The bigger Big Ten is ready to go.  After talking about the move for more than a year, the biggest addition – No. 10 Nebraska – will begin its season Saturday and all 12 conference members are in action this week in a league that will have two divisions and a title game for the first time.  Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini says there’s a sense that finally they can focus on football.  It was a tumultuous offseason in the conference with four new coaches hired, including Ohio State’s Luke Fickell after the 18th-ranked Buckeyes dealt with a scandal that cost Jim Tressel his job.  The season kicks off when No. 11 Wisconsin hosts UNLV on Thursday night.

     IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says quarterback A.J. Derby will likely open the season as the backup to junior James Vandenberg.  Derby, a 6-foot-4, 232-pound redshirt freshman from Iowa City, would get the nod over James Wienke as the reserve behind Vandenberg. Ferentz on Tuesday praised Derby for his size, quick feet and competitiveness. But it appears unlikely that the Hawkeyes will prepare special packages for Derby simply to get him on the field.  Derby could see playing time as early as Saturday, though, when the Hawkeyes host FCS school Tennessee Tech.  Iowa has won its last 10 openers by an average of 31.5 points, allowing backups like Derby to get experience.

w/ Jim Field

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     The Top Ten teams in the Associated Press Iowa high school football polls of the 2011 season with first-place votes in parentheses and won-loss record, total points and position last week at right:
 Class 4A
                                   Record  Pts  Prv
  1. Cedar Falls (14)              1-0     158  1  
  2. Iowa City High (1)            1-0     131  2  
  3. West Des Moines Valley (1)    2-0     126  3  
  4. Bettendorf                    1-0     117  4  
  5. Ankeny                        2-0     100  5  
  6. Southeast Polk                2-0     77   6  
  7. West Des Moines Dowling       1-1     61   7  
  8. Marion Linn-Mar               1-0     37   8  
  9. Iowa City West                1-0     30   9  
 10. Cedar Rapids Xavier           1-0     24   10 
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Eldridge North Scott 7. 12,
Davenport Assumption 4. 13, Muscatine 3. 14, Davenport West 2. 15,
Fort Dodge 1. 15, Johnston 1. 15, Marshalltown 1. 
 

Class 3A
                                 Record  Pts  Prv
  1. Sioux City Heelan (11)      1-0     146  1  
  2. Solon (3)                   1-0     128  2  
  3. Clear Lake                  1-0     113  3  
  4. La Porte City Union         1-0     96   4  
  5. Denison-Schleswig           2-0     81   5  
  6. Webster City (1)            1-0     78   6  
  7. Harlan                      0-1     42   7  
  8. Manchester West Delaware    1-0     37   9  
  9. Williamsburg                1-0     34   10 
 10. Newton                      1-0     26   NR 
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Marion 15. 12, Adel ADM 8. 13,
Keokuk 6. 13, Waverly-Shell Rock 6. 15, Oskaloosa 3. 16, Carlisle
2. 16, Carroll 2. 16, Decorah 2. 
 

Class 2A
                                       Record  Pts  Prv
  1. State Center West Marshall (8)    1-0     141  1  
  2. Iowa City Regina (7)              1-0     137  2  
  3. West Union North Fayette          1-0     115  3  
  4. Dyersville Beckman                1-0     95   5  
  5. Alleman North Polk                1-0     61   6  
  6. South Central Calhoun             1-0     56   7  
  7. Mediapolis                        1-0     37   8  
  8. Sigourney-Keota                   1-0     29   9  
  9. Central Lyon-GLR                  2-0     26   NR 
 10. Fort Dodge St. Edmond             1-0     24   10 
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Sheldon 18. 11, Spirit Lake 18. 13,
Osage 17. 14, Carroll Kuemper 12. 15, New Hampton 10. 15,
Bloomfield Davis County 10. 17, Monroe PCM 9. 18, Iowa Falls-Alden
6. 19, Waterloo Columbus 2. 20, Calmar South Winneshiek 1. 20,
O-A/BCIG 1. 
 

Class 1A
                                      Record  Pts  Prv
  1. Emmetsburg (10)                  1-0     143  1  
  2. Council Bluffs St. Albert (4)    1-0     131  2  
  3. West Branch (1)                  1-0     108  3  
  4. Aplington-Parkersburg            1-0     101  4  
  5. Woodward-Granger                 1-0     90   6  
  6. Dike-New Hartford                1-0     82   7  
  7. Logan-Magnolia                   1-0     50   9  
  8. Stanwood North Cedar             1-0     28   10 
  9. IKM Manning                      1-0     21   NR 
 10. Inwood West Lyon                 0-1     16   5  
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Fairbank Wapsie Valley 9. 12, Des
Moines Christian 8. 12, Panora Panorama 8. 14, Wapello 7. 15, Eagle
Grove 6. 15, St. Ansgar 6. 17, Arlington Starmont 4. 18,
Nashua-Plainfield 3. 19, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 2. 20, Ogden 1. 20,
Lawton-Bronson 1.

