ADM football head coach Mike Whisner recently talked about just how tough Class 3A District 8 is, and he has some good evidence to back it up: The top three teams all had 8-1 records.

But after the first round of the playoffs, only two of the four teams remain, and one may surprise you.

Dallas-Center Grimes cruised in its opener against Carlisle, 35-6, and will play at Ballard on Monday for a trip to the quarterfinals. The upstart Glenwood Rams, who beat DCG in the final week of the regular season to deny the Mustangs a district title, lost at traditional power Carroll, 42-20, despite the return of injured starting quarterback Kolten Wilwerding the week before.

The shocking result came in Harlan, where the district-champion Cyclones lost a home playoff game to fourth-place Creston, 34-11. Creston had struggled on defense all year, yet was able to shut down Harlan’s 1,000 yard rusher, Nick Tarney, to just 36 yards on 12 carries and picked off quarterback Kyle Juhl twice.

For their efforts, the 6-4 Panthers must travel east to Pella for a date with the undefeated and defending state champion Pella Dutch. The only realistic way Creston, a state semi-finalist last season, could win is in a shootout, and that will be difficult against a stingy Dutch defense.