OTTUMWA — Intriguing postseason matchups dot the landscape of prep football in the Hawkeye state.

Scan the recently released brackets and games pop out at the reader.

Contests like Des Moines East versus Des Moines Lincoln and Iowa City West at Iowa City High.

How about Aplington-Parkersburg at undefeated Emmetsburg for small-school football fanatics?

Whether it be city school rivals, traditional powers butting heads or just flat out good hookups – this year’s substate round can feed any football fix.

Johnston at Ottumwa is such a battle.

This is it for the Bulldogs and head coach Zach Wigle tonight at venerable Schafer Stadium.

It’s all on the line.

The state opens the gates to begin the journey and find out just who are the best teams in the state of Iowa’s five classes.

The Dragons versus the Bulldogs is a start and on paper this appears to be a good one.

Ottumwa — co-CIML Metro champs – will take its 7-2 record against Johnston (5-4), who plays in the rough-and-tumble CIML Central.

Ottumwa and Johnston have two common opponents — Des Moines Hoover and Ankeny.

The latter opponent will obviously hold more weight in terms of breaking down this do-or-die affair.

The Dragons are two weeks removed from a 31-15 loss at the hands of Jerry Pezzetti’s fifth-ranked Ankeny (8-1) squad. The Hawks even overcame four turnovers according to Wigle to get the conference win over head coach Brian Woodley’s Dragons.

Ottumwa lost 35-7 to Ankeny in a game where the line of scrimmage was won by the Hawks.