maly, too

Friday, August 30, 2013

It Was a Heck Of An Opener

By RON MALY

What a season opener at Valley Stadium, Huge crowd. A Valley team that's the newest chapter in a very strong high school football tradition built by coach Gary Swenson. A Waukee team that's trying to be the next Valley. I don't pay attention to high school rankings in August. Valley's 23-17 victory was supposedly an upset because some knucklehead rated the Tigers below Waukee. All I know is Valley is one of hell of a tough football team to beat in its own stadium, and the place was rocking Friday night. I've seen a ton of Valley games in that stadium, and I always expect the Tigers to win. It seems that Tyus Mason has been playing for Valley for 10 years, but Swenson is sure glad he's back for his senior year in 2013. I mean, the kid raced 61 yards as time was winding down in the fourth quarter, and Valley had its winning touchdown. This certainly isn't a polished Tiger team. It was a squad that fumbled too often, there are problems at quarterback and on pass defense and special teams. Correctable things, all of 'em. And Swenson's teams always get better as the season progresses. So will this one. Dowling is next on the schedule for Valley, and the Maroons will be favored in a game that'll be played at Drake Stadium. We'll see what happens. That's why they play the games.

Goodbye, Dale

After today's debacle at Wrigley Field--a 6-5 loss to Ryne Sandberg's Phillies after blowing a 5-0 lead--I'm seriously wondering if Dale Sveum will [or should] be be back as the Cubs' manager in 2014. The Cubs are now a horrible 25-42 at home this season under Sveum, who couldn't motivate a fish to jump into the water. Nice going, Ryno.

5,068 Watch 'Awesome' Grand View Shock Drake, 21-16

To a Drake football fan, the idea of the Bulldogs playing Grand View usually sounds like a cute idea. Drake, with its storied program filled with names like Johnny Bright and Ossie Solem, playing the little college across town that was a two-year school not that long ago and hardly a name that strikes fear in the minds of longtime football followers. Yeah, a Drake-Grand View game sounds like a great idea --- unless or until Grand View wins the game. "Never schedule a game like that unless you're sure you'll win," is the comment late, great football philosophers such as Fielding Yost, Pop Warner and Jack Wallace might have said. A Grand View victory is exactly what happened Thursday night, no doubt causing Drake fans to wonder what the hell is going on. Drake dropped its season opener, 21-16, to Grand View in front of a crowd of 5,068, the biggest Drake Stadium crowd since Grand View visited for the first time in 2009.

Drake (0-1) struggled offensively, as Grand View (1-0) outgained the Bulldogs 406 to 302 yards with the Vikings racking up 123 yards split evenly between four running backs. Despite Gary Scott, Jr.’s (Forsyth, Ill.) efforts for the Blue and White, Drake gained only 29 yards on the ground, with the remaining 273 yards coming through the air courtesy of Andy Rice, who was making his first start under center.

“First of all, congratulations to Grand View,” said Drake coach Chris Creighton, “I thought they were awesome and played really, really hard. We said the team that played the hardest tonight was going to win and honestly, I thought they played harder.”

Viking quarterback Derek Fulton gashed the Drake defense for 291 yards on 26-of-40 passing with one passing touchdown. Brady Roland was his top target, catching 12 passes for 173 yards including 70-yard touchdown reception on the second offensive play of the game to put Grand View on top early.

Although the rushing attack as a whole struggled for Drake, Scott was a bright spot, breaking a career long 45-yard run to bring Drake back into the game. Scott finished the game with 70 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. In his debut at quarterback, junior Andy Rice (Stevens Point, Wis.) passed for 273 yards and a touchdown by completing 26 of his 50 passing attempts.

“They did a great job with the run and we would have rather been 50-50 [in terms of play calling,]” Creighton said. “I didn’t feel as if we had the run game going, so we had to throw it because we were playing from behind. We did not anticipate throwing the ball 50 times.”

Fifth-year senior, Nick Rosa (Owasso, Okla.) was Rice’s top target, catching five passes for 89 yards including a 39-yard reception. Junior John Hugunin (Oswego, Ill.) anchored the Bulldog defense with 19 tackles, 16 of them solo stops.

