Washington High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Lombardi eyes another winner at Wash

The Washington Warriors sent 10 of their best football players to college programs this year and their new starting quarterback has not played the position since he was a freshman in 2009, so why is Coach Tony Lombardi smiling?

"I believe in my kids, I believe in my staff," Lombardi said Friday after the Warriors held an intrasquad scrimmage at Kingston Stadium. "I think we can have a winning season, I think we can have a little bit of a run in the playoffs.

"That would be a great goal for this group of kids, because we're very young."

The Warriors finished 8-4 last season, upset two No. 2 teams and reached the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs, but many of the stars of that club are now college kids and college football players.

Read more...

Puk fans 2 batters at PG all-star game

SAN DIEGO - A.J. Puk pitched a scoreless inning and struck out two batters for the East team at the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park in San Diego Sunday.

Puk, a 6-foot-6 lefthander from Cedar Rapids Washington, allowed one hit during his stint on the mound.

Puk also played first base and went 0-for-2 as a batter.

The West team trimmed the East, 7-6.

Carr embraces life as UNI defender

It was a joy to watch Alex Carr play tailback at Cedar Rapids Washington during the 2010 campaign.

A little guy but extremely tough, he'd carry the ball 30 times, 40 times or even 50 times a game, whatever the team needed, and he'd look just as strong, just as fresh, just as quick, just as fast in the fourth quarter as when the game began.

He scooted for 1,925 yards and accounted for 28 touchdowns for the Warriors in 2010 as a senior and made the all-state teams, and rightfully so.

Now it's two years later and No.22 is wearing purple these days at the University of Northern Iowa. And despite all that good work at tailback in high school, his days as a running back are over. He's a full-time cornerback, with no big regrets.

"I've grown out of the wanting-to-play running back phase," he said with a smile Saturday at UNI's media day. "I've got my mind transferred over to playing on the defensive side."

Read more...

James, Goettel will coach Wash boys golf

Chris James and Dennis Goettel will serve as the co-head coaches of the Cedar Rapids Washington boys golf team this season, the Warriors announced Friday.

They succeed Matt Miller, who resigned in June.

James is also an assistant girls golf coach and assistant girls basketball coach at Washington. He also served as an assistant boys golf coach for the Warriors in previous years and is an assistant men's golf coach at Kirkwood Community College.

James played golf at St. Ambrose University, graduating in 2008. He played at Kirkwood when the Eagles placed second in the nation in 2006 and played at Cedar Rapids Washington when the Warriors finished second in the state tournament in 2002.

James won the Cedar Rapids City Amateur golf title in 2008 and 2010.

Goettel served as the activities director at Washington for 15 years until his retirement in 2006. He is the head girls golf coach at Washington and has been an assistant boys golf coach for four years.

Goettel graduated from Washington in 1963 and is a member of the school's Hall of Fame.