Trojan football advances to second round of playoffs

After beating Linn-Marr in their last regular season game, No. 10-ranked Trojan football team faced off against No. 8 Cedar Falls.

Minna Abdalla and Kellen Craig

Nov 6, 2025

Leah Butcher

After receiving the ball Campbell Janis ’26 breaks through Cedar Falls players attempting to score for the Trojans.

The Iowa City West football team, joined by cheerleaders and a spirited student section, traveled to Cedar Falls on Halloween night to face the Cedar Falls Tigers. West came away with a thrilling 38–31 victory, advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Over half of the first quarter was spent in a back-and-forth between the two teams as each drove down the field. Finally, the Tigers scored a touchdown with four minutes left in the period, giving them the lead in a tightly contested game. The Trojans, however, didn’t let this discourage them and powered through. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Julian Manson ’26 scored a touchdown for West, tying the game at 7–7.

Going into the second quarter, the lead could swing either way, pushing both teams to fight for control. With 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Campbell Janis ’26 scored for West, giving the Trojans some breathing room. Building on that momentum, Janis found the end zone again, extending the lead to 21–7. With three minutes left in the half, Cedar Falls answered with a touchdown, closing the gap to 21–14. West, however, held the lead going into halftime.

Coming out of halftime, Janis struck again, scoring the first touchdown of the third quarter. The Tigers quickly responded with one of their own, bringing the score to 31–24, with West still ahead by the end of the quarter.

At the start of the final quarter, a trick-play pass from Henry Elser ’26 to Michael Moody ’27 extended West’s lead to 38–24. Cedar Falls scored their final touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game, but the Trojans held firm, sealing the 38–31 victory.

With this victory, West is now ranked No. 5 in Class 5A and will advance to the second round of the playoffs and play against No. 1 Dowling Catholic Nov. 7. This match is expected to be a tough match, but with the determination of the Trojans as of late, anything is expected to happen.

“I feel like we have a lot of doubts about the result of the game, but the outside noise doesn’t matter; we as a family understand the work we’ve put in and have faith that the result will be in our favor,” Janis said.

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About the contributors

Minna Abdalla, Online Sports Editor and Events Coordinator

Minna Abdalla is a senior and this is her third year on staff. She is excited to be West Side Story’s Sports Editor for a second year. Outside of journalism, you can find her riding her bike, baking banana bread or chilling with friends. Minna also enjoys listening to new artists such as 2hollis.

Kellen Craig, Sports Reporter

Kellen Craig is a senior and this is his second year on staff. He is a sports reporter covering fall, winter and spring sports. In his free time he likes hanging out with his family and friends as well as staying active outdoors.

Charlotte Stephens, Yearbook Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Design Editor

Charlotte Stephens is a senior and has been Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Design Editor for Trojan Epic the past two years, and this is her first year on WSS staff. She has been a part of West journalism for three years.

Leah Butcher, Online Features Editor and Yearbook Sports Editor

Leah Butcher is a senior and this is her third year on staff. This is her first year on West Side Story as Feature editor. This is also her third year on Trojan Epic as Sports Editor. In her free time she likes to watch the Zombies movies and basketball.