Metro Sports Report

Christensen, Utley top IHSBCA all-state teams

Austin Christensen of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and D.J. Utley of Cedar Rapids Prairie have been named to the 2011 All-State "Super Team" by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association, it was announced Friday night.

Christensen hit .543 this season with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. He was named to the "Super Team" as an outfielder.

Utley batted .441 with 14 homers and 50 RBIs. He made the "Super Team" as a first baseman.

Terrell Sykes and Devon Jacobus from Kennedy made the Class 4A All-State First Team. Sykes, a second baseman, hit .421 with two home runs and 32 RBIs. Jacobus, a third baseman, hit .377 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs.

Brayton Carlson and Anthony Gagliardi of Prairie were named to the Class 4A All-State Second Team. Carlson, a second baseman, hit .429 with eight homers and 36 RBIs. Gagliardi, an outfielder and pitcher, made the all-state team as a utility player. He hit .365 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs and was 6-4 on the mound with a 2.08 earned run average.

Jordy Brown, an outfielder for Cedar Rapids Washington, also made Second Team All-State in Class 4A. He hit .466 with one homer and 15 RBIs.

Marion High School second baseman Kasey Semler made First Team All-State in Class 3A. He hit .396 with four homers and 28 RBIs.

Austin Benson of Kennedy was named First Team Academic All-State.

Saints inspired by 2006 state title

Matt Hansen sat in the stands in the UNI-Dome when the Xavier Saints beat Southeast Polk, 21-6, to capture the Class 4A football title in 2006. It was a win for the ages.

"We started yelling," he said.

Jordan Weber was there, too.

"Great game," he recalled. "It gives you something to work for. You want to get to that point where you can be that team in the Dome."

Carter Valentine won't ever forget it.

"It was an inspirational game," he said. "It was awesome."

Hansen, Weber and Valentine were in the seventh grade in 2006, but they were in Cedar Falls that day when the Saints went marching to the state crown.

"Everyone was there," said Valentine.

Hansen, Weber and Valentine are seniors now, three of the leaders on the 2011 edition of Xavier football. Nobody is predicting another state title, not with only four starters back from a club that finished 7-3, but they can dream.

"The goal is always the state championship," said Valentine. "That's what we go for every year."

The Saints like to think big.

Stewart, Cougars have a super meet

Brigham Stewart had never broken 70 in a competitive round of golf in his life.

He has now, in grand style.

Stewart fired an 8-under-par 64 at Twin Pines Golf Course Thursday and teammate Cody Bell carded a 66 as Kennedy captured the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet by 11 strokes.

Stewart, a senior, has shot 70 and 71 before, but had never dipped into the 60s until he tamed the 5,802-yard layout at Twin Pines on a picture-perfect day for golf.

"I played well. I putted pretty well, the driver was really working," he said. "I'm really happy with a 64.

"This is the first time cracking 70," he said. "Hopefully this is just the start."

The Mississippi Valley Conference begins the boys golf season with its Super Meet with all 14 schools in attendance, so the golfers have to be sharp from the start. The Super Meet is the first of three tournaments to decide the conference champions. The Super Meet scores carry over to the divisional meets on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26.

The Cougars have a huge lead because they were razor sharp.

This is the best time for high school golf

Kudos to the Iowa High School Athletic Association for presenting high school golf to start the summer and fall campaign. It's the best time of year for the grand old game, and Cedar Rapids has been blessed with some excellent players again this year.

One of the top players is Linn-Mar's Trevor Berry, who won the Pribyl Rotary Tournament this summer. This young man hung around for three rounds of the tournament and then shot 75 at Elmcrest last Friday to bring home the trophy. And he became the KMRY Athlete of the Week.

As he comes into his senior season with the Lions, Trevor is hoping to get some looks from college coaches. And as you might suspect, his role model off the PGA Tour is Ricky Fowler, who had a strong finish at the World Championships last week.

We'll see in the coming weeks if a Metro team comes forward to qualify for the state championship. Good luck to all.

PART II: As the University of Iowa football team gears up for its Sept. 3 opener against Tennessee Tech, two Hawkeye broadcasters who have been battling health problems are gearing up to get back in the booth.