Jeff Johnson

The Gazette’s Prep Football Huddle takes a look at playoff scenarios for area teams entering Week 8 of the Iowa high school football season. Plus, a new trivia game and a look back at the key results from Week 7.

Games with playoff implications. Defending champions poised to return to the state finals. What is the next technological impact? The Gazette’s Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford share their insights on these Iowa high school football topics.

Even though the school colors are black and gold, Maquoketa Valley players, coaches and fans wore a lot of purple Friday night for its football game at North Linn. It was in honor of the father of junior running back-linebacker Dylan Knipper, who is fighting pancreatic cancer.

Maquoketa Valley’s football team posted five straight shutouts going into its Friday night game at Class A No. 9 North Linn. The Lynx scored two touchdowns and 16 points, but the Wildcats came away with a 35-16 win.

The Iowa football team faced a high-powered transfer quarterback last week in Ohio State’s Will Howard, who threw four touchdown passes in a 35-7 win. This week, it sees another high-powered transfer quarterback in Will Rogers, who transferred this season from Mississippi State to Washington.

The family of first-year Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Jason Musa evacuated its home in Southwestern Florida because of Hurricane Milton. Musa is part of a hockey playing family, with his father a former professional player and his brothers college hockey players at Massachusetts.

The Prep Football Huddle podcast discusses teams with big tests in Week 7, looks back at what happened in Week 6, updates the rankings and playoff picture and plays another game of “Who’s Got More?” on this week’s episode.

What are the most notable games this week? Is Williamsburg’s offense or Maquoketa Valley’s defense more impressive? Plus, the best bounce-back teams and how to add to Friday night excitement. The Gazette’s Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford share their insights on these Iowa high school football topics.

In the first edition of Corridor Cross Checks for the 2024-25 hockey season, we take a look at the upcoming ECHL season for the Iowa Heartlanders and Week 3 of the United States Hockey League season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

A closer look at Iowa’s 35-7 loss Saturday to Ohio State at Ohio Stadium. The third-ranked Buckeyes owned the second half to pull away from a tight game at halftime.

With NIL exploding and a lawsuit filed to possibly allow major junior players in Canada the chance to play college hockey, how that all could affect the United States Hockey League is a burgeoning topic of discussion.

Iowa City Liberty is Class 5A’s eighth-ranked football team but played without Sutton Koller, its top touchdown scorer, Friday night against Cedar Rapids Washington. Other guys stepped up in his absence and allowed the Lightning to rally in the second half for a 27-22 victory.

Mount Mercy University announced Friday it will begin a varsity football program in the 2026 season. The school constructed a large athletics facility near campus in 2017 that included a football stadium. The stadium’s goal posts have always pointed away from the field, so as not to interfere with the other sports played there.

The Iowa football defense faces a very difficult task Saturday afternoon in an Ohio State team that is averaging over 48 points and 500 yards per game. That includes trying to slow down a pair of all-conference running backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. OSU players will receive $20 million in NIL money this season, with “roughly 10 players” receiving at least $1 million.

The Prep Football Huddle podcast reviews the notable games from Week 5 of the Iowa high school football season and the updated Gazette statewide rankings. Plus, a look at the Class 5A RPI system and a trivia game of “Who’s Got More?”