Jeff Johnson

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders came into existence after a move from Mason City. That move was contingent on the first indoor ice facility being constructed in town. The Cedar Rapids Ice Arena was built, with the first game in it coming exactly 25 years ago. A standing-room-only crowd of 4,104 fans watched the RoughRiders beat Rochester in a shootout.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has released its first official boys’ basketball rankings of the 2024-25 season. Your No. 1 teams are Cedar Falls, Huxley Ballard, Western Christian and Bellevue Marquette.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s boys’ basketball team lost Friday night at home to Cedar Rapids Prairie and had a very tough opponent Saturday night in the ServPro Crossover Challenge at Alliant Energy PowerHouse. But Trey McKowen scored 31 points, including the first five of overtime, as the Cougars picked up a good 64-61 win over Johnston.

Iowa City West rolled to a win at Saturday’s ServPro Crossover Challenge, while Iowa City Liberty and Dubuque Senior lost.

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s boys’ basketball team upset Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Friday night but a mere 14 hours later fell to Ames, 60-38, Saturday at ServPro Crossover Challenge

Linn-Mar’s boys’ basketball team definitely belongs somewhere in Class 4A’s top 10. But the Lions dropped one at the ServPro Crossover Challenge to Ankeny on Saturday, 61-55, in part due to the absence of point guard Trey Wright (flu) and not getting the ball inside enough to star Davis Kern.

Senior forward Jack McCaffery lost his No. 22 Iowa City West home jersey, so he’s been wearing No. 52 for games at the school. It’s worked well, as he has had scoring games of 40, 38 and Thursday night 29 in a win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

Here are boys’ basketball standings from schools and conferences from The Gazette area.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels announced Monday that CEO Doug Nelson will be retiring after serving the ballclub for 21 years. He plans to step down in June.

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s boys’ basketball team lost for the first time this season when Waterloo West beat it in overtime Tuesday night. There was no hangover from that loss Friday night, as the Saints beat up Cedar Rapids Washington.

Cedar Rapids Xavier girls’ basketball coach Tom Lilly has worn a Grinch tie for games just prior to the Christmas break for the last decade or so. Grinch, make that Lilly, picked up his 630th career victory Friday night when his Class 4A ninth-ranked Saints beat up Cedar Rapids Washington, 61-36.

Iowa football defensive end Ethan Hurkett is a Cedar Rapids Xavier graduate who is getting married in the summer to a Linn-Mar graduate. Beyond around family one more year and seeking to improve himself for a possible NFL career were reasons why he has decided to return to the Hawkeyes for a sixth season next season.

Pairings were set Thursday for the 14-team, 7-game crossover event, which will be held January 4th at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse. Matchups include Cedar Falls and West Des Moines Valley, Dubuque Senior and Waukee Northwest, and Cedar Rapids Kennedy versus Johnston.

The Cedar Falls boys’ basketball team already has posted three significant wins in the very early portion of the season. Probably its best came Tuesday night when the Tigers knocked off Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 79-73, ending Kennedy’s regular-season win streak at 46.

An agreement between the parties allows the IHSSN to livesteam and telecast boys’ state tournaments through this school year, with the Iowa High School Athletic Association then gaining all rights. A dispute arose in 2023 over IHSSN’s decision to livestream events on a pay-per-view basis.