Mid-Prairie plays 5 home games this season

WELLMAN - All the offseason work, the time in the weight room, the hot summer practices will culminate for the Mid-Prairie High School football team Friday, Aug. 30 when it hosts Grinell.

Mid-Prairie was 3-6 last year and the previous year, but had a 5-4 record in 2016 after an 8-3 record and two playoff games in 2015.

The Golden Hawks will play the same slate of teams it faced in 2018, but the home sites will be opposite.

Last year four of the Golden Hawks' first five games were on the road, so this year it will have four of the first five contests at home.

Mid-Prairie also plans to flip the results, opening last season with four consecutive defeats before blasting Central Lee in Donnellson 56-21.

After opening with two road games last year, the Golden Hawks will host Pekin in its second consecutive home game of 2019. The Hawks lost to Grinnell 27-12 and Pekin 35-7.

Mid-Prairie's first home game last year was a 22-6 loss to playoff qualifier Wilton. It will be the third game of this season and the first road trip.

The fourth game is Homecoming and a date with Iowa City Liberty. The Lightning edged the visitors from Mid-Prairie last season 27-22.

Class 2A District 6 play begins with the Central Lee Hawks visiting Wellman.

Two road games follow, traveling to Williamsburg and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont.

Last season's home game with Williamsburg was a barnburner with the teams trading touchdowns in the first half before the Raiders pulled away in the second half. EBF clipped the Hawks 13-6 the next week.

The Golden Hawks finished the 2018 season in style with two consecutive blowouts.

Mid-Prairie traveled to Davis County for a 33-6 victory and blasted Albia at home 48-20.

This season will end on the road at Albia but the Golden Hawks have five home dates compared to four last year.

Despite losing its first three non-district games, Williamsburg was the unbeaten district champion last year and won its first playoff game.

Mid-Prairie, EBF and Albia all went 3-2 in district play. Davis County was 1-4 and Central Lee 0-5.