For the first time since 1977, there are no Gazette-area teams in the Iowa high school state football championships. But The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Johnson are making picks for all seven of this week’s games anyway on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. Plus, a look at successful seasons for Iowa City Liberty and Mount Vernon that ended with…

The UNI-Dome welcomes 28 teams for the Iowa high school state football semifinals this week. The Gazette's Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher discuss last week’s quarterfinal results, preview some noteworthy semifinal matchups and pick the champions in all seven classes on this episode of the Prep Football Huddle.…

With Iowa high school football teams one win away from the UNI-Dome, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher review last week’s playoff games and take a class-by-class look at this week’s quarterfinals on The Gazette’s Prep Football Huddle podcast. Plus, which games are we most looking forward to this week?โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

It’s all about the playoffs now with 16 teams remaining in each of the seven Iowa high school football classes. The Gazette's Jeff Linder, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Johnson take a class-by-class look at the brackets with games to watch and surprise teams to consider on this episode of the Prep Football Huddle.…

Iowa high school football’s Week 8 was full of surprises and The Gazette's Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher put them into perspective on this week’s episode of the Prep Football Huddle. Plus, a look at the playoff scenarios for 5A, 4A and 3A entering Week 9, intriguing first-round matchups in 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player, possible changes to th…

K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson take a look at playoff scenarios for area teams entering Week 8 on the Prep Football Huddle, The Gazette's Iowa high school football podcast. Plus, a new trivia game and a look back at the key results from Week 7, including Williamsburg returning to the top of the Class 3A rankings with a 42-13 win over So…

Jeff Linder, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Johnson are ready for a big Week 7 where multiple ranked Iowa high school football teams will be tested. The Prep Football Huddle discusses the biggest games, 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 episode.…

The Prep Football Huddle podcast with The Gazette's Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher 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?”โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

A wild Iowa high schoool football Week 4 saw another No. 1-ranked Class 5A team fall, a two-point conversion decide one rivalry game and a failed two-point conversion determine another. The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder break it all down on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. Plus, a look at the updated rankings and Class 5A RP…

Teams like Cedar Rapids Prairie, Linn-Mar and North Linn are climbing The Gazette’s Iowa high school football rankings after big Week 3 wins. The Gazette's Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher discuss what stood out last week and the Week 4 games that might shake up the next poll on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. Plus, a unique setting for…

The second week of Iowa high school football games gives us double the data to help determine the pecking order of teams. Which teams made the biggest statements in Week 2? The Gazette's Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Linder look back at some key Gazette-area games and how those results shook up the rankings on this week's episode of the Prep …

The Gazette's Prep Football Huddle podcast with Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher reviews Week 1 of the Iowa high school football season with takeaways including a young Cedar Rapids Xavier team’s potential, Clear Creek Amana’s new era, Class 5A rankings upheaval and more. Plus, a conference realignment update, a game of “Would you rather?…

The Gazette’s Prep Football Huddle podcast returns for the 2024 Iowa high school football season. This week, Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher take a look at the first-year head coaches. Who will have the most success this season? Plus, games to watch in Week 1, Iowa Valley’s wild Week 0 win over BGM and answers to listener questions.…

It’s time for the postseason in Iowa high school soccer. Nathan Ford and Ryan Pleggenkuhle preview every substate and region involving Gazette area teams and makes state-qualifier predictions on this week's episode of Park The Bus.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

The River Valley Conference’s hold on the top of the Class 1A Iowa high school boys’ soccer rankings didn’t change, but the team at the top did. Nathan Ford and Ryan Pleggenkuhle discusse West Branch’s rise to No. 1 and the notable results from last week, plus preview a big week of ranked matchups in the Gazette area on this episode of Park the Bus…

