Andy Krutsinger
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Your friendly neighborhood sports editor (Southeast Iowa Union).
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Articles by Andy Krutsinger
WATCH: Prep Sports Plus - MP gets homecoming win over FM , state volleyball first round matchups and cross country invitationals to round out the regular season.
As the fall season winds down, the smell of playoffs fill the air. Andy and Jack expound on those sense by breaking down area football scores from the previous week and how they'll impact playoff implications. The guys also break down the first round state volleyball matchups and the final few invitationals cross country meets before conference championships are set to be crowned.
WATCH: Prep Sports Plus - MP storms back, Washington VB climbs up SEC and Fairfield sweeps girls tennis for conference title
This week, Andy & Jack talk about week 4 high school football action, which included Mount Pleasant's come-from-behind win to stun Central DeWitt and Fairfield's get-right game vs Knoxville. The guys also talk about Washington Volleyball's 3-0 start vs the SEC with Burlington still in the wings for the top spot in the conference, Fairfield winning the SEC in girls tennis and XC action in Fort Madison.
Mt. Pleasant folds Ft. Madison in 4
Mt. Pleasant’s Hailey Schadt leaps up for a kill against Ft. Madison on Sept. 15, 2026. MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant volleyball team is now above .500 in Southeast Conference play, after a second-straight league win on Tuesday night. One week after knocking off Keokuk in four sets, the Panthers did the same to Ft. Madison, beating the Bloodhounds 25-12, 25-14, 24-26, 25-20. “They’re growing every day,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Alicia Schrader.
Mt. Pleasant football goose eggs Oskaloosa
Mt. Pleasant’s Kaden Schadt dives into the end zone for one of his three touchdown receptions against Oskaloosa on Sept. 11, 2026. MT. PLEASANT — Through two games of the 2026 high school football season, the Mt. Pleasant defense had given up only 15 points. After Game 3 on Friday night, that number remains the same.
Fairfield football team drops 2nd in a row
Brady Wigle sifts through defenders on a long run against Benton on Aug. 28, 2026. MEDIAPOLIS — The Fairfield football team threatened to stage a comeback from two different double-digit deficits on Friday night in Mediapolis, but the Trojan defense just couldn’t get the stops it needed against a high-powered Bulldog attack. Mediapolis kept the offensive pressure on all night long in what turned into a 47-28 Bulldog victory, Fairfield’s second loss in as many games.
New London volleyball, cross-country teams compete
The New London volleyball team played twice last week, falling in two games against Lee County foes. The Tigers competed against Central Lee and Ft. Madison, falling 3-0 in both games. New London played Central Lee close in the first set, but dropped the matchup 25-20, 25-12 and 25-18. Games were less close in Ft. Madison, where the Bloodhounds prevailed 25-14, 25-12 and 25-12. Heading into Tuesday’s home match against Holy Trinity Catholic, the Tigers are 1-7 overall.
Mt. Pleasant tennis slams Hounds
Mt. Pleasant’s Neva Swarm serves the ball against Burlington on Aug. 18, 2026. FT. MADISON — Two days after beating Keokuk on the road, the Mt. Pleasant girls finished out a Lee County sweep on Thursday, beating Ft. Madison 9-0 in Southeast Conference tennis action. The Panthers swept the Bloodhounds for the second time this season, and have now won six of the last seven matches against the Hounds, dating back to the spring of 2024.
Mt. Pleasant tennis gets revenge
Mt. Pleasant’s Bella Dodds serves the ball against Burlington on Aug. 18, 2026. KEOKUK — After falling to Keokuk 6-3 in their first matchup of the season, the Mt. Pleasant girls tennis team went in hungry in Tuesday’s rematch. The Panthers rebounded from that loss just 19 days earlier by beating the Chiefs 5-4, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process. Mt. Pleasant is now 3-5 overall this year and 2-5 in Southeast Conference play.
Mt. Pleasant volleyball clamps Keokuk on road
KEOKUK — The Mt. Pleasant volleyball team is on the board in the Southeast Conference. One week after a nail-biting five set loss to Washington, the Panthers picked up their first league victory in Keokuk on Thursday night, beating the Chiefs in four sets. Mt. Pleasant lost just the third set, turning a 2-0 lead into a 3-1 win. The Panthers prevailed 25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 25-13. Mt. Pleasant moved to 4-5 on the year with the win. The Panthers have won three of their last four games.
