CEDAR FALLS – West Branch is heading back to familiar territory.
Travis Kaufman threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to lead No. 3 West Branch past No. 8 Clayton Ridge, 27-7, Friday night in a Class 1A prep football playoff quarterfinal game at the UNI-Dome.
West Branch (12-0) plays South Winneshiek in the semifinals a week from today at the UNI-Dome. South Winn beat Turkey Valley, 22-20, last night. The Bears are in the semifinals for the second straight year. They were beaten by Emmetsburg in last year’s game. West …

CLASS 4A
Cedar Rapids Xavier at Clinton
Time & place: 7 p.m., at Clinton.
Radio: KMRY-AM (1450), KGYM-AM (1600).
Records: No. 8 Xavier is 9-2; No. 3 Clinton is 11-0.
Notable: Four days after holding Linn-Mar’s Jer Garman to 32 yards in a 41-3 stroll, the Saints try to slow another prolific running attack. Clinton’s David Johnson has rushed for 1,304 yards and 27 touchdowns. The River Kings were champions of the Mississippi Athletic Conference, and the only MAC team to survive the substate round. Xavier has won eight straight games after a 1-2 start.
Linder’s pick: …

GUTTENBERG – Mitchell Glawe rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown and threw for another 124, leading Clayton Ridge to a 13-9 Class 1A first-round prep football playoff win over Starmont in Guttenberg Monday night.

Jordan Davis added another 69 rushing yards and a score for the Eagles (10-1), who will play West Branch in the quarterfinals Friday night.
Vinnie Otdoerfer led Starmont (7-4) with 191 yards on the ground. Dustin Boardman scored on a 50-yard fumble return and Brady Janssen kicked a 35-yard field goal for the Stars.

CLASS 4A
Cedar Rapids Xavier at Linn-Mar
Time & place: 7 p.m., at Armstrong Field.
Radio: WMT-AM (600).
Records: No. 8 Xavier is 8-2; No. 7 Linn-Mar is 9-1.
How they got here: Fifth-seeded Xavier advanced with a 38-21 substate win over Pleasant Valley; Fourth-seeded Linn-Mar rallied past Burlington, 37-14. The Lions beat the Saints, 14-7, in Week 2.
Linder’s pick: Xavier, 21-19.
 
Cedar Rapids Kennedy vs. Cedar Rapids Washington
Time & place: 7 p.m., at Kingston Stadium.
Radio: KGYM-AM (1600).
Records: Kennedy is 5-5; Washington is 8-2.
How they got here: Kennedy, the 14th seed in the 4A East, pulled the upset of …

Here is my final football ballot to be sent shortly to the Associated Press. Not many upsets in Week 9, so not much change. The final poll will be released around 4 p.m. Monday.
CLASS 4A
1. Iowa City High (9-0)
2. West Des Moines Dowling (9-0)
3. Ankeny (8-1)
4. Marshalltown (9-0)
5. Clinton (9-0)
6. Bettendorf (8-1)
7. Linn-Mar (8-1)
8. Cedar Rapids Xavier (7-2)
9. Cedar Rapids Washington (7-2)
10. Urbandale (7-2)
CLASS 3A
1. Harlan (9-0)
2. Carroll (9-0)
3. Clear Lake (9-0)
4. Sioux City Heelan (8-1)
5. Marion (9-0)
6. Centerville (9-0)
7. Williamsburg (8-1)
8. Grinnell (8-1)
9. Ballard (8-1)
10. New Hampton (7-2)
CLASS 2A
1. …

SOLON 61, CAMANCHE 8 – James Morris, moved to quarterback after Wes Sleeper tore his ACL in practice Wednesday, passed for 101 yards and ran for 93 as top-ranked Solon downed Camanche, 61-8, Friday night in a Class 2A District 4 prep football game at Solon. Morris scored a touchdown through the air and on the ground, leading the Spartans (7-0) to their 34th straight win.  Andy Ashton added 59 yards rushing with four touchdowns.
WEST CENTRAL 75, DUNKERTON 36 — Kaleb Buhrow rushed f or 273 and four touchdowns while …

After missing the postseason on a tiebreaker last year, Clayton Ridge isn’t leaving anything to chance.
The Eagles took sole possession of first place in Class 1A District 4 Friday with a 26-0 victory over Starmont at Guttenberg. It was the fourth consecutive shutout for the Eagles (4-1 overall, 3-0 1A-4).
“Our defense is playing really well,” said Clayton Ridge Coach Chad Harbaugh. “We put our defense in a bad spot right off the bat, but we held.”
Clayton Ridge fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Stars recovered inside the Eagles’ 25-yard line.
“It …