'Battle for the Boot' highlights busy slate of Iowa City area high school football games. A preview.

Heading into the second half of the high school football season, Week 5 is the perfect time for teams to turn things up a notch as they hope to make a strong playoff push.

They will have their chance Friday as each Iowa City area football team will be put to the test against tough competition from around the state.

Iowa City High, Iowa City West, Iowa City Regina and Solon's games are slated to begin at 7 p.m.

Clear Creek Amana and Iowa City Liberty's games are slated to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Iowa City High Little Hawks (2-2) at Iowa City West Trojans (3-1)

The Little Hawks and Trojans are preparing for a highly-anticipated battle in the annual "Battle for the Boot" game. Last season, the Little Hawks took home the commanding 56-7 victory over the Trojans, which ended a five-year losing streak.

The Little Hawks have a point to prove coming into Friday's game after falling to West Des Moines Dowling Catholic 34-0. The usually busy offense was shut out, despite a standout performance from wide receiver Akili Mattow, who had a season-high 123 receiving yards. While the final score may not reflect it, their defense made disruptive plays, most notably from linebacker Ben Kueter, who had 11 tackles and three tackles for loss.

The Trojans had little trouble taking down Davenport North last Thursday, earning the 42-7 victory. Quarterback Jack Wallace had one of his most efficient games of the year, completing 75% of his passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Linebacker Ashton Honore was the defense's MVP after ending the game with 5.5 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

With both teams hoping to make a statement Friday, this game has a chance to be the most competitive Battle for the Boot matchup in years. While West enters the game as the hotter team, City High still has high expectations for the rest of the year. With this contest being so equally matched, whichever team comes out on top will have survived a battle.

Clear Creek Amana Clippers (2-2) at Oskaloosa (1-3)

Hoping to put last week's tough loss behind them, the Clear Creek Amana Clippers have a big chip on their shoulders as they hope to get their record on the right side of .500.

Last week, CCA was handled by Liberty 55-7, in a game where they were overpowered in each area of the game. Still, quarterback Jackson Schmidt managed to be a menace with his legs, rushing for 107 yards. Defensive lineman Brody Clubb led the team with five tackles.

Oskaloosa suffered a tough loss in its own right, losing to Keokuk 14-7 in its homecoming game. Quarterback Trevor Willett accounted for the team's lone touchdown as well as throwing for 250 yards. The defense was stout against the run, allowing just 2.2 yards per carry.

While Oskaloosa's run defense could cause the Clippers some problems, they have more than enough talent to be able to make big plays. Just as important will be the performance of a CCA defense that, before last week, was one of the best in the area.  As long as those units can get back clicking, the Clippers have a chance to get back where they need to be.

Iowa City Liberty Lightning (3-1) vs. North Scott Lancers (3-1)

Sitting pretty with just one loss in the first four games of the year, the Lightning will have a tough test ahead of them to start the second half of the season.

Their confidence should be sky-high, though, as they soundly defeated Clear Creek Amana a week ago. While several players shined, the Gregoire brothers were the stars of the show. Trey led the way with 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also had three tackles for loss and a sack. Both of Garrett's catches resulted in touchdowns.

North Scott had its first loss of the season last week, blanked by Cedar Rapids Xavier 17-0. It was an uncommonly quiet performance from Kyler Gerardy, who threw for 118 yards. Star linebacker Seth Madden was a difficult man to get past after racking up 10.5 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack.

Typically, when two good teams face off, the winner is determined by which team makes the least mistakes. In the case of Liberty, turnovers have been few and far between, which allows its offense to make the most of its opportunities. If the unit can continue to put up gaudy numbers, the Lightning have a good chance of winning their fourth game of the year.

Iowa City Regina Regals (2-2) vs. Wilton Beaver (3-1)

Coming off of the heels of a competitive game last week, Regina has another hard-hitting matchup on its hands this week.

The Regals were taken down last week by Mediapolis 17-7. Their lone touchdown came from quarterback Gentry Dumont, who rushed for a score in the second quarter. He also threw for 110 yards. Their passing defense had one of its best games of the season, after allowing the opposition to complete just one of seven attempts.

Wilton came out on the losing side as well after suffering a tough 28-8 loss to Durant. The running game was a bright spot, gaining 196 yards. Running back Owen Hassell was the leading rusher with 104 yards. Quarterback Drew Keith had 71 rushing yards and also ran for a touchdown.

Both teams .want to overcome their recent losses, but it is hard to discount the Regals' ability to bounce back, especially with this being their homecoming game. Regina has yet to lose back-to-back games this year and I do not see that changing this weekend.

Solon Spartans (2-2) at West Burlington Falcons (1-3)

One game can change the course of a season, which is what the Solon Spartans are hoping for this week.

Last week, they got their second win of the year after taking down Davenport Assumption 35-10. Their offense had one of its best showings of the season, scoring at least once in each quarter. Running back/linebacker Brett White was the star as he rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he led the team with 8.5 tackles and also had 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

The Falcons are also riding high after they won their first game of the season, beating Mount Pleasant 30-20. Running back Travain Donaldson was unstoppable, accounting for 282 yards from scrimmage and scoring three touchdowns. West Burlington's defense stepped up and allowed just 2.2 yards per carry.

Though both teams are hoping to win their second consecutive game, Solon's hunger to make it back to the playoffs should make them favorites in this contest. A statement-making showing this week can be just what the Spartans need to finish the rest of the year strong.

Raven Moore covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at RSMoore@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Raven_XReport.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Rivalry showdown among five Iowa City area high school football games