Sports, September 27th

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant exercised their Demons last night in their Homecoming matchup, beating Washington for the first time since 2008, claiming a 44-20 victory. The sophomores stepped up in a big way for the Panthers with Asa Rose nabbing an interception, Ryan Helling tallying 93 yards on the ground, including a rushing touchdown, and Griffen Jones returning a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown and plowing in for another touchdown on the ground. Head coach John Bowlin knows the future is bright for the Panther program,

“Yeah and they needed to for us this year, you know, we have some great leadership. The junior and senior classes have worked their tails off, but obviously, you know, with the depth that we have almost every kid getting time out there. And like I said, all those guys came in, did just a great job, you know, Kaden Schadt, got a big one there at receiver as well. You know, just stepping up, making plays and that, you know, they’re an athletic group. And if they keep working, they really got a great future ahead of them.”

Brody Clark provided the final dagger with a 26-yard pick six and caught the final touchdown of the game with a three-yard reception. The Panthers clash with Fort Madison on Friday, October 3rd, at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Fairfield was blanked by Solon last night 77-0. The Trojans will travel to Washington on Friday at 7:30 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame’s consistent scoring caged Central Lee last night in a 27-15 final. The Falcons will host Wilton at 7 pm on Friday. 

Central Lee will square off against Mid-Prairie at home at 7 pm on Friday. 

Van Buren County was squashed by Pekin last night, 52-8. Nolan Glick was unstoppable as the senior ran for 312 yards and scored six total touchdowns. The Warriors will get a bye week with their next contest happening on October 10th against Wapello. 

Mediapolis had their Homecoming spoiled by Wilton last night 42-14. The Bulldogs will take on West Liberty on Friday at 7 pm at home. 

Wapello shut out North Cedar last night 43-0. Wapello will host Columbus on Friday at 7 pm.

WACO’s turnover riddled contest against Belle Plaine last night resulted in the Warriors second straight loss of the season in a 34-24 final. Trey Edeker rushed for 61 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. The Warriors will attempt to get back in the win column on Friday at 7 pm in a home showdown against English Valleys. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to HLV/TC on Friday at 7 pm.

High School Volleyball

The eight-team Southeast Iowa Super Conference tournament finals are scheduled for tonight at Southeastern Community College. The night will start with the quarterfinal rounds at 5 pm.

#2 Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against Central Lee.

Van Buren County will square off against Mediapolis.

Burlington Notre Dame will take on Winfield-Mt. Union and Wapello will compete against West Burlington. 

Mt. Pleasant will get another chance at home on Tuesday, September 30th, against Burlington at 7:15 pm. 

Fairfield will head back home to host Keokuk on Tuesday at 7:15 pm.

High School Cross Country

New London, Notre Dame/West Burlington, and Winfield-Mt. Union will make the trip to Clear Creek Amana for an invitational on Monday, September 29th. 

Mt. Pleasant and Danville will participate in the Williamsburg Invitational on Tuesday, September 30th.

WACO and Fairfield will compete at the Washington Invitational on Tuesday.

Van Buren County will celebrate their senior night at the Warrior Invite with New London, Central Lee, and Holy Trinity Catholic participating on Tuesday.

High School Girls’ Tennis

Fairfield will host Central DeWitt in the Class 1A Region 1 championship today with the winner advancing to the state tournament. 

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team split their matchups yesterday, falling to Illinois Central College in straight sets before sweeping Waubonsee Community College. The Blackhawks will host Southwest Community College on Tuesday, September 30th, at 7 pm.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams will travel to Iowa Lakes Community College today.

College Football

Iowa will look for an upset against #11 Indiana today at 2:30 pm at home. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call.

#14 Iowa State will host Arizona tonight at 6 pm fresh off a bye week. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will be on the call.

This Day in Sports History

1939 – The Chicago White Sox play the first “day-night” doubleheader against Cleveland, but lose both games, 5-2 and 7-5.

1942 – The New York Giants beat Washington 14-7 without gaining a 1st down. The only team to ever accomplish this feat.

2006 – The Boston Red Sox honor former player Johnny Pesky by officially naming Fenway Park’s right-field foul pole “Pesky’s Pole.”

