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| Scottsbluff boys ride district title into state track meet 2013-05-16 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| A big battle cry from western Nebraska entering this week’s State High School Track and Field championships is: Here comes Scottsbluff, ready to defend another state championship. The Bearcat boys turned in a solid 128 points last Thursday in winning the District B-6 title by 29 points over runner-up McCook at Bearcat Stadium. And the Scottsbluff girls enter state, at Omaha Burke Stadium on Friday and Saturday, riding a district runner-up finish. The Bearcats scored a solid 112 points, second only to McCook’s 123-1/2-point winning total while Sidney was a distant third with 92-1/2. Gering had three district champions, with senior Rachel Huffman winning the girls’ 1,600-meter run. And the Bulldogs earned a sweep in the high jumps with senior Zac Bibb taking the boys’ gold and senior Megan Upp tying for first in the girls’ high jump. The Bulldog girls were fourth in the team race with 50 points, and the Gering boys were sixth in their division with 41 points. The Scottsbluff boys were led in districts by senior Matthew D. “Kleiner” Klein, who won both hurdles races. He turned in a 14.92-second time in winning the 110 high hurdles and a 39.82-second victory in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Sophomore Daniel Rohrer qualified for state with his third-place finish in the intermediate hurdles. The Bearcats also had two returning state qualifiers win district events, and both are headed to the University of South Dakota next fall to play football. Jon Maag won the shot put with a high mark of 54-4 and placed second in the discus with a throw of 144-7, while Luke Worden won the 100-meter dash in 10.95 seconds. Worden, who placed sixth at state in the 100 as a sophomore and was second last year, looks for an individual state championship this year. He and Klein ran on the Bearcats’ state-winning 400-meter relay last year. While Scottsbluff was unable to qualify the 4x100 relay again, the Bearcats’ depth in the distance events speaks volumes and is a carryover from Scottsbluff’s runner-up team finish in the state cross country meet in October. Scottsbluff won the district 3,200 relay crown in 8:08.18. Seniors Tayler James and Justin Pritchard, sophomore Nathan Pritchard and Junior Ben Willis-Teff won the event by more than nine seconds over runner-up Alliance. State cross country champion Matthew Barraza, just a sophomore, had a second-place finish in the district 3,200 run (9:59.85) in leading three straight Bearcats to the finish line. Junior Brendan Taedter was third and sophomore Shane Burkey came in a state-wildcard fourth place. Three Bearcats also qualified in the state 1,600 meters, with senior Justin Pritchard finishing in second (4:36.99) just 0.67 second behind Ogallala senior James McKeag, who also won the 3,200 run. Barraza finished third in the 1,600 and Taedter earned a wildcard with his fifth-place finish. In the 800 run, James finished second in 1:58.61 and Willis-Teff was a quarter-second behind in earning third and a state berth. Also for Scottsbluff, freshman Ben Heggem qualified in the 400 dash with a sixth-place wildcard time. Scottsbluff’s 1,600 relay team of James, Willis-Teff, Heggem and sophomore Stetson Anderson qualified with a third-place district finish. Besides Bibb winning the high jump at 6-3, Gering had another jumper qualify in junior Caleb Geary, who earned third place in the triple jump at 41-6. “Zac has jumped well all year, although he would like to hit 6-5 or 6-6 at state,” Gering coach Randy Plummer said. “As a team, we qualified six boys and six girls, and that is about as good as we could have done.” On the track for the Bulldogs, junior Ryan Schwartzkopf took second in the 400 dash and classmate Dillon DeMott qualified in the 300 intermediate hurdles with his third-place finish. DeMott opens the Bulldogs’ 1,600 relay with Schwartzkopf on the anchor leg after Gering took second to Alliance’s outstanding time of 3:23.37. Junior Aaron Pierce follows DeMott and hands off to freshman Austin Dolberg before giving the baton to Schwartzkopf for the anchor leg. Mitchell junior Levi Avila added a fourth county runner to the B boys’ 1,600 meters field with his sixth-place district time, and he also earned a berth in the 800 with a fifth-place finish. Also for the Tigers, senior Tanner Whitton took third in the 400 dash to qualify, as did freshman Drew Gilliland with a fourth-place wildcard time in the 110 high hurdles. Mitchell also qualified its 3,200 relay with a third-place finish. Avila opens, followed by senior Jeremy Carrizales, junior Tate Harvey and Whitton. Class B Girls Huffman, who finished the state cross country meet in ninth in the fall, takes a winning district 1,600-meter time of 5:32.64. Huffman also was third in the 800, and sophomore Kali Rimington earned third in the 1,600. “Rachel has run well all year long,” Plummer said. “She has qualified in three events and has a great chance to place high in all three.” Upp tied at the top of the girls’ high jump competition by clearing 5 feet, which Plummer said was her season’s best mark. Gering’s 3,200 relay qualified with a third-place finish. Huffman leads off, followed by Rimington, senior Dakota Gellner and freshman Jerilyn Laws. Scottsbluff’s youth movement turned in big dividends, especially with freshman Chesney Walker swept the hurdles races. Walker won the 100 high hurdles in 15.57 seconds and the 300 low hurdles in 46.76. Freshman Shanell Primes was second in the 100 dash in 13.06 seconds, while sophomore Taylor Muncie finished third in both the 1,600 and 3,200 races. Outstanding results for the Bearcat girls in the field events included senior Christina Peters’ second-place finish in the pole vault at 8-11 to qualify for Omaha and junior SteaVen Becker’s runner-up toss of 123-2 in the discus. Senior Liz Cunningham, who went to state as a Mitchell Tiger last season, finished third in both the 200 dash and the long jump for Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff senior Zoey Rada added a third place in the shot put. Junior Kylie Guerue earned a fourth-place wildcard in the 800 run, and she is third leg on the Bearcats’ second-place district 400 relay quartet that turned in a 50.97-second time. Primes leads off, followed by Cunningham, Guerue and Walker. Scottsbluff also finished second in the 3,200 relay in 1:01.77. That quartet has Guerue as leadoff, followed by freshman Shayleigh James and sophomores Vanessa Avalos and Muncie. For Mitchell, senior Taylor Peters was second in the 800 meters in 2:24.07. In field events, Mitchell sophomore Aspen Reifschneider was second in the long jump and senior Havannah Newens finished in a tie for third in the high jump. Reifschneider also qualified with a fourth-place wildcard in the 200 dash, as was the case for sophomore McKenna Zulkoski in the 400 dash. Class C Bayard captured the District C-11 team title at Grant last Thursday by rolling up 123 points, 33 ahead of runner-up Chase County, led by seven total victories. The Bayard boys finished in fourth with 41 points, and both Morrill teams finished in eighth – the boys with 27 points and the girls with eight. Chase County won the boys’ team title with 144 points. In the girls’ competition, Bayard freshman Jessi Smith earned double gold in the distance races, while senior Alanda Kildow won the high jump and triple jump and junior Megan Stuart won the pole vault in leading the Tigers’ team run. Bayard’s 400 and 1,600 relay teams also won their district titles. In the 400 relay, senior Breanna Korell, freshman Miah Vera, Stuart and Smith turned in a 52.0-second winning time. In the 1,600 relay, Korell, Smith, senior Sinahi Garci and Stuart won in 4:18.3. In the open events, Smith won the 800 run in 2:32.1 and the 1,600 in 5:51.8. Kildow cleared 4-11 for the winning height in the high jump and leaped 35-4-1/2 to win the triple jump for the Tigers. Kildow also placed third in the 100 high hurdles in 17.3 seconds, a race Hemingford senior standout Kelsy Wood won in 15.3 as part of her four-event championship day. Stuart cleared 9 feet to win the pole vault, and she finished third in the 300 low hurdles, three seconds behind Wood. And in the long jump, Bayard freshman Miah Vera was second at 16-11, just 4.5 inches behind Wood. Korell scored second in the 100 dash in 13.0 seconds, 0.4 second behind Wood, and Korell also was second in the 200 dash in 27.5 seconds. Morrill senior Morgan Nortness finished second in the shot put with a mark of 35-1-1/2. Morrill senior Taylor Lackey led area boys in the C-11 meet with his victory in the high jump at 5-9. Bayard junior Travis Willhoite led the Tigers with runner-up finishes in the 200 dash (23.2 seconds) and the 400 sprint (52.5). The Tigers also were second in the 400 relay (45.0) anchored by Willhoite. Seniors Allen Denton and Raine Miller were followed by junior Jadon Smith and Willhoite. Class D Minatare senior Andres Mendoza was perfect in four open events and junior Steven Juarez was golden in one, leading the Indians to a third-place boys’ team finish last Wednesday at Creek Valley High School in Chappell. Banner County sophomore Tyson Dahlgrin was a two-time winner for the Wildcats, who finished in fifth with 39 points. Potter Dix had 110.33 points, edging runner-up Garden County by three points in the boys’ team race. Mendoza won the long jump at 20 feet, 7-1/4 inches and the triple jump with a mark of 40 feet, 7-1/2 inches. On the track, Mendoza motored to first-place finishes in the 100 dash in 10.8 seconds and the 200 sprint in 23.1 seconds. Juarez won the 3,200 run in 10:53.4 and was second in the 1,600 in 5:09.9. Also for Minatare, sophomore Mario Sanchez was second to Mendoza in the 100 in 10.9 seconds and in the 200 in 23.5. Indians junior Tylor Grumbles was second in the discus throw at 121 feet. Dahlgrin won his gold medals in the hurdles, winning the 110 highs in 16.4 seconds and the 300 intermediates in 44.1. In the girls’ division, Banner County junior Amanda Harrison earned runner-up finishes in both long-distance races. Harrison was second in the 1,600 in 6:19.2 and silver medalist in the 3,200 in 13:16.1. Harrison led the Wildcats’ eighth-place total of 37 points. Crawford won the girls’ team title with 100 points, five ahead of runner-up Potter-Dix. |
| Gering soccer season comes to an end 2013-05-16 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Gering Lady Bulldogs soccer season came to an end last Friday in Omaha after a 2-0 loss to the defending state Class B champion Gretna Dragons. It was Gering’s second straight trip to the state tournament at Creighton University in Omaha, and the closest game they ever played at state. With the loss, Gering posted a 13-5 season. Gering head coach Lisa Freeberg said she was proud of the way the team played because they worked hard to accomplish a great season. The top seed Lady Bulldogs were favored to win the Class B District 6 tournament, but fell 2-1 to the host Holdrege Dusters in the championship match. But because or their strong season, they earned a wildcard berth to the state tournament. Gering will be losing some key players to graduation, such as top scorer Josie Thompson. But Freeberg said some of the younger players got some quality playing time this season and will be returning for next year. Kaylee Sprier, who Freeburg called “six foot and athletic,” will be a junior this fall. Usually playing midfield, Sprier was the goalkeeper during the conference tournament. She has the potential of taking over the goalkeeper position from graduating Maggie Martin. Freeberg said although they fell a bit short, she was pleased with what the team accomplished this season and is ready to see how the younger players step up for the challenge next season. |
| Tennis girls ready to play role of spoiler 2013-05-16 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| While neither Scottsbluff nor Gering has any seeded entries in this week’s Class B State Tennis Tournament in Lincoln, the Bearcats and the first-year Bulldogs would be glad to play the role of spoiler. Both Gering and Scottsbluff actually benefitted from the early spring snow storms that wreaked havoc on their April schedules. Because of the rescheduling and adding of some duals, however, Gering’s season was extended from its last regularly scheduled date of April 27 – which otherwise would have given the Bulldogs a long wait until state this week. “That was a nice, nice benefit actually,” Gering coach Justin Reinmuth said. “At the time when all the events were being canceled, we didn’t know if they be rescheduled. “Ultimately, I think it gave us a better opportunity to get warmed up, especially having Lexington right before state, because that was as closest thing we had to playing state competition.” A quadrangular at Scottsbluff’s new courts on May 7 gave opportunity for Gering junior Katie Collins to win the Bulldogs’ first gold-medal tournament performance in the program’s inaugural season. “That really gave her that push and confidence to want to compete and want to win,” Reinmuth said of Collins, who then placed fifth in the Lexington Invitational last Thursday – which had been postponed from April 11 – at what he said was close to the competition level the Bulldogs will face at state. Collins finished the Lexington tourney with a record of 3-2 to finish fifth, while junior teammate Marlee Lupher was 1-4 at No. 1 singles to place ninth. Competing for Gering in doubles action are junior Savannah Walker and sophomore Samantha Gutherless at No. 1 and freshman Katlyn Wagoner and junior Brittney Moreno at No. 2. “That was a nice effort for her,” Reinmuth said of Collins’ placement at Lexington. “She started off the season a little bit rough, then all of a sudden these last three competitions, she has just been dominant.” Collins finished 3-0 at No. 2 singles in the Scottsbluff quad, which included Alliance and North Platte. Gering also defeated Alliance in a 6-3 dual on May 4, the Bulldogs’ first win over Alliance in three dual tries. “Momentum is everything, and I think the kids are starting to get the taste of getting some wins under their belts and that is really giving them a push,” Reinmuth said. “We know that state’s going to be really tough. Our goal from the beginning of the year is to try and possibly make the second day at state, and I really think we have some possibilities with Katie or our No. 1 doubles team that we could maybe make it to Day 2, which would be awesome.” Regardless of their on-court outcomes this week, Reinmuth said the most important factor that the Bulldogs will take from their first trip to state is experience and the chance to grow from the opportunity next spring – when hopefully better, more consistent weather will prevail as well. “We don’t have any seniors this year, so we have our entire team returning next year,” Reinmuth said. “I think that is really going to help give us that extra step up next year against better competition, and maybe we can start winning and become a dominant team in the valley.” For Scottsbluff in the Lexington Invitational, freshman Zoe Holscher led the Bearcats with a third-place finish at No. 1 singles. Holscher, who won the Scottsbluff tourney No. 1 singles title, went 3-1 in pool play before winning her third-place match. At No. 2 singles, Scottsbluff’s Christina Villarreal went 1-4 to finish eighth. The Bearcats’ No. 1 doubles team of Akacia Kraus and Rachel Madden earned a fifth-place finish with a record of 2-3. At No. 2 doubles, Scottsbluff’s Sarah Cloud and Stacae Pauli finished seventh with a 2-3 record. |
| Holloway powers Bearcats to district golf title 2013-05-16 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Senior’s 68 paces Scottsbluff to 299 team score; Bayard’s Blanco qualifies While the temperatures – which just 12 days earlier were cold enough to blanket the Scotts Bluff Country club with one last unseasonable snow – soared into record-breaking 90s Monday, so too did many of the scores climb in the District B-4 boys’ golf tournament. Scottsbluff senior Andrew Holloway, on the other hand, was either playing on another planet or – most likely – was in a zone all his own. Holloway, the 2010 Class B state medalist and three-time top-five finisher, burned up the back nine holes for a 33 on his way to posting a score of 4-under-par 68 in running away with the district medalist title. Holloway’s score paced the host Bearcats to a winning team score of 299, just six days after they combined for a season-best 293 in winning the Scottsbluff Invitational. “He’s playing pretty good right now, and I hope it continues for another week,” Scottsbluff coach Mike Klein said of Holloway. “He just played well.” Senior Michael Hadden came in fourth at 76, while sophomore Koy Potthoff shot 77 for seventh place and freshman Jonah Wright carded a 78 for eighth. Junior Curtis Welsh rounded out the Bearcats’ ladder with an 84 while playing despite a case of mononucleosis. “Curtis toughed it out and played, so that was good,” Klein said. The Bearcats take their district title games to the Class B State Tournament, which begins Tuesday and continues through Wednesday at Jackrabbit Run Golf Course in Grand Island. “We just want to stay where we’re at, get a little better, work on a few things that we haven’t been able to work on,” Klein said of the final week of practice in leading to state. “It looks like we’re going to have some more good weather. McCook, which had the second- and third-place individuals, finished a strong second in the team standings at 315, while Holdrege claimed the third and final state team berth with its 339. “McCook’s a good team and they are going to be tough to beat,” Klein said in looking toward the state tournament. “We’re going to have to go out and play well to beat them.” The Bison had senior Sean Backer finish second at 75 and freshman Noah Hofman come in third at 76, the same count junior Mackenzie Alspaugh had in falling into the fifth position behind Hadden. Gering finished 10th in the 12-team race with a 374. The Bulldogs’ lone junior, Austin Kaufman, finished as the team leader with his 85, five strokes out of the top 10. Sophomore Alex Lupher followed at 94, with sophomore Kraiger Eggers shooting 96, sophomore Baily Hort next at 99 and freshman Mason Marsh at 120. “I think Austin was pleased overall,” Gering coach Keaton Green said. “He had one bad hole on the par-3 12th, which how he got to 44 on the back nine. He was kind of close to that 80 mark.” Green said the district experience should be invaluable for the Bulldogs as they play over the summer and prepare for next spring. “We talked briefly about how young we are and how this was good experience for them to play in the district tournament, because for all of them except Kaufman, this was their first district meet,” Green said. “Even though the scores didn’t fall as low as we wanted, it’s going to pay off the next couple of years for all of them.” Bayard sixth in C-5 After having won four team titles in its five meets this abbreviated spring season, the Bayard Tigers were blocked from the top three teams in the District C-5 meet at Meadowlark Hills Golf Course in Kearney. Bayard finished sixth in the team results with a 373, which was eight strokes away from matching a third-place tie between Chase County and Perkins County – won on the tiebreak by Chase County. Valentine won the team title with a 334 and Kearney Catholic was second at 343. Bayard coach Jim Roberts said the Tigers practiced well in playing Meadowlark Hills on Sunday, but their games didn’t seem to make the jump to Monday. “They felt pretty good about their games, their swings and the course, and felt they had the skills necessary to score pretty well, but then it just didn’t happen today,” Roberts said Monday night. Junior Trae Blanco placed ninth to qualify as an individual, carding an 82. Kearney Catholic junior Sam Sommers led the field with a 73, winning by two strokes over Kimball junior runner-up Henry Heeg. Junior Joe Hernandez followed by shooting 88, while senior Tyson Schmunk came in at 90, junior David Schuler shot 113 and junior Richard Kadayso carded 126. “I am proud of the team,” Roberts said. “They have not only golfed well all year long, but they have displayed really great character. It’s been a pleasure to coach them. I’m just sorry to see the season end the way it did. “Most of the guys we have with the exception of Tyson are juniors, so we’ll be back as strong as ever, and hopefully next time we’ll come out on top or at least a little closer to the top.” Mitchell finished seventh in the team race at 377 and had no individual state qualifiers. Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln will be the site for the Class C State Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the District D-5 tournament, conducted at Sidney’s Hillside Golf Course, the lone area team was Morrill. The Lions finished in 10th with a 489; Hemingford won the team title at 402. |
| Cougar Golf Classic set for June 2013-05-16 By |
| SCOTTSBLUFF The Western Nebraska Community College athletic department’s annual Cougar Golf Classic is set for Saturday, June 8 at Monument Shadows Golf Course. The Cougar Golf Classic is a four-person scramble and costs $75 per person. The fee includes green fees, cart, and lunch. There is a limit of 36 teams. Entry deadline for the tournament is June 5 and is limited to 36 teams. The payout is for first, second and third places. The proceeds of the Cougar Golf Classic will benefit the WNCC athletic scholarship fund. Registration forms are available at the Cougar athletic office or can be downloaded off the WNCC athletic website at wncc.edu and then Cougar Athletics. For more information on the golf classic, contact athletic director Ryan Burgner at (308) 635-6368 or by Email at burgnerR@wncc.edu. |
| WNCC men's basketball team inks all-staters from Utah 2013-05-16 By WNCC News service |
| SCOTTSBLUFF - Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball coach Russ Beck added two more prolific scorers to the Cougar team for next year in signing Utah all-state guards Austin Clark and Preston Christensen last week. Clark is a 6-foot-4 wing player from South Sevier High In Richfield, Utah while, Christensen is a 6-2 guard out of Northridge High in Layton, Utah. Both players bring talent to the court as well as strong academic backgrounds. “Preston gives us some versatility. He is a big strong guard that can create, score, defend and rebound,” Beck said. “He is as tough as they come. He reminds me a lot of Mike Peltz, who had a great two year career here. We expect great things from Preston. He is a competitor and someone who possesses high character and work ethic.” Preston averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds a game his senior season at Northridge, while dishing out three assists and 1.3 steals a game. He earned second team 5A all-state this past year. He also carries a 3.94 grand point average. Beck is also high on Clark, who is that lanky wing player that can play a variety of positions. Clark averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals a game at South Sevier High. He was named a first team all-state and was a three-year all-state award winner. Both players said they are excited to be joining the Cougar program. Clark, who was also recruited by Northwest Wyoming, Central Wyoming, and Snow College, felt at home at WNCC. “I felt more comfortable here with the coach and everything,” Clark said. “It was an easy choice after I got to know everyone here. By signing here, it took a load off my shoulders and I am super happy with my decision. Everything feels right and I can’t wait for the season to be here and be starting.” Clark said it will be hard to leave home but he is looking at the next chapter in his playing days. “It will be hard leaving home. I live with my mom, a single parent, and I am definitely a momma’s boy,” he said. “So it is hard for me to leave her and be that far away but I think it will be good for me. “ What Clark will bring to the team is leadership and his winning ways that he instilled at South Sevier High. “I work hard and I definitely will be in the gym every day,” Clark said. “I want to improve my game and help the team. I will bring a good work ethic and I will push everyone. “ Clark said his high school never lost a home game. He was also a part of a state championship his junior year while losing just one game. Last season, his basketball team lost four games and finished third at the state tournament. Clark, who plans to major in Wildlife Biology, said he had a great high school career. “I had one of the best high school careers I could ask for as far as win loss record,” he said. “We lost one game last year and this past year we lost four with three of them coming to big 5A opponents and we are a small 2A school.” Just like Clark, Christensen was also highly recruited but couldn’t pass up being a Cougar. “I chose WNCC because I am confident that it is a great opportunity and situation for me” he said. “It is also my dream to pursue basketball as far as I can go, and I feel like WNCC can help me with that in many ways as they put lots of guys into Division 1 programs every year. I also felt welcomed and loved by Coach Beck. I am humbled to be part of the program.” Christensen had a memorable career at Northridge. He said his biggest game was scoring 36 points in a game against their rival. He said at one time in the game, he scored 18 straight and had 27 points in the second half. He is also humble as he grew more as a player in games where he struggled scoring. “Another great game I had was during my junior year at Weber when I hit a game winner,” he said. “But I am also grateful for the games I struggled in because I was able to fight through adversity and learn and grow through these experiences.” Christensen is also excited to be playing with two Cougar recruits that he played against in Utah – Diante Mitchell and Tyler Crosbie. Both Mitchell and Crosbie signed with the Cougars in April. “I had a chance to play against both of these talented players during the high school season and I am very excited and honored to get on the court with them at WNC,.” Christensen said. “At WNCC, as a team, I want to contend for, and win a national championship. Individually I want to be a JUCO All-American.” |
| Carrizales wins Summit to Summit race 2013-05-16 By Philip Eckerberg - Special to the citizen |
