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)

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Football - Section 5A Quarterfinals - #6 Browerville-Eagle Valley at #3 West Central Area in Barrett 6:00pm - On 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Football - Section 5A Quarterfinals - #5 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa at #4 Ashby/Brandon-Evansville in Brandon 6:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #8 New York Mills at #1 Breckenridge 6:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #7 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley at #2 Parkers Prairie 6:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #6 Ottertail Central at #3 Lake Park-Audubon 6:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #5 Nevis at #4 Pine River-Backus 6:00pm

Football - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #7 Wadena-Deer Creek at #2 Holdingford 6:00pm

Football -Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #6 Pillager at #3 Royalton 6:00pm

Football - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #5 Staples-Motley at #4 Menahga 6:00pm

Football - Section 5 9-Player Quarterfinals - #7 Bertha-Hewitt at #2 Sebeka 6:00pm

Football -Section 5 9-Player Quarterfinals - #6 McGregor at #3 Verndale 6:00pm

Football - Section 5 9-Player Quarterfinals - #5 Mille Lacs at #4 Ogilvie 6:00pm

Football - Section 6AAA Quarterfinals - #7 Montevideo at #2 Melrose 7:00pm

Football - Section 6AAA Quarterfinals - #6 St. Cloud Apollo at #3 New London-Spicer 7:00pm

Football -Section 6AAA Quarterfinals - #5 Sauk Centre at #4 Litchfield 7:00pm

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #16 Pelican Rapids at #1 Border West 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #15 Brandon-Evansville at #2 Underwood 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #14 Benson at #3 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #13 Ortonville at #4 Park Christian 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #12 Battle Lake at #5 Henning 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #11 Lake Park-Audobon at #6 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy :00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #10 Parkers Prairie at #7 Hancock 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #9 West Central at #8 Breckenridge 7:00pm

Thursday, October 29, 2026

Cross Country - Boys & Girls - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Osakis, Bertha-Hewitt, Sauk Centre, Parkers Prairie, Pillager, Staples-Motley, Verndale, Wadena-Deer Creek, West Central Area. Alexandria Community Christian, Ashby-Brandon-Evansville, Border West, Benson/K-M-S, Minnewaska Area, Morris Area, New London-Spicer, Ortonville & Ottertail Central at the Section 6A Meet at the Vintage Golf Club in Staples 4:00pm

Cross Country - Boys & Girls - Melrose, Little Falls, Albany, Breckenridge/Wahpeton, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Fergus Falls, Perham, ROCORI, Thief River Falls & Willmar at the Section 8AA Meet at Thief River Falls Golf Course 3:30pm

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals - #7 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at #3 Sebeka 6:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals - #5 Verndale at #1 Browerville-Eagle Valley 7:00pm - On 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Volleyball - Section 5A East Quarterfinals - #4Upsala at #1 Mille Lacs in Onamia 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A East Quarterfinals - #3 Swanville at #2 Pine River-Backus 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #8 Royalton at #1 Minnewaska Area 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #7 Albany at #2 Milaca 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #6 Foley at #3 Sauk Centre 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA Quarterfinals - #5 Melrose at #4 Pequot Lakes 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.