It was 70-plus degrees on Thursday. What’s all the talk of winter? Friday the temperatures are going to be lower outside, which is just in time for the start of area high school winter sports season.
Friday night the girls hit the basketball courts. Newton High’s Cardinals are hosting their annual four-team Cardinal Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament. It is a two-day event.
Last year’s tournament champion Carlisle plays North Polk at 5 p.m. Friday in the NHS Upper Gym followed by Newton taking on Bondurant-Farrar at 7 p.m.
On Saturday there are two games beginning at 1 p.m. for the consolation contest which features the two losing teams from Friday’s games. The championship game is at 3 p.m. between Friday’s winning teams.
After the championship game, the all-tournament team will be announced followed by a 3-point shooting contest. There will be plenty of girls’ basketball action on hand the next two days.
Also on Friday night, Lynnville-Sully, Colfax-Mingo and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter open the girls’ basketball season.
The Lynnville-Sully Hawks are at home in South Iowa Cedar League action against Iowa Valley. Colfax-Mingo is on the road at Martensdale-St. Marys and CMB begins the season on the road at Woodward-Granger.
Prairie City-Monroe’s girls kick off the basketball season at home in non-conference play Saturday. The Mustangs host Knoxville.
Girls’ basketball teams play Tuesday before taking a break for Thanksgiving.
The Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella boys’ swim team begins the 2016-17 season Tuesday in a dual at Indianola. The NCMP boys — formerly known as the Newton boys’ swim team — has swimmers from Newton, Colfax-Mingo and Pella under direction of head coach Sarah Patterson.
Patterson is the longtime head coach of the NCMP girls’ swim team, and it was decided to go to NCMP for the boys this season since there were swimmers from the three school districts involved.
Area boys’ basketball and wrestling teams spring into action following the Thanksgiving break. Newton’s girls and boys open bowling season Dec. 1.
Newton High is hosting Newton’s Winter Classic — a night of wrestling and boys’ basketball — on Nov. 29. Boone is the opponent on the court and on the mat for the Cardinals that night.
Action begins at 4:30 p.m. with junior varsity wrestling at 4:30 p.m. in the Upper Gym.
At 4:45 p.m. is the freshman boys’ basketball game in the Lower Gym followed by the junior varsity boys’ game at 6:15 p.m.
Newton’s varsity wrestlers open the season at home against Boone at 5:30 p.m. in the Upper Gym. As soon as the varsity wrestling concludes, the mat is rolled up and the Newton varsity boys’ basketball team gets the season under way against Boone at 7:30 p.m.
Last weekend, the Kansas State Wildcats were idle.
On Sunday, I thought my Kansas City Chiefs were idle too from the way they were playing against Carolina. The Chiefs woke up and rallied to beat the Panthers.
The Chiefs scored on defense to turn the game around. Down 17-6, veteran safety Eric Berry returned an interception for a touchdown.
The Chiefs executed a 2-point conversion. They tied it up later at 17-17.
The defense came up with another takeaway — a strip of the football by second-year cornerback Marcus Peters. It led to the game-winning field goal by Cairo Santos.
Peters, who I like how he plays but he needs to learn how to react better, punted the ball into the stands after his fumble recovery.
It only cost the Chiefs five yards for a delay of game penalty but could have been a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Following the incident, there was a glimpse of Berry talking to Peters on the Chiefs’ sideline. Later, Berry said he just told Peters to be smart.
“We always talk about accountability. It’s not about yourself. We’re out there for each other.
Sometimes you have to put yourself to the side and do it for your teammate,” Berry said.
Lesson learned.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets
at jsheetsnewtondailynews.com