Metro Sports Report

Christiansons clubbing the ball for Kennedy

This is the first time Garet and Gabe Christianson have donned the green and yellow for the Kennedy High School soccer team, but the Christianson brothers are not strangers to the Cedar Rapids soccer community.

The Christiansons have been two of the top club players in Cedar Rapids for years. Garet is a senior forward and has committed to play for Drake next season. Gabe, a junior midfielder, is a four star recruit and is the 50th ranked prospect in the nation, according to topdrawersoccer.com.

“Gabe is just a midfield presence that other teams have to deal with defensively,” said Kennedy co-head coach Steven Robertson. “Having a guy like that in the middle of the field with his dynamic ability to deliver passes, beat defenders, see runs that other guys maybe don’t see and then still be able to get the ball there is what makes him so devastating to defenses.”

Robertson also is excited about the skills Garet brings to the Cougars this season.

Hamstrung by a hamstring pull?

What is a hamstring pull?

The term “hamstring” comes from an old English term for the crooked part of the leg near the knee.

Old world butchers would commonly hang pigs for slaughter by their hamstrings (I once had a college coach threaten me with that punishment when I dropped a potential interception in the annual Orange and Blue scrimmage at the University of Illinois). In medieval times, knights in battle would target the hamstring area to weaken their enemies and prevent them from running away. Parents and coaches may recall Bill Murray’s character (Karl in Caddy-Shack 1980) giving advice to Chevy Chase’s character (Ty Webb) on how to negatively influence your opponent’s golf game by cutting their hamstrings! It seems difficult for any athlete who has suffered a hamstring injury to hide from the disability that comes with the injury and the common reinjury that often follows.

Hamstring Anatomy: The hamstring muscles are on the back of the thigh, originating from the ischial tuberosity (the part of your pelvis that you sit on) and “string” all the way down to below the back of your knee. Here is a web-link to view the anatomy and types of hamstring strains that can commonly occur: http://video.about.com/sportsmedicine/Pulled-Hamstring.htm.

Cougars hold off J-Hawks in boys soccer

The third-ranked Kennedy boys soccer team continued to roll Thursday, beating Jefferson 3-2 at Kingston Stadium.

The Cougars (4-0, 3-0 Mississippi Valley Conference) jumped on top of the J-Hawks (2-4, 1-2) in the 24th minute on a free kick from junior midfielder Gabe Christianson from about 35 yards out.

“I just saw it, I had a good angle on it, so I just laced it up and hit it and bent it into the side netting. It was exciting,” he said.

Gabe Christianson struck again when his brother, senior forward Garet Christianson, found him deep in the penalty box. He struck it across the goal, hitting the far side post and bouncing it in. It came just 1:34 before halftime, giving the Cougars a 2-0 halftime lead.

“That second goal we lost a mark,” said Jefferson Coach John O’Connor. “That is kind of our trademark, we lose marks every once in a while.”

J-Hawks' goalie keeps Cougars scoreless

Senior Bethany Chambers wasn’t expecting to be in goal this season for the Jefferson soccer team. In fact, she wasn’t even expecting to make the varsity squad.

The J-Hawks are certainly glad she ended up between the pipes for them on Thursday against the Kennedy Cougars. She made a slew of saves to keep Jefferson in the lead.

Jefferson got its first win of the season when it shocked previously undefeated Kennedy, 1-0, at Kingston Stadium.