The Exira-EHK Spartans picked up a nice road win on Saturday afternoon over the Shenandoah Fillies 53-32. Sophia Peppers led the charge with 23 points and Ellie Schultes finished with 14 to help the Spartans improve to 17-1.

Exira-EHK led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter and 31-18 by halftime. Shenandoah opened up the second half on a 9-2 run to get within 6 at 33-27 but the Spartans would respond. Ellie Schultes hit back to back threes and Kealey Nelson converted a three point play to put the Spartans back in a comfortable lead. The run would end at 14-0 and the Spartans managed the end of the game well to put it away.

Exira-EHK Head Coach Tom Petersen said he was proud of the way the girls played and many of them battling through illness to get it done. He said they wanted to try to slow down Logan Hughes and make someone else beat them. He was also proud of their response after the run at the beginning of the half which has been a sore spot at times for the Spartans.

The Fillies were led by 18 points from Logan Hughes and they fall to 12-5.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa city could welcome a new outdoor pickleball complex later this year. The Cedar Falls City Council has approved a project for new pickleball courts at Orchard Hill Park that will be financed with public and private money. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club and locals fundraised to move the project up to this summer.

Pickleball has become a popular game among seniors and students in Cedar Falls. It’s played on a badminton-sized court with a tennis net, plastic paddles and a pickleball.

The project would be financed by the pickleball club’s $50,000 and private grants. The city would offer $50,000 with general obligation bonds. Another $50,000 is being requested from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association, which will make a decision next month.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the postseason boys basketball District and Substate assignments on Friday. Seeding meetings are set to take place on February 7th and then the actual match-ups and brackets will be released.

For Atlantic they will be in Class 3A Substate 8 with ADM, Carroll, Creston, Denison-Schleswig, Glenwood, Harlan, and Perry. 4 of the top 16 teams in the current BCMoore rankings are in that Substate: Glenwood (6), Harlan (13), Carroll (15) and Atlantic (16).  Competition will obviously be strong no matter what the pairings are.  Atlantic has three games left before the seeding meeting including a big one on Tuesday night at Harlan.

In Class 2A District 16 will include AHSTW, Clarinda, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Treynor, and Underwood. District 15 will have AC/GC, Des Moines Christian, Greene County, Panorama, Woodward Academy, and Woodward-Granger.

In Class 1A District 13 will include Bedford, Clarinda Academy, Diagonal, Essex, Lenox, Nodaway Valley, Orient-Macksburg, Sidney, and Southwest Valley. District 14 will include CAM, East Mills, Exira-EHK, Fremont-Mills, Griswold, Heartland Christian, Riverside, St. Albert, and Stanton. District 15 will include Ar-We-Va, Audubon, Boyer Valley, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Glidden-Ralston, IKM-Manning, Paton-Churdan, Tri-Center, and Woodbine.

Take a look at all of the districts and substates below.

1A_District_Basketball_Assignments

2A_District_Basketball_Assignments

3A-Substate-Basketball-Assignments

4A-Substate-Basketball-Assignments

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst hopes the attention received by the sentencing of former Michigan State and Olympic sports doctor Larry Nassar for abusing female will help push through legislation that’s passed the Senate on the issue. “Our bill requires amateur athletics governing bodies to immediately report sexual abuse allegations to local or federal law enforcement, or a child welfare agency,” Ernst says. The Republican from Red Oak says the legislation also makes it safer and easier for victims to report abuse. “It ensures organizations develop and enforce policies to prevent these horrendous crimes from happening in the first place,” according to Ernst.

Ernst called the abuse of female gymnasts “horrifying and disgusting.” She co-sponsored the bill with both Republicans and Democrats and wants to see it become law. “I am urging the House to act quickly on this legislation so that we can better protect the young athletes of our nation. With the winter Olympics right around the corner, we must insure that athletes are protected,” Ernst says.

Ernst talked about the bill during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa)

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis has been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, THC and drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in suburban Kansas City on Thursday night. Pierre-Louis also was charged with driving without a valid license and failure to display a valid plate or current registration. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in Johnson County District Court on Friday and was released after posting $2,500 bond. Pierre-Louis is due back in court next Thursday.

The 26-year-old linebacker, who was acquired last offseason from the Seattle Seahawks, appeared in 13 regular-season games and the Chiefs’ playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ten-time All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez was elected to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Hall of Fame on Friday, and his name will be added to Arrowhead Stadium’s ring of honor next season. Gonzalez played most of his 17-year career with the Chiefs before spending the last few seasons with the Falcons. He made 254 starts and appeared in 270 regular-season games, setting NFL records among tight ends with 1,325 receptions, 15,127 yards and 31 games of at least 100 yards receiving.

