Be listening for our sports updates at 6:10am, 7:20am, 8:20am, 12:20pm & 5:20pm on Hometown Radio KEYL AM1400 & FM 103.1 and 99.7FM Hot Rod Radio 

 

Area high school sports schedule

(Events are subject to change due to weather conditions or other factors)

Wednesday March 20, 2024

Boys BB - State Class 3A Quarterfinals at Williams Arena in Minneapolis - 10am - Stewartville vs #1 Totino-Grace; 12Noon - #5 DeLaSalle vs #4 Orono; 2pm - Chisago Lakes vs Mankato East; 4pm - Minneapolis South vs #3 Alexandria

Boys BB - State Class4A Quarterfinals at Target Center in Minneapolis - 10am - Rogers vs #1 Wayzata; 12Noon - #5 Cretin-Derham Hall vs #4 Farmington; 2pm - Eagan vs #2 Park Center; 4pm - Coon Rapids vs #3 Minnetonka

Boys BB - State Class2A Quarterfinals - 6pm - Waseca vs#1 Breck School at Williams Arena; Jackson County Central vs #2 Albany at Target Center; 8pm - #5 Minnehaha Academy vs #4 Pequot Lakes at Williams Arena; Pelican Rapids vs #3 Lake City at Target Center


Thursday March 21, 2024

Boys BB - State Class A Quarterfinals at Target Center in Minneapolis - 11am - Russell-Tyler-Ruthton vs #1 Cherry; 1pm - #5 Nevis vs #4 Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey; 3pm - Heritage Christian Academy vs #2 West Central Area; 5pm - Goodhue vs #3 Fertile-Beltrami

Boys & Girls Track & Field - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Mayer Lutheran & Princeton at Foley 5pm


Friday March 22, 2024

Boys & Girls Track & Field - Upsala/Swanville Area & Osakis at St John's University 6pm


Saturday March 23, 2024

Boys & Girls Indoor Track & Field - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle @ Bemidji 10am


Thursday March 28, 2024

Softball - Swanville @ Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 4:30pm

Softball - West Central Area @ Upsala 5pm


Monday April 1, 2024

Softball - Upsala @ Menagha 4:30pm


Tuesday April 2, 2024

Softball - Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa @ Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 4:30pm

Boys & Girls Track & Field Indoor Meet - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Browerville/Eagle Valley, Osakis & Upsala/Swanville Area @ St John's Prep at St John's University 6pm



KEYL and Hot Rod Radio are proud of our Sports Director - Kevin Houdek 

KEYL/KXDL Sports Director Kevin Houdek honored with WCCO Viewers’ Choice For Best H.S. Football Announcer In Minnesota 

Kevin Houdek has been calling games for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder for 30 years. His knowledge of the teams and the game sheds a bright light for those who can’t attend.

“People all over the country [listen in],” Houdek said. “A guy from Browerville that’s down in Arizona, I’ll get a text from him every once and a while, you know, saying, ‘Great game.'”

On this night, the Thunder are playing the Staples-Motley Cardinals. Both teams were 0-2 — and hungry for a win.

“It’s not life or death,” he said. “It’s to have a good time and stay professional, and remember you’re broadcasting for two teams, not just your home team.”

WCCO Viewers Choice For Best H.S. Game Announcer In Minnesota

Kevin Houdek (credit: CBS)

Sports teams and the media often clash, but Houdek has earned the respect of Activities Director Dan Zetah.

“Our coaches … really like him and respect him,” Zetah said. “He’s very savvy with the numbers, with stats. You ask him a stat about something, he’s got it right there.”

Listening to Houdek — as he delivers names and stats with computer-like precision — might be overwhelming to some, but it’s like poetry to someone who’s into the game.

“I think you can get some broadcasters … that can maybe get a little more opinionated or maybe get negative more, if you want to use that term. He doesn’t get that way at all,” Zetah said.

And it’s clear that Houdek loves his work.

“It’s so much fun,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated it even more. Even at this level, I go to a game and every night I know somebody’s going to do something amazing.”

So if you’re ever driving through central Minnesota on game night, tune your radio to 1400 AM to hear the small-town guy who, in his own way, has hit the big time.

“A teenager’s going to pull off a big play, or they’re going to play their best game ever, and everybody’s having fun, and I’m having fun, too,” Houdek said.

-- Courtesy WCCO

 

KEVIN HOUDEK NAMED SID HARTMAN MEDIA AWARD WINNER


 

He was recognized at the 11th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on April 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 16, 2018 - Longtime radio sports director and broadcaster Kevin Houdek will receive the Sid Hartman Media Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He was recognized at the 11th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on April 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Houdek has spent 30 years as the sports director at KEYL/KXDL Radio in Long Prairie, Minnesota. Last fall he won WCCO TV’s Viewers’ Choice Award for Best High School Football Announcer. Houdek has been providing play-by-play for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder for three decades.

In addition to football, Houdek has broadcast other high school sports including volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ hockey, wrestling, baseball and softball. He has covered Minnesota State High School League state tournament games for many of those sports for his station and the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network.

Houdek is a Minnesota native who attended Danube High School before getting his associate’s degree in radio and television broadcasting at Brown Institute in Minneapolis. He is also a volunteer coach for youth baseball and wrestling and women’s slo-pitch softball, and is a 15 year veteran of the Long Prairie volunteer fire department.

The Sid Hartman Media Award is named after the Star Tribune’s most famous sports writer who is still covering local teams at age 98.

 

 

 

 

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