With the Iowa-Nebraska football game two weeks from today (Friday), the top elected officials in both states are hoping to take the annual rivalry to a different level. Kara Kelly, regional spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, is calling it the Governors’ Challenge. “Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts are challenging their citizens to participate in a friendly face-off,” Kelly says. “They want to see which state can raise more money to support Red Cross Disaster Relief. This is all around the annual Hy-Vee Heroes game which is November 25th.”

She says it’s easy to contribute and the donations are used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters of all magnitudes. “For Iowans, if you would like to donate to Red Cross Disaster Relief, there are two ways,” Kelly says. “You can go to www.redcross.org/iowachallenge or text ‘Iowa’ to 90999. That’s a $10 donation that’ll show up on your phone bill and it all goes toward American Red Cross Disaster Relief.”

Every eight minutes, the Red Cross provides hope and comfort to people affected by community disasters. “The money raised for disaster relief goes to support disasters large and small,” Kelly says. “Large, thinking about the recent disasters in Louisiana and Hurricane Matthew and even the flooding in northern and eastern Iowa, while the smaller disasters, we’re talking about those day-to-day home fires which our volunteers respond to 24-7, 365 days a year.”

The Hawkeyes are hosting the Huskers at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City this year on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the sixth annual Heroes game match-up. This year, Kelly says Iowa Red Cross volunteers have responded to more than 710 disasters from floods to homes fires, helping 1,913 Iowans in need. Iowa Red Cross volunteers and their partners have installed more than 4,320 potentially lifesaving smoke alarms in Iowa homes. Iowans rolled up their sleeves and made more than 28,500 donations of lifesaving blood.

1,178 Iowa military personnel, veterans and family members received assistance through Services to Armed Forces programs.

(Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s frontcourt should get a boost next season after the Hawkeyes signed big men Luka Garza and Jack Nunge. Garza, who is 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, averaged 25.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks as a junior for the Maret School in Washington, D.C. last year.

Nunge is also 6-foot-11. But he shot 43 percent on 3s for Castle High in Indiana last season while posting 18 double-doubles. Connor McCaffery, the son of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, could also sign with the Hawkeyes in the near future. But Connor has yet to decide whether he wants to play basketball, baseball or both at Iowa.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Outfielder Matt Holliday became the final free agent, formally leaving the St. Louis Cardinals when he and the team agreed to waive a provision in his contract that would have guaranteed his 2017 salary if he finishes among the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

The 36-year-old certainly will not finish among the top 10 when voting is announced Nov. 17, so the move makes him a free agent one week earlier. He hit .246 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs in 110 games, missing substantial time after his left thumb was broken when he was hit by a pitch on Aug. 11.

He was brought into the Cardinals’ season finale to play left field in the ninth inning. He was given a standing ovation and taken out before the next pitch. On the start of the season’s last weekend, the Cardinals said they planned to decline his $17 million option for 2017.

Holliday, who still gets a $2 million buyout, became a free agent Thursday, three days after the other 157 eligible players went free. He was held up because of the vesting provision. A seven-time All-Star, Holliday was drafted by Colorado in 1998, traded to Oakland after the 2008 season and then dealt to St. Louis the following July.

8-Player – Thursday, November 10

Harris-Lake Park 35, Fremont-Mills, Tabor 21  – Final

Don Bosco, Gilbertville 72, Midland, Wyoming 0 – Final

Class 3A – Thursday, November 10

Pella 34, Xavier, Cedar Rapids 30 – Final

Webster City 6, Glenwood 3 – Final

Class 5A Semifinals

Top Bracket

(3-0) Cedar Falls 25-25-25, Ankeny 11-16-18   Box Score

Bottom Bracket

(3-2) Ankeny Centennial 25-25-25-32-19, West Des Moines Valley 15-15-27-34-17  Box Score

Class 4A Semifinals

Top Bracket

(3-2) Pella 20-25-19-25-15, Bishop Heelan 25-18-25-14-11 Box Score

Bottom Bracket

(3-0) Dubuque Wahlert 25-25-25, Cedar Rapids Xavier 20-21-15 Box Score

Class 3A Semifinals

Top Bracket

(3-1) Union16-25-29-32. Mount Vernon 25-20-27-30  Box Score

Bottom Bracket

(3-0) Dike-New Hartford 25-25-29. Kuemper Catholic 22-23-27  Box Score

Class 2A Semifinals

Top Bracket

(3-0) Western Christian 25-25-25, Council Bluffs St. Albert 23-15-8  Box Score

 Bottom Bracket

(3-0) Waterloo Columbus Catholic 28-25-25, Unity Christian 26-21-21  Box Score

Class 1A Semifinals

Top Bracket

(3-0) Janesville 25-25-25, Holy Trinity Catholic 17-23-14 Box Score

Bottom Bracket

(3-1) Hudson 23-25-25-25, Springville 25-19-23-18 Box Score

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston says he hopes to make his season debut Sunday at Carolina, though the decision to put the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher on the field ultimately rests with coach Andy Reid.

Houston was hobbled by his knee the second half of last season, and tweaked it in a playoff win over the Texans. He barely played in a playoff loss to the Patriots and had surgery in February. The Chiefs have been hoping all along to have him for the stretch run.

He began practicing a few weeks ago, and was removed from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday. And in his first comments since surgery, Houston said Thursday that he’s ready to “dominate.”

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

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AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State says its latest recruiting class is its best in recent memory. The Cyclones signed three players on Wednesday, led by consensus four-star guard Lindell Wigginton from Nova Scotia. The 6-foot-2 Wigginton averaged 16.2 points per game last season for Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

Iowa State also landed Terrence Lewis, a 6-5 forward from Milwaukee, Wisconsin ranked as the second-best player from his state, and Darius McNeill, a 6-foot-3 guard from Houston. The Cyclones 2017-18 class is ranked 19th by recruiting site 247sports.com and 17th by Rivals.com.

Iowa State, ranked 24th, opens coach Steve Prohm’s second season on Friday against Savannah State.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs running back Spencer Ware passed the NFL’s concussion protocol and returned to practice Wednesday, and he should be available for Sunday’s game at Carolina. Ware was hurt in Indianapolis and missed last week’s game against Jacksonville.

Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston is also expected to be added to the roster, though coach Andy Reid said the move had not yet been made. Houston has been out after having surgery on a bothersome ACL in his left knee in February, and the deadline to join the active roster is Wednesday.

Reid has been hopeful that Houston will return for the stretch run, but he has not given a timetable for him to get on the field. Houston has been practicing for about three weeks.

2016 State Volleyball Tournament

Nov. 8-11, 2016 @ U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids

CLASS 5A

10:00-a.m., Court 1 – Cedar Falls vs. Ankeny

10:00-a.m., Court 2 – Ankeny Centennial vs. West Des Moines/Valley

CLASS 4A

Noon, Court 1 – Pella vs. Bishop Heelan

Noon, Court 2 – Dubuque Wahlert vs. Cedar Rapids Xavier

CLASS 3A

2:00-p.m., Court 1 – Union vs. Mount Vernon

2:00-p.m., Court 2 – Dike-New Hartford vs. Kuemper Catholic

CLASS 2A

4:00-p.m., Court 1 – Western Christian vs. Council Bluffs/St. Albert

4:00-p.m, Court 2 – Unity Christian vs. Waterloo Columbus Catholic

CLASS 1A

6:00-p.m., Court 1 – Janesville vs. Holy Trinity Catholic

6:00-p.m., Court 2 – Hudson vs. Springville