KJAN Sports Director Chris Parks’ weekly discussion with Atlantic Head Football Coach Mike McDermott. We take a brief look back at previous contests and preview the next Friday night contest. This week we talk about the bye week preparation and the playoff game this week against Des Moines Christian at the Trojan Bowl.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings say Matt Blair, one of the great linebackers in team history, has died. Blair had been suffering from dementia. The Star Tribune reported he died after a long stay in hospice. Drafted in the second round out of Iowa State in 1974, Blair played all 12 of his NFL seasons for the Vikings, from 1974 to 1985. He started 130 of the 160 regular-season games he played and had the second-most tackles in team history. Matt Blair was 70 years old.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Chris Parks.

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Class 4A Region 1 – Semifinals

(3-0) Sergeant Bluff-Luton 25-25-25, Spencer 11-16-18
(3-0) Carroll 33-25-26, Denison-Schleswig 31-16-24

Class 4A Region 2 – Semifinals

(3-0) Glenwood 25-25-25, Winterset 18-12-19
(3-2) Lewis Central 22-25-25-23-15, Harlan 25-11-17-25-12

Class 5A Region 1 – Semifinals

(3-0) Dowling Catholic 25-25-25, Thomas Jefferson 3-11-7
(3-1) Sioux City East 17-27-25-25, Sioux City North 25-25-19-13

Class 5A Region 2 – Semifinals

(3-0) WDM Valley 25-25-25, Abraham Lincoln 19-16-12
(3-1) Johnston 17-25-25-25, Indianola 25-23-16-20

The 2nd Round of the Iowa High School Football Playoffs is tonight. Here is a look at games featuring area teams with kickoffs set for 7:00 p.m.

CLASS 4A

Pod 14: Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson at Ankeny
Pod 16: Valley, West Des Moines at Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln

CLASS 3A

Pod 1: Denison-Schleswig at Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Pod 15: Bondurant-Farrar at Harlan
Pod 16: Norwalk at Lewis Central

CLASS 2A

Pod 15: Des Moines Christian at Atlantic – ON KJAN
Pod 16: Clarinda at Greene County

CLASS 1A

Pod 2: Kuemper Catholic, Carroll at Emmetsburg
Pod 3: Treynor at Western Christian, Hull
Pod 12: Panorama, Panora at Pella Christian
Pod 13: ACGC at Van Meter
Pod 14: Interstate 35, Truro at Mount Ayr
Pod 15: Woodward-Granger at Underwood
Pod 16: East Sac County at OABCIG

CLASS A

Pod 13: Nodaway Valley at Earlham
Pod 14: Woodbury Central at St. Albert
Pod 15: Riverside at Lawton-Bronson
Pod 16: IKM-Manning at Logan-Magnolia

CLASS 8

Pod 1: West Harrison at St. Mary’s, Remsen
Pod 3: Harris-Lake Park at Coon Rapids-Bayard
Pod 12: Lamoni at Southeast Warren
Pod 13: Collins-Maxwell at Martensdale-St. Marys
Pod 14: East Mills at Audubon
Pod 15; Stanton/Essex at CAM
Pod 16: Woodbine at Fremont-Mills

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

DENVER (AP) — Broncos quarterback Drew Lock has a sunny personality but he’s embracing the bad guy image this weekend when his hometown Kansas City Chiefs visit Denver for a game likely in the snow. Lock compared himself to Darth Vader and said it’s a role he’s glad to handle as the Broncos try to snap a nine-game losing streak to the defending champs. Lock says he’s not shy to wear Broncos gear when he’s back in Kansas City. A victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs this weekend would make it a whole lot easier for him to strut around town next offseason.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The regression was almost inevitable after Patrick Mahomes put up record-setting numbers during his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting quarterback, highlighted by nearly 5,100 yards passing and 50 touchdown throws. At least, a regression in raw statistics. Much to the chagrin of fantasy football fans, though, games are not won and lost purely on numbers. And there are plenty of reasons to believe that Mahomes has actually progressed since his second year in the league, and taken an especially big jump since last season, when he merely led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl championship in five decades.

UNDATED (AP) — College football Saturdays this season have mostly been over by around midnight Eastern. Maybe 12:30 a.m. West of Texas, the only FBS program that has been up and running is BYU in Provo, Utah. That comes to end this weekend with the kickoff of the Mountain West season, which has been overshadowed by the much-anticipated start of the Big Ten. The marquee matchups on opening weekend include Mountain West favorite and defending champion Boise State hosting Utah State. There is also a showdown in the Big 12 and another overlooked team that is playing its first game of the season.

