Sports

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)

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Basketball -Boys - Browerville-Eagle Valley at Osakis 4:45pm - Varsity game at 7:15pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Basketball -Boys - Swanville at Upsala 4:45pm

Basketball - Boys - St. John's Prep at Benson 4:45pm

Hockey - Boys - Park Rapids at Morris/Benson 5:00pm

Hockey - Boys - Prairie Centre North Stars at Wadena-Deer Creek 7:00pm

Wrestling Triangular - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle & Pelican Rapids at United Clay Becker 5:00pm

Wrestling - Little Falls at Brainerd 5:00pm

Basketball -Girls - Osakis at Staples-Motley 6:00pm

Basketball - Girls - Benson at Parkers Prairie 6:00pm

Gymnastics - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville at Little Falls 5:00pm

Friday, January 30, 2026

Wrestling Invitational - Girls - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie, Sauk Centre/Melrose, Staples-Motley, Pillager, Pierz, Wadena-Deer Creek, United North Central, New York Mills, Ottertail Central & more at Osakis 3:00pm

Wrestling Invitational - Little Falls at North Branch 5:00pm

Basketball - Boys - Osakis at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 4:45pm - Varsity game at 7:15pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Basketball - Boys - Benson at MACCRAY in Clara City 4:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Browerville-Eagle Valley at Swanville 4:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at Benson 5:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Osakis at Upsala 5:45pm

Hockey - Girls - Prairie Centre Blue Devils at Worthington 6:00pm

Gymnastics - Paynesville at Albany 6:00pm

Hockey - Girls - Morris/Benson at Princeton 7:00pm

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Wrestling - Park Region Conference Tournament - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville, Osakis, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale/Parkers Prairie, Benson, New York Mills, Wadena- Deer Creek, Ottertail Central, Pillager & United North Central at Bertha 9:00am

Basketball - Boys - Benson vs Braham at St. Cloud Cathedral 10:00am

Hockey - Girls - Detroit Lakes vs Prairie Centre Blue Devils at the Todd Expo Arena in Long Prairie 3:00pm

Monday, February 2, 2026

Basketball - Boys - Benson at Swanville - Varsity only 3:45pm

Basketball - Boys - Brandon-Evansville at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 4:45pm

Basketball - Boys - Kimball at Upsala 4:45pm

Basketball - Boys - Royalton at Osakis 5:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Browerville-Eagle Valley at Verndale 5:00pm

Basketball - Girls - Osakis at Benson 5:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Bertha-Hewitt at Swanville 5:45pm - Varsity game at 7:15pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Basketball - Boys - Parkers Prairie at Swanville 3:45pm - Varsity game at 7:15pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Basketball - Girls - Swanville at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle - Varsity only 3:45pm

Basketball - Girls - Benson at Melrose - Varsity only 4:00pm

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Basketball - Girls - Osakis at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 4:45pmVarsity game at 7:15pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Basketball - Girls - Upsala at Browerville-Eagle Valley 5:00pm

Basketball - Girls - Benson at Swanville 5:45pm

Basketball -Boys - Parkers Prairie at Upsala 4:45pm

Basketball - Boys - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at Pillager 5:00pm

Basketball - Boys - Swanville at Sebeka 6:00pm

Wrestling Triangular - Osakis, Border West & Alexandria at Benson 5:00pm

Wrestling Triangular - Little Falls & Waconia at Annadale/Maple Lake in Annandale 5:00pm

Wrestling Triangular - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville, Barnesville & United North Central at West Central Area in Barrett 5:00pm

Hockey - Boys - Morris/Benson at Prairie Centre North Stars in Sauk Centre 7:00pm

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.”

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.