Iowa City Regina is the new No. 1 team in the Class 1A Iowa high school boys’ soccer rankings, but the Regals weren’t the only team that moved up. Nathan Ford and Ryan Pleggenkuhle detail the Gazette-area boys’ and girls’ teams on the move on this week’s episode of Park The Bus.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s first weekly boys’ soccer rankings provide some helpful talking points for this week’s episode of Park The Bus, The Gazette’s high school soccer podcast. Hosts Nathan Ford and Ryan Pleggenkuhle also take a look back at last week’s games by naming teams and players of the week in the area for boys and girl…

On the first episode of Park The Bus, a podcast covering Iowa high school soccer in the Gazette area, Ryan Pleggenkuhle details teams and players to watch in 2024 as well as some bold predictions.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

The field is set for the 2024 Iowa high school girls’ state basketball tournament and The Gazette's Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder take a class-by-class look at what to expect on this week’s episode of Call It Both Ways. Plus, an update on the boys’ basketball postseason with state qualifiers soon to be determined.…

After another unpredictable Iowa high school boys’ state wrestling tournament, the Pinning Combination with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs is here to break down all the top storylines.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

It’s set to be a historic basketball night in Iowa, so the Call It Both Ways podcast with The Gazette's Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder can only start this week’s episode by discussing Caitlin Clark on the verge of setting the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record. Then, it’s back to high school basketball and updates from the IHSAA and IGHSAU tourna…

In the high school segment of this week's Pinning Combination podcast with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs is a class-by-class preview of this week’s boys’ state wrestling tournament with a few predictions as well.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

Conference realignment continues to be a topic on Call It Both Ways, The Gazette’s Iowa high school basketball podcast with Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder. This week’s episode begins with the latest updates as the Northeast Iowa Conference appears on the brink of collapse. Then, we take a look at more postseason brackets released by the IGHSAU (5A an…

The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs look back at last week's girls' state wrestling tournament and boys' state duals and preview this week's boys' district tournaments on this episode of the Pinning Combination.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

It’s one of the busiest weeks of the Iowa high school wrestling season and the Pinning Combination podcast with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs breaks it all down. We recap last Saturday’s boys’ conference tournaments and Tuesday’s regional duals, then preview the Xtream Arena-hosted boys’ state duals (Saturday) and girls’…

No. 1-ranked teams in Iowa high school basketball picked up some big wins last week: Class 1A’s top-ranked North Linn girls beat 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon, while the 4A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy boys handled West Des Moines Valley. And there’s another big boys’ game on Friday, when 1A No. 1 Bellevue Marquette hosts No. 3 North Linn. The Gazette's…

The Class 4A boys’ rankings had a big shake-up this week (though Cedar Rapids Kennedy is still the clear No. 1) and that leads this episode of Call It Both Ways with The Gazette's Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson. Other topics this week include a big win for the Marion girls, North Linn’s consistent success, the Clear Creek Amana girls taking over the …

It was only about a month or so ago when the Pinning Combination podcast had limited topics during a slow period of the wrestling schedule. That’s far from the case now. This week’s episode with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs highlights the standouts from the weekend of high school tournaments and previews upcoming bo…

The Gazette's Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson Call It Both Ways on their weekly high school basketball podcast. Lots of topics this week, including the Mount Vernon girls' rise from a one-win season to a No. 1 ranking, schedule changes, participation numbers, Eric Dettbarn's 500-win career and more.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

Weather wiped out much of the wrestling schedule in Iowa last week, but there still are a few topics to discuss on this week’s episode of the Pinning Combination with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs, including Monday's J-Hawk Invitational, updated IHSAA dual rankings and events to watch this week.…

The Call It Both Ways podcast is snowed in for the time being, but The Gazette's Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder still have a few topics to discuss despite the lack of games. Those include a look at the Cedar Rapids Washington girls, Lansing Kee boys and other teams on the rise, takeaways from last Saturday’s MVC-CIML Shootout and revisiting conferenc…

The first weekend of Iowa high school wrestling tournaments in 2024 gave the Pinning Combination podcast plenty to discuss this week. Tune in for takeaways and a look at the week ahead with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

