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Bentley got early start in coaching

When Josh Bentley became a high school basketball coach for the first time in 2002, he informed his players at West Central about the "no drinking" policy that applied to all the boys on the team.

That included the head coach himself, who was only 20 at the time and a junior at Upper Iowa University.

"The drinking policy was the same for all of us. All of us followed it," he said. "It's a good thing that alcohol and I don't get along anyway."

Bentley, now 32, is the new girls basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie. He succeeded Steve Doser, who resigned following a 6-16 campaign last year.

The girls basketball season for Metro teams begins Tuesday night, with Prairie visiting Muscatine.

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9 Metro gridders named all-state

Nine football players from the Metro area have been named all-state by the Des Moines Register.

Julian Good-Jones and Connor Vincent of Cedar Rapids Washington were named to the elite all-state squad after helping the Warriors finish 13-1 and reach the Class 4A finals. Good-Jones was selected on the offensive line and Vincent was named at linebacker.

Reid Snitker of Washington made the Class 4A first team as a defensive back. Bryce Meeker of Prairie was named first team in 4A on the offensive line and JoJo Simpson of Prairie was named to the second team in 4A on the defensive line.

Three members of the Xavier Saints were honored as second-team selections in Class 3A. Tim Otting was selected on the offensive line, Jay Kortemeyer was named at running back and Michael Maher was named to the defensive line.

Eric Gustafson of Cedar Valley Christian was named second team all-state on defense in Eight-Player football.

Kennedy hosting Hall of Pride event

Four Metro boys basketball teams will participate in an Iowa Hall of Pride Challenge event at Kennedy High School on Saturday, Nov. 29.

There will be a series of four regulation 32-minute games, but the contests are considered scrimmages and will not count on a team's record for the 2014-15 campaign.

The Linn-Mar Lions will face the Marion Indians in the first game at 1:30 p.m. Wapsie Valley faces Vinton-Shellsburg in the second game at 3 p.m.

The final two games match Cedar Rapids Prairie against Aplington-Parkersburg at 4:30 p.m. and Kennedy against Center Point-Urbana at 6 p.m.

The Kennedy Men's Basketball Parent Support Group is hosting the event.The sponsors are Cedar Rapids Toyota, Transamerica and General Mills.

All eight teams will participate as bell-ringers for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Drive. The Kennedy Support Group also will make a donation to the Hall of Pride scholarship fund.

Prairie, Jefferson win sportsmanship awards

Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Rapids Jefferson are the winners of the Cliff Brees Fall Sportsmanship Awards in the Mississippi Valley Conference, as voted by the league's athletic directors.

Prairie won the award in the Mississippi Division and Jefferson took the honors in the Valley Division.

The award was based on each school's sportsmanship during the football and volleyball seasons.