October 26th, 2009
 Geneseo's Collin Akers eyes extra yardage while bursting through a hole in last Saturday's 26-7 win over Mount Vernon. After securing a Top 5 finish in the QC Prep Football Power Poll, Akers and the Leafs are looking for even more now, with the playoffs starting this weekend. By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus sportswriter
Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2009, 11:55 p.m.
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Final-week losses barely cost Sherrard and Mercer County in the final Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll of the season.
Both playoff-bound teams remained in the 10th and final Top 10 of the season for the weekly presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
Sherrard was stopped 40-12 Saturday on the road by Chicagoland toughie Walther Lutheran. Mercer County fell to 2008 Illinois Class 1A state champ Stark County, 26-19 Friday to force a three-way tie atop the Northwest Division of the West Prairie Trail Conference.
Sherrard slipped from 5th to 6th because of the weekend setback. Mercer County tumbled from 6th to 10th, trailing both No. 8 Annawan-Wethersfield and No. 9 Alexis United by mere voting points, with a panel of local sportswriters and broadcasters perhaps forgetting the Eagles beat both teams this season.
Otherwise, little changed with Mississippi Athletic Conference champ Clinton (9-0) finishing the regular-season as the top-ranked team for the sixth straight week just ahead of No. 2 Rock Island (8-1).
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October 18th, 2009
 Rock Island's Chris Glover (26) runs up the sideline Friday, chased by Moline's Austin Odle during first quarter action at Browning Field. Glover scored three times, and won the Western Big 6 Conference scoring title in the process, as the Rocks completed back-to-back outright league championships for the first time since 2000-01. By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus sportswriter
Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2009, 11:29 p.m.
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First came a playoff-qualifying victory two weekends ago. Next followed a conference championship-clincher over the weekend.
Now, the Annawan-Wethersfield Titans are realizing another highlight today — earning their initial Top 10 ranking this season in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
Not bad for a team that received votes in the preseason, but was dismissed until last week by local voters following a 33-0, second-week loss to current No. 6-Mercer County.
First-year coach Brandon Johnston’s 7-1 club climbed a notch, and into the No. 10 spot this week, despite a 13-1 weekend out of the team’s in last week’s presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
However, that lone loss was suffered by state-rated Alleman (5-3), which fell 29-14 at Quincy (7-1). Despite a third setback this season to a state-rated squad, the Pioneers tumbled out of the Top 10 and into the “others receiving votes” category.
Otherwise, little changed in the eyes of a panel of local sportswriters and broadcasters.
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October 12th, 2009
 Orion's Evan Viager (40) is swarmed by Sherrard's Derek Mizaur (44) and another Tiger tackler in action Friday. Orion's 36-14 loss to Sherrard, in a battle of unbeatens for the Olympic Conference title, was one of the decisions that shook up this week's QC Prep Football Power Poll. By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus sportswriter
Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2009, 9:47 p.m.
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The 15 teams receiving voting consideration in last week’s Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll combined for a 7-8 record over the weekend.
What’s more, three of those losers — Orion, Alexis United and Bureau Valley — were head-to-head victims of a fellow Top 11 team.
Yet, with all five squads in last week’s “others receiving votes” category suffering setbacks during “Decision Week ‘09,” the Top 10 teams in this week’s local rankings are the same from a week ago.
Oh, to be sure, there was some movement in the weekly presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
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October 5th, 2009
 Alleman's Kevin McGinnis (9) tries to pull down Rock Island's Chris Glover (26) as he heads to the sidelines during first-half action Friday. Trailing 10-7 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rocky scored twice, including with 23 seconds left, for a 20-13 win in the intra-city battle between state-ranked prep football squads. By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus sportswriter
Posted Online: Oct. 04, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
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For the second straight weekend, a state-ranked squad is debuting in the Top 10 of the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
And just like Sherrard last week, Alexis United joins the local picking party at No. 10 today after checking in at No. 11 the previous week.
A 6-0 start, the first-ever since Alexis and Monmouth Warren joined forces in 2004, certainly helped coach Tim Engebretson’s crew steadily climb in the weekly presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
A 3-0 loss to unheralded Davenport Central, by former No. 8 Pleasant Valley, also opened the Top 10 window of opportunity for United, ranked fifth last week in the Class 1A Associated Press statewide poll.
Otherwise, little change was seen in a 12-2 week for the teams receiving voting consideration last week by our panel of local sportswriters and broadcasters.
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September 27th, 2009
Sherrard’s Justin Miller (33) dives into the end zone out of the reach of Rockridge defender Mike Norris (23) earlier this season. Miller and Tigers continue to barrell through foes, reaching this week’s Top 10 in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted online at 11:15 P.M.
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Sherrard finally has made enough believers out of the voters in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
Off to a 5-0 start for the first time since a perfect regular-season in 2005, the Tigers have steadily clawed their way up the local rankings to make a 2009 Top 10 debut this week.
