Before anything else, let me just say how fun it was, and how much I enjoyed watching the Cougar football team play this season. That being said, I was saddened after the state championship game where Kennedy lost their first game of the year to Dowling Catholic. Dowling, a private school that can recruit their athletes, were just full a big, strong, fast players. I guess I really have to give it up to Dowling....or at least their recruiting. No, but seriously, they do a great job over there at Dowling....great job of recruiting! It's easy to win football games when you play against public high schools that can't recruit their players and you can. I mean you know something is screwed up when a team doesn't ever lose for like 3 straight years. Anyways, it was fun to watch the Cougars this season.
Kennedy finished the year with only one loss, and also had the best record in school history at 7 and 0. Additionally, the Cougs were a fun team to watch. It wasn't like way back when they used to run the ball two times, pass one more, and then punt it away on fourth down. It was a real pound and fly offense which utilized Shaun Beyer, Tyler Dralle, and the ginormous Kennedy O-Line. This system proved to be the second best offense in the state (to Dowling), and the best rushing attack in the state. This combined with Kennedy's stellar defense carried them the entire year to victory after victory.
It was a fun season for all Cougar players and fans. I hope that is what is taken away from this season. Not a loss in the championship game, but the best season by far in school history. I know that's what I'll take away from this season. Forever roll cougs.
During the past week the Cubs have gone three for three on regular season awards. Manager Joe Maddon won "Manager of the Year", Kris Bryant won "Rookie of the Year", and Jake Arrieta won the "Cy Young Award". Sure the awards themselves don't earn you anything, but it is still nice to acknowledge the triumphs that these guys had this season.
The Cubs winning all of these awards is certainly a good thing for Cubs fans not only because it shows how good they did this season, but it also shows their capability to have a good team next year. Hopefully their success will carry on from season to season. If it does, you can expect the Cubs to be a force in the NL Central this upcoming season.
The Cubs have been riding on this hope that their young talented prospects will be able to bring success to Chicago's north side. Many, including myself, believe that this will be the Cubs best chance to win a World Series championship since 2003. The Cubs have put themselves in prime position to win it all in the upcoming years. In fact they will probably be one of the two favorites to go all the way this coming year. If there was ever a time to be a Cubs fan, it would be now. I guess that's nice for me.
The Kennedy Cougars are going to be playing for a state title! Following their impressive win over Bettendorf, the Cougs will play Dowling Catholic in the championship game. Dowling is a very, very good team. They haven't lost a game in over three years and are looking to keep that streak going into their game vs. Kennedy at the Dome.
Both teams are obviously very good, or else they wouldn't even be here. However, Dowling takes good, makes it look better, and then makes it look perfect. This isn't to say that they are unbeatable, they are. However, when your program doesn't lose for three years, you must be doing something right.
On the other side, Kennedy has had their best season in school history. They have won every single one of their games to this point but, will be facing their toughest opponent on Friday night in the Dome. Kennedy will be without their biggest offensive lineman, and their fastest wide receiver is also questionable with a concussion. That being said, Kennedy have the best skill position play in the state in Shaun Beyer, and also have the number two rushing attack in the state behind runningback Tyler Dralle.
This game is a tough one to call. Kennedy has the best defense in the state, but Dowling has the best offense in the state. However, since this is a blog, I suppose that I should give a prediction. I have Kennedy winning 24-21 over Dowling.
It is said that the 1992 Dream Team is the best basketball team to ever step onto a basketball court. However, I and many others, disagree. The old guys of the 90's were good, but they would not be able to beat this year's Olympic team.
Old people have big googly eyes for the guys who played on the dream team. This blocks them from seeing the far superior players of today's generation. The game is so much faster and more athletically demanding then the game of the 90's. However, the old guys can boast that their generation played in a much more physical league.
