Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Saints pound Warriors for title

If baseball practice ever gets tedious at Xavier High School this season, Coach Dave Schemmel could simply blow his whistle and tell the guys to line up for a game of touch football.

These Saints would know exactly what to do.

Schemmel has 28 players on his roster this season, and 21 of them played football last fall and helped Xavier reach the championship game of the Class 4A playoffs and finish with a sparkling 13-1 record.

Many of the same guys who excelled in football have helped the Saints get off to a fast start in baseball, too.

Xavier whipped the Washington Warriors, 11-1, in six innings Thursday night to win the Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball Tournament at the Linn-Mar complex.

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No.2 Saints fly into substate finals

Isaac Frisch, Eli Smith, Caelen Lilly and Camden Stovie scored goals Wednesday as No.2 Xavier blanked Mount Vernon, 4-0, in the Class 2A substate tournament at Xavier.

Paul Cavin shared Xavier's 10th shutout of the season with Nick Huss.

The Saints will host 11th-ranked Clear Creek Amana in the substate finals Saturday at noon, with the winner advancing to the state soccer tournament.

Stephen Jones, Connor Ramlo, Dan Cowden and John Drahozal collected assists for Xavier.

Brown's no-hitter sends Saints to finals

Zach Brown cannot touch his toes, but he sure can pitch.

Brown tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts Tuesday night as Xavier blanked Linn-Mar, 4-0, in the semifinals of the Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball Tournament at the new Linn-Mar complex.

Brown, a senior right-hander, is a strong guy and a good athlete, but he has to bend his knees to reach his toes.

"I'm just not very flexible," he said.

It didn't matter Tuesday.

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Saints sweep Cougars in Price's debut

Xavier opened the Nikki Price Era with a pair of softball wins Tuesday at Kennedy.

The Saints got a pair of home runs from Erin Drahozal and whipped Kennedy twice, 6-1 and 11-2, in an MVC doubleheader.

Price was coaching her first games as Xavier coach. She took over when Brian Erbe left after last season to take the Jefferson position.

Drahozal belted a three-run homer in the opener, then hit a second homer and picked up the win as pitcher in the nightcap.

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