against Humboldt. He also ran for eight TDs.

William Weichert has been the groundhog for AHS, with 528 yards and six scores.

Evan Allie has 27 grabs for 658 yards and eight scores through the air. Tate Slagle has 404 yards and eight scores. Tyson VanDeWalle has three scoring catches.

The Bulldogs have returned four interceptions to paydirt. Allie has two, Tate Garman one and Slagle one.

Allie has also returned a punt for a score.