Metro Sports Report

Alyssa Wiebel joins MSR softball league

Former Benton Community star Alyssa Wiebel, one of the greatest sluggers in state history, is the latest player to join the new Iowa Women's Softball League that will begin this summer.

Wiebel is currently a freshman at Illinois State University.

Wiebel enjoyed a remarkable career at Benton Community and helped the Bobcats win the Class 3A state title this past summer. She belted 64 home runs, which ranks second in state history and is tied for fourth in the national record books.

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Wiebel was a four-time first team all-state selection, the Class 3A Player of the Year and the Iowa Softball Gatorade Player of the Year during her remarkable career. She had a career batting average of .538, drove in 272 runs and helped Benton Community compile a 170-39 record during her five years of varsity competition.

Wiebel, a shortstop, is the 16th collegiate player to join the Iowa Women's Softball League, which is being formed by the Metro Sports Report. The new league is geared for all college players in Iowa and all Iowans who are competing at out-of-state schools.

Dear Barta: Just say 'no' to Friday football

There were two big stories regarding the University of Iowa football program this past week, and neither one was good.

In fact, they were both awful.

Earlier in the week, UI athletic director Gary Barta said he would follow the money-grubbers at the Big Ten Conference and consider letting the Hawkeyes play football games on a Friday night in early September, thus agreeing to cripple the lifeline of the Iowa high schools that have formed the backbone of the Hawkeye program through the years.

Imagine the Hawkeyes playing a game at Kinnick Stadium on a Friday night when Iowa City West, Iowa City High or Iowa City Regina are playing a home game as well, let alone all the other high schools in Johnson County, Linn County and around the state.

The attendance at those high school games would be devastated, depriving schools of thousands of dollars in gate receipts and concessions just so the Hawks can pad their coffers a little more.

Shame on Barta for even considering such a move.

Alan Beste, the director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, has strongly condemned the idea and hopes to persuade Barta to change his mind. Let's hope he does.

No. 2 Saints earn date with No. 1 Pella

The Xavier Saints peeked ahead a little when the Class 3A football brackets were announced two weeks ago and saw they would play top-ranked Pella in the semifinals if both clubs got that far.

They don't have to peek anymore.

The mighty clash between the No. 1 Dutch (11-0) and the No. 2 Saints (11-0) is all set for Thursday at 8:21 p.m. in the UNI-Dome.

Bryce Schulte heaved three long touchdown passes and Maliki Wilson broke another school record Friday night as Xavier ripped Waverly-Shell Rock, 38-14, in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A tournament at Saints Field to set up the meeting against Pella.

The Saints are certainly not complaining.

"I think the state did a pretty good job putting it (the bracket) together," said Schulte. "It makes sense, because they're not all the way across the state."

No. 1 Kirkwood men aiming for 2nd title

Kirkwood men's basketball coach Bryan Petersen is flattered that the Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the country in the preseason poll, but he's glad the national tournament is four months away.

The Eagles are talented, but they have a lot of work to do before they can make a serious bid at winning their second straight NJCAA Division II national title.

Kirkwood begins the new season this weekend with two games at the Indian Hills Classic in Ottumwa, meeting Carl Sandburg College Friday at 4:30 p.m. and facing Indian Hills Saturday at 7 p.m.

"I think we're talented," Petersen said this week, "but it's taken awhile with this group to kind of get things right.

"We do have some good pieces. It's just a matter of trying to get them to fit together a little bit better and just learn how to play a little better."

Kirkwood bumped off top-ranked Triton, 83-76, to win the national crown last season with a remarkable run in the postseason tournament. The Eagles finished with a 31-4 record, but they lost a lot of talent with All-American Hunter Rhodes, Nick Richards, Christen Wilson, Jacob Olson, Josh Bartlett and Josh Meier all gone.

Byron Harp, Da'Rion King, Kaliph Fagan, Elijah Henry, Al'Tavius Jackson and Shakur Triplett return this year after helping Kirkwood win the title and they've been joined by a talented group of newcomers.

With six veterans on the club, Petersen was not surprised when the Eagles were ranked No. 1 heading into the new campaign. Most coaches have questions and concerns heading into a new season and Petersen is no different.