“John is a guy who is passionate about this game and I don’t question at all how hard he played,” Creighton said.

After a botched Grand View punt placed the Drake offense on the Grand View 28-yard line, the Bulldogs were able to put themselves on the scoreboard for the first time with 6:43 left in the first quarter. A Rosa reception for 17 yards brought the Bulldogs within striking distance and freshman Ben Tesson (Fenton, Mo.) converted a 20-yard field goal for the score.

The Vikings took a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime after a 10 play, 64-yard drive early in the second quarter extended their lead while the young Drake offense struggled to finish drives.

Drake could have faced a bigger deficit at halftime, if not for senior Mike Ratelle’s (Edina, Minn.) interception at the Bulldog 5-yard line stopped a promising Viking drive. Grand View had 233 yards at the break to the Bulldogs’ 146 yards.

The Bulldogs were finally able to establish a ground attack in the third quarter, as Scott broke open his 45-yard run to give his team first and goal from the 10-yard line. Scott got the call on third and goal, and took a pitch from Rice into the end zone for a Drake touchdown to pull the Bulldogs within a possession, 14-10, with 8:07 remaining in the third quarter.

However, Drake could not hold on to the momentum as Grand View used an eight play, 52-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown from Charles Badgett to build an 11-point lead, 21-10, in the closing minutes of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs responded quickly, driving down the field on the following possession. The six-play, 75-yard drive included a pair of deep passes, one to Rosa for 39 yards and a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior Michael Hudson (Urbandale, Iowa). Drake was unable to convert the two-point conversion, making the score 21-16 at the end of three quarters.

The Vikings looked to extend their lead on their following possession, but a promising drive was stifled by the Drake defense at the goal line. The ensuing Grand View field goal attempt was blocked by Dustin Davis (Council Bluffs) to keep the Bulldogs within a touchdown at 21-16.

Drake was granted a final chance with 2:32 remaining in the game after the defense stuffed Grand View quarterback Dorian Ballentine short of the marker on fourth down in Drake territory. The Bulldogs, however, could not convert on a fourth down, turning the ball over on downs with 47 seconds remaining in the game.

Drake will travel to Cedar Falls looking to rebound from Thursday’s loss with a contest against in-state foe No. 16 Northern Iowa. Kickoff at the UNI Dome is set for 4 p.m.

[Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications, contributed to this story].

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Darius Stokes Says Iowa Scholarship 'A Dream Come True'

Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery said junior Darius Stokes, who has been a walkon the past three seasons, has been rewarded with a scholarship.

“Darius is an incredibly hard worker who brings energy and enthusiasm on a daily basis,” said McCaffery. “It’s rewarding to see his growth and improvement since his freshman year. Darius is a valuable member of this team and has earned this scholarship.”

The 6-foot-7 forward from Cedar Rapids has been a key member of Iowa’s scout team his first three seasons, while also playing in 24 games the past two years.

“This is a dream come true,” said Stokes. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. Coach McCaffery has always believed in me and pushed me in every practice. Having the opportunity to be part of this team as a walk-on and now earning a scholarship after working hard every day is an amazing feeling.

“There's no other place i would rather be. We have a tremendous coaching staff and I have the best teammates anybody could ask for. I look forward to continued improvement and the challenges ahead.”

Stokes is the son of Greg Stokes, who was a three-time all-Big Ten performer for the Hawkeyes from 1983-85. Stokes’ sister, Kiah, is a junior on the Connecticut women’s basketball team.

Iowa now has 13 scholarship student-athletes on its 2013-14 roster.

--Matt Weitzel,, Iowa sports information

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

8 Iowa Basketball Games On ESPN Network

The Big Ten announced the 2013-14 conference men's basketball schedule Wednesday. The conference season begins on New Year's Eve and culminates in March with the league tournament in Indianapolis from March 13 through 16.

Eight of Iowa's 18 Big Ten games will be televised on an ESPN Network, including six on either ESPN or ESPN2. Additionally, the Hawkeyes will have at least one CBS appearance (at Ohio State on Jan. 12). The Big Ten Network’s TV schedule will be released at a later date.