Local High School Football Scores (Week 5)

8-Player

(6-0) Iowa Valley 69, (1-4) Winfield-Mt. Union 22 (Thursday)

(2-3) Belle Plaine 34, (3-2) WACO 24

Class A

(4-1) Wapello 43, (0-4) North Cedar 0

(5-0) Pekin 52, (1-4) Van Buren County 8

Class 2A

(3-2) West Burlington 27, (2-3) Central Lee 15

(4-1) Mid-Prairie 56, (2-3) West Liberty 35

(3-2) Wilton 42, (2-3) Mediapolis 14

Class 3A

(4-1) Mt. Pleasant 44, (2-3) Washington 20

(5-0) Solon 77, (1-4) Fairfield 0

(3-2) Keokuk 55, (0-5) Fort Madison 27

Class 4A

(4-1) Burlington 23, (3-2) Clinton 8

Patricia Winheim

Patricia Winheim, 79, of Keosauqua, Iowa, passed away at 12:20 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Keosauqua Health Center.

She was born on September 19, 1946, in Mason City, Iowa, the daughter of Richard and Carmen (Murphy) Dearing. She married George Winheim.

She is survived by her husband: George; son: Eric (Carrie) Winheim of Libertyville, Iowa; four grandchildren: Pearl, Gretta, Patrick (Samantha) Winheim, Christian Douthart and two great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Pat was a graduate of Fort Madison High School. She graduated with honors from the University of Iowa majoring in English and Spanish. She taught for fifty years at Harmony, Aquinas, Marquette and Holy Trinity High Schools. Pat was a champion quilter. She was very meticulous with her quilting creations and her pieces were highly appraised. Pat was known as a saint to her students, family and friends.

Her body has been entrusted to the crematory of Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.

A private family service will be held at a later date.

A memorial has been established in her memory for Holy Trinity Catholic Schools educational program for a scholarship to be established in her memory and can be mailed to the family at: Schmitz Funeral Home, P.O. Box 22, West Point, Iowa 52656.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

2025 Mount Pleasant Homecoming Royalty Speaks with KILJ News

2025 Mount Pleasant Homecoming Royalty Speaks with KILJ News Director, Hayden Douglas:

MPCHS 2025 Homecoming Court: 
Olivia McCormick
Kaeden Bare
Meadow Carter
Noah Lange
Addison Clark
Max Sloat
Ashlynn Beauchamp
Jack Newman
KING: Ramzy Davis
QUEEN: Alex Scott

Homecoming King Ramzy Davis:

 

Homecoming Queen Alex Scott:

 

Olivia McCormick:

 

Kaeden Bare:

 

Meadow Carter:

 

Noah Lange:

 

Addison Clark:

 

Max Sloat:

 

Ashlynn Beauchamp:

 

Jack Newman:

 

 

Sports, September 26th

High School Volleyball

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference Tournament held its pool play round last night with the top two teams from each pod advancing to the tournament finals, here’s how everything shook out. 

In Wapello, the Arrows and Mediapolis both swept Pekin and Louisa-Muscatine, setting up a final match to decide who would earn the top seed from the pod. The pair traded the first two sets before Wapello cruised to victory in the tiebreaker 15-6. Mila Jordan continued her terrific season for the Arrows with 26 kills and three aces. Mediapolis was led by Josie Hutcheson’s 19 kills.

#2 Holy Trinity Catholic swept their way through the New London pod, keeping their opponents to 10 points or less in five of the six sets. The Kruses paced the team with Adalyn tabbing 21 kills and five aces and Callie notching 25 assists and four aces. 

Winfield-Mt. Union was able to claim that second spot out of the pool play. 

On their home court, Burlington Notre Dame finished the night 3-0, sweeping Highland (21-5, 21-13) and Central Lee (21-15, 21-15) and taking down Columbus in three sets (21-15, 9-21, 15-4).

As it turned out, the first match of the night decided who would move on to the finals as Central Lee handled Columbus in straight sets (21-15, 21-11) as both teams defeated Highland. Kenna Sandoval led the Hawks with 57 assists and six blocks in her three matches.

Lastly, Van Buren County claimed the top spot in the West Burlington pool, finishing the night undefeated after sweeping Lone Tree (21-11, 21-9) and Hillcrest Academy (2-14, 21-19) before coming back to defeat the Falcons in the tiebreaker (15-21, 21-18, 15-8). 

