The 2017 Atlantic Trojans football team can do something that hasn’t been accomplished in 5 years, have a winning season. The last time the Trojans put up more W’s than L’s was in 2012 when the team went 5-4.  This year’s group of Trojans can assure at least that same mark with a win at Carroll on Friday night.

Atlantic (4-3) will have to slow down the Carroll (3-4) rushing attack to pick up that fifth W. Tigers’ Head Coach Dennis McCartan said his team likes to wear teams out with their trio of big running backs.

Atlantic Head Coach Mike McDermott said a big key will be getting low and making sure tackles against those large backs. He also said the Atlantic offense will be just as important in helping the defensive effort.

Atlantic has had some success spreading the ball around to a number of talented players and working the edges, which will be an emphasis again this week. Coach McCartan said his team will be looking to get pressure on Jaxson Eden.

Both teams won’t be playing in the post-season but Coach McDermott said there is no lack of motivation for the Trojans with a group of Seniors wanting to leave a positive impact in their last two games.

We’ll have coverage of the Trojans and Tigers on KJAN Friday night. Chris Parks and Mike Smith will have the call on AM1220, FM101.1, online at kjan.com, and on the KJAN mobile app. You can also catch live streaming video on KJANTV. Catch a full interview with Coach McDermott at 4:45pm on Trojan Preview. Then tune in to our pick ’em show Who’s Gonna Win? at 6:00pm followed by Pregame at 6:30pm and Kickoff at 7:30pm from Carroll Stadium.

The Enhance Iowa Board made its first award today (Thursday) under a new program for baseball and softball fields. The board awarded a two-and-a-half million dollar tax rebate — the most allowed — to the BettPlex in Bettendorf. Under the program, a baseball or softball complex with a construction cost of at least 10 million dollars can request a sales tax rebate for admission tickets, merchandise or other goods sold at the complex for up to 10 years.

The BettPlex is a 40 million dollar project that will feature six full turf baseball and softball fields along with facilities for indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, wrestling and sand volleyball.

The bill passed the Iowa Legislature last year after being proposed for the “Prospect Meadows” baseball/soccer complex near Marion.

(Radio Iowa)

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are the lone unbeaten team in the NFL at 5-0, but they’ve overcome a lot to reach that point. Injuries have mounted, the schedule has been filled with tough opponents and they will have played five primetime games in the first eight weeks. Their next big test is Sunday against Pittsburgh, the team that beat them in last year’s playoffs.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Sen. Claire McCaskill has asked the Department of Homeland Security to give “full consideration” to the St. Louis Cardinals’ request for certification that would give the team certain legal protections in the event of a terrorist attack at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are seeking certification under the Safety Act, which encourages organizations to implement anti-terrorism measures by providing protection against lawsuits should a site be targeted in a terrorist attack.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Niko Medved knew all about the recent sad history of Drake basketball, about the losing, the struggle to stay competitive in the Missouri Valley Conference, the general apathy surrounding the program. But he took the head coaching job anyway and now, a week into his first preseason practices with the Bulldogs, he is headlong into the process of trying to change that culture.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

3A Girls

10th- Raegan Anderson, Denison-Schleswig
20th- Taylor McCreedy, Atlantic

2A Boys

15th- Adam Thompson, Southwest Iowa
22nd- Jordan Hustak, Missouri Valley
29th- Gage Graeve, Missouri Valley

2A Girls

3rd- Karley Larson, Underwood

1A Boys

2nd- Evan Wilson, Exira-EHK
4th- Jerry Jorgenson, Treynor
6th- Brycen Wallace, Nodaway Valley
10th- Tyler Breheny, Nodaway Valley
14th- Noah Nelsen, ACGC
20th- Josh Baudler, Nodaway Valley
27th- Skyler Rawlings, Nodaway Valley
29th- Dalton Fischer, AHSTW

1A Girls

2nd- Janette Schraft, East Mills
3rd- Emma Lucas, Bedford
4th- Kate Crawford, ACGC
6th- Ella Waddle, Panorama
16th- Peyton Pogge, Tri-Center
20th- Taylor Sporrer, Logan-Magnolia

The Iowa Association of Track Coaches released their latest cross country team rankings on Tuesday. This round of rankings helped to determine state qualifying cross country assignments which are also listed on our sports page.