Washington volleyball team grabs momentum, never lets go in Fairfield
Washington’s Lauren Drahota leaps up for a kill attempt in Fairfield on Sept. 8, 2026. FAIRFIELD — The Washington volleyball team responded to early adversity yet again on Tuesday night, and yet again it turned into a road rivalry win. One week after having to rally from a set down in Mt. Pleasant, the Demons did the same thing in Fairfield, turning around after a 10-point first set loss to win the next three sets to grab a Highway 1 victory 15-24, 25-18, 25-23, 25-19.
Four area football teams ranked
WACO quarterback Hayden Shelman surveys the Winfield-Mt. Union defense before taking off up the middle on Sept. 4, 2026. Three Union area teams earned a Top-10 ranking in the newest Gazette high school football poll. Mid-Prairie fell to No. 5 in Class 2A after falling to second-ranked Alburnett. Mt. Pleasant moved up to No. 8 in Class 3A, WACO joined the poll at No. 10 in Class 8-Player, and Sigourney-Keota dropped down to No. 10 in Class A.
WACO outlasts WMU in insane shootout
WACO’s Casey Coakley (left) runs down the sideline while being pursued by Winfield-Mt. Union’s Collin Anderson (right) during the Warriors’ 72-50 on Sept. 4, 2026. WAYLAND — The scoreboard at WACO High School got quite the workout on Friday night, as did those in charge of keeping stats, as WACO and Winfield-Mt. Union combined for 124 points in the Class 8-Player District 5 opener.
New London volleyball drops matches to Wapello, West Burlington
BURLINGTON — After almost two weeks off, the New London volleyball team was back in action in Burlington on Saturday at the Notre Dame quad. The Tigers were unable to pick up a win, falling 21-9 and 21-12 to Wapello, and 21-5 and 21-15 to West Burlington. New London's Evelyn Adams digs the ball at the WACO round robin event on Sept. 4, 2025.
Mid-Prairie drops Top-5 battle
Mid-Prairie’s Brooks Weber throws a pass during a game against Washington at Case Field in Washington on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. Week 2 of the high school football season saw some of the absolute best games of the early season, including a couple of games that were decided in the final seconds. Here are how the Union area’s small schools did in Week 2.
Mt. Pleasant, Washington volleyball teams pick up wins
MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant and Washington volleyball teams both picked up wins late into last week. Mt. Pleasant swept Albia 3-0 in non-conference play, and Washington went 1-4 in the Anamosa tournament. The Panthers crushed the Blue Demons in the first two sets, winning 25-15 and 25-13, before having to hold off Albia 26-24 in the third. Hailey Schadt had seven kills in the win, while Breana White finished with six, and Jenna Schwartz had five.
Fairfield football drops ranked matchup
Fairfield’s Ethan Bisgard shakes tacklers on the way to the end zone against Benton on Aug. 28, 2026. CENTERVILLE — A Fairfield offense that scored 42 points in Week 1 was uncharacteristically slowed down in a road loss on Friday night, as the ninth-ranked (3A) Trojans faced a new challenge in 10th-ranked (2A) Centerville. The Big Reds scored 22 points in the second quarter and held Fairfield scoreless for the first three periods of a 30-8 Centerville victory.
Mt. Pleasant football mashes Knoxville
MT. PLEASANT — There were 63 points racked up by Panthers on Friday night at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex, and 55 of those were scored by those in uniforms reading ‘Mt. Pleasant.’ The Mt. Pleasant Panthers punished the Knoxville Panthers for the vast majority of the game, scoring 55-straight points after giving up the first eight in a 55-8 blowout victory.
Fairfield tennis 1 win away from SEC clinch
MT. PLEASANT — When the Fairfield girls’ tennis team travels to Burlington on Sept. 14, it will be for the Southeast Conference crown. The Trojans clinched at least a share of that title, and moved one win away from clinching outright with a 9-0 win against Mt. Pleasant last Thursday. Fairfield’s Natalie Steele (left) and Ria Ross (right) talk between points during a match against Mt. Pleasant at Fairfield Middle School on Aug. 17, 2026.
Washington volleyball outlasts Mt. Pleasant in instant classic
Washington players celebrate after the final point of Demons’ five-set win over Mt. Pleasant on Sept. 1, 2026. MT. PLEASANT — A volleyball match that has real potential to go down as the best of the year in Southeast Iowa took place on the very first night of Southeast Conference play at Mt. Pleasant Community High School on Tuesday night.