The eight-team tournament is scheduled for tomorrow, September 27th, at Southeastern Community College. 

Mt. Pleasant will get another chance at home on Tuesday, September 30th, against Burlington at 7:15 pm. 

Fairfield will head back home to host Keokuk on Tuesday at 7:15 pm.

High School Cross Country

Van Buren County, Notre Dame/West Burlington, and Mediapolis competed in the Tony Proctor Invitational last night and the Van Buren County girls’ team collected another team victory with 31 points, while the Mediapolis boys’ team took the silver behind Clear Creek Amana.

On the girls’ side for the Warriors, Kayley Snowgren and Rylee Philips claimed 6th and 7th place, respectively, with Snowgren clocking a time of 21 minutes and 28 seconds. Four of the five scoring runners finished in the top 10 for the Warriors.

Hanna Ritter snatched the silver medal for Notre Dame/West Burlington with a time of 20 minutes and 20 seconds, while Avery Dietz of Mediapolis took 17th place with a time of 23 minutes and 10 seconds.

On the boys’ side, Simon Wendel of Mediapolis yielded a time of 16 minutes and 24 seconds, which was good enough for 2nd place. Helping the Bulldogs finish in 2nd place overall was Will Schmidgall’s 4th place time of 17 minutes and 2 seconds. 

Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge raced to the bronze medal with a time of 16 minutes and 47 seconds as the Warriors finished in 3rd place with 82 points. 

Lastly, Notre Dame/West Burlington’s Cavin Denney finished in 5th place with a time of 17 minutes and 11 seconds as the Nikes claimed 4th place overall.

New London, Notre Dame/West Burlington, and Winfield-Mt. Union will make the trip to Clear Creek Amana for an invitational on Monday, September 29th. 

Mt. Pleasant and Danville will participate in the Williamsburg Invitational on Tuesday, September 30th.

WACO and Fairfield will compete at the Washington Invitational on Tuesday.

Van Buren County will celebrate their senior night at the Warrior Invite with New London, Central Lee, and Holy Trinity Catholic participating on Tuesday.

High School Football

Winfield-Mt. Union lost to Iowa Valley last night 69-22.

Mt. Pleasant will look to bounce back against Washington tonight at home at 7:30 pm for their Homecoming. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. Kellen Kohorst said defeating the Demons is of the “utmost importance,” and Panther head coach John Bowlin is confident this team can do just that,

“I believe in these guys. I know that they want it and you know, I know they’re capable of doing it. And he’s one kid that’s put a ton of work in. He’s going to go out there and lead us and I expect all those seniors to have a great focus tomorrow night.”

West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee will both be looking to get back in the win column at 7 pm tonight with the Hawks acting as the hosts.

Van Buren County will travel to Pekin tonight at 7 pm.

Mediapolis will celebrate their Homecoming tonight at 7 pm against Wilton.

Wapello will host North Cedar tonight at 7 pm.

WACO will hit the road to take on Belle Plaine tonight at 7 pm.

Fairfield will host Solon tonight at 7:30 pm.

High School Girls’ Tennis

Fairfield will host Central DeWitt in the Class 1A Region 1 championship, September 27th, with the winner advancing to the state tournament. 

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team will attempt to right the ship today when they compete in a triangular at Illinois Central College. 

The men’s and women’s soccer teams will travel to Iowa Lakes Community College tomorrow, September 27th.

College Football

Iowa will look for an upset against #11 Indiana tomorrow, September 27th, at 2:30 pm at home. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call.

#14 Iowa State will host Arizona tomorrow at 6 pm fresh off a bye week. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will be on the call.

This Day in Sports History

1908 – Chicago Cub Ed Reulbach becomes the only pitcher to throw a doubleheader shutout, winning 3-0 and 5-0 over the Superbas at Washington Park in Brooklyn, New York.

1962 – LA Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills becomes the first player in MLB history to steal 100 bases in a season (en route to 104).

1978 – New York District Court Judge Constance Baker Motley rules that women sportswriters cannot be banned from locker rooms.

Wrong-Way Driver Stopped on Highway 34 Near New London

Around 2:20 p.m. Thursday afternoon, multiple 911 calls were made to dispatch reporting a wrong-way driver on Highway 34 in the New London area.

