High School Girls’ Tennis
Burlington Notre Dame was shutout by Albia yesterday, 9-0. Liliana Anderson provided the most resistance in the #4-singles slot, losing her match 8-6. The Nikes will host Mt. Pleasant on Monday, August 10th.
Fairfield will start their season at home against Keokuk on Monday.
High School Volleyball
Burlington Notre Dame will host a scrimmage on Wednesday, August 12th, with Wapello, Danville, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.
High School Football
In a preview of Class 3A District 4, Solon will attempt to repeat as District champions, but the Spartans will have to do it with another quarterback, while Mt. Pleasant looks to make it back-to-back playoff berths after ending a 15-year postseason hiatus last year. Solon, despite losing Eli Kampman, still return 2025’s District MVP in Maddox Kelley, who registered over 1,000 total yards and 26 total touchdowns on offense.
Mt. Pleasant surprised most of the state after ripping off a 7-3 record last year and hanging close against a top-two team in West Delaware for the first round of the playoffs. Part of the surprise was the amount of underclassmen in the starting line-up. The Panthers are set to return all of their main pass catchers, two of their three top running backs, their starting quarterback, and the entire left side of their offensive line. Most importantly, Isaiah Lange is set to lead the defense after registering 13 sacks and 23 tackles for loss last year. The Panthers will open the season against Mediapolis on the road on August 28th at 7:30 pm with KILJ on the call.
Washington nearly snuck back into the playoffs after beating Fairfield, Fort Madison, and narrowly sneaking past Keokuk in the final game of the regular season for a 5-4 record overall. The Demons will be looking for a new player to lean on in terms of offense after graduating dual-threat quarterback, Kael Williams. Blaine Rees is still expected to lead the defense as he totaled 84.5 tackles last year. The Demons will play Mid-Prairie on August 28th at 7:30 pm at home.
Fairfield had several teams on the ropes last year due to a rushing attack that ranked as one of the best in the state but a defense that allowed 35.2 points per game resulted in a 3-6 (2-3) record. Expect the Trojans to take another step forward, as they return Voss Richardson and First Team All-District running back Ethan Bisgard, who averaged 11.5 yards per carry. Fairfield will host Benton on August 28th at 7:30 pm to start the season.
Local Athletic Camps
Danville High School will be hosting the Soukup Basketball Camp August 7th, going from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, and August 8th and 9th from 2 to 5 pm for boys and girls entering 3rd through 8th grades. The camp will cost $60 per camper.
Here’s a link to register: Soukup Basketball Camp
New London will be holding their Youth Tigers Volleyball Camp Monday, August 10th, through Wednesday, August 12th, for players entering Kindergarten through 6th grade. The camp costs $50 and the campers will get a T-shirt. Kindergarteners through 2nd graders will practice from 10 am to 11 am and 3rd through 6th graders will go from 10 am to 11:30 am.
Here’s a link to register: New London Youth Volleyball
Mt. Pleasant Cross Country
The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country camp starts next week. If you have any questions, you can contact Coach Lyle Murray at 319-850-0867.
Southeastern Community College
The women’s soccer team will host Indian Hills Community College tomorrow, August 8th, at 3 pm.
The men’s soccer team will start the season against Bradley University on August 11th on the road.
College Football
Iowa is gearing up for the upcoming 2026 season, as members of the Hawkeyes earn preseason recognition. A trio of Hawkeyes were named to The Sporting News 2026 Preseason All-America teams in Kade Pieper for the First Team and DJ Vonnahme and Zach Lutmer were placed on the Second Team.
Pieper, a 2026 Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American, started all 13 games last year that resulted in Big Ten 3rd Team honors. He was a crucial member of a unit that took home the Joe Moore Award last year and averaged the 5th best average time-to-pressure of 2.8 seconds. Additionally, he is on the Outland and Rimington Trophy watchlists.
Vonnahme finished last year on the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America list after becoming the first FBS freshman tight end to lead his team in receptions and receiving yards since 2021. He finished the season with 29 catches, 434 yards, and three touchdowns.
Lastly, Lutmer tallied 71 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, three interceptions, and one touchdown as a member of the Iowa defensive secondary. The Hawkeye defense ranked top 10 in points allowed per game and total defense. Lutmer is also a 2026 Lott IMPACT Trophy candidate.
Prospect League
The Cape Catfish snatched game one of the Prospect League Championship with a flex of early offense and clutch defense resulting in a 7-6 victory over the Terre Haute Rex. David Kessler led the effort with two RBIs. The Catfish will host game two tomorrow, August 8th, at 6:35 pm with an opportunity to win back-to-back titles.
This Day in Sports History
1936 – Twenty-two nations line-up as the first basketball competition in the Olympic Games starts in Berlin; Estonia beats France 34-29 in the first game.
1948 – American Alice Coachman becomes the first Black woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal when she takes out the high jump at the London Games.
1999 – Wade Boggs becomes the first MLB player to hit a home run for his 3,000th hit in a Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ 15-10 loss to Cleveland.