Panthers meet Panthers in Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant players look toward the sidelines before a play against West Delaware on Oct. 31, 2025. MT. PLEASANT — There are guaranteed to be a lot of Panther fans at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex on Friday night as the Mt. Pleasant Panthers host the Knoxville Panthers in Week 2 action. It’s a battle of two programs who have went in opposite directions in the recent years. Mt. Pleasant won last year’s contest 42-8 and went on to go 7-3 on the season, while Knoxville finished just 1-8.
Washington football aims to declare victory over Independence
Washington’s Nic Stone (right) hands the ball off to teammate Julian Parsons during a game against Mid-Prairie at Case Field in Washington on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. WASHINGTON — Washington didn’t have much fun in Week 2 of the 2025 season when the Demons traveled to Independence for what turned into perhaps the worst game of the entire season, a 45-7 road thumping. This Friday, the team hopes to earn payback for that loss, and jump into the winner’s column for the first time in 2026.
Trojan football looks for win number 2
Fairfield’s Voss Richardson leaves would-be tacklers in the dust on a big run against Benton on Aug. 28, 2026. CENTERVILLE — Points have been flying onto the board for both the Fairfield and Centerville offenses in the last two years, and more of the same seems to be expected when the two high-powered teams clash this Friday night. The Big Reds will host the Trojans one week after Fairfield’s 42-14 thumping of Benton.
‘We’re number 9!’ Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant share ranking
Fairfield’s Ethan Bisgard shakes tacklers on the way to the end zone against Benton on Aug. 28, 2026. Highway 34 rivals Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant are officially ranked in the Week 1 Gazette football poll, two of three Class 3A District 4 teams in the Top-10. Both the Trojans and Panthers are tied at No. 9, alongside Iowa Falls-Alden. The top area team in the rankings is Mid-Prairie, which jumps from No. 6 to No. 3 in Class 2A. Meanwhile, Sigourney-Keota has joined the fun, at No. 7 in Class 1A.
Monster night of high school football ahead
It’s almost time for some Friday night lights, and for the area’s small schools, this will be the busiest slate so far. This week’s games include the renewal of the WACO-Winfield-Mt. Union rivalry, a battle between Van Buren County and Columbus and an enormous contest at Mid-Prairie. Mid-Prairie’s Ryan Henry dives through a crowd of players during a game against Washington at Case Field in Washington on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. WACO (1-0) vs.
Area tennis: Fairfield still on top
Fairfield’s Ria Ross hits a forehand shot during a match against Burlington on Aug. 20, 2026 in Fairfield. FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield girls tennis team continued its tear through the Southeast Conference on Monday, beating Ft. Madison 9-0. Meanwhile, Mt. Pleasant was unable to get a game from second-place Burlington, falling 9-0 on the road. Fairfield didn’t lose a set in the entirety of singles and doubles play.
Fairfield volleyball falls in 5
Fairfield’s Lexi Mast digs a ball during the Trojans’ home triangular on Aug. 27, 2026. FT. MADISON — After erasing a 2-0 deficit in Tuesday night’s Southeast Conference opener in Ft. Madison, the Fairfield volleyball team just didn’t have quite enough gas to push across the finish line in the fifth set.
Mt. Pleasant football starts fast
Mt. Pleasant's Griffin Jones dashes down a disappointed Fairfield sideline during a 68-yard touchdown run on Oct. 24, 2025. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union) MEDIAPOLIS — After a stellar year in 2025, the Mt. Pleasant football team wanted to make a statement in Week 1, and they certainly did so with a 16-point road win at Mediapolis on Friday night.
Fairfield tennis fries Keokuk
KEOKUK — The Fairfield tennis team continues to barrel towards a Southeast Conference championship after knocking off Keokuk 9-0 on Thursday night. The Trojans have now played five conference matchups and dominated them all, moving to 5-0 in league play along with 6-0 overall. After sweeping the Chiefs on Thursday, the Trojans battled three other teams in Ottumwa as part of the Ottumwa Invitational on Saturday.
WACO, Winfield-Mt. Union dominate, Sigourney-Keota grabs huge win
As if this week’s rivalry game between WACO and Winfield-Mt. Union needed anymore hype, the two teams will come into Friday night with 1-0 records after a pair of dominant victories in Week 1. Sigourney-Koeta also made a huge splash as the area’s small schools had a busy Friday night.
