Metro Sports Report

Football prevues - Oct. 18

It's Week 8 of the prep football season and the playoff picture is coming into focus.

Playoff berths have been secured by two Metro teams - Xavier and Kennedy.

Prairie and Washington have pretty much already guaranteed their spots.

Marion is in with a win in one of its last two games.

As for the rest:

Linn-Mar has a pulse. Jefferson is on its deathbed. Cedar Valley ... is still looking for the program's first win.

Decker helps Lions drink Valley titles

If you see a blue-eyed sophomore guzzling water at Linn-Mar High School some day, don't be alarmed.

It's just Amber Decker getting ready for another race.

Decker followed her routine perfectly Thursday and won the MVC Valley Division cross country title by more than nine seconds on a sunny day at Noelridge Park.

Josh Evans claimed the boys title by more than 10 seconds as Linn-Mar swept the individual and team championships.

Marion tests Solon before falling

For the Marion High School volleyball team Thursday night against Independence, the third time was the charm.

They weren't so lucky, though, for the fourth time this season with mighty Solon.

Playing on their home court in the eight-team championship bracket of the Wamac Conference tournament, the spirited Indians split two matches.

After losing twice this year in tie-breaking sets to Independence, they finally beat them, 25-19, 25-16. The Class 4A third-ranked Spartans of Solon knocked them off once again, however, but only by scores of 25-22, 25-22.

RoughRiders pound Fargo, 7-1

FARGO, N.D. - The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders exploded for five goals in the third period Thursday night and drubbed the Fargo Force, 7-1, in a USHL game before 3,757 fans in Fargo.

Jack Rowe, Clark Kuster, Andrew Oglevie, Corey Petrash, Dylan McLaughlin, Mark Auk and Alec Marsh all scored goals for Cedar Rapids.

Petrash tallied an unassisted goal in the third period when the RoughRiders were short-handed for a 4-0 lead.