| GERING - The Summit to Summit race was held on Saturday and Aaron Carrizales was the overall winner with a time of 49:02. The race is hosted by the Summit Christian College in Gering. The race goes from the parking lot of the college at 21ST and U Street to the parking lot at the summit of Scotts Bluff National Monument and back down again. According to the college president Dave Parrish the grueling 7.1 mile course has been said by some runners to be tougher than the Bolder Boulder in Colorado. Anyone who has walked Saddle Rock Trail from top to bottom can attest to how steep and treacherous it is. Andy Dietz the information technology specialists for the college said that this is 5TH Summit to Summit run. Dietz said that there were a total of 288 people registered for the event and 68 of them completed the run portion of the course with many of the others walking both ways, riding a shuttle one way and walking the other, or riding the shuttle only. Dietz said that this was originally organized as a fund raiser for the college; however, it has turned into a community event. Dietz said that the college uses it to raise awareness about the college and their mission to train Christian ministers and missionaries. Dietz said that the event gets people onto the campus and helps people get to know the college staff. Dietz said that there were runners this year from Chadron to Colorado. Parrish said that they are trying to get listed on fun run websites so that they can draw more runners and to increase the competition. Parrish said that this is a beautiful area to run and a challenging course so they hope to attract more participants. The event also included a health fair, lunch, entertainment by the Sugar Valley Singers, bounce houses for children, an appearance by Air Link helicopter, static displays by the Gering Fire Department, and Airport Fire Department. The 2014 Summit to Summit is tentatively scheduled for May 10, 2014. Dietz said that they hold the Summit to Summit on the same weekend as their college graduation so that the students can help and more alumni are in town for the event. Individual results: Aaron Carrizales, 49:02, 1st place overall; Geoff Groskoph, 53:08 , 1st place 20-29 male; Dale Walker, 54:36 1st Place 40-49 male; David Griffiths,54:45, 2nd Place 40-49 male; John Seiler, 57:08, 2nd place 30-39 male; Jordan Gealy, 57:22, 2nd place 20-29 male; Keenan Fogle, 58:35, 1st place 15-19 male; Brian Feather, :01:55 , 3rd place 40-49 male; Zane Ricketts, 1:04:02, 3rd place, 20-29 male; Josiah Mobley, 1:05:55, 3rd place 30-39 male; Duncan Baker,1:07:04,1st Place 50-59 Male; Emilio Almanza,1:08:29,2nd Place; 50-59 Male, Erik Olson, 1:10:07,3rd Place; 50-59 Male; Monte Feather, 1:06:57,1st Place 60 and Up Male; Rick Hessler, 1:08:20,2nd Place 60 and Up Male; Allen Ritter,1:09:16, 3rd Place 60 and Up Male; Levi Wickham,1:09:14,1st Place 14 and Under Male; Logan Murdock,1:15:15,2nd Place 14 and Under Male; Chase Osland,1:17:01,3rd Place 14 and Under Male; Josie Vardell,1:11:26, 1st Place 14 and Under Female; Nikki Ahlers,2:18:00,2nd Place 14 and Under Female; Megan Gealy, 1:24:41,1st Place 15-19 Female; Jane Kinberg, 1:35:37,2nd Place 15-19 Female; Michaela Gasseling, 1:13:15,1st Place 20-29 Female; Jenilee Woltman, 1:23:39,2nd Place 20-29 Female; Adee Whitney, 1:24:01, 3rd Place 20-29 Female; April Schenbeck, 1:06:00,1st Place 30-39 Female; Flo Mobley, 1:07:17, 2nd Place 30-39 Female; Loddie Mercer, 1:12:09,3rd Place 30-39 Female; Tracy Tuggle,1:12:04,1st Place 40-49 Female; Tammy Hoffman,1:12:25,2nd Place 40-49 Female; Karla Jenkins,1:19:10,3rd Place 40-49 Female; Wendi McCormick, 1:26:39,1st Place 50-59 Female; Donna Radford,1:32:27,2nd Place 50-59 Female; Cindy Francisco,1:33:44,3rd Place 50-59 Female |
| Cinco de Mayhem Rocks Scotts Bluff County Event Center 2013-05-09 By Elizabeth Gross elizabethgross@geringcitizen.com |
| The Scotts Bluff County Event Center rocked with the pounding of the mat for the first ever Cinco de Mayhem hosted by Legion Combat Sports. The event featured 20 mixed matial arts fighters from around the region. “It’s something different,” said Geno Bolger of Legion Combat Sports, “we’re giving something for people to do.” While this is not the first time there has been MMA matches in the region, Saturday’s matches were all sanctioned fights, meaning that every combatant that entered the cage had something to lose. MMA is a full contact, combat sport which combines the fighting styles of martial arts and wrestling. Fighters use various forms of grappling and strikes to win points against their opponents. The idea of combining multiple fighting styles dates back to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Bruce Lee created Jeet Kune Do; a style of fighting that ascribes to the belief that the best fighter can adapt to any style. Most modern MMA is a combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. Matches are won by either judge’s decisions, submissions, or knock-out. What brings people out to these events is the many local ties to the tournament. While many might come out if it featured professional UFC fighters, Bolger believes that local ties help to bring people out. Here are the results from Saturday’s Cinco de Mayhem: Jason Warner vs. Nathan Saucedo. Saucedo wins 21 seconds with a round arm bar. Rueben Garza vs. Frankie Canseco: Garza wins by decision. Chris Pittman vs. Jamie Szafrajda: Szafrajda wins tap out with two strikes in round 2. Terry Van Hooser vs. Shawn Redick: Van Hooser wins with a rear naked chock in round 2. Clay Weimer vs. Jon Schmidt: Weimer wins in round two with a tap out to triangle chock. Seth Bass via Vince Martinez: Bass wins by tap out in round 2. Ryan MacDonald vs. Hosea Magna MacDonald wins with flying knee 15 seconds into first round. Main Event - Split Decision Jorge Dominguez is new 145 Champ over Ian Connelly. Co-Main - Laz Perez wins with strikes over Bam Ronnie Tomasek. Perez retains his 155 LCS Belt. Josh Smith is the NEW 135 LCS Champ defeating Tony Dominguez. Daniel Rodriguez defeated Wade Munoz. KO of the night went to Ryan McDonald. Fifteen seconds into the first round with a flying Knee against Hosea Magna. |
| Soccer hope still alive for Lady Bulldogs 2013-05-09 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The top seed Gering Lady Bulldogs’ soccer team, favored to win the Class B District 6 Tournament, were handed a setback last Thursday with a 2-1 loss to Holdrege in the tournament championship match. But thanks to their season record, Gering is headed to the state tournament as a wildcard. Although the Bulldogs held a 5-to-1 shot ration over the Dusters, Holdrege was able to score when it counted, even as Gering controlled most of the match. After 40 minutes of play, the match was scoreless at halftime. It took less than a minute into the second half for Gering’s Josie Thompson to find the back of the net to put the team up 1-0. Despite a strong defense, the Dusters were able to tie the match at 1-1 at the 15 minute mark. Then in the final minute of play Holdrege’s Jenna Gillespie found the net again to put the team up 2-1 as time ran out. Gering coach Lisa Freeburg changed up the roster for the Holdrege game, as well as the first round game at home against Scottsbluff. Kaylee Sprier, who usually plays midfield, was the goalkeeper in place of Maggie Martin. “Kaylee has some goalie experience, plus she’s six foot and athletic,” Freeburg said. “She was up for the challenge and really step it up for the team.” After the game, Freeburg said the team took a minute to themselves to think about what had happened. Although they knew there was an outside possibility of going to the state tournament as a wildcard, no one talked about it. It wasn’t the way any of the team planned to end their season. Gering ended their season at 13-4. In the Holdrege match, the team had 12 shots on goal compared to four for the Dusters. Bothe teams tallied five corner kicks. Last Friday, the Nebraska School Activities Association looked at the school records and crunched the numbers. In the end, Gering was awarded a wildcard berth in the state tournament at Creighton University in Omaha. “It’s an honor to play there,” Freeburg said. “Creighton has a field for soccer only, so it will be a neat experience for us against some good competition.” Gering’s next match is on Friday, May 10 against Gretna, a team the Lady Bulldogs haven’t faced before. Freeburg said she’ll email some of the coaches that have played them and get some ideas for coming up with a game plan. |
| Gering golfers gaining experience -- finally - after the snowy weather blows out 2013-05-09 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| This was not the kind of weather-beaten spring, with three off-season snowfalls the prevailing factor in postponing or even canceling several tournaments, that a young golf team like the Gering boys needed in order to grow. The past month’s nasty weather aside, however, the Bulldogs have discovered the means to improve each tournament, no matter how many or few events they have been able to play. After scoring a four-man, season-low count of 357 in finishing fourth among the Division I teams in the Gering Invitational on Friday at Monument Shadows Golf Course, the Bulldogs ran into some heavy competition Tuesday at the Scotts Bluff Country Club for the Scottsbluff tournament. The Bulldogs finished Tuesday’s Scottsbluff event in ninth among the 12 Division I teams with a four-man 366. As has been the case with most tournaments this season, both the Gering and Scottsbluff meets were postponed by weather. Fortunately, the Bulldogs’ meet Friday was put off by just one day, enough to shake off the week’s —and, hopefully, the last of the year — early snowfall. And the teams were welcomed to Monument Shadows with perhaps the best weather for a meet during this oddball spring. As a team, the Bulldogs shot what Green said was a good 30 shots better than their previous team low score of the season. And leading the way was Austin Kaufman, Gering’s “elder statesman” as a junior, who completed the circuit with a fourth-place 78. “I was really happy for him because he has been struggling with the mental game,” Green said of Kaufman. “He knows he can play the game, but it’s just getting past the bad shots, letting those go and move onto the next hole.” Sophomore Baily Hort, Gering’s No. 1 player the entire season, had an 83 to finish with the 10th-place medal. Other Bulldogs’ scores Friday had Alex Lupher carding a 91, Mason Marsh shooting 105 and Damian Hort totaling 109. Cheyenne Central won the team title with a 321 and had the top three medalists, led by Nick Fraley at 76. Alliance was second at 336. In Division II, the Scottsbluff junior varsity won with a 354, led by Sean Mercer-Smith’s 85 and Jared Pilkington’s 87, with teammate Bryce Meier third at 88. Scottsbluff’s tournament was postponed from April 22, but Green agreed with most of the other coaches whose teams were in the event that having a tourney at Scotts Bluff Country Club — the site for Monday’s District B-4 tournament as well — didn’t make for such a bad delay after all. “I think the kids agree with me that we could have shot better. It wasn’t terrible by any means, with a 366 it’s really average. But it’s been tough.” Hort led the Bulldogs, who had no top-10 finishers, with an 89, followed by Kaufman at 90. Kraiger Ebbers, from the No. 4 spot, shot a 92, with Lupher carding a 95 and Marsh scoring a 96. “We don’t have any seniors and had just one junior (Kaufman) playing today and actually had a freshman (Marsh) playing in the 5-spot,” Green said. “It was a big tournament for all these guys, and it takes awhile to shake those nerves from the first few holes, get yourself in the groove and stay focused. “It’s a learning process, and I am pleased with how they did today.” As is the case with every other golf team in most of Nebraska and connecting states, all factors will be equal when postseason play takes place. The teams expected to do the best will most likely succeed, and the younger teams will be back in the pack but will have that invaluable district experience for next season. “With so many tournaments being canceled, especially for our younger guys, it’s been a tough year to really just figure out who the top five guys are going to be and really start building that momentum for the rest of this season and into next season,” Green said. The Bulldogs finish regular-season play — barring a cancellation — on Thursday at Ogallala, and then will return to the SBCC on Monday for district play Monday. Whether Gering qualifies for state this year or not, Green said the district experience will be good for the Bulldogs as they prepare for next season. “As long as they play together as a team on Monday — and hopefully their scores will drop and they start feeling their spot and improve on what they are doing — then as far as next year, it’s good to know I have all my guys coming back,” Green said. “I’m not going to lose four seniors like I did last year.” And after a building-block season, albeit abbreviated in quantity of events, Green said improvement in quality is the key in the Bulldogs’ finish to this season and preparing for 2014. “ I am excited about what I hear about the junior high guys, and I hope to see a good class of freshmen coming in and really push the older guys to not get too complacent in their spots, and that they can make it a fight for those top five spots.“ |
| Bayard claims fourth team title this season 2013-05-09 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| After a year in which Bayard had no state qualifiers, the Tigers have won four team titles in five tournaments. Asked what might have entered the proverbial water at Chimney Rock Golf Course that has led to Bayard’s success this weather-shortened spring season, Roberts – a longtime science teacher who rarely if ever passes on the opportunity to reply with a good dry-witted quip – had an appropriately seasonal response. “What’s in the water has been snow most of the time,” Roberts bluntly replied. “It’s hampered our ability to practice and play, as it has all the other teams. We’ve all kind of been in the same boat, but their games are starting to come around, and hopefully they’re coming around for us to turn in a good team score at districts.” Blanco scored his second medalist victory and fifth top-four finish of the spring with his 80, while Tiger senior Tyson Schmunk took third at 84. Junior first-year player Joe Hernandez added a sixth-place finish for Bayard with his 90. Junior David Schuler rounded out the Tigers’ winning four-man score with his 99, and junior Richard Kadayso followed with a 125. Roberts credits his players’ hard work since last season in attributing the Tigers’ successes this spring. “If any team is successful, you have to contribute it to work in the offseason,” Roberts said. “The kids that golf in the summer months are more ready to pick their clubs up and play during the season than the kids that are not. Specifically in Bayard’s case, “Trae golfed all summer long, and Tyson – who wasn’t a bad golfer last year – is a much-improved golfer this year, but he worked at the golf course and played over the summer, and Joe is the same way. A year of practice and play, and just a year of basic maturity, helps the golfer a lot as they go through their high school careers.” The Scottsbluff junior varsity finished in second with a 377 total, and the junior Bearcats’ top four finished seventh through 10th. Alex Harbach led the pack with his 93, with Brandon White eighth at 93, Sean Mercer-Smith in ninth at 94 and Bryce Meier in 10th at 97. Mitchell finished third in Division II at 374, led by Peyton Briggs’ fourth-place finish at 88. Kimball was fourth at 412 and Morrill was fifth at 474. Bayard, Mitchell and Bridgeport – the only team to break the Tigers’ team streak this season – will be in the District C-5 Tournament at Kearney’s Meadowlark Hills course on Monday. Morrill will be in District D-5 action at Hillside Country Club, hosted by Potter-Dix. “They pulled in a couple teams from the east that we never see, so it will be interesting to see how well we compare to the way they golf,” Roberts said. “I think there will be several teams in the mix to try and see who gets to go to state.” |
| Bearcats shine brightly in home golf tourney - Holloway, Hadden’s 1-2 finishes lead SHS’ dominant 293; Bayard rides Blanco’s win to Division II title 2013-05-09 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF – For all the frustration and adversity the snowy and rainy weather has dealt to area boys’ golf teams this spring, the golfers got a nearly perfect day and some stellar results Tuesday in the Scottsbluff Invitational at the Scotts Bluff Country Club. Led by three-time senior state medalist Andrew Holloway’s 2-under-par 70 and senior Michael Hadden’s second-place 71, Scottsbluff ripped through its home course with a staggering four-player count of 293. In the smaller schools’ Division II, Bayard won its fourth team title in its five meets this spring. The Tigers scored a four-man total of 353, with junior Trae Blanco leading three top-10 teammates with his 8-over 80 that won him the division medalist honor. The Scottsbluff tournament, postponed from April 22, proved to be worth the 15-day delay. Besides a chamber of commerce day that featured lots of bright sunshine and a moderate breeze, the invitational’s two-week postponement also gave several teams one more meet before their district tournaments take place Monday. With the understatement of the day, Scottsbluff coach Mike Klein said of the Bearcats’ balanced team effort turned into 293, “That’s not bad.” “That’s what they’re capable of, with the mixture of seniors and younger kids that we have,” he added. “They’re not going to shot that every time, but I knew they were capable.” Scottsbluff had sophomore Kory Potthoff, whose 75 placed him in eighth, also make the Division I top 10. Jonah Wright just missed the top 10 with his 77, and Jared Pilkington rounded out the Bearcats’ ladder with a 93. The Bearcats’ season-best mark before Tuesday was a 304 that came in the Cheyenne Invitational on April 5 – which, in the case of this weather-worn season, probably seems like last year as opposed to 32 snow-dominated days. “These kids have worked awfully hard and I was hoping they would shoot one of those this year, something in the low 290s, because of all the hard work they have done,” Klein said. Broken Bow led the rest of the Division I teams with its second-place 310. McCook was third at 312, setting up a solid group of teams – along with Holdrege, Klein added – that he expects to lead the B-4 district field Monday. And by no means does Klein believe a district title, based on Tuesday’s results, is a lock for the Bearcats. “You can’t ever take anything for granted,” Klein said. “We didn’t play well at Gothenburg and two of them beat us. But If we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll be fine. The biggest thing is we don’t have to travel, and that makes all the work involved worth it to me.” Klein said the two-week delay in the tournament probably helped most, if not all, teams involved with the event falling just six days before districts. “I think for all the teams involved, it’s closer to districts now, and they get an idea of what the golf course looks like,” Klein said, especially for the District B-4 teams returning to Scottsbluff on Monday. “It turned out good, we had a decent day. This is perfect compared to what we’ve been playing in.” |
| Huffman signs on to the University of Sioux Falls 2013-05-09 By Elizabeth Gross elizabethgross@geringcitizen.com |
| Gering senior Rachel Huffman will go the distance next year as she joins the University of Sioux Falls track and field team. After a successful high school running career, she feels she is ready to take it to the collegiate level next year. All it took was a visit to the Sioux Falls, S.D campus for her to discover the University as a perfect fit. “I kind of knew when I went there that this would be the town for me,” said Huffman. Along with competing in track and field she will also be studying psychology. The University of Sioux Falls has a strong psychology program. While it is uncertain what she will compete in, Huffman feels she will more than likely be place in long distance running, “I’d like to try the steeple chase at one point,” said Huffman. Her love for long distance running began at an early age. Huffman credits her brother for giving her the inspiration to compete. “I think when I was little I wanted to be like him and run a lot,” said Huffman. Watching her brother put in all the miles and hard work. Though she has enjoyed both cross country and track Huffman feels her heart belongs on the track field. She enjoys the fact that unlike cross country she is able to use speed to her advantage when competing. “It’s a really exhilarating feeling being on the track,” said Huffman. As her high school running career comes to a close she has a lot to look back on; a successful run at state cross country and hopefully a trip to state in track. She would like to compete in multiple events at state; especially the 4x800 meter relay team. “When you get to state it’s not all about making it,” said Huffman, “you want to get there and do very well.” |
| Scottsbluff boys end soccer season 2013-05-09 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Scottsbluff boys’ soccer season came to a close in Holdrege on May 2 while they played the championship match for the Class B District 6 Tournament. The Bearcats had already knocked off Kearney Catholic 5-0 and No. 2 seed Grand Island Northwest 1-0 in the semifinal match. The championship match was equally low-scoring, but top seed Lexington came away with the win and a ticket to the state tournament by a 1-0 score. The lone point came with just 14 minutes left in the match when Lexington’s Erick Tinajero found the back of the net on a penalty kick. For the record, the Bearcats had four shots on goal, and goalkeeper Bret Magana had 12 saves at the net. Lexington held the advantage in corner kicks at 6-1. “We knew we’d be going up against some tough teams in the tournament,” said Scottsbluff head coach Nate Rock. “I think we played well against both Kearney Catholic and Northwest. We just came up a bit short against Lexington.” He said the Bearcats had good game plan that was executed well, so he wasn’t surprised the win was that small of a margin. “Toward the end of the game I got this feeling we might sneak one in and get out of there with a win. But the difference was a penalty kick.” The Bearcats started last January with conditioning drills and Rock said he thought they were playing their best soccer at the end of the year. “It was a very competitive and good season,” he said. “We’ve done well in preparing younger players. We had anywhere from eight to 11 players who got some quality varsity time this year who will be returning next season. A lot of them are in the defense. That’s important because you want to build from the back.” Rock said he’s fairly confident the team will be competitive next season and in years to come. |
| WNCC softball falls in Region IX Championship 2013-05-09 By |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — It was an defensive battle between the Western Nebraska Community College and Otero Junior College softball teams in the championship game of the Region IX tournament Monday evening at Volunteer Field. In the end, Otero rallied in the seventh inning and then scored the winning run in the 11th inning to capture the regional title 2-1 over the Cougars. The win sends Otero into the district playoffs where they host No. 1 Butler Community College. For the Cougars, they end a very successful season that saw a number of team and individual records broken. WNCC finishes the year at 55-10. WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said it was a game where both teams played hard. "I thought both pitchers did a great job and we had some great defensive plays on both sides of the field. We scored a run and then I thought we played with a little bit of confidence," she said. "Then, in the seventh inning, they did what they were supposed to [and score a run]. We then had four innings to put a run across the board and we just couldn't produce when we needed to. "I have to give a ton of credit to Otero, they fought and they believed they were in the game, and they found a way to score a run. That is what champions do. Unfortunately they are holding the trophy and we are not. But, our kids fought hard and I am very proud of them. It is a tough way to lose. I wish them the best of luck and hope they can represent our region and be able to compete against Butler on Thursday." There were plenty of tears running down the cheeks of the Cougar players after the heart-breaking loss. But, the team had a fabulous season and Winn-Retliff said there are things that this team did that will be hard to replace. "There are a lot of things that happened to us this year such as records got broken and there are a lot of special people on this team," she said. "For me there are a lot of memories that were made, but I sure wanted to be a champion and I know they wanted to be one, too. There will be a lot of things that no one can take away from them. i am proud of the group, but sad it is over. I am sad to see some kids leave. But, unfortunately, I have to have a short-term memory and start preparing for next year." The contest was definitely one that saw many intense innings where the two defenses thwarted each team's offensive threats, including WNCC turning a base loaded double play to get out of the first inning. The Cougars drew first blood on the scoreboard in the third inning as Kayla Romey scored off a sacrifice fly to left field to put the Cougars up 1-0. The lead stayed that way until the seventh when Otero finally plated a run to tie the game as Veronica Cobas scored on a 2-out double by Savana King. WNCC had base runners on in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings but couldn't get the bit hit to plate a run. Otero finally broke the tie in the 11th as Rebecca Walker led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a single by Nalani Hernandez. The Cougas almost tied the game in the 11th but a Lindsey Shiels-Brophy shot came up inches short of going over the fence as the Rattlers survived. Otero outhit the Cougars 9-4. Jennifer Cottle had only extra base hit with a double. Kasey Cash was on base three times, all by getting hit by a pitch. BIanca Duran suffered the loss in the circle, going 11 innings in giving up nine hits and striking out seven. Duran faced 46 batters and threw 160 pitches, 98 of which went for strikes. Taylor Hall picked up the win for the Rattlers. She faced 44 batters and threw 187 pitches, 110 of which were strikes. Monday's Game Otero (53-9) 000 000 100 01 -- 2 9 0 WNCC (55-10) 001 000 000 00 -- 1 4 3 WP -- Hall, LP -- Duran; 2B -- WNCC (Jennifer Cottle), Otero (Rebecca Walker, Savana King). |
| Shooting sports club grows its membership 2013-05-09 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| Since 1984, Bluffs Shooters has been providing the opportunity for members to practice, teach and compete in the proper use of firearms. Tim Jordening, the group’s vice president, said their first shooting range was on the Olson ranch in Banner County. About three years ago, they established a new range in Sioux County, about 10 miles north of Scottsbluff. Bluffs Shooters is a members-only non-profit organization that according to its mission statement provides “a safe, modern environment for our members and the public to enjoy all aspects of the shooting sports. To teach and provide training for youth and others to learn safe, responsible firearm ownership with a focus on recreation, competition and related shooting sports activities.” Jordening said they have both pistol and rifle ranges. Membership has been growing steadily since the new range opened, with about 100 current members. Upcoming on April 27, the group will host a .22 rifle precision and practical match starting at 10 a.m. “Once you’re a member, you have access to the range anytime you want to go out,” Jordening said. “Our range director organizes a few events during the year that are also open to the public. If you’re into shooting at all, this is a great place to be a member.” Applicants must be a current member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and have a current Nebraska Firearm/Handgun Purchase Certificate or equivalent (current law enforcement, FFL, concealed carry permit or other approved background check). After the new membership is accepted the applicant will attend a range orientation after which they will receive their membership card and range key. A member has unlimited access to the range during daylight hours. Membership in Bluffs Shooters is a family membership, which includes spouse and family members up to age 19 who are living at home. The annual dues are $120, renewing every January. In addition there’s a $60 work bond, for a total of $180. After working eight hours on approved club projects throughout the year, members receive a full work bond credit applied to the following year. More information on the group and membership application is available on their website at bluffsshooters.com |
| Schwartzkopf sweeps events Torrington 2013-05-09 By Elizabeth Gross elizabethgross@geringcitizen.com |
| The Gering Bulldogs traveled west on Friday to compete against the best of the west in Wyoming for the Torrington Invitational. Competitors were greeted with warm weather; despite a season of frigid temperatures and cancellations. The Bulldogs placed fifth as a team with standout performances by Ryan Schwartzkopf who placed first in the boys’ 200 meter dash with a time of 23.63 and first the 400 meter dash with a time of 51.33. Schwartzkopf and his teammates of Dillon DeMott, Aaron Pierce, Austin Dolberg, also placed first in the boys’ 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3: 31.70. Senior Zac Bibb also did well in both the long jump and high jump, placing second in both events. Though Bibb did not make his personal best this tournament in high jump; he did place second with a jump of 6’1.” In long jump, Bibb reached a span of 19’11.” Senior Rachel Huffman, placed third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:31.52 and second in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:25.00. Huffman, along with Dakota Gellner, Kali Rimington, and Damaris Martinez also took third in the 4x800 meter relay with a time of 10:24.85. The girls’ relay team of Aubrey Gonzales, Abby Kiesel, Brooke Vowers, and Santanna Mitchell placed second with a time of 4:22.51. Gering track coach Randy Plummer was upbeat about the team’s performance. “I think the athletes have worked hard all season under questionable weather conditions and are ready for the District Track Meet in Scottsbluff,” said head Coach Randy Plummer. The Gering Bulldogs will finish up the season this Thursday in Scottsbluff for the District Track Meet. Results from Torrington Invite: Girls 100 Meter Dash 6, Allison Marsh, Torrington; 10, Faith Madayag, Torrington; 14, Kayla Fraizer, Torrington; 19, Halee Duyck, Gering; 21, Sarah Lang, Gering; 22, Jalen Erickson, Gering; 23, Bethany Hernandez, Guernsey Sunrise; 24, Kailah Anastas, Guernsey Sunrise; 25, Alyssa Zwickl, Gering Girls 200 Meter Dash 4, Sabrina Juma, Torrington; 9, Faith Madayag, Torrington; 15, Sarah Lang, Gering; 16, Halee Duyck, Gering; 17, Maddy Gonzolas, Gering; 18, Sarah Schwartzkopf, Gering Girls 400 Meter Dash 3, Aubrey Gonzales, Gering; 4, Kylie Korell, Torrington; 6, Brooke Vowers, Gering; 7, Mikayla McNamee, Torrington; 12, Zoe Van Dyke, Gering; 18, Kara Christensen, Guernsey Sunrise; 19, Bianca Quintanna, Gering. Girls 800 Meter Dash 3, Rachel Huffman, Gering; 7, Jerilyn Laws, Gering; 8, Lauren Shaul, Gering; 9, Kaelyn Shaul, Gering; 16, Dakota Frederick, Guernsey Sunrise; 17, Vivian Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise. Girls 1600 Meter 2, Rachel Huffman, Gering; 4, Kali Rimington, Gering; 7, Julia Ybarra, Gering; 10, Allison Witcofski, Gering. Girls 3200 Meter 2, Kali Rimington, Gering; 4, Dakota Gellner, Gering; 6, Damaris Martinez, Gering. Girls 100 Meter Hurdles 8, Katie O’Boyle, Gering; 11, Jade Riedel, Gering. Girls 300 Meter Hurdles 2, Allison Marsh, Torrington; 7, Katie O’Boyle, Gering; 9, Jade Riedel, Gering. Girls 4x100 Meter Relay 2, Aubrey Gonzales, Abby Kiesel, Brooke Vowers, Mitchell Santanna, Gering. Girls 4x800 Meter Relay 3, Dakota Gellner, Rachel Huffman, Damaris Martinez, Kali Rimington, Gering. Girls High Jump 5, Abbie Smith, Torrington; 8, Mikayla McNamee, Torrington; 9 Mitchell Santanna, Gering; 10 Kara Christensen, Guernsey Sunrise; Abby Kiesel, Gering. Girls Long Jump 5, Avery Madden, Torrington; 8, Kayla Fraizer, Torrington; 9, Sabrina Juma, Torrington; 14, Holly Grote, Gering; 18, Jenn Longmore, Gering; 19, Abby Kiesel, Gering. Girls Triple Jump 2, Avery Madden, Torrington; 6, Sabrina Juma, Torrington; 7, Holly Grote, Gering; 11, Kayla Fraizer, Torrington; 13, Bethany Hernandez, Guernsey Sunrise; 15, Jenn Longmore, Gering; 16, Abbie Smith, Torrington; 17, Jade Riedel, Gering. Girls Shot Put 5, Kailee Adams, Torrington; 9, Dakota Wademan, Gering; 12, Virginia Anderson, Torrington; 13, Taylor Troxel, Torrington; 15, Katherine Martinez, Gering; 17, Selena Garcia, Gering; 21, Nicoloette Cook, Gering. Girls Discus Throw 2, Taylor Troxel, Torrington; 4, Kailee Adams, Torrington; 5, Kara Christensen, Guernsey Sunrise; 16, Virgina Anderson, Torrington; 20, Katherine Martinez, Gering; 22, Bethany Hernandez, Guernsey Sunrise; 24, Allison Emery, Torrington. Boys 100 Meter Dash 8, Trey Faessler, Torrington; 11, Caden Coffelt, Torrington; 17, Treasure, Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise; 18, Austin Quynn, Guernsey Sunrise; 19, Kolter Elder, Torrington; 20, Paul Miller, Torrington; 21, Justin Orr, Guernsey Sunrise; 25, Nolan Nelson, Gering; 26, Justin Esparza, Gering; 27, Caleb Bonnell, Gering. Boys 200 Meter Dash 1, Ryan Schwartzkopf, Gering; 3, Caden Coffelt, Torrington; 5, Trey Faessler, Torrington; 11, Kolter Elder, Torrington; 14, Dakotah Shahan, Torrington; 20, Justin Orr, Guernsey Sunrise; 22, Austin Hoffman, Gering; 23, Nolan Nelson, Gering; 25, Justin Esparza, Gering. Boys 400 Meter Dash 1, Ryan Schwartzkopf, Gering; 9, Brett Spencer, Torrington; 10, Treasure Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise; 12, Caleb Geary, Gering; 18, Austin Quynn, Guernsey Sunrise; 22, Zachary Bearnsen, Torrington; 26, Caleb Bonnell, Gering. Boys 800 Meter 3, Garrett Derr, Torrington; 7, Matty Richardson, Torrington; 13, Aaron Pierce, Gering; 19, Wes Sturdivant, Guersney Sunrise; 20, Meredith Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise; 29, Bryson Richter, Gering; 30, Edmond Liu, Gering. Boys 1600 Meter 12, Jacey Shaul, Gering; 14, Meredith Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise; 15, Caleb Hayden, Gering; 16, Arich Knaub, Gering; 20, Kelsey Hutson, Gering. Boys 3200 Meter 11, Isidro Cortez, Torrington; 13, Keenean Fogle, Gering. Boys 110 Meter Hurdles 3, Blake Wisroth, Torrington; 5, Dillon DeMott, Gering; 6, Caleb Geary, Gering; 7, Brock Youtz, Torrington; 15, Antonio Murillo, Gering. Boys 4x400 Meter Relay 1, Dillon DeMott, Aaron Pierce, Austin Dolberg, Ryan Schwartzkopf, Gering. Boys 4x 800 Meter Relay 4, Aaron Pierce, Caleb Hayden, Jacey Shaul, Arich Knaub, Gering. Boys High Jump 2, Zac Bibb, Gering; 12, Austin Hoffman, Gering. Boys Pole Vault 7, Dan Olmstead, Gering; 11, Michael Schuler, Torrington; 14, Spencer Powell, Gering. Boys Long Jump 2, Zac Bibb, Gering; 5, Jacob Hatley, Torrington; 17, Austin Hoffman, Gering; 22, John Boyd, Gering. Boys Triple Jump 1, Caden Coffelt, Torrington; 2, Caleb Geary, Gering; 5, Quentin Timblin, Gering; 7, Treasure Hollister, Guernsey Sunrise; 13, Jacob Hatley, Torrington; 14, Trey Faessler, Torrington; 19, John Boyd, Gering. Boys Shot Put 4, Nicholas Prusia, Torrington; 5, Evan Ponce, Torrington; 11, Juan Gomez, Torrington; 15, Isaiah Wilson, Gering; 18, Alex Closson, Gering; 26, Jordan Schulte, Torrington; 29, Collin Ryan, Gering; 33, Will Hurt, Gering. Boys Discus Throw 4, Esai Hernandez, Gering; 11, Mitchell Marietta, Gering; 22, Blake Frye, Gering; 26, Jayden Marez, Gering. |
| Bearcats and Bulldogs perform well at McCook Invite 2013-05-02 By |
| MCCOOK — The Gering Bulldog and Scottsbluff Bearcat girls’ tennis teams showed what the west was made of Saturday in McCook. The invite saw some exceptional match up wins by Scottsbluff freshman Zoe Holscher who soared through the day with wins and completed her final match on top. The Bearcats placed fourth, followed by the Bulldogs in fifth place. Here are the final rounds of Saturday’s McCook Invite: Singles Ogallala junior, Maddie McQuillan defeat Gering freshman Katlyn Wagoner; 8-1 Scottsbluff freshman, Zoe Holscher defeat Hastings sophomore, Josie Propp; 8-3 Gering junior, Katie Collins defeat Ogallala sophomore, Emily Kay; 7-4 Hastings senior, Bailey Christy defeat Scottsbluff junior, Olivia Salazar; 8-2 Doubles Ogallala’s Kaleigh Berg/ Carlie Kay defeat Gering’s Savannah Walker/ Samantha Gutherless; 8-0 Hasting’s Maddie McConnahhay/ Sydney Landell defeat Scottsbluff’s Rachel Madden/ Akacia Kraus; 8-0 Scottsbluff’s Sarah Cloud/ Anne Wiebe defeat Gering’s Jessica Helt/ Brittany Moreno; 7-1 Hastings Mo Body/ Kathlene Bartuniek defeat Scottsbluff’s Stacae Pauli/ Christina Villarreal; 8-1uli/ Christina Villarreal; 8-1 |
| Lady Bulldogs advance to district championship 2013-05-02 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Gering Lady Bulldogs soccer team is in Holdrege today to play for the B-6 district championship, following a 1-0 district win over the Scottsbluff Lady Bearcats at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night. To employ a bad literary device – it was a cold and rainy night. All the spectators were huddled under umbrellas for the entire match, as were the players when they weren’t on the field. The match was decided by a single goal. A penalty by the Bearcats with about 21 minutes left in the first half sent Josie Thompson, Gering’s ace scorer, to the line for the penalty kick and put the Bulldogs up 1-0. For the rest of the match, both teams traded corner kicks and shots on goal, but the ball never found the back of the net for either of them. “We didn’t find the net from the field, but we did possess the ball on our half,” said Gering head coach Lisa Freeburg. ‘We were taking shots and trying to find the goal. A lot of variables factor into every game, but both teams were playing in the rain so that was no excuse.” The Lady Bearcats finished their season with the loss. Head coach Chad Larson said he didn’t think the rainy weather was a major factor in the low-scoring match. “Overall, I think our girls did a pretty good job of handling the weather,” he said. “It might have helped them because they had to focus more.” Larson said the Bulldogs are an explosive team that can rack up a lot of points against opponents. “Just marking Josie Thompson is a big challenge for any player. I put one of my freshmen, Chloey Reifscneider, on her and she did a really good job in covering Josie.” Larson added his midfield players did a good job in closing down the Gering attack. “Gering’s going to get their shots, but our game plan was to make them take poor shots.” Tuesday night’s match was far different from one week ago when the Bulldogs handed Scottsbluff an 8-1 loss for Gering’s last home game of the regular season on April 23. Thompson scored five goals and set a new school record for most goals in a single match. “We didn’t want a repeat of that one,” Larson said after Tuesday’s match. The Bulldogs were awarded the top seed in the Class B District 6 tournament last week when pairings were released by the Nebraska School Activities Association. The Lady Bulldogs face the Holdrege Dusters today to determine the B-6 champion, with that team going to Omaha for the state tournament. |
| Scottsbluff boys advance in district tourney 2013-05-02 By |
| HOLDREGE — The Scottsbluff boys’ soccer team was on the road in Holdrege for a chance to play in the championship round of the Class B District 6 tournament – and they came away successful. Scottsbluff posted a 1-0 win over Grand Island Northwest in the semifinal game on Tuesday afternoon. The lone score came from Eseah Ingram, who kicked in an unassisted goal just a couple of minutes into the second half of play. Scottsbluff outshot Northwest 7-3 in the match and had a slight 3-2 advantage in corner kicks. The match marked Scottsbluff’s second straight shutout, and eighth of the season. The first came the day before when the Bearcats blanked Kearney Catholic by a 5-0 score on Monday in the first round of the tournament. The win sets up the May 2 B-6 title match when Scottsbluff will face Lexington. The Minutemen beat the Bearcats 6-0 back on April 1. The winner earns an automatic berth in the state tournament, which starts May 8 in Omaha. The Gering boys’ soccer team was also in Holdrege for the B-6 tournament, but was eliminated in the opener on Monday afternoon with a 3-1 loss to Holdrege. |
| Area atheletes compete in Western Conference and Best of the West track meets 2013-05-02 By Philip Eckerberg - Special to the Citizen |
| After several weather cancellations, track and field athletes were finally able to compete last week. Gering senior Zac Bibb picked up two first places in track action last week as he cleared 6’4” in the high jump at the Best of the West meet in Scottsbluff a week ago Tuesday, on April 23. He cleared 6’2” at the Western Conference meet in Alliance last Saturday. Gering’s Ryan Schwartzkopf picked up a first place finish in the 400 meters at Alliance and Scottsbluff. Minatare’s Andres Mendoza claimed first in the 200 meter at Scottsbluff and came in a close second in the 100 meter at just .34 seconds behind Scottsbluff’s Luke Worden. Gering’s Dillon DeMott picked up two second place finishes in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles in Scottsbluff. Zac Bibb said “My Jump finally feels like it’s getting back to where it should be. I’m excited for Torrington to get a new personal best.” The Western Conference Meet included teams from Scottsbluff, Sidney, Gering, Mitchell, Chadron, and Alliance. The Best of the West meet included the best student track athletes from many western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming schools including, Scottsbluff, Gering, Alliance, Sidney, Minatare, Torrington, Mitchell, Lingle-Fort Laramie, Niobrara County, Burns, Leyton, Bayard, Southeast, Guernsey-Sunrise, Morrill, Bridgeport, Gordon-Rushville, Potter-Dix, Garden County, Pine Bluffs, Hemingford, Crawford, Chadron, Banner County, Sioux County, and Kimball. Gering Senior Megan Upp posted a third place finish of 4’9” in the high jump at the Best of the West meet. Megan said that her highest that day was the 4’9” mark. She said she thought she had the 4’11” mark but did not get her leg moved up high enough. Nevertheless, Megan said she was happy with her performance. She reached a height of 4’8” in the Western Conference and picked up second place. Looking to the future the next track meet is Friday, May 3 in Torrington. Action starts at noon, with the district meet on May 9 at a yet to be announced location. Western Conference Boys Results: Boys Team Scores: 1. Scottsbluff 150; 2. Alliance 137; 3. Sidney 87; 4. Gering 70, 5. Mitchell 66; 6. Chadron 16. 100 Meters: 1. Luke Worden, 10.9, Scottsbluff; 2. Mitch Pancost, 11.1, Alliance; 3. Logan Lewis, 11.50, Sidney; 4. Jackson Dickerson, 11.51, Chadron; 5. Jake Delzer, 11.6, Scottsbluff; 6. Matt D. Klein, 11.8, Scottsbluff. 200 meters: 1. Mitch Pancost, 22.4, Alliance; 2. Logan Lewis, 23.0, Sidney; 3. Ryan Schwartzkopf, 23.2, Gering; 4. Jackson Dickerson, 23.7, Chadron; 5. Michael Muggli, 23.8, Sidney; 6. Eric Olsen, 24.30, Scottsbluff. 400 meters: 1. Ryan Schwartzkopf, 51.30, Gering; 2. Tayler James, 52.1, Scottsbluff; 3. Keagan Hill, 52.6, Alliance; 4. Lucas Rosendaum, 52.8, Sidney; 5. Ben Heggem, 53.2, Scottsbluff; 6. Tanner Whitton, 53.4, Mitchell. 800 meters: 1. Tayler James, 2:00.8, Scottsbluff; 2. Levi Avila, 2:05.7, Mitchell; 3. D.J. Weare, 2:07.7, Alliance; 4. Hayden Lienemann, 2:08.6, Sidney’ 5. Aaron Pierce, 2:08.8, Gering; 6. Shane Burkey, 2:09.6, Scottsbluff. 1600 meters: 1. Matthew Barraz, 4:45.00, Scottsbluff; 2. Levi Avila, 4:55.6, Mitchell; 3. Sam Arterburn, 4:59.2, Sidney; 4. Nathan Pritchard, 5:01.6, Scottsbluff; 5. Caleb Hayden, 5:03.1, 6. Eli Hutt, 5:06.9, Scottsbluff. 3200 meters: 1. Shane Burkey, 10:24.2, Scottsbluff, 2. Brendan Taedter, 10:25.2, Scottsbluff; 3. Nathan Pritchard, 10:39.4, Scottsbluff; 4. Tate Harvey, 10:52.4, Mitchell; 5. Jachob Wiedeburg, 11:00.4, Sidney; 6. Phillip Duncan, 11:21.2, Chadron. 110 meter hurdles: 1. Matt D. Klein, 14.8, Scottsbluff; 2. Trevor Kamerzell, 14.81, Alliance; 3. Daniel Rohrer, 15.9, Scottsbluff; 4. Nick Conger, 16.0, Sidney; 5. Dillon DeMott, 16.4, Gering; 6. Drew Gilliland, 16.9, Mitchell. 300 meter hurdles: 1. Matt D. Klein, 39.8, Scottsbluff; 2. Trevor Kamerzell, 39.9, Alliance; 3. Dillon DeMott, 42.5, Gering; 4. Robert Kouba, 43.00, Chadron; 5. Tristan Stephenson, Hurdles: 1. Matt D. Klein, 40.22, Scottsbluff; 2. Dillon DeMott, 40.82, Gering; 3. Blake Wisroth, 42.37, Torrington; 4. Daniel Rohrer, 42.78, Scottsbluff; 5. Caleb Geary, 44.14, Gering; 6. Traceten Halley 44.69, Scottsbluff. 4x100 meter relay: 1. Scottsbluff, Jake Delzer, Matt D. Klein, Stetson Anderson, Luke Worden, 44.87; 2. Sidney, Michael Muggli, Lucas Rosenbaum, Cole Stiles, Logan Lewis, 45.66; 3. Bayard, Allen Denton, Raine Miller, Jadon Smith, Travis Willhoite, 45.81; 4. Torrington, Bret Spencer, Trey Faessler, Blake Wisroth, Caden Coffelt, 46.64; 5. Kimball Jake Reader, Caleb Reuter, Miguel Angel Flores, Kenny McNeil, 46.92; 6. Lingle-Fort Laramie, Ian Duncan, Joe Jackson, David Engelbrecht, Chastin Hill, 47.18. 4x400 meter relay: 1. Gering, Dillon DeMott, Aaron Pierce, Austin Dolberg, Ryan Schwartzkopf, 3:30.45; 2. Scottsbluff, Matt D. Klein, Stetson Anderson, Tayler James, Eric Olsen, 3:34.54; 3. Bayard, Zac Rice, Jadon Smith, Allen Denton, Travis Willhoite, 3:41.23; 4. Torrington, Bret Spencer, Trey Faessler, Matty Richardson, Garrett Derr, 3:42.88; 5. Mitchell, Tanner Whitton, Tate Harvey, Garret Braman, Levi Avila, 3:43.07; 6. Kimball, Angel Flores, Jake Reader, Ryan Muneio, Caleb Reuter, 3:45.71. 4x800 meter relay: 1. Scottsbluff, Ben Willis-Teff, Justin Pritchard, Matthew Barraza, Tayler James, 8:10.05; 2. Lingle-Fort Laramie, Preston Hunt, Brody Lay, Morgan Walford, Hank Jackson, 8:33.61; 3. Mitchell, Tanner Whitton, Jeremy Carrizales, Tate Harvey, Levi Avila, 8:34.34; 4. Sidney, Hayden Lienemann, Sam Arterburn, Brenner Keane, Logan Uhlir, 8:38.79; 5. Potter-Dix, Cooper Hicks, Luke Johnson, Steven Bryant Knigge, Jake Johnson, 8:49.84, 6. Gering Aaron Pierce, Jacey Shaul, Caleb Hayden, Arich Knaub, 9:04.55. Shot Put: 1. Jon Maag, 51-07.00, Scottsbluff; 2. Logan Lewis, 47-08.00, Sidney; 3. Andrew Aratani, 46-05.50, Scottsbluff; 4. Jake Heeren, 46-02.5, Sidney; 5. Cody Aure, 44-08.50, Potter-Dix, 6. Martin Fitzwater, 44-02.50, Niobrara County. Discus: 1. Jon Maag, 152-03, Scottsbluff; 2. Jesse Bleidt, 145-09, Garden County; 3. Lemur Gardner, 143-07, Gordon-Rushville, 4. Scott Gross, 142-00, Pine Bluffs; 5. BJ Krantz, 140-04, Alliance; 6. Evan Ponce 131-07, Torrington. High Jump: 1. Zac Bibb, 6-04, Gering; 2. Lex Haller, 6-02, Gordon-Rushville; 3. Kane McLaughlin, 6-02, Garden County; 4. Nick Conger, 6-00, Sidney; 5. Kevin Christianson, 5-10, Niobrara County, 6. Brendan Holly, 5-10, Sidney. Pole Vault: 1. Nick Smith, 13-00, Alliance; 2. Lucas Rosenbaum, 12-06, Sidney; 3. Javier Figueroa, 12-00, Kimball; 4. Andrew Thomas, 12-00, Mitchell; 4. David Engelbrecht, 12-00, Lingle-Fort Laramie, 6. Brady Shimp, 12-00, Alliance. Long Jump: 1. Jaime Gonzales, 21-04.5 Bridgeport, 2. Andres Mendoza, 19-09.25, Minatare; 3. Nick Singh, 19-07.00, Alliance; 4. Taylor Lackey, 19-06.5, Morrill; 5. Hunter Bye, 19-03.5, Guernsey-Sunrise; 6. Cody Campbell, 19-02, Gordon-Rushville. Triple Jump: 1. Adam Schlotthauer, 41-10.5, Mitchell; 2. Andres Mendoza, 41-10.5, Minatare; 3. Jason Berglund, 41-08, Alliance; 4. Joe Jackson, 41-08, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Caleb Geary, 40-08.25, Gering; 6. Keagan Hill 40-04.25 Alliance Girls Results: 100 meters: Kelsy Wood, 12.96, Hemingford; 2. Ashley Turner, 13.09, Burns; 3. Allison Marsh, 13.15, Torrington; 4. Liz Cunningham, 13.21, Scottsbluff; 5. Shanell Primes, 13.24, Scottsbluff; 6. Taylor Bever, 13.64, Lingle-Fort Laramie. 200 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 26.97, Sidney; 2. Ashley Turner, 27.35, Burns; 3. Liz Cuningham, 27.67, Scottsbluff, 4. Karissa Brehmer, 28.00, Garden County’ 5. Aspen Reifschneider, 28.06, Mitchell; 6. Taylor Bever, 28.19, Lingle-Fort Laramie. 400 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 1:00.77, 2. McKenna Zulkoski, 1:02.80, Mitchell; 3. Jessica Kildow, 1:02.85, Bridgeport; 4. Jayden Garrett, 1:03.23, Chadron; 5. Alisha Heelan, 1:04.01, Garden County; 6. Cayley Gibb, 1:04.06, Southeast. 800 meters: 1. Jessi Smith, 2:25.60, Bayard, 2. Taylor Peters, 2:25.61, Mitchell; 3. Rachel Huffman, 2:28.61, Gering; 4. Kaylee Greenwald, 2:31.27, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Shayleigh James, 2:36.16, Scottsbluff; 6. Jerilyn Laws, 2:37.39, Gering. 1600 meters: 1. Rachell Huffman, 5:25:56, Gering; 2. Taylor Muncie, 5:27.81, Scottsbluff; 3. Alli Ehler, 5:40.10, Sidney; 4. Briley Hannaford, 5:45.50, Chadron; 5. Melissa Bowlin, 5:48.18, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 6. Laura Flores, 6:00.79, Kimball. 3200 meters: 1. Nicky Applegarth, 12:06.17; 2. Dani Wellnitz, 12:09.97, Gordon-Rushville, 3. Taylor Muncie, 12:10.19 Scottsbluff, 4. Kali Rimington, 12:15.62, Gering; 5. Alli Ehler, 12:30.37, Sidney; 6. Denie Jacobson, 12:40.13, Gordon-Rushville. 100 meter hurdles: 1. Kelsy Wood, 15.48, Hemingford; 2. Chesney Walker, 15.67, Scottsbluff; 3. Karissa Segelke, 16.36, Sidney; 4. Rylee Hanks, 17.06, Crawford; 5. Jessi Smith, 17.17, Bayard, 6. Kaidee Livingstone, 17.18, Potter-Dix. 300 meter hurdles: 1. Kelsy Wood, 47.01, Hemingford; 2. Allison Marsh, 48.07, Torrington; 3. Chesney Walker, Scottsbluff; 4. Karissa Segelke, 49.22, Sidney; 5. Kyra Willats, 49.87, Scottsbluff; 6. Madison Biesecker, 50.05, Kimball. 4x100 meter relay: 1. Sidney, Gabbie Addleman, Karissa Segelke, Kali Robb, Morgan Lineman, 51.34; 2. Scottsbluff, Shanell Primes, Liz Cunningham, Kiley Guerue, Chesney Walker, 52.02, Scottsbluff; 3. Torrington, Faith Marie Madayag, Kayla Frazier, Avery Madden, Allison Marsh, 52.23; 4. Bayard, Breanna Korell, Miah Vera, Megan Stuart, Jessi Smith, 53.05; 5. Gering, Brooke Vowers, Ashlyn Schultz, Abby Kiesel, Santanna Mitchell, 53.65; 6. Southeast Cayley Gibb, Hallie Burkart, Madison Pragnell, Shelby Burroughs, 54.22. 4x400 relay: 1. Sidney, Abby Heller, Karissa Segelke, Genessa Schilz, Morgan Linneman, 4:16.79; 2. Mitchell, McKenna Zuloski, Aspen Reifschneider, Havannah Newens, Taylor Peters, 4:18.03; 3. Torrington, Avery Madden, Mikayla McNamee, Kylie Korell, Allison Marsh, 4:19.17; 4. Bayard, Breanna Korell, Sini Garcia, Megan Stuart, Jessi Smith, 4:20.60; 5. Gering, Brooke Vowers, Aubrey Gonzales, Abby Kiesel, Santanna Mitchell, 4:21.7; 6. Chadron, Ashlyn Eitemiller, Briley Hannaford, Hannah Anderson, Jayden Garrett, 4:22.97. 4x800 relay: 1. Chadron, Nicky Applegarth, Briley Hannaford, Hannah Anderson, Jayden Garrett, 10:07.96; 2. Gering, Rachel Huffman, Dakota Gellner, Lauren Shaul, Kali Rimington, 10:15.55; 3. Torrington, Madi Haun, Kylie Korell, Mikayla McNamee, Sabrina Juma, 10:29.94; 4. Gordon-Rushville, Rachel Johnson, Denie Jacobson, Cirsten Hinn, Dani Wellnitz, 10:32.53; 5. Sidney, Genessa Schilz, Madison Stafford, Preslie Allen, Erin Lindeman, 10:44.52; 6. Crawford, Sharla Maginnis, Lacie Lietka, Sarah Tweet, Megan Guest, 11:06.09. Shot Put: 1. Kali Robb, 40-09, Sidney; 2. Zoey Rada, 38-02, Scottsbluff; 3. Kady Lower, 35-08.50 Mitchell, 4. Stea Ven Becker, 35-08, Scottsbluff; 5. Carly Churchill, 35-00, Chadron; 6. Morgan Nortness, 34-10, Morrill. Discus: 1. Kali Robb, 130-08, Sidney; 2. Kady Lower, 124-06, Mitchell; 3. Shaylee Rickard, 121-10, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 4. Kassandra Harris, 114-04, Leyton; 5. Sara Marlatt, 113-04, Gordon-Rushville; 6. Stea Ven Becker, 111-04, Scottsbluff. High Jump: 1. Anna McLaughlin, 5-00, Garden County; 2. Shana Wilcoxson, 4-11, Burns; 3. Megan Upp, 4-09 Gering; 4. Mikayla McNamee, 4-09, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Kaylee Greenwald, 4-09, Torrington; 5. Savanna Rosenbaum, 4-09, Sidney. Pole Vault: 1. Shana Wilcoxson, 9-00 Burns; 2. Sami Starkey, 8-06, Niobrara County; 3. Megan Stuart, 8-06, Bayard; 4. Sam Hanson, 8-00, Pine Bluffs; 5. Destiny Galvin, 8-00, Alliance; 6. Chrissy Peters, 8-00, Scottsbluff. Long Jump: 1. Kelsy Wood, 17-03.75, Hemmingford; 2. Shana Wilcoxson, 16-11.25, Burns; 3. Kaitlyn Berner, 16-04.00, Leyton; 4. Miah Vera, 16-01.75, Bayard; 5. Kayla Frazier, 15-10.50, Torrington; 6. Natalie Booth, 15-06.75, Lingle-Fort Laramie. Triple Jump: 1. Shana Wilcoxson, 35-04.25, Burns; 2. Avery Madden, 34-08.50, Torrington; 3. Kaitlyn Jespersen, 33-00.00, Hemingford; 4. Alanda Kildow, 32-09.75, Bayard; 5. Kaitlyn Berner, 32-07.00, Leyton; 6. Miah Vera, 32-06.00, Bayard. There was no team scores given for the Best of the West Meet. 43.3, Alliance; 6. Daniel Rohrer, 43.4, Scottsbluff. 400 meter Relay: 1. Scottsbluff, 44.6; 2. Alliance, 44.7; 3. Sidney, 45.4; 4. Mitchell, 47.9; 5. Gering, 48.2. 1600 meter relay: 1. Gering, 3:31.8; 2. Alliance, 3:32.3; 3. Scottsbluff, 3:35.8, 4. Mitchell, 3:45.9; 5. Sidney, 3:47.4, 6. Chadron, 4:02.4. 3200 meter relay: 1. Mitchell, 8:31.9; 2. Alliance, 8:40.4; 3. Sidney, 8:40.8; 4. Gering, 8:59.8; 5. Scottsbluff, 9:32.5; 6. Chadron, 9:52.3. Pole Vault: 1. Lucas Rosenbaum, 13-0, Sidney; 2. Nick Smith, 12-6, Sidney; 3. Andrew Thomas, 12-6, Mitchell; 4. Chris Armstrong, 12-0, Mitchell; 5. Brady Shimp, 11-6, Alliance; 6. Josh Ellis, 11-0, Alliance. High Jump: 1. Zac Bibb, 6-2, Gering; 2. Nick Conger, 6-2, Sidney; 3. Trevor Kamerzell, 6-0, Alliance; 4. Brendan Holly, 5-10, Sidney; 5. Isaac Brunham, 5-8, Alliance; 6. Cole Beaver, 5-6, Mitchell. Long Jump: 1. Mitch Pancost, 21-0.25, Alliance; 2. Zac Bibb, 20-1, Gering; 3. Jason Berglund, 19-7.5, Alliance; 4. Brian Johnston, 19-7, Scottsbluff; 5. Adam Schlotthauer, 18-10.75, Mitchell; 6. Eric Olsen, 18-9.25, Scottsbluff. Triple Jump: 1. Jason Berglund, 42-7.5, Alliance; 2. Adam Schlotthauer, 41-5.25, Mitchell; 3. Caleb Geary, 41-2.5, Gering; 4. Keagen Hill, 41-2, Alliance; 5. Lucas Rosenbaum, 39-4, Sidney; 6. Brendan Holly, 38-9, Sidney. Shot Put: 1. Jon Magg, 50-9.75, Scottsbluff; 2. Logan Lewis, 50-5, Sidney; 3. Andrew Aratani, 46-4.5, Scottsbluff; 4. Jake Heeren, 46-1, Sidney; 5. Kyle Krantz, 45-7.5, Alliance; 6. Austin Lang, 43-0, Chadron. Discus: 1. Jon Magg, 141-9, Scottsbluff; 2. Kyle Krantz, 128-6, Alliance; 3. B.J. Krantz, 128-4, Alliance; 4. Austyn Wright, 120-10, Mitchell; 5. Esai Hernandez, 119-1, Gering; 6. Zach Pieper, 118-1, Mitchell. Western Conference Girls Results: Team Scores: 1. Scottsbluff 149.5, 2. Sidney 121, 3. Gering 78, 4. Mitchell 75, 5. Chadron 52, 6. Alliance 44.5. 100 meters: 1. Chesney Walker, 13.0, Scottsbluff; 2. Shanell Primes, 13.01, Scottsbluff; 3. Liz Cunningham, 13.1, Scottsbluff; 4. Jayden Garrett, 13.3, Chadron; 5. Maggie Otto, 13.4, Alliance; 6. Aspen Reifschneider, 13.41, Mitchell. 200 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 26.6, Sidney; 2. Liz Cunningham, 27.5, Scottsbluff; 3. Shanell Primes, 27.9, Scottsbluff; 4. Aspen Reifschneider, 28.2, Mitchell; 5. Jayden Garrett, 28.3, Chadron; 6. Rylee Trout, 28.7 Alliance. 400 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 61.8, Sidney; 2. Jayden Garrett, 62.5, Chadron; 3. Aubrey Gonzales, 63.9, Gering; 4. Shayleigh James, 65.0, Scottsbluff; 4. Abby Heller, 65.0, Sidney; 6. Hannah Anderson, 65.3, Chadron. 800 meters: 1. Taylor Peters, 2:27.4, Mitchell; 2. Rachel Huffman, 2:28.7, Gering; 3. Kiley Guerue, 2:31.3 Scottsbluff; 4. Nicky Applegarth, 2:32.3, Chadron; 5. Hannah Anderson, 2:34.8, Chadron; 6. Preslie Allen 2:36.0, Sidney. 1600 meters: 1. Rachel Huffman, 5:28.8, Gering; 2. Taylor Muncie, 5:36.3, Scottsbluffl; 3. Briley Hannaford, 5:41.4, Chadron; 4. Taylor Peters, 5:49.5, Mitchell; 5. Alli Ehler, 6:03.2, Sidney; 6. Erin Lindeman, 6:04.5, Sidney. 3200 meters: 1. Nicky Applegarth, 12:06.7, Chadron; 2. Alli Ehler, 12:40.4, Sidney; 3. Kali Rimington, 13:52.1, Gering; 4. Mia Hernandez, 14:14.4, Gering; 5. Barbara Peiper, 16:09.7 Mitchell. 100 meter hurdles: 1. Chesney Walker, 15.8, Scottsbluff; 2. Karissa Segelke, 15.9, Sidney; 3. Kyra Willats, 17.1, Scottsbluff; 4. Rylee Trout, 17.2, Alliance; 5. Madison Rieber, 17.3, Alliance; 6. Destiny Galvin, 17.5, Alliance. 300 meter hurdles: 1. Chesney Walker, 47.6, Scottsbluff; 2. Karissa Segelke, 47.9, Sidney; 3. Kyra Willats, 51.1, Scottsbluff; 4. Rylee Trout 52.3, Alliance; 5. Ashlyn Eitemiller, 52.5, Chadron; 6. Jade Riedel, 53.6 Gering. 400 meter relay: 1. Sidney 51.4; 2. Scottsbluff, 52.4; 3. Alliance, 56.2; 4. Mitchell, 57.1. 1600 meter relay: 1. Sidney, 4:16.7; 2. Gering, 4:19.7; 3. Chadron, 4:26.5; 4. Scottsbluff, 4:27.4; 5. Mitchell, 4:31.7; 6. Alliance, 4:38.8. 3200 meter relay: 1. Gering, 10:22.3; 2. Sidney, 10:53.9; 3. Mitchell, 12:44.5; 4. Scottsbluff, 13:17.1. Pole Vault: 1. Chrissy Peters, 8-6, Scottsbluff; 2. Destiny Galvin, 8-0, Alliance; 3. Lisa Charron, 8-0, Scottsbluff; 4. Samantha Vermillion, 7-6, Alliance; 5. Ashley Stafford, 7-6, Sidney; 6. Sharaya Toof, 7-0, Alliance; 6. Savannah Menghini, 7-0, Scottsbluff. High Jump: 1. Havannah Newens, 4-10, Mitchell; 2. Megan Upp, 4-8, Gering; 3. Abby Heller, 4-8, Sidney; 4. Savanna Rosenbaum, 4-8, Sidney; 5. Santanna Mitchell, 4-8, Gering; 6. Abby Kiesel, 4-8, Gering. Long Jump: 1. Aspen Reifschneider, 15-8.75, Mitchell; 2. Liz Cunningham, 15-3.5, Scottsbluff; 3. K’Lee Hasse 15-0.25, Mitchell; 4. Abby Kiesel, 14-10.75, Gering; 5. Holly Grote, 14-4, Gering; 6. Madison Rieber, 13-9, Alliance. Triple Jump: 1. Holly Grote, 32-11.25, Gering; 2. Kali Robb, 32-8.25, Sidney; 3. Ellie Applegarth, 30-11.5, Alliance; 4. Kiley Guerue, 29-11, Scottsbluff; 5. Megan Upp, 29-4, Gering; 6. Alexis Smith, 29-2.25, Mitchell. Shot Put: 1. Kali Robb, 41-5, Sidney; 2. SteavEn Becker, 36-9.25, Scottsbluff; 3. Carly Churchill, 36-1, Chadron; 4. Kady Lower, 35-1, Mitchell; 5. Sierra Betancur, 34-11.25, Scottsbluff; 6. Morgan Michael, 33-5.5, Mitchell. Discus: 1. Kady Lower, 124-10, Mitchell; 2. Kali Robb, 123-0, Sidney; 3. SteavEn Becker, 116-9, Scottsbluff; 4. Olivia Vogel, 112-0, Alliance; 5. Sierra Betancur, 103-7, Scottsbluff; 6. Carly Churchill, 98-2, Chadron. Best of the West results to 6th place: Boys: 100 meters: 1. Luke Worden, 11.03, Scottsbluff; 2. Andres Mendoza, 11.37, Minatare; 3. Jackson Dickerson, 11.57, Chadron; 4. Logan Lewis, 11.58, Sidney; 5. Mario Sanchez, 11.73, Minatare; 6. Raine Miller, 11.75, Bayard. 200 meters: 1. Andres Mendoza, 22.99, Minatare; 2. Ian Duncan, 23.48, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 3. Logan Lewis, 23.52, Sidney; 4. Jamie Gonzales 23.68, Bridgeport; 5. Kenny McNeil, 23.89, Kimball; 6. Jake Delzer, 24.10, Scottsbluff. 400 meters: 1. Ryan Schwartzkopf, 51.10, Gering; 2. Travis Willhoite, 51.89, Bayard; 3. Tanner Whitton, 52.45, Bayard; 4. Stetson Anderson, 53.12, Scottsbluff, 5. Hunter Dockery, 53.61, Niobrara County; 6. Bret Spencer, 54.93, Torrington. 800 meters: 1. Tayler James 2:01.81, Scottsbluff; 2. Gary Kaplan, 2:03.67, Gordon-Rushville; 3. Garrett Derr, 2:04.92, Torrington; 4. Ben Willis-Teff, 2:07.13, Scottsbluff; 5. Levi Avila, 2:09.87, Mitchell; 6. Matty Richardson, 2:10.23, Torrington. 1600 meters: 1. Cody Franklin, 4:39.95, Bridgeport; 2. Brendan Taedter, 4:47.85, Scottsbluff, 3. Shane Burkey, 4:50.41, Scottsbluff; 4. Hank Jackson, 4:54.13, Lingle-Fort Laramie, 5. Sam Arterburn, 4:57.34, Sidney; 6. Justin Pritchard, 4:58.05, Scottsbluff. 3200 meters: 1. Matthew Barraza, 10:10.38, Scottsbluff; 2. Cody Franklin, 10:31.15, Bridgeport; 3. Gary Kaplan, 10:28.80, Gordon-Rushville; 4. Brendan Taedter, 10:29.14, Scottsbluff; 5. Nathan Pritchard, 10:44.41, Scottsbluff; 6. Steven Juarez, 10:50.32, Minatare. 110 meter hurdles: 1. Matt D. Klein, 14.96, Scottsbluff; 2. Dillon DeMott, 15.90, Gering; 3. Daniel Rohrer, 16.22, Scottsbluff; 4. Nick Conger 16.42, Sidney; 5. Ryan Burdine, 16.69, Gordon-Rushville; 6. Caleb Geary, 16.74, Gering. 300 meter hurdles: 1. Matt D. Klein, 40.22, Scottsbluff; 2. Dillon DeMott, 40.82, Gering; 3. Blake Wisroth, 42.37, Torrington; 4. Daniel Rohrer, 42.78, Scottsbluff; 5. Caleb Geary, 44.14, Gering; 6. Traceten Halley 44.69, Scottsbluff. 4x100 meter relay: 1. Scottsbluff, Jake Delzer, Matt D. Klein, Stetson Anderson, Luke Worden, 44.87; 2. Sidney, Michael Muggli, Lucas Rosenbaum, Cole Stiles, Logan Lewis, 45.66; 3. Bayard, Allen Denton, Raine Miller, Jadon Smith, Travis Willhoite, 45.81; 4. Torrington, Bret Spencer, Trey Faessler, Blake Wisroth, Caden Coffelt, 46.64; 5. Kimball Jake Reader, Caleb Reuter, Miguel Angel Flores, Kenny McNeil, 46.92; 6. Lingle-Fort Laramie, Ian Duncan, Joe Jackson, David Engelbrecht, Chastin Hill, 47.18. 4x400 meter relay: 1. Gering, Dillon DeMott, Aaron Pierce, Austin Dolberg, Ryan Schwartzkopf, 3:30.45; 2. Scottsbluff, Matt D. Klein, Stetson Anderson, Tayler James, Eric Olsen, 3:34.54; 3. Bayard, Zac Rice, Jadon Smith, Allen Denton, Travis Willhoite, 3:41.23; 4. Torrington, Bret Spencer, Trey Faessler, Matty Richardson, Garrett Derr, 3:42.88; 5. Mitchell, Tanner Whitton, Tate Harvey, Garret Braman, Levi Avila, 3:43.07; 6. Kimball, Angel Flores, Jake Reader, Ryan Muneio, Caleb Reuter, 3:45.71. 4x800 meter relay: 1. Scottsbluff, Ben Willis-Teff, Justin Pritchard, Matthew Barraza, Tayler James, 8:10.05; 2. Lingle-Fort Laramie, Preston Hunt, Brody Lay, Morgan Walford, Hank Jackson, 8:33.61; 3. Mitchell, Tanner Whitton, Jeremy Carrizales, Tate Harvey, Levi Avila, 8:34.34; 4. Sidney, Hayden Lienemann, Sam Arterburn, Brenner Keane, Logan Uhlir, 8:38.79; 5. Potter-Dix, Cooper Hicks, Luke Johnson, Steven Bryant Knigge, Jake Johnson, 8:49.84, 6. Gering Aaron Pierce, Jacey Shaul, Caleb Hayden, Arich Knaub, 9:04.55. Shot Put: 1. Jon Maag, 51-07.00, Scottsbluff; 2. Logan Lewis, 47-08.00, Sidney; 3. Andrew Aratani, 46-05.50, Scottsbluff; 4. Jake Heeren, 46-02.5, Sidney; 5. Cody Aure, 44-08.50, Potter-Dix, 6. Martin Fitzwater, 44-02.50, Niobrara County. Discus: 1. Jon Maag, 152-03, Scottsbluff; 2. Jesse Bleidt, 145-09, Garden County; 3. Lemur Gardner, 143-07, Gordon-Rushville, 4. Scott Gross, 142-00, Pine Bluffs; 5. BJ Krantz, 140-04, Alliance; 6. Evan Ponce 131-07, Torrington. High Jump: 1. Zac Bibb, 6-04, Gering; 2. Lex Haller, 6-02, Gordon-Rushville; 3. Kane McLaughlin, 6-02, Garden County; 4. Nick Conger, 6-00, Sidney; 5. Kevin Christianson, 5-10, Niobrara County, 6. Brendan Holly, 5-10, Sidney. Pole Vault: 1. Nick Smith, 13-00, Alliance; 2. Lucas Rosenbaum, 12-06, Sidney; 3. Javier Figueroa, 12-00, Kimball; 4. Andrew Thomas, 12-00, Mitchell; 4. David Engelbrecht, 12-00, Lingle-Fort Laramie, 6. Brady Shimp, 12-00, Alliance. Long Jump: 1. Jaime Gonzales, 21-04.5 Bridgeport, 2. Andres Mendoza, 19-09.25, Minatare; 3. Nick Singh, 19-07.00, Alliance; 4. Taylor Lackey, 19-06.5, Morrill; 5. Hunter Bye, 19-03.5, Guernsey-Sunrise; 6. Cody Campbell, 19-02, Gordon-Rushville. Triple Jump: 1. Adam Schlotthauer, 41-10.5, Mitchell; 2. Andres Mendoza, 41-10.5, Minatare; 3. Jason Berglund, 41-08, Alliance; 4. Joe Jackson, 41-08, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Caleb Geary, 40-08.25, Gering; 6. Keagan Hill 40-04.25 Alliance Girls Results: 100 meters: Kelsy Wood, 12.96, Hemingford; 2. Ashley Turner, 13.09, Burns; 3. Allison Marsh, 13.15, Torrington; 4. Liz Cunningham, 13.21, Scottsbluff; 5. Shanell Primes, 13.24, Scottsbluff; 6. Taylor Bever, 13.64, Lingle-Fort Laramie. 200 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 26.97, Sidney; 2. Ashley Turner, 27.35, Burns; 3. Liz Cuningham, 27.67, Scottsbluff, 4. Karissa Brehmer, 28.00, Garden County’ 5. Aspen Reifschneider, 28.06, Mitchell; 6. Taylor Bever, 28.19, Lingle-Fort Laramie. 400 meters: 1. Morgan Linneman, 1:00.77, 2. McKenna Zulkoski, 1:02.80, Mitchell; 3. Jessica Kildow, 1:02.85, Bridgeport; 4. Jayden Garrett, 1:03.23, Chadron; 5. Alisha Heelan, 1:04.01, Garden County; 6. Cayley Gibb, 1:04.06, Southeast. 800 meters: 1. Jessi Smith, 2:25.60, Bayard, 2. Taylor Peters, 2:25.61, Mitchell; 3. Rachel Huffman, 2:28.61, Gering; 4. Kaylee Greenwald, 2:31.27, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Shayleigh James, 2:36.16, Scottsbluff; 6. Jerilyn Laws, 2:37.39, Gering. 1600 meters: 1. Rachell Huffman, 5:25:56, Gering; 2. Taylor Muncie, 5:27.81, Scottsbluff; 3. Alli Ehler, 5:40.10, Sidney; 4. Briley Hannaford, 5:45.50, Chadron; 5. Melissa Bowlin, 5:48.18, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 6. Laura Flores, 6:00.79, Kimball. 3200 meters: 1. Nicky Applegarth, 12:06.17; 2. Dani Wellnitz, 12:09.97, Gordon-Rushville, 3. Taylor Muncie, 12:10.19 Scottsbluff, 4. Kali Rimington, 12:15.62, Gering; 5. Alli Ehler, 12:30.37, Sidney; 6. Denie Jacobson, 12:40.13, Gordon-Rushville. 100 meter hurdles: 1. Kelsy Wood, 15.48, Hemingford; 2. Chesney Walker, 15.67, Scottsbluff; 3. Karissa Segelke, 16.36, Sidney; 4. Rylee Hanks, 17.06, Crawford; 5. Jessi Smith, 17.17, Bayard, 6. Kaidee Livingstone, 17.18, Potter-Dix. 300 meter hurdles: 1. Kelsy Wood, 47.01, Hemingford; 2. Allison Marsh, 48.07, Torrington; 3. Chesney Walker, Scottsbluff; 4. Karissa Segelke, 49.22, Sidney; 5. Kyra Willats, 49.87, Scottsbluff; 6. Madison Biesecker, 50.05, Kimball. 4x100 meter relay: 1. Sidney, Gabbie Addleman, Karissa Segelke, Kali Robb, Morgan Lineman, 51.34; 2. Scottsbluff, Shanell Primes, Liz Cunningham, Kiley Guerue, Chesney Walker, 52.02, Scottsbluff; 3. Torrington, Faith Marie Madayag, Kayla Frazier, Avery Madden, Allison Marsh, 52.23; 4. Bayard, Breanna Korell, Miah Vera, Megan Stuart, Jessi Smith, 53.05; 5. Gering, Brooke Vowers, Ashlyn Schultz, Abby Kiesel, Santanna Mitchell, 53.65; 6. Southeast Cayley Gibb, Hallie Burkart, Madison Pragnell, Shelby Burroughs, 54.22. 4x400 relay: 1. Sidney, Abby Heller, Karissa Segelke, Genessa Schilz, Morgan Linneman, 4:16.79; 2. Mitchell, McKenna Zuloski, Aspen Reifschneider, Havannah Newens, Taylor Peters, 4:18.03; 3. Torrington, Avery Madden, Mikayla McNamee, Kylie Korell, Allison Marsh, 4:19.17; 4. Bayard, Breanna Korell, Sini Garcia, Megan Stuart, Jessi Smith, 4:20.60; 5. Gering, Brooke Vowers, Aubrey Gonzales, Abby Kiesel, Santanna Mitchell, 4:21.7; 6. Chadron, Ashlyn Eitemiller, Briley Hannaford, Hannah Anderson, Jayden Garrett, 4:22.97. 4x800 relay: 1. Chadron, Nicky Applegarth, Briley Hannaford, Hannah Anderson, Jayden Garrett, 10:07.96; 2. Gering, Rachel Huffman, Dakota Gellner, Lauren Shaul, Kali Rimington, 10:15.55; 3. Torrington, Madi Haun, Kylie Korell, Mikayla McNamee, Sabrina Juma, 10:29.94; 4. Gordon-Rushville, Rachel Johnson, Denie Jacobson, Cirsten Hinn, Dani Wellnitz, 10:32.53; 5. Sidney, Genessa Schilz, Madison Stafford, Preslie Allen, Erin Lindeman, 10:44.52; 6. Crawford, Sharla Maginnis, Lacie Lietka, Sarah Tweet, Megan Guest, 11:06.09. Shot Put: 1. Kali Robb, 40-09, Sidney; 2. Zoey Rada, 38-02, Scottsbluff; 3. Kady Lower, 35-08.50 Mitchell, 4. Stea Ven Becker, 35-08, Scottsbluff; 5. Carly Churchill, 35-00, Chadron; 6. Morgan Nortness, 34-10, Morrill. Discus: 1. Kali Robb, 130-08, Sidney; 2. Kady Lower, 124-06, Mitchell; 3. Shaylee Rickard, 121-10, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 4. Kassandra Harris, 114-04, Leyton; 5. Sara Marlatt, 113-04, Gordon-Rushville; 6. Stea Ven Becker, 111-04, Scottsbluff. High Jump: 1. Anna McLaughlin, 5-00, Garden County; 2. Shana Wilcoxson, 4-11, Burns; 3. Megan Upp, 4-09 Gering; 4. Mikayla McNamee, 4-09, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Kaylee Greenwald, 4-09, Torrington; 5. Savanna Rosenbaum, 4-09, Sidney. Pole Vault: 1. Shana Wilcoxson, 9-00 Burns; 2. Sami Starkey, 8-06, Niobrara County; 3. Megan Stuart, 8-06, Bayard; 4. Sam Hanson, 8-00, Pine Bluffs; 5. Destiny Galvin, 8-00, Alliance; 6. Chrissy Peters, 8-00, Scottsbluff. Long Jump: 1. Kelsy Wood, 17-03.75, Hemmingford; 2. Shana Wilcoxson, 16-11.25, Burns; 3. Kaitlyn Berner, 16-04.00, Leyton; 4. Miah Vera, 16-01.75, Bayard; 5. Kayla Frazier, 15-10.50, Torrington; 6. Natalie Booth, 15-06.75, Lingle-Fort Laramie. Triple Jump: 1. Shana Wilcoxson, 35-04.25, Burns; 2. Avery Madden, 34-08.50, Torrington; 3. Kaitlyn Jespersen, 33-00.00, Hemingford; 4. Alanda Kildow, 32-09.75, Bayard; 5. Kaitlyn Berner, 32-07.00, Leyton; 6. Miah Vera, 32-06.00, Bayard. |
| Bulldogs sweep Bearcats in home finales 2013-04-25 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| GERING -- With less than a week left before the Gering and Scottsbluff soccer teams travel to Holdrege for District B-6 postseason action, the Bulldog faithful were treated to a doubleheader sweep Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium. The Bulldog girls, led by senior Josie Thompson's first-half hat trick and five goals overall, had six players score a goal or assist in romping past Scottsbluff 8-1. And eight days after the Gering boys were shut out by the Bearcats, the Bulldogs turned in a complete 80-minute effort of attacking Scottsbluff and avenged that loss with a 2-1 victory. Gering boys 2, Scottsbluff 1 Gering (7-8) had lost to Scottsbluff 3-1 on April 6 in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals and 3-0 to the Bearcats on April 15 at the Dr. Allan C. Landers Memorial Soccer Complex. After the loss last week, Gering coach Justin Clark said the Bulldogs played well but lacked a complete-game effort that allowed Scottsbluff to score its three goals, two by senior Randy Wentz. "That was one of the biggest keys that I put on the board down in the locker room for the guys, that we have to have 11 players for 80 minutes," Clark said. "Whatever 11 are on the field, it doesn't matter, we have to play for 80. "Another one of our big focuses today was to have no mental lapses, no breakdowns and that kind of stuff, and I think for the most part I think we did a great job of that as well. The kids played great." On Tuesday, the Bulldogs maintained control most of the time and allowed the Bearcats just three shots on goal, with Wentz scoring in the 69th minute to draw Scottsbluff to within 2-1. "We know a lot of what they try to do is going to go through him," Clark said of Wentz. "We're just always making sure we're aware of him. We didn't assign anybody to him, our defense knows their responsibility if somebody comes into their zone and they're going to stay with that run. "It looked like he got a little frustrated early, and that helped. He got that goal late and that could have turned things around, but luckily our guys were able to step it up and get the good victory." Gering goalkeeper Dylan Wetherington, who allowed Wentz's goal after blocking Eseah Ingram's initial shot, helped the Bulldogs take a 2-0 advantage when he booted a goal kick over the midfield line. Gage Smith gained control of the kick from Wetherington and drilled the ball past Magana in the 59th minute. "Dylan hits great punts out of the goal, and we preach about running through and making sure you don't ever give up on a ball, and there was one where pressure caused a mistake and we capitalized on it," Clark said. The Bulldogs gained the lead in the 26th minute of the first half when freshman Brent Barge found sophomore Joey Godinez open on a rebound, and Godinez blew the ball past Magana. "That just shows a lot of individual skill and desire there to be able to turn, regain your balance play a good ball back in for Joey to be able to finish on." Gering out-shot Scottsbluff 13-5, with an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. The Bulldogs had five corner kicks to the Bearcats' three. Gering (7-8) is off until district play on Monday, while Scottsbluff (8-6) completes the regular season Friday with a home game against North Platte at the Landers Complex. Gering girls 8, Scottsbluff 1 After Gering and Scottsbluff each had two games lost to cancellation by the recent snow storms, time was of the essence to be ready for next week's district playoffs. After Thompson scored in the fourth minute off an assist from senior Jennifer Barge and Scottsbluff freshman Kelli Wentz put the only dent in Gering senior goalkeeper Maggie Martin's otherwise perfect day in the 13th minute with the game-tying goal, it was all Bulldogs. "It was fun," Gering coach Lisa Freeburg said. "Coming into it we've been indoors for two weeks. It was great to see the girls get out and just have excellent touches on the ball. "I felt like the team as a whole that everybody just played really well. We had some excellent passes, looking for the gaps, good shot selection, good quick movement. It was really great to just see some things we've been working on this season that kind of got put on hold the last couple of weeks." "I felt like the team as a whole that everybody just played really well. We had some excellent passes, looking for the gaps, good shot selection, good quick movement. It was really great to just see some things we've been working on this season that kind of got put on hold the last couple of weeks." Gering's eruption of seven unanswered goals began in the 20th minute, while Thompson scored off an assist from senior Nicole Michael. Two minutes later, Thompson found the net again, off an assist by senior Shayla Garetto, to complete her hat trick in the first 22 minutes. Bulldog junior Laettner Blanco then added Gering's fourth goal in the 33rd minute with an assist by senior Jackie Hayden, giving GHS a 4-1 lead that stood until halftime. But the Bulldogs started the second half attacking early and often, with Hayden scoring on an unassisted play just two minutes into the half. Five minutes later, Thompson lined up on a corner kick from the left side and bent the ball right into the upper right corner in giving Gering a 6-1 advantage. Thompson scored her fifth goal when she lined up from the top of the penalty area and drilled the ball past Scottsbluff goalkeeper Livvy Michael in the 53rd minute. Garetto, who worked busily along the right side of the Bulldogs' attack, was rewarded with an unassisted goal in the 66th minute. Four minutes later, Freeburg pulled several starters, including Martin from goal after she had stopped four Scottsbluff shots. Gering had a 33-5 shot advantage, 19-5 in shots on goal, and had eight corner kicks to the Bearcats' four. "They kind of put it to us today," Scottsbluff coach Chad Larson said. "We were glad to get that goal, and I think that might be one of the only ways that some teams might be able to score on them is to go from the outside, because their defense is so hard to break through to even get shots. "And I think the speed of their team just kills you. They play so fast and they just had us running around all over. They are legit this year." Freeburg was pleased that six players scored either a goal or assist for the Bulldogs. "It definitely was a day where the small things we work on every day showed," she said. "We talk about winning the ball, we talk about possessing the ball quickly and those things happened. "We're always working on making sure that we're the ones that win every single ball out of the air and that we find the gaps. There are things we are continually working on, and I felt like today that they just stepped it up and started to excel." Gering completes regular-season play Thursday with a visit to Sterling, Colo. Scottsbluff finishes its regular-season schedule with a trip to North Platte on Friday and at Sterling on Saturday. District match-ups set The Gering girls are the No. 1 seed in the six-team District B-6 tournament, which starts Monday at Holdrege High School. The Bulldogs will enter district play after receiving a forfeit win after Laramie canceled its doubleheader in Gering on Saturday. Gering will play on Tuesday against Monday's first-round winner between Scottsbluff and Grand Island Northwest. Kearney Catholic is the No. 2 seed and will await Monday's winner of the Holdrege-Lexington first-round game. In the boys' bracket, Scottsbluff is the No. 3 seed and plays Kearney Catholic on Monday, with the winner facing No. 2 Northwest on Tuesday. Gering and Holdrege meet in Monday's other first-round clash, with the winner playing No. 1 seed Lexington on Tuesday. "It's not going to be an easy road," Clark said. "But I think the way our kids are playing right now, I think we have as good a shot as anybody in the district." The district finals will be next Thursday, with the Class B State Tournament at Creighton University in Omaha starting May 8 for the boys and May 10 for the girls. |
| Gering netters building court experience 2013-04-25 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Gering girls tennis coach Justin Reinmuth said he saw some hope and promise from both his first-year varsity team Saturday in the Scottsbluff Invitational and from his junior varsity players Tuesday in their first action at Alliance. The Bulldogs finished in fifth place among six teams in the Scottsbluff tournament, in which the host Bearcats placed third and McCook outpointed runner-up Gillette, Wyo.-Campbell County 65-51 for the team title. “We saw some tough competition that we hadn’t seen yet,” Reinmuth said of Saturday’s tourney. “McCook is really a strong team with experienced players, and our girls weren’t used to seeing the speed of the serves from McCook and Gillette.” Katie Collins led Gering in the round-robin format by finishing third in No. 2 singles with a 3-2 record. “Winning three out of five matches was a great effort for her,” Reinmuth said of Collins. Gering also had multiple wins from the No. 1 doubles team of Savannah Walker and Samantha Gutherless, who finished in fourth at 2-3. Other Gering results saw Marlee Lupher go 1-4 in No. 1 singles, Jessical Helt and Annastacia Cowen finish winless at No. 2 doubles and Britney Moreno and Katlyn Wagoner go 0-5 at No. 3 doubles. Scottsbluff’s success began with freshman Zoe Holscher finishing 3-2 and in third in No. 1 singles. Two doubles teams also were 3-2 and placed third: the No. 1 doubles team of Rachel Madden and Akacia Kraus, and Sarah Cloud and Anna Wiebe in No. 2 doubles. Also for the Bearcats, Christina Villlarreal and Stacae Pauli went 2-3 and finished fourth at No. 3 doubles, while Olivia Salazar was 1-4 at No. 2 singles for the Bearcats. Reinmuth said Tuesday’s JV triangular at Alliance, in which Gering lost as a team to both the host Bulldogs and to Scottsbluff, offered positives especially in Cierra Weatherfield’s 2-0 record in No. 2 singles while Helt split her two matches at No. 1 singles. “For the first time that the JV got to play, I think they did a pretty good job,” Reinmuth said. “It was good to get the girls out on the court.” The Bulldogs’ lone home action, a triangular against Scottsbluff and Alliance, was scheduled for April 16. The schools are still working on a make-up date as of Tuesday. Gering has been able to add two home duals for next week, against Sterling, Colo., on Monday at 4 p.m. and against McCook on May 3, also at 4 p.m. Both Gering and Scottsbluff will travel to McCook on Saturday for what should be another tough tournament with the Bison as the hosts. The Class B State Championships are May 17 and 18 in Lincoln. |
| FINAL POINT - When the weather outside is frightful … 2013-04-18 By Terry Gaston |
| No other season for schools’ activities offers more vulnerability to the weather than the spring. After all, all springtime sporting events are conducted outside: soccer, boys’ golf, girls’ tennis and track and field. In the past week and a half, several local and area athletic events have been either postponed or outright canceled because of Mother Nature. This year, however, has been different. Postponed and canceled events have fallen victim to first early-spring rain and now to mid-spring snow. From last Tuesday through Tuesday of this week, Gering Activities Director Glen Koski has posted no fewer than six e-mails to media regarding the postponement and rescheduling, or just flat-out cancellation, of numerous athletic events. “When you have things back-to-back two weeks in a row, sometimes you get a day or two when you can maybe reschedule some things,” Koski said. “But when you look at stuff again this week, you just don’t know. Obviously we’ve rescheduled a few things already.” Both of Gering’s soccer teams and the Scottsbluff boys faced scheduling changes last week during and in the aftermath of Winter Storm Walda. The Gering girls’ April 9 date at Sterling, Colo., was postponed to Thursday – weather permitting, again, of course. Then both Gering and Scottsbluff’s boys’ soccer teams were scheduled to play Grand Island Central Catholic and Lutheran High Northeast/Norfolk Catholic on Saturday at the Dr. Allan C. Landers Memorial Soccer Complex on the northeast edge of Scottsbluff. But when Walda reared its ugly spring head beginning last Monday with snow in western Nebraska and eventually harsh thunderstorms turned snow and sleet in the eastern part of the state, Gering and Scottsbluff schools were closed for two days and the soccer opponents back east pondered their own weather issues. Dave Pauli, Scottsbluff’s activities director and former coach and AD at Gering, was the Saturday soccer event’s director and said Lutheran Northeast/Norfolk Catholic canceled out of the event because of its extreme weather later in the week. Then the City of Scottsbluff, as early as last Wednesday, informed Pauli that its crews could not have the fields in playing condition by Saturday. “I talked to them about trying to pack the snow down to see if it could melt faster, and they said it wasn’t going to happen,” Pauli said. “I think with the rain that we got in front of that snow, that added to the soft soil and everything was wet underneath.” So Pauli was forced to scramble in order to save the event, or at least partially. The first task was to find an alternate place to play. North Platte’s complex has served as a great neutral-site location, including two doubleheaders this season for both Scottsbluff and Gering teams when they faced teams from farther east. “That has been the hardest thing I’ve had to reschedule,” Pauli said of the double dual turned doubleheader for Grand Island Central Catholic and single games for Scottsbluff and Gering. “It would have been easy to cancel, but I knew that both Gering and Scottsbluff were in jeopardy of losing games. We at least got one game in, but we would have rather had two.” Then Pauli had to secure officials for the games, and in Saturday’s case the school provided transportation for the officials to and from North Platte. “We hauled them down there in a school vehicle,” he said. “They didn’t get paid much for the day, since that was six hours of drive time they don’t get paid for.” Gering defeated Grand Island Central Catholic 4-0, and then GICC had to turn right around and play Scottbluff, a match the Bearcats won 9-0. “I felt bad for GICC because they faced a rested team in the second game, which was a little unfair,” Pauli said. “But for the three teams there, it wasn’t their fault that there wasn’t a fourth team.” Koski said another factor in rescheduling the displaced event was considering that Gering had several boys who were in the school musical “Tintyme,” which completed its three-night run Saturday night. Scottsbluff’s musical, “Bye Bye Birdie,” also was last week. “You have to do what you have to do in order to get games in,” Koski said. “The disappointing factor was not getting two games and having to go down and just playing one. But it’s not just the athletic part, it involves how the other activities fit in with them. So traveling down to North Platte created some other issues.” So both teams came away with wins, and Pauli said getting each local team at least one match made all his hard work worth the effort. “It just took a lot of time,” Pauli said. “You’re calling officials to take there, you’re calling fields to play on, and you’re calling other schools when one cancels on you. At times you don’t feel like you’re making any headway.” Thankfully by Monday, when the Gering and Scottsbluff teams were scheduled to play simultaneous junior varsity doubleheaders followed by the varsity games, the fields at the Landers Complex were in as good of shape as they might have been this spring. “It’s really about perfect today as far as the ground goes,” Pauli said at halftime of the varsity games, which were rescheduled to be played first to avoid the impending threat of Winter Storm Yogi that included a winter storm advisory starting at 6 p.m. Monday. Pauli said the time switch – for the varsity matches, from 5 p.m. to 3 p.m., and vice versa for the JV games – required some logistical work, especially in getting the officials -- who must be registered by the Nebraska School Activities Association for varsity games – to either come early or get other registered officials who could. Then substitute teachers had to be secured for the coaches who thus had to leave school early. By shortly after noon Monday, the AD’s were able to notify media, and students could let their parents know of the time changes. “Dave was the one who actually brought it up,” Koski said of playing the varsity matches first. “It sounded like a great idea to me. At least we hopefully could get those games in, and if weather moves in later on and we can’t play JV, then we can’t.” Thankfully, by night’s end, the only weather effect cast on the game were a few intermittent, light snow flurries and the extra cloudiness that darkened the skies as the daylight fell into twilight. By 7 p.m., the JV games were finished, the sun peeked strikingly through the clouds before setting. Mission accomplished. And then later Monday night, the skies opened with the first sustained snowfall of the predicted multiple-day storm. Since the weather is so unpredictable this time of year, Koski said the key is whether a visiting opponent is willing to travel in predicted inclement weather. “If it’s going to put them in position of being in danger, we certainly don’t want that,” Koski said. “And that’s we look at when we’re traveling somewhere, if it’s going to be danger is going to be involved. If it’s going to be dangerous for us to be traveling, then we’re not going to play.” Monday’s six-mile trek between Gering High School and the Landers Complex made the overall decision to play easier. “When teams are traveling, you have to take that into consideration,” Pauli said. “Like today, it was Gering and Scottsbluff, so about 12 or 1, we could make a decision. But I did talk to the Cheyenne Central AD and he said they had 3 to 4 inches of snow, so I didn’t know if we would more by now, so that’s when we talked about switching so we could at least get the varsity in.” Rescheduling, Koski said, is a challenge every year during the spring seasons because of the limited time and logistics needed to reschedule events. “It’s not easy when you have continuous things that you have to try to reschedule,” he said. “You run out of time eventually.” The most vulnerable events, because of all the volunteer help and participating schools’ schedules, are track meets. Scottsbluff’s Binfield Invitational on Saturday, March 23, fell victim to an early spring rain system that included blustery conditions. “We were hoping the weather might turn, at least in the wetness of the fields, but by Friday morning it just wasn’t getting any better,” Pauli said. “You keep an eye on the weather, but it’s hard.” On Monday, Pauli already had his eyes on the forecast the rest of the week, with the Western Nebraska Twilight track meet scheduled for Friday. “For this week, it’s going to be hard for us with the Twilight,” Pauli said of Friday’s scheduled meet at Bearcat Stadium. “I don’t think the running events will be tough, but I’m afraid especially for the shot and discus. Those are some of the things that hold up a track meet. “When I was in Gering in 1995 or ’96, the first three Mondays in April they had considerable snow, and it really put the track team behind because it messed up your whole week in practice. We’ll see what happens the next few days, but it definitely has a lot of challenges.” In spite of this year’s wacky spring snow rescheduling or cancellations, Pauli said the two strangest cancellations in which he has been involved occurred last fall. The first was when Interstate 80 had to be closed because of high winds, forcing North Platte to cancel its volleyball match at Scottsbluff. “I’ve never canceled an event for wind,” Pauli said. “Their bus is high profile and they didn’t let their kids come, which I can fully understand.” A week before, smoke from the Wyoming wildfires ventured into the area and forced a health safety conditions for events that included a tennis tournament and a middle school football game. “We canceled stuff from that smoke about noon, when it was really smoky around here,” Pauli said. Nobody could give us any health regulations, so we decided to cancel. And then by game time, the smoke drifted off and it was pretty nice. But we decided to err on the side of caution.” Therein lays the bottom line: No event is worth risking the health and safety of the students and coaches. |
| Arch-rivals split shutout victories 2013-04-18 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Thompson’s hat trick leads Gering girls; Wentz’s 2 scores pace Bearcat boys SCOTTSBLUFF – After dealing with a week filled with snow-based postponements and rescheduling of games three hours away, the Scottsbluff boys’ and Gering girls’ soccer teams found no better place than home Monday. On a day that offered perfect field conditions at the Dr. Allan C. Landers Memorial Soccer Complex and preceded the second of two unseasonable snowstorms, the Bulldog girls rode senior Josie Thompson’s hat trick and a stingy defensive effort in front of senior goalkeeper Maggie Martin in downing Scottsbluff 4-0. On the west field, Scottsbluff senior Randy Wentz scored one goal on a first-half penalty kick and a second-half driving boot in leading the Bearcats to a 3-0 win over Gering. Gering Girls win 4-0 The Bulldog girls dominated the action in attacking the Scottsbluff zone and goal while protecting their own half of the field. Gering fired 34 shots, 18 on goal, while Scottsbluff was limited to just four shots, three on goal that were all saved by Martin. The Bulldogs also had an 8-1 advantage on gaining corner kicks. “Our goal is to possess the ball on our half the majority of the game, and the girls did an excellent job of doing that,” said Gering coach Lisa Freeburg, whose team’s last action was April 5 when the Bulldogs finished fifth in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament. Thompson scored points on all four of Gering’s goals. She hit the net in the seventh minute off an assist from senior Jennifer Barge, and then Thompson passed the ball to a wide-open junior Laettner Blanco in the 24th minute for a 2-0 Bulldog lead that held through halftime. “She has done an excellent job of passing the ball and then finding shots,” Freeburg said of Thompson, who then scored off an assist from senior Shayla Garetto in the 45th minute and completed her hat trick seven minutes later on a goal off a pass from senior Alexa Anderson. Freeburg credited her defensive unit, led by senior Western Nebraska Community College signee Brooke Satur, for helping the Bulldogs build a 9-3 record on the season. “They have been doing an outstanding job and they don’t always get recognized because they don’t score goals, but they did an excellent job pushing Scottsbluff (2-9) offsides and working to push up, so that was good to see,” Freeburg said. The Bulldogs were to play at Sterling on April 9, but the winter storm deemed Walda forced a postponement to April 25. That rescheduled match will give Gering three games next week, all at home, in completing the regular season. “We’re just glad that we got to play,” said Freeburg, whose team lost a match at Torrington to the weather on Tuesday. “We didn’t want it to be canceled.” Bearcat boys win 3-0 Wentz gave Scottsbluff a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the 35th minute, breaking a scoreless deadlock that offered Gering more credit in intensity than the final 3-0 count for Scottsbluff indicated. “I think we played well for 70 or 75 minutes, but just not 80,” Gering coach Justin Clark said. “And that was the big difference.” “It’s always nice to score late in the half, and that gave us some momentum going into halftime and I thought that carried over well for us,” Scottsbluff coach Nate Rock said. “I felt like we controlled the pace of the game for large portions.” Wentz put the Bearcats ahead 2-0 on a 64th-minute goal, and Italian exchange student Francesco Sechi added Scottsbluff’s final goal five minutes later. The Bearcats (7-5) held an 11-5 advantage in total shots, 10-3 in shots on goal. Scottsbluff had seven corner kicks to Gering’s two. “We outplayed them at several points in the game,” said Clark, whose team fell to 6-8 with the loss. “We just weren’t able to get anything on goal that really challenged. We had a couple and their goalkeeper (Brett Magana) bobbled it, and we didn’t follow. “We had a lot of guys who were watching and really expecting somebody else to do something, and that has been one of our nemeses this season is guys who kind of watch their teammates as opposed to helping and supporting their teammates.” Bulldogs, Bearcats shut out GICC at North Platte In action Saturday moved to North Platte after Landers Complex field conditions were not conducive to play. Both the Gering and Scottsbluff boys made themselves right at home in scoring shutout wins over Grand Island Central Catholic. The event originally was to have the Bulldogs and Bearcats face both GICC and Lutheran High Northeast/Norfolk Catholic, but the Norfolk-based team canceled out of the affair because of weather and subsequent travel concerns. Gering junior Gage Smith led the Bulldogs’ 4-0 win with a hat trick, with his first goal off an assist from junior Alex Clark in the eighth minute. Smith then scored Gering’s second goal in the 16th minute aided by freshman Brent Barge, a margin that held up until five minutes into the second half. Gering sophomore Joey Godinez gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead in the 46th minute on a goal assisted by senior Jarron Rasnic. Smith then completed his hat trick four minutes later on assist from senior Bret Orozco. The Bulldogs outshot GICC 16-3, with a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal. Scottsbluff then wore down the tired Crusaders in their 9-0 win, led by Wentz with four goals. Wentz had his hat trick recorded by halftime. Junior Anthony Parra scored twice for the Bearcats, while Creighton Miller, Eseah Ingram and Jackson Hinze also netted Scottsbluff goals. The Bearcats had a 20-5 advantage in total shots, with Brett Magana stopping all five shots in goal for Scottsbluff. The Bearcats had eight corner kicks to the Crusaders’ two. What’s next? Both teams were dealt cancellations on Tuesday following the emergence of Winter Storm Yogi, with Gering’s home-and-home action against Torrington called off and Scottsbluff’s doubleheader against Newcastle, Wyo., also scrapped. Scottsbluff returns to action Saturday at the Landers Complex with noon varsity action against Torrington. “This is typical of April in Nebraska, so we’re used to playing in it,” Rock said of the weather’s effect on the games and schedules. The Bulldogs and Bearcats will reconvene on Tuesday when they meet at Gering Memorial Stadium, with the girls’ game starting at 3:30 p.m. and the boys following at about 5:30 p.m. |
| Bayard boys' golf team 2013-04-11 By |
| BAYARD — The Bayard boys’ golf team took advantage of being at home for their season opener April 2 to claim the championship at the Chimney Rock Golf Course. With 349 shots, the Tigers ended up 29 ahead of runner-up Bridgeport, who carded a 378. Mitchell followed closely with a third-place 379. Jim Roberts, the first and only coach in Bayard High School golf history, said the team showed some great play, especially in putting. But he also noted there’s always a need for improvement. Bayard finished in the top 10 to earn medals. Trae Blanco won the individual title with a 77 round, shooting 41 on his opening nine holes, then 36 for the second nine. Finishing right behind Blanco was teammate Tyson Schmunk. He finished as the runner-up medalist with an 80 round. Joe Hernandez placed eighth with a round of 89. Other Tigers finishing their home tourney were David Schuler with a 103 and Richard Kadayso with 116. In its second-place finish, Bridgeport was led by Dakota Swires, who finished fourth with an 83. The top 10 individual scores were: 1, Trae Blanco, Bayard, 77. 2, Tyson Schmunk, Bayard, 80. 3, Freddie Kasselman, Chase County, 82. 4, Dakota Swires, Bridgeport, 83. 5, Henry Heeg, Kimball, 83. 6, Kyle Gorsuch, Potter-Dix, 84. 7, Peyton Briggs, Mitchell, 85. 8, Joe Hernandez, Bayard, 89. 9, Brady Horstman, Hemingford, 89. 10, Lane Godfrey, Creek Valley, 89. |
| Gering finishes second, fourth at Mitchell Invite 2013-04-11 By Philip Eckerberg Special to the Citizen |
| The Gering boys and girls track team competed in the Mitchell track meet last week. The boys’ team came in second and the girls’ team was fourth. There were Gering winners and place takers in the individual events as well. Junior Bulldog runner Ryan Schwartzkopf won the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.79 seconds. Ryan Schwartzkopf scored again in the 400 meter run with a time of 51.89 seconds, Gering junior Dillon DeMott was close on Ryan’s heels with second place 400 meter finish time of 52.61 seconds. Junior Aaron Pierce earned a sixth place finish at 54.74 seconds. In the 3200 meter run the Dawgs took fourth place as sophomore Keenean Fogle finished with a time of 11:45.50. Switching to the hurdles, DeMott finished second in the 110 meter 39 inch hurdles with a time of 15.9 seconds, a mere .7 seconds behind the winner Trevor Kamerzell of Alliance. DeMott edged out Kamerzell in the 300 meter 36 inch hurdles as DeMott won that event with a time of 40.85 seconds, Gering’s Caleb Geary snagged fourth place with a time of 44.45 seconds. The Bulldogs boys 4x400 relay team posted a second place finish behind Alliance with a time of 3:34.50, this relay team consists of Ryan Schwartzkopf, Dillon DeMott, Caleb Geary, and Austin Dolberg. The 4x100 relay team of Alex Salazar, Nolan Nelson, Austin Dolberg, and Austin Hoffman came in sixth with a time of 48.20.The 4x800 relay team of Arich Knaub, Jacey Shaul, Aaron Pierce, and Caleb Hayden picked up a sixth place finish with a time of 9:04.10. During a break in the action, Dillon DeMott said that Coach Schmidt is working them hard. He added that he is doing better than last year and wants to make it to the state track meet in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles. DeMott said that right now he feels good about his chances of making this goal. As for how he ended up a sprinter, DeMott said that when he started track in Junior High he was placed in sprinting events by the coaches and he has stuck with sprinting since then. In the Discus Gering’s Esai Hernandez, a sophomore, picked up third place with a distance of 118 feet 7 inches. Gering had a bright spot in the triple jump as Caleb Geary took first with a distance of 42 feet 2.25 inches. In the High Jump Bulldog Zac Bibb, a senior, took second place with a height of 5 feet 11 inches, Sidney’s Nick Conger took first at 6 feet 1 inches. Bibb picked up fifth place in the long jump with a distance of 19 feet 5.5 inches. After the meet, Zac Bibb said he was disappointed in his performance and felt like he was jumping on concrete. Zac said that he intends to put in more effort at practice this week and wants to improve for the next meet. On the girls side of the meet Bulldog junior Aubrey Gonzales earned a sixth place finish in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.8 seconds. Gonzales repeated a sixth place finish in the 200 meter dash with a time of 28.62 seconds. In the 400 meter run junior Brooke Vowers received sixth place with a time of 1:06.45. Senior Rachel Huffman earned a second place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:27.30, 2 Gering freshmen snagged fourth and fifth, Lauren Shaul 2:39.00 and Jerilyn Laws at 2:39.1. The1600 meter race saw three Lady Dawgs in the top 6 as sophomore Kali Rimington took fourth at 5:49.9, senior Dakota Gellner was fifth at 5:58.90, and junior Allison Witcofski earned sixth at 6:09.40. The 3200 meter run saw Gering’s Kali Rimington getting second with a time of 12:41.36, senior Damaris Martinez took fourth at 13:55.40. Junior Katie O’Boyle took sixth place in the 300 meter 30 inch Hurdles at 54.43 seconds. The girls 4x100 relay team of Aubrey Gonzales, Ashlyn Schultz, Santanna Mitchell, and Abby Kiesel took third at 53.40 seconds. The 4x400 relay team of Rachel Huffman, Aubrey Gonzales, Brooke Vowers, and Abby Kiesel snagged the fifth place coming in with a time of 4:25.50. A second place finish of 10:24.17 was posted by the 4x800 meter relay team of Dakota Gellner, Rachel Huffman, Brooke Vowers, and Kali Rimington. In the triple jump junior Holly Grote earned a sixth place finish with a distance of 31 feet 8 inches. Overall Bulldog boys earned a second place finish coming behind first place Alliance (113 points), second Gering (92 points) , third Sidney (91 points), fourth Mitchell (53 points), fifth Lingle-Fort Laramie (44 points), sixth Torrington (41 points). The Lady Bulldogs earned a fourth place finish in the team standings. Sidney placed first (102 points), second Torrington (76 points), third Mitchell (75 points), fourth Gering (54 points), fifth Chadron (52 points), and sixth Lingle-Fort Laramie (48 points). Next action for the Gering track and field team is in Alliance on Saturday April 18 at 8:30 a.m. Boys Results 100 Meter 1. Mitch Pancost,11.43, Alliance; 2. Logan Lewis, 11.49, Sidney; 3. Jackson Dickerson, 11.70 Chadron; 4. Ian Duncan, 11.71, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Brady Knigge,11.80, Potter-Dix Public; 6. Nick Smith, 11.81, Alliance. 200 Meter 1. Tyler Gunderson,12.20, Alliance; 2. John Bramer, 12.40, Sidney; 3.Weston Kazmer, 12.50,Sidney; 4. Tucker Hill, 12.50, Alliance; 5.Justin Esparza, 12.60, Gering; 6.Coby Escamilla, 12.90, Mitchell. 400 Meter 1. Ryan Schwartzkopf, 51.89,Gering; 2.Dillon DeMott, 52.61,Gering; 3.Cody Robinson, 52.65, Alliance; 4.Trevor Kamerzell ,53.64, Alliance; 5.Tanner Whitton, 53.93, Mitchell; 6. Aaron Pierce, 54.74, Gering. 800 Meter 1. Levi Avila, 2:06.10, Mitchell; 2.DJ Weare, 2:08.00, Alliance; 3. Hayden Lienemann, 2:08.70, Sidney; 4.Nick Skavdahl, 2:10.80, Sioux County; 5. Luke Johnson, 2:11.90, Potter-Dix Public; 6.Logan Uhlir, 2:16.30, Sidney. 1600 Meter 1.Hank Jackson, 4:52.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 2. Levi Avila, 5:00.40, Mitchell; 3.Jake Johnson, 5:04.00, Potter-Dix Public; 4. Jordan Encinia, 5:04.70, Hay Springs; 5. Jachob Wiedeburg, 5:05.80, Sidney; 6. Brody Lay, 5:08.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie 3200 Meter 1. Jachob Wiedeburg, 11:07.50, Sidney; 2.Sam Arterburn, 11:27.50, Sidney; 3.Phillip Duncan, 11:45.10, Chadron; 4. Keenean Fogle, 11:45.50, Gering; 5.Jason Randolph, 12:09.90, Hemingford. 110 Meter Hurdles 1. Trevor Kamerzell, 15.20, Alliance; 2.Dillon DeMott, 15.90, Gering; 3.Nick Conger, 16.20, Sidney 4. Drew Gilliland, 16.50, Mitchell; 5.Blake Wisroth, 16.90, Torrington; 6.Caleb Geary, 17.00, Gering 300 Meter Hurdles 1.DillonDeMott, 40.85, Gering; 2. Trevor Kamerzell, 41.08, Alliance; 3.Blake Wisroth, 42.73, Torrington; 4.Caleb Geary, 44.45, Gering; 5.Tristan Stephenson, 44.76, Alliance; 6.Drew Gilliland, 45.25, Mitchell 4x 100 Meter Relay 1. Nick Smith, Keagan Hill, Cody Robinson, Mitch Pancost, 44.50, Alliance; 2.Jacob Hatley, Paul Miller, DakotahShahan, Kolter Elder, 46.30, Torrington; 3.Blake Bayne, Chance Anglin, Michael Muggli, Cole Stiles, 46.60, Sidney; 4.Joe Jackson, Ian Duncan, Colten Peterson, Chastin Hill, 46.80, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Taylor Lackey, Jorge Lara, Victor Valles, Sheldon Le, 47.20, Morrill; 6.Alex Salazar, Nolan Nelson, Austin Dolberg, Austin Hoffman, 48.20, Gering. 4x400 Meter Relay 1. Josh Ellis, Keagan Hill, Cody Robinson, Mitch Pancost, 3:31.20, Alliance; 2. Ryan Schwartzkopf, Dillon DeMott, Caleb Geary, Austin Dolberg, 3:34.50, Gering 3. Lucas Rosenbaum, Hayden Lienemann, Logan Lewis, Michael Muggli, 3:38.30, Sidney; 4.Blake Wisroth, Trey Faessler, Paul Miller, Bret Spencer, 3:43.60, Torrington; 5. Garret Braman, Chris Armstrong, Levi Avila, Tanner Whitton, 3:47.00, Mitchell; 6. David Engelbrecht, Joe Jackson, Ian Duncan, Morgan Walford, 3:48.80, Lingle-Fort Laramie. 4x800 Meter Relay 1. Hank Jackson, Brody Lay, Preston Hunt, Morgan Walford, 8:31.90,Lingle-Fort Laramie; 2. Mick McGlynn, Jeremy Carrizales, Levi Avila, Tanner Whitton, 8:41.90, Mitchell; 3.Steven Bryant,Knigge, Cooper Hicks, Jake Johnson, Luke Johnson, 8:52.20, Potter-Dix, 4. Ryan Romick, Keagan Hill, Kolton Dubs, Alex Elston, 8:52.70, Alliance; 5.Garrett Derr, Isidro Cortez, Matty Richardson, Jorden Britten, 8:54.70, Torrington; 6. ArichKnaub, JaceyShaul, Aaron Pierce, Caleb Hayden, 9:04.10, Gering Shot Put 1. Logan Lewis, 45-0.50, Sidney; 2. Jake Heeren, 44-07.00, Sidney; 3.Cody Aure, 43-03.75, Potter-Dix; 4.Nicholas Prusia, 2-06.25, Torrington; 5.Evan Ponce, 41-09.50, Torrington; 6.Juan Gomez, 39-11.25, Torrington. Discus 1. BJ Krantz, 138-00, Alliance; 2.Evan Ponce, 131-01, Torrington; 3.Esai Hernandez, 118-07, Gering; 4.Austyn Wright, 115-04, Mitchell; 5.William Anderson, 113-10, Torrington; 6.Zach Pieper, 113-06, Mitchell. High Jump 1.Nick Conger, 6-01.00, Sidney; 2. Zac Bibb, 5-11.00, Gering; 3.John Rotness, 5-09.00, Hay Springs; 4.Trevor Kamerzell, 5-09.00, Alliance; 5.Brendan Holly, 5-09.00, Sidney; 6.Garret Braman, 5-09.00, Mitchell. Pole Vault 1. Nick Smith, 12-06.00, Alliance; 2.Steven Bryant Knigge, 12-06.00, Potter-Dix Public; 3.Andrew Thomas, 12-06.00, Mitchell; 4.Brady Shimp, 12-00.00, Alliance; 5.David Engelbrecht, 11-06.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 6.Jorge Lara, 10-06.00, Morrill Long Jump 1. Mitch Pancost, 21-07.50, Alliance; 2.Jason Berglund, 20-09.00, Alliance; 3.Taylor Lackey, 20-06.25, Morrill; 4.Joe Jackson, 19-10.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Zac Bibb, 19-05.50, Gering; 6.Kelsey Rozelle, 19-02.00, Potter-Dix Triple Jump 1. Mitch Pancost, 21-07.50, Alliance; 2.Jason Berglund, 20-09.00, Alliance; 3.Taylor Lackey, 20-06.25, Morrill; 4.Joe Jackson, 19-10.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Zac Bibb, 19-05.50, Gering; 6.Kelsey Rozelle, 19-02.00, Potter-Dix Public Girls Results 100 Meter 1. Kelsy Wood, 12.70, Hemingford, 2. Morgan Linneman, 12.90, Sidney; 3.Taylor Bever, 13.40, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 4.Sabrina Austin, 13.50, Morrill; 5.GabbieAddleman, 13.60, Sidney; 6.Aubrey Gonzales, 13.80, Gering 200 Meter 1. Jayden Garrett, 27.59, Chadron; 2. Aspen Reifschneider, 28.06, Mitchell; 3.Taylor Bever, 28.07, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 4.Kaylee Greenwald, 28.11, Lingle-Fort Laramie, 5. Sabrina Austin, 28.60, Morrill; 6.Aubrey Gonzales, 28.62, Gering 400 Meter 1. Morgan Linneman, 1:00.16, Sidney; 2. McKenna Zulkoski, 1:01.99, Mitchell; 3.Hannah Anderson, 1:04.69, Chadron; 4. Kelsey Adamson, 1:05.96, Alliance; 5.Genessa Schilz, 1:05.99, Sidney 6.Brooke Vowers, 1:06.45, Gering 800 Meter 1. Taylor Peters, 2:25.00, Mitchell; 2.Rachel Huffman, 2:27.30, Gering; 3. Alli Ehler, 2:34.90, Sidney; 4.Lauren Shaul, 2:39.00, Gering; 5.Jerilyn Laws, 2:39.10, Gering; 6.Megan Guest, 2:42.10, Crawford. 1600 Meter 1. Alli Ehler, 5:40.90, Sidney; 2.Briley Hannaford, 5:47.60, Chadron; 3. Taylor Peters, 5:49.80, Mitchell; 4.Kali Rimington, 5:49.90, Gering; 5. Dakota Gellner, 5:58.00, Gering; 6. Allison Witcofski, 6:09.40, Gering 3200 Meter 1. Nicky Applegarth, 12:21.00, Chadron; 2. Kali Rimington, 12:41.36, Gering; 3. Melissa Bowlin, 12:53.80, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 4.Damaris Martinez, 13:55.40, Gering; 5. Kaelia Nelson, 14:08.90, Hemingford; 6. Mia Hernandez, 14:17.60, Sidney 100 Meter Hurdles 1. Kelsy Wood, 15.50, Hemingford; 2.KarissaSegelke, 16.40, Sidney; 3.Kaidee Livingstone, 16.50, Potter-Dix Public, 4. Rylee Hanks, 17.20, Crawford; 5.Natalie Booth, 17.30, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 6.GabbieAddleman, 17.50, Sidney 300 Meter Hurdles 1. Kelsy Wood, 47.78, Hemingford; 2.Allison Marsh, 48.63, Torrington; 3.Rylee Hanks, 51.08, Crawford; 4.Regyn Hicks, 52.33, Potter-Dix Public; 5.Destiny Galvin, 53.58, Alliance; 6.Katie O’Boyle, 54.43, Gering 4x100 Meter Relay 1. Morgan Linneman, Karissa Segelke, Kali Robb, Gabbie Addleman, 51.00, Sidney; 2.Allison Marsh, Avery Madden, Faith Marie Madayag, Kayla Frazier, 51.70, Torrington; 3. Aubrey Gonzales, Ashlyn Schultz, Santanna Mitchell, Abby Kiesel, 53.40, Gering; 4.Natalie Booth, Taylor Bever, Kody Walter, Catie Berry, 54.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Aspen Reifschneider, McKenna Zulkoski, Havannah Newens, Gentry Ochs, 54.20, Mitchell; 6. Hope Shepard, Conner Wolff, Kaidee Livingstone, Regyn Hicks, 54.80, Potter-Dix. 4x400 Meter Relay 1. Morgan Linneman, Karissa Segelke, AlliEhler, Genessa Schilz, 4:14.60, Sidney; 2. Mikayla McNamee, Allison Marsh, Avery Madden, Kylie Korell, 4:15.20, Torrington; 3. Taylor Peters, Aspen Reifschneider, McKenna Zulkoski, Havannah Newens, 4:17.10, Mitchell; 4. Kaylee Greenwald, Melissa Bowlin, Taylor Bever, Jessica Bebo, 4:23.60, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5. Rachel Huffman, Aubrey Gonzales, Brooke Vowers, Abby Kiesel, 4:25.50, Gering; 6.Kelsey Adamson, Maggie Otto, Emily Jensen, Hannah Swanson, 4:33.40, Alliance. 4x800 Meter Relay 1. Nicky Applegarth, Briley Hannaford, Jayden Garrett, Hannah Anderson, 10:07.36, Chadron; 2. Dakota Gellner, Rachel Huffman, Brooke Vowers, Kali Rimington, 10:24.17, Gering; 3.Mikayla McNamee, Kylie Korell, Sabrina Juma, Madi Haun, 10:34.85, Torrington; 4. Sharla Maginnis, Megan Guest, Sarah Tweet, Lacie Lietka, 11:20.66, Crawford; 5. KinleyVowers, Ryley Hicks, Hope Shepard, Kate Woten, 11:32.66, Potter-Dix; 6. Michaela Metcalf, Brittany Ferguson, Jennifer Scherbarth, Christian Bila, 12:35.43, Hay Springs. Shot Put 1. Kali Robb, 36-04.25, Sidney; 2.Kady Lower, 35-00.00, Mitchell; 3.Carly Churchill, 34-05.00, Chadron; 4.Michaela Gellermann, 32-11.50, Mitchell; 5.Danea Ray, 32-03.50, Chadron; 6.Shaylee Rickard, 32-03.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie. Discus 1. Kali Robb, 126-02, Sidney; 2.Shaylee Rickard, 120-00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 3.Kady Lower, 107-11, Mitchell; 4.Kailee Adams, 105-01, Torrington; 5.Taylor Troxel, 99-01, Torrington; 6.Olivia Vogel, 99-00, Alliance. High Jump 1. Regyn Hicks, 4-11.00, Potter-Dix; 2.HavannahNewens, 4-11.00, Mitchell; 3. Savanna Rosenbaum, 4-11.00, Sidney; 4.Conner Wolff, 4-09.00, Potter-Dix; 5.Mikayla McNamee, 4-09.00, Torrington; 6.Kylah Meyer, 4-09.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie Pole Vault 1. Kaidee Livingstone, 9-06.00, Potter-Dix, 2. Ashley Stafford, 7-06.00, Sidney; 3.Paige Ulrich, 7-00.00, Torrington; 4.SharayaToof, 7-00.00, Alliance; 5.Samantha Vermillion, 7-00.00, Alliance; 6.HavannahNewens, 7-00.00, Mitchell Long Jump 1. Kelsy Wood, 17-05.50, Hemingford; 2.Aspen Reifschneider, 15-02.00, Mitchell; 3.Sabrina Juma, 15-00.00, Torrington; 4.Natalie Booth, 14-11.00, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 5.Kayla Frazier, 14-09.75, Torrington; 6.Kaitlyn Jespersen, 14-07.75, Hemingford. Triple Jump 1. Avery Madden, 35-08.50, Torrington; 2. Sabrina Juma, 33-01.50, Torrington; 3.Kayla Frazier, 32-08.50, Torrington; 4.Kaitlyn Jespersen, 32-02.00, Hemingford; 5.Natalie Booth, 32-0.75, Lingle-Fort Laramie; 6.Holly Grote, 31-08.00, Gering |
| Gering girls finish GNAC tourney in 5th place 2013-04-11 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| That the Gering girls’ soccer team finished fifth in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament last weekend in Kearney should say something about the strength of the mixture of Class A and B teams in the GNAC this season. More important than their final placement in the tournament, at Kearney’s Baldwin Fields, is the fact that the Bulldogs, after losing their opening match in a shoot-out to Norfolk on Friday, bounced back to win both their consolation matches. And most important, Gering coach Lisa Freeburg said, is that the Bulldogs got better, especially in first-half execution. “On Saturday, we did a lot better job of coming out in the first half,” Freeburg said of the Bulldogs’ 4-1 semifinal win over Lexington and their 2-0 victory for fifth over Columbus. “That is something we have been working on, so that was good to see.” Gering’s GNAC play began with a slow first half against Norfolk, which scored the only goal before halftime. The Bulldogs knotted the score on Jackie Hayden’s goal off a free-kick assist from Kelsea Prieels in the 63rd minute. The Panthers regained the lead, but Gering reknotted the score with five minutes left when Shayla Garetto scored on an unassisted goal. The match eventually went into a shoot-out, in which Alexa Anderson and Brooke Satur scored for the Bulldogs, but Norfolk won the shoot-out and game, both by 3-2 counts. A good night’s rest gave Gering plenty of fuel for Saturday, with the Bulldogs coming out against Lexington with three first-half goals. Josie Thompson scored in the sixth minute on an unassisted goal, then Garetto followed just three minutes later on a score assisted by Thompson. Anderson scored unassisted in the 34th minute in giving Gering its 3-0 halftime lead. Lexington scored six minutes into the second half, but Kaylee Spreier closed out the Bulldogs’ scoring in the 67th minute on a kick assisted by Morgan Smith. In the fifth-place match, Gering scored both its goals in the first half. Anderson received Prieels’ corner kick in the 19th minute and scored on a header for the Bulldogs’ first goal. Thompson then scored just two minutes later, enough for Gering (8-3) to ride out the remaining 59 minutes for the shutout win. Gering goalkeeper Maggie Martin five shots on goal against Lexington and 10 against Columbus, giving her 23 saves on 29 opponent shots for the tournament. “We got the opportunity to play to teams that we don’t normally get to play, so that is always good,” Freeburg said. Gering was to play at Sterling, Colo., on Tuesday, but the winter storm that canceled school at Gering on Tuesday put that match on hold. The schools were able to reschedule the match for April 25. So the Bulldogs will prepare to play Scottsbluff on Monday at the Dr. Allan C. Landers Memorial Soccer Complex, starting at 5 p.m. Gering then quickly turns around and travels to Torrington on Tuesday. Scottsbluff teams finish seventh Both Scottsbluff teams lost their first two matches before scoring seventh-place victories Saturday, with the Bearcat boys downing Gering 3-1 in the teams’ final game. |
| Scottsbluff track and field team wins invite 2013-04-11 By |
| BROKEN BOW — The Scottsbluff Bearcats track and field team won the championship on the road at the Broken Bow Invite on April 5. The Scottsbluff boys ended up with 157.5 points while second-place McCook finished with 113. One of the highlights was senior sprinter Luke Worden, who tied the school record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.6 seconds. Even though he was a standout last season, coaches said he’s even better this year. Other Bearcats had a big day as well. They took the top three spots in the 800 event. Tayler James topped the field with a time of two minutes, one second. Second place went to Matthew Barraza with 2:02 and Ben Willis-Tell clocked 2:03 for third. Scottsbluff also had the top three top-six finishers in the 300 intermediate hurdles, the 1,600 and the 3,200. In the 300 hurdles, Matthew D. Klein placed second, Daniel Rohrer in third and Ray Cerda in sixth. In the 1,600 event, Barraza was first, Justin Prichard second and Shane Burkey sixth. And in the 3,200 event, Brendan Taedter took second, Nathan Prichard third and Burkey in fourth. The Scottsbluff boys won the 4x100 relay with the team of Jake Delzer, Daniel Rohrer, Matthew D. Klien and Ben Heggem. And the boys’ team took second place in the 4x400 and fourth in the 4x800. Individually, Rohrer added a second-place finish in the 200 and Delzer was fifth in the 100. In field events, Brian Johnston took fourth in the triple jump with Traceton Halley in sixth. Jon Maag was second in the shot put and fifth in the discus. Andrew Aratani was sixth in shot put. The Scottsbluff girls also had a solid day, claiming third place with 94 points. McCook took the title with 128 points and Holdrege in second with 109. Chesney Walker earned four runner-up finishes at Broken Bow in the 100 high hurdles, 300 low hurdles, triple jump and as a member of the 4x100 relay. Taylor Muncie also had runner-up performances in the 1,600 and 3,200 events. And Liz Cunningham was second in the 100 and third in the 200. Zoe Rada and SteaVen Becker both placed in the top five. Rada took third place in the shot put and fifth in the discus. Becker tied for second in the discus and finished fourth in shot put. Third place in the 100 event went to Shannell Trimes and Kyra Willats finished fifth in he 300 hurdles. And in the 400 event, Kiley Guerrue placed sixth. The girls also took fourth-place in the 4x400 relay. |
| EWC coach named coach of the year 2013-04-04 By |
| TORRINGTON, Wyo. — Eastern Wyoming College women’s basketball coach Tom Andersen has been named Coach-of-the-Year for the Region IX South Sub-Region. The Lady Lancers finished their season with a record of 21-10 which is an all-time high record for the College. Andersen is in his sixth year of coaching the Lady Lancers. Andersen was selected coach-of-the-year by his peers in the South Sub-Region of Region IX. Other colleges joining EWC in this South Sub-Region are Western Nebraska Community College, McCook Community College, Northeastern Junior College, Lamar Community College, Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College. “It is an honor,” shared Coach Andersen, “But this is also a true reflection on the success of the team. The recognition should fall back on to the players who did a great job for us this year.” Two women’s players were recognized as part of the All-Regional Team. Brittney Cross, a freshman from Orlando, Fla. and Jai Chandler, freshman also from Orlando. Players are selected for regional awards by the coaches based on their play during the season. “This is great recognition for both of these players. It is a direct reflection of the team’s success and honor’s the rest of the team as well,” added Andersen. Lancer sophomore Ryan Wilson from Layton, Utah earned recognition on the third-team all regional team. |
| Bayard looks for improvement this season 2013-04-04 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| When Bayard boys’ golf coach Jim Roberts looks at his team, he sees the potential to win their conference championship and finish among the top three teams that will go the state. So far, the team has competed against Alliance, both home and away, prior to opening the season on April 2 for their home invitational, which brought in 13 teams from around the area. “We have a group of four or five upperclassmen on the team this year,” Roberts said. “The other half of the team is all freshmen. So we have a group of mentors and a group of enthusiastic starters.” Roberts added he’s looking for a couple of the freshmen to help fill in on the number four and five spots on the team. “That will give them some good experience and hopefully help us out as the season rolls along to the end.” Senior Tyson Schmunk is expected to not only to score well this season, but provide leadership for the younger golfers. Assisting in that leadership is junior Trae Blanco, who Roberts said will also turn in some good scores. Last year’s boys’ team brought home some individual medals, but always seemed to finish one out of the team medals. “We’re looking for better finishers than just the middle of the pack for this year,” Roberts said. “I think we have to potential to be in the running for the conference championship, which would lead us into a good showing at districts and potentially a berth at state.” Bayard competes in the Western Trails Conference, whose members are primarily Class C-1 schools. “The tournaments we really like are Bridgeport and Mitchell because they’re close and the meet is with teams we usually compete with in our conference,” Roberts said. We also like to go to Chappell because we see some teams that are in our district, but teams don’t normally play during the season.” |
| Scottsbluff boys win at North Platte 2013-04-04 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| After their home Binfield Invitational meet on March 23 was canceled due to weather, the Scottsbluff boys utilized the extra five days of practice to win the Buffalo Bill Invitational team title last Thursday in North Platte. The Bearcats rolled to a 31-point victory over runner-up Grand Island by amassing 113 points in the eight-team boys’ race. Gering finished in a tie with York for seventh with 34 points. In the 10-team girls’ race, Scottsbluff finished third with 88.33 points and Gering placed eighth with 19 points. Millard West dominated the girls’ team race with 121 points, with Kearney second at 95. Scottsbluff senior Matt “Kleiner” Klein swept the hurdles events, leading Scottsbluff’s five-victory performance. Klein won the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.16 seconds and the 300 intermediates in 41.3. Senior Luke Worden led the Bearcats in the sprints with a first-place finish in the 100-meter dash in 10.9 seconds, a second-place time of 22.7 second in the 200 dash and running anchor on the Bearcats’ runner-up 4x100 relay led off by Klein. Scottsbluff senior Jon Maag hit a mark of 50 feet, 5 inches in winning the shot put and second in the discus at 151-10. Ben Willis-Teff led three top-five Scottsbluff finishers in winning the 800 meters in 2:00.25. Tayler James took fourth, as he did in the 400 dash, and Matthew Barraza was fifth. Barraza also took fifth in the 3,200 run. For Gering, Zac Bibb, Ryan Schwartzkopf and the Bulldogs’ 4x400 relay scored second-place finishes in leading GHS. Bibb placed second in the high jump with a clearance of 6-1, two inches below the winning height. Schwartzkopf was runner-up in the 400 dash in 51.3 seconds. Gering’s 4x400 quartet of Dillon DeMott, Austin Dolberg, Caleb Geary and Schwartzkopf finished second (3:32.1 seconds) to Alliance’s winning team (3:28.0). In the girls’ division, Scottsbluff freshman Chesney Walker led the Bearcats by sweeping the hurdles events. Walker won the 100 highs in 15.74 seconds and the 300 lows in 47.6. Kyra Willats added a second-place finish in the low hurdles. Scottsbluff’s Zoey Rada and SteaVen Becker finished 1-2 in the throwing events but switched places in taking the events’ top spots. Rada won the shot put with a mark of 36-7 ½ with Becker six inches behind, and Becker marked at 115-10 to win the discus while Rada was next at 110-8. Other top-three finishers for scorers for Scottsbluff were Taylor Muncie, who was third in the 3,200 run while also taking fourth in the 1,600, while Liz Cunningham was second in the 200 dash. Gering senior Rachel Huffman, who was second in the 1,600 run, also ran anchor on the Bulldog girls’ 4x800 relay team that was led off by Lauren Shaul, Kali Rimington and Dakota Gellner. Gering returns to action Thursday in the Mitchell Invitational, which begins 1 p.m., while Scottsbluff travels to Broken Bow on Friday for its next meet. The Bulldogs and Bearcats will then be in the Alliance Invitational on April 13. The following results from the Buffalo Bill meet were curtailed to list only Gering and Scottsbluff placers, plus each event’s winner first place winner: Boys’ Individual results Shot put – 1. Jon Maag, Scottsbluff, 50-5; 5. Andrew Aratani, 44-10. Discus – 1. Eric Gawrych, Hastings, 154-7; 2. Jon Maag, Scottsbluff, 151-10. High jump – 1. Ben Clausen, Hastings, 6-3; 2. Zac Bibb, Gering, 6-1; 7. Matthew Holloway, Scottsbluff, 5-4. Long jump – 1. Mitch Pancost, Alliance, 22-1¾. Triple jump – 1. Caleb Dodge, North Platte, 43-5; 7. Caleb Geary, Gering, 39-10 ½. Pole vault – 1. Kevin Cahoy, Grand Island, 14-3. 100m dash – 1. Luke Worden, Scottsbluff, 10.9. 200m dash – 1. Mitch Pancost, Alliance, 22.5; 2. Luke Worden, Scottsbluff, 22.7; 5. Ryan Schwartzkopf, Gering, 23.2; 8. Eric Olson, Scottsbluff, 24.5. 400m dash – 1. Tyler Ripperger, Hastings, 50.4; 2. Ryan Schwartzkopf, Gering, 51.3; 3. Ben Willis-Teff, Scottsbluff, 51.6; 4. Tayler James, Scottsbluff, 52.1. 800m run – 1. Ben Willis-Teff, Scottsbluff, 2:00.25; 4. Tayler James, Scottsbluff, 2:02.16; 5. Matthew Barraza, Scottsbluff, 2:04.82. 1,600m run – 1. Taylor Rosno, Hastings, 4:40.15; 6. Brendan Taedter, Scottsbluff, 4:49.37; 7. Justin Pritchard, Scottsbluff, 4:49.41; 8. Shane Burkey, Scotttsbluff, 4:55.65. 3,200m run – 1. Wyatt McGuire, North Platte, 10:03.6; 2. Matthew Barraza, Scottsbluff, 10:05.7; 5. Nathan Pritchard, Scottsbluff, 4:49.41. 110 high hurdles – 1. Matt Kleiner, Scottsbluff, 15.16; 7. Daniel Rohrer, Scottsbluff, 16.21. 300 intermediate hurdles – 1. Matt Kleiner, Scottsbluff, 41.3; 2. Dillon DeMott, Gering, 41.5; 8. Daniel Rohrer, Scottsbluff, 44.6. 4x100m relay – 1. Grand Island, 44.08; 2. Scottsbluff, 44.69 (Jacob Delzer, Matt Kleiner, Ben Heggem, Luke Worden); 7. Gering, 49.9 4x400m relay – 1. Alliance, 3:28.0; 2. Gering, 3:32.1 (Dillon DeMott, Austin Dolberg, Caleb Geary, Ryan Scheartzkopf); 4. Scottsbluff, 3:34.2. 4x800m relay – 1. York, 8:46.69; 3. Scottsbluff, 8:57.58 (Brendan Taedter, Adam Harris, Justin Pritchard, Collin Maag); 7. Gering, 9:19.53. Girls’ individual results Shot put – 1. Zoey Rada, Scottsbluff, 36-7 ½; 2. Steaven Becker, Scottsbluff, 36-1 ½. Discus – 1. SteaVen Becker, Scottsbluff, 115-10; 2. Zoey Rada, Scottsbluff, 110-8. High jump – 1. Kendra Coslor, Kearney, 5-1; 5. (tie) Megan Upp, Gering, 4-8. Long jump – 1. Erin Sorahan, GI Northwest, 17-6. Triple jump – 1. Kelsey Wiemers, Kearney, 34-2 ½; 3. Chesney Walker, Scottsbluff, 32-6 ½; 7. Holly Grote, Gering, 31-8 ½. Pole vault – 1. Allexis Menghini, North Platte, 11-3; 6. (tie) Chrissy Peters, Gering, 8-3. 100m dash – 1. Erin Sorahan, Northwest, 12.68; 200m dash – 1. Hannah Fowler, Millard West, 26.3; 3. Liz Cunningham, Scottsbluff, 27.4. 400m dash – 1. Erin Lee, York, 1:01.7. 800m run – 1. Shae Spady, Millard West, 2:25.73; 7. Shayleigh James, Scottsbluff, 2:39.84; 8. Brooke Vowers, Gering, 2:40.43. 1,600m run – 1. Sidney Hirsch, Millard West, 5:20.71; 2. Rachel Huffman, Gering, 5:29.42; 4. Taylor Muncie, Scottsbluff, 5:40.81. 3,200m run – Sidney Hirsch, Millard West, 11:18.25; 3. Taylor Muncie, Scottsbluff, 12:23.50; 6. Kali Rimington, Gering, 12:46.35. 100 high hurdles – 1. Chesney Walker, Scottsbluff, 15.74. 300 low hurdles – 1. Chesney Walker, Scottsbluff, 47.6; 2. Kyra Willats, Scottsbluff, 50.0. 4x100m relay – 1. Millard West, 50.91; 5. Scottsbluff, 52.59; 6. Gering, 54.44. 4x400m relay – 1. York, 4:09.93; 6. Gering, 4:22.06. 4x800m relay – 1. York, 9:52.3; 3. Gering, 10:28.8 (Lauren Shaul, Kali Rimington, Dakota Gellner, Rachel Huffman). Bayard CD Invitational Team scores Girls Lingle-Fort Laramie, Wyo. 101, Bayard 65, Burns, Wyo. 61, Hemingford 46, Gordon-Rushville 38, Kimball 37, Potter-Dix 32.33, Bridgeport 27.33, Yoder, Wyo.-Southeast 23, Pine Bluffs, Wyo. 22, Crawford 21, Leyton 20, Garden County 18, Morrill 8, Hay Springs 4, Banner County 3.33. Boys Lingle-Fort Laramie 78, Bridgeport 70.5, Gordon-Rushville 57, Burns 47, Bayard 45, Minatare 41, Potter-Dix 38, Kimball 36, Garden County 35, Pine Bluffs 27, Banner County 19.5, Hemingford 13, Sioux County 10, Morrill 6, Hay Springs 3, Leyton 1. Girls’ winners, area highlights Long Jump – 1. Shana Wilcoxson, Burns, 17-1.5; 3 Miah Vera, Bayard, 15-10; 5 Sabrina Austin, Morrill, 15-0.75. Triple Jump 1. Shana Wilcoxson, Burns, 36-5. Pole Vault – 1. Kaidee Livingstone, Potter-Dix, 9-0; 2. Megan Stuart, Bayard, 8-6. Shot Put – 1. Shaylee Rickard, Lingle-FL, 35-02.5; 3 Morgan Nortness, Morrill, 34-0. Discus Throw – 1. Shaylee Rickard, Lingle-FL, 117-10. 100m Dash – 1. Ashley Turner, Burns, 13.0; 5 Breanna Korell, Bayard, 13.8. 200m Dash – 1. Ashley Turner, Burns, 27.7; 6 Breanna Korell, Bayard, 29.3. 400m Dash – 1. Cayley Gibb, Southeast, 1:03.3. 800m Run – 1. Jessi Smith, Bayard, 2:29.7. 1,600m Run – 1. Melissa Bowlin, Lingle-FL, 6:00.0; 6 Amanda Harrison, Banner Co, 6:25.0. 3,200m Run – 1. Dani Wellnitz, Gordon-Rushville, 12:36.1; 5 Amanda Harrison, Banner Co, 13:36.8. 100m High Hurdles – 1. Kelsy Wood, Hemingford, 16.1; 3 Megan Stuart, Bayard, 17.6. 300m Low Hurdles – 1. Kelsy Wood, Hemingford, 49.1; 2 Megan Stuart, Bayard, 51.3. 4x100m Relay – 1. Bayard, 53.8 (Breanna Korell, Miah Vera, Jessi Smith, Sini Garcia). 4x400m Relay – 1. Lingle-Fort Laramie, 4:28.8; 2 Bayard, 4:29.4 (Megan Stuart, Jessi Smith, Breanna Korell, Eleesha Gibbons). 4x800m Relay – 1. Gordon-Rushville, 11:06.6. High Jump – 1. Shana Wilcoxson, Burns, 5-0; 4 (tie) Miah Vera, Bayard, and Jessi Smith, Bayard, 4-10; 6 (tie) Taylor Evans, Banner Co, 4-8. Boys’ winners, area highlights High Jump – 1. Lex Haller, Gordon-Rushville, 6-4; 6 (tie) Kaden Huber, Banner Co, 5-4. Long Jump – 1. Jaime Gonzales, Bridgeport, 21-7; 3 Andres Mendoza, Minatare, 20-0; 4 Taylor Lackey, Morrill, 19-9. Triple Jump – 1. Joe Jackson, Lingle-FL, 41-11.5; 2 Andres Mendoza, Minatare, 41-4; 4 Jacob Hoff, Bayard, 38-1.5. Pole Vault – 1. Steven Bryant Knigge, Potter-Dix, 12-0. Shot Put – 1. Travis Romsa, Burns, 43-0; 5 Matt Hessler, Morrill, 41-7; 6 Tylor Grumbles, Minatare, 40-02.5. Discus Throw – 1. Lemur Gardner, 2 Gordon-Rushville, 143-5; 5 Tylor Grumbles, Minatare, 121-9. 100m Dash – 1. Jaime Gonzales, Bridgeport, 11.5; 2 Andres Mendoza, Minatare, 11.6; 3 Travis Willhoite, Bayard, 11.7; 4 Raine Miller, Bayard, 11.8. 200m Dash – 1. Jaime Gonzales, Bridgeport, 23.4; 2 Andres Mendoza, Minatare, 23.9; 5 Mario Sanchez, Minatare, 24.7. 400m Run – 1. Travis Willhoite, Bayard, 52.5; 3 Michael McKown, Banner Co, 54.37. 800m Run – 1. Morgan Walford, Lingle-FL, 2:08.6. 1,600m – 1. Cody Franklin, Bridgeport, 4:51.1. 3,200m – 1. Cody Franklin, 10:21.0; 3. Steven Juarez, Minatare, 10:54.0. 110m High Hurdles – 1. Paden Wilson, 17.0; 3 Tyson Dahlgrin, Banner Co, 17.6. 300m Int. Hurdles – 1. Paden Wilson, Burns, 46.2; 3 Tyson Dahlgrin, Banner Co, 46.6; 6 Ben Hostetler, Banner Co, 49.1. 4x100m Relay – 1. Bayard, 46.4 (Allen Denton, Raine Miller, Jadon Smith, Travis Willhoite). 4x400m Relay – 1. Bayard, 3:44.6 (Allen Denton, Travis Willhoite, Jadon Smith, Zac Rice). 4x800m Relay – 1. Lingle-Fort Laramie, 8:41.6; 6 Bayard, 9:37.3 (Trenton Applegate, Zac Rice, Jadon Smith, Lucas Jones). |
| Gering girls extend record to 6-1 with out of town wins 2013-04-04 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Class B eighth ranked Gering girls’ soccer team extended their record to 6-1 last week in North Platte, rolling past both Lexington and Grand Island Northwest. Josie Thompson led the Lady Bulldogs with three goals as the blanked Grand Island Northwest 7-0. Thompson got her first unassisted goal 13 minutes into the first half. She added another two goals as the Bulldogs exploded for five points in the second half. Other scorers were Shayla Garetto, Natalie Barge, Nicole Michael and Kaylee Spreier. Bulldog goalkeeper Maggie Martin had one save. MaKenna Copsey, the backup goalkeeper, came in for the second half and got her first save. Gering finished with five corner kicks and 30 shots, including 18 on goal. Grand Island Northwest had two of three shots on goal and two corner kicks. In the Lady Bulldogs match against Lexington, the Minutemaids were the first on the board in the fourth minute of the opening half. The rest of the match was all Bulldogs as they strung together five straight goals on the way to a 5-1 victory. Shayla Garetto got an assist from Josie Thompson to tie the score at one apiece in the first half’s 23rd minute. Jackie Hayden gave Gering the 2-1go-ahead in the 34th minute. In the second half Garetto scored an unassisted goal in the 42nd minute, followed by goals from Nicole Michael and Kaylee Spreier. The final unassisted goal came in the 69th minute from Josie Thompson. Overall, Gering finished the match with 10 corner kicks and 27 shots, including 14 on goal. Martin had one save. Lexington has three corner kicks and three shots, including one on goal. In late action on Tuesday evening, the Lady Bulldogs lost on the road to Cheyenne East, 2-0. Gering held Cheyenne East scoreless for the first half, but the Thunderbirds kicked it in gear in the second half with two goals. Both teams were evenly matched, as Cheyenne East held a slight advantage in the shots department, outshooting Gering 13-11. They only had a one shot on goal advantage with seven, compared with Gering’s six. The Thunderbirds also had four corner kicks compared to Gering’s two. Gering goalkeeper Maggie Martin saved five of seven shots on goal. Gering Boys The Gering boys didn’t fare as well in North Platte, dropping both their games to Grand Island Northwest and Lexington in matches on April 1. Grand Island Northwest posted a 3-1 victory over Bearcats, starting with two early goals in the first half, adding another in the second half. It wasn’t until the 55 minute mark when Gage Smith got the Bulldogs on the board. The Bulldogs took seven shots, including four on goal while goalkeeper Dylan Weatherington stopped eight Northwest shots. However, Northwest held the advantage with six corner kicks to Gering’s one. Gering was handed its second loss as the Lexington Minutemen blanked the Bulldogs 8-0 with four goals in each half. The losses dropped the Gering season to 4-4. The Gering boys got back into the win column Tuesday in a home match against Cheyenne East. Exploding for two goals in the second half, the Bulldogs topped the Thunderbirds 3-1. Cheyenne East took an early 1-0 advantage in the first half, but that would be the last time they would score. In the 21st minute, Gering’s Gage Smith got an assist from teammate Brent Barge to tie the match 1-1 going into the half. The Class B eighth ranked Gering girls’ soccer team extended their record to 6-1 last week in North Platte, rolling past both Lexington and Grand Island Northwest. Josie Thompson led the Lady Bulldogs with three goals as the blanked Grand Island Northwest 7-0. Thompson got her first unassisted goal 13 minutes into the first half. She added another two goals as the Bulldogs exploded for five points in the second half. Other scorers were Shayla Garetto, Natalie Barge, Nicole Michael and Kaylee Spreier. Bulldog goalkeeper Maggie Martin had one save. MaKenna Copsey, the backup goalkeeper, came in for the second half and got her first save. Gering finished with five corner kicks and 30 shots, including 18 on goal. Grand Island Northwest had two of three shots on goal and two corner kicks. In the Lady Bulldogs match against Lexington, the Minutemaids were the first on the board in the fourth minute of the opening half. The rest of the match was all Bulldogs as they strung together five straight goals on the way to a 5-1 victory. Shayla Garetto got an assist from Josie Thompson to tie the score at one apiece in the first half’s 23rd minute. Jackie Hayden gave Gering the 2-1go-ahead in the 34th minute. In the second half Garetto scored an unassisted goal in the 42nd minute, followed by goals from Nicole Michael and Kaylee Spreier. The final unassisted goal came in the 69th minute from Josie Thompson. Overall, Gering finished the match with 10 corner kicks and 27 shots, including 14 on goal. Martin had one save. Lexington has three corner kicks and three shots, including one on goal. In late action on Tuesday evening, the Lady Bulldogs lost on the road to Cheyenne East, 2-0. Gering held Cheyenne East scoreless for the first half, but the Thunderbirds kicked it in gear in the second half with two goals. Both teams were evenly matched, as Cheyenne East held a slight advantage in the shots department, outshooting Gering 13-11. They only had a one shot on goal advantage with seven, compared with Gering’s six. The Thunderbirds also had four corner kicks compared to Gering’s two. Gering goalkeeper Maggie Martin saved five of seven shots on goal. The Gering boys didn’t fare as well in North Platte, dropping both their games to Grand Island Northwest and Lexington in matches on April 1. Grand Island Northwest posted a 3-1 victory over Bearcats, starting with two early goals in the first half, adding another in the second half. It wasn’t until the 55 minute mark when Gage Smith got the Bulldogs on the board. The Bulldogs took seven shots, including four on goal while goalkeeper Dylan Weatherington stopped eight Northwest shots. However, Northwest held the advantage with six corner kicks to Gering’s one. Gering was handed its second loss as the Lexington Minutemen blanked the Bulldogs 8-0 with four goals in each half. The losses dropped the Gering season to 4-4. The Gering boys got back into the win column Tuesday in a home match against Cheyenne East. Exploding for two goals in the second half, the Bulldogs topped the Thunderbirds 3-1. Cheyenne East took an early 1-0 advantage in the first half, but that would be the last time they would score. In the 21st minute, Gering’s Gage Smith got an assist from teammate Brent Barge to tie the match 1-1 going into the half. Then in the 14th minute of the second half, Justin Wallace took advantage of a free kick and fed the ball to Barge for their second score. Seven minutes later, Mattieu Prieels executed a perfect corner kick to find Jarron Rasnic for the last point. The Bulldogs had a 15-10 advantage over Cheyenne East on shots with a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. East finished with six corner kicks to Gering’s two. The Bearcats The Scottsbluff Bearcats were also in North Platte for matches against Lexington and Grand Island Northwest. The Lady Bearcats saw action on Monday, coming away with one win and one loss. Against Lexington, Scottsbluff’s Aubrey Ford scored two goals, dealing a 3-0 shutout and giving the Lady Bearcats its second victory of the season. The third goal came from Kelli Wentz with an assist from Hannah Holloway. Scottsbluff had16 shots and five corner kicks, compared to Lexington’s 14 shots and five corner kicks. Goalkeeper Livvy Michael made nine saves and stopped two penalty kicks. Then in the 14th minute of the second half, Justin Wallace took advantage of a free kick and fed the ball to Barge for their second score. Seven minutes later, Mattieu Prieels executed a perfect corner kick to find Jarron Rasnic for the last point. The Bulldogs had a 15-10 advantage over Cheyenne East on shots with a 9-5 advantage in shots on goal. East finished with six corner kicks to Gering’s two. The Scottsbluff Bearcats were also in North Platte for matches against Lexington and Grand Island Northwest. The Lady Bearcats saw action on Monday, coming away with one win and one loss. Against Lexington, Scottsbluff’s Aubrey Ford scored two goals, dealing a 3-0 shutout and giving the Lady Bearcats its second victory of the season. The third goal came from Kelli Wentz with an assist from Hannah Holloway. Scottsbluff had16 shots and five corner kicks, compared to Lexington’s 14 shots and five corner kicks. Goalkeeper Livvy Michael made nine saves and stopped two penalty kicks. The ladies’ match against Grand Island Northwest was a lot closer. The teams were knotted at 1-1 at halftime before the Lady Vikings pulled away for a 5-2 win. The Vikings scored first with a penalty kick just six minutes into the match. Then with an assist from Katrina Fulk, Ford tied the score for Scottsbluff. Northwest got rolling in the second half, adding three more goals to go ahead 4-1. In 29th minute, Wentz made it 4-2 with an assist from Katrina Fulk. But that was as close as the Lady Bearcats got, a Northwest added another goal to end the match at 5-2. Scottsbluff had 14 shots and one corner kick against Northwest. The Vikings had 20 shots and six corner kicks. Bearcat Boys The Scottsbluff boys lost both of their matches against Lexington and Grand Island Northwest on Monday. The Bearcats’ first game was against Lexington. While they were behind 1-0 at the half, the Minutemen scored five more goals in the second half to blank Scottsbluff 6-0. Scottsbluff finished with 12 shots and two corner kicks. Lexington had 12 shots and four corner kicks. The Bearcats almost came away with a win over Northwest that afternoon, but lost 3-2 in a shootout. In the match’s first five minutes, Scottsbluff’s Thiago Cruz got an assist from Randy Wentz to put them up 1-0. But by the 33rd minute, Northwest had scored two goals to lead 2-1. Six minutes later, Scottsbluff’s Francesco Sechi found the net and a 2-2 tie. The rest of the match went scoreless, prompting the shootout, won by Northwest. Scottsbluff recorded 14 shots and four corner kicks in the match. Northwest had 10 shots and six corner kicks. The ladies’ match against Grand Island Northwest was a lot closer. The teams were knotted at 1-1 at halftime before the Lady Vikings pulled away for a 5-2 win. The Vikings scored first with a penalty kick just six minutes into the match. Then with an assist from Katrina Fulk, Ford tied the score for Scottsbluff. Northwest got rolling in the second half, adding three more goals to go ahead 4-1. In 29th minute, Wentz made it 4-2 with an assist from Katrina Fulk. But that was as close as the Lady Bearcats got, a Northwest added another goal to end the match at 5-2. Scottsbluff had 14 shots and one corner kick against Northwest. The Vikings had 20 shots and six corner kicks. The Scottsbluff boys lost both of their matches against Lexington and Grand Island Northwest on Monday. The Bearcats’ first game was against Lexington. While they were behind 1-0 at the half, the Minutemen scored five more goals in the second half to blank Scottsbluff 6-0. Scottsbluff finished with 12 shots and two corner kicks. Lexington had 12 shots and four corner kicks. The Bearcats almost came away with a win over Northwest that afternoon, but lost 3-2 in a shootout. In the match’s first five minutes, Scottsbluff’s Thiago Cruz got an assist from Randy Wentz to put them up 1-0. But by the 33rd minute, Northwest had scored two goals to lead 2-1. Six minutes later, Scottsbluff’s Francesco Sechi found the net and a 2-2 tie. The rest of the match went scoreless, prompting the shootout, won by Northwest. Scottsbluff recorded 14 shots and four corner kicks in the match. Northwest had 10 shots and six corner kicks. |
| Mitchell ready for successful golf season 2013-04-04 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| Tues. April 9 @ Home Mitchell Invite 9 a.m. Thurs. April 11 @ Bridgeport 9 a.m. Tues. April 16 @ Morrill 9 a.m. Sat. April 20 @ Alliance 9 a.m. Mon. April 22 @ Scottsbluff 9 a.m. Fri. April 26 @ Chadron Western Conference Meet 9 a.m. Sat. April 27 @ Bridgeport Western Trails Conference TBA Thurs. May 2 @ Gering 9 a.m. Mon. May 13 or Tues. May 14 Districts TBA Tues.- Wed. May 21-22 State TBA By After lots of practice, the Mitchell boys’ golf team opened on the road at Bayard on April 2, the start of what they believe will be a strong season. “We have some returning juniors who have two years of experience,” said Coach Brock Ehler. “Another junior has one year of experience and he’s come a long way. We should have a good season and our scoring should be down a little from last year.” Ehler said the two freshmen on the team are picking up the game quickly. One of them is in contention for the last spot on the starting team. “It’s real close after a couple of qualifiers, so we’ll see how it goes after our first tournament.” Mitchell currently had six golfers contending for the five starter positions. A couple of them are also competitive for the 1-2 positions. Ehler said his juniors were shooting from 115 to 120 when they started two years ago. Last year, they moved down to about 95 to 105. And in practice so far this season, they were turning scores around 85 to 90. One of the juniors, Peyton Briggs, shot par golf on nine holes and two over another time. “Obviously we want to peak toward the end of the season,” Ehler said. “But it’s also important to have a good start to set a positive note.” Last year, the Mitchell golfers finished third in their conference and about the middle of the pack in the C District tournament. “This year we hope to finish in the top couple of teams in the conference and finish in the top third in the district,” Ehler said. “We want to set high expectations for a strong finish so the juniors will want to work hard in the offseason and look forward to next year. The Mitchell golf team competes in the Western Conference with Class B schools and in the Western Trails Conference with Class C-1 and C-2 schools. |
| Morrill fields young team 2013-04-04 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| With only one senior and seven freshmen, the Morrill boys’ golf team hopes to compete well and pick up some wins during this season. “We dropped to Class D this year, and we’re hoping to get someone to the state tournament,” said coach Cory Gilchriest. “Zach Larson and Dylan Hatfield are our two best golfers so far. We’re a young and enthusiastic team and we’re planning to get better.” The Bayard Invitational on April 2 was the first outing for the rest of the team and Gilchriest said many of them were “big eyed and nervous” but were playing well. “We have our own invite coming up in a couple of weeks and we also play at Bridgeport and Mitchell,” he said. “That’s about as far ahead as we’re looking.” As a Class D-1 school, Morrill competes in both the Western Trails Conference and the Panhandle Conference. And moving down in class may have been a positive for the team. “We were in Class C last year and that one is incredibly tough this year,” he said. “We would have struggled against some of the better schools like North Platte St. Patrick’s. With districts at Sidney this year, I think we have a legitimate chance of getting some people to state.” |
| Scottsbluff hopes to repeat strong finish 2013-04-04 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Scottsbluff High School track team is hoping for another strong season after the boys won the Class B state title last year. This year’s team has seven boys returning from the state team and four returners for the girl’s team. “We have about 50 boys and 30 girls on the team this year,” said head coach Jim Barker. “That’s a pretty good nucleus to start the season.” Ten boys and six girls return as letter winners for the Bearcats. They’ve also picked up on transfer students. Liz Cunningham from Mitchell was a state qualifier last season in the sprints and hurdles. Scottsbluff’s first outing of 2013 was at the Chadron Indoor, but the team was smaller than usual because some members were in Lincoln for the state DECA event. “We had a good day at Chadron, although we couldn’t get a good read on the team that early,” Barker said. “It’s more of a preseason practice event.” The Bearcats feature several standouts this season. Senior Luke Worden returns as a sprinter. Last year, he finished second in the state in the 100 meter event and on the winning relay team. His relay teammate, Matthew D. Klein, also returns. Klein also runs the hurdles. Barker added all members the 4x800 relay team that finished second at state are back this season. Seniors Tayler James and Justin Prichard also return as mid-distance runners. And John Maag returns as the team’s thrower. Barker said one of the big-time additions to the team is Matthew Barraza, a sophomore who played soccer last year. He was the state champion in cross country this past season and is a distance runner. “On the girls’ side, we’re better than last year based on the depth we have,” Barker said. “Their condition level is much greater than when we started a year ago. A lot of them have bought into running year round.” Returners on the girls’ squad include Zoey Rada in the shot put event, Kiley Gureue in the sprints and Taylor Muncie in mile and two mile events. A big addition Barker pointed out was freshman Chesney Walker, last year’s middle school state champion in the hurdle events. “All the coaches are really excited about our chances to do very well at the state meet,” Barker said. Barker is joined by assistant coaches Shelby Aaberg, Mike Burda, Mike Fisher, Todd Menghini, Warren Osborn and Linda Meininger. |
| Gering golfers look to build on first-meet results 2013-04-04 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| The Gering boys’ golf team got off to an early start this season, playing at the North Platte Invitational on March 22. After the Sidney Invitational was postponed one day from Tuesday, the Bulldogs were then set to return to action Wednesday after looking to improve overall during their layoff between the North Platte and Sidney tourneys. Gering sophomore Baily Hort gave the Bulldogs a pleasant surprise in the North Platte meet when he scored an 85 to earn seventh place in his first varsity tournament. “I was really excited for Baily to shoot as well as he did,” Gering coach Keaton Green said of Hort, who qualified for the state wrestling tournament in February. “He’s come so far in the last year. He came out as a freshman last year and had hardly any golf experience. But he put in his time over the summer and got out and played every day and worked on his game, and it really showed that he did spend that time.” Green otherwise saw plenty of room for improvement of the other Bulldog golfers as they prepared for their second tournament. Alex Lupher led the other Gering players with a 109, followed by Austin Kaufman at 110, Kraiger Ebbers with a 112 and Damian Hort at 120. “I know that they are capable of better scores, and to see them in the hundreds like they were was disappointing for them,” Green said. “But it was the first tournament, I know there are a lot of nerves going on with the first tournament, so we have it behind us now and we can look forward to Sidney on Tuesday.” After Sidney, the Bulldogs will play in the Mitchell tourney on Tuesday. Gering’s home invitational will be May 2. “We just need to keep ourselves mentally fit during the rounds so we are not making those errors and costing ourselves some strokes,” Green said. “I think the mental part will be a part over the next few weeks.” |
| Gering edges Scottsbluff in first girls' tennis triangular 2013-04-04 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| The first-year Gering girls’ tennis team got off to a solid start by scoring a split, including a victory over Scottsbluff, in the Bulldogs’ first varsity action Tuesday at a triangular in Alliance. Gering edged the Bearcats 5-4 after falling to host Alliance 7-2 under coach Justin Reinmuth. Savannah Walker scored two wins at No. 4 singles in pacing Gering. She edged Scottsbluff’s Stacae Pauli in helping the Bulldogs capture their first dual win. Walker also downed Alliance’s Bailey O’Connor, 8-3. Gering‘s other singles victories in defeating Scottsbluff came from Samantha Gutherless at No. 2, Jessica Helt at No. 5 and Katlyn Wagoner at No. 6. Gutherless shut out Scottsbluff’s Christina Vilareal 8-0, while Helt downed Aubrey Straub 8-1 and Wagoner held off Paige Corr, 8-6. The Bulldogs’ No. 2 doubles team of Marlee Lupher and Katie Collins scored two victories on the day, including an 8-2 win over Scottsbluff’s Sarah Cloud and Anna Wiebe. In addition to Walker’s No. 4 singles win against Alliance, Lupher and Collins teamed to defeat O’Connor and Cayla Tritle 8-2. The Bulldogs have until next Wednesday to prepare for a pair of road duals. Gering will play at Kearney Catholic on Wednesday and then at Lexington on Thursday. Gering then has its first home action on April 16 in another triangular against Scottsbluff and Alliance. Gering 5, Scottsbluff 4 No. 1 singles — Zoe Holscher, Scottsbluff, defeated Marlee Lupher, Gering, 8-0. No. 2 singles — Samantha Gutherless, Gering, defeated Christina Villarreal, Scottsbluff, 8-0. No. 3 singles — Akacia Kraus, Scottsbluff, defeated Katie Collins, Gering, 8-6. No. 4 singles — Savannah Walker, Gering, defeated Stacae Pauli, Scottsbluff, 8-6. No. 5 singles — Jessica Helt, Gering, defeated Aubrey Straub, Scottsbluff, 8-1. No. 6 singles — Katlyn Wagoner, Gering, defeated Paige Corr, Scottsbluff, 8-6. No. 1 doubles — Akacia Kraus, Rachel Madden, Scottsbluff, defeated Samantha Gutherless, Savannah Walker, Gering, 8-5. No. 2 doubles — Marlee Lupher, Katie Collins, Gering, defeated Sarah Cloud, Anna Wiebe, Scottsbluff, 8-2. No. 3 doubles — Stacae Pauli, Christina Villarreal, Scottsbluff, defeated Jessica Helt, Brittney Moreno, Gering, 9-8 (1). |
| Experienced Bearcats ready to finally take to course 2013-04-04 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| While the Scottsbluff boys’ golf team was set to open its season Tuesday, as were other teams, the Sidney officials in charge of the Red Raiders’ invitational decided last week to postpone the meet one day because of conflicts that included Easter holidays. So the Bearcats, who actually were expected to have better weather Wednesday than they would have Tuesday, took to Hillside Golf Course to finally open what could be a banner season for Scottsbluff. "We've had so much going on, the weather hasn't been that great, so we'll see what happens," second-year Scottsbluff boys' coach Mike Klein said Monday night. The Bearcats enter 2013 with high hopes after Scottsbluff finished fifth in the Class B State Tournament last spring. Last season marked a year in which a wealth of young talent bloomed behind two-time state medalist Andrew Holloway, who won state medalist honors as a freshman in 2010. Holloway finished seventh at state as a sophomore and fifth as a junior, while Michael Hadden claimed 12th place as a junior last year. Second-year Scottsbluff boys' coach Mike Klein, while glad to have the senior leadership in Holloway and Hadden, said the Bearcats' successes as a team should be strong with a now-experienced group of younger players. "We're not all about just the two seniors," Klein said. "Koy Pothoff put in tons of work over the summer, and Curtis Welsch played a lot as well." Welsch finished 31st in last spring's state tournament and Pothoff came in 46th. Battling for the Bearcats' fifth spot in the varsity ladder include a pair of freshmen in Jonah Wright and Jared Pilkington. Juniors Alex Harbach and Brandon White also look to gain varsity action. "Jonah has been shooting in the 70s," Klein said of the Bearcats' practice rounds. "Jared is right there as well." Klein said the great competition even in practice will definitely help the experienced Bearcats meld with the younger team members. "The thing is there's always somebody else around," Klein said. "And that's good, it will keep everybody honest and they will keep working hard." After Wednesday's meet at Sidney, the Bearcats will be in the Cheyenne Invitational on Friday. Scottsbluff's junior varsity will be at Mitchell on Tuesday, while the varsity will be off until Gothenburg's meet on April 18. The Scottsbluff Invitational will be April 22. |
| Holscher scores 2 wins in Alliance Tri for young Bearcats 2013-04-04 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| So far, the freshman member of the Holscher household has done a pretty good job of keeping the name strong in opponents’ minds this season. Zoey Holscher, whose sister Maddie graduated last year after finishing at state in the quarterfinals, led the Bearcats with two victories at No. 1 singles Tuesday in a triangular at Alliance that included Gering. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, they dropped both duals, 7-2 to Alliance and 5-4 to Gering. Nevertheless, early-season experience never hurts, especially when the sometimes unpredictable weather this spring finally cooperated like it did Tuesday. Holscher dropped just one game in the two matches, scoring an 8-1 win over Caitlin Tritle of Alliance and shutting out Gering’s Marlee Lupher 8-0. Scottsbluff’s No. 2 doubles team of Sarah Cloud and Anna Wiebe scored an 8-6 victory over Tritle and Bailey O’Connor for the Bearcats’ only other win against Alliance. In the dual against Gering, Scottsbluff also had victories by Akacia Kraus at No. 3 singles, Kraus and Rachel Madden at No. 1 doubles and Stacae Pauli and Christina Villarreal at No. 3 doubles. Kraus and Madden qualified for state last year on separate doubles teams and lead the young Bearcats under coach Cassie Behnke. Scottsbluff’s next action will be a pair of duals in Kearney on Wednesday, with the Bearcats facing Kearney High and Kearney Catholic. They then will be in the Lexington tourney on Thursday. |
| Rulon Gardner to speak in Bayard 2013-03-28 By |
| BAYARD — Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner will be speaking in Bayard on April 12. He will speak at 7 p.m., in the high school auditorium. His book “Never Stop Pushing” will be available for purchase beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium lobby. Rulon went to Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyo. He was a three-sport letter winner in football, wrestling and track and field. He was an All-State selection in both football and wrestling, and was also the 1989 wrestling state heavyweight champion. In track and field, as a senior, he took second at the state finals in the shot put. Even with his athletic prowess, he was taught to work hard at a young age. He, as well as his siblings, had to pitch in and help with chores even when it meant getting up early before school or staying up late after practice to get things done. Not known by many, Rulon was a graduate of the University of Nebraska in 1993. Gardner is well-known for his defeat of Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Karelin had been undefeated for 13 years. In 2001, Rulon was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award for Amateur Athlete of the Year, Jesse Owens Award, U.S. Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year Award, ESPY Award, and the Gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships. In 2010, Gardner was inducted as a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Tickets for this inspiring event may be purchased from any Bayard high school wrestling team member, Coach Randy McKibbin, or by calling Bayard Public Schools (308) 586-1700). Tickets are $10 each. There is limited seating so get your ticket as soon as you can. |
| Hort 7th in Bulldogs’ golf debut 2013-03-28 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Gering sophomore Baily Hort can only hope his season-opening golf success in March carries over and improves as April and May approach. Hort, who qualified for the state wrestling tournament in February, led the Bulldog boys’ golf team Friday in the North Platte Invitational season-opening tournament. Hort, making his first appearance on Gering’s varsity ladder, carded an 85 that earned him the seventh-place medal. “I was really excited for Baily to shoot as well as he did,” Gering coach Keaton Green said. “He’s come so far in the last year. He came out as a freshman last year and had hardly any golf experience. But he put in his time over the summer and got out and played every day and worked on his game, and it really showed that he did spend that time. “Especially in a tournament like North Platte, the Iron Eagle course is not a very easy course, and under the cold conditions for him to go out and fire an 85, I was really impressed with that.” Green otherwise saw plenty of room for improvement of the other Bulldog golfers as they prepare for their second tournament – and a lot of other teams’ season-opening event, including Scottsbluff’s – on Tuesday at the Sidney Invitational. Alex Lupher led the other Gering linksters with a 109, followed by Austin Kaufman at 110, Kraiger Ebbers with a 112 and Damian Hort at 120. “I know that they are capable of better scores, and to see them in the hundreds like they were was disappointing for them,” Green said. “But it was the first tournament, I know there are a lot of nerves going on with the first tournament, so we have it behind us now and we can look forward to Sidney on Tuesday.” The host North Platte Bulldogs won their tournament’s team title with a four-player score of 332, 15 strokes ahead of runner-up Grand Island. Cameron Bargell led North Platte with his winning total of 75, six strokes ahead of runner-up Eric Marble of Hastings. “I think the cold got to all of the guys, in the whole field,” Green said. “Some of the scores from the other teams were higher than I was expecting overall. But it was just cold and gray.” After Sidney, the Bulldogs will play in the Mitchell tourney on April 9. Gering’s home invitational will be May 2. “We just need to keep ourselves mentally fit during the rounds so we are not making those errors and costing ourselves some strokes,” Green said. “I think the mental part will be a part over the next few weeks.” |
| Bulldogs sweep Blazers for 4th wins - Scottsbluff boys also start year with 4 victories 2013-03-28 By Staff Report |
| The soccer coaches at Gering High School have their teams on early-season rolls after both scored lopsided wins Tuesday night over Torrington, Wyo., in split-site action. The Gering girls have their bid in repeating as district champions and a return trip to the Class B State Tournament in full gear after scoring an 8-1 triumph over Torrington at Memorial Stadium. The Bulldog boys made their short trip to Torrington worth all the while, blanking the host Blazers, 8-0. The Bulldog girls have found a lot of success early on by winning four out of their first five games by a combined score of 24-3. Against Torrington, Gering’s first-half goals came from Shayla Garetto and Jennifer Barge. Garetto added another goal in the second half and was joined with two scores apiece by Josie Thompson and Morgan Smith. Alexa Anderson added the Bulldogs’ other goal. Senior goalkeeper Maggie Martin stopped two of the Trailblazers’ three shots on goal, the lone goal on a penalty kick. Before Tuesday’s win, Gering scored a 10-0 shutout Thursday at Newcastle, Wyo. Gering had a 37-4 advantage in shots on goal, with Thompson ringing the back of the net three times for a hat trick. Garetto added two goals, while Anderson, Laettner Blanco, Kelsea Prieels, Nicole Michael and Smith netted one goal apiece. Martin stopped all four of Newcastle’s shots on goal in recording her second shutout of the season. The Bulldogs’ only loss was a tough game against Class A North Platte, 3-1, in Gering’s return to Memorial Stadium on March 19. Thompson scored Gering’s lone goal on a second-half penalty kick. The Gering boys improved to 4-2 on the season with their shutout victory at Torrington on Tuesday. After leading just 1-0 after the first half, the Bulldogs erupted for seven second-half scores, with Gage Smith knocking in three scores for the hat trick. Joey Godinez, Marcelino Ramos, Matt Wolfe and Brandon Wallace also scored goals for Gering, and the Bulldogs earned another score on an own-goal by Torrington. Jarron Rasnic had three assists for Gering. Dylan Wetherington made nine saves in recording the goalkeeping shutout. Tuesday’s win for the Bulldog boys came after they earned a forfeit win over Newcastle. Earlier last week, however, Gering was extended the distance with North Platte and earned a 2-1 victory after winning a shootout at Memorial Stadium. Matt Wolf scored Gering’s only regulation goal in the second half off an assist from Alex Clark. North Platte tied the match shortly afterward, and the teams remained deadlocked through 20 minutes of overtime to set up the shootout. Gering outscored North Platte in the shootout 4-3, with goals by Justin Wallace, Mathiew Prieels, Clark and Smith. Wetherington deflected one of North Platte’s penalty kicks and the other went wide. The Gering boys are finding their footing after splitting their season-opening games March 16 at North Platte, losing to Holdrege 1-0 and defeating Kearney Catholic 3-0. The Bulldogs suffered a 1-0 loss in their home opener March 18 to Cheyenne Central in less-than-favorable conditions for outdoor sports. Not only were the temperatures cold outside, the Bulldogs just couldn’t find the net in their shutout loss against the larger Wyoming school. Both Gering teams, as will both Scottsbluff squads, will resume action Monday when they travel to North Platte. All four teams will play Lexington and Grand Island Northwest in double-triangular action. The Gering teams will not have another home date until April 22, when they host Scottsbluff at Memorial Stadium. Scottsbluff boys off to strong start The Scottsbluff boys are also off to a good start at 4-1 on the season after winning at cross-state rival Torrington 4-0 Friday night. Francesco Sechi, an Italian exchange student, scored the Bearcats’ first goal off an assist by Owen Parra. Senior Randy Wentz bagged two goals early in the second half in leading the Bearcats, with both scores coming on assists from Sechi. Wentz then set up Rico Cortez for Scottsbluff’s final score, and Brett Magana had five saves in goal for Scottsbluff in earning the shutout victory. The Bearcat boys’ other wins came over Kearney Catholic, Holdrege and Laramie, while only dropping one match thus far to Cheyenne East, 3-0, on March 19 at Cheyenne. The Scottsbluff girls started off the season with tough losses to Kearney Catholic, Holdrege and Cheyenne East but bounced back to notch their first win of the year, 5-2 at Torrington on Friday night. Aubrey Ford scored three goals for the Bearcats, who trailed Torrington 2-1 until Kelli Wentz hooked a corner kick into the goal shortly before halftime. Hannah Holloway put Scottsbluff ahead early in the second half off an assist from Chloey Reifschneider. Ford then topped off her hat trick by scoring twice in just three minutes. Kenzie Sanchez was credited with an assist on Ford’s first goal, and Claire Holsinger had an assist on Ford’s final goal. Scottsbluff also returns to action Monday, when the teams also travel to North Platte to face Lexington and Grand Island Northwest in double triangulars. After both Scottsbluff and Gering will participate in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament at Kearney on April 5 and 6, the Bearcat girls will be back home April 9 to face Cheyene Central at the Dr. Allan C. Landers Memorial Soccer Complex. |
| Satur signs on the dotted line for WNCC 2013-03-28 By WNCC News Service |
| GERING — Gering’s Brooke Satur didn’t make her college decision a hard one. She knew flat out where she wanted to go and what sport to play. On Wednesday, Satur officially inked with Western Nebraska Community College to play soccer. “I didn’t think about playing softball any place else because I pretty much I thought of playing soccer,” Satur said. “WNCC was my first choice and I have known Todd [Rasnic] since I was little and I love playing soccer. Plus the school is good in what I want to do as I move on in my radiology career.” WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said Satur is his type of player that because of her coolness on the field and her work rate. “First of all she has a good work rate and that is always beneficial when playing college athletics,” he said. “The main reason I looked at Brooke is because of her technical abilities. She said the college game is played at a much higher speed, so you need players that are technically efficient. “She has a lot of experience playing in competitive leagues through the Reccos soccer program and in high school with her team advancing to state through districts. That is invaluable experience that is difficult to teach. She fits the team profiles of the players I like to have. She will come in and fit into the puzzle nicely.” Gering coach Lisa Freeburg said she is a very coachable player with plenty of soccer savvy. “Brooke is a great recruit. She is a very coachable girl, she works hard, and she asks questions when she doesn’t understand,” Freeburg said. “She made a good choice and like Rasnic said, she is calm and doesn’t freak out and she gets her foot on the ball and gets rid of it. I think she will be a good fit for the program.” Satur, who is a three-sport athlete at Gering having played softball, basketball, and soccer, has enjoyed success in the athletic arena. This year’s softball team had one of its best seasons in school history and Satur was named a Star-Herald first team infielder. The basketball team also had a memorable season, playing for a district title. But what still stands out for Satur is winning the district soccer championship last spring in the dramatic fashion that the Bulldogs did. “For me, the first half of the district game was pretty rough in which I gave up a PK,” she said. “That was terrible but I believed in my team and I couldn’t have been more happy when Jen scored the tying goal. And then the goal in the last second was a relief so we didn’t have to stress anybody else more than we really were.” With that district title game still in the team’s mind, the Bulldogs return a host of starters from a year ago. That makes the expectations for this year that much higher. The Gering players are ready to take on those high expectations. “Expectations are really high for us,” Satur said. “I think we really should go to state again as long as we play hard in the games that we need to and practice hard. Practices are the biggest thing for us because sometimes we struggle with intensity the whole practice and we just have to keep it up to get to where we want to and that is state.” Satur said she is excited for her senior season, which kicks off this weekend in North Platte when they play Kearney Catholic and Holdrege. The Bulldogs will then host North Platte on Tuesday at Memorial Stadium in Gering. Satur said she will cherish the memories she has had during the many years with her teammates playing soccer. “I will miss the girls I played with since I was little and traveling [to different soccer games and tournament],” she said. “High school is a whole different thing [than college]. it will be a change in college because they are lot more physical than in high school. The players are a lot quicker paced, which I have to get used to.” |
| Banner County ready for action 2013-03-28 By Jerry Purvis news at geringcitizen.com |
| By With a small team of 18 members, the Banner County Wildcats are looking forward to the competition of the upcoming season. The boys’ squad returns eight letter winners from last year, with the girls returning three letter winners. “We have seven girls on the team, so we won’t be competing team-wise,” said head coach Kari Gifford. “But we have some experienced kids who will do well in their events.” One of those returners is junior Amanda Harrison, who qualified for state in cross country last year, but didn’t compete in track. She’s back for the 2013 track season. Gifford said they’re looking for Harrison to have good performances in the distance events. She’s also optimistic about new freshmen coming out as she evaluated how they’ll fit in. On the boys’ side, Mike McKown is returning for sprints and David Gifford in the throwing events. Tyson Dahlgrin, Kaden Huber and Ben Hostetler are also expected to do well in sprints and jumps. Banner County was to open its season last weekend at Kimball, but that meet was postponed due to bad weather. So their first event is Thursday, March 28 at Bayard. “The kids have been putting in some good practices,” Gifford said. “I think we’re ahead of where we were last year, but you never know until the meets. That’s what we’re looking forward to, getting into actual events.” In addition to head coach Gifford, the team’s assistants include Sonja Lind, Bill Gifford, and Chelsie Thurin. |
| Bayard ready to build on success 2013-03-28 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Bayard High School track team is looking for another strong season after the girls’ squad finishing second in the Western Trail Conference last year and third at districts. “We did pretty well in the Chadron Indoor event,” said girls’ head coach Randy McKibbin. “Our first meet was to be at Morrill last weekend, but that was postponed due to the weather.” Bayard returns five starters from last year. State placer Megan Stuart will compete in the hurdles, pole vault and long sprints. Senior sprinter Breanna Korrell is another returner, as well as state qualifying senior Alanda Kildow in the hurdles and jumps. “We had a small but mighty team last year,” McKibbin said, “but this year we have 18.” McKibbin said they try to finish in the top half of their conference in each event. Some of the more seasoned members will attend the Scottsbluff Twilight event, and everyone looks forward to the Best of the West. The Bayard boys’ squad has about 25 athletes, about 10 more than the last couple of years. “We have lots of sophomores and juniors this year,” said boys’ head coach Wade Kniss. ‘We have a few returning starters, but a lot of others are out for their first time.” Returning are Zach Rice and James Smith in the 4x4 and 4x8 relays. Junior Chris Wurm is a thrower who should put some points on the board in shot put and discus. And Travis Willhoite will compete in sprints and in relays, where the coaches can fit him in. Another returner is Brandon Stewart who qualified for state in 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and pole vault. “Brandon was the only one we had last year to qualify for state,” Kniss said. “We’ll try to build on that again this year and try to get some more guys qualified.” Bayard’s first “real” meet is Thursday, March 28 after last weekend’s meet at Morrill was cancelled due to bad weather. “The Western Trails Conference tournament is something we always look forward to,” Kniss said. “This year it’s in Mitchell and we hope to be in the running for a championship because of our numbers.” Kniss was also impressed with practices so far, although the weather hasn’t cooperated. “The practices we have been able to get outside, the kids are working really hard. Probably the hardest worker I have is Phil Schuller who sets the tone and leads by example. And he’s only a sophomore.” In addition to head coaches McKibbin and Kniss, assistant coaches include Andre Graesser and Anna Beard. |
| Bayard boys' track team 2013-03-28 By |
| Photo by Elizabeth Gross/ Gering Citizen Members of the Bayard boys’ track team front row from left, Loren Haase, Phillip Schuller, Jadon Smith, Zac Rice, Allen Denton, Trenton Applegate, Tre Purintin, Travis Willhoite; second row, Guy Alfred, Henry Schmall, Bryce Hargens, Zaine Gallegos, Lucas Jones, Kyler Sides, Robert Niezwaag; third row, Laurenz Gallegos, Felipe Palamos, Roger Roach, Joesph Alvord, JD Wurm; back row, Coaches Randy McKibbin, Anna Beard, Andrae Graesser, and Wade Kniss. |
| Morrill has high expectations 2013-03-28 By Jerry Purvis news at geringcitizen.com |
| The Morrill High School track team is looking forward to a season of success after a solid first performance on March 16 at the Chadron indoor event. “We had three first places at Chadron, so I though we did well,” said head coach Terry Miller. “They were Morgan Nortness in girls’ shot put, Jorge Lara in boys’ pole vault and Taylor Lackey in the boys’ long jump. Other people turned in some good performances as well.” Although Taylor Lackey had some injuries last year, he returns for Morrill as a starter this year. For the girls, Sabrina Austin will compete in the sprints, Raina Younkin in hurdles and Morgan Nortness in shot put. Jessica Strecker is also returning as a distance runner. “For the boys, we’ll be leaning quite a bit on Taylor Lackey in the sprints and relays,” Miller said. “Jorge Lara is a 10th grader and he’s picking up some of the pace on pole vault after we lost a couple of good ones to graduation last year.” Also competing for the boys is Matt Hessler in discus and shot put. Miller said they have some new members who are upperclassmen coming out for the first time. Some of the big meets on Morrill’s schedule this year include two at Bayard and three at Mitchell. “Our whole premise is to continue to build so we peak at the end of the season at districts get as many people to the state tournament as we can,” Miller said. “The district tournament will tell us what we have, but we’re looking for some good finishes.” In addition to Miller, Morrill’s track coaches include Nicole Fredrickson, Bobby Wiegel and Rick Sides. |
| Bearcat soccer rebuilding from loss of key players 2013-03-21 By Jerry Purvis news at geringcitizen.com |
| The Scottsbluff boys’ soccer team may have lost some key players from last season, they still hope to be a contender with several returning starters and a talented group of newcomers. One of the priorities for the Bearcats is to find a replacement at goalkeeper for the award-winning Justin Becerra, who graduated last year after breaking a number of school records at the position. According to Coach Nate Rock, while the Bearcats have strong defense, they’re aiming to be more mindful of the offense in creating scoring opportunities. Senior Randy Wentz returns as the Bearcats leading scorer from last year, when he posted eight goals. Also returning are senior midfielder Juan Rejino, junior Anthony Parra, sophomore Tristan Donelson and midfielder Rico Cortez. Scottsbluff opened its season last Saturday in North Platte, coming away with two wins. The Bearcats shut out Kearney Catholic 2-0 before holding off Holdrege in a 3-2 shootout. On Tuesday, the boys were at home at the Landers Soccer Complex to take on visiting Laramie. They improved to 3-0 overall early in the season with a 1-0 win. Although young and talented, the Scottsbluff Lady Bearcat soccer team hopes for more wins this season from last year’s 6-11 mark. Sophomore Aubree Ford returns after last year’s 15 goals, the most goals ever scored by a freshman. And Coach Chad Larson said they’re trying to develop some goal-scoring personalities that can play off her. A number of players stepped up for the offense during the preseason, including last year’s starting midfielders Micah Holloway and McKenzie Sanchez. Returning on offense are letter winners Kaylie Smith and Rachel Weis, and freshmen Kelli Wentz, Chloey Reifschneider and Hannah Holloway have showed promise on offense. Opening their season last Saturday in North Platte, the Scottsbluff girls lost an overtime shootout to Kearney Catholic by a 4-3 score. In their second game, the Lady Bearcats lost to Holdrege 4-1. |
| Scottsbluff girl's soccer 2013-03-21 By |
| Photo by Elizabeth Gross/ Gering Citizen The Scottsbluff girls’ soccer team front row from left are, Kelli Wentz, Chloey Reifschneider, Aubree Ford, Kaylie Smith, Rikke Henriksen, Micah Holloway, Hannah Holloway, Celeste Calderon, Rylee Ott; middle row: Katrina Fulk, Tesse Klemm, Lexie Cushing, Rachel Weis, Livvy Michael, Karen Venzor, Bernice Campos, Kaede Miyata; back row: Alex Coward, Karsyn Gray, Kayla Pierce, Toni Rosado, Mariah DeLosSantos, LeeAnn Gonzales and Claire Holsinger. Not Pictured: McKenzie Sanchez, Alyssa Gonzales, Alex Rejino and Hilaria Esparza-Garcia. |
| Gering Bulldogs soccer teams loaded with experience 2013-03-21 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| Experience will be a vital factor in the success of the Gering boys’ and girls’ soccer teams this year. The Lady Bulldogs are loaded with experience this year with 11 returning starters. Posting a 13-7 record last season, they captured the district championship and qualified for the Class B state tournament. The ladies’ squad is led by senior midfielder Josie Thompson, who led Gering last year with 16 goals and seven assists. Joining the offense this year are seniors Jennifer Barge, Shayla Garetto and Jackie Hayden; junior Laettner Blanco and sophomore Kaylee Spreier. Joining the boys’ squad in North Platte last Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs posted two wins: a 2-1 shootout win over Holdrege and a 4-0 shutout over Kearney Catholic. Joining the boys’ squad in North Platte last Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs posted two wins: a 2-1 shootout win over Holdrege and a 4-0 shutout over Kearney Catholic. Six starters and six other letter winners from last year are back for the boys’ squad, which posted a 7-11 record last season. Returning from last year’s team are senior midfielder Jarron Rasnic, senior defender Justin Wallace, Dylan Wetherington, the team’s junior goalkeeper, junior midfielder Gage Smith, junior defender Mathieu Prieels and junior forward Alex Clark. Clark was one of the top scorers for the Bulldogs last season, posting four goals and three assists. And goalkeeper Wetherington allowed 85 goals last year, finishing with a 2.11 goals against average. The Bulldogs opened their season in North Platte last Saturday and came away with a win and a loss. After falling 1-0 to Holdrege, they posted a 3-0 win over Kearney Catholic. The Gering boys were at home for their first match at Memorial Stadium on a chilly Monday evening. Despite a great showing for the defense, they lost to visiting Cheyenne Central by a 1-0 score. |
| Gering boys' soccer team 2013-03-21 By |
| The Gering boys’ soccer team front row from left are, Bowen Fitts, Luis Hernandez, Cristian Moreno, Lyndon Ingram, Deion Contreras, Josh Parra, Jason Doll, Jacob Pieper, Mitch Martin, Ty Romey, Brent Barge, second row: Jon Strake, Carlos Perez, Alex Munoz, Joey Godinez, Brandon Wallace, Matt Wolfe, Russell Dobrovolny; back row, Austin Robinson, Bret Orozco, Justin Wallace, Gage Smith, Alex Clark, Justin Brester, Mathieu Prieels, Brandon Bernhardt and Dylan Wetherington. Not Pictured: James Guzman, Jarron Rasnic and Caleb Wyre. |
| Gering track building on strong foundation 2013-03-21 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| The Gering boys track team and field team is hoping to build on last year’s success when they placed second in the Western Conference meet, fifth at districts and 14th in the Class B state meet. The Gering girls won their district meet last year, as well as finishing 14th in the Class B state meet. Among the returning state boys’ qualifiers are junior Ryan Schwartzkopf in middle distance and sprints, junior Dillon DeMott in hurdles and sprints, junior Aaron Pierce in distance and senior Zac Bibb in jumps. Gering track head coach Randy Plummer said there aren’t any returning qualifiers on the girls’ squad. But a few of key performers he identified were distance runners Rachel Huffman and Dakota Gellner, sprinter Aubrey Gonzales, jumpers Holly Grote and Megan Upp and sprinter/middle distance runner Brooke Vowers. Plummer’s assistant coaches this year include Adam Freeburg for hurdles, Roger Schmidt for middle distance/sprints, Rick Marez for distance, Bill Bauer for pole vault, Randy Johnson for jumps, and Jimmy Rhodes and Gene Russel for weights. “I thought both the boys and girls did well in our first outing in Chadron,” Plummer said. “We probably have about 100 kids and our job is to find out what they’re best at and coach them to be their best in events.” He said Gering has a number of high profile meets on the schedule for this year. First up is the Buffalo Bill Invite at North Platte on March 28, which brings teams from Grand Island to Gering. The Scottsbluff Twilight meet on April 18 brings teams from South Dakota and Wyoming. “The Scottsbluff Twilight meet is sometimes as good as our state track meet,” Plummer said. “Teams from Rapid City, Casper and Cheyenne participate and it’s just a great meet.” Plummer added that although they’ve had to replace many team members lost to graduation, he’s confident the team will do well this season and some of them will excel. |
| The Gering girls' track team 2013-03-21 By |
| The Gering girls’ track team are front row from left, Aubrey Gonzales, Ashlyn Schultz, Rachel Huffman, Dakota Gellner, Zoe Van Dyke, Kaelyn Shaul, Lauren Shual, Bianca Quintana, Brooke Doggett, Jenna Longmore, Sarah Lang, second row: Brooke Vowers, Katherine Martinez, Katie O’Boyle, Selena Garcia, Nicolette Cook, Kali Rimington, Kurstin Barrett, Jade Riedel, Halee Duyck, Maddie Millay, Sarah Schwartzkopf, Alyssa Zwickl, back row: Alicia Hardin, Autumn Buehler, Allison Witcofski, Dakota Wademan, Bethany Case, Michala Crable, Kaila Borgman, Santanna Mitchell, Megan Upp, Julia Ybarra, Brandi Mendoza, Abby Kiesel, and Jalen Erickson. |
| Minatare Indians plan to turn up the heat 2013-03-21 By Brian Hale brianhale@geringcitizen.com |
| For a small school that struggles with numbers year after year, you have to hand it to the Minatare Indians for the talent they produce. According to Coach Steven Foster, "We have several returning and a good group of new kids out this year." Despite the small team, Minatare sent two standouts to the State meet with