KILJ News Director Hayden Douglas witnessed the incident while driving northbound toward Mount Pleasant. Witnesses reported that a white SUV, driven by an unidentified female, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes near the New London Casey’s exit. Several vehicles were forced to swerve to avoid a collision.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office quickly responded and successfully stopped the vehicle in the 2400 block of Highway 34 near New London. At this time, it remains unclear whether the driver was confused or impaired.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the situation. Stay tuned to KILJ for updates as more information becomes available regarding the wrong-way driver on Highway 34.

Panthers Celebrate Boom Night with Powder Puff Showdown, Pep Rally Speeches, and Homecoming Coronation

Mount Pleasant Homecoming King & Queen: Ramzy Davis & Alex Scott

Mount Pleasant, Iowa – Boom Night brought energy, excitement, and Panther pride to Maple Leaf Stadium Thursday evening as Mount Pleasant celebrated its 2025 Homecoming with a packed slate of events. From a hard-fought Powder Puff football game to a high-energy pep assembly and the crowning of this year’s Homecoming King and Queen, the night was filled with unforgettable moments.

The night began with the traditional junior vs. senior girls flag football game, where the juniors jumped out to an early lead. But the seniors roared back in the second half, locking down defensively and scoring quickly to claim a 21–6 victory.

After the game, the crowd moved to the Maple Leaf Athletic Complex parking lot for a spirited pep assembly featuring the Mount Pleasant Panther Marching Band, the football team, cheerleaders, and a lively crowd of students, families, faculty, and alumni.

The atmosphere was electric as Football captains hyped the Panther crowd for Friday nights showdown against the Washington Demons.

With the crowd fired up, it was time to reveal the 2025 Homecoming Court:

  • Female Attendants: Olivia McCormick, Meadow Carter, Addison Clark, and Ashlynn Beauchamp
  • Male Attendants: Kaeden Bare, Noah Lange, Max Sloat, and Jack Newman

Finally, the much-anticipated announcement crowned Ramzy Davis as Homecoming King and Alex Scott as Homecoming Queen, capping a night of cheers and celebration.

The 2025 Homecoming Queen, Alex Scott spoke to kilj after the royalty ceremony:

 

Friday’s forecast promises a perfect football atmosphere, with sunshine and a high near 82 during the day and temperatures dipping to around 54 by kickoff. Homecoming King Ramzy Davis will take the field tonight to help lead his team to victory:

 

The Panthers will look to ride the energy of Boom Night into their battle with Washington, aiming to make Homecoming 2025 one to remember.

KILJ’s Homecoming coverage is proudly sponsored by Lomont Molding, LLC.

Southwest Iowa Fishing Report as of September 26, 2025

September 26, 2025

Big Creek Lake – Anglers may notice orange and white buoys in the northwest arm of the lake. These markers indicate equipment for an ongoing fishery research project—please avoid disturbing them.

  • Bluegill – Good: Drift 1/8-ounce (or lighter) jigs tipped with nightcrawler near the bottom in 5–8 feet of water.

  • Walleye – Fair: Streams flowing into the upper end of the lake are producing action. Jig nightcrawlers near the notches in the silt dams, or work live-bait rigs and shad-imitating crankbaits/plastics along humps, points, and vegetation edges in 5–15 feet of water.

  • Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Fair: Target the lower half of the lake with shad-imitating plastics, spoons tipped with cut bait, or topwater lures over active schools. Focus on wind-blown shorelines and coves, with early morning and evening providing the best bite.

Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake)Channel Catfish – Good: Dead gizzard shad or cut bait is the top choice.

Red Rock Reservoir

  • Black Crappie – Fair: Drift or troll small swimbaits, twister tails, or tube jigs. Check the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Red Rock homepage for a map of new habitat structures added this summer to attract crappies.

  • Channel Catfish – Good: Drift cut bait near and above the Mile Long Bridge on the upper end of the reservoir.

  • White Bass – Good: Troll lipless crankbaits, spoons, or blade baits along wind-blown shorelines and points.

Saylorville ReservoirWhite Bass – Good: Troll lipless crankbaits, spoons, or blade baits along wind-swept shorelines and sharp drop-offs, such as near the Sandpiper Beach area.

For more information on Central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting at 515-204-5885 or Seth Fopma at 641-891-3795.