IF-A/AGWSR boys soccer 3rd at state

   DES MOINES – Brayden Penning didn’t expect to get the opportunity to play high school soccer.
   Instead, the AGWSR junior has not only gotten the opportunity to play with Iowa Falls-Alden, but on Saturday afternoon he stood with fellow Cougar student-athlete Ezra Andersen as the Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR team received its third-place trophy after winning a Class 2A consolation game, 4-3, over Perry at Cownie Sports Complex in Des Moines.
   The Cadets won their first-ever state soccer match, 2-1, over Dubuque Wahlert, but fell short of the title game in a 4-2 loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier in Friday’s state semifinal. For Penning, just having a chance to get on the pitch in Des Moines was a huge triumph.
   “We were glad to make it here to state for the first time,” Penning said. “We wanted to win but we’d be good with whatever and we knew going into (Saturday) we’d at least get fourth place.”
   The full story is in the June 8 Grundy Register.