CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Washington’s Joseph Gallet wants to conclude his prep career in explosive fashion.
That finish would be deafening, considering the noise the Warrior senior made last year.
Gallet returns as the most decorated swimmer from last season’s state meet where he won three gold medals, including the 100 breaststroke title.
“I’m extremely excited for the season,” Gallet said. “Being it my last year, my senior year, I kind of want to go out with a bang.”
The fuse for Gallet’s boom is lit by a tremendous competitive steak. Gallet takes …

WINTHROP — Mike Stafford, who coached East Buchanan to football prominence, has vacated his coaching post.
“When he retired from teaching two years ago, he made us aware that he would coach one or two more seasons,” said East Buchanan athletics director Pat Schloss. “Saturday, he informed us that this would be his last season.”
Stafford was the head coach at EB for 27 years, compiling a 165-95 record. The Bucs were 6-4 this season, earning a Class A substate berth.
He coached the Bucs to 14 postseason appearances. They advanced to the …

“Why me,” Shirley Ryan sometimes asks.
“I don’t know why or how I’ve been so fortunate to have all these kids together at one time,” said Ryan, the volleyball coach at Mount Vernon High School.
The Mustangs rolled to a 43-1 record and a Class 2A state championship. Four players have committed or signed to play at the Division-I level.
Three of them were named to the 2A first-team all-state team, released by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
Included is Ali Stark, one of nine players named to the Elite team.
Joining her are Jessica …

Source: Iowa Girls Coaches Association
ELITE
OH Haley Eckerman jr. Waterloo East
OH Hannah Willms sr. Dike-New Hartford
OH Jessica Gehrke sr. Iowa City West
L Kristen Hahn sr. Cedar Rapids Kennedy
OH Ali Stark jr. Mount Vernon
OH Carli Tritz sr. Sioux City Heelan
OH Amber Aschoff sr. Ankeny
S Kinsey Caldwell soph. Waverly-Shell Rock
OH Heidi Splinter sr. Dubuque Hempstead
Player of the year — Haley Eckerman, Waterloo East
CLASS 4A
First Team
OH Jessica Gehrke, sr., Iowa City West; MB Haley Eckerman, jr., Waterloo East; OH Amber Aschoff, sr., Ankeny; OH Heidi Splinter, sr., Dubuque Hempstead; L Kristen Hahn, sr., Cedar …

MARION — Chris Robertson isn’t fully down with calling Linn-Mar “Basketball High.”
“I think the football team proved that we’ve got more going on in athletics,” the Lions head boys’ basketball coach said.
Linn-Mar had a turnaround football season that ended with a Mississippi Valley Conference divisional championship and playoff berth. Cross country and volleyball also were strong in the fall.
But this is winter, and everyone knows what that means: Linn-Mar basketball. It’s the annual Metro jamboree tonight, then the start of the regular season this weekend.
The Lions graduated Zach Bohannon (Air …