The Call It Both Ways podcast with The Gazette's Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson is back from the holiday break with its first episode of 2024. They discuss Jim Dostal's legacy, the IHSAA's first basketball rankings and games to watch this week (including a full Saturday).โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder talk about some high school football coaching moves, and discuss the high school basketball scene as the December portion of the season winds down.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

Calling it both ways: Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder talk area high school basketball and current rankings for girls and boys basketball. They also dive into insights on the current state for area teams, game formats, the use and non-use of the shot clock and Caitlin Clark's enduring influence on the game for young players.…

Host KJ Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs discuss high school wrestling .We talk weekend results and upcoming tournament, including the Battle of Waterloo dual tournament.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

On this week's Iowa high school wrestling segment of the Pinning Combination podcast, The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs have takeaways from the Dan Gable Donnybrook, Cliff Keen Independence Invitational, Dubuque Hempstead's big week and more from last week. Catch the full show, talking all things college and high school …

The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs have a class-by-class preview of the 2023-24 Iowa high school boys' wrestling season on this week's Pinning Combination podcast.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

There’s one week left in the Iowa high school football season. The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Linder talk about what to expect in the seven state championship games and what happened in last week’s semifinals on this episode of the Prep Football Huddle podcast.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

The Prep Football Huddle podcast is Dome bound. So are 28 Iowa high school football teams. The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Linder review last week’s quarterfinal games and preview this week’s UNI-Dome semifinals on this episode.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

Who will advance to the UNI-Dome? Those 28 state semifinal spots will be determined this week. The Gazette's Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher preview the Iowa high school state football quarterfinals on this episode of the Prep Football Huddle podcast.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast

It’s all about the playoffs now on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. After quickly reviewing the Round of 32, The Gazette's Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Linder preview the Round of 16 in all seven Iowa high school football classes on this week’s episode. Plus, their picks for the 28 teams that will advance to the UNI-Dome.…

It’s playoff time in Iowa high school football, at least for Class 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player. K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder preview the Round of 32 in those classes and looks at what’s at stake in the final week of the regular season for 5A, 4A and 3A teams on this episode of the Prep Football Huddle. Plus, stick around for our trivia gam…

It’s getting down to crunch time on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. This week’s show with The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder delves into eye-opening Week 7 wins from Solon, Marion and more, the updated playoff picture and Week 8 games to watch. We take time to remember Wally Sheets, the former Cedar Rapids Washington coach w…

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 with The Gazette's Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher discusses those teams and more noteworthy resurgences this week. P…

Parity has been one of the main storylines of this Iowa high school football season. What were the most surprising developments in Week 5? The Gazette's Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder discuss on the Prep Football Huddle podcast. Plus, a look at the updated rankings, both from The Gazette and the Iowa High School Athletic Association, our midseason MV…

The Iowa high school football regular season is basically halfway over and still surprising us. This week’s Prep Football Huddle podcast includes reactions from The Gazette's K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson to eye-opening wins for Starmont, Solon West Delaware and more. We have a full look back at Week 4 takeaways and also look ahead to …

Another week of turmoil in the Class 4A Iowa high school football top 10. Among a big group of really good teams, which ones are set to emerge as the best? That’s how this episode of the Prep Football Huddle podcast with The Gazette's Jeff Linder, K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Johnson kicks off. Also included this week: Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s resurgence …

A couple big results in Week 2 of the Iowa high school football season caused a bit of a rankings shake-up in this week’s Gazette poll. The Prep Football Huddle podcast breaks it all down, including: • Williamsburg’s win over Cedar Rapids Xavier • Iowa City Liberty’s win over Iowa City High • Cedar Rapids Kennedy starts 0-2 against a tough schedule…

Plenty of teams impressed in Week 1 of the 2023 Iowa high school football season. Who stood out? K.J. Pilcher and Jeff Linder discuss their top takeaways and look ahead to Week 2 on the Prep Football Huddle podcast.โดย Iowa Prep Sports Podcast