Ken O’Keefe has resigned as quarterbacks coach at Iowa. O’Keefe is stepping-down to take an off-the-field role within the Hawkeye program. He had been the quarterback’s coach since rejoining the staff in 2017, following a coaching stint in the NFL.

O’Keefe was part of the original coaching staff for Kirk Ferentz in Iowa, and served as Offensive Coordinator from 1999 to 2011.

The fans are back at the Iowa High School Wrestling Championships in Des Moines. An event that draws as many as 75 thousand fans was limited to fewer than four thousand fans per session in Wells Fargo Arena a year ago due to the pandemic. Chris Cuellar (kway-ar) is with the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Cuellar says masks are not required inside the arena.

Saturday night’s championship round is always a tough ticket and this year is no different.

Cuellar says while they hope the pandemic is in the rear view mirror they are prepared if the conditions change.

It was nearly two years ago during the boy’s state basketball tournament when the pandemic hit and eventually led to the cancellation of the spring sports season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes begin a stretch of three games in five days tonight (Thursday night) when they host Michigan. Both teams are 7-6 in the league race and Iowa coach Fran McCaffery feels the Wolverines have been playing their best basketball of the season.

Michigan sophomore center Hunter Dickinson is averaging better than 18 points and eight rebounds per game and McCaffery says he is more than just a low post scorer.

Iowa’s Filip Rebraca (reh-bra-chuh) says Dickinson is different than the other seven footers he has faced.

Iowa has put itself in a good spot to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

That’s sophomore forward Keegan Murray who says he is not focusing in the conference standings.

District Semifinals are on tap Thursday night in Class 1A and 2A boys basketball. Here is a look at area matchups.

CLASS 1A

District 13
Ogden @ Grand View Christian (Faith Baptist Bible College) 7:00 p.m.
Ankeny Christian @ Madrid 7:00 p.m.

District 14 @ East Mills
Bedford vs East Mills 8:00 p.m.
Stanton vs. St. Albert 6:30 p.m.

District 15 @ Avoca
Exira-EHK vs. IKM-Manning 6:30 p.m. – Audio Only on KJANTV
Audubon vs. AHSTW 8:00 p.m. – ON KJAN following Iowa MBB

District 16
Tri-Center @ West Harrison 7:00 p.m.
Coon Rapids-Bayard @ Boyer Valley 7:00 p.m.

CLASS 2A

District 5
Southeast Valley @ Roland-Story 7:00 p.m.
Kuemper Catholic @ South Central Calhoun 7:00 p.m.

District 15 @ Van Meter
I-35 vs Van Meter 8:00 p.m.
Panorama vs. ACGC 6:30 p.m.

District 16 @ Treynor
Clarinda vs. Treynor 8:00 p.m.
Red Oak vs. Underwood 6:30 p.m.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton forced 10 Atlantic turnovers and outscored the Trojans 24-9 in the third quarter and pulled away for a 49-25 win on Wednesday night.

Neither team could find much offense in the first half. It was 10-8 in favor of the Warriors at the end of the first and the teams combined for just 3 points in the second quarter.

The Warriors flipped that script out of the gate in the second half. Katelyn Sale found her range from the outside and poured in 3 triples from the left wing. Sergeant Bluff-Luton combined some better shooting with pressure defense that rattled Atlantic into too many giveaways. The Trojans finished with a total of 20 turnovers but it was the third period errors that made the difference. Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason talked about the difference in the second half.

Coach Vargason said the turnovers were frustrating in the third, but he gave credit to Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

Emma Salker led the Warriors with 17 points and Sale added 12, all from downtown. Sergeant Bluff-Luton improved to 19-4 on the season and advance to the 3A Region 7 Final on Saturday against Des Moines Christian. That game is set for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff in Denison.

Atlantic got 11 points from Paytn Harter and 6 from Jada Jensen. Coach Vargsason was proud of the overall season the team put together.

The Trojans finish the season with a record of 9-14.

CLASS 3A

Region 7
Sergeant Bluff-Luton 49, Atlantic 25 – ON KJAN
Des Moines Christian 39, Harlan 27

CLASS 4A

Region 8
Lewis Central 49, Carroll 21
Creston 59, Denison-Schleswig 56

CLASS 5A

Region 1
Fort Dodge 47, Sioux City North 36

Region 2
Sioux City West 51, CB Abraham Lincoln 36

2021-22 12th Iowa Girls High School Basketball Rankings
Compiled by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union
Thursday, February 16, 2022
FINAL RANKINGS FOR CLASS 4A-5A

Class 4A
School Record LW
1 Dallas Center-Grimes 18-3 1
2 Glenwood 17-4 2
3 Bishop Heelan 19-2 3
4 Indianola 16-4 4
5 Cedar Rapids Xavier 15-6 5
6 Grinnell 18-3 6
7 Central DeWitt 17-4 7
8 North Polk 17-4 8
9 Keokuk 17-3 11
10 Clear Creek-Amana 15-6 11
11 Waverly-Shell Rock 16-5 9
12 North Scott 13-8 12
13 Bondurant-Farrar 14-7 14
14 Benton Community 17-5 13
15 Spencer 15-7 15
Dropped Out: None

Class 5A
School Record LW
1 Johnston 21-0 1
2 Des Moines Roosevelt 18-2 3
3 Ankeny Centennial 18-3 2
4 Pleasant Valley 19-2 4
5 Iowa City High 17-4 6
6 Waterloo West 19-2 7
7 West Des Moines Valley 16-5 8
8 Iowa City West 18-3 10
9 Dowling Catholic 16-6 5
10 Ankeny 15-6 12
11 Linn-Mar 14-7 14
12 Cedar Rapids Washington 15-6 15
13 Sioux City East 14-7 13
14 Cedar Falls 14-7 NR
15 Waukee Northwest 13-8 11
Dropped Out: Southeast Polk (9)