Iowa will open and close its Big Ten schedule in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where last season the Hawkeyes won a school-record 18 home games. The Hawkeyes will open the conference slate New Year’s Eve against Nebraska (6 p.m.), and play their home finale against Illinois on March 8 or 9 at a time to be determined.

Iowa's schedule includes five Big Ten weekend home dates, including playing its final four home contests on a Saturday or Sunday.

The Hawkeyes open their season on Sunday, Nov. 3, in an exhibition contest against Augustana (Ill.) (3:30 p.m.), and the regular season tips off Friday, Nov. 8, vs.UNC-Wilmington (8:30 p.m.).

Iowa’s opener against UNC-Wilmington on Nov. 8, will be the program’s 500th game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa's two byes come on weekdays (Jan. 13-16 and Feb. 11-14). Furthermore, the Hawkeyes will only play on Wednesday only once during the Big Ten schedule, and twice on Thursdays.

From Jan. 28 to Feb. 22, 6-of-7 Iowa basketball games will be broadcast on an ESPN network (ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU).

Three of Iowa's four weekday Big Ten home games have 6 p.m. starts.

Iowa will play Purdue and Nebraska once during the regular season, both at home; while playing Indiana and Penn State one time, both on the road.

Iowa's first five nonconference contests will be played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including a contest against Penn on Nov. 22. Coach Fran McCaffery is a graduate of Penn; also freshman Peter Jok's older brother, Dau, is a senior for the Quakers.

Iowa’s exhibition against Augustana (Ill.) on Nov. 3 will be played the afternoon after the Hawkeye football team’s home game versus Wisconsin. Also, Iowa’s contest against Penn (Nov. 22) will be played the night before the Hawkeyes’ football home finale against Michigan.

Iowa's three games played at Atlantis in the Bahamas will be televised. The Hawkeyes' first game versus Xavier will air on NBC Sports Network, while its final two contests will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network or AXS TV, depending on results of first and second round games.

There will be three women-men’s basketball doubleheaders: Augustana (Nov. 3), UNC-Wilmington (Nov. 8), and Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 10).

--Matt Weitzel, Iowa sports information

Sickening

Just think, Edwin Jackson will be pitching for the Chicago Cubs another 3 years. Is that a sickening thought or what?

A Couple of Bums

Theo Epstein should be fired as the Chicago Cubs' president for signing pitcher Edwin Jackson to a 4-year contract. Both Epstein and Jackson are bums. I almost wish they could bring back Jim Hendry. Well, I said almost.

JOLTIN' JOE GOT IT STARTED

When Ron Maly was a kid in Cedar Rapids, he wanted to enter an essay contest, and he did. He wrote about Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees being his favorite baseball player. For finishing second in the contest, Ron won a Louisville Slugger baseball bat autographed by DiMaggio. Ron later wanted to be the first person in his family to attend college, and he was. He earned a degree in political science from the University of Iowa, and did what all political science majors do. He became a sportswriter. He had, after all, covered high school football, basketball and baseball games for the Cedar Rapids Gazette while he worked parttime during his university days. Ron wanted to sit in the press box and write about an Iowa-Minnesota football game, and he did. It happened while he was the sports editor at the Albert Lea [Minn.] Tribune, and the game was at Memorial Stadium in Minneapolis. Ron wanted to cover a World Series, and he did. Also when he was working for the Albert Lea newspaper. Ron wanted to cover Rose Bowls, Sugar Bowls, Orange Bowls, Cotton Bowls, Holiday Bowls, a Freedom Bowl, a Sun Bowl, a Super Bowl and NCAA basketball tournaments, and he did those things after he moved to Des Moines. Ron was a four-time sportswriter of the Year in the state of Iowa [the years were 1977, 1978, 1994 and 1996]. In 2006, he was named a charter member of the University of Iowa's media Wall of Fame in the Kinnick Stadium press box. A photo of the plaque that's displayed in the press box is displayed above this story. Following Ron's retirement from the newspaper business, a publisher asked him if he wanted to write a book about the rich football tradition at the University of Iowa, and he did. The hardback version of "Tales from the Iowa Sidelines" was a best-seller, and so was the revised, softback version. Now he's been asked by his publisher to update the book for a second time. He's in the process of doing that at the present time. Ron considers being asked to update a best-selling book for the second time to be the supreme compliment, considering the Hawkeyes won just four games in the 2012 season. When Ron isn't working on books, he's busy traveling and spending time with his family. Indeed, he attends the athletic, theatrical and musical [both vocal and instrumental] events in which his six grandchildren participate. He also writes about anything that interests him for his many websites. Every chance he gets, Ron proudly wears his America Needs Farmers T-shirt.

The Hawkeyes' Rich Football Tradition, Revisited

I mentioned a while back that I was in the process of updating my Tales from the Iowa Sidelines book. Updating it for the second time. The original hardback edition of Tales from the Iowa Sidelines [pictured at the right] was published in 2003, during the 10-3 season, when coach Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa football team had a 10-3 record that included a 37-17 victory over 15th-ranked Florida in the Outback Bowl and after the Hawkeyes went 11-2 in 2002. That book was a best-seller, so the publishers came to me again in 2005, a season that finished with a breathtaking 30-25 victory over No. 11 Louisiana State in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day, 2005. Because buyers had cleaned out the the shelves in the bookstores, the publishers wanted to know if I'd do an updated version of the book. I agreed, The revised, soft-cover edition [pictured at the left] was published in 2005. Warren Holloway, who teamed with quarterback Drew Tate on a miraculous 56-yard touchdown pass to win the Capital One Bowl, was featured on the cover. That book, too, turned into a best-seller, So I had reason to feel very good about my years as a published author. It's not every day that a the original version is a best-seller, and so is the updated version. Then, imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from a senior editor at the publishing company last fall, wanting wanted to know if I was interested in doing a second updated version of the book. It came at a time when things weren't going well for the Hawkeyes in the 2012 season. They lost their last six games and finished with a 4-8 record. Frankly, the thought of doing a revised edition of the book during a 4-8 season seemed to be a stretch. "Maybe producing a revised edition in a year or two would be a better idea," I told the publishers. "We'd like to do it now," I was told. "Let me think about it," I said. After a few days of thought, I accepted the idea. I talked myself into the idea that this was the supreme compliment--being asked to do a second book update during a 4-8 season showed strong confidence by the publishers in me and in the Hawkeyes' football program. So I got back into the business of interviewing players and coaches again, going to postgame press conferences, weekly press conferences and a scrimmage in West Des Moines. After a press conference in Iowa City, I did a one-on-one interview with coach Kirk Ferentz, and mentioned to him that I was in the process of doing a revised edition of my two best-selling books. I congratulated him on the excellent things he had done for Iowa's football program--all of which contributed to the success of my books. "I think Coach Fry had more to do with it," he told me, bringing up the name of Hayden Fry, his one-time boss at Iowa and a man who brought Iowa's football program back from the dead in the 20th century. That's modest Kirk Ferentz for you. Even though the 2012 season wasn't something Hawkeye coaches, players and fans will recall with any special feeling, Ferentz has a 14-year record of 100-74 at Iowa that includes two 11-victory seasons [2002 smd 2009], two 10-victory seasons [2003 and 2004], plus he's been the Big Ten coach of year in 2002, 2004 and 2009, and national coach of the year in 2002. Indeed, Ferentz has done some wonderful things at Iowa City, and I fully expect his success to continue. I've concluded my writing for the second update of Tales from the Iowa Sidelines, and the senior editor has furnished me with an early look at the book. Not only are the Kirk Ferentz years included in the updated version, but so is the stuff I previously wrote about Howard Jones, Dr. Eddie Anderson, Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick and the 1939 Hawkeye Ironmen, Ronald Reagan, Ozzie Simmons, Ossie Solem, Randy Duncan, Alex Karras and lots of other legends from Iowa's rich football history. I expect the book to be in stores soon. I hope you like it.