Jeff Linder

Week 6 Iowa high school football rewind: After a number of close losses the past two seasons, Benton Community got over the hump with a 21-20 thriller over Class 3A No. 1 Solon.

Jack Wallace threw for a school-record six touchdown passes and Iowa City West posted its best defensive game of the season in a 48-6 romp over Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Sophia Austen had 32 kills as Iowa City West outlasted Class 5A 10th-ranked Iowa City High in Thursday’s Mississippi Valley Conference interdivisional volleyball marathon.

A dozen of the top Gazette-area Iowa high school football games to watch in Week 6.

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?”

Area volleyball Super Ten rankings through matches played Oct. 1: No change among the top six (Mount Vernon, Xavier, West Delaware, Beckman, CCA, Mid-Prairie).

Volleyball notes: When setter Logan Keller went down with a knee injury Sept. 7, it was “Buddy, you’re up” to freshman Adelyn Stien, who resembled a seasoned veteran in Center Point-Urbana’s four-set win over Marion on Tuesday.

What teams have been pleasant surprises? Which Iowa City high school quarterback would you choose? Conversions vs. extra points and the best media accommodations. We also introduce reader questions. The Gazette’s Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford share their insights on these Iowa high school football topics.

Women’s basketball: Iowa’s Sydney Affolter will miss about a month after undergoing knee scope.

The Gazette’s Jeff Linder reveals his preseason ballot for the Associated Press women’s basketball poll. South Carolina is No. 1; Iowa State is 12th, Iowa 21st.

The 16-team playoff field in Class 5A Iowa high school football will be determined solely by RPI. Here is how the top 20 teams stand through Week 5 determined by our unofficial calculations.

Iowa high school football rankings: The top three in each of the seven classes are unchanged from last week.

High school cross country: Oelwein’s Conall Sauser and Tipton’s Noelle Steines won individual titles at the Anamosa Invitational. The Oelwein boys and Fort Madison girls were team champions.

Tiernan Boots got most of his 164 yards on tough runs up the middle, and fifth-ranked Lisbon outfought Pekin, 28-15, in a Class A District 5 football showdown Friday night. Boots carried the ball 28 times, scored three touchdowns and upped his season rushing total to 986 yards.

The Gazette’s 2024 mock regional brackets for all five Iowa high school volleyball classes, all 355 teams. They’re shooting for a spot at the state tournament Nov. 4-7 at Xtream Arena in Coralville.