Kennedy High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Prairie girls knock off No. 9 Kennedy

After his undefeated girls were upended 51-44 at Prairie Tuesday night, Kennedy Coach Tony Vis summed it up best.

“It’s not always the size of the dog in the fight,” he said. “Sometimes it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

His Cougars came into the dogfight at 5-0 and ranked ninth in last week’s Class 5A poll.

Although playing again without injured center Morgan Martin, they still had more veterans and more height in the lineup than the short-handed Hawks.

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Kennedy boys outlast Prairie in OT

Prairie scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game, but managed only three in overtime, and was beaten by Kennedy, 58-53, Tuesday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball game at Kennedy.

Kennedy (3-1, 2-0) enjoyed a 12-point lead three times in the second half, but the Hawks (1-5, 0-2) came roaring back in the fourth quarter. Jace Hanna scored on a driving layup with 1.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, 50-50.

Hanna, Prairie's senior point guard, seemed to take the game into his own hands in the second half and willed the Hawks into overtime.  Hanna led all scorers with 17 points, all in the second half and overtime. Sophomore Jo Jo Simpson chipped in 13 points for the Hawks.

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Kennedy swimmers take 2nd at Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN - The Kennedy Cougars won two events and placed second in the team standings at the Bobcat Invitational swimming meet Saturday in Marshalltown.

Chandler Heisler participated in both victories for Kennedy. He teamed with Stefan Kitsos to win the 400 medley relay, and he joined Dylan Casey, John Richardson and Brennan Urbi on the victorious 400 freestyle relay.

All of the events in the meet were relays. Some of them were two-man relays and some were four-man relays.

West Des Moines Valley won the four-team invitational.

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Cougars stave off pesky Wahawks

WATERLOO -Patrick Martin scored 18 points and Johnathan Koelling added 16 to lead Kennedy past Waterloo West, 57-49, Friday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball game at West.

Kennedy (2-1, 1-0) led 34-30 at halftime and never could shake the pesky Wahawks.

Kennedy won the game at the free throw line, outscoring West 15-8. The Cougars made two more free throws than West attempted.

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Hendrickson leads Kennedy girls to win

Paige Hendrickson scored 19 points to lead Kennedy past Waterloo West, 67-58, Friday night in girls basketball at Kennedy.

Jordan Holmes added 11 points and Stephanie Botkin had 10 for the Class 5A No. 9 Cougars (5-0, 3-0 MVC).

Holmes and Hendrickson made three 3-pointers apiece.

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Kennedy matmen trimmed by City High

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy wrestling team built a 39-18 lead against Iowa City High Thursday night, but it slipped away.

The Little Hawks collected 24 points in the last four matches and edged the Cougars, 42-39, in a Mississippi Valley Conference meet at Kennedy.

Logen Rodriguez, Taylor Moss, Austen Winders, Jack Nolan and Nick Polum had pins for Kennedy as the Cougars built their big lead. But Iowa City High got pins at 195 pounds, 220 and 285 and won the meet when Kennedy forfeited the final bout at 106 pounds.

Kennedy defeated Waterlo East, 69-6, in the double-dual. Waterloo East put only five wrestlers on the mat in that match. The Trojans forfeited at eight weight classes and there was a double-forfeit at 106.

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Kennedy bowlers squeeze past Prairie

Kennedy held off Prairie, 2777-2732, Thursday in boys bowling at Cedar Rapids Bowling Center.

Kyle Custer had high series for Kennedy with a 393. Doug Svoboda had high game with a 217.

Chase Bicket had high game and series for Prairie with a 217 and 393.

Kennedy held a 126-pin lead after the first round, but Prairie came roaring back in the Baker round before falling short.

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Wiedemeier sends Kennedy past Prairie

Amanda Wiedemeier had the line Thursday for Kennedy, rolling games of 213 and 179 for a 392 series that led the Cougars past Prairie, 2404-2173, at Cedar Rapids Bowling Center.

Laura Fischer had a 318 series for Kennedy.

Rylee Blood led Prairie with a 316 series. The Hawks' Niona Bruce was injured in the first game of the first round and forced to withdraw.

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Kennedy defense stifles Linn-Mar girls

Kennedy stepped up its defensive play and kept its record clean, beating host Linn-Mar 49-31 Tuesday night in a non-conference matchup of Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball  foes.

Linn-Mar (2-3) led 12-9 at the end of the first quarter, but an aggressive Kennedy defense only allowed one point in the second quarter and only 18 more points in the second half.

“Defensively we seemed to find our niche tonight,” said Kennedy Coach Tony Vis.  “We look like we are building a belief that we can be successful and, as a first year coach, it’s important for us to be 4-0 early in the season.”

Jordan Holmes took control for the Class 5A No. 9 Cougars.  She directed the offense and scored 16 points, including all three of Kennedy’s 3-point baskets. Stephanie Botkin was also in double figures with 11.

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