Last weekend Susie and I attended the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders hockey playoff games with Green Bay. The thought came to mind that the Metro Sports Report is geared toward high school athletes, and the RoughRiders have contributed to that with hockey players who attend Cedar Rapids high schools during the season.

Two of them were noteworthy in goaltender Brady Hjelle, who is the top goalie in the United States Hockey League and will be a freshman this fall at Ohio State, and Sam Warning, who will be a freshman and report to Minnesota next month.

It brought to mind the fact that it is, at times, a small world. Sam's grandfather attended the games last weekend and his name happens to be Don Bruss. He saw his grandson make the winning goal in a 2-1 playoff victory over Green Bay.

Bruss also thrilled yours truly with a phone call and a visit during the hockey game, because Don Bruss played center field for the Cedar Rapids Indians of 1951. At that time, he was a towhead who could really go get them in center field.

He also brought along with him an autographed baseball from that 1951 team, which I have turned over to the archives of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Which brings to mind yet another fact: There is a new exhibit at the ballpark this year that is open during business hours to the public.

The exhibit is a timeline that's located in the hallway next to the baseball suites. It shows the history of the Cedar Rapids franchise that covers more than a century. This exhibit is extremely well done and worth your time when you're at the ballpark or in the neighborhood, so stop by and take a look.

And through the good office of Don Bruss, following his grandson on the hockey ice, Cedar Rapids gets another piece of its baseball history.

PART II: Congratulations to Linn-Mar on its new football field that debuts this fall but is being used this spring because of the wonderful new track and soccer field. It will be another great piece of athletic facility for the ever-growing Linn-Mar student population.