Category Archives: Sports

Feb 17

Clutier’s 1942 championship team remembered

Posted on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Gazette looks back at small-town six-on-six champions from eastern Iowa from the first half of the 20th century. (Coincidentally, the listing of the towns one by one is the same narrative plan I had for something else involving girls’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sports, Tama County | Comments Off on Clutier’s 1942 championship team remembered
Jan 26

North Tama to play football in Des Moines metro area

Posted on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at 10:15 AM by Jeff

North Tama’s new football district includes its southwesternmost opponents ever, extending down to a school in the village of Norwoodville. Where is Norwoodville, you ask? Well, it certainly was not a place I have mapped out in the recently updated … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sports | Comments Off on North Tama to play football in Des Moines metro area
Jan 23

ISU’s epic collapses among ‘best games’ of 2015

Posted on Saturday, January 23, 2016, at 11:02 AM by Jeff

From SB Nation: 39. OKLAHOMA STATE 30, TEXAS 27 (SEPT. 26) 38. OKLAHOMA STATE 35, IOWA STATE 31 (NOV. 14) 37. BAYLOR 31, KANSAS STATE 24 (NOV. 5) 36. KANSAS STATE 38, IOWA STATE 35 (NOV. 21) The Big 12 race was Oklahoma’s domain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on ISU’s epic collapses among ‘best games’ of 2015
Jan 13

Falling behind Futility U

Posted on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

When Bill Snyder started his first year as Kansas State’s football coach, three months before Taylor Swift was born, the Wildcats trailed in their series with Iowa State by 20 games. The Iowa State program as a whole had about … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Falling behind Futility U
Jan 08

North Tama smallest public school in 11-man football

Posted on Friday, January 8, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The classifications (but not districts) for the next two years of Iowa high school football are out, and North Tama finds itself looking up. With 107 students in grades 9-11 (the “BEDS number”), North Tama will be the smallest public … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sports, Tama County | Comments Off on North Tama smallest public school in 11-man football
Dec 21

Reverse-engineered football brackets, analysis for 2015

Posted on Monday, December 21, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

After the Iowa high school football playoffs ended, I took the finals and started working backwards to create a post-hoc bracket for the season. I had two tools I didn’t last year: The IHSAA published a list of qualifiers in … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Reverse-engineered football brackets, analysis for 2015
Nov 24

How Iowa State has lost football games in the 21st century

Posted on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

[This was slightly less painful when I started writing it Oct. 19. Slightly. Paul Rhoads was the perfect man for ISU football everywhere except the W-L ledger. -Ed.] In light of Nebraska’s pair of hilarious losses to BYU and Illinois, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on How Iowa State has lost football games in the 21st century
Nov 22

The toughest job in college football is now open

Posted on Sunday, November 22, 2015, at 12:48 PM by Jeff

Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads has been fired after Saturday’s absolute debacle at Kansas State, where the Cyclones snatched defeat from the jaws of what would have been the first second victory in the Little Apple since Bill Snyder started … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on The toughest job in college football is now open
Nov 13

No quarter for traitors

Posted on Friday, November 13, 2015, at 10:31 AM by Jeff

Iowa State men’s basketball starts the season with as high expectations as there have ever been, and tips off this afternoon in Sioux Falls … against Colorado. I think the neutral site is a fine idea, since it gives western … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on No quarter for traitors
Nov 09

Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Denver back in semifinals

Posted on Monday, November 9, 2015, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Just like last year, Class A District 4 has proven to be the toughest district in small-school football, with two teams in the semifinals. Gladbrook-Reinbeck and Denver will face each other Friday morning at 10 AM (which, if you have … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports, Tama County | Comments Off on Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Denver back in semifinals