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SIOUX CITY: Your alma mater has finally succeeded, Eddie Watt!
Although there have been many outstanding alumni who played baseball at Iowa City High over the years, the 84-year-old is arguably the most illustrious. With the Baltimore Orioles in 1966 and 1970, Watt won two World Series titles while pitching in 411 major league games.
However, he never won a state high school title. Not until Friday afternoon was anyone in the program.
In the Class 4A state championship game at Lewis & Clark Park, City High defeated Bettendorf 4-1 after scoring three runs in the top of the first inning and receiving a beginning pitching performance akin to Watt’s. Since girls’ track in 2011, this is the school’s first sporting victory.
It’s also the first state baseball championship for Iowa City.
“These students performed admirably,” remarked Brian Mitchell, coach of City High. On the mound, Jaxton was a beast. This is excellent. Since there has been a protracted drought, it is extremely important to our school.
I mean, this kind of speaks for itself. “Schroeder said.” We have a lot of guys that have worked really hard, just working hard.
The third-seeded Little Hawks (35-9) needed a sixth-inning comeback to defeat Waukee in their quarterfinal matchup at state. In the semifinals, they immediately fell behind once more before defeating Cedar Rapids Prairie.
This doesn’t require any comeback material. City High took a 3-0 lead when Talon Young singled in Schroeder and Drew Nye added two more runs with a clutch two-out base hit in the first inning.
In the quarterfinals, Nye hit his first (and only) home run of the season. That’s known as clutch.
Schroeder was, too. There was no pulling here, but the left-hander, who is going to Kirkwood Community College, was pulled in the fourth inning Tuesday against Waukee because he wasn’t sharp.
With his fastball-slider combo, he appeared to gain stronger as the game went on, giving up only four hits and three walks while striking out eight. This includes City High players congregating and dogpiling on the mound in celebration, as well as Wrigley Matthys attempting to put an end to proceedings.
I didn’t feel the best during my warm-up at first, Schroeder remarked. However, I knew I had my gear as I emerged and started feeling the rush of adrenaline. Knowing that I was going to compete with my best stuff and rely on my defense to create plays for me was just a wonderful feeling.
One player from City High did not make it into the postgame dogpile. Overcome with emotion, catcher Talon Young dropped to his knees and rested his head on home plate.
Pitching in state tournament semifinal defeats to West Des Moines Dowling as a freshman and junior, and to Ames as a sophomore, he was a four-year varsity player. Young is undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery on Monday after playing this season with a damaged ulnar collateral ligament.
He said, “It’s been a long wait.” During my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, I played a significant role on our team. We lost when I was pregnant last year. We lost when I was on the bump in my junior year. I’m tearing my UCL this year. Many highs and lows. To be honest, I just broke down in tears of happiness. This feels better than anything else.
Mitchell was a member of the City High team that fell to West Des Moines Valley 6-5 in the 1995 4A championship game. City High had not made it to the finals since that year.
Mitchell remarked, “I tell you what, my buddies from 95 were ready to go too.” We had a lot of the 90s when we were there, you know, in 92, 95, and 97. All of my friends are ecstatic as they witness history.
And Mr. (John) Bacon, our principal. I turned him down three times when he asked me to help coach. I never intended to be a coach, and I never wanted to be one. But back in the day, we needed a push at City High. That was the beginning of it.
