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Angry J-Hawks stick Kennedy, 39-21

The Jefferson J-Hawks sent a clear message to all the wrestling coaches in Iowa who pooped all over them in the latest IWCOA rankings.

You guys were dead wrong.

The angry J-Hawks captured nine of 14 bouts Thursday night and defeated Kennedy, 39-21, in a dramatic Mississippi Valley Conference showdown at the Jefferson gym.

The coaches who vote in the IWCOA rankings dropped Jefferson from No. 5 to No. 9 in the poll that was used by the IHSAA to determine the assignments for the regional dual meet tournaments next Wednesday. At the same time, the coaches lifted Kennedy from No. 9 to No. 7 and effectively gave the Cougars a nice assignment at home in the regional tournament while shipping Jefferson to Johnston.

The top eight teams in the IWCOA rankings get to host the regionals and everyone else has to travel. Jefferson drew a tough assignment in the regional at Johnston that features the fifth-ranked Johnston Dragons and Dowling Catholic.

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Briggs thinks Jeff wrestlers got raw deal

Cedar Rapids Jefferson wrestling coach Dick Briggs is a mild-mannered guy who rarely complains, but he's upset with the way the Class 3A regional dual meet tournaments were organized this year.

First of all, he thinks the J-Hawks were short-changed when they dropped from No. 5 to No. 9 in the IWCOA dual team rankings that were used to determine which schools would host a regional tournament on Feb. 10. The top-eight teams in the rankings get to host, so Jefferson missed by one spot.

Secondly, he's disappointed his J-Hawks would have to defeat fifth-ranked Johnston in the regional finals at Johnston in order to claim a berth in the state dual meet tournament. Normally, a team seeded No. 9 would face the No. 8 seed in the regional finals, but the Iowa High School Athletic Association did not follow the chart.

The Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association (IWCOA) made the rankings, then the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) made the pairings that were released last month.

Briggs did not like either result and has not gotten any satisfactory answers.

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Valentino Green commits to Iowa Western

Cedar Rapids Jefferson football star Valentino Green has committed to play for Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs next season.

Green, 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, was a two-way star for the J-Hawks last season when they finished 7-4 and reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.

He rushed 44 times for 608 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 430 yards and seven touchdowns. All told, he scored 104 points for Jefferson last season.

Green also excelled on defense, where he finished second on the club with 74.5 tackles.

Green was named second team all-state by the Iowa Newspaper Association as a defensive back.

Dighton wins Metro Spotlight Award

Kennedy Dighton of Jefferson is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Dighton, a 6-foot-1 junior, has been a key member of the Jefferson basketball team as it bids for a winning season this year.

Dighton leads the J-Hawks at 13.5 points and more than eight rebounds per game. She has raised her game this season after averaging 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds last year as a sophomore.

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