 Class A
                                    Record  Pts  Prv
  1. Britt West Hancock (6)         1-0     128  2  
  2. Le Mars Gehlen Catholic (5)    1-0     119  3  
  3. Traer North Tama (1)           1-0     118  4  
  4. Lisbon (2)                     1-0     102  6  
  5. Mason City Newman (1)          2-0     99   5  
  6. Wayland WACO                   1-0     72   7  
  7. Postville                      1-0     68   8  
  8. Bedford                        2-0     34   NR 
  9. Madrid                         0-1     32   1  
 10. Akron-Westfield                2-0     17   NR 
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Lone Tree 13. 12, Northwood-Kensett
10. 13, Brooklyn BGM 4. 14, Colo-NESCO 2. 14, Algona Garrigan 2.
16, Danville 1. 16, Elkader Central 1. 16, Marcus MMC 1. 16,
Rockford 1. 16, North Butler 1.
 

Class 8-Man
                                Record  Pts  Prv
  1. Armstrong-Ringsted (14)    2-0     148  1  
  2. Blairsburg NE Hamilton     2-0     129  2  
  3. Preston                    2-0     102  3  
  4. Tabor Fremont-Mills        1-0     96   4  
  5. Stanton (1)                1-0     81   8  
  6. East Mills                 1-0     53   10 
  T7.Glidden-Ralston            1-0     41   9  
  T7.West Bend-Mallard          2-0     41   NR 
  9. Clarksville                2-0     30   NR 
 10. Remsen-Union               1-0     20   NR 
    
     Others receiving votes: 11, Lansing Kee 16. 12, Riceville 14.
13, Kingsley-Pierson 11. 14, Janesville 10. 14, Moravia 10. 16,
Tripoli 9. 17, Lenox 4. 18, Dunlap Boyer Valley 3. 19, Harris-Lake
Park 2. 19, Newell-Fonda 2. 21, Remsen Saint Mary’s 1. 21, Anita
CAM 1. 21, Nishnabotna 1.

     COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) – The New York Times is reporting Texas A&M has notified the Big 12 it will withdraw from the conference.  The newspaper reported on its website Monday night that Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin sent a letter to Missouri Chancellor and Big 12 board chairman Brady Deaton to inform the league it was
leaving.  The New York Times story cited two unidentified college officials with direct knowledge of the decision.  Texas A&M said earlier Monday it had received a letter from Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe outlining the withdrawal procedure should the Aggies decide to leave the league.  Texas A&M’s departure would cast doubt on the future of the Big 12 and could lead to more major changes to college athletics.

Coon Rapids-Bayard 25-25, Exira-EHK 13-14
Coon Rapids-Bayard 25-26, A-H-S-T, Avoca 21-24
Exira-EHK 26-25-18, A-H-S-T, Avoca 28-17-16
Guthrie Center 25-25-25, Madrid 14-11-19
Woodward-Granger 26-25-25, West Central Valley, Stuart 24-21-14

Iowa’s newest hunting season opens later this week following months of heated debate about the use of lead shot and the killing of mourning doves. Iowa’s new dove hunting season will run from September 1 through November 9. Experienced dove hunters, like Scott Gritters of Guttenberg, are excited they won’t have to travel out of state to test their skills. Gritters, a DNR fisheries biologist, says dove hunting is a relaxing, yet challenging sport.

“They’re very sporty and acrobatic. It takes a good shot to get ’em,” Gritters said. The dove season is expected to attract around 20,000 resident hunters, including many who have never before hunted doves. Gritters says it can be frustrating for beginners. He suggests practicing with clay targets. “I think those people who are really good at shooting teal, which is a very fast duck…I think those people will have a better chance at (shooting doves),” Gritters said. “But hunting is like anything, you’ll be better if you practice.” Doves are most active in the morning and evening and tend to flock near water and low-standing or harvested crops. Hunters can wear camouflage, but are not allowed to use live decoys or bird calls. Gritters says doves are not only a challenge to shoot, but good to eat.

“I’m really looking forward to cooking the first batch up. They are an awesome eating bird,” Gritters said. “We usually just wrap ’em in bacon on the grill.” Iowa is now one of 41 states to allow dove hunting. Hunters are being allowed to use lead shot this season, despite protests from some individuals who’ve raised environmental concerns. The Iowa Legislature is expected to debate a ban on lead shot before the 2012 dove hunting season.
For more information, surf to:  www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/MigratoryGameBirds/MourningDoves.aspx

(Radio Iowa)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Derrick Johnson may finally be on the cusp of stardom. It’s only taken six years, 90 games and countless headaches to get there. The Kansas City linebacker is coming off a breakthrough season in which he had a career-high 94 tackles and helped the Chiefs win the AFC West title. It was the kind of season that fans have been expecting of Johnson since he was their first-round draft pick in 2005. Johnson acknowledged that he must become the leader of a young but talented defense. Even though he’s just 28, there are only a handful of players on the entire roster who have been in the league longer than him.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads says defensive lineman Henry Simon will start practicing with the Cyclones today (Tuesday), but won’t be available for Saturday night’s opener against Northern Iowa. Simon, a 6-foot-3, 302-pound junior college transfer from Chula Vista, Calif., is expected to eventually push for playing time on the line. Rhoads also says redshirt junior Jon Caspers has been moved from guard to defensive tackle to bolster that unit’s depth. Rhoads says true freshman wide receivers Quenton Bundrage and Ja’Quarius Daniels should play immediately, as will freshman defensive back Jared Brackens and junior college transfer Ernst Brun, Jr., a tight end.

w/ Jim Field

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