Iowa High School Football: Mississippi Valley Conference 2007 Preview, Part I

With the 4th of July approaching rapidly, one can only start to sense that football season is just around the corner. The Mississippi Valley Conference is said to be the top football conference in the state of Iowa, and this upcoming season looks to be no different. Here is a team-by-team preview of the upcoming season.

Iowa City High
No one has dominated the MVC the past 15 years like Iowa City High. Last season they finished 8-3 with a tough loss to Bettendorf in the state quarterfinals. City High will have some spots to fill this upcoming season as they lose Travis Gobush and Jon Gilmore, who proved to be the backbone of last years squad. Look for quarterback Ted Schmidt to have a big year with his favorite targets being Eric Wright and Phil Hunt.
Prediction: 9-0

Iowa City West
The Trojans have struggled the past few seasons, and the upcoming addition of West High Football could once again prove to be very disappointing. Rumor has it that some very skilled athletes may not be trying out for the team this year, and this could call for concern as numbers are dropping for the football program. If some players do come out for the team, then look for West to have more than 2 victories on the year, otherwise, it could be another long season for Trojan Football.
Prediction: 2-7

Linn-Mar
The Lions were a powerhouse back in the late 80s and early 90s winning a couple state titles. These days are different however as the Lions had a dismal 2006 campaign finishing 0-9. The Lions do have some talent returning at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, but other positions are going to need players to step up right away to get some wins in 2007.
Prediction: 1-8

Xavier
Last season's state champs are going to have lots of work ahead of them in 2007. They will only be returning one starter. The Saints do have a fairly easy schedule so that should allow them to at least get 4 victories on the year. The returning starter is a quarterback so that will help with leadership issues.
Prediction: 5-4

The season opens up Thursday, August 30th, and Friday, August 31st. Out of these 4 teams, look for Iowa City High to be the best, with Xavier coming in 2nd. The two teams do not meet each other this season, but will renew their rivalry come 2008 & 2009.