During the later half of the the 20th century, the NBA was quite a physical game. Guys were constantly being knocked down to the ground every time that they would come through the lane. If you were a big man back in that day, then your main job, pretty much your only job would be to protect that rim. A great example of this would be the Bad Boy Pistons of the early 90's. The Bad Boys exemplified this era in the sense that they were always, always knocking guys down, throwing elbows, or even throwing punches. You really had to be strong in order to play in the league during that era.
The old geezers grew up watching the most physical era of the NBA. The best of the best from this era went on to play for the Dream Team. However, the debate remains, was that Dream Team and their era of basketball, better than the present day Olympic team and their style of play.
The current era of the NBA is friendly to shooters and ball handlers. Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving are great examples of this. Both combine their abilities to shoot, with their skill while handling the ball, to dominate their opposition. Both players will be on the upcoming Olympic team however, only Curry will start. Even though Kyrie is a very talented player, Curry will be the star point guard on the Olympic team.
Steph Curry is an amazing human being. Some of the things that he does on the basketball court is incredible. Personally, I think that Curry is the best point guard to play for a long time, and maybe, if he keeps this pace up, ever. Curry is virtually impossible to guard one on one. Because of his great ball handling skills, he would be one of many very tough matchups for the Dream Team. I believe that his counterpart, Magic Johnson, would have a very tough time guarding a lot of different point guards, let alone Steph Curry. If you don't believe me in my amazement of Curry, then you need to watch one of his highlight videos.
Curry isn't the only favorable matchup for the young guys. Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and most of all, LeBron James all pose difficulties for the Dream Team. One only position that I truly think would win their matchup for the Dream Team would be the goat, Michael Jordan. Jordan is, in my opinion, the best to ever play the game. When he wanted to score, like really wanted to, there was no stopping him. Sure you could foul him, but then you are putting an 84% free throw shooter on the line without him even having to work for his shot. The youth squad would have to put someone like LeBron or Jimmy Butler on Jordan to even hope that he doesn't put up 30 plus points. But honestly, Jordan really might be the only way that the Dream Team could consistently score. It would be tough, but I think Jordan could almost, almost carry his team to a victory over the upset minded kids.
In the end, even though the game would never be possible to play, I think that the Dream Team would, with most of their players out of their primes, lose to the current Olympic team. Curry, LeBron, and Davis would just be to much to handle. I would say that the old men's ankles would crumble on their way a 108-96 loss to the superior young boys. Let's just hope someday that technology will allow us to at least simulate this game and end the debate.
The Hawks win again! Following a 35-27 win over the Indiana Hoosiers the Hawkeyes are undefeated at 9-0. They are first place in the big ten west and have their eyes on the big ten title game. Despite the fact that they are undefeated, the college football polls have not been favorable to the black and gold.
The college football board has not been very approving of Iowa this year. Their big problem with Iowa is their strength of schedule. However, the good teams that they have played, Pitt at home and Northwestern on the road, have been victories for the Hawks. Meanwhile, there are teams rated above Iowa who have lost games already this year. For instance, Notre Dame is a very good team. However, they have lost a game already whereas Iowa is an undefeated team in a power five conference with a respectable out of conference schedule. That is not to take anything away from the Irish, but I just don't understand how you could argue that an undefeated power five conference team is barely in the top ten behind other unproven teams.
What's even worse is that teams like Stanford are considered to be better than Iowa even though Iowa spanked a Northwestern team by 30. The same Wildcat team that beat Stanford. Additionally, Iowa won the Northwestern game with their third string running-back! It has to be seen as impressive when your two top running-backs are out for the week, and you can hand the ball off to your third string back for four touchdowns against a stout defense.
We'll have to see how the remaining regular season games play out, but if Iowa goes undefeated, and then wins the big ten title game, I don't know how you could keep the Hawkeyes out of the college football playoff.
This year's World Series was over pretty quick. Following their impressive sweep of the Cubs in the NLCS, the Mets went down to the Royals in just 5 quick games. The Royals had success all year by putting the ball into play. This carried into the postseason where they put up a total of 90 runs. Their dominating pitching and great hitting were enough for a World Series trophy.
