Big changes are coming to the seeding process for high school boys’ post season tournament basketball. The Quad City Times reports the Iowa High School Athletic Association board of control has approved a change that will allow the coaches to seed their district or sub-state. In recent years a team’s record during a portion of the season determined its seed. Matt Coss reported on the story for the Times.

He says “Now it’s gonna be in the coaches hands. They’re going to have seeding meetings the first part of February each year, for basketball, where they’ll take win/loss record into account. But I think you’ll also see strength of schedule play a bigger role into it as well. A lot of other states have gone to this format, such as Illinois and Missouri, so Iowa is just kinda jumping on-board with this now.”

Coss says way the state tournament is seeded will also change. “Now, the eight coaches that make the state tournament will rank the seven other teams (in their class). They won’t rank their own team. From there, the Association will take those rankings and determine the seeding of the eight teams. Then they’ll turn it into a “pairing show,” and things like that, so definitely some major changes from what’s taken place in the past.”

Previously, a team’s win-loss record was used to seed the state tournament and Coss says that system drew a number of complaints from coaches. “Especially in the lower classes. It seemed in 1-A and 2-A, you had a lot of teams that maybe were seeded 6th or 7th that ended-up in a State Championship game, just because maybe they were a little more ‘battle tested’ than some of the other teams. So I think now maybe we’ll get some better match-ups right out of the gate at the State Tournament, and it could make the State Tournament more competitive throughout the week.”

The changes will go into effect for next season.

(Radio Iowa Sports)

AHSTW, Avoca 12, Riverside, Oakland 2
Bedford 9, Stanton 3
Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City 6, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 3
Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City 6, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 5
CAM, Anita 11, West Central Valley, Stuart 0 (6 innings)
Coon Rapids-Bayard 16, Adair-Casey 1
Coon Rapids-Bayard 7, West Harrison, Mondamin 6
Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 6, Sioux City, North 1
Creston 4, Denison-Schleswig 2
Creston 9, Denison-Schleswig 6
Earlham 12, Madrid 6
Griswold 5, Audubon 3
Guthrie Center 5, East Union, Afton 3
Lawton-Bronson 9, East Sac County 2
Lewis Central 6, Shenandoah 3
Madrid 4, Earlham 3
Missouri Valley 12, IKM-Manning 0
Sioux City, North 1, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 0
Winterset 6, Pleasantville 0
Woodward-Granger 12, Panorama, Panora 5
Woodward-Granger 2, Panorama, Panora 1

Atlantic 10, Clarinda 0
Atlantic 12, Clarinda 0
Bedford 16, Stanton 1
CAM, Anita 12, West Central Valley, Stuart 8
Central Decatur, Leon 9, Southwest Valley 1
IKM-Manning 5, Missouri Valley 4
LeMars Gehlen Catholic 16, Clay Central-Everly 4
Lewis Central 10, Shenandoah 0
Lewis Central 12, Shenandoah 0
OA-BCIG 9, South Central Calhoun 2
Orient-Macksburg 4, Twin Cedars 3
St. Albert, Council Bluffs 14, Fremont-Mills 1
Treynor 13, Tri-Center, Neola 0
Treynor 15, Tri-Center, Neola 0
Westwood, Sloan 12, West Harrison 1
Winterset 10, Carroll 0
Winterset 13, Carroll 0
Woodward-Granger 5, Panorama 4
Woodward-Granger 6, Panorama 5 (8)

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Boyer Valley 10, Ar-We-Va 4
Des Moines Christian 6, West Central Valley, Stuart 1
Kuemper Catholic, Carroll 9, Carroll 6
Lenox 10, Orient-Macksburg 0
Logan-Magnolia 8, Harlan 7 (9 innings)
Nodaway Valley 9, Mormon Trail 1
Sidney 10, Shenandoah 9
Tri-Center 8, Riverside 7
Underwood 4, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 1

AHSTW, Avoca 17, Essex 4
Ar-We-Va 14, Boyer Valley 4 (5 innings)
Audubon 16, Whiting 1
CAM 11, West Harrison 3
Coon Rapids-Bayard 3, EHK-Exira 1
Glenwood 5, St. Albert, Council Bluffs 4 (Postponed makeup)
Glidden-Ralston 12, Adair-Casey 8
Lawton-Bronson 7, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 1
Orient-Macksburg 9, East Mills 5
Shenandoah 14, Fremont-Mills 6
West Central Valley, Stuart 9, Nodaway Valley 7

Rain or shine the forecast calls for plenty of mud at the Cownie Sports Complex in Des Moines on Saturday morning when the Iowa Games hosts an annual Mud Run. Spokesman Cory Kennedy says the run offers competition for the whole family. This is the fifth year for the Mud Run, which began in 2012 with 250 runners. In addition to the mud run, the event features a mud volleyball tournament at the complex.

For more information, go to: http://www.iowagames.org/MudRun

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals signed switch-hitting outfielder Dylan Carlson, one of three first-round draft picks, along with 19 other players. Carlson took batting practice at Busch Stadium on Wednesday not long after signing his contract. Scouting director Randy Flores said Carlson would be assigned to Jupiter of the Class A Gulf Coast League. Flores said the team was making good progress on other negotiations.

The 17-year-old Carlson, from Elk Grove High School in California, was the 33rd overall pick. The Cardinals also signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from Southern California, and sixth-rounder Tommy Edman, a shortstop from Stanford. The Cardinals have signed six of their 12 picks in the first 10 rounds.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — George Springer hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros completed a two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Tony Sipp (1-2) got the last out of the seventh in relief of Collin McHugh, Carlos Correa’s two-run single off Trevor Rosenthal made it a three-run lead in the ninth and Will Harris finished for his fifth save in as many chances.

The Astros are 15-7 since moving Springer to the leadoff spot ahead of Jose Altuve. But he had been in a 4-for-37 slump before connecting to straightaway center off Kevin Siegrist (4-2) with two outs for his 15th homer. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright worked seven innings of four-hit ball and Greg Garcia, batting for the pitcher in the bottom half, hit an RBI single off McHugh to open the scoring.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening paid tribute to the Atlantic High School spring athletic program participants and coaches. Mayor Dave Jones explained why he wanted to take the time to officially recognize those youth and their coaches.

Jones said “All you hear about youth is bad news, and all you hear is complaints about kids today are gonna run this country to hell, blah blah blah. When I was a kid and everybody elses’ kid, you heard the same thing about us, too. We all kind of survived someway making it through.” He said also, the quality of our youth is exemplified by how they represent the City at sporting events, and it makes him proud.

“You have youth out here doing good things, and you don’t hear about that very much. You get a little in sports a little recognition here and there. This time we [wanted to say] ‘Thank you guys for what you’re doing.”

Members of the Atlantic City Council, Atlantic Coaches and their track, golf and soccer squad members. (Ric Hanson/photo) – click on the photo to open another page then click again to enlarge the image.

The Council heard from the boys and girls golf, track and soccer coaches, who spoke about their successful year, and what we can look forward to from the returning students. They also introduced the members of their squads who were able to attend the Council meeting. The group then took a picture with members of the City Council.

5th Ward Councilman Richard “Dick” Casady, who was an assistant under former Atlantic Coach Don Jenkins, said he knows how much work it takes to be a champion. He said “You ought to be real proud of yourself, pat yourself on the back if you don’t break your arm. Congratulations to all of you.”