EPWORTH, Iowa — November 9, 2026 — Western Dubuque gets another shot at the only team that has beaten it this season. The Bobcats meet Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 4A state semifinal on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Xavier enters the game 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A. Western Dubuque is 10-1 and ranked No. 3. The winner advances to the Class 4A state championship game.

The two teams have already met once this season. Xavier beat Western Dubuque 21-13 in Week 2, and the Des Moines Register noted that the Bobcats gave the Saints their toughest test of the regular season in that game. The semifinal is a rematch of that early-season meeting, this time with a trip to the championship game on the line.

Western Dubuque earned its place in the semifinal with a 27-24 win over Waverly-Shell Rock in the quarterfinal round on Friday, November 6, 2026. The Bobcats held on in a one-score game to keep their season alive and set up the rematch with Xavier.

Xavier has not lost a game all season. The Saints’ 11-0 record includes the Week 2 win over Western Dubuque, and they enter the UNI-Dome as the top seed in the Class 4A bracket.

The Class 4A semifinal doubleheader opens earlier on Thursday, November 12, 2026, when No. 4 Carlisle meets No. 2 Sergeant Bluff-Luton at 4 p.m. Both of those teams are 11-0, and both are seeking their first appearance in a state championship game.

The semifinals are part of a four-day run at the UNI-Dome, with games scheduled from Wednesday, November 11, 2026, through Saturday, November 14, 2026. The state football championships have been played at the UNI-Dome since 1976, and the semifinals moved to the indoor stadium in 1998.