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State drew national attention by beating Oklahoma. The 17th-ranked Cyclones could take perhaps a bigger step when they visit Oklahoma State. With a win, it would be the first time Iowa State opens the season with four conference wins. For all the improvement under coach Matt Campbell, the Cyclones have yet to play in a Big 12 Championship Game. Iowa State and No. 6 Oklahoma State will enter their game as two of three unbeaten teams in the Big 12, so a victory would put the Cyclones in an unusual and enviable position in the conference race.

UNDATED (AP) — Purdue offensive coordinator Brian Brohm went through his usual practice routine. He met with his older brother, Jeff, worked on scripts and prepared as best he could for Saturday’s season opener against Iowa. It’s game day that will be different. With Jeff Brohm isolating after two positive tests Sunday confirmed he had contracted COVID-19, it’s the other Brohm who will move from the coaches’ booth to field and try to make all the right calls against the Hawkeyes vaunted defense.

The Nodaway Valley boys cross country team finished 2nd at the Mt. Ayr State Qualifying Meet on Thursday afternoon and will advance to the State Meet next Saturday. The Wolverines scored 71 points, Earlham was the champion with 27 points. The Wolverines had three Top-10 finishers: Doug Berg 5th, Ben Breheny 9th, Toby Bower 10th. Randy Jimenez of Southeast Warren was the individual champion. Earlham had 4 of the top 6 finishers.

Boys full results

In the girls race Van Meter was the champion with 27 points and Earlham qualified 2nd with 47 points. Clare Kelly of Van Meter was the individual champion and Lily Dixon of Earlham was runner-up. McKinna Hogan of Lenox qualified 6th, Christa Cass of Orient-Macksburg was 7th to also move on.

Girls full results

The Atlantic Trojans football team is amped up for their first home playoff football game in 18 years on Friday night. The Trojans (6-1) will play host to the Des Moines Christian Lions (4-2) in a Class 2A 2nd Round Playoff game at the Trojan Bowl and we’ll have coverage on KJAN.

The Trojans earned a bye in the first round and Des Moines Christian won their first round contest over Albia 38-0. The game is a District rematch from the regular season. The Trojans won the first meeting on September 25th 38-0. The Trojans racked up 342 yards of offense in that game and Des Moines Christian Head Coach Matt Waring was impressed with the Trojan’s toughness and expects more of the same this time.

That regular season game was Des Moines Christian’s first game back from two weeks out due to quarantine issues and Coach Waring said his team is starting to get in a groove again after battling through that break and some injuries.

Atlantic Head Coach Mike McDermott said he expects this to be a different challenge from the Lions given the circumstances the first time.

Not only is this the first playoff home game in 18 years, it’s the first playoff game in general since 2008. The Trojans also get to play at the Trojan Bowl for just the second time this season so Coach McDermott said there is a lot of motivation for his guys to create some positive memories.

You can hear more from Coach McDermott on Trojan Preview at 4:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon. We’ll have coverage of the Trojans and the Lions on KJAN. We’ll start the night with our pick ’em show Who’s Gonna Win? at 6:00 p.m. followed by pregame at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff at 7:00 p.m. Chris Parks and Mike Smith will have the call from the Trojan Bowl on AM 1220, FM 101.1, and on kjan.com. We’ll have a graphic enhanced audio broadcast available on KJANTV as well.

Most Class 1A and 2A Cross Country Teams will be fighting for a spot at the State Meet today with State Qualifying Meets taking place. Class 2A will have the traditional 5 qualifying sites with the Top 3 Teams and Top 15 runners advancing on to State. Class 1A was spread out into 8 qualifying sites this year. The Top 2 Teams and Top 10 individuals at each of those sites will advance on to the State Meet. The 1A and 2A State Meets will be held next Saturday, October 31st in Fort Dodge. Follow the links below to see the teams competing at each site today. Action is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m. at all locations with the following exceptions:

Class 1A
ACGC – Site postponed until Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Audubon- Site postponed until Friday at 3:00 p.m.
Mount Ayr- Moved to 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

XC-SQM-Assignments-10.14.20-1A

Class 2A
Jesup- Moved to 3:00 p.m. Thursday
Panorama- Site Postponed to Friday at 1:30 p.m.

XC-SQM-Assignments-10.14.20-2A

Regional Semifinals are on tap tonight for Class 4A and 5A Volleyball. Here is a look at the area matches that will start at 7:00 p.m.

CLASS 4A

Region 1
Spencer @ Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Denison-Schleswig @ Carroll

Region 2
Winterset @ Glenwood
Lewis Central @ Harlan

CLASS 5A

Region 1
CB Thomas Jefferson @ Dowling Catholic
Sioux City North @ Sioux City East

Region 2
CB Abraham Lincoln @ WDM Valley
Indianola @ Johnston