The Exira-EHK Spartans and the Bedford Bulldogs will meet for the second time this season on Friday night in the 8-man High School Football Playoffs.  This meeting figures to be very different from the first contest that was played in Week 2 on September 9th with Bedford prevailing 40-6.  Exira-EHK was without multiple key players in that contest and Bedford Bulldog Co-Head Coach Matt Ambrose knows the Spartans will be a different team this time around.

Bedford has gotten great offensive production throughout the season from a Senior and a Freshman in the backfield. Senior Running Back Sam McMillin has carried the ball 177 times for 1,469 yards and 22 touchdowns this season for the Bulldogs.  Freshman Quarterback Brennen Sefrit was thrown into the mix early in the season due to Joel King going down with a broken collarbone and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity, rushing for 406 yards and 7 scores and throwing for 347 yards and 3 more scores.  Exira-EHK Head Coach Tom Petersen thinks his team has improved defensively throughout the season and will be ready to slow down both players this time.

Exira-EHK is lead by an experienced backfield. Running Back Drew Buckholdt has been a longtime stalwart for the Spartans and has done it again this season rushing for 677 yards and 13 touchdowns and he also leads the team in tackles.  Senior Quarterback Connor Westergaard stepped into that position after Week 4 and has been a big part of the ground game with 529 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Buckholdt and Westergaard rack up a lot of the stats but Coach Petersen said Senior Fullback Cole Madsen is a big part of that.

Bedford expects a physical contest and Coach Ambrose knows they need to get things done up front to try to slow the Spartans down. He said it is going to take a strong effort physically and mentally to come out on top.

We’ll have coverage of the Spartans and Bulldogs on Friday night on KJAN! Join Chris Parks and Mike Smith on the call on AM1220, FM101.1, online at kjan.com, and on the KJAN mobile app. Our coverage will begin with our final edition of our pick ’em show Who’s Gonna Win? at 5:30pm, followed by Pre-Game at 6:00pm, and Kickoff at 7:00pm in Bedford.

Due to IHSAA rules will will not be allowed to provide a video stream for postseason games.

We’ll have a Class 1A, Region 3 High School Volleyball Semifinal tonight on KJAN. The Audubon Wheelers play host to the Stanton Viqueens tonight at 7:00pm. The Wheelers swept their way into tonight’s match with a 3-0 win over Exira-EHK on Monday night after having a bye in the opening round.  Stanton also swept their way into the semifinals except with two 3-0 wins. The Viqueens knocked off Clarinda Academy in the opening round last Tuesday and then moved by Bedford on Monday.  This will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season. Tune in for pre-match coverage at 6:50pm with first serve set for 7:00pm.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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The Iowa Hawkeyes are using their off week to try and fix an anemic offense. Seven starters returned from a unit that helped lead Iowa to the Rose Bowl but after eight games they are ranked 113th out of 128 FBS teams in total offense. They are 5-3 after a 17-9 loss to Wisconsin. (Click on the left side of each audio bar to hear the comment)

A season ending injury to leading receiver Matt Vandeberg following the Big Ten opener has left the Hawkeyes with an inexperienced group of receivers who are having trouble getting open down field.

That’s offensive coordinator Greg Davis who feels senior quarterback C.J. Beathard is playing just as well this season as he did a year ago.

Davis says the Hawkeyes have been in too many third and long situations.

Iowa returns to action November fifth with a visit to Penn State.

(Learfield Sports)

Iowa State players says they are refreshed and ready for the stretch run as they prepare to host Kansas State in Big 12 play. The Cyclones were 1-6 and had last week off. (Click on the left side of each audio bar to hear the comment)

That’s junior receiver Allen Lazard. Senior linebacker Kane Seeley says the time off allowed the players to heal up.

Seeley says the stretch run of the season begins Saturday against K-State.

Offensive lineman Patrick Scoggins says winning the battle in the trenches against the Wildcats will be a key to the game.

(Learfield Sports)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs didn’t make a first-round selection in this year’s NFL draft. That hasn’t stopped their rookies from making a major impact. Whether it’s been defensive tackle Chris Jones, their first pick who was taken in the second round, or cornerback D.J. White, taken in the sixth round but suddenly playing as many snaps as anybody on defense, those newcomers are a big reason why Kansas City is off to a 4-2 start.

“It’s hard to gauge rookies on what they might contribute,” said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, a former No. 1 overall pick. “You get the full spectrum. It’s different for everyone and every position.” Still, the Chiefs picked a bevy of guys who have fit in right away, and injuries and poor play have conspired to move them up the depth chart heading into Sunday’s game against the Colts.

Take their new defensive tackle out of Mississippi State. Jones was supposed to learn the ropes behind Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey, but a season-ending injury to Bailey changed that plan. Jones wound up starting his first career game in last Sunday’s win over New Orleans , playing 38 snaps and putting pressure on Drew Brees.

“He did a pretty good job against that explosive offense,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. If anyone was expected to contribute right away, though, it was the guy taken with the 37th overall pick.

AMES, Iowa – The 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational will feature eight Division I programs for the first time in its 35-year history and Iowa State will be one of them. The Cyclones will participate in what is expected to be one of the strongest fields in tournament history. Joining the Cyclones in Maui will be Arizona, Auburn, Duke, Gonzaga, Illinois, San Diego State and Xavier.

The 2018 appearance marks the second time the Cyclones take the floor in Maui, having last appeared in 1990. The Cyclones went 1-2 that season under Johnny Orr’s guidance, defeating Chaminade and falling to Syracuse and Santa Clara.

The 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be played Nov. 19-21 at Maui’s famed Lahaina Civic Center, where over the past five years 44 participating players have been drafted by the NBA, and 13 teams that started their season in Maui advanced to the Sweet 16 or further into the NCAA Tournament during the same year. All 12 Maui games will be telecast by ESPN networks, with the bracket being announced at a later date

The 2018 event represents the first time in Tournament history that eight Division I teams take the floor on Maui, a format which will continue in the following alternating years (2018, 2020, 2022 and beyond). Chaminade, which has hosted the Tournament since its founding and produced national headlines following upset wins, will continue to host and compete in the Opening Round on the mainland during those years. For 2019 and the following alternating years, Chaminade will compete in the Championship Round in Maui.

(From cyclones.com)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs cornerback D.J. White has had surgery for a fracture in his hand that happened in Kansas City’s win over New Orleans and will miss this Sunday’s game in Indianapolis. Chiefs coach Andy Reid says he doesn’t know how long White will be out. The former sixth-round draft pick has played crucial snaps while cornerback Phillip Gaines has been dealing with a knee injury.

Gaines was back at practice Wednesday and is expected to play for the Colts. Steven Nelson has primarily played as the nickel back but is capable of playing on the outside, and Kenneth Acker is also capable of filling in at cornerback.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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