Author: Nathan Bloechl

Prep Football: Winfield-Mount Union’s Buffington Leading by Example:

Winfield-Mount Union star Cam Buffington sounds like a coaches dream.

The all-everything, do-it-all sophomore is ready for his second year in the program and head coach Scott McCarty has him playing a position he’s not used to.

Buffington will play quarterback for the Wolves this year, as they aim to improve on a 4-4 season that ended in a lopsided defeat to Lone Tree.

McCarty said that Buffington is transforming the Winfield-Mount Union offense from the quarterback spot.

“Hopefully we can use the term explosive” McCarty said. “Big play after big play. I think this offense can be explosive. [Buffington] has a nice arm and he’s learning how to make reads and if you don’t like it you can do what you do. 

Buffington, who is already committed to the University of Iowa after a terrific summer campaign, had been organizing off-site team workouts all summer, calling on teammates to hit the weights, run extra routes and get in shape.

McCarty believes that when your star works as hard as Buffington does, it’s easy to be infectious throughout the locker room.

“He pushes himself on every sprint and guys are always trying to catch him and he won’t let anyone take one off. We know that a player-led team will always be more successful then a coach led team.”

“When your best player is doing what it takes, doing the right things, is business, not screwing around, that changes the attitude and the mindset of the kids” McCarty explained.

KILJ producer and weekend host Griffin Humphreys also is on this year’s club.

The Wolves will open up their season on Friday, hosting Moravia.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Winfield-Mount Union Schedule: 

August 27th — vs. Moravia (7:00 p.m.)

September 3rd — vs. Iowa Valley (7:00 p.m.)

September 10th — at New London (7:00 p.m.)

September 17th — vs. HLV (7:00 p.m.)

September 24th — at Lone Tree (6:30 p.m.)

October 8th — vs. WACO (7:00 p.m.)

October 15th — at English Valleys (7:00 p.m.)

Prep Volleyball: Super Conference Clubs Back in Action:

The prep volleyball schedule is starting to heat up as teams get the ball rolling on the 2021 season.

Tonight, three varsity matchups are on the slate.

West Burlington will take on Burlington at the Greyhound Dome, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Danville will host Highland, with first serve getting underway at 7:30 p.m.

Winfield-Mount Union will entertain Keokuk in Winfield.

Proceedings will get started at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday will be a very busy day in the conference, with programs traveling to Bondurant, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City for various tournaments.

College Football: Iowa’s DeJean Adjusting to College Football: 

(Via Radio Iowa) 

Cooper DeJean says he is adjusting to the college level as he goes through preseason practice at Iowa.

The multi-sport standout led OABCIG to a state title last fall and has been working at safety for the Hawkeyes after playing quarterback at the prep level.

“I think my first time hitting when we were in pads, the physicality is just way different than small-town Iowa football. It’s been great so far, all the older guys are great to us, so it’s been good” DeJean said.

DeJean has been working closely at strong and free safety, spending time learning from senior starter Jack Koerner and is expected to make several special teams units.

The Hawkeyes will open their season at home September 4th against Indiana.

You can listen to that game on FM 105.5.

Women’s College Soccer: Clarke Beats Wesleyan:

Clarke scored once in the first half and twice in the second as the Pride earned a 3-nil win over Iowa Wesleyan last night.

Wesleyan goalkeeper Kylie Mulhern recorded five saves in the game, while Jacqueline Campos led the squad with two shots on goal.

The Tigers will be off until September 4th when they travel to take on the St. Louis University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

College Football: Daniels, Wesleyan “Right on Track”: 

As M.D. Daniels enters his first full season with Iowa Wesleyan, he believes the program he took over two years ago is “right on track.”

The Tigers take the field for the first fall season under Daniels on Saturday against St. Ambrose and Daniels says the plan has worked out in terms of the benchmarks he set forth two years ago.

“Our plan, I really believe we are right on track. We are hitting all the numbers. Academically, our team GPA is right there, numbers and retaining players and all of those things are going phenomenally.” 

Still, coming into this year, expectations, Daniels says, are higher.

The Tigers brought in a handful of talented freshman and sought out experience on the transfer market which he believes will help Wesleyan compete on Saturday’s.

“Our schedule, it’s tough. Hopefully it will get us ready for our first year in the North Star.” 

Wesleyan’s game can be heard on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Kickoff Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Prep Football: Striegel Not Focusing on Wins, Losses This Year:

The Mount Pleasant football team is not putting pressure on wins and losses this year, per head coach Shawn Striegel.

Instead, the veteran head coach is aiming for creating a culture of togetherness.

The Panthers, who graduated several stalwarts from team’s of years past, will open the season Friday night at home against Fairfield with one goal in mind “play together.”

“If you put too much expectation on winning, I think that you fail. Even when you win you fail. My big focus is doing things together. It’s something that we started doing a while ago. Being a team, fighting for each other and being selfless, those are more important” Striegel told KILJ.

Striegel believes if his team can do that, they’ll be able to compete with anyone in a crowded — and new — 4A District.

They’ll turn the offensive keys over to incumbent senior Carson Coleman, who started one game last year at Fort Madison.

Coleman brings confidence, toughness and tenacity to the quarterback position.

“He believes in the team and he believes in the team more than himself and that works perfectly for his confidence. He demands that we all hold each other accountable and he’ll do the same for himself” said Striegel of Coleman.

Friday’s game will kick at 7:30 p.m., the Panther Tailgate Show will start at 7:00 p.m.

Mount Pleasant Schedule:

Friday, August 27^th — Mount Pleasant vs. Fairfield (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, September 3^rd — Mount Pleasant at Washington (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ

Friday, September 10^th — Mount Pleasant vs. Keokuk (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, September 17^th — Mount Pleasant at West Burlington Notre Dame (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, September 24^th — Mount Pleasant vs. Fort Madison (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, October 1^st — Mount Pleasant at Iowa City Liberty (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, October 8^th — Mount Pleasant at Burlington (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, October 15^th — Mount Pleasant vs. Clinton (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

Friday, October 22^nd — Mount Pleasant vs. North Scott (7:00 p.m. air, 7:30 p.m. kick) KILJ 

College XC: Wesleyan Picked Third, Fourth Respectively:

The Iowa Wesleyan Tiger men’s and women’s cross country teams have been picked to finish third and fourth in their respective leagues this year.

Both clubs will compete in the Continental Athletic Conference under head coach Hunter Davis.

Florida College was given the top spot in both the men’s and women’s rankings.

Iowa Wesleyan will open up their 2021 season at the Luther All-American Invitational, hosted by Luther College.

The men’s race will begin at noon, while the women will race at 11:30, in Decorah, Iowa.

College Sports: Big Ten, PAC-12, ACC Agree on Alliance:

In news that will surely rock the college sports landscape, the Big Ten announced an alliance yesterday with the ACC and PAC-12.

All 41 institutions between the three leagues agreed in unanimous decision.

The alliance formed will mean the three conferences will be committed to a “collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling.”