News : Football Update: How area teams are doing as half-way point approaches

Tonight (Week 5) marks the half-way point for the 2016 high school football season in Iowa. Vinton-Shellsburg is 0-4 heading into its Class 3A District 5 contest at South Tama (2-2) tonight. Injuries to several key players have plagued VS througout the season. Benton Community is 2-2 (0-2 in district games). They travel to undefeated Waverly-Shell Rock tonight. Center Point-Urbana, is 3-1 on the season, and 1-1 in Class 3A District 4 games. They host Clear Creek Amana (1-3) tonight. Belle Plaine (3-1) is 2-0 in Class A District 5 action. They host North Tama tonight. Union, also 3-1, is 2-2 in Class 2A District 4. After losing to Marion, 47-22 in Week 1, the Knights have won big three weeks in a row, outscoring VS, Marion and Monticello by a combined score of 142-14. Union, however, will be playing what coach Joe Hadachek calls "nail-biter" games over the next few weeks. The Knights host Dysersville Beckman (2-2) for Homecoming tonight before traveling to Waterloo Columbus next week. Their schedule also includes undefeated Western Dubuque and 3-1 Waukon, which lost to WD 25-20 last week. Hadachek said the Knights began the season with 20 of 25 positions (the 11 offense and defense positions, plus kicker, punter and long-snapper) being filled by first-time starters. While he said Marion (2-2) is a team with a great quarterback (Blair Brooks, the grandson of the late sports broadcasting legend, Bob Brooks), Hadachek said the experience his young starters have gained and the team's improvement indicates that if they played Marion again, it would be a "better game."