Jeff Linder

When you get to Week 9 of the Iowa high school football season, there’s a lot to sift through. Doing the math on Class 5A RPIs, visiting the district races in 4A and 3A, and peeking at the big games as playoffs start in 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player.

Here are five of Wednesday’s best area Iowa high school volleyball regional-quarterfinal matches. Archrivals West Branch and Iowa City Regina collide in Class 2A, and Central City will try to move one step closer to Coralville.

After letting the fourth set slip away, Cedar Rapids Washington rebounded immediately, building a 9-2 lead in Game 5. The Warriors went on to outlast Cedar Rapids Kennedy (22-25, 25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 15-11) in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal Tuesday night at Washington High School.

Girls’ basketball: 2023 Rivalry Saturday field will face state-title hopefuls from all five classes

Six months after its deepest postseason run ever, the Iowa women’s basketball team starts the new season in its highest preseason perch. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press preseason poll, released Tuesday.

The Iowa high school football postseason begins for teams in Classes 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player. The Gazette’s Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Nathan Ford share their thoughts on teams bound for the UNI-Dome, upset-minded No. 4 seeds and the benefits of a Week 9 game for non-playoff programs.

Cross country state-qualifying meets are Wednesday (Class 4A and Class 3A) and Thursday (2A and 1A) throughout the state. Here are four things to keep an eye on in the area.

Clear Creek Amana remains a clear No. 1 in The Gazette’s volleyball Super Ten after winning the Wamac tournament and moving to 43-0.

Here are five of Tuesday’s best area Iowa high school volleyball regional matches. Cedar Rapids Washington is playing competitive ball and hosts Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Class 5A quarterfinal.

The Gazette’s 2023 post-Week 8 Iowa high school football poll: Central Lyon-GLR (2A), Western Dubuque (4A) now have sole possession of No. 1 standing in their respective classes.

The final count for Sunday’s “Crossover at Kinnick” was 55,646, a number that was far more important than the final score — Iowa defeated DePaul, 94-72 — in a women’s basketball exhibition game.

Prep volleyball: Five Gazette-area 1A and 2A first-round matches to watch Monday.

Audrie Helmrichs returned to the net just in time to knock down the clinching kill, and Class 1A 14th-ranked Ed-Co outlasted Lisbon in the Tri-Rivers Conference volleyball tournament final, 25-20, 23-25, 19-17, Saturday afternoon at North Cedar High School.

Class 5A eighth-ranked Bettendorf ran, defended the run and whipped No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 35-8, at rainy John Wall Field on Friday.

Results from all of the area conference cross country meets through the past week.