The Griswold Tigers boys basketball team fell to 2-3 with their loss to the Sidney Cowboys on Tuesday night. Although the Tigers fought hard from start to finish, they weren’t able to overcome an incredible effort from Braedon Godfread as he and the Cowboys handed Griswold a 75-44 defeat.

The opening possessions of the game were back and forth. Peyton Cook responded to Godfread’s opening basket with a 3-pointer to give Griswold an early lead. Throughout the game, Griswold’s offense was relatively effective. The Tigers were able to move the ball, create some open looks, and hit the three ball. Connor Bowers, Auden Wilson, and Cook all finished the first half with five points. However, Griswold’s offense was unable to keep up with Godfread as his 10 field goals and 22 first half points gave Sidney a 44-28 lead at the break.

Although Godfread stole the show, the rest of the Cowboys played a key part in the win. Sidney’s ball movement was clean, precise, and quick, opening lanes for Godfread to drive through. When needed they also shot the three-ball well as Grant Whitehead and Carter Jorgenson each added multiple threes.  Godfread finished the game with 34 points.

Although the second half didn’t play a part in the outcome, Griswold remained scrappy. Connor Bowers would add another field goal and 3-pointer as he led the Tigers in scoring finishing with 10 points. Bode Wyman wasn’t far behind finishing with nine. Although the Tigers didn’t get the outcome they wanted head coach Ryan Lockwood was happy with his team’s four quarter effort.

Lockwood also knows that there is going to be a learning curve with a new system.

Griswold will finish their pre-Christmas schedule on the road at Missouri Valley and Lockwood is looking forward to the matchup and the opportunity to rebound.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm on Thursday.

The Griswold girls’ basketball team kept it competitive in the first half against Sidney but struggled in the second to lose at home 54-38 on Tuesday night. Ava Osborn led the Cowgirls with 15 points, including 5 baskets in the second half. Addyson Foster had 8 to help Sidney get the win.

Griswold started slow but kept pace in the first quarter to only be down 13-5. Griswold’s Amanda Houser had one triple in the first half to try and keep her team in the game. Yet a modest Sidney run to end the half pushed the lead to 12 by halftime making it 25-17 Cowgirls. In the third quarter, Sidney learned how to crack Griswold’s presses, and the offense became electric as the Cowgirls blew the game open to a 42-24 lead by the end of the third. The Tigers had their best offensive performance in the fourth, but it would not be enough to overcome Sidney’s six triples in the second half.

Griswold Head Coach Aaron Houser said it was nice to see the tenacious effort by both Carsyn Adams and Amanda Houser throughout the game.

Looking back on the game, coach Houser gave credit to the consistent pressure that the Cowgirls brought defensively.

The loss put Griswold at 2-3 on the year with their next game this Thursday against Missouri Valley. Coach Houser plans on improving his team over the break to help them reach their potential

Sidney improves to 3-2 with their victory and won’t return to the court till after Christmas break.

Iowa State men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has agreed to a contract extension, Todd Kimm reports.

ATLANTA — Former University of Iowa two-sport athlete, Paul Krause, was included on the East-West Shrine Bowl’s All-Century Team. The announcement came on Tuesday to help celebrate the upcoming 100th edition of the oldest college football all-star game in the country.

Krause (1961-63) was a two-way starter for the Hawkeye football team at receiver, running back and defensive back. As a senior in 1963, he was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree and was selected four all-star games, including the East-West Shrine game. He finished his collegiate career with 718 receiving yards, 263 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Krause also played baseball at Iowa, earning All-America accolades as a sophomore.

Krause was drafted by Washington in the 1964 NFL Draft second round. Krause was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro and 1969 NFL Champion as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie in 1964 with 12, including interceptions in seven straight contests.

Fans can vote for their favorite all-century team players: shrinebowl.com/top25vote.

