Metro Sports Report

2011-12...Which school was the best?

Let's take one final look at the 2010-11 Iowa High School Athletic year before we turn the page to this coming season, which is already underway with 4A boys golf in full swing (no pun intended).

I have come up with my unofficial Boys and Girls All-Around Excellence Sports standings for the past year in Class 4A, and will try to get to Class 3A soon and see how Marion came out.

Here's how it works. I concentrate on the top five teams in each sport, the champion gets five points, the runner-up four points and so on. The semifinal losing teams get three apiece and the teams that lose in the quarterfinals all get one point for tying for fifth place in essence.

So without further adieu here are the standings for this past year:

BOYS

1.West Des Moines Dowling  22 points
2. Iowa City West  21
3. West Des Moines Valley  15
4. Bettendorf  13
5. Cedar Falls  12
6. Linn-Mar  9
7. Waverly-SR  8
t8. C.R. Kennedy  7
t8. Dubuque Senior  7
t8. Ames  7
t8. SE Polk  7

Mattke helps Iowa take 3rd at national tourney

Mack Mattke of Xavier High School helped Iowa finish third at the Babe Ruth 18U World Series in Ephrata, Wash., this month.

Iowa won the regional championship in Missouri against teams from Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Colorado and North Dakota to earn a spot in the World Series.

The team from Mobile, Ala., won the national title. Iowa lost to Mobile, 7-6, in pool play.

The team from Iowa was centered in Ottumwa.

Puk quits Warriors; Griffin out 4-6 weeks

The Cedar Rapids Washington football team has suffered two serious setbacks this week with the loss of quarterback A.J. Puk and tailback Will Griffin.

Puk quit the team Monday to concentrate on his promising baseball career. Griffin had surgery on Tuesday to repair his ankle and will be sidelined four to six weeks.

"It's a whole different team than I had 48 hours ago," Washington Coach Tony Lombardi said Tuesday after practice.

Puk was Washington's starting quarterback last year as a sophomore when he completed 43 of 89 passes for 599 yards and four touchdowns. Lombardi kept him mostly under wraps as a sophomore, but planned to turn him loose this year.

Griffin rushed for 452 yards and six TDs last season as the No.2 tailback behind Alex Carr. An outstanding sprinter, Griffin appeared on the verge of becoming the next star tailback at Washington.

Puk practiced with the Warriors last Monday and Tuesday, then left last Wednesday (with permission) for a national baseball showcase in California. Lombardi expected Puk to rejoin the team this week, but Puk called Monday and said he was done.

"It's completely a shock," Lombardi said.

McCann takes honors at Linn-Mar Invite

Linn-Mar senior Tyler McCann felt right at home at Hunters Ridge Golf Course Monday afternoon.

McCann fired an even-par 72 to take medalist honors at the Linn-Mar Invitational and help the Lions finish in third place on their home course.

McCann collected two birdies and an eagle to beat Jacob Bermel of Cedar Falls by two strokes.

Cedar Falls won the title in the 13-team event with a four-man score of 18-over-par 306. Muscatine and Linn-Mar both shot 312, but Muscatine was awarded second place on a tiebreaker.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy, which dominated the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet last Thursday at Twin Pines, finished fourth Monday with 319 strokes. Cody Bell shot a 3-over-par 75 and MVC medalist Brigham Stewart had a 7-over 79.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson placed sixth, Xavier finished seventh, Cedar Rapids Prairie placed ninth and Cedar Rapids Washington was 10th.

Dominic Rodriguez of Washington tied for third with a 3-over 75 and Clay Vieth of Linn-Mar took sixth with a 4-over 76.