The Exira-EHK Spartans Girls Basketball team needed a big second half performance to keep their record unblemished at ACGC Saturday.  The Chargers handled pressure well early on in the game and got a big first half from Madison Berger to lead 32-20 at half. The Spartans defense had much more success in the second half and the Spartans won it 60-47.

The Spartans opened up the second half with a 13-0 run and foul trouble also caught up with the Chargers. ACGC led by 1 at the end of the third quarter but key player Rachel Courtney had already fouled out and it was early in the fourth quarter that Madison Berger fouled out as well. That left the Chargers without their best ball-handler and the Spartans pressure then really became a problem for ACGC.

Mara Burmeister led the Spartans with 15 points and Sophia Peppers finished with 14 as the Spartans improved to 11-0.  The Chargers were led by Berger with 15 points and Morgan Meachem had 14.  The Chargers fell to 3-7 on the year with the loss.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Deonte Burton scored 27 points and Iowa State held off Texas 79-70 on Saturday for its fourth win in five games. Monte Morris had 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers for the Cyclones (10-4, 2-1 Big 12), who won despite not hitting a free throw for over 30 minutes.

Iowa State pushed its lead to 40-31 by halftime and jumped ahead by 14 early in the second half. Texas (7-8, 1-2) closed to within 68-65 with 3:42 left, but a Matt Thomas 3 after a pair of defensive stops put the game out of reach.

Iowa State went just 5 of 12 from the line and was outrebounded 35-29. But the Cyclones forced 19 turnovers and put up 14 more shots than Texas. Kerwin Roach Jr. scored 21 for the Longhorns, Tevin Mack had 15 points and Andrew Jones had 14. But Texas also struggled from the line, going just 8 for 16.

The Exir-EHK Spartans are in Guthrie Center for a doubleheader today with the ACGC Chargers and we’ll have the games here on KJAN.

In the Girls game the undefeated and 3rd ranked Spartans will face a Chargers team that are 3-7.  Kealey Nelson is averaging 16 points for the Spartans and teammate Sophia Peppers is averaging 14.  The Chargers are led by Madison Berger averaging 9 points per outing.

The Boys game features a 7-2 Spartan team against an 0-9 Charger squad.  Exira-EHK is led by Drew Buckholdt averaging 14 points per game, while the Chargers are led by Colton Sargent who is averaging 10 per contest.

Chris Park and Mike Smith have the call on AM1220 and FM101.1, online at kjan.com, and on the mobile app. You can also watch on KJANTV. Pregame at 4:50 with tip time for the girls game at 5:00pm. The boys will follow at about 6:30pm.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Ric Hanson.

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FRISCO, Texas (AP) – Sam Houston State quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe won the Walter Payton Award on Friday night as the most outstanding player in FCS and Northern Iowa defensive end Karter Schult received the Buck Buchanan Award as top defensive player.

Briscoe, a junior who transferred from UAB after it shut down its football program, passed for 4,602 yards and 57 touchdowns for the Bearkats (12-1). He beat out Eastern Washington teammates Gage Gubrud, a quarterback, and Cooper Kupp, a receiver. Kupp was trying to become a two-time winner of the Payton award after taking it last season.

Schult led FCS with 17 sacks. The other finalists were linebacker Dylan Cole of Missouri State and defensive P.J. Hall of Sam Houston State.

A-H-S-T-W, Avoca 63, Tri-Center, Neola 53

ADM, Adel 70, Bondurant Farrar 59

Ar-We-Va, Westside 49, CAM, Anita 30

Atlantic 69, Denison-Schleswig 42

Bedford 84, Southeast Warren, Liberty Center 54

Boone 62, Carroll 50

Boyer Valley, Dunlap 67, Glidden-Ralston 45

Central Decatur, Leon 67, East Union, Afton 50

Coon Rapids-Bayard 49, Charter Oak-Ute 46

Earlham 64, West Central Valley, Stuart 47

East Mills 67, Clarinda Academy 40

Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 63, Paton-Churdan 49

Fremont Mills, Tabor 81, Essex 51

Harlan 54, St. Albert, Council Bluffs 45

IKM-Manning 63, Logan-Magnolia 56

Interstate 35,Truro 84, Lenox 73

Kuemper Catholic, Carroll 76, Glenwood 67, OT

Lewis Central 68, Clarinda 32

Martensdale-St. Marys 60, Mount Ayr 20

Nebraska City Lourdes, Neb. 44, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 27

Panorama, Panora 74, Woodward Academy 66

Pleasantville 54, Nodaway Valley 38

Red Oak 61, Shenandoah 57

Riverside, Oakland 55, Griswold 54

Sidney 80, Heartland Christian 28

Southwest Valley 78, Wayne, Corydon 42

Treynor 54, Missouri Valley 18

Underwood 75, Audubon 66

Winterset 75, Carlisle 52

Woodward-Granger 60, AC/GC 45

The Atlantic Boys Basketball Team played a complete game from the onset on Friday night in a Hawkeye Ten road win over Denison-Schleswig 69-42.  Atlantic fed the ball to Scott Leonard on the block early and he took advantage racking up 13 first half points to help the Trojans build a 20 point halftime lead.