The Royals had complete control of this series. It seemed as if the Met's hitting ran out of gas, and the Met's pitching was no match for the high powered Royals offense. In games two, four, and five, the Royals were dominant. However, in game one specifically, the Mets had a great chance at winning. They were down to one final out in the ninth innings. The Mets had the lead, and the Royals had Alex Gordon at the plate. Gordon came in clutch with a deep solo home run to straight away center field. It must have been somewhat disappointing to lose a game when you were that close to bringing a home field advantage back to New York, and going into game two with a lead.
After the game one loss, the Mets really didn't have any more luck. They put up a total of six runs in their next three losses. Once the series was over, it was evident that the Mets ran out of the energy necessary to take down the powerhouse Royals.
The Royals began the year as one of the many favorites to win the World Series. Following their World Series loss last year to the Giants, the Royals came back to the postseason with more experience and better pitching, despite how hard that is to believe. By season's end, the Royals were the team to watch and they capped off the year with champagne all around.
This year's World Series is going to include a team that everyone expected to be there, and a team that no one expected. The Royals dominated all year and deserve to be there. On the other hand, the Mets had a very average season, scrambled into the playoffs, and now find themselves playing in the World Series.
Both of these teams have hot offenses, good starting pitching, and fantastic bullpens. It is clear to see why both of these teams have made it this far. When a team's hitters catch fire at the right time and they have pitching to back them up, they are almost unstoppable. This was shown in the Cubs and Mets series. The Mets, who have their hottest streak of hitting that they've had all year, completely steamrolled the Cubs. On the other side of the league, the Royals won in six games with the Blue Jays, and the only reason that the series went that long is because the Blue Jays had crazy offensive outputs in their two wins. It wouldn't be far fetched to say that they two best offenses of the playoffs are the two that will be playing for the big one.
Both teams have fantastic home field advantages. The Mets' will come back home in games 2, 3, and 4 at City Field in New York, while the Royals' are hoping their advantage will be the fans at Kauffman stadium in Kansas City
Speaking from experience of going to Kauffman stadium for the World Series last year, all i can say is that the atmosphere is just crazy electric. Everyone should have a point in their life where they can be a part of something that intense and fun. It was by far my favorite sporting event that I have ever been to.
The Cubs vs. Mets series was a very anticipated series. However, it was anything but enjoyable to watch. The Mets swept the Cubs in four straight blowout games. During this series the Mets completely outscored, outplayed, and outworked the Cubs. You could cue the Cubs failure up to their overconfidence following the victories over the Cardinals, but I would say hats off to the Mets for their performances and talent.
Following an impressive statement series win over the Cardinals, the Cubs were the favorite to win the World Series and, they could have. However, when you give up 9 total runs in the first innings of each game in the series, have barely 25 hits in the series, and are facing a team with a proven bullpen, it's very hard to win any games. New York really pulled everything that they did out of nowhere, completely stunning the Cubs. The Mets, not the Cubs, were the ones hitting homeruns, stealing bases, and dominating with their pitching. It was honestly one of the most dominating performances that I could've ever have imagined happening in this series. When it was all said and done, it was a disappointing series for all Cubs fans.
If you were to exclude hunting as a sport, then the first sports that we as humans had would have to be boxing or wrestling. Boxing and wrestling were really the first forms of competition in combination with displays of athleticism. While boxing and wrestling still exist today, many new sports have been created and experienced by millions of people. For instance, in the late 19th century, football was invented when Rutgers and Princeton played each other in the first collegiate football game ever. Football has grown into the most popular sport in America and now generates over $10 billion dollars every year. Such fascinating sports such as boxing or football provide amusement and establish emotional connections to all of their viewers.
