Jefferson High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

J-Hawks escape and are off to state

CEDAR FALLS -- The collective "Phew" could be heard all the way back to the west side of Cedar Rapids Tuesday night.

The Jefferson boys basketball team is going back to the state tournament for the ninth time in school history.

Barely. Sparingly. Nervously.

It was eighth-ranked Jefferson 57, underdog Waterloo West 55 in the Class 4A substate finals at the McLeod Center on the University of Northern Iowa campus. And "Phew" doesn't begin to describe how the J-Hawks escaped.

Jefferson (17-5) will face third-ranked Des Moines Hoover (21-2) in the opening round of the state tournament on Wednesday, March 9 at 8:15 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

DiMarco Mallett missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer Tuesday night that would have given Waterloo West (9-15) an improbable trip to the state tournament with a losing record.

"We kept saying, 'Give ourselves a chance, Give ourselves a chance,' and we did," said Waterloo West Coach Justin Little. "We had a shot. It looked good to me and it just missed."

Jarrod Uthoff and his long arms bothered Mallett just enough on the final shot of this tense chess match. The J-Hawks whipped Waterloo West by 30 points in January at Waterloo West, but the Wahawks upset Cedar Falls in the substate semifinals last Friday and were hungry for more.

"It was kind of ripe for an upset," said Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman. "They had nothing to lose."

On the other hand, Jefferson had everything to lose.

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Saunders hustles J-Hawks into substate final

If Jarrod Uthoff is Iowa’s “Mr. Basketball”, then Alec Saunders should get votes for the “Mr. Hustle Award.” If there is such a thing.

The No. 8-ranked Jefferson J-Hawks got a stellar 27-point, 15-rebound performance from MVP-candidate Uthoff and a blue-collar-lunch-bucket display from Saunders to defeat a pesky Western Dubuque team, 60-50, in a Class 4A substate semifinal at Jefferson High School Friday night.

Jefferson (16-5) plays Waterloo West (9-14) Tuesday night at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls in the substate final for the right to go to the state tournament. Waterloo West upset Cedar Falls, 52-49, Friday night.

Saunders drained two 3-pointers and had 11 points, three steals and three assists, including a number of outstanding “effort plays” that won’t show up in the boxscore.

“I try and get out and beat everyone down the floor,” the 5-foot-11 junior said. “I try and lead everyone else to get more pumped up.”

Saunders said Uthoff is the best player in the state.

“I look up to him and try to be like him,” he said. “I think he is the best.”

A panel of newspaper writers from around the state will cast votes for the Mr. Basketball Award following the state tournament. Uthoff is a leading candidate.

Saunders and the J-Hawks have their sights set on more than just winning their next game.

“I think we can win it all,” Saunders said. “With the amount of talent we have with Uthoff and him getting the ball and then kicking it out, I think we can win state.”

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Allie Trcka 7th at state bowling

DES MOINES -- The Trcka family left its mark on the state bowling tournament in Des Moines this week.

First Tara, then Allie.

Allie Trcka, a senior from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, placed seventh at the girls Class 2A state tournament Friday before a standing-room-only crowd at Plaza Lanes.

Her performance came a day after her cousin Tara Trcka, a sophomore at Xavier, won the Class 1A state crown at Plaza Lanes.

"I'm excited for her," Allie said. "She wins everything. She's going places in bowling."

Tara Trcka won the small-school title with a three-game series of 674 on Thursday. Allie Trcka (she prefers Allie, not Allison) placed seventh in the big-school tournament with a three-game series of 615.

"I'm excited, because it's my last year," Allie said, "but I wish I would have done better."

It's no coincidence the Trcka cousins are bowlers. Tara's father,Tom, owns May City Bowl in Cedar Rapids. Allie said she began bowling when she was 3 or 4 years old.

"I grew up at the bowling alley, so it was something I jumped into," she said. "I liked doing it.

"You just bowl for yourself and it's fun. You're on your own."

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Herman wins; J-Hawks' mat season ends

IOWA CITY – Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Conner Herman continued his state championship form Tuesday night as he defeated Iowa City West’s Sean Beasley with a pin at 1:40 in the Class 3A regional dual meet tournament.

After capturing the traditional style state title at 215 pounds Saturday, Herman said he hasn’t had much time to soak it all in.

“It’s been crazy.  First one for Jefferson in 13 years; people have been really supportive,” he said. “I’m talking to people I haven’t talked to in a year or two, so it's good.  It’s what we need.”

Unfortunately, the majority of Herman’s teammates did not enjoy the same success, as the J-Hawks fell to Iowa City West 52-15. Six of their 13 wrestlers got pinned.

Herman registered the only pin for Jefferson at 1:40 and dominated all three periods. Jefferson's other winners were Mic Vesey at 285, Blake Carson at 135 and Griffin Bollman at 103 and all won by decision.

One of the most challenging hurdles after winning a state title is not inside the ring though, according to Herman.  It was an outside factor: keeping his focus for the match against a strong Trojans team.

