Jeff Johnson

If you know anything about Mark Carlson and his approach to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders junior hockey program he has built over 23 seasons here, you know there wasn’t much of a celebration of his 750th career coaching victory this past Saturday night.

There was a bit of an upheaval at the top in Class 2A this week in the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s official boys’ basketball rankings. Western Christian moved up from to the top spot after losses by previous No. 1 Central Lyon and No. 2 Aplington-Parkersburg. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Bondurant-Farrar and Grand View Christian remained atop their respective classes.

Mark Carlson has been the only coach the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have had since their inception into the United States Hockey League in the 1999-2000 season. Carlson won his 750th career game Saturday night as his Riders beat Muskegon .

This week’s episode of the Prep Basketball Podcast begins with a discussion about the controversy surrounding Monday night’s Iowa City High-Fairfield game.

Senior guard Brayson Laube recently broke Marion High School’s record for career scoring, a mark that had been stood since 1952. Laube was a first-team all-stater last year who hopes to lead the Wolves back to the state tournament.

Linn-Mar’s boys’ basketball team won its fourth straight game Tuesday night, beating Iowa City High, 73-58. The Lions have won four consecutive games, coinciding with the return of injured guard Jackson Severson.

The boys’ basketball game between Iowa City High and Fairfield on Monday night at Fairfield was ended with two minutes remaining after an on-court incident involving a Little Hawks player and Fairfield player. Tuesday, City High alleged a “racially charged” comment had been made by an official toward City High head coach Brennan Swayzer, who is Black and who had been ejected.

Iowa Heartlanders defenseman Bo Hanson set a franchise record for games played when he spent three seasons of junior hockey with Muskegon of the USHL. Then it was five seasons of college hockey at three different schools. As a pro, he’s been property of three ECHL franchises already.

The Metro’s two Class 3A boys’ basketball teams are pretty good, good enough to come in second and fourth, respectively, in the class this week, as the Iowa High School Athletic Association released its latest rankings Monday. Cedar Rapids Kennedy remains first in 4A, with North Linn second in 1A.

The Iowa Heartlanders lost Sunday afternoon at home to Toledo, 5-1. They dropped all three games this weekend to the Walleye. But a positive was a season-high 45 shots on goal.

Cliff Broxey of Cedar Rapids is a season-ticket holder for Cedar Rapids RoughRiders home hockey games and attends practice multiple times a week at ImOn Ice. The 73-year-old man loves the RoughRiders, and they love him right back.

The belief is North Linn’s boys’ basketball team hasn’t lost a home game since 2015. That’s a streak that kept stretching Friday night as the Class 1A second-ranked Lynx beat Class 2A No. 6 Alburnett, 64-47.

Sophomore starter Dylan Penning died unexpectedly last week, but his Iowa Valley boys’ basketball team is playing on in honor of him. The Tigers won their first game since his death Tuesday night against Sigourney with a huge fourth-quarter rally.

Watch or listen to the January 19, 2023, Prep Basketball Podcast as Jeff Johnson and Jeff Linder discuss the latest talking points in Iowa high school basketball.

Cedar Rapids Prairie graduate, former Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy University player Corbin Day will serve as a hitting coach for the 2023 Cedar Rapids Kernels, it was announced Thursday. Day has been an assistant coach at Kirkwood. Brian Dinkelman will return as Kernels manager.