Some of the greatest moments in history have come from sports. Depending on what sport you like, if you like any, your favorite moments in sports might include the U.S.A. upset over the U.S.S.R. in the 1980 winter Olympics, the Boston Red Sox's 3-0 series comeback against the Yankees, or maybe even Sergio Aguerro's last second goal against Queens Park Rangers to win the Barclay's Premier League. If you like sports, then you most likely have your own favorite sport's moment. Your favorite moment could even be some event to you actually witnessed. For example, my favorite sports moment was at game 6 of the 2014 World Series. The Kansas City Royals were already up 9-0, but then Mike Moustakas hit a solo home run to put the nail in the coffin on the San Francisco Giants. Sports provide excellent pleasure and a sense of pride for all that are involved. Long story short, sports are magnificent.
It has not been a good past couple of days for Cubs fans. After losing the series opener in New York, the Cubs threw their ace Jake Arrieta. Arrieta has been dominant all season long and the Cubs were 7 and 0 against the Mets earlier in the year. It's fair to say that Chicago fans were confident that they would follow their game one loss with a dominant victory. This is why it was disappointing when the Mets outscored the Cubs 4-1.
Almost all of the Mets' firepower came in the first inning when Curtis Granderson scored on a flyball double. Following the double, Daniel Murphy scooped a curveball about 3 feet past the foul pole.
With Noah Syndergaard on the mound with a three run lead, it was pretty much wrapped up right there.
The Cubs tried to come back in the later innings, but they were never able to string together hits. The Cubs did have a bright spot in the form of their bullpen. The Chicago bullpen has yet to give up a run through the first two games. That, however, was just about their only bright spot so far through this series. They have been outhit in both games and have had more errors than the Mets. Still, despite their 2-0 disadvantage, I expect the Cubs to put up a fight in their next couple of games at Wrigley.
The Cubs have a chance to make a comeback in this series given the fact that they get to play the next three games of the series at home. Chicago has much better hitting in their home ballpark and the Mets have also struggled to put up runs at Wrigley. While the Cubs have already pitched their two best pitchers, you can expect there to be a high scoring game at Wrigley this Tuesday night.
The Cubs will have Kyle Hendricks on the mound at home this Tuesday. Hendricks has had an up and down season but has been pitching well as of late. If Hendricks can pitch a decent couple of innings, then the Cubs should be able to put up enough runs to support him. And with the Cubs hitting clicking on all levels at Wrigley, that should be no problem. The real test will be which team has the lead when they hand the ball off to their bullpen. Both teams have strong enough bullpens to hang onto a couple run lead in the late innings.
Both teams are extremely capable of putting up large number of runs. If you had to give the advantage to one lineup's hitting, it would be the Mets. However, the Cubs have been crazy good at home this entire season. This is in large part due to the fact that Kris Bryant has over 75% of his homeruns hit at home. If Bryant and other big hitters like Rizzo and Schwarber can connect to make a couple of hits between them, the Cubs will have a great chance of winning. It almost seems like it's Chicago's game to screw up on. They can throw everything that they got at the Mets because they have almost nothing to lose.
In the end, I have the Cubs winning this one. They have already proven before, in games three and four against the Cardinals, that they can come back to Wrigley and just have their offense explode. The Cubs also have their backs against the wall, and as we all know, people are most dangerous with their backs against the wall. If the Cubs can win their next game, then I have them winning the entire series. If not, then I think that the series is all but over. If you would rather put it this way, the entire series will really come down to game three at Wrigley.
I think that kids should play sports while they are growing for three reasons, to build relationships, to expose kids to various activities, and to prevent obesity.
Kids should play sports to build friendships. From an early age, kids can meet a new pal on a team that they get along with and already you might have a friend for the rest of your life. The social interactions surrounding sports are terrific for children. Kids are able to work on social skills and communication, both of which are necessary for adult life. I would say that about 75% of the friends that I have played a sport with me at some point in my childhood. So not only do you make a lot of friends, but the friendships last too.
