The race for the playoffs has begun in high school football.

After losing its first three non-district games, Mid-Prairie began play in the 2A-5 district with an impressive 40-18 victory last Friday over West Burlington/Notre Dame.

Of the six teams in 2A-5, four will make the postseason tournament, so the key here is not to be one of the bottom two. The Golden Hawks, whose goal is to win a district championship now that traditional power and 2022 district champion Williamsburg has moved up to 3A, can lock down a playoff spot, and maybe even a district title, the next two weeks against Davis County and Mediapolis.

After the first week of district play, Mid-Prairie, Davis County and Mediapolis are tied for the top spot.

Davis County, which hosts the Golden Hawks on Friday, handed Central Lee its first loss of the season last week by a 20-14 score.

Also chasing down a playoff spot is Lone Tree, which has won three of its first four games and topped 47 points three times.

The Lions and Central City are tied for the top spot in eight-man District 5 with 2-0 records; the top three teams in the district will make the playoffs.

Lone Tree and Central City meet in what could be a district showdown Oct. 6, but before then the Lions host Edgewood-Colesburg (2-1) on Friday and play at Calamus-Wheatland (0-2) next week.

Highland has lost its first four games, but only one of them was in A-5 district play. The playoff race will be a battle until the final week with eight teams in the district fighting for four playoff spots.

Now that a loss to unbeaten Lisbon is in the rear-view mirror, the Huskies can prepare for four consecutive games against teams in that playoff battle. First up is a Homecoming game Friday against Columbus.

The Huskies’ last playoff year was 2021, when they defeated Pekin in the last game of the regular season to make the Class A playoffs.

Hooping in Estonia

Niko Gosnell, a 2017 Lone Tree graduate who was the team-leading scorer and rebounder for the Lions’ 18-5 team in 2016-17, is playing professionally this season in Estonia for the Rapla KK club.

Rapla, which is located in northeastern Estonia not far from the Gulf of Finland, plays in the Estonian-Latvian League. Rapla opens its new season Friday against Kalev/Audentes.

Golden Hawk vs. Golden Hawk

Terryhn Jacoby, a 2018 Mid-Prairie graduate who is a senior defensive back at Simpson College, will go against a former Mid-Prairie teammate Saturday. Tom Butters, a fifth-year tight end at Wartburg, and Jacoby combined for 674 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns for the 2017 Golden Hawks.

Jacoby was named winner of the Storm Spirit Award this week.

Wartburg is the No. 3-ranked team in D3football.com.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul