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)

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals - #9 Browerville-Eagle Valley at #1 Nevis 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals -#7 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley at Sebeka 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals - #6 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at #3 Verndale 7:00pm on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Volleyball - Section 5A West Quarterfinals - #5 Laporte at #4 Bertha-Hewitt 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A East Quarterfinals - #8 McGregor at #1 Swanville 7:00pm

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

Volleyball - Section 5A East Quarterfinals - #6 Upsala at #3 Mille Lacs in Onamia 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 5A East Quarterfinals - #5 Ogilvie at #4 Hill City/Northland 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #14 Staples-Motley at #3 Pequot Lakes 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #13 Pierz at #4 Sauk Centre 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #12 Pillager at #5 Royalton 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #11 Osakis at #6 Foley 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #10 Holdingford at #7 Milaca 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6AA First Round - #9 St. Cloud Cathedral at #8 Melrose 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #16 Pelican Rapids winner at #1 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #15 Ortonville winner at #2 Parkers Prairie 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #19 Brandon-Evansville at #3 Breckenridge 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #13 Underwood winner at #4 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 7:00pm

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

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #11 Benson at #6 West Central Area 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #10 Battle Lake at #7 Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 7:00pm

Volleyball - Section 6A Second Round - #9 Park Christian at #8 Wheaton-Herman-Norcross 7:00pm

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Cross  Country - Boys &  Girls - Section 6A Meet - Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Osakis, Sauk Centre, Bertha-Hewitt, Parkers Prairie, Pillager, Staples-Motley, Verndale, Wadena-Deer Creek, Ashby/ Brandon-Evansville, Ottertail Central, Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Minnewaska Area, Morris, Area, New London-Spicer, Ortonville, & Border West at Minnewaska Golf Club 4:00pm

Cross Country - Boys & Girls -Section 8AA Meet - Melrose, Little Falls, Albany, Breckenridge/Wahpeton, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Fergus Falls, Perham, Rocori, Thief River Falls, & Willmar at River Oaks Golf Course of Cold Spring 4:00pm

Friday, October 24, 2025

Will be updated 10/23/25

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Football - Section 5A Semifinals - #4 Browerville-Eagle Valley at #1 Upsala/Swanville Area in Swanville - on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio 2:00pm

Football - Section 5A Semifinals - #3 Ashby/Brandon-Evansville at #2 Belgrade-Brooten- Elrosa in Belgrade 2:00pm

Football - Section 6AA Semifinals - #4 Osakis at #1 Pillager - on 1400 AM & 103.1 FM Hometown Radio KEYL 2:00pm

Football - Section 6AASemifinals - #3 Staples-Motley at #2 Holdingford 2:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #4 Ottertail Central at #1 Breckenridge 2:00pm

Football - Section 6A Quarterfinals - #3 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley at #2 Parkers Prairie 2:00pm

Football - Section 5 9-Player Quarterfinals - #4 Mille Lacs at #1 Cromwell Wright 2:00pm

Football - Section 5 9-Player Quarterfinals - #3 Ogilvie at #2 Bertha-Hewitt 6:00pm

Football - Section 6AAA Quarterfinals - #3 Melrose at #2 Litchfield 3:00pm

Football - Section 6AAA Quarterfinals - #4 New London-Spicer at #1 Albany 3:00pm

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.