Metro Sports Report

Marion's Michalyn Mohr (with ball) goes up for a shot over Maquoketa's Kailie Hazer (25) in Tuesday's game at Marion. Mohr scored 16 points in the Indians' 54-42 loss. (Photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Marion girls trumped by Maquoketa

Wed - 22 Jan Written by Tom Fruehling

It's been their bugaboo all season.

The Marion girls fell way behind Maquoketa at home Tuesday night, played catch-up the rest of the way and never could get over the hump.

Scoring on free throws at the end, Maquoketa won, 54-42, ending a six-game losing skid and stopping Marion's win streak at one.

“I don't know, we always seem to start slow,” said Indians junior center Michalyn Mohr, one of only two experienced players on a very young Marion squad. “We dig ourselves into a hole. Then we have to fight back the whole game.”

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Hoyer inducted into IBCA Hall of Fame

Mon - 20 Jan Written by Jim Ecker

Bret Hoyer had a big decision to make after his junior year at Wartburg College in 1986, a decision that would potentially affect the rest of his life.

Always a good math student, he was offered a summer internship with a firm in Minnesota that might lead to a lucrative career in the field of actuarial science. But also a good baseball player with a love for the game, he could start his coaching career that summer with a youth baseball team.

"I really wrestled with the decision, between actuarial science and teaching and coaching," he said Monday afternoon. "I had to decide: Should I go up there (to Minnesota) and go the actuarial route between my junior and senior year, or do I stay in Waverly and deliver pizzas and coach a 14-15 year old Babe Ruth team."

He chose the pizzas and baseball, steering him on a career path that saw him inducted into the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Saturday night at the annual IBCA banquet at the Cedar Rapids Marriott.

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Metro teams face stiff postseason odds

Mon - 20 Jan Written by Jim Ecker

Kennedy, Xavier and Linn-Mar have emerged as the best boys basketball teams in the Metro area this season, but all three of them probably will have to upset a ranked team to reach the state tournament in Des Moines.

Kennedy has been placed in a Class 4A substate with third-ranked North Scott, Xavier finds itself in a Class 3A substate with third-ranked Dubuque Wahlert and Linn-Mar has been assigned to a Class 4A substate with top-ranked Dubuque Senior.

The postseason assignments were announced Monday by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. First-round pairings and seedings will be announced in February.

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On Tour with Zach Johnson

Mon - 20 Jan Written by Metro Sports Report

Former Cedar Rapids Regis prep Zach Johnson finished tied for 3rd in the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation at LaQuinta, Calif., firing a final-round 62 Sunday. He earned $330,600.

Zach is not entered in this week's Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Zach's stats:

World Golf Ranking - 6th

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Changes on horizon for prep football

Sun - 19 Jan Written by Jim Ecker

There are many wise, caring people who work for the Iowa High School Athletic Association and serve on the IHSAA Board of Directors, but they'll need the wisdom of Solomon to solve some of the issues facing the football playoffs.

We're not talking about the district assignments that will affect the playoffs, although that's sure to elicit some howling when they are announced Thursday morning. No, we're talking about the high school playoffs themselves.

There's a real conundrum here and no easy solution.

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