Metro Sports Report

Kennedy's Darius Fuller (5) puts up a shot over the outstretched arms of Prairie defender Demetrius Harper during Tuesday night's game at Prairie. Fuller was one of three former Hawks that returned to Prairie and combined for 28 points in Kennedy's 60-53 win. (Photo by Joe Bishop)

Kennedy's former Hawks help beat Prairie

Wed - 25 Jan Written by Jim Ecker

Kennedy seniors Trevor Heitland, Josiah Coleman and Darius Fuller went to school in the College Community district when they were younger and would be playing for the Prairie Hawks these days if they hadn't left and become Cougars.

They returned to Prairie Tuesday night and helped Kennedy trim the Hawks, 60-53, in a friendly Mississippi Valley Conference rivalry that got intense at times and featured three technical fouls against the Cougars.

Heitland, Coleman and Fuller combined for 28 points and made key plays against their old pals.

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Jefferson's Taylor Olson (23) shoots over a pair of Dubuque Wahlert defenders for two of his 24 points Tuesday night at Jefferson. The J-Hawks won, 61-50. (Photo by Justin Tedford)

Olsons lead 'Stu Ball' comeback

Wed - 25 Jan Written by Tom Fruehling

In the old Lead Belly (and Peter, Paul and Mary) chain-gang song, “ol’ Stewball was a racehorse.”

As it’s told, “a way up yonder, ahead of them all, came a-dancin’ and a-prancin’ my noble Stewball.”

In the Jefferson boys basketball version of “Stu Ball” – so named by the t-shirt wearing “Stu Cru” student section in honor of Coach Stu Ordman – it’s do-it-all senior Taylor Olson that’s the racehorse of the team.

He’s ahead of them all: scoring, stealing the ball, rebounding, directing the other players, drawing fouls, even blocking shots.

And Tuesday night in a come-from-behind 61-50 home win over Dubuque Wahlert, Olson also served as on-court coach and counselor for his little brother Jacob when he took over as point guard.

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Linn-Mar's Zach Martins (2) drives around Waterloo East defender Arkel Todd during Tuesday night's game at Linn-Mar. The third-ranked Lions shrugged off a sluggish start and beat the Trojans, 71-58. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

No. 3 Lions find focus in time to beat East

Tue - 24 Jan Written by Jake Koolbeck

The third-ranked Linn-Mar Lions needed a big fourth quarter to escape the visiting Waterloo East Trojans, 71- 58, in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball game Tuesday night at Linn-Mar.

“I thought it was (good) but once we started playing it wasn’t,” Robertson said of his team's focus. “We couldn’t practice cause of the weather yesterday. They were sharper; hopefully, it is a lesson for us.”

After trailing almost the whole first half the Lions were able to battle back in the third quarter and went into the final eight minutes all square at 50-50.

The Lions quickly took control in the fourth quarter as junior Jimmy Roth hit three 3-pointers to spark a 13-2 run and put the Lions in control for good.

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Wash girls fall to City High in overtime

Tue - 24 Jan Written by Carl Gonder

IOWA CITY - Nobody was blaming it on the snow day, but everyone was thinking it.

Tenth-ranked Iowa City High overcame a furious Washington comeback to win an important Mississippi Valley Conference girls contest, 66-57, in overtime at the Little Hawks gym Monday night.

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Cougars join endangered nickname list

Sun - 22 Jan Written by Mark Dukes

As political correctness has become more and more vogue, mascots and nicknames for high schools have come under increasing scrutiny.

Many colleges and high schools have used “Indians’’ for their mascot . But pressure from Native American groups has forced schools to change names. Even so, Marion and nine other Iowa high schools still are known as the Indians. What’s politically correct for some must be tradition to others.

Now comes a strange story out of Utah that tops all others for silliness. Draper Corner Canyon High School announced its mascot and school colors last week. The future student body of the new school voted on the mascot, and the winner with 23 percent was Cougars. Perhaps not by coincidence, nearby Brigham Young University is the Cougars.

Not so fast, though.

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