Local News

Xavier, 6 others, have clinched playoff berths

The Xavier Saints know what they will be doing on Oct. 24.

The Saints will be playing a first-round game in the Class 4A football playoffs at a site yet to be determined.

Xavier (6-0) and six other teams from the east side of the state have clinched Class 4A playoff berths, according to calculations by the Metro Sports Report. Four of the teams are members of the Mississippi Valley Conference.

Those teams that have already qualified are: Pleasant Valley (6-0), Cedar Falls (6-0), Iowa City West (6-0), Dubuque Senior (5-1), Muscatine (5-1) and Davenport Assumption (5-1).

The eastern half of the state uses the traditional point system to determine 16 first-round playoff qualifiers. Teams are awarded 50 points for wins over teams with winning (above .500) records, 45 points for wins against teams .500 or lower; and 30 points for losses to teams with winning records, 25 points for teams .500 or below.

The western half is divided into districts to determine qualifiers, and none have clinched yet.

Prairie and Linn-Mar are among the nine teams that would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today. Kennedy, Jefferson and Washington would be on the outside.

There are three weeks remaining in the season.

CLASS 4A PLAYOFF STANDINGS
Eastern half of state

1. Pleasant Valley (6-0)           285
2. Cedar Falls (6-0)                 280
3. Iowa City West (6-0)          275
4. Xavier (6-0)                         270
5. Dubuque Senior (5-1)         260
5. Muscatine (5-1)                  260
7. Assumption (5-1)                255
8. Iowa City High (4-2)           245
9. Bettendorf (4-2)                 240
9. Waterloo East (4-2)            240
11. Prairie (3-3)                      225
11. Davenport Central (3-3)  225
11. North Scott (3-3)              225
14. Waterloo West (2-4)        210
15. Linn-Mar (2-4)                  205
16. Burlington (2-4)                200
17. Jefferson (1-5)                185
17. Kennedy (1-5)                 185
17. Washington (1-5)            185
17. Wahlert (1-5)                   185
17. Davenport West (1-5)     185
22. Clinton (1-5)                    180
23. Hempstead (0-6)             170
24. Davenport North (0-6)    165

Roloff relishes spot in UNI Hall of Fame

He's been fired by Kennedy High School, hired by Mount Vernon and inducted into the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame.

It's certainly been an eventful seven months for Dennis Roloff.

Roloff, 59, was inducted into the UNI Hall of Fame Saturday in recognition of his exploits with the school's track team from 1972-75. He was an NCAA Division II All-American for the Panthers and set 11 school records, including a 440-yard mark that stood for 28 years.

Roloff and the other new members of the Hall of Fame were recognized Saturday night during Northern Iowa's football game against North Dakota State before a near-sellout crowd of 16,008 in the UNI-Dome.

Roloff paraded onto the field at halftime along with the other new Hall of Famers.

"That was the easy part," he said Sunday. "The five- or six-minute speech in the morning, that was the nervous part."

Roloff gave his speech during a banquet at the McLeod Center Saturday morning. He thanked the people who helped him succeed in college and had special words of thanks for former UNI track coach Jack Jennett, who attended the banquet.

"He was a fantastic coach and a father figure," Roloff said.

Roloff enjoyed a long and successful career as a teacher, boys track coach and girls basketball coach at Kennedy. He compiled a 314-165 record in 21 years with the girls basketball program, including five trips to the Class 4A state tournament, but his contract was not renewed by school administrators after the 2011-12 campaign.

"I found out about the Hall of Fame probably two or three days after I was released at Kennedy. That was a real downer," he said about being dismissed by the Cougars, "and then all of a sudden it was, 'Hey, I'm going into the Hall of Fame!'

"It's something you hoped would happen in your athletic career. There have been a lot of great athletes who have gone through there.

"That meant a lot to me. It's a great honor."

Roloff voluntarily retired as a teacher at Kennedy in 2011. He works occasionally as a substitute teacher and wanted to stay involved in high school athletics if he could, so he made a few phone calls after Bob Kintzel stepped down after a successful run as the girls basketball coach at Mount Vernon High School.

Kintzel led Mount Vernon to the Class 2A state title in 2010 and the Class 3A state runnerup trophy in 2011. Roloff liked what he heard about the school and the overall sports program and was delighted to be offered the job this summer.

"Following in Bob's footsteps is going to be kind of rough," said Roloff. "He's been pretty successful. He's done it all in the last five years."

Roloff is excited about his new assignment and looking forward to the start of practice in November.

"I think it's going to be a good transition for me and for them," he said. "It's going to be all new for them and all new for me."

Roloff was discouraged at the way his coaching career ended at Kennedy, but he's got a new job at Mount Vernon and a shiny new spot in the UNI Hall of Fame.

He was thrilled Saturday to be remembered in Cedar Falls.

"I have a lot of great friends," he said. "It was great to be in there."

Packed church bids tearful goodbye to Roundtree

More than 400 friends, relatives and former teammates paid their final respects to Tasha Roundtree Saturday in a moving service at the Gospel Tabernacle Church in northeast Cedar Rapids.

Roundtree, 19, is the former Cedar Rapids Washington basketball player who was shot and killed in southwest Cedar Rapids last weekend.

The police are calling her death a homicide. No arrests have been made.

Roundtree was lovingly remembered as a charismatic young lady who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.

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Prep football prevues - Sept. 27-28

Has football reached its nadir among the Metro public schools?

Jefferson and Washington share the best record among the Cedar Rapids public schools at 1-4. Kennedy is 0-5.

That is a cumulative record of 2-13. Add in 1-4 Linn-Mar and the record sags to 3-17.

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