OT: IC West vs Des Moines Dowling 4-A Title Game

[EstronHawkKing]

Anyone watching this on tv or went to the game? Dowling is going for their 5th straight championship game. They are leading in the 4th. Waggoner the big defensive end recruit is playing well. I don't care for his cocky hand jive crap he does after he gets a sack. Their LB #44 is really good, but plays dirty. West has made so many mistakes, 4 turnovers so far (two were punt fumbles) and terrible punting by West, like 15-20 yrds per punt.

With how big the Des Moines area is, I just don't see the E. Iowa schools ever being able to compete with the DSM schools ever again. Iowa City City High was the last E. Iowa team to win the 4-A title and that was in 09. These DSM school players look so much bigger size wise, its like night and day. I looked at Dowlings roster from last year and they had players that weighed 300 pounds and up. With how Dowling has dominated 5 years now, I really wonder if they are doing something illegal.

 

[Stanzi]

Dowling wins 35-21 for their fifth straight title.

 

[Stanzi]

Anyone watching this on tv or went to the game? Dowling is going for their 5th straight championship game. They are leading in the 4th. Waggoner the big defensive end recruit is playing well. I don't care for his cocky hand jive crap he does after he gets a sack. Their LB #44 is really good, but plays dirty. West has made so many mistakes, 4 turnovers so far (two were punt fumbles) and terrible punting by West, like 15-20 yrds per punt.

With how big the Des Moines area is, I just don't see the E. Iowa schools ever being able to compete with the DSM schools ever again. Iowa City City High was the last E. Iowa team to win the 4-A title and that was in 09. These DSM school players look so much bigger size wise, its like night and day. I looked at Dowlings roster from last year and they had players that weighed 300 pounds and up. With how Dowling has dominated 5 years now, I really wonder if they are doing something illegal.

Illegal? Lol. No, the families just have a lot of money to train their kids above and beyond what most other teams can do. On top of that Wilson is an excellent coach.

 

[EstronHawkKing]

Maybe the Iowa Athletic Association needs to restructure the 4-A system. Make the DSM area teams 5-A and let them play each other for a state championship (heck, they have enough schools in their area to do it) this has not even been close with the E Iowa schools now vs DSM based teams.

 

[dwghawk]

How many students at 4A high schools in Iowa?

 

[uihawk82]

Illegal? Lol. No, the families just have a lot of money to train their kids above and beyond what most other teams can do. On top of that Wilson is an excellent coach.

I will add to this in that some families will also send their kid to Dowling with tuition help. The kid might live a distance away and live with relatives/friends in the DSM area so this is an advantage. It is almost like recruiting. My son played baseball at Dowling and one of his teammates probably would have gone to DSM East High but he was a very good athlete, played Lbkr, wrestled, baseball and threw the shotput at Dowling. Not sure if people approached this kids family through youth sports teams and camps but he ended up at Dowling.

 

[theboat]

Downing absolutely recruits and offers scholarships above the table. Not sure on what happens under the table.

We used to joke once we were down by 40 points and actually started to make stops or move the football that we were playing the actual Catholics now.

 

[Seth53]

Downing absolutely recruits and offers scholarships above the table. Not sure on what happens under the table.

We used to joke once we were down by 40 points and actually started to make stops or move the football that we were playing the actual Catholics now.

This. As does Regina, Xavier (CR), Assumption, Pella Christian, on and on. And while we're at it, Solon siphons off potential players from IC as does Clear Lake from Mason City. Then again, my hometown of Hampton, took several players from the CAL school district who wanted to pay their way. It's going on all over.

 

[Seth53]

I did go the 3A champ game Thursday night. Pella had no answer for Xavier's offense. I was impressed at the speed of the game, how well kids tackled, and how an all-out passing game has proliferated.

I also saw at Dowling for example, FB kids have 6:15 AM weight lifting, 6:15 AM conditioning on the other days as well as 3:15 PM lifting. Yikes. We had a rusty ol universal machine stuck in a closet in "my days."

 

[DDThompson]

Only a goiple

With how big the Des Moines area is, I just don't see the E. Iowa schools ever being able to compete with the DSM schools ever again. Iowa City City High was the last E. Iowa team to win the 4-A title and that was in 09. These DSM school players look so much bigger size wise, its like night and day. I looked at Dowlings roster from last year and they had players that weighed 300 pounds and up. With how Dowling has dominated 5 years now, I really wonder if they are doing something illegal.

DM schools are garbage in most varsity sports — especially football. It’s the DM suburbs that you’re competing with and their population isn’t much different than the east Iowa schools.

Dowling pilfers players from DM and the suburbs.

The DM suburbs have a hard time competing with Dowling. But it’s cyclical. WDM had their run. Ankeny had a run until they split. Eastern Iowa will have their time again.

 

[Motigerhawk]

Private schools are not limited by borders. Its true all over the country.
There has been pushes in Missouri to push the private schools into their own association. But it never works.
We have a private catholic school in our county, which borders St. Louis county. They get players from all over. While our public schools are limited.

Not much you can do but complain.

Oh, and their coaches dont recruit. But the alumni does.

 

[Stanzi]

Only a goiple
DM schools are garbage in most varsity sports — especially football. It’s the DM suburbs that you’re competing with and their population isn’t much different than the east Iowa schools.

Dowling pilfers players from DM and the suburbs.

The DM suburbs have a hard time competing with Dowling. But it’s cyclical. WDM had their run. Ankeny had a run until they split. Eastern Iowa will have their time again.

Unlike college football I'm not sure high school football will be cyclical. The Des Moines metro area is significantly larger than any other population base in the state, and will simply have more talent based on the numbers. There is also a lot of money in the Des Moines suburbs which will only help keep those teams on top.

 

[IowaLawWasRight]

Believe it or not, Dowling is one of the smallest 4A schools in the entire state, and are at a big disadvantage when going up against some eastern schools. For example:

Iowa City West has 1,973 students
Lin-Mar has 2,018 students
CR Kennedy has 1,800 students
Davenport West has 1,828 students

Dowling has just 1,400 students (and their kids can all read and write and almost all go to college). That's like a class 2A school having to play against all 3A schools and still dominating them. Kudos to the Maroons! It's nice to see them producing some solid D1 prospects.