HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Warriors and RoughRiders

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By Eric Loeffelholz, C.R. Washington senior

CEDAR RAPIDS - It may not have the mass appeal of football or the flash of basketball, but hockey undoubtedly boasts some of the best athletes at Washington High School.

The United States Hockey League players at Washington get much of the attention, but there are some who just play for the love of the game.

Although the RoughRiders high school hockey team shares the same name and home venue as the Cedar Rapids junior hockey club, that's about all the team's share.

The high school club consists of a collection of players from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and surrounding areas. There are about 35 players split between varsity and junior varsity squads. The club is part of the Midwest High School Hockey League and competes in the East Division with teams from Waterloo, Dubuque and Cities, but competes against teams as far away as Kansas City and Omaha.

Because the team is on the road a lot, the players have to work hard not only to play at a high level but also to fundraise in order to pay for the trips.

The team is coached by Washington alum Brandon DeWolf with the assistance of Larry Heggebo and Jerry Herb.

The varsity team is 9-9 and second in the East. The JV team is 0-18-1.

"The team's much better than last year," Washington senior Alec Nichols said.

Nichols is one of five Washington players on the team. Seniors Mike Eken, and Chayton Wendler are joined by freshman Travis McConnell and sophomore Chris Brown.

Most of the members of the team have been playing hockey since their youth. Eken and Nichols have been playing ice hockey for 10 years, all through the RoughRider Youth Organizations.

"I love it, just for the thrill of playing," Nichols said.

Because of countless years of playing together for more than their high school careers, the team chemistry is good.

"Road trips are fun, we watched 'Mighty Ducks 3' and 'The Heat' on the bus to Kansas City," Eken said.

The home games are held at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena and admission is free for students.