Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Saints, Cougars could win state titles

The Xavier Saints and Kennedy Cougars could win boys state basketball titles this week in Des Moines if they play well and take advantage of the big 94-foot court at Wells Fargo Arena.

On the other hand, both teams could lose in the first round if they get stage fright and kick it around.

Here's betting it will be a fun week in Des Moines for Xavier and Kennedy, which have more in common than simply a campus that borders 42nd Street NE in Cedar Rapids.

The Saints and Cougars are mirror-images of each other in many ways.

Both teams have balanced attacks with lots of explosive players who are capable of scoring 20 points in a ballgame (and have).

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Michael Mims wins Metro Spotlight Award

Xavier senior Michael Mims is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Mims, a 5-foot-11 guard, is a key member of the Xavier basketball team that will take an eight-game winning streak into the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The Saints (16-8) will face Pella (21-2) at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.

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No magic for Saints against Harlan

DES MOINES - Returning to face the opponent it won a state championship against in 2013, the Xavier Saints could not find the same magic this year in the opening round of the Class 4A state tournament.

The eighth-ranked Saints lost to top-ranked Harlan, 54-31, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Saints never got comfortable against the Cyclones' zone defense and length inside, struggling to make shots from the opening tip until the very end. Xavier finished the year with a 17-7 record.

The story coming in was how Coach Tom Lilly would try to counteract Harlan's post tandem of Taylor Frederick and Jess Schaben. Unfortunately for him, Xavier didn't have much of an answer all night as Frederick went off for 27 points and 15 rebounds.

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Armstrong willed Saints to 2013 title

Kayla Armstrong was a superb soccer player at Xavier High School and a member of four state championship teams in a row, but she had only mixed results as a basketball player.

Then came the 2013 state basketball tournament and she became a star.

It all began innocently enough in the opening round of the state tournament when Armstrong scored four points in a 50-45 victory over Lewis Central. She had averaged a modest 6.9 points during the regular season, so it was no big deal.

What happened next was truly amazing.

Armstrong turned into a superstar in the semifinals with 22 points, six rebounds, six steals and five assists in a 68-57 victory over Sioux City Heelan with an astounding performance.

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