OTTUMWA — There might be some high drama on the football field over at Eddyville tonight.

Ditto for Oskaloosa.

Headed into the final night of the regular season for area high school football teams, the Rockets and the Indians have their wandering eyes set on a couple of sweet-looking postseason slots that have yet to be filled.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association decided to double the field this year for the postseason, adding two more teams from each district and adding a substate playoff game. Substate night is next Wednesday, with all the winners moving on to the first round of the state playoffs the following Monday, Nov. 3.

First thing’s first, however. The field still needs to be filled out and the teams need to be paired off.

The IHSAA is set to release all the pairings late Friday night — or maybe early Saturday morning, depending on how smoothly the process goes. All that is known for certain about the substate pairings is that the first and second place teams in each district will host the third and fourth place teams in another district. If the IHSAA knows which districts it intends to pit against one another, the organization is not letting the information out.

At this point, it is certain that the following area teams will play in a substate game.

In Class 3A, Centerville has qualified. In Class 2A, Davis County and Sigourney-Keota are both in. In Class A, North Mahaska has a substate slot. In the Eight-Player Class, Tri-County and Twin Cedars are both in.

Centerville wraps up the season tonight at home against Chariton. Davis County (4-2, 5-3) and Sigourney-Keota (4-2, 5-3) will square off in Bloomfield as area qualifiers jockey for substate position. Other area schools will be doing the same thing, as North Mahaska (3-2, 6-2) hosts North Tama (5-0, 8-0) in Class A while in Eight-Player action, Tri-County (4-0, 7-1) hosts Moravia and Twin Cedars (2-2, 5-3) travels to Melcher-Dallas (3-1, 6-2).

Two area teams which are “on the bubble” hold their substate fates in their own hands — and in their home stadiums — tonight. In Class 3A, District 5, Oskaloosa (3-3, 3-5) and Keokuk (2-4, 3-5) are battling for the final remaining substate slot. Osky hosts Keokuk tonight, with the winner playing at least one more game and the loser staying home next week.

In Class 1A, District 5, the Eddyville-Blakeburg Rockets are fighting with Pekin and Iowa Valley for two remaining substate slots. E-B (4-2, 5-3) will host Belle Plaine (5-1, 7-1) — which already has qualified for the substate. If the Rockets win, they are in. If they lose, they’ll have to stick around and find out how Pekin and Iowa Valley came out. Both those teams will also be concentrating on winning their games and then checking out the scores. Pekin (3-3, 4-4) travels to Durant (2-4, 2-6) tonight while Iowa Valley (3-3, 4-4) is at Wapello (1-5, 2-6).

Back up in Class 3A, in District 6, four teams — Grinnell, Carlisle, Chariton and Norwalk — are fighting for two substate berths. While Chariton (3-3, 3-5) travels to Centerville (5-1, 7-1), Carlisle (3-3, 4-4) is at Grinnell (3-3, 5-3) and Norwalk (3-3, 5-3) is at Pella (6-0, 8-0).

In Class 2A, District 7, either PCM or Colfax-Mingo will fill the remaining slot. PCM (3-3, 5-3) is at Albia (0-6, 0-8) tonight while Colfax-Mingo (3-3, 5-3) is at West Marshall (6-0, 7-1).

Class A, District 5 has Highland and Winfield Mount Union in the mix for one remaining slot. Cardinal (1-4, 1-7) is at Highland (2-3, 2-6) tonight while Winfield Mount Union (1-4, 2-6) hosts Danville (0-5, 0-8).

In Class A, District 6 BGM (2-3, 4-4) and GMG (2-3, 3-5) will play tonight for the final remaining substate slot.