Another reason why kids should play sports is because they need to be exposed to as many activities as possible early in life to see what peaks their interests and not their parents interests. From an early age I knew that I wanted to play basketball, and just like me, there are millions more of kids that find out what they enjoy at early ages. Even if you don't like sports at an early age, you figure that out early and can avoid doing as many similar activities in your adulthood. A big part of this exposure that the kids would be getting from sports is influenced by immature parents. Many parents pass down their own interests on their children and that is just plain wrong. Children should be encouraged to follow their own interests, sports related or not, and enjoy what they are doing. This isn't to say that parents shouldn't be involved with their kids, it's just that some are too influential.
The last reason why kids should play sports is to avoid obesity. Being active in sports is a great way to stop kids from sitting at home and gaining too much weight. In combination with a good diet, participating in sports will keep children out of obesity, feeling better, and active in life.
In conclusion, sports are an excellent opportunity for kids and should be taken advantage of while they still can early in life.
It was a cold, hard fought game last Friday night as Kennedy took the W in their game against Cedar Falls. The Tigers played hard, but the powerful Cougars' defense was just too much.
Kennedy began the cold, frigid evening with a long touchdown drive. The drive was highlighted by a long 60 yard run by quarterback Nick Duehr. Although Kennedy scored easily on its first drive, it was tough for both offenses to get anything going in the harsh weather. The Kennedy offense was very ground and pound, once they got the lead. In contrast, the Cedar Falls offense was more of a spread offense with a little more passing. Nevertheless, the Tigers were no match for the Cougars in this one.
Following their impressive 21-7 win, Kennedy remains unbeaten and, are still fighting for that #1 seed in the 32 team playoffs. Kennedy will stay atop their division at 8-0 while the Tigers will fall to 5-3. Kennedy has now clinched a spot not only in the playoffs, but also as one of the top seeds. The Cougars, having posted some of the best defensive numbers in the state, are hoping that their defense will be good enough to carry them to a state title game.
Only time will tell if the Cougars from Cedar Rapids will be able to go the distance this year. They certainly have to talent and poise to do so. The question will be if they, or some other opponent, get hot late on in the year. Because as we all know, once the playoffs start, previous records go out the window.
Well, this should be a pretty easy game for the Cougars. When you look at these two teams, there is a very clear and definite favorite to win this game. The Cougars come in with a perfect record. The East team, can say just the opposite. Also, it hasn't just been the fact that East have lost so many games, it's the fact that they have lost by so much. They have lost by an average of 13 points through their first 6 games. Kennedy have an average win total by the exact same, 13 points. It should be a blowout this Friday night at Kingston.
I'll try to keep this short just because of how little there is to write about this game. For starters, the biggest skill position player for the East football team is 6 feet tall and only weighs 130 pounds. And then on the other side, Shaun Beyer, Kennedy's biggest skill position player, is about 6 foot 5 inches tall and is being recruited by Iowa, North Dakota State, and Wisconsin. I realized that there are 10 other players on each side of the ball, but it is a clear mismatch if you just look at the top two players of each team.
In the end I have Kennedy winning this one by a measly 56-0 advantage.
Cubs Win! Cubs Win! As expected, it was a very intense game in Pittsburgh this past evening. PNC park was incredibly loud and both teams were amped up and ready to play by the first pitch. It was expected to be a close pitching matchup with few runs, if any, scored while the starters were still working. However, this was not the case.
Gerrit Cole was on the mound for the Pirates and he struggled early. Cole gave up the game's first hit to the first batter, Dexter Fowler. Kyle Schwarber followed up with an RBI single after Fowler stole second base. Then in the second inning, Fowler again had a hit into the outfield. But this time, Schwarber followed up with a complete bomb to over the right field seats and out of the stadium. Schwarber's home run really opened up the game for Jake Arrieta. With a three run lead, Arrieta was sure to hold on to his lead.