Washington boys XC 1st in Anamosa
ANAMOSA — The Washington cross-country teams traveled north to Anamosa on Saturday for some early season early morning running, and the trip yielded some very positive results. The Demon boys took first place in the meet, scoring 48 points to beat the hosting Anamosa squad by 12. Washington’s Parker Tschantz took second place overall, crossing the tape in 16 minutes, 43.7 seconds to earn some big points for the Demons. Teammate Jack Shepherd wasn’t far behind, running a 17:49.5, for sixth.
Trojan football blisters Bobcats
Fairfield’s Tucker Robertson evades a tackle during the Trojans’ season opener against Benton on Aug. 28, 2026. FAIRFIELD — Fairfield quarterback Voss Richardson didn’t need to pass the ball one time in Friday night’s season opener. He didn’t get many opportunities with how often the Trojan rush offense gained chunks of yards.
Big schools kick off volleyball season
Fairfield players celebrate a big point against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont during the Trojans’ home triangular on Aug. 27, 2026. FAIRFIELD — Volleyball season arrived fast and furious at Fairfield High School on Thursday night, as both the Trojans and WACO Warriors were in town alongside Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for a triangular.
Fairfield football begins
Fairfield’s Voss Richardson dashes around the Mt. Pleasant defense on Oct. 24, 2025. FAIRFIELD — Trojan Stadium will be the site of a Week 1 clash between the hosting Trojans and a Benton team that is coming off a Class 3A playoff berth in 2025. The Trojans gave the Bobcats a tough game on the road to start the 2025 season, trailing by two points at halftime and nine points heading into the fourth before dropping the season opener 29-12.
Area tennis: Mt. Pleasant on the board
Mt. Pleasant’s Katana Phangchanthong serves against Ft. Madison on Aug. 24, 2026. MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant girls tennis team scooped up its first Southeast Conference victory on Monday, beating Ft. Madison 8-1 at East Lake Park. The Panthers won five of six singles matchups to clinch things early, falling only in the No. 1 singles match, where Lila Cook took an 8-6 loss.
Area small school football teams in action
Columbus’ Mason McCullough drops back to pass during a football game against Cardinal on Aug. 21, 2026 in Columbus Junction. CLASS 8-Player English Valleys (0-0) at Winfield-Mt. Union (0-0) The Wolves host the River Hawks in a rematch of last year’s 59-22 English Valleys victory. Both teams made the Class 8-Player playoffs this season.
Mt. Pleasant tennis falls at home
Mt. Pleasant’s Katana Phangchanthong returns the ball against Burlington on Aug. 18, 2026. MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant girls tennis team was looking for its first Southeast Conference victory on Thursday against a much-improved Keokuk team, but the Panthers couldn’t get the job done on a hot day at East Lake Park.
Pekin football rallies to beat Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
Pekin’s Alijah Brock (1) rises above Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Corbin Kirkpatrick (7) to make a crazy catch during the first half of the Panthers’ 27-12 Week 0 win over the Rockets on Aug. 21, 2026. PACKWOOD — It wasn’t the ideal start for the Pekin football team through one quarter on Friday night, but eventually, last things began to resemble the Panthers of the previous three years.
Mt. Pleasant football strong after playoff run
Mt. Pleasant’s Grayson Walker keeps his balance on a run during a game against Solon on Oct. 17, 2025. MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant football team took huge steps in 2025. After not having a winning season since 2019, the Panthers not only flipped the script on their recent performance but became a team to fear in Class 3A. The Panthers went 7-3 overall last season, which included a loss in the first round of the playoffs.
Area’s SEISC volleyball teams chasing leaders
The Union area didn’t get a Southeast Iowa Super Conference team to the top of either the North or South Division standings in 2025, so this fall the area’s squads are back and ready to climb the ladder. The SEISC North was competitive outside of the top team last season, as Wapello ran the show with an 8-0 league record. The South Division had two teams that won over 30 games, as Holy Trinity Catholic and Notre Dame finished first and second.
Fairfield football looks to take next step
Fairfield’s Voss Richardson dashes around the Mt. Pleasant defense on Oct. 24, 2025. FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield football team was one game away from the postseason at the end of the 2025 season, and the Trojans have plenty of talent coming back in 2026. Fairfield went just 3-6 overall last year, but 2-3 in Class 3A District 4, staying alive for the league’s second playoff ticket before falling 25-22 to Mt. Pleasant in the final game of the season.
Courtney, Kreuter named All-State
Cardinal’s Cayden Courtney dashes home during the Comets’ postseason game against Albia on July 7, 2026. The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association released its 2026 All-State baseball team last week, and two area seniors were on the list. Cardinal senior Cayden Courtney made the Class 2A first team, while Fairfield’s Aiden Kreuter made the second team on Class 3A.
