High School Football

With Friday’s football schedule release by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, The Gazette is offering a one-time, 10-game, nine-week tour of the best games in our circulation area, with no stadium visited more than once.

Former Solon standout AJ Coons has gone into the transfer protal. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver spent the past three years with South Dakota State.

Butch Pedersen, a legendary football coach and iconic figure at West Branch High School, died Monday after a battle with cancer.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced districts and groups for each class of prep football for the 2023-24 seasons.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released preliminary classifications for prep football Monday. It is the first year the IHSAA is classifying schools by a combination of enrollment and percentage of free and reduced lunch students. Cedar Rapids Washington will bump from Class 4A to 5A in the new two-year cycle. Williamsburg will go from 2A to 3A.

Iowa’s track record with previous walk-ons was again helpful as the Hawkeyes recruited many who turned down scholarship opportunities elsewhere.

Landen Akers is only months removed from being one of the final cuts of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. However, the former Cedar Rapids Washington all-stater and Iowa State receiver is looking at his present, being on the roster of the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, and to hopefully one day returning to the NFL.

Northern Iowa finalized its 2023 football recruiting class Wednesday, unofficially announcing 28 signees. Among the Panthers’ 28 newcomers are more than six Division-I transfers, one junior college transfer and 20 high school prospects.

Iowa coaches would be required to receive training once every five years instead annually on how to identifying and respond to a student-athlete with a suspected concussion under House bill.

Prep football: The Iowa Department of Education passes the amendment for socioeconomics to be a factor in football classification.

Cedar Rapids Xavier beat Max Duggan’s Lewis Central team in a 2018 Iowa high school state football playoff semifinal. Now they’re rooting for the TCU quarterback vs. Georgia.

Ankeny’s J.J. Kohl and Jamison Patton connected for six touchdowns this season. Both will soon bring high-end talent to their respective Iowa State football rooms.

Prep football: Iowa member schools overwhelmingly pass measure dealing with enrollment and classification based on free and reduced lunch. Next up: Iowa Department of Education.

Southeast Polk star running back is part of Coach Matt Campbell’s plan to get the best from central Iowa.