Jake Arrieta had his stuff going through the first couple of innings, only allowing one hit through 5 innings.Then in the 6th inning, the Pirates were threatening with the bases loaded and their cleanup hitter up to bat. Down 4 runs, Starlin Marte had the opportunity to tie the ball game with one swing. Instead he hit a ground ball to shortstop Addison Russel for an inning ending double play. The double play really took the wind out if the Pirate's sails as they didn't get much going after that. Then again, who knows, if Addison Russel doesn't stop that ball and turn two, do the Pirates go on to win?
There was a humorous moment in the 7th inning when Arrieta stole second base following a scuffle. The scuffle was a result of a pitch from Tony Watson that hit Arrieta. The pitch looked intentional considering that Arrieta had previously hit two of the Pittsburgh batters. Nevertheless, a benches clearing scuffle ensued, words were spoken, punches thrown, and finally the game started up again. This is when Arrieta stole second base rather humorously before the inning ended anyways on a Fowler strikeout. Nothing important really happened in the 7th inning, but it was still enjoyable to watch.
Long story short, it was a fun game to watch, for Cubs fans at least. The Cubs will go on to face the MLB best, St. Louis Cardinals, in the next, best out of three series.
PNC Park is going
to going crazy this Wednesday night. The second and third best teams in the
entire MLB will be playing each other as the Chicago Cubs take on the
Pittsburgh Pirates in what should be an exciting one game wild card matchup.
Both teams will have their aces on the mound and their winning lineups on the
field. Let's take a look at the pitching matchup.
The Pirates will
start their main man, Gerrit Cole. Cole posted very good numbers during the
regular season, reaching nearly 20 wins on the year. Cole does his work almost
exclusively with his laser four seam fastball and his killer slider. While the Pirates
are not necessarily known for their defense compared to their hitting, Cole has
been a very reliable option to go to this year. If he can get some offensive
help, the pirates might be in good shape.
On the other side
of the ball, the Cubs will have the Cy Young candidate, Jake Arrieta, on the
mound. Arrieta relies heavily on his Sinking fastball, slider, and curveball.
Arrieta posted a career best year with 22 wins and an amazing 1.77 ERA. Arrieta
also had a night to remember in Las Angeles. In this game Arrieta struck out 12
batters on his way to a no hitter. It was Arrieta's first no-no and it was also
the first no hitter since Carlos Zambrano's no hitter in 2008. Arrieta, almost
single handedly, could carry this team to the National League Divisional
Series.
Both teams have
had incredible seasons hitting the ball. In fact the Cubs have had the most
homeruns in the entire MLB since the All-Star break. Behind the oh so powerful
long ball from Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs put up large scoring
numbers since All-Star weekend. However, the Pirates have had their own success
from the plate. Big hitters like Andrew McCutchen and Gregor Blanco provided
firepower to the Pirates offensive efforts. It is clear that both teams have
good pitching and powerful hitting, or else they wouldn't even be here. I think
that the deciding factor will be which pitcher can last longer in the game.
Neither team really has stellar bullpens so I expect each offense to take
advantage of their oppositions bullpen. I would not put it past either team to
keep their starter in for at least 7 innings, if not 8 or 9.
Being a Cub's
fan, I have to agree with Vegas odd makers with their opinion that the Cubs
will come out victorious. Don 't get me wrong, I hope, I expect, this to be a
fun game to watch. However, I have to go
with Cubs Nation in this one.
Cougars win! Cougars win! The Cougars put down the smack on an upset minded Lion team. Despite the fact that it was their homecoming game, Linn-Mar looked awful. Sure the final score was only 31-6, but Kennedy clearly outplayed Linn-Mar the entire game.
Kennedy began the game with an early touchdown drive in which the Linn-Mar defense looked weak and lost. However, the Lions managed to stay in the game and were still in contention by the time that halftime came along. After halftime though, it was all Cougars. The entire game could be explained on one play from the second half. Shaun Beyer received a direct snap and weaved his way through the defense for a 55 yard touchdown run. It was Beyer and the Cougar defense that have propelled this team to a perfect 6-0 start.
