Metro Sports Report

Arrington wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Washington senior Maurice Arrington is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Arrington, a 6-foot-7 center, has averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in his last four games for the surging Washington basketball team. The Warriors have won three straight Mississippi Valley Conference games, raising their records to 8-7 overall and 6-4 in the league.

Arrington has scored 16, 16, 18 and 19 points in his last four games for his most productive stretch of the season. He's also grabbed six, six, eight and seven rebounds in those contests to help the Warriors.

3 cheers for substate games at 'The Cell'

High school boys basketball in our area will get a big boost when the Class 3A and 4A substate games are held at the U.S. Cellular Center on March 2 and March 3.

It's always nice to see people doing good things for the community. In this case, the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the folks at the arena in downtown Cedar Rapids hit the jackpot.

Kennedy High School deserves credit as well for agreeing to act as the host school, whether the Cougars are playing in the substate finals or not.

These will be the first substate games at the U.S. Cellular since 2011. The facility was not available for two years during a major renovation project, and nobody took charge of staging the games there last year.

This time, the IHSAA and U.S. Cellular Center officials got together and hammered out a deal last week that made both sides happy. And the big winners will be the eight schools and their fans that make the substate finals.

Kirkwood women roll to 15th straight

FORT DODGE - Cassidy Clark, Peyton Bockholt and Anna Martensen provided the muscle Saturday as Kirkwood belted Iowa Central, 77-59, for its 15th straight victory.

Clark collected 16 points and six rebounds. Bockholt scored a career-best 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Martensen contributed 10 points and seven boards as the three interior players combined for 41 points and 21 rebounds.

The fourth-ranked Eagles raised their records to 19-4 overall and 7-0 in the conference.

Prairie claims 3rd MVC title in row

DUBUQUE - There's nothing flashy about the Cedar Rapids Prairie wrestling team, but the program has been built on bed-rock principles that stands the test of time.

The Hawks captured the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament for the third straight year Saturday with another workmanlike performance at Dubuque Wahlert.

Prairie won back-to-back MVC crowns in 1994 and 1995, but this is the first time in school history the Hawks have claimed three MVC titles in a row.

"It's really cool to be part of that," said Marcus England, who took top honors at 106 pounds. "We've got a strong team, we work together well. I'm proud to get another victory."

Prairie nudged Jefferson for the championship, 217.5 to 208.5, in a battle of rivals from southwest Cedar Rapids.