Coach Jason Kirby”s club moved up from 11th last week to 10th today in the presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
Sherrard replaced Davenport Assumption, which dropped to 3-2 and into the 12th spot with an overtime loss to Clinton, our top-ranked team for a second straight week.
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September 20th, 2009
Rock Island’s Chris Glover (26) has a convoy of blockers in Nikko Watson (38) and Emmanuel Hamilton (24) leading him to the end zone in a 41-14 victory over United Township. The Rocks remained on a roll this week, moving up four more places in the QC Prep Football Power Poll to a share of second with Orion.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2009, 9:53 pm
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The Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll transformed into a dog-eat-dog proposition over the weekend.
Just ask the Bettendorf Bulldogs, the top-ranked team in the local rankings for the last 23 straight votes.
Clinton took a bite out of the seven-time state champs, pulling a stunningly thorough 28-10 upset at the “Dog Pound” to replace Bettendorf atop the weekly presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
Clinton joins Bettendorf and Geneseo (inaugural No. 1 in 2007’s preseason) as the only No. 1s in the three-season history of the local poll.
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September 13th, 2009
Sherrard’s James Stratton (56) takes down Rockridge running back Brandon Stufflebeam (44) during first half action Friday at Sherrard High School. A 33-0 decision by 3-0 Sherrard has the Tigers knocking on the Top 10 door of this week’s Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2009, 11:03 p.m.
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After graduating Mississippi Athletic Conference rushing champ Connor Dahlstrom, North Scott was never expected to repeat an 8-2 season by voters in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
However, thanks to a dominating 3-0 start, the Lancers have steadily risen up the local rankings, presented by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
From the No. 12 spot in the preseason poll, Coach Kevin Tippet’s club has climbed to No. 4 with a bullet in this week’s vote by local sportswriters and broadcasters.
North Scott even managed to wrest away one of the 15 first-place votes cast from the incumbent No. 1 and 2 duo of Bettendorf (10.5) and Geneseo (3.5). The Bulldogs have been the consensus No. 1 now for 23 weeks and counting.
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September 8th, 2009
Geneseo running back Collin Akers (22) runs around diving Moline defender Ethan McGuire (11) in action last Friday. Akers rushed for 120 yards, and the Maple Leafs were 31-12 winners. That performance earned Geneseo 4.5 of a possible 15 first-place votes in this week’s Quad Cities Prep Football Poll. That allowed the No. 2 Leafs to knock Bettendorf from a unanimous perch and climb within 6 voting points of the No. 1 Bulldogs. (Photo by Gary Krambeck, Dispatch/Argus)
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted Online: Sept. 7, 2009, 6:34 pm
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Not since holding sway in the very first Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll in 2007 has the pride of Geneseo been closer to the No. 1 spot in the local rankings.
In this week’s poll of local sportswriters and broadcasters, the “Green Machine” ended up six voting points shy of overtaking Bettendorf, the consensus No. 1 now for 22 weeks and counting. The pair occupied the top two spots on every ballot.
Geneseo, also No. 2 in last week’s poll, closed the gap by earning 4.5 of the 15 first-place votes available in the presentation by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
Bettendorf, a unanimous No. 1 last week, and for the first time since the final ballot of 2007, lost voters over the weekend thanks to finding itself in a game with lowly regarded Muscatine.
While the Bulldogs (145.5 points) needed to rally from a halftime deficit, Geneseo (139.5 points) built a 24-0 lead by intermission before having to hold off a Moline comeback.
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August 31st, 2009
Laurel Darren, running columnist for The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus, rides by on her bike during Sunday’s Ironman Louisville.
By Laurel Darren, QCO running columnist
Wow!!! What else can I say? Ironman Louisville was my most-difficult undertaking ever!
I had greyhounds cheering me on … I had my 2 gal pals there for support … my boyfriend was there, too!!
My time was 14 26 46 — well under the cut off alotted for the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile marathon run.
My friend AJ kicked butt, too!!
This sports columnist is just SOOOOO happy and satisfied!!! I am alive and I am an IRONMAN!!
More later!!
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August 31st, 2009
Rock Island running back Marcos Cantu (31) runs to the outside with Oak Park Fenwick defender Xavier Vergara (25) in front of him. The Rocks were rolled 32-0 by the Chicago Catholic League team to plunge from second to 10th in this week’s Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
By Steve Tappa, stappa@qconline.com
Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus prep football writer
Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2009, 12:30 am
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Continued Chicago Catholic League dominance over Rock Island, mixed with more success for the Bettendorf football dynasty, helped clear things up for the time being in the Quad Cities Prep Football Power Poll.
Less than a week after edging Rocky on points for the top spot, the Bulldogs are a unanimous No. 1 selection in the local rankings presented by WQAD-TV 8, Mediacom Connections 22, WFXN-AM 1230 and The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus newspapers.
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