Kennedy Boys Basketball

Manning wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Brendon Manning is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Manning, a 6-foot-4 forward, is one of the most improved basketball players in the Metro area this season. He averaged just 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11 games last year and missed the second half of the campaign with a broken ankle, but he has become one of the leaders for the Cougars this year.

Manning enjoyed three big games for Kennedy this past week as the Cougars raised their record to 5-1 with three straight victories.

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Manning paces Cougars by Solon

Brendon Manning broke his ankle midway through the season last year and made only a marginal contribution to the Kennedy basketball team at 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-4 senior is a different guy this year.

Manning scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday night as the Cougars topped Solon, 63-49, in a sluggish affair at the Kennedy gym for his second big outing in a row.

Manning collected 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists Friday when Kennedy upended eighth-ranked Dubuque Hempstead, 83-76, in Dubuque. That means he averaged 21.5 points and 11 rebounds for the weekend, a far cry from what he contributed a year ago.

Manning is averaging 14 points and 6.7 rebounds overall for Kennedy, which raised its record to 5-1 Saturday.

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Cougars bump off No. 8 Hempstead

DUBUQUE - Brendon Manning poured in a career-high 25 points Friday night as Kennedy upended eighth-ranked Dubuque Hempstead, 83-76, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Moody Gymnasium in Dubuque.

Manning also collected eight rebounds and six assists for the Cougars (4-1).

Cole Murdock finished with 19 points and seven assists for Kennedy. Bryton Heisler pitched in 18 points in the high-scoring affair.

Kennedy rallied in the fourth quarter with its press and trapping defense.

Hempstead (4-1) played without the services of point guard Martell Wilson.

Murdock helps Cougars hold off Wash

Cole Murdock has already made a name for himself as a premier golfer at the high school level, but the Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior has elevated his game on the basketball floor as well.

Murdock scored 13 points and led the Cougars to a 63-57 victory over the Washington Warriors in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Kennedy Tuesday.

Murdock was primarily a shooter and off-guard for Kennedy last year when AJ Carter ran the show, but he's made a smooth transition to the point this season with his ballhandling, passing and shooting.

"He had the skill set last year. He might not have had the confidence," said Kennedy Coach Jon McKowen. "The team puts a lot of faith in him and he's taken over a leadership role."

And make no mistake, Murdock likes running the club.

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