Jefferson High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Olson nets 31 as J-Hawks top Wash

There have been some outstanding point guards in the Metro area in recent years with Marcus Paige, Wes Washpun and Taylor Olson.

Jacob Olson is making a strong push this season to make it a foursome.

Olson poured in a career-high 31 points Friday night to steer Jefferson past Washington, 57-36, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game in the Washington gym.

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Howell tops Edwards in battle of good buddies

Jason Edwards enjoyed some great times as Frank Howell's sidekick for eight years with the Cedar Rapids Washington girls basketball program.

His seat on the opponent's bench Friday night wasn't nearly as much fun.

Edwards left the Warriors after last season to succeed Larry Niemeyer as the head coach at Jefferson, knowing full well he'd have to face Howell and the Warriors at least twice each year.

Howell and the 10th-ranked Warriors took Round 1 against their old buddy, 58-39, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game that does not count in the league standings.

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Jacobson eyes 400 hurdles at UNI

Cedar Rapids Jefferson senior Taylor Jacobson can run fast and jump high. She'll get a chance to do both in college.

Jacobson has accepted an offer to join the University of Northern Iowa women's track team next year, where her specialty could be the 400-meter hurdles.

"I'll be surprised if she's not a first-class hurdler," Jefferson track coach Bill Calloway said Wednesday. "She wants to be good."

Jacobson has already been a first-class sprinter. She helped the J-Hawks win a state title in the 4x200 relay in 2011 when she was a sophomore. Jefferson also finished second at the Drake Relays in the 4x200 that year.

Calloway plans to use Jacobson as a 400 hurdler this spring, in addition to several other events. Jacobson agrees that the 400 hurdles make sense.

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Scallon claims 2 wins for Jeff swimmers

WATERLOO -- Lance Scallon starred for the Jefferson swimming team Tuesday night by winning two individual races in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet against Waterloo West.

Scallon captured the 50 freestyle in 23.72 and claimed the 100 backstroke in 1:00.28. He finished with comfortable margins in both events.

Waterloo West claimed the rest of the races and won the meet, 119-43.

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J-Hawks knock off North Cedar, 48-37

Cedar Rapids Jefferson hosted North Cedar for a non-conference boys basketball game Tuesday night and came away with a rather lackluster 48-37 victory.

“I am not very satisfied with where we are at right now at all,” said Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman. “Our first half was not very good, but we did come out ready to play in the second half and that allowed us to dictate tempo in the fourth quarter.”

The J-Hawks (5-1) managed just 17 points in the first half and only two points in the second quarter. On the positive side, their defense allowed only 15 first-half points.

A solid 31-point second half allowed them to pull away for the victory.

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J-Hawks finish 2-2 at SE Polk tourney

RUNNELLS -- The Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawks split their four matches at the Southeast Polk wrestling tournament on Saturday.

Jefferson defeated Des Moines East (45-29) and Des Moines Roosevelt (63-18). The J-Hawks lost to Knoxville (40-36) and top-ranked Southeast Polk (62-15).

Michael Moncivais (132), Kelly May (145) and Drake Allen (182) had three pins during the day for the J-Hawks. Brenden Baker (106), Kyle Briggs (113), Nick Dreckman (152), Luke Sedlacek (160) and Randy Deaton (220) had two pins.

Briggs and Moncivais both went 4-0 with three victories and a forfeit.

No.7 Wahawks top Jefferson girls

The West High Wahawks traveled from Waterloo on Friday night and brought their newly acquired top-10 ranking in the newly invented Class 5A rankings to the Cedar Rapids Jefferson gym.

Waterloo West edged the Jefferson J-Hawks, 57-47, behind the double-digit scoring of Blaire Thomas and Haley Puk with 18 points each in a Mississippi Valley Conference game.

Only four players were in the scoring column for Coach Anthony Pappas’ Wahawks, but they were all meaningful offensively for West High. Sammie Sproul, the shortest player on the floor but most persistent on defense, had 15 points that were aided by five free throws down the stretch.

The No.7 Wahawks had a 5-3 record going into the contest and they are one of three MVC teams in the Class 5A rankings, along with Iowa City High and Cedar Rapids Prairie.

“I don’t spend a lot of time with rankings, although it is an accomplishment,” said Pappas.

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J-Hawks trimmed by Waterloo West

WATERLOO -- Justin Little didn't get worried when Waterloo West fell behind Cedar Rapids Jefferson by nine points in the first quarter.

Instead, Waterloo West's head coach got busy. So did his players.

The Wahawks rallied from that early deficit and held on at the end for a 51-48 victory over the J-Hawks on Friday night at Siddens Gymnasium.

"We needed that win," said Little after West evened its overall record at 2-2.

In the first period, the Wahawks needed a spark. They failed to score for the opening 5 minutes and 21 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, Jefferson pumped home three consecutive 3-point baskets -- a sign of things to come -- and grabbed that quick 9-0 lead.

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Jacob Olson sparks J-Hawks by No. 10 Saints

Taylor Olson's little brother is all grown up.

Jacob Olson poured in 22 points Tuesday night and made several clutch plays as Jefferson defeated 10th-ranked Xavier, 64-55, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Jefferson.

Taylor Olson, now a freshman at Kirkwood Community College, was an all-state guard for the J-Hawks last season when he averaged 18.4 points and led Jefferson to the Class 4A state tournament for the third straight year.

Jacob Olson, Taylor's kid brother, averaged just 1.4 points for the J-Hawks last year as a sophomore, but there's no stopping him now at 19.4 points per outing.

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