Jeff Johnson

Marion’s football team splished and splashed its way to a 38-0 win Friday over Mason City in a game played the entire way under rain, most of the time heavy rain. The Wolves believe the win all but locks up a Class 4A playoff berth.

It’s getting down to crunch time on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. This week’s show delves into eye-opening Week 7 wins from Solon, Marion and more, the updated playoff picture and Week 8 games to watch.

Junior Hunter Wohler is listed as a safety but plays a position in Wisconsin’s football defense called the dollar. Sometimes he sits in back, sometimes he’s near the line. He leads the Badgers in tackles.

Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford answer more high school football questions. Bears bear, bees bee and sports writers discuss what teams must win, dominant units, consistent performers and post-game celebrations.

The Iowa Hawkeyes played their usual stout defense, rushed the football well and held on late to post a 20-14 Big Ten football win Saturday afternoon over Purdue at Kinnick Stadium.

Marion’s football team took it on the chin last week, losing at home to Class 4A second-ranked Western Dubuque, 35-7. With its playoff hopes on the ropes, the Wolves scored a touchdown with 20.7 seconds left Friday night to win at Decorah, 28-21, taking a big step toward the postseason.

Class 5A 10th-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie has played a meat grinder of a 2023 football season, but the Hawks have survived it and blew past Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 48-7, Friday night in the Kolache Bowl at Kingston Stadium.

Wally Sheets spent almost three decades as head football coach at Cedar Rapids Washington, having one of the best careers in Metro history. He died Thursday in Florida after a long illness at the age of 88.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy and West Branch started the 2023 Iowa high school football season 0-2 against tough schedules but have won every game since, including a pair of eye-openers last week. The Prep Football Huddle podcast discusses those teams and more noteworthy resurgences this week.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. played wide receiver for four seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes before transferring to Purdue. After making a minimal impact last season for the Boilermakers, he has been moved to running back this season and is coming off his best game.

The Anamosa football team won one game last season and one the season before that. But it has a 4-2 record going into Friday’s penultimate regular-season game against Camanche and is eyeing a playoff berth, something that hasn’t happened much at the school.

Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford evaluate teams’ stocks, the toughest district and technology on the fan experience. We also pick which coach would be fun to mic up for a game.

Connor Smith suffered a concussion in a game early last season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Then in his second practice back, he suffered a severe knee injury that ended his rookie USHL season. He’s back and healthy, hoping to provide offense for a hockey club devoid of experience at the forward position.

In a battle of top-10 prep football teams in Class 4A, Cedar Rapids Xavier scored the final 19 points of the game and tripped up Noth Scott, 26-20, Friday night at Saints Field. North Scott was ranked No. 4, Xavier, No. 8.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders open the home portion of their 2023-24 United States Hockey League season Saturday night against Dubuque. Offseason improvements at ImOn Ice include the replacement of over 3,000 original seats.