Week 1 football capsules

The 2021 Iowa high school football season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 27 for Aplington-Parkersburg and Dike-New Hartford. A look at the Week 1 contests:

Union Community

at Aplington-Parkersburg

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Matchup history: In the teams’ last meeting, Union defeated A-P 42-0 in a first-round playoff game on Oct. 27, 2017. Since 2012, the Knights have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

A-P’s key returners (2020 stats): Kaden Huttinger, 243 rec yards, 3 TD; Sam Livingood 31.5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss; Carson Troyna, 4 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback sacks.

Union’s key returners (2020 stats): Grant Behrens, 976 pass yards, 4 TD; Nick Soard 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss; Dakota Marvets, 30 tackles, 2 tackles for loss.

Notes: A-P finished 2020 with a 2-6 record, falling to Osage, 33-7, in a Class 1A play-in playoff game. … Union was 0-8 last season and lost to Monticello, 56-18, in a 2A play-in game.

Dike-New Hartford

at Waterloo Columbus

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

D-NH’s key returners (2020 stats): Devon Kollasch 304 rec yards, 3 TD; Nick Reinicke 52.5 tackles, 7 tackles for loss; Cale Jensen 24.5 tackles, 10 tackles for loss.

Columbus’ key returners (2020 stats): Carter Gallagher 1381 pass yards, 595 rush yards, 26 total TD; Dallas Westhoff 106.5 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss; Mason Knipp 55.5 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback sacks.

Notes: The Sailors are coming off an 8-2 record last season, falling 35-32 to Sigourney-Keota in the state quarterfinals. The Cedar Rapids Gazette rates Columbus fifth in the publication’s 1A preseason rankings. … D-NH was 6-3 last season, losing to South Central Calhoun 30-22 in the second round of the “pod” playoffs; the SCC Titans were semifinalists in 1A last season.