Cougar Nation was in full attendance for the game, all dressed in pink for breast cancer awareness. The Kennedy student section has been pretty large and loud for all of the football games this year. However, I'd like to take a moment and say something to all of the Freshmen, and some Sophomores, you need to move back when an upperclassman asks you to make room and also, could you please stop the bottle-throwing? It is getting really old. Anyways, it was a fun night for the student section as they got to watch their team dominate on the field. Then after the game, both the student section and the football team met by the fences, and joined in as one voice for a chant led by Lucas Berry (Shoutout). Both the student section and the Cougar football team will be anxious for next week's matchup against Waterloo East.
Waterloo East is not a good football team. Kennedy will be hoping, planning for a blowout win against a weak East team at home. The Cougars will be heavy favorites to begin the season 7-0. You could expect there to be running clock for the majority of the game. I, like many others, have the Cougars winning their next game and I also, like many others, am planning on a fun game to watch with a lot of scoring on Kennedy's side of the ball. Long story short, it will be a fun game to go to for all Cougar fans.
Touchdown Kennedy! That's another touchdown for Shaun Beyer! I expect this to be popular phrase this Friday when Kennedy takes on Linn-Mar under the lights in Marion. Linn-Mar is a pretty weak 2-3 team. I believe that they are completely outmatched in this game as they take on the undefeated Kennedy team. Although Linn-Mar is coming off of a huge 58 point victory, they are the clear underdogs in this matchup. Kennedy's high powered offense put up 35 points on a very respectable Jefferson team this past week and are looking to do the same and then some against the Lions of Linn-Mar.
This past week both teams had big wins, admittedly one more so than the other, but both were impressive nonetheless. While Linn-Mar was impressive in their 58-0 victory, it was Kennedy who had the more impressive night when they beat Jefferson 35-7 at Kingston field. Kennedy looked dominant in all facets of the game. The Cougars defense had a shutout going through four quarters, and the Kennedy offense worked their own magic with their dominating rushing attack which ended with three touchdowns each by a different running back. It was, to be quite frank, a completely dominating performance by Kennedy.
In this week's matchup, Kennedy will have to focus on their game. In contrast, Linn-Mar will need to speed up the pace of the game in order to have any shot at winning their homecoming game. Linn-Mar's offense, much like Jefferson's, is going to have to have a big game in order to bring home a victory. However, this will be no easy task as Kennedy has had one of the best defensive starts to a season out of everyone in the state. In the end, I think that Kennedy's athleticism will be too much for Linn-Mar to handle. I have Kennedy beating Linn-Mar in the Lion's Homecoming game 49-7. You heard it here first folks!
Cougars win! Cougars win! It was a dominating performance for the Cougars as they went on to beat the Jefferson J-Hawks in a decisive 35-7 victory. The Cougars' defense held the high powered J-Hawk offense to 0 points for the first 3 quarters of the game. Additionally, the Cougars offense masterfully manipulated the J-Hawk defense.
The J-Hawks must have felt confident coming into Friday night's game, at least until kickoff. After that point, it was all downhill for the J-Hawks. The turning point in the game was in the first quarter with Kennedy up 7-0 and on 4th down in their own territory. The Cougars pulled of a flawless fake punt for a 55 yard touchdown run by Shaun Beyer. Jefferson knew coming into the game that it would be their offense that would have to carry them to victory. This however, became a problem when the high flying Jefferson offensive attack could not cross the goal line until the final quarter of the ball game.
Kennedy really dominated in every facet of the game. Not only did Kennedy win the battle in the trenches, but the Kennedy wide-receivers and defensive secondary dominated their J-Hawk counterparts. The J-Hawks were most certainly stunned by the shear athleticism and technicality of the Kennedy players. What was mostly thought to be a potentially tight game quickly became an extravagant blowout.
