Sports

The Kee volleyball team had its dramatic postseason tournament run come to an end Tuesday, October 31, but it took a perennial net power to finally derail that Hawk tournament train and prevent Kee history from being made one more time just one match shy of the State Tournament. Having steamrolled fellow Upper Iowa Conference opponent Turkey Valley to begin that tournament trek, the Hawks went the distance in dramatic fashion in their next two matches, including an upset at 10th-rated Dunkerton several days prior to end up in the Region 5 championship match against seventh-rated Tripoli at Crestwood High School.

Friday, September 22, employees from New Albin Savings Bank and Kerndt Brothers Bank joined together and raised money for the Kee Booster Club by hosting the sixth annual Kee High School tailgate party. Pictured above at the donation of proceeds from this year’s event are, left to right, Kelli Mudderman of New Albin Savings Bank, Laurie Van Brocklin of the Kee Booster Club and Clem Schulte of Kerndt Brothers Bank Since its inception, this event has raised over $11,000 for the Kee Booster Club. This year’s donation will be used to install a new automatic cooling water fountain in the gym. The free-will donation meal at the event included grilled hamburgers and hot dogs from the Allamakee County Cattlemen, while Calhoun Creamery and WW Homestead Dairy supplied 20 pounds of fresh cheese curds for everyone to enjoy. Everyone who attended the free meal also received a free Kee High synch back.

The Kee Hawk faithful certainly know their way to Fort Dodge, and for the first time in two decades they were able to make that journey to watch a full team of some familiar faces who have typically performed a few more miles down the road, instead, perform for a few miles...period. That performance, in the Class 1A field of the Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet Saturday, October 28, was not only the first team appearance for the Kee girls cross country team since the 1996 season, but it also turned out to be the best-ever finish for the cross country Lady Hawks in team history, as they ran to a third-place team result among Class 1A’s cross country elite.

Indians will travel to New Hampton this Friday for rematch in quarterfinals

Neither wind, nor cold nor the dark-uniformed Clear Lake Lion defense that has not given up more than 14 points in any of its previous seven games could stop the Waukon football team from delivering itself to the quarterfinal round of the Class 2A State Play-Offs with a 46-16 rout of the host Lions in the opening round of the season grand finale series Friday, October 27. Temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, winds blowing between 20 and 30 mph definitely pushing wind chills below that freezing mark, and a steady dose of snow showers may have lopsided the Indians’ usually balanced offensive attack, but the 371 yards the Indians gained on the ground, compared to just 97 through the air, proved to be more than enough to fuel a 46-0 headstart the Indians gained through three quarters on the way to the victory.

The Waukon girls cross country season came to an end exceeding expectations at the season grand finale of the Class 2A State Meet Saturday, October 28 at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course near Fort Dodge. Heading into every team’s ultimate destination, the Indians were rated 11th by the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association but ran to a ninth-place finish in the Class 2A State Meet field of 15 teams, their 242 team points just two away from placing even one position higher.

The Kee volleyball team took another thrilling step down the postseason tournament trail, taking fans on yet another rollercoaster ride to the brink of yet another history-making possibility for Kee High School. In their Class 1A Region 5 semifinal match at 10th-rated Dunkerton Thursday, October 26, the Hawks swept the first two sets of the match, 27-25 and 25-20, but then suffered losses of 16-25 and 20-25 to bring the match to a decisive fifth set, where the Kee netters once again appeared to have their season on the ropes, but battled their way back once again to secure the set-five win, 15-10, and the match victory.

The Kee volleyball team continued its brilliant postseason run and is now one match away from its first-ever State Tournament qualification after another five-set thriller Thursday, October 26 at 10th-rated Dunkerton. The Lady Hawks bolted to a two-set edge with victories of 27-25 and 25-20, but then let the host Raiders back into the match by suffering losses of 16-25 and 20-25 to force a fifth and deciding set. After another back-and-forth battle, the Hawks pulled out the 15-10 victory to earn the upset and advancement to the Tuesday, October 31 Region 5 championship match to play for a berth in the Class 1A State Tournament. Tuesday's regional championship match will now be played at Crestwood High School in Cresco - instead of at Waverly, beginning at 7 p.m. against seventh-rated Tripoli. Full details and photos of the Hawks thrilling upset will appear in the October November 1 edition of The Standard newspaper.

Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank of Waukon and Decorah recently presented a check in the amount of $1,592.25 to the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club for proceeds the bank received through its 2017 Tailgate Party during Waukon High School’s Homecoming September 22. Serving hamburgers and hot dogs grilled by the Allamakee County Cattlemen, the bank accepted free-will donations for the meal with all proceeds being donated to the Allamakee Athletic Booster Club. Pictured above at the presentation of those donated proceeds to the Allamakee Athletic Boosters are, left to right, Sara Miller of Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, Bridget and Rick Ronan of the Allamakee Athletic Boosters, and Mary Jo Goodman of Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank. The Allamakee Athletic Booster Club has received $10,623.08 in donations over the eight years this event has been held. Submitted photo.

Indians will open season grand finale series this Friday at Clear Lake

For the second consecutive season, the Waukon football team was faced with a scenario of “win and you’re in” the State Play-Offs against a North Fayette Valley squad with a strong football tradition over the years. Although the situation wasn’t quite the same as last year, with last season’s undefeated TigerHawks graduating the core of their most recent success and that graduation showing itself in just a 2-6 North Fayette Valley record this season, it was still a case of taking care of business for the Indians, which they happened to do quite well in posting a 56-21 victory to earn their fourth State Play-Off berth in the past six seasons.

For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.

The Kee volleyball season rolls on but not without leaving an Upper Iowa Conference (UIC) colleague behind and battling through a hard-fought five-set marathon to make it happen. The Lady Hawks first took care of fellow UIC netters Turkey Valley at home Tuesday, October 17 for the fifth time this season, this time in three straight sets, 25-18, 25-14 and 25-23, in the opening round of Class 1A Region 5 tournament play, but then were locked in a five-set war in the Region 5 quarterfinals at Riceville Monday, October 23, battling Northwood-Kensett in a match in which none of the sets featured more than a final five-point margin of victory for either team, but three of those sets going Kee’s way for the match victory and further postseason advancement by scores of 21-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22 and 16-14.