Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cougars pace Metro at MVC volleyball

CEDAR FALLS – In the power-packed Mississippi Valley Conference volleyball tournament Saturday that featured way more nail-biters than blowouts, coming close was almost as good as winning.

The home team Tigers of Cedar Falls captured the crown by taming Iowa City West, 25-19 25-19, in the finals.

But five of the six Metro teams in the 14-school field won two of their three matches in pool play, and four of them advanced to the championship bracket.

Only Prairie (16-17) could be said to have had a disappointing day, losing all three morning matches and then splitting two in the consolation bracket.

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Refs made right call against Cougars

Upon further review, Kennedy football coach Tim Lewis acknowledged the officials made the correct call against the Cougars in their 30-27 loss to Dubuque Hempstead Friday night at Dalzell Field in Dubuque.

Kennedy quarterback Derek Jacobus was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he leaped over a Hempstead defender on a running play in open field. Lewis questioned the call Friday, saying he'd never seen a penalty like that in 22 years as a high school coach.

He checked the rulebook and discovered the officials were right. It's a safety rule, meant to protect the player who is being vaulted.

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Kennedy hurt by strange call in Dubuque

DUBUQUE – Referees deemed Derek Jacobus' razzle dazzle Made-For-SportsCenter's Top 10 performance too much, and a gritty Dubuque Hempstead defense resolved the showstopping Cedar Rapids Kennedy quarterback wouldn't be the death of their playoff dream Friday night.

On Jacobus' only real mistake of an otherwise brilliant night, Blake Thurston stepped in front of big Cougars tight end Killian Magee in the right corner of the end zone to intercept Jacobus with 40 seconds left and seal the Mustangs' crazy 30-27 homecoming victory over Kennedy at Dalzell Field.

“I saw the ball in the air and said, 'That's mine,'” Thurston remarked. “I've got to get it for the team.”

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Kennedy girls take 2nd at division race

IOWA CITY - Alyssa Averhoff and Allison Culver helped Kennedy finish in second place at the Mississippi Division cross country meet Thursday in Iowa City.

Ashlynn Yokom led Iowa City West to the team championship. Averhoff placed second and Culver finished third for the Cougars.

The Jefferson girls finished in fifth place.

Jonathan Specht led Dubuque Hempstead to the boys title. Kennedy placed fifth and Jefferson was sixth.

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Cougars, Saints pace all-Metro golf

The Kennedy Cougars claimed five spots on the all-Metro boys golf team Thursday and the Xavier Saints grabbed four berths.

Davis Sutton, Conner Koberg and Cole Murdock of Kennedy made the first team. Ross Grekoff and Seth Nutt from Kennedy were honored on the second unit.

Matt Junge and Ben Sagers from Xavier were first-team selections. Kellen Gray and John Ingwersen made second team all-Metro for the Saints.

Dominic Rodriguez of Washington was named first team all-Metro.

Denny Goettel and Chris James of Washington were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.

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Cougars swept by Iowa City West, 3-0

IOWA CITY —  The Cedar Rapids Kennedy volleyball team was swept by Iowa City West, 27-25, 25-18, 25-18, in a Mississippi Valley Conference volleyball meet in Iowa City on Tuesday night.

Paige Franck had nine kills for the Cougars. Anna Fluent finished with 27 assists and three aces.

Madi Meier collected 23 digs. Brinley Milbrath had six blocks.

Kennedy swimmers trimmed by Senior

DUBUQUE — The eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy swim team was edged by No.17 Dubuque Senior, 96-90, Tuesday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet in Dubuque.

Dubuque Senior won all 12 events, although some of the races were extremely close.

Kennedy finished second in 10 events. Brooke Timmerman placed second in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.

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Kennedy golfers settle for 2nd (again)

A steady stream of well-wishers patted the Kennedy golfers on the back and congratulated them on another successful season Saturday after they finished second at the Class 4A state tournament for the third time in four years.

The Cougars were Mississippi Valley Conference champs, CRANDIC champs and district champs again this year, along with other nice honors, and the well-wishers reminded them that placing second in the state tournament is pretty darn good.

For their part, the Cougars smiled and thanked everyone for their kind remarks, but inside they were obviously a little disappointed. They finished second by one shot last year and honestly thought they could climb to the top this time at Hunters Ridge in Marion, a course they've played often and conquered before.

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Kennedy's hopes blowing in the wind

His top golfer shot an 80, the winds howled at 30 mph and his team finished with one of its worst scores in ages.

Despite all that, Kennedy Coach Mark Wilden left Hunters Ridge Golf Course with an optimistic tune Friday after the opening round of the Class 4A state tournament.

And why not? The Cougars had a four-man score of 317, unusually high for them, but Ankeny Centennial was the only squad that fared any better at 310 in the 12-team field.

Kennedy, searching for its first state title since 1990, stands all alone in second place heading into the final 18 holes Saturday.

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