Take a look at the full rankings here.

Local teams that are ranked include:

Class 1A Boys

1. Nodaway Valley
12. Tri-Center

Class 2A Girls

13. Shenandoah/Essex

Class 3A Girls

11. Bishop Heelan
12. Glenwood
14. Denison-Schleswig

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers remain the top 2 teams in the latest AP Pro32 poll. Kansas City received all 12 first-place votes for 384 points in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles jumped up to No. 3.

ATLANTA (AP) — Defending champion Stewart Hagestad was eliminated on the first day of match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur by a salesman playing in his first USGA championship. Dusty Drenth of Davenport, Iowa, fell two down through six holes before rallying to close out Hagestad on the 17th hole. It was a rare lowlight this year for Hagestad, who was low amateur at the Masters.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa says athletic director Gary Barta is taking an extended medical leave to fight prostate cancer. The school announced that Barta is set to undergo surgery for the disease, adding that he intends to return to as soon as he can. Iowa deputy athletic director Barbara Burke will serve as the department leader in Barta’s absence.

Western Iowa Conference Semifinals @ Manning

(3-2) Treynor 20-19-25-25-15, Missouri Valley 25-25-17-20-8
(3-0) Tri-Center, Neola 25-25-25, IKM-Manning 15-21-10

Pride of Iowa Conference Tournament

Semifinals
(2-0) Mount Ayr 25-25, Central Decatur, Leon 13-16
(2-0) Southeast Warren, Liberty Center 25-25, Southwest Valley 18-14

Consolation

(2-0) Southwest Valley 27-25, Central Decatur, Leon 25-13

Championship
(3-0) Mount Ayr 25-25-25, Southeast Warren, Liberty Center 18-18-21

Hawkeye Ten Conference

(3-1) Harlan 25-17-25-25, Creston 11-25-21-16
(3-0) Lewis Central 25-25-25, Glenwood 12-17-19
(3-0) Red Oak 25-25-25, Atlantic 17-18-13
(3-0) Red Oak 25-25-25, Shenandoah 17-10-18
(3-0) Shenandoah 25-25-25, Atlantic 17-22-21
(3-0) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 25-25-25, Denison-Schleswig 16-16-15

Rolling Valley Conference

(3-2) AR-WE-VA, Westside 17-15-25-25-25, Exira-EHK 25-25-14-17-7
(3-2) Boyer Valley 14-25-25-14-15, CAM 25-25-10-25-9
(2-0) Coon Rapids-Bayard 21-21, ACGC 16-12
(2-0) Madrid 21-21, Coon Rapids-Bayard 12-9

Corner Conference

(3-0) Essex 25-25-25, Fremont-Mills 18-19-19
(3-0) Stanton 25-25-25, Clarinda Academy 10-7-8

Bluegrass Conference Tournament

(2-0) Diagonal 25-25, Orient-Macksburg 18-19
(2-0) Seymour 25-25, Orient-Macksburg 8-7
(2-0) Murray 25-25, Melcher Dallas 17-10
(2-0) Murray 25-25, Moulton-Udell 11-5

Other Scores

(3-0) ACGC 25-25-25, Madrid 22-17-15
(3-0) Bondurant-Farrar 25-25-25, A-D-M, Adel 21-18-22
(3-0) Carroll 25-25-25, Winterset 14-20-23
(3-0) Earlham 27-25-25, Panorama 25-14-20
(2-1) East Sac County 18-25-15, Newell-Fonda 25-23-5
(2-0) East Sac County 25-25, Sioux Central, Sioux Rapids 17-5
(3-2) OA-BCIG 22-21-25-25-15, West Monona 25-25-23-21-12
(3-1) Sergeant Bluff-Luton 25-13-25-25, Bishop Heelan, Sioux City 16-25-16-21