Metro Sports Report

Kohawks hope to take next step in hoops

The Coe men's basketball team ended last season with Jake Timm on the bench with a sprained ankle against Dubuque in the semifinals of the Iowa Conference tournament at Eby Fieldhouse.

The Kohawks lost that game without their star point guard on the floor, but now Timm and the Kohawks have turned the page and are hoping to improve upon last year's 16-10 campaign and win the league.

Coe begins the new season Tuesday night with a doubleheader against Cornell at Eby Fieldhouse. The Coe and Cornell women play at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30 p.m.

Niemeier wins Metro Spotlight Award

Brandon Niemeier of Cedar Rapids Kennedy is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Niemeier, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior, has made a series of big plays for the Kennedy football team this month on its march to the championship game of the Class 4A playoffs.

Niemeier made a huge play in Kennedy's 31-14 victory over Bettendorf in the semifinals in the UNI-Dome Friday night. He intercepted a pass and raced 55 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars a 23-14 lead with 8:30 left in the game.

Sade wins Metro Spotlight Award

Isabella Sade of Marion is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Sade, a 6-foot-2 junior, was one of the top players for the Marion High School volleyball team this season. The Indians compiled a 31-9 record and reached the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament before losing a tough five-set match to Lewis Central.

Sade led fourth-ranked Marion with 20 kills against Lewis Central and had seven blocks in that match. She paced the Indians this season with 322 kills and also led them with 110 blocks.

Red-hot Rhodes lifts Eagles by SCC

Kirkwood Coach Bryan Petersen has been raving about Hunter Rhodes ever since practice began this year.

It was easy to see why Saturday night.

Rhodes poured in 19 straight points for the Eagles in the final 4 minutes, 16 seconds and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left as Kirkwood rallied to trim Southeastern, 90-87, in a thriller at Johnson Hall.

Kirkwood trailed 79-71 when Rhodes went to work. When he was finished, the sixth-ranked Eagles had raised their record to 6-0 with their most satisfying victory of the season.

Southeastern tied the game, 87-87, with six seconds left on a pair of free throws by Chris Myers. Kirkwood quickly inbounded the ball to Rhodes on the run, and the six-foot sophomore raced up court and unleashed a 3-pointer from in front of the Kirkwood bench with a hand in his face.