The Monarchs went on a small flurry to start the second half but could never cut the lead under double digits. Atlantic built the lead back over 20 by the end of the third on their way to the conference win.  The Trojans got 19 points from both Garrett Franken and Scott Leonard in the victory.  Atlantic is now 7-3 on the season and 4-1 in Hawkeye Ten Conference play.  They next travel to Glenwood on Tuesday night.

Denison falls to 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the Hawkeye Ten. The Monarchs next host St. Albert on Tuesday.

(Radio Iowa) The University of Iowa announced today that Greg Davis is retiring after five years as the offensive coordinator of the Hawkeye football team.

Davis also served as the quarterbacks coach for Iowa. His retirement ends a 43-year career in the college football coaching ranks.

Davis joined the Iowa coaching staff replacing Ken O’Keefe after serving as offensive coordinator at the University of Texas for 13 seasons.

He was named Frank Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005 after Texas won the BCS national championship, and was a finalist for the award in 1999. Davis coached in 22 bowl games, including January bowl games (Outback twice, TaxSlayer and Rose) with the Hawkeyes the past four seasons.

“I cannot thank Greg Davis enough for what he has meant to Iowa football these past five seasons. Greg possesses a great football mind, and he brought a perspective and expertise to our program that made every one of our coaches and players better,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement released by the school. “Greg’s coaching career spanned five decades, from high school to the biggest stage in college football — and each day he exemplified passion for the game while instilling character in his players. That is ‘love for the game’ and without Greg, there’s a little less of that in football today. Greg will be the first to admit he owes so much of his coaching success to his wife, Patsy. They were a wonderful team in Iowa City and all of us with the Iowa football program wish them the very best.”

Greg Davis at media day 2016.

With Davis on staff, the Hawkeyes won 39 games over the past five seasons, including a combined 20 wins over the past two years. The Hawkeyes appeared in four January bowl games, including the 2016 Rose Bowl Game. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten’s West Division in 2015 while posting a school-record 12 wins.

Davis also released a statement in his retirement announcement: “I have had a wonderful five years with the Hawkeye football program. I would like to thank coach Ferentz, the entire staff, our players, and Iowa fans everywhere,” said Davis.

“Patsy and I have enjoyed our time in Iowa, and not just the football part of it. The people of Iowa City and Hawkeye fans have been great. While we have our home in Dallas, there is no doubt we will be Hawkeye fans forever. This is my decision, but not a decision that was reached lightly. I remain passionate about the game of football, and enjoyed teaching football to our players every day. Patsy has been a trooper through all these years; we have learned and enjoyed every step along the way. It’s time for me to get closer to our family. I’m not sure the people of Iowa realize how special Kirk Ferentz is, and I am not talking about just the football part of the equation,” said Davis. “The men who leave this program are prepared for life, for careers, to be great husbands and fathers. Kirk is the total package for what anyone would want in a head coach.”

Prior to his stint at Texas, Davis was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina (1996-97), where he helped develop the quarterback duo of Chris Keldorf and Oscar Davenport, who teamed to complete 60 percent of their passes for more than 2,700 yards each season. Davis was head coach at Tulane for four seasons (1988-91) after serving as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach there for three seasons.

Davis spent two seasons (1992-93) as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas and two years (1994-95) as Georgia’s passing game coordinator, helping the Bulldogs to the 1995 Peach Bowl. Davis began his college coaching career at Texas A&M, serving as the Aggies’ quarterbacks coach (1978-84) before moving to Tulane. Davis began his career in the high school ranks while working toward a master’s degree. He coached at Barbe High School (Lake Charles, Louisiana) from 1973-74 and Port Neches-Groves High School (Port Neches, Texas) from 1975-77, where he helped the Indians to the 1975 Texas 4A state title. Davis is a native of Groves, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree (sports administration, 1973) and master’s degree (1977) from McNeese State.

Coach Ferentz will meet with the media on Monday in a news conference to wrap up the past season, which ended with the January 2nd loss to Florida 30-3 in the Outback Bowl.