Following a long stretch of road games, the Iowa Central football team returns home this Sunday.
The 11th-ranked Tritons welcome in the Grand View JV to Dodger Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.
Last Saturday, Iowa Central (6-2 overall) came up just short of knocking off No. 2 Iowa Western, falling 20-17, ending a three-game win streak.
After hosting Air Force Prep to begin November, the Tritons hit the road, taking on Ellsworth, Highland and the Reivers. They will close with back-to-back home dates before likely accepting a bowl bid.
"We still have an outside shot at cracking the Top-4 and making the playoffs," Iowa Central head coach Jesse Montalto said. "We have to take care of business and have a few things go our way."
Byron Jarrett continues to lead one of the top offenses in the country. The Tritons average over 42 points and 470 yards per game, led by Jarrett, who has almost 2,000 yards passing and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
Jarrett also has 400 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, with Daylen Boddie adding 475 and three. Desna Washington, Cal Weidemann and Jordan Kumm all have over 20 catches and 259 yards receiving, with Washington hauling in nine TDs.
The Iowa Central defense is allowing just 15 points and 281 yards per game, and will be looking to put the clamps down on the Vikings after posting a 41-7 victory over them in the spring.
"We have to make a statement each of these next two weeks," Montalto said. "We have to show why we are one of those Top-4 teams in the country. We've done a good job of getting prepared on both sides of the ball."
Noah Epley leads the team with 49 tackles, Kenny Givens has three sacks and both Bryant Barrier and Deante Nelson have picked off three passes. Iowa Central has a plus-15 advantage in turnovers on the year.
Grand View is ranked in the Top-5 in NAIA and reached the NAIA FCS quarterfinals in the spring. This will be the third game for the junior varsity, as they have also played ICCAC teams Ellsworth and Iowa Western.
The Grand View coaching staff features former Tritons E.J. Peterson, Adam Dutcher, Andy Jepson, Jon Pilcher, Dan Clark and Pat Canby.
-By Dana Becker