Author: Nathan Bloechl

KILJ — It will be loaded slate tonight in the Super Conference as we inch closer to tournament time.

Class 1A playoffs in the area will begin October 18th.

Tonight, No. 1 (1A) Notre Dame will be back in action as they take to the road to battle Van Buren County in Keosauqua.

The Nikes are 27-6.

Another ranked showdown will take place at West Burlington when the No. 9 Lady Falcons play host to 1A’s No. 5 ranked Holy Trinity Crusaders.

Holy Trinity is coming off a sweep win over Van Buren County last night.

The Crusaders are 18-4.

No. 12 New London (16-11) will take on WACO tonight in a Henry County classic.

WACO has been red-hot, they’re winners for four of their last five.

Other matchups tonight:

• Danville at Cardinal
• Lone Tree at Winfield-Mount Union
• Louisa-Muscatine at Wapello

KILJ — WACO moved up to No. 5 in the latest Radio Iowa Football Poll.

Here’s the poll in full:

8-Player

1. Montezuma (7-0), LW #1 @ #8 Baxter
2. CAM (Anita) (6-0), LW #2 vs Coon Rapids-Bayard
3. Easton Valley (6-0), LW #3 vs Edgewood-Colesburg
4. Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0), LW #4 @ AR-WE-VA
5. WACO (7-0), LW #6 @ Winfield-Mt. Union
6. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (6-0), LW #7 vs Don Bosco
7. Turkey Valley (6-0), LW #8 vs Tripoli
8. Baxter (6-0), LW #9 vs #1 Montezuma
9. Audubon (5-1), LW #10 vs West Harrison
10.Kee High (6-0), LW (X) @ Midland

Class A

1. West Hancock (6-0), LW #1 @ Saint Ansgar
2. Woodbury Central (6-0), LW #2 vs Tri-Center
3. Grundy Center (5-1), LW #3 @ BCLUW
4. North Linn (6-0), LW #4 vs Hudson
5. North Butler (6-0), LW #5 vs Lake Mills
6. Logan-Magnolia (5-1), LW #6 @ AHSTW
7. North Tama (6-0), LW #7 vs Wapsie Valley
8. Lisbon (5-1), LW #8 vs Highland
9. East Buchanan (5-1), LW (X) @ Clayton Ridge
10.Belle Plaine (5-1), LW (X) @ Pekin

Class 1A

1. Van Meter (6-0), LW #1 @ Interstate-35
2. Iowa City Regina (6-0), LW #2 vs West Branch
3. Underwood (6-0), LW #3 vs West Monona
4. Dike-New Hartford (6-0), LW #4 @ #10 Denver
5. Sigourney-Keota (6-0), LW #5 @ Central Decatur
6. West Sioux (5-1), LW #7 @ Sibley-Ocheyedan
7. Pella Christian (5-1), LW #7 @ Cardinal
8. Dyersville Beckman (6-0), LW #9 @ Sumner-Fredricksburg
9. AC/GC (6-0), LW (X) vs Panorama
10.Denver (6-0), LW (X) vs #4 Dike-New Hartford

Class 2A

1. Southeast Valley (6-0), LW #1 vs Pocahontas Area
2. Waukon (5-1), LW #2 @ Jesup
3. West Marshall (5-1), LW #3 vs Roland Story
4. OABCIG (5-1), LW #4 vs #5 Estherville Lincoln Central
5. Estherville Lincoln Central (4-2), LW #6 @ #4 OABCIG
6. West Lyon (4-2), LW #7 vs Unity Christian
7. Greene County (5-1), LW #8 vs Shenandoah
8. North Fayette Valley (5-1), LW (X) @ Union
9. Spirit Lake (4-2), LW #5 vs Clarion-Goldfield-Dows
10.Clarke (Osceola) (5-1), LW (X) @ Red Oak

Class 3A

1. Harlan (6-0), LW #1 @ Adel (ADM)
2. West Delaware (5-1), LW #2 vs Hampton-Dumont-Cal
3. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (6-0), LW #3 @ #8 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
4. Solon (6-0), LW #4 vs Fairfield
5. Humboldt (6-0), LW #5 @ Gilbert
6. Nevada (6-0), LW #6 vs #10 Algona
7. Independence (6-0), LW #7 @ Charles City
8. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (5-1), LW #8 vs #3 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
9. Davenport Assumption (4-2), LW #9 @ Benton
10.Algona (5-1), LW #10 @ #6 Nevada

Class 4A

1. North Scott (6-0), LW #1 @ Clinton
2. Cedar Rapids Xavier (5-1), LW #3 vs #9 Clear Creek- Amana
3. Bondurant-Farrar (6-0), LW #4 vs Boone
4. Lewis Central (4-2), LW #5 @ Glenwood
5. Norwalk (5-1), LW #8 @ Perry
6. Indianola (5-1), LW #2 @ Carlisle
7. Waverly-Shell Rock (5-1), LW #7 vs Mason City
8. Fort Madison (6-0), LW #6 vs Iowa City Liberty
9. Clear Creek-Amana (5-1), LW #9 @ #2 Xavier
10.Winterset (5-1), LW #10 @ CB Thomas Jefferson

Class 5A

1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (6-0), LW #2 @ Davenport West (Thur)
2. Southeast Polk (5-1), LW #3 @ #6 CR Prairie
3. Iowa City High (6-0), LW #4 @ Pleasant Valley
4. WDM Valley (5-1), LW #5 @ DSM Lincoln
5. Urbandale (5-1), LW #6 @ Sioux City West
6. Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-1), LW #9 vs #2 S.E. Polk
7. Ankeny (4-2), LW #1 vs DSM North
8. Dowling Catholic (3-3), LW #10 vs Ames
9. Dubuque Senior (4-2), LW (X) vs Muscatine
10.Linn-Mar (5-1), LW #8 vs Ottumwa

Mount Pleasant — Iowa Wesleyan freshman quarterback Gavin Esquivel has been named the NAIA’s National Offensive Player of the Week, the institution has announced.

