Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sammy Lizarraga gives Cougars a lift

DUBUQUE - Freshman Sammy Lizarraga was promoted to the varsity Friday and pitched a two-hit shutout as Cedar Rapids Kennedy pounded Dubuque Wahlert, 15-0 in four innings, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game in Dubuque.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended with Kennedy holding a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning with two outs.

Lizarraga has played with Kennedy's sophomore team this season, but the Cougars needed a fresh arm on the mound Friday as they headed into their third doubleheader this week. He allowed only two singles with two strikeouts and one walk.

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Gaffey stars on senior night for Cougars

Amanda Gaffey did not play softball at Cedar Rapids Kennedy for the glory or the headlines, because there hasn't been much of that during her five years as the starting third baseman.

She did it for love.

"I just have a passion for the sport and I love my teammates and I wouldn't want to let them down, so I just kept playing," she said Thursday night.

Gaffey has endured five straight losing campaigns with the Cougars, but she was all smiles Thursday after Kennedy swept a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader from Cedar Falls on Senior Night at Kennedy, 5-3 and 14-11.

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Cougars fall out of MVC lead with wild split

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Iowa City High baseball teams threw haymakers at each other Wednesday night and depleted their pitching staffs in a Mississippi Valley Conference showdown at Kennedy.

And the big winners were ... the Linn-Mar Lions.

The Cougars and Little Hawks split their twinbill, leaving both clubs with 16-4 records in the Mississippi Division of the MVC. Meanwhile, Linn-Mar swept Cedar Falls and moved into first place in the division with a 17-3 record with six games left in the race.

Kennedy won the first game, 14-7, with Josh Jahlas going 4-for-5 in a contest filled with numerous lineup changes, but that only set the stage for the dramatic nightcap that saw Iowa City High prevail, 9-8, in 10 innings.

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Bell shines as No. 2 Cougars sweep Saints

Cody Bell is a terrific golfer who will play at the University of Northern Iowa in a few months, but it's not the only sport where he's a top-notch performer for Kennedy High School.

The Xavier Saints learned Monday night that he's also a terrific pitcher and an excellent hitter, although they already had a hunch about that from previous encounters.

Bell tossed a neat three-hitter as Kennedy clipped the Saints, 4-1, in the second game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Ken Charipar Field.

The Cougars clubbed the Saints, 13-3, in five innings in the opener.

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Hayden makes pitch as Kennedy's MVP

Alex Hayden was an all-state pitcher at Cedar Rapids Kennedy last year when the Cougars won 31 games and reached the Class 4A state tournament.

This year he could be their MVP.

"He'd be in the conversation in a lot of ways," Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said Friday night.

Hayden tossed a complete game as the top-ranked Cougars defeated Washington, 6-1, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game that left the senior right-hander with a 6-1 record and a sparkling 0.53 earned run average.

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No. 1 Cougars spoil Washington's upset bid

It's been a rough season for the Cedar Rapids Washington baseball team, with 15 straight losses and a key injury to A.J. Puk, but for a shining moment Thursday night it looked like the Warriors would wipe away their frustration and grab a big victory over the No. 1 team in the state.

The Warriors led 4-0 after four innings and southpaw Grant Dostal was cruising with a no-hitter, keeping the Kennedy hitters off-balance with his assortment of tantalizing pitches that had the Cougars hitting the ball in the air for outs.

It looked like it might be Washington's night, finally, after all the losing and all the disappointment. "No question," said Wash Coach Tony Lombardi.

But Kennedy is ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason. And the Warriors have a 3-and-23 record for a reason. And a high school baseball game lasts seven innings for a reason.

The Cougars broke through with two runs in the fifth inning to get back in the game and make the Warriors nervous, and they plated five more runs in the sixth inning to complete the rally for a 7-5 victory in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Washington.

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Stroschein helps Lions trip No. 1 Cougars

Linn-Mar junior Austin Stroschein was so excited about walloping the ball with the bases loaded against top-ranked Kennedy Monday night that he tripped over first base and fell flat on his face.

He got up grinning.

Stroschein socked a grand slam at a key moment to help the 10th-ranked Lions split a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Kennedy in a showdown for first place.

The Cougars won the first game, 4-1, behind a strong performance by right-hander Nick Appleget, but Linn-Mar rallied from a 5-0 deficit to grab the nightcap 7-6.

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Lizarraga is special weapon for Cougars

Kennedy catcher Jimmy "Chico" Lizarraga has a special bond with the pitching staff for the top-ranked Cougars.

After all, he's been catching most of them since they were eight years old and playing at a high level for the Junior Cougars.

"I really don't trust anyone else," said Nick Appleget, one of the starting pitchers at Kennedy. "I mean, I can throw with anyone else back there, but I look for Jimmy. He's the best catcher I know."

Appleget tossed five strong innings Tuesday night as Kennedy walked past Davenport Central, 8-2, in a non-conference game at the Kennedy field.

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Tory Harman honored on MVC soccer squad

There were many outstanding female soccer players this year in the Mississippi Valley Conference, which produced two state champions in the Xavier Saints and Kennedy Cougars.

As far as the MVC coaches are concerned, Kennedy junior Tory Harman was the Athlete of the Year in the Mississippi Division. Harman topped the all-MVC honor squads announced Monday after helping the Cougars win the Class 3A state title on Saturday.

Allie Hutcheson, Kaela Dickerman and Emily Feltes of Kennedy joined Harman on the first team in the Mississippi Division.

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