Jeff Linder of The Gazette/KCRG predicts the 2012 state volleyball tournament:CLASS 5AQuarterfinalsAnkeny over Johnston in 3Iowa City High over West Des Moines Dowling in 4Dubuque Hempstead over Bettendorf in 4Pleasant Valley over Urbandale in 4SemifinalsAnkeny over Iowa City High in 5Dubuque Hempstead over Pleasant Valley ...

Sportswriters for The Gazette/KCRG project the 2012 high school football playoffs.View full playoff brackets here.Mike BonnerFirst-round upset: Cedar Rapids Prarie over Dubuque SeniorThe final 8: West Des Moines, Ankeny, Des Moines Dowling, Marshalltown, Pleasant Valley, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Iowa City WestSemifinals: Ankeny over West Des Moines ...

Jeff Linder of The Gazette-KCRG releases his picks for the state softball tournament:CLASS 5A1. Des Moines East, 2. Ankeny, 3. Iowa City West, 4. Pleasant Valley, 5. West Des Moines Dowling, 6. Ottumwa, 7. Davenport West, 8. Marshalltown.CLASS 4A1. Clear Creek Amana, 2. Dallas Center-Grimes, ...

Here are Jeff Linder's predictions for the state volleyball tournament:CLASS 4AQuarterfinalsIowa City West over Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln in 3Cedar Rapids Kennedy over Dubuque Hempstead in 4Iowa City High over Cedar Falls in 3Ankeny over Waukee in 4SemifinalsIowa City West over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in ...

Returning state champions: Jordan Bremer, Woodbury Central (103), Tyler Shulista, Alburnett (119), Christopher Halblom, Alburnett (125), Logan Mulnix, North-Linn (135), Robert Walker, Martensdale-St. Mary’s (140)Other individuals to watch: Zach Welter, North-Linn (103), Andrew Foutch, Underwood (103), Brance Simms, Twin River Valley (112), Collin Kolars, BGM ...

This field looks familiar.Six of the eight qualifiers are back from last year, including defending champion Ankeny and 2009 runner-up Iowa City West.Ankeny is rated No. 1 and seeking its third consecutive championship. The Hawkettes return four starters back from last year's title team and are 23-0 ...

This, quite simply, should be a blast. Especially once we get to Friday.How strong is the 3A field? Well, Mount Vernon and Waverly-Shell Rock are ranked in the top 25 nationally and most observers consider them the two best teams in Iowa regardless of class. ...

Is the toughest competition already behind Western Christian? Quite possibly.Top-ranked Western was placed in a regional bracket with two other top-five teams. The Wolfpack promptly swept through regional play, dumping No. 2 Sheldon in the regional final to avenge last year's state-semifinal defeat.There is still ...

You'd think the well would run dry eventually, wouldn't you?A small-school volleyball program just isn't supposed to be this good for this long.But here's Tripoli again, back in the field for the 12th time in 13 years. The Panthers are seeking their ninth Class 1A ...

SourceMedia Group's so-called "experts" weigh in on how the 2010 high school playoffs will unfold:Picker Jeff Johnson Jeff Linder K.J. Pilcher4A Semifinalist West Des Moines Dowling West Des Moines Dowling West Des Moines Dowling4A Semifinalist Council Bluffs Lincoln Fort Dodge Southeast Polk4A Semifinalist Cedar Rapids Xavier Cedar Rapids Xavier Cedar Rapids Xavier4A Semifinalist Iowa City High Iowa City High Iowa City ...