Activities Department Update

It’s a state holiday week for us Iowans!
Iowa vs. Iowa State, one of the greatest rivalries in college football. It’s that one week every year when Iowans come together… by being completely divided. There are those of us who are right, and then there are Iowa State fans. 😉 Sorry, had to say it.

I love college football, it’s truly the greatest time of the year. I’m as basic as they come: watching Halloween movies, spending Saturdays glued to college football, daydreaming about autumn vibes, and enjoying all the pumpkin-flavored coffee and treats. The first few weeks of the season always make me laugh because thousands of “couch analysts” immediately decide which teams or athletes are destined for greatness after watching just a game or two.

This past weekend alone, my social media was filled with hot takes: Arch Manning struggling, Iowa’s Gronowski stumbling, Bill Belichick supposedly “washed up,” and Lee Corso leaving behind a legacy that will be missed by generations of fans. But here’s the thing, greatness always comes with adversity and doubters.

Think back to the story I shared earlier about Michelangelo’s Statue of David: greatness takes time to mold. It takes patience, consistency, and trust in the process. Programs aren’t built overnight, and average athletes don’t become elite without years of effort and commitment.

Central Lee athletics are in the process of becoming great. Programs changing the culture, athletes changing their mindsets and their effort given, fans and community trusting the work put in by coaches and athletes, and everyone in the district showing true pride for our athletic teams are essential ingredients for a championship minded athletics program.

I’ll leave you with this: In 2008, Clemson football fired their head coach midseason after a rough start. They promoted a relatively unknown wide receivers coach, Dabo Swinney, who had zero experience as a coordinator or collegiate head coach. Fans doubted him. Critics called for his replacement.

Fast forward to today: Dabo has two national championships, eight ACC titles, multiple playoff appearances, and a long list of NFL athletes he’s developed.

Trust the process, trust the work, have a championship mindset.

Our varsity football squad opened their season with a 28-8 victory over Van Buren County. Brett Cook led the way on all three aspects of the game. He threw two touchdowns and 98 yards rushing on offense, three tackles and an interception defensively, and a fumble recovery on a botched punt return. Ward Fraise had 70 yards rushing with a touchdown. Will Hayes and Carver Hayes both had receiving touchdowns. Cam Thornburg held strong on the line with four pancake blocks. Excellent job, gentlemen!

Our Band, Cheer, and Dance teams all performed throughout the competition and had excellent showings for the first big event of the school year.

Our varsity volleyball team has been insanely busy in the beginning of the season. They opened up with a 4 set win over Fort Madison. Last Saturday we hosted our home 8-team tournament. Our girls went 2-2 with victories over West Burlington and Pekin, but losing to Mid-Prairie and Burlington. On September 2nd, our girls competed in the Wapello Arrow Tournament, going 1-2 with a win over Columbus and loses to Wilton and Holy Trinity.

Kenna Sandoval leads the team with assists (126), while Taylor Jones has the top amount of kills with 40. Taylor also leads the team with 9 blocks. Jayden Mueller holds strong defensively with a team leading 133 digs.

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Our varsity cross country runners woke up early to compete at Cedar Rapids Prairie's Invitational, competing against some of the biggest high schools in Iowa. On the girls' side, Macy Anderson was the top runner with a time of 23:36, followed by Afton Maynes with 24:23. On the boys' side, freshman Orion St. Clair was the top runner with a time of 19:06, followed closely by Austin Fogarty with 19:10. Keep pushing yourself runners!

Schedules can be found on our Bound website.

Football- 2A

State Site: https: IHSAA Football

JV/Varsity Home vs Albia, September 5, 5:00pm

MS Home vs New London, September 9, 4:30pm

JV/Varsity @Fort Madison, September 12, 5:00pm

Volleyball- 3A

State Site: IGHSAU Volleyball

FR/JV/Varsity Home vs Keokuk, September 4, 5:30pm

FR/JV/Varsity @Mediapolis, September 9, 5:30pm

MS @Mediapolis, September 11, 4:30pm

FR/JV/Varsity Home vs New London, September 11, 5:30pm

Cross Country- 2A

State Sites: IHSAA CC and IGHSAU CC

MS/JV/Varsity @Keokuk, September 4, 4:30pm

JV/Varsity @Davis County, September 11, 4:30pm

Marching Band

@Rodeo Parade, September 6

Athletic Passes are Available

If you are interested in saving time with a one time payment to get into Central Lee home athletic events (excluding post-season competitions) for the 2025-26 athletic year, contact Tyler Bryant or Tina Cale for the options and pricing.

Sports Boosters Baseball/Softball Initiative

We are making progress toward our goal of raising funds to renovate our baseball and softball facilities. Please consider donating today. Bricks are still available to customize and purchase to be placed in either backstop.

Central Lee Sponsorship Opportunities

Want your business logo to be displayed on the scorers table at all of the 35+ events hosted in our Performance gym? Want your business to have a spot in the new sports events programs? Maybe you want your business to have a logo on the football field? If you or someone you know want a chance to advertise your business at Central Lee, then take a look at the Sponsorship Catalog for this year.

Below are the current coaching vacancies in our district. If you are interested, please contact Tyler Bryant and apply online at TeachIowa. Applicants must have a current Iowa Coaching License/Endorsement. Looking for positive, reliable, and determined individuals for these positions.

Varsity Assistant Football Coach

Head Varsity Girls Soccer Coach

MS Boys Basketball Coach

MS Boys Basketball Coach

Varsity Girls/Boys Bowling Coach

Varsity Assistant Boys Basketball Coach

Middle School Baseball Coach

Middle School Baseball Coach

"Carry yourself like a champion now so when you get there, it's not a surprise."- David Fizdale