Metro Sports Report

'Coach Eddie' Era opens at Jefferson

The new version of Jefferson girls basketball is sort of like children’s book characters Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne, who always dug faster and better the more people watched.

In their debut Friday night under first-year coach Jason Edwards, the J-Hawks seemed to hustle faster and better the more the coach chattered.

And since “Coach Eddie,” as the girls call him, keeps up constant banter from the bench, his team showed the same frenetic fast-paced tempo in the finale of the 10-team Jefferson Jamboree scrimmage.

Hard-working Heffernan leads Eagles

Gage Heffernan admits that he isn’t the guy who is going to jump out of the gym, or drain a barrage of 3-pointers.

But what he might lack in those offensive qualities, he makes up for in hustle.

Heffernan willed his way to 17 points and 14 rebounds on Friday night, helping his Kirkwood Eagles blow past Elgin, 88-51, at Johnson Hall.

Kirkwood takes 9th at volleyball tourney

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Kirkwood Community College volleyball team defeated Phoenix, 3-0, Saturday to finish in ninth place at the NJCAA Division II national tournament.

The Eagles won the match 25-20, 26-24, 25-20.

Kirkwood (40-9) began the 16-team tournament on Thursday with a 3-1 loss to Owens Community College, but the Eagles rebounded with three straight victories in the consolation bracket to claim ninth place.

Kirkwood swept Monroe, Lincoln Land and Phoenix by identical 3-0 scores in the consolation bracket to finish the tournament with a 3-1 record.

Grand Rapids defeated Cowley County, 3-0, for the national title.

Kirkwood wins twice at tourney

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Kirkwood staved off elimination by sweeping a pair of matches Friday at the NJCAA Division II Women's Volleyball tournament.

Kirkwood beat Monroe, N.Y., 3-0, winning by scores of 25-12, 25-12 and 25-17 in its first match. The Eagles then beat Lincoln Land, Ill., 3-0, later in the afternoon. The set scores were 26-24, 25-20 and 25-15.

Kirkwood (39-9) will play Phoenix, Ariz., (21-11) for ninth place Saturday at 11 a.m. (Iowa time).