In addition to the All-Century Team, the College Football Hall of Fame unveiled an exhibit surrounding the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the College Football Hall of Fame and fans to celebrate the history and significance of the East-West Shrine Bowl, the oldest college football all-star game in the country,” said Denis Crawford, Ph.D., College Football Hall of Fame Historian and Exhibit Designer. “We’re happy to help kick off the celebration with our exhibit and we look forward to the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl in January.”

In an era known for opt outs Iowa State and Miami appear to be all in for their meeting in the Pop Tarts Bowl. Hurricane star quarterback Cam Ward says he is playing and Cyclone receiver Jaylin Noel says he and the other ISU seniors will play in the December 28th game in Orlando.

It matches two teams that barely missed out on a spot in the college football playoff.

Noel says the Cyclones want to end a record breaking season with a win. ISU is 10-3 and will be searching for its first 11 win season in program history.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on the lack of opt outs for both teams.

Campbell credits the senior class for being all in on the bowl game.

Miami ended the regular season with a record of 10-2.

IHSAA and IHSSN have reached a resolution in their media rights dispute which will make finals round livestreams free for viewers in 2024-25 and conclude their longstanding agreement following this athletic year.

The settlement ends litigation which has been ongoing since the IHSAA filed its initial petition in June 2023. IHSSN has been the IHSAA’s exclusive rights holder for championship events since 2006.

IHSSN will continue to provide for select IHSAA state tournament events for viewing via cable network, broadcast network, www.ihssn.com, and the Watch IHSSN app through the 2025 IHSAA State Baseball Tournament.

IHSSN made state tournament finals available for free streaming starting with last month’s football championships. Earlier state tournament rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, etc.) will require a fee if viewing via livestream.

Media rights for IHSAA events will return to the IHSAA effective Aug. 1, 2025.

AMES, Iowa – In the midst of one of the most successful runs in the program’s 118-year history, Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has agreed to a new contract that will keep him on the Cyclone bench through June 30, 2032, ISU President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen and Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.

“In just four years, Coach Otzelberger has transformed our Iowa State men’s basketball program into one of the nation’s best. Since his return to Ames, Cyclone fans everywhere are enjoying the many successes that his teams have produced,” Wintersteen said. “His commitment to academic and athletic achievement is very strong and we are excited that he will continue to lead our program for many years to come.”

Introduced as the 21st head coach in program history on March 18, 2021, Otzelberger inherited a program coming off a 2-22 campaign and has since led it to three-straight NCAA Tournament bids, including a pair of Sweet 16s, and the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament title. He owns a 79-36 (.687) record in his fourth year at ISU, including a 29-25 (.537) mark in Big 12 play. His .687 overall winning percentage ranks as the best in program history, while his .537 conference winning percentage stands second-best.

Otzelberger was no stranger to the Cyclone program when he returned to Ames as head coach, having served as assistant coach in Ames for eight seasons, working under Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg and Steve Prohm before spending three years as head coach at South Dakota State and two leading the tradition-rich UNLV program before being selected by Pollard to guide the ISU program. Over two stints as an assistant coach and his time as a head coach, Iowa State has compiled a 223-155 record with Otzelberger on staff, which includes six trips to the NCAA Tournament and a trio of Sweet 16 berths.

“The complete reimagining of our program under Coach Otzelberger’s leadership is a testament to his vision and the plan that he and his staff have successfully implemented,” Pollard said. “His continued emphasis on the program’s daily habits has not only reshaped our program but has allowed the Cyclones to quickly pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in college basketball history.

“As college athletics continues to undergo massive change, we believed it was critical to our continued success to secure Coach Otzelberger and Coach (Matt) Campbell for the foreseeable future. Having both head coaches secured through 2032 provides our department with leadership continuity and financial surety during these changing times,” he added.

The only coach in program history to lead multiple teams to the Sweet 16, doing so in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, Otzelberger became the 51st coach in NCAA Division I history to take a team to the Sweet 16 twice in his first three years on the job. He is one of three coaches in program history with 20 or more wins against the AP Top 25 and his 11 wins against AP Top 10 teams are the second-most in program history behind Johnny Orr’s 12.