Only wide receiver Jerry Rice has more catches with 1,549 during his Hall of Fame career. Gonzalez still holds franchise records for receptions, yards receiving and touchdown receptions, and he caught at least one pass in a club-record 131 consecutive games.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery says the play of James Palmer junior and Isaac Copeland have helped Nebraska make big strides this season. The Huskers are 6-4 in the Big Ten and 15-8 overall heading into tonight’s (Saturday night’s) meeting in Lincoln. (Click on the left side of the audio bar to play)

The Hawkeyes are 2-7 after their most complete effort of the season in an 18 point win over Wisconsin and now hope to build on that effort.

(Learfield Sports)

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals manager Ned Yost was laid up in a hospital bed in November after a fall from a tree stand left him with major injuries. But he was walking through a ballroom on Friday as the club gathered for its annual fan festival. He was excited not only to be getting better, but also for a future that figures to be built around a young wave of prospects.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain and the Brewers finalized an $80 million, five-year contract, one day after Milwaukee acquired center fielder Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins for four prospects. Cain is a former Brewers farmhand. The 31-year old spent the past seven seasons in Kansas City, where he was part of the core group that won the World Series in 2015. He hit .300 with 15 homers, 49 RBIs and 26 steals last season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ten-time All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez was elected to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Hall of Fame. His name will be added to Arrowhead Stadium’s ring of honor next season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis has been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, THC and drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in suburban Kansas City on Thursday night.

UNDATED (AP) — Parity in the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 has raised the stakes of the Big 12/SEC Challenge as teams in both leagues try to upgrade NCAA Tournament credentials. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes says he’d be disappointed if the SEC doesn’t get eight or nine NCAA Tournament bids. Kansas coach Bill Self believes all 10 Big 12 members remain in NCAA contention.

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say some student spectators at a predominantly white school in northwest Iowa greeted a visiting rival boys’ basketball team with racist chants. The chants and slogans at the Jan. 19 game at Spencer High School included some fans yelling that the Storm Lake players should “go back to where you came from.” Other students chanted, “USA.” Spencer Superintendent Terry Hemann says administrators have disciplined the Spencer students involved.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Scoring legend Jackie Stiles is returning to the bench as an assistant for Missouri State while awaiting cancer surgery. The Springfield News-Leader reports that Stiles will be back on the sidelines Friday after a nearly three-week absence. She is undergoing treatment for ocular melanoma and will undergo surgery Feb. 2. Stiles says her prognosis remains good.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri has fired longtime softball coach Ehren Earleywine. Athletic director Jim Sterk says the university has lost confidence in Earleywine’s ability to foster a “healthy environment” for players. The firing comes less than two weeks before the season-opener against San Jose State. The university says an interim coach is expected to be appointed next week.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Atlantic 76, Red Oak 52
Creston 64, Shenandoah 38
Harlan 80, Kuemper Catholic 73
Omaha Skutt Catholic, Neb. 67, Glenwood 58
St. Albert, Council Bluffs 73, Denison-Schleswig 69, OT

Rolling Valley Conference

Ar-We-Va 63, Woodbine 57
Boyer Valley 80, West Harrison 37
Coon Rapids-Bayard 56, Glidden-Ralston 46
Exira-EHK 76, Paton-Churdan 44

Western Iowa Conference

A-H-S-T-W 57, Missouri Valley 41
Logan-Magnolia 57, Riverside 41
Treynor 79, IKM-Manning 40
Tri-Center 81, Audubon 64
Underwood 63, Griswold 25

Pride of Iowa Conference

Bedford 63, Wayne 41
Central Decatur 71, Nodaway Valley 54
Interstate 35, Truro 63, Mount Ayr 47
Martensdale-St Marys 64, Southwest Valley 54
Pleasantville 57, Lenox 18

Corner Conference

East Mills 79, Heartland Christian 38
Sidney 33 Clarinda Academy 25
Stanton 76, Fremont Mills, Tabor 43

Other Scores

Carroll 56, Winterset 53
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 54, Sioux City, West 51, 2OT
Ogden 72, West Central Valley 44

Western Valley Conference Tournament
First Round
MVAO-CO-U 52, Westwood 44

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Denison-Schleswig 36, St. Albert, Council Bluffs 25
Kuemper Catholic 67, Harlan 47
Lewis Central 72, Glenwood 33
Shenandoah 46, Creston 35

Rolling Valley Conference

Ar-We-Va 59, Woodbine 37
Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 64, Paton-Churdan 28
Glidden-Ralston 55, Coon Rapids-Bayard 27

Western Iowa Conference

A-H-S-T-W 51, Missouri Valley 35
Treynor 50, IKM-Manning 41
Tri-Center 56, Audubon 39
Underwood 62, Griswold 26

Pride of Iowa Conference

Bedford 71, Wayne 46
Central Decatur 65, Nodaway Valley 32
Pleasantville 39, Lenox 36

Corner Conference

Essex 47, South Page 27
Fremont Mills 45, Stanton 40

Other Scores

ADM, Adel 53, Perry 42
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 54, Sioux City, West 45
Des Moines Christian 49, AC/GC 26
Mount Ayr 64, Interstate 35,Truro 26

Bluegrass Conference Tournament
Semifinals
Diagonal 58, Murray 56
Seymour 61, Lamoni 26