IOWA CITY HIGH at C.R. JEFFERSON (Thursday)
Time & place: 7:15 p.m., at Kingston Stadium.
Records: City High is 8-0; Jefferson is 1-7.
What’s at stake: For City High, an unbeaten regular season and the possibility of a No. 1 seed in the Class 4A East playoffs.
 
C.R. KENNEDY at DUBUQUE WAHLERT
Time & place: 7:15 p.m., at the Rock Bowl, Dubuque.
Records: Kennedy is 3-5; Wahlert is 2-6.
What’s at stake: Kennedy guarantees a substate berth with a win. Wahlert could slide into the postseason with a win and some assistance.
 
LINN-MAR at IOWA CITY WEST
Time & …

So here’s where we’re at as we head to Week 9:
CLASS 4A EAST
Twelve of 16 berths have been determined, including two league champions.
Iowa City High (8-0) has clinched the MVC Mississippi Division title while Clinton (8-0) is the Mississippi Athletic Conference champion.
Linn-Mar (7-1) can win the MVC Valley Division crown if it defeats Iowa City West.
Other qualifiers, in current order, are Bettendorf (7-1), Cedar Rapids Washington (6-2), Dubuque Hempstead (6-2), Cedar Falls (6-2), Cedar Rapids Xavier (6-2), Pleasant Valley (5-3), Davenport Assumption (5-3), North Scott (5-3) and Davenport Central (4-4).
Four teams — …

This is the final week of the prep football regular season and there are still sub-state berths up for grabs. Gazette Communications journalists will be discussing and breaking down Week 9 games and playoff scenarios.
Jeff Linder, Jeff Johnson and myself will be conducting a pair of live chats Friday. Look for the links at www.iowaprepsports.comfor a chat from noon to 1 p.m. and a second one recapping results and sub-state match-ups from 11 p.m. to midnight, following the night’s action.
Join in and share your thoughts, questions and your favorite food …

Benton Community rallied from a 12-7 halftime deficit to down DeWitt Central, 20-12 last night in Van Horne.
Zach Tweedt completed 7-for-11 passes for 111 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to Mitch Lester. Tweedt also had 28 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Mark Himmelsbach had 14 carries for 102 yards rushing including a 29-yard touchdown for the Bobcats (3-2, 2-1 3A-4).

CENTER POINT-URBANA 31, TIPTON 12 — Dylan Ramsey had 16 carries for 89 yards and four touchdowns for host Center Point-Urbana (4-1, 3-0 2A-5).
WEST BRANCH 34, BELLE …

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Mark Becker

It’s now up to a district court judge to determine whether Mark Becker is competent to stand trial for the murder of former Aplington-Parkersburg head football coach Ed Thomas. A hearing was held this morning in Mason City, with two experts making vastly different statements about Becker’s mental state.
Fort Dodge psychologist Dan Rogers performed a mental evaluation of Becker at the request of Becker’s lawyer. Rogers met with Becker twice and according to Rogers Becker showed the classic symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
“He has the delusions. He has …

PARKERSBURG — A red wave of Aplington-Parkersburg fans applauded in unison last night as their Falcons jogged off the field at halftime.
Nestled among the nearly 4,000 fans who packed Ed Thomas Field were about a dozen sporting similar red T-shirts that read “Becker.”
On a night when the community paid one last round of respects to legendary coach Ed Thomas, the irony lies with Aplington-Parkersburg senior Scott Becker. His brother, 24-year-old Mark Becker, is accused of fatally shooting Thomas in front of 20 students June 24 at the school’s weight facility. …

The Aplington-Parkersburg football team will play its first game in 35 years without head coach Ed Thomas tonight against longtime rival Dike-New Hartford.
ESPN will broadcast the game and you can watch it live on KCRG-TV9 with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. The newscast also will report live from the game at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
You can catch a live chat during the game right here to talk about what’s happening.
Dike – New Hartford @ Aplington – Parkersburg

IOWA CITY — Ed Thomas impacted all students at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, not just those playing football.
University of Iowa volleyball players Megan Schipper, a senior, and Becky Walters, a junior, recalled Thomas as a motivating figure and someone who helped them with strength training during summer break.
“When I went home to lift and stuff, I’d always call him and he’d spot me,” Walters said. “He was my driver’s ed teacher, a family friend. He coached my brother. It was hard. It was really hard.”
“He was always in the weight room …

PARKERSBURG — A sign near the entrance of the new Aplington-Parkersburg High School building says “Rebuild Falcon Pride.”
The physical rebuilding of the school — which will open in two weeks after a speedy 10-month construction period — was necessary. The EF5 tornado that tore up the southern third of this town in May 2008 destroyed the old high school.
But a rebuilding of the school’s pride and that of Parkersburg itself hasn’t been required. It arrived intact Monday morning for the first A-P Falcons football practice of 2009.
It was the first …

Cedar Rapids – Aplington-Parkersburg’s opening football game August 28th against Dike-New Hartford will be a very special night and now it will be even more special.
ESPN is going to broadcast game nationwide.  You will also be able to see it on KCRG-TV9 and the other ABC affiliates in the state of Iowa.
Details of the broadcast and kickoff times are still being worked out.
This will be A-P’s first game since head coach Ed Thomas was shot down this past June in the Falcon’s weight room.