Otzelberger, Tim Floyd and Hoiberg are the only coaches in program history with four NCAA Tournament wins and his 70 victories in his first three years in Ames were the second-most by a coach in their first three seasons behind Larry Eustachy’s 72. All-told, Otzelberger stands 178-99 (.643) in his ninth season as a head coach overall with five NCAA Tournament berths among his six postseason appearances.

“I’m thankful for the support of our President, Dr. Wintersteen and our Athletics Director, Jamie Pollard,” Otzelberger said. “My family and I love Iowa State University, and the community, and are happy to continue calling it home. Our fan base is second-to-none and we value their continued support as we continue this journey together.”

The third-ranked Cyclones, 9-1 on the season, close out their non-conference schedule with a Dec. 22 contest against Morgan State that will tip-off inside James H. Hilton Coliseum at Noon (Central) on ESPN+.

The terms of Otzelberger’s new contract will be announced at a future date.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced on Tuesday that Iowa softball head coach Renee Gillispie will be stepping away from coaching for the 2025 season due to a personal health matter.

Assistant Coach Brian Levin has been named the interim head coach for the 2025 softball season.

The UNI men shot a sizzling 69 percent from the field, including 58 percent from three point range, in a 104-76 win over Montana. It was their fourth straight victory.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson. The Panthers were 11-of-19 from three point range and also recorded 19 assists.

Sophomore guard Leon Bond the third made 12-of-15 from the field and finished with 37 points.

The Panthers are 7-4.

The ACGC girls basketball team stayed undefeated Monday night, picking up a convincing 51-19 win over the AHSTW Lady Vikes. The Charger defense was suffocating, stopping AHSTW at nearly every turn. Despite a slow start offensively, Camdyn Richter would explode, as ACGC used its size, ball movement, and depth to stay perfect and move to 5-0.

The first quarter felt like a feeling-out process as both teams saw a relatively slow start to the game offensively. AHSTW scored the game’s first points on an inside basket from Addison Carroll (who led the game in scoring for AHSTW) a minute and a half in. However, Karli Koutzky responded with a 3-pointer that would put the Chargers ahead. Both teams struggled to find the basket as they combined for just ten more points in the first quarter. Both defenses played well, and ACGC was able to sneak out a 10-5 lead after the opening frame.

In the second quarter, the Chargers’ offense broke through. Although ACGC went just 6-for-28 from long range, the Chargers hit four of those six in the second quarter. This included two from Meranda Gruber and one from Camdyn Richter. The second quarter was ACGC’s most productive offensively as they outscored AHSTW 21-6. Clara Pace and Carroll picked up field goals for AHSTW but Richter led the way with 10 points in the quarter as the Chargers opened up a 31-11 lead at the half.

Defensively, ACGC’s press caused trouble for the Lady Vikes. ACGC was able to force numerous turnovers throughout the game. Although the Lady Vikes battled all night long, they struggled to deal with the pressure and speed of the Chargers’ defense. As the game wore on, it eventually led to fouls that would send AGCG to the line. Richter was the main benefactor, scoring seven of her nine second half points from the charity stripe. Stella Largent, Shay Lemke, and Gruber added field goals in the third. Even though Lemke only finished with five points, she was an excellent distributor of the ball and helped ACGC pull away.

The fourth quarter saw both teams go to their bench. Maeleigh Rold, Etta Partlow, and Kadence Coolidge contributed for the Lady Vikes, while Olivia Mahaffey chimed in for ACGC. Lemke also knocked down the lone 3-pointer of the quarter as the Chargers were the more experienced team from start to finish and rode a strong performance to move to 5-0 on the year.

Head Coach Brad Balder was impressed with the way his defense limited AHSTW’s opportunities.

He was also impressed with Richter’s performance, especially in the paint.

Although happy with the win, Baudler understands there is always room for improvement.

ACGC will be back in action Friday when they host Panorama while AHSTW will take on Riverside in Oakland on Tuesday.