Esquivel is the first Tiger to earn national honors since Sierrah Garcia did in softball in 2012.

In Wesleyan’s homecoming win Saturday, Esquivel broke the school record for touchdown passes in a game with eight, a record that was held by Dustin Dewald.

Wesleyan will have this week off before resuming conference action on October 16th against Dickinson State.

Iowa City Liberty 56, Mount Pleasant 0 

Liberty scored twice in the first four minutes of the game as the Lightning rolled to an easy 56-0 win over Mount Pleasant last Friday.

The win was the first at Liberty for James Harris, formerly of Washington High School.

Liberty opened the first quarter with 21 points and led 42-0 at the break before pulling their starters.

The second half was highlighted by a Liberty 94-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Mount Pleasant’s lone chance to score was on a 42-yard field goal by Owen Vansickel that was no good.

The Panthers fell to 1-5, Liberty — who’s played Class 4A’s toughest schedule — improved to 1-5.

Mount Pleasant will look to rebound this week against Burlington at Bracewell Stadium.

No. 6 (8P) WACO 55, Lone Tree 22 

No. 6 WACO scored early and often as the Warriors dominated Lone Tree in a 55-22 win.

WACO snapped a six-game home losing streak to the Lions in the win and scored the second most points ever in the series.

The win kept the Warriors’ bid for a perfect season alive as they improved to 7-0.

They’ll have a show down with Winfield-Mount Union this week in Winfield.

The Wolves were off this week after Tri-County cancelled their season.

Iowa Valley 68, New London 32 

Iowa Valley led 54-18 at half and never looked back as they put it in cruise control for a 68-32 win over New London last Friday.

The Tigers have lost three in a row for the first time under Mark McSorely.

New London tried to rally late in the 4th quarter, scoring twice but it was too little, too late.

New London fell to 2-3 with the loss.

Iowa Valley improved to 2-4.

New London will look to stop their skid when they travel to Lone Tree this week.

Kick is set for 7:00 p.m.

Other area finals:

• Fairfield 39, West Burlington 27
• Wapello 34, Highland 21
• Solon 44, Washington 21
• Grinnell 52, Keokuk 13
• Mediapolis 49, Wilton 0
• Lisbon 58, Pekin 7
• Sigourney-Keota 50, Cardinal 26
• Central Decatur 22, Van Buren County 14
• North Mahaska 12, Columbus 10

Mount Pleasant — Iowa Wesleyan broke a 30 year record in a 69-28 win over Crown, Saturday afternoon.

Freshman quarterback Gavin Esquivel threw for eight touchdowns, which broke the record held by Dustin Dewald set in 1991 at seven.

Esquivel finished 32-of-48 for 456 yards and eight scores, he was intercepted once.

Asaivien McWilliams led the Tigers with eight catches for 105 yards and three touchdowns.

Damien Tanelus, Shomari Wilson, Tony Brooks, Jaden Harris and Hezekiah Hunter all caught touchdowns, as well.

The win was the first at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex since September 29th, 2019.

Wesleyan, now 1-5, will be off this weekend before taking on Dickinson State on October 16th.

Other statewide finals:

• UNI 34, Youngstown State 7
• Drake 6, Butler 3
• Central 49, Wartburg 24
• Nebraska Wesleyan 28, Luther 21
• Loras 21, Simpson 13
• Dubuque 31, Buena Vista 16
• Grand View 59, Missouri Valley College 10

Ames — Iowa State senior Brock Purdy has been named a semifinalist for the 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually to the nation’s top upperclassmen quarterback.

Purdy is finishing off a record-setting career with the Cyclones, owning 27 school records in his brilliant four-year career at Iowa State.

Purdy has tossed a school-record 66 career touchdown passes and needs just 130 passing yards to become just the sixth Big 12 player to amass 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career.

The Cyclones will enjoy a bye week this Saturday before taking on Kansas State in Manhattan on October 16th.

KILJ — The Mount Pleasant cross country teams will be at Hillcrest Academy tonight for a monster invite — their final tune up before the Southeast Conference race.

The invite will feature:

• Iowa City High
• Fairfield
• Pella
• Solon
• Burlington
• Mount Pleasant
• Mid-Prairie
• North Mahaska
• Sigourney
• English Valleys
• Washington
• Williamsburg
• HLV
• Holy Trinity
• Lone Tree
• Wapello
• Iowa City Regina

Racing will get underway at Hillcrest at 5:00 p.m. tonight.

The Southeast Conference meet is set for October 14th.