Last year, North DeSoto went to Iowa High School and ended the Yellow Jackets’ greatest high school football season ever.

The No. 8 Yellow Jackets want to turn the tables when they head north to Stonewall to take on the top-seeded Griffins in the Nonselect Division II quarterfinals. North DeSoto won 38-9 in the semifinals last season.

“Last year they beat us to go to the Dome,” Iowa head coach Tommy Johns said. “They have lost some players, but I think they have reloaded, so to speak.

“They are very good at what they do and (are) well coached. They have a lot of players on both sides of the

ball. It will be another big challenge for us, but I think our kids know what to expect this time. I am proud of my kids, and I think they are up to the challenge.”

Iowa is looking to advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive year and is one of three teams from District 3-3A still alive in the playoffs along with Jennings and Lake Charles College Prep.

“I think that is a true testament to our district,” Johns said. “That is pretty impressive, and St. Louis got a first-round bye. That shows you the strength of our district. I think it is pretty cool, to be honest. I don’t know if that has ever happened. If it has, it has been a while.”

Iowa (9-3) has won eight of its last nine games. Iowa blanked Grant 49-0 in the bi-district round behind four touchdowns from Cole Corbello, Josiah Bushnell and Jonathan Walker Jr. In the regional, Walker scored twice in the first quarter, and the defense held Plaquemine to one score in the second half.

“I thought we played a lot more consistent football the last two weeks than we had probably all year long on both sides of the ball,” Johns said. “Especially last week against Plaquemine, it was one of our most complete games all year long.

“I thought we got off to a fast start, which is what we wanted to do. I thought defensively we came out and got some stops early and that helped us to build that lead. It is complementary football. I thought we did some really good things in the kicking game as well.”

North DeSoto (10-1) has new faces, but there is one familiar one under center in sophomore quarterback Luke Delafield. He has 2,681 yards and 33 touchdowns. The Griffins also have a pair of 1,000-yard backs in senior Trysten Hooper and sophomore Kenny Thomas, plus a 1,000-yard receiver in junior Cole Cory. The Griffins average 53 points a game, including more than 60 in their last two games with their up-tempo, no-huddle offense.

“As good as they are at throwing it, they are just as good if not better at running it,” Johns said. “They have two backs they use, and they are very good up front.

“They stretch the field on you. They make use of every yard they get. They get you in some one-on-one situations with speed in space. It is kind of the name of the game these days.

“The real challenge is their tempo and their speed. They are faster than any no-huddle team that we have ever played. The challenge it presents to us defensively is being able to simulate that. It is just very, very hard.

“They really don’t have to do a whole lot as far as the different types of plays they have. It is just the speed, and that is what makes it go. They don’t make mistakes. If they do, they do a good job of overcoming them. We are going to have to go out there and play some of our best football. I think we have to get them out of rhythm.”