Iowa High School Sports Podcast

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 9 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 10 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(0:35) Iowa Valley’s Kriegel seizes touchdown record

(7:05) Clear Lake vs. West Delaware

(9:02) Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Mason City

(11:32) Cedar Rapids Washington vs. Waterloo East

(13:57) Metro area games recap

(15:07) Cedar Rapids Prairie’s roadtrip to Sioux City East this week

(24:54) Class 5A football playoffs

(29:27) Class 3A football playoffs

(32:39) Class 2A football playoffs

(37:43) Class A football playoffs

(40:22) 8 Player football playoffs

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 8 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 9 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(0:52) Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Decorah

(5:57) Cedar Rapids Jefferson vs. Dubuque Hempstead

(8:35) East Buchanan vs. Maquoketa Valley

(12:37) Vinton-Shellsburg makes its first postseason in 17 years

(13:08) Matchups this week and high school football playoff pairings for 2A, 1A, Class A and 8-Player

(32:57) Tease of this week’s 4 Downs

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 7 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 8 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(0:56) 4 Downs: Gazette staff breaks down high school football

(5:47) Xavier vs. Waterloo East

(9:11) Xavier’s bus trip to Waverly-Shell Rock

(12:34) Iowa Valley vs. English Valleys

(18:53) Cedar Rapids Prairie vs. Cedar Falls

(22:48) Iowa City Liberty vs. Pleasant Valley

(24:34) How the ranked teams fared in Week 7

(26:57) Who the ranked teams play in week 8

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 6 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 7 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(1:33) Cedar Rapids Jefferson vs. Dubuque Senior

Cedar Rapids Washington vs. Decorah

(6:16) Clear Creek Amana vs. Marion

(12:05) Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Waverly-Shell Rock

(16:13) Other Iowa high school football game scores

(31:36) College football clashes this week during Friday night high school football

(36:27) A look at week 7 matchups

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 5 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 6 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(0:51) Cedar Rapids Jefferson at Cedar Rapids Prairie

(1:59) Cedar Rapids Washington at Xavier

(4:38) East Buchanan vs. North Linn

(7:34) Maquoketa Valley tops Wapsie Valley

(10:02) Jeff Linder talks Class A order followed by high school football roundup

(18:31) RPI standings

(25:42) A look ahead at this week’s installment of The Program series by K.J. Pilcher

(29:29) Who the ranked teams play in Week 6 (publishing Tuesday)

(37:57) Boys golf districts fast appraoching, Linn-Mar’s Hannen claims medalist honor at MVC Valley divisional

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 4 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 5 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(1:28) Williamsburg at Xavier

(11:28) Johnston at Iowa City Liberty

(23:13) Kennedy vs. Linn-Mar at Kingston Stadium

(29:04) Marion’s first win of the season against Mason City

(33:36) Previewing this week’s matchups

(36:06) Gazette Rankings

(40:43) 4 Downs

(44:53) Who’s covering which games this week?

(45:08) Joey Chestnut eating kolaches in Cedar Rapids

(46:08) Xavier Homecoming video and photos

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 3 of Iowa high school football and look ahead to week 4 matchups.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

(0:51) Springville over Easton Valley for 1st win; Athlete of the Year presentation

(2:13) Mount Vernon at Solon

(5:07) Regina over Alburnett

(9:49) C.R. Xavier over Clear Creek Amana

(14:35) Who’s the best team in Eastern Iowa right now?

(15:04) How the top 10 teams fared in week 3

(29:08) Who’s got more? game

(35:25) Week 4 games

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher recap week 2 of Iowa high school football, look ahead to week 3 matchups and take time to talk small college ball.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon.

Read more about the games featured in this week’s episode:

• (0:56) Coe vs. Cornell
• (5:28) Updated Gazette rankings
• (5:52) Praire vs. Cedar Rapids Kennedy
• (7:51) Linn-Mar vs. Ankeny Centennial
• (13:35) Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Western Dubuque
• (15:15) Dusty Cook Feature
• (19:32) Class 3A games preview
• (21:00) Solon vs. Mt. Vernon preview
• (23:36) Class 2A games preview
• (27:36) Class 1A games preview
• (30:24) 8th graders in high school football
• (33:06) Class A, Maquoketa Valley vs. North Linn
• (35:22) 8 player games review
• (37:16) Where will Gazette sportswriters be this week?
• (38:28) 4 Downs: Gazette staff tackle high school football questions
• (42:01) Statewide sports participation

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher break down the biggest games of week 1 of the high school football season, while looking ahead at the week 2 matchups. They also preview the first feature of The Program, a Gazette series by K.J. Pilcher following Cedar Rapids Xavier throughout the season, writing the player and coach features you know and love while giving fans a more in-depth look at the school’s football program.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon and Southeast Iowa Union multimedia content producer Peter Kamp.

Follow our high school sports coverage: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/high-school/

Comments? Jeff.johnson@thegazette.com

Gazette sportswriters Jeff Johnson, Jeff Linder and K.J. Pilcher discuss rankings and their season predictions ahead of the 2026 Iowa High School Football Season kickoff. They also preview the return of The Program, a Gazette series where a sportswriter is embedded with an Eastern Iowa high school football team. This year, K.J. Pilcher will follow Cedar Rapids Xavier throughout the season, writing the player and coach features you know and love while giving fans a more in-depth look at the school’s football program.

Triple Option podcast is a weekly Iowa high school football podcast that runs weekly during football season. This episode was produced by Gazette deputy digital content manager Bailey Cichon and Southeast Iowa Union multimedia content producer Peter Kamp.

Follow our high school sports coverage: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/high-school/

Comments? Jeff.johnson@thegazette.com

The Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle and The Gazette Digital Sports Editor Amir Prellberg talk Iowa High School Soccer ahead of substate soccer.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Dick Briggs talk about Iowa high school final week of wrestling from the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament in Des Moines.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Iowa wrestling legend Dick Briggs discuss the upcoming boys state wrestling tournament in Des Moines.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Iowa wrestling legend Dick Briggs discuss Iowa high school wrestling from the past week including IGHSAU girls state and the boys state duals at Xtream Arena.

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The Gazette sports writers Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson talk basketball across Iowa over the past week including boys and girls high school basketball and Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's basketball.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher is joined by Jim Nelson of The Courier to discuss Iowa high school wrestling from the past week and upcoming matchups including upcoming girls state wrestling.

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Call it Both Ways Podcast with Gazette sports writers Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson talk Iowa high school and college basketball.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Iowa wrestling legend Dick Briggs discuss Iowa high school wrestling from the past week and upcoming matchups.

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The Gazette sports writers Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson talk about all Iowa basketball.

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The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Iowa wrestling legend Dick Briggs discuss the past week of wrestling with Iowa high schools and upcoming matches.

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