Kennedy vs. Jefferson: Postgame

     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.

Friday Night Lights: Kennedy vs. 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!

Why Sports are Enjoyable

     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.