Jeff Johnson

Lisbon’s Tiernan Boots is one of the top small-school sprinters in the state (as well as a high-end wrestler), and he is agreeable to play wherever on the football field his coaches believe is the best for the team.

Iowa high school football’s Week 8 was full of surprises and the Prep Football Huddle puts them into perspective on this week’s podcast episode.

Which teams are peaking for the postseason and who’s poised for a possible upset? Plus, players capable of taking over games and programs with the coolest uniforms. The Gazette’s Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford share their insights on these Iowa high school football topics.

Riese Zmolek played junior hockey for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, played college hockey and then played professionally for the Iowa Heartlanders. His brother, Will, played junior hockey for the RoughRiders and is in his first season with the Hearlanders.

A closer look at Iowa’s 32-20 loss Saturday night to Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. The Hawkeyes did little offensively and gave up a great amount defensively in a very disappointing Big Ten Conference loss.

Iowa City High’s football team won two earlier games this season by scoring last-second touchdowns and getting two-point conversions after them. But it wouldn’t be 3-for-3, as Linn-Mar stopped City High’s two-point try after a TD with 22.5 seconds left for a 28-27 victory.

The kid is humble, except perhaps when it comes to comparing himself with his older brother, Aiden. Central City senior Matthew Klostermann has set multiple school records this football season. And he gives all the credit to his teammates.

Linebacker Jordan Turner always dreamed of playing college football at Michigan State University. But the suburban Detroit native ended up at Wisconsin first, where he became a starter. He transferred after last season to fulfill his MSU dreams.

Forward Will Calverley was literally knocked out of game for the Iowa Heartlanders this past March at Cincinnati. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher and didn’t play again the rest of the ECHL season. After contemplating hanging up his skates for good, Calverley decided to continue to play and is an alternate captain for Iowa, which begins its season at home this weekend.

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.