It was predicted
at the start of the 1988 season that these two team would meet in the state championship—and depending on which poll you read, both were ranked as the #1 team in
Class 4A. Certainly, this game's juggernaut-like hype was warranted: both teams were top-ranked, unbeaten, featured [returning] All-State tailbacks, and had blue collar defenses.
Oh yeah, to up the stakes even more, Bettendorf was not only the defending 4A
champion, but they also had a 24-game winning streak on the line. The result? Well, let's just say that Bettendorf "owed" Newton for beating their "Golden Boys" back in 1980—and
in this version of ThunderUNIdome, two teams entered unbeaten but only would
leave that way.