Mid-Prairie football aims to defend crown
Mid-Prairie's Brooks Weber runs the ball against Mediapolis on Oct. 10, 2025. (Jack Knowlton/The Union) Mid-Prairie football was the class of Class 2A District 6 last fall, going a perfect 6-0 to win the league’s championship. The Golden Hawks won what turned out to be the district title game in the first week of league play, beating Wilton 21-20 on Sept. 19. Mediapolis joined Mid-Prairie and Wilton in the playoffs, but the Golden Hawks proved to have the Bulldogs’ number in the second round.
WACO, WMU chasing Iowa Valley into 2026
Iowa Valley’s Chance Hoyt wraps up WACO’s Hayden Shelman in an 8-player football game Friday, Oct. 17 in Marengo. Last fall was a rough one for anyone standing in the way of the Iowa Valley Tigers, at least throughout the regular season, and especially in district play. The Tigers dominated every district game, including a 69-22 win at Winfield-Mt. Union and a 60-20 victory over WACO. Those three squads have done a lot of the winning in the local 8-Player district for the past six years.
WATCH: Prep Sports Plus - All-Union Teams, Girls Tennis begins, and Little League World Series
The 2026 Fall sports season is finally here! Jack and Andy break down the final task on the summer sports check list: naming the All-Union team for Softball and Baseball from around the area. The guys then recap Mount Pleasant's Girls Tennis win over Burlington-Notre Dame and Fairfield's win over Keokuk, and talk about the Little League World Series controversy.
Central Lee to join Southeast Conference
Fairfield's Lexi Mast takes a shot against Central Lee on Monday, May 19, 2025 in the pair 1A Region 3 bout. (Hunter Moeller/The Union) The biggest school in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference will be in the SEISC no longer. On Tuesday, the Southeast Conference sent a letter of acceptance to Central Lee, a school that will be the eighth member of the conference. Central Lee joins Oskaloosa as schools joining the SEC for the 2028-29 school year and beyond.
Mt. Pleasant tennis sweeps at Notre Dame
Mt. Pleasant's Katana Phangchanthong crashes the net for a return on Aug. 7, 2025. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union) BURLINGTON — It was one up and one down for the Mt. Pleasant girls’ tennis team on Monday, as the Panthers traveled east and picked up a non-conference sweep of Notre Dame. The Panthers won two matches by forfeit and seven on the court to win 9-0 in their return to action, which also served as the first Panther sporting event of 2026-27.
Fairfield tennis starts off hot
Fairfield’s Sriya Yammanur serves the ball against Keokuk during the season opener on Aug. 10, 2026. FAIRFIELD — Fairfield Middle School played host to the first high school athletic event of the 2026-27 school year on Monday, as the FHS girls’ tennis team hosted Keokuk in a Southeast Conference battle. The Trojans were coming off an undefeated season and an 11-0 total start to last year’s fall season, and they put their foot down early in this one, showing some of that dominance in a 9-0 victory.
SE Iowa Bulldogs take 2nd at Iowa Games
The 2026 Southeast Iowa Bulldogs, pictured left to right: Front row: Lennon Good, Jaxson Augustine, Sam LaFauce, Talon Boudewyn, Miles Saldeen, Francisco Tjin and Brecken Dodd. Back row: Ethan Reyes, Harrison Lake, Aaden Lee, Coach Hal Haycock, Coach Kristine Haycock, Coach Brandon Phung and Adrian Ramirez. AMES — Last summer, the Southeast Iowa Bulldogs youth soccer team made its debut in the male/coed division at the 2025 Iowa Games, taking third. This year, they took one step up.
Fairfield earns coach and captain for big school softball team
The 2026 big school softball season saw Fairfield rise back to be one of the Top-2 teams in the Southeast Conference, as the Trojans built an early lead with Burlington and wound up playing in the de-facto SEC championship game at the end of the year, but it also saw big positives for the other two teams. After stumbling out of the gate, Washington began to heat up down the stretch to wind up in third place in the SEC before falling in a razor-tight regional semifinal game.
Kreuter captains All-Union baseball team
The 2026 summer season saw one of the most competitive Southeast Conference races to date, almost out of nowhere towards the end of the season. As expected, the beginning of the year was dominated by league favorites Burlington and Fairfield, but both Mt. Pleasant and Washington made runs at the title toward the end of the season, each grabbing important wins down the stretch to make it a four-horse race until the final week.
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