“It’s hard.  I’m still up on Cloud Nine and haven’t been able to come down from there yet, it’s been amazing,” he said. “It’s still going to be with me for awhile, that feeling that I have right now.”

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Herman trims foe for 215 state title

DES MOINES -- Conner Herman waddled around Wells Fargo Arena at the state wrestling tournament last year as a 250-pound heavyweight. Or maybe it was 260.

"I was pretty big," he said Saturday night. "I was not the healthiest person ever."

Now he's the picture of good health, and the trimmer Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior has the Class 3A 215-pound state title as a satisfying reward.

Herman beat Ben Nagle of North Scott, 5-3 in overtime, Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena to claim Jefferson's first title since Tim Ironside won a championship for the J-Hawks in 1998.

Herman thanked Jefferson assistant coach Matt Orton, a former J-Hawk state champion himself in 1989, for "beating on me" in practice and giving him dietary advice.

Orton's advice?

"Eat stuff that spoils," Herman said. "Don't eat anything that doesn't spoil."

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J-Hawk booster club has raised $1.8 million

“It’s amazing how much money can be made by selling a candy bar or bag of popcorn one item at a time,” says Mark Fiala, technology facilitator at Jefferson High School.

Is “amazing” a bit of an exaggeration?  Well, recently the Jefferson Athletic Booster Club, of which Fiala is currently president,  gave JHS athletics  a $50,000 contribution, and it was the second $50,000 check the club has given this school year. That brings the total to more than $1.8 million over the years.

 Yes, ”amazing” sums it up pretty well.

 “Vital” would work, too.  Just ask Athletics Director Scott Kibby.

The club has been in existence since the 1957-58 school year, but “Most of that ($1.8 million) has come recently,” said  Kibby, “about $800,000 in just the past nine years.”

The club’s goal is $100,000 per year. Of that $100,000, Kibby said about $60,000 is needed “just to make ends meet,” to cover operating expenses.  Hiring officials, alone, costs about $45,000 a year, he said.

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J-Hawk girls bowlers headed to state

It’s clear that if high school girls and boys bowling gets much more popular, the bowling alleys are going to run out of room.

The May City lanes were filled almost to the brim Saturday afternoon, as 22 teams from 11 Eastern Iowa high schools took up all but 10 of the 32 alleys.

But the crowd watching the action took up every bit of space left in the place, standing five and six deep for the Class 1A and Class 2A regional and substate tournaments.

Trying to figure out who’s ahead during the competition is impossible, except for the well-initiated who keep their own score pads.

By late Saturday afternoon, though, the Linn-Mar boys team and the Jefferson girls had pulled off Class 2A upsets and advanced to the state tourney in Des Moines next weekend.

Individually, there were surprises, too. Jefferson’s Jenna Alff took top honors among the Class 2A girls and Dreyson Robe of Linn-Mar claimed the boys title.

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Herman ignores rankings; makes it to finals

DES MOINES -- Conner Herman could sing the national anthem before the state wrestling championships Saturday night if he had the time, but he's got more important things on his mind.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior will be competing for the 3A state title at 215 pounds at Wells Fargo Arena. He's also a member of the Jefferson Show Choir when he's not wrestling, but he'll leave the singing to someone else this time.

Herman upset top-ranked Jesse South of Urbandale, 5-2, Friday night in the semifinals in his bid to become Jefferson's first state champion since 1998.

"According to the rankings, I wasn't supposed to beat him," said Herman, who is ranked fifth at 215. "I wasn't supposed to even be in the semifinals, according to the rankings. I am excited, because I'm where I'm not supposed to be."

Herman needs one more victory to give Jefferson its first state champion since Tim Ironside 13 years ago.

"It doesn't mean anything just to be in the finals," Herman insisted. "It means everything to win the finals."

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J-Hawk girls overwhelmed by Stokes, Lions

Kiah Stokes and the Linn-Mar Lions beat up on the Jefferson J-Hawks for a second time this year.  Same song, different verse as Stokes once again outscored the J-Hawks alone to lead the Lions to a 54-22 victory in the Class 4A regional semifinals on Saturday night at Linn-Mar.

Stokes went for 29 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks. She broke the state record of 497 career blocks held by Jessica Nikkel, who played for Lynnville-Sully from 1995 to 1999. Stokes has 500 career blocks.

“It’s pretty amazing to break a state record,” Stokes said. “Hopefully, it will make it harder for the next person to beat it.”

“I am very very proud of her,” Linn-Mar Coach Mike Brandt said. “She deserves it.”

The Lions (20-2) will face Cedar Rapids Xavier (15-7) on Tuesday night in the Jefferson gym with a trip to state on the line. The defending state champion Lions drummed Xavier twice during the regular season.

“It’s going to be who comes to play,” Brandt said. “It’s gonna be a war with them. It always has been. I don’t see it being any different on Tuesday."

Rachel Thrune added six points for the Lions.

Jefferson (8-15) was led by sophomore Taylor Jacobson with eight points. Senior Britteny Steffeny and sophomore Maddie Koolbeck each added six.

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