The Cougars hope to keep their spotless 5-0 record as they will face the Linn-Mar Lions in their next week match up. Linn-Mar is coming off of a 54-0 win over a weak Waterloo East team as they hope to beat the Cougars in their homecoming game. All signs point towards another Kennedy victory, but you can never underestimate an opponent in this class...Jefferson.
It's gonna be a very energetic football game at Kingston Stadium this Friday night as the 3 and 1 Jefferson J-Hawks take on the undefeated Kennedy Cougars. Both teams have had a strong start to the season and hope to make a trip to the state tournament. This clash between heavyweights is expected to bring out the largest crowd at a football game at Kingston so far this year. Both student bodies are pumped up for the game and are organizing what their student sections will be wearing for the game.
This game features two teams that have very high powered offenses, this includes a 62 point outing for Jefferson last week over Davenport West. This being said, Kennedy has played the harder competition and won, whereas Jefferson has played average teams and lost to Washington, a team that Kennedy beat in week 2. If there was ever an underrated 3-1 team, Jefferson is that team. They were not only tied with Washington in the 4th quarter of that game, but also have put up a lot of points in their victories. It seems pretty simple, stop their offense and you give yourself a great chance at winning. Therein lies the problem for Kennedy. However, Kennedy has already proved their defensive prowess in 52-0 and 24-7 victories over North Scott and Pleasant Valley respectively. It is clear that the game will be won or lost for each team when Jefferson is with the ball on offense.
When it's all said and done, I have Kennedy winning this one, but in a close battle. I would say that a couple of Shaun Beyer touchdowns will push the Cougars past the J-Hawks 35-24. You heard it here first folks!
I believe that
sports are fun and entertaining. A lot about enjoying sports is about finding a
sport that you can watch and enjoy. For example, one person may like the
finesse that goes with tennis more than they like the power that goes with a
sport like football. No matter who you are, there is a sport for you to get
connected with.
Even if you don't
find a sport that you absolutely love, there are still other activities that
you can enjoy surrounding sports. For instance, every Saturday and Sunday,
tailgaters park somewhere near the stadium, grill meat and drink beers, and
some even throw a football around in the parking lot. All of this they do in
preparation for the actual football game. Personally, I love to tailgate, but
for others, participating in the marching band is a better game day experience.
In the marching band you can play some great music while also being part of the
game. You even get to go onto the field!
Another reason
why sports are so enjoyable is because of the emotional connections that you
can make with teams, players, and even the game itself. For instance, I
absolutely have a passion for my Iowa Hawkeyes. Sure I grew up close to the
Iowa campus, but I have just always found a sense of pride in the Hawks. When
you make emotional attachments with teams, like what I have with the Iowa, it
makes the losing feel like someone punched you in the stomach. However, when
you make those emotional connections, the winning feels amazing. It feels like
you were also part of your team's win. The winning almost makes the losing
bearable. A lot of sports fans also have favorite players in each of the sports
that they watch. My favorite basketball player is Aaron White. Aaron also
happened to go and play basketball at the University of Iowa. If you couldn't
tell already, I love my Hawkeyes. Anyone can pick a team to support and love
just like me.
Another reason
that sports are enjoyable is because you don't necessarily have to be good at
them to like them. In fact, I would say that most of the people that I see
watching a sport look and talk like they would have no idea what to do out on
the court or field. Nothing against Iowa fans personally, but I have noticed
that a large portion of Iowa fans have no idea what they are talking about
while they are watching the game. But, I guess that you probably see that
anywhere that you go. The only reason that I bring any of this up is because it
just shows my point that you don't have to know everything about, or be really
good at, whatever sports you enjoy.
In conclusion, I
believe that if you are a fan of at least one sport then great. If you aren't a
fan of a sport yet however, then you should really consider investing some time
and emotion into a sport or even a team or a player. Try to stick with your
choice in good times and bad, and have a good time with it.
