Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

No.1 Wahlert holds off Saints, 70-62

EPWORTH - Adam McDermott and Calvin Winker will play on separate AAU basketball teams this spring and summer, but they'll be working for the same goal when they join forces at Xavier High School again next season as seniors.

They want one more victory to reach the big stage at the state tournament in Des Moines.

The Saints overcame a 14-point deficit and gave top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert a big scare Monday night in the Class 3A substate finals, but the Golden Eagles kept their cool and claimed a 70-62 victory before a packed house in Epworth.

McDermott gave Xavier a 52-51 lead with a steal and layup with 5:35 left in the game, but Jared Walker responded with a 3-pointer for Wahlert to get his team headed in the right direction again with a 54-52 edge.

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Kaness, Miller lead boys All-Metro bowling

Kyle Kaness of Washington and Caleb Miller of Xavier have been named the Co-Athletes of the Year on the 2014 All-Metro boys bowling team, as selected by Metro coaches.

Kaness, Miller and Victor Baccam of Jefferson were unanimous picks on the first team. They were joined by Austin Kluth of Jefferson, Seth Tegtmeier of Linn-Mar and Josh Kacena of Prairie.

Mat Fowler of Jefferson was named the Coach of the Year. Fowler is an assistant coach with the J-Hawks.

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Saints top Indians; No.1 Wahlert next

The Xavier boys had all they could handle Thursday night with a scrappy Marion squad to make it to next week's substate final.

What the underdog

Indians (10-13) lacked in size they made up for in heart and hustle.

The Saints (15-8) prevailed, 62-49, in the Linn-Mar gym and get to face Class 3A top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert (17-3) next Monday at Epworth for a state tournament berth.

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Bailey, Saints drop heartbreaker to Lancers

MOUNT VERNON - Lizzy Bailey made a bid for the Kayla Armstrong Award Tuesday night, but Bailey and the Xavier Saints fell a second short of earning a trip back to the Class 4A state tournament.

Evan Hundley scored on a putback at the buzzer to lift 10th-ranked North Scott past the 13th-ranked Saints, 47-46, in the frantic regional finals in Mount Vernon.

It was Hundley's only basket of the game and denied Xavier a chance to defend its Class 4A state title from a year ago.

Bailey poured in a career-best 24 points and hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Saints a 46-45 lead, but they ran out of magic.

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