Metro Sports Report

Kennedy won the district golf title Tuesday with (from left) Jordan Weiss, Cole Murdock, Davis Sutton, Conner Koberg, Ross Grekhoff and Tanner Stewart. (MSR photo by Ken Gilchrist).

Murdock's ace sparks Cougars to district title

Tue - 07 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

The free drinks are on Cole Murdock.

Murdock fired a hole-in-one and claimed medalist honors Tuesday at Hunters Ridge as the Kennedy Cougars won their eighth straight district golf title.

Kennedy will compete for the state title this Friday and Saturday at the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City.

Murdock aced the 16th hole at Hunters Ridge with a pitching wedge. The ball hit the bottom of the flag and dropped into the cup.

Murdock knew he hit a good shot, but did not realize the ball was in the hole.

"I've never had a hole-in-one, so I guess I've never really seen what it looks like going in from the distance," he said. "When I heard it hit the flag I was kind of looking around to see where it went."

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Kennedy's Zach Daniels takes a cut at a pitch during a practice on July 28. Daniels has committed to play baseball at the University of Iowa (MSR photo by Ken Gilchrist).

Daniels will play ball at Iowa

Mon - 06 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Zach Daniels has been a big fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes all his life. Now he'll be a Hawkeye himself and he couldn't be happier.

Daniels has accepted an offer to play baseball for UI Coach Rick Heller after he finishes his career with the Cougars next season.

Daniels made the Elite All-State team this past season with a remarkable year as a pitcher, hitter and second baseman for the Cougars.

Now he'll be taking his talents to Iowa.

"Some of my family have gone there and I grew up being a Hawkeye, so it just felt like the right fit," he said Monday night. "I just really liked the coaching staff at Iowa and their facilities and the resources they have. I just really liked what they have to offer.

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Winless Cougars can still make playoffs

Sun - 05 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

The Kennedy Cougars have stumbled to an 0-6 record this season with a couple of near-misses and blown leads along the way, but all is not lost in Cougar Town.

Kennedy actually has a decent shot at making the Class 4A playoffs with victories over the Waterloo schools this month. You can thank - or blame - the Iowa High School Athletic Association and district football for that.

Four of the six teams in Kennedy's district will make the playoffs. Cedar Falls and Linn-Mar, which meet in a showdown Friday night, are in good shape with 2-0 district records. Jefferson looks like a good bet at 1-1, which leaves one more playoff berth up for grabs.

Kennedy could grab that spot by beating Waterloo East in Waterloo this Friday night and topping Waterloo West in the last game of the regular season Oct. 24 at Kingston. Under that scenario, the Cougars can lose at Cedar Falls Oct. 17.

Yes, that's right. Kennedy can make the playoffs this year with a 2-7 overall record.

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Hugh McGing (16) celebrates with Adam Gaudette (left) and Aaron Thow (right) after the RoughRiders scored a goal Saturday night in the Ice Arena. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)

RoughRiders put Muskegon in deep freeze

Sat - 04 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

Some hockey teams try to kill as much time as they can and not allow any goals when the other team has a power play and more skaters on the ice.

Not the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. When the RoughRiders are short-handed, they attack.

The RoughRiders scored two short-handed goals Saturday night and tacked on three power-play goals in an impressive 6-0 victory over Muskegon in a USHL game before 1,669 fans at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

Callahan "Cal" Burke and Casey Jerry collected the short-handed goals. Burke also scored one of the power-play goals as the RoughRiders won their third straight game to start the season and swept the weekend series from Muskegon.

Two short-handed goals in one game does not happen very often.

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Coe quarterback Gavin Glenn (14) gets blocking from Ben Slezak (56) during Saturday's game against Loras. (MSR photo by Ken Gilchrist)

Kohawks display 2 good QBs in victory

Sat - 04 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

The Iowa Hawkeyes are not the only college football team in Eastern Iowa with a pair of talented quarterbacks who are battling for playing time.

Say hello to Coe, which has two fine passers of its own with Josh Rekers and Gavin Glenn.

The Kohawks used both QBs Saturday and knocked off Loras, 36-10, with 469 yards of total offense and a stingy defense in the Iowa Conference opener before 2,983 fans at Clark Field.

Rekers, the incumbent and season-long starter, began the game and hit 13 of 25 passes for 157 yards. Glenn, a transfer from Minnesota-Duluth, relieved Rekers and gave the Kohawks a spark by completing 8 of 9 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

"I guess we're taking after the Hawkeyes as they go with their two quarterbacks, Beathard and Rudock," said Rekers. "We'll see where it takes us."

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