District title on the line!

MT. PLEASANT — Friday night’s varsity football game at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex will be for all the marbles.

With a win, Mt. Pleasant will not only clinch a spot in the Class 3A playoffs, but also lock up the District 4 title, the first for the school since 2008.

On the other side, though, is the toughest team on the schedule. Second-ranked Solon has been the dominant force in district play and is looking like one of the favorites for a state title, coming in an unbeaten 7-0. Mt. Pleasant is 6-1, with both teams holding a 3-0 district record.

The Panthers and Spartans have played six times since 2012, with the last game being in 2019. Solon has won every showdown in that time period.

The Panthers have been extremely balanced all season, but the ground game has been the moneymaker when it mattered most. Mt. Pleasant has rushed for 1,295 yards and 20 scores on the season. Ramzy Davis has 590 yards and nine scores to lead the team.

Grayson Walker has thrown for 787 yards and nine touchdowns on the year for Mt. Pleasant. Kaden Schadt has 221 yards and one touchdown receiving, and Brody Clark has 212 receiving yards and three scores.

The Panther defense has been golden in district play, led by Max Sloat’s 35 tackles. The Panthers have 10 interceptions and six fumble recoveries, and have scored twice on pick-sixes and three times on special teams, a blocked punt recovery by Sloat and two return touchdowns from Griffen Jones.

The Panthers will once again be facing a star quarterback, this time senior Eli Kampman, who has thrown for 1,307 yards and 17 touchdowns, while throwing just three interceptions for the Spartans.

Junior Cody Milliman has 24 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Spartan receivers. Maddox Kelley, another junior, has caught a team-high 26 passes for 279 yards and eight touchdowns.

Senior Kyler Jensen leads Solon with 50.5 tackles on the year. The Spartans have 12 fumble recoveries and 10 interceptions, and have scored three times on defense and once on a punt return by Kelley.

Going into the matchup, Solon is ranked No. 2 in the Gazette’s Class 3A poll, while Mt. Pleasant is unranked. In the Iowa High School Athletic Association poll, the Spartans are No. 3, while the Panthers are No. 8.

The game is set for a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m.