Metro Sports Report

Saints in line for a 3-peat

Defending champion Xavier is kicking it into high gear just in time.

The Saints found their game at the right time, carrying late-season momentum into the postseason.

"It’s huge to get to get a couple wins at the end of the season and keep riding that momentum,” Xavier senior Chad Gilmer said. “Each day we got better and better. At the end is where it counts.”

Xavier has passed part one. The Saints are going back to defend their Class 2A state title after a 4-0 win Saturday afternoon against the 13th-ranked Benton Bobcats.

No. 16 Cougars stopped by No. 1 Trojans

CORALVILLE - For 40 minutes Saturday afternoon, you couldn't tell who had the No. 1 boys soccer team in the state and who was ranked 16th.

Unfortunately for Kennedy, a penalty kick turned the match in Iowa City West's favor and helped send the top-ranked Trojans to the Class 3A state meet.

Iowa City West clipped the 16th-ranked Cougars, 2-0, in the substate finals on a warm, breezy day at Northwest Junior High School in Coralville.

Former Metro preps in pro baseball

RYAN SWEENEY (Xavier, Boston Red Sox) --  Placed on the seven-day disabled list retroactive to May 20 after suffering concussion-like symptoms following a diving catch last weekend at Philadelphia. He is expected to be activated Monday. Year to date: BA -- .311 (38-122), R -- 11, RBI -- 12, 2B -- 14, 3B -- 1, HR -- 0, SB -- 0.

KELLEN SWEENEY (Jefferson, Lansing (MWL, Blue Jays) -- Did not play Sunday in the Lugnuts' 10-1 win over Lake County. Year to date: BA -- .187 (25-134), R -- 12, RBI -- 11, 2B -- 2, 3B -- 1, HR -- 0, SB -- 1.

SCOTT SCHEBLER (Prairie, Great Lakes (MWL, Dodgers) -- Started in left field Sunday and was 0-for-3 in the Loons' 6-4 win over South Bend. Scott leads the league in triples (6). Year to date: BA -- .247 (48-194), R -- 27, RBI -- 27, 2B -- 12, 3B -- 6, HR -- 3, SB -- 4.

Galbraith cruises into 2A singles semis

After day one of the boys high school state tennis tournament, Kennedy’s Riley Galbraith remains the only Metro player still in the chase for a title and he’ll likely have to beat two tough opponents from Des Moines Roosevelt Saturday to claim the championship.

The top-seeded doubles team of Tyler McCann and Brady Anderson from Linn-Mar survived a scare in their first match Friday, but lost the second for their first defeat of the season.

For second-seeded Galbraith, meanwhile, it was a relatively smooth ride to Saturday’s singles semifinals as he beat West Des Moines Valley’s Andrew Jensen 6-1, 6-2 and Bettendorf’s Bobbie Slavens 6-2, 6-0.

“The first match I just sort of went about my business,” Galbraith said. “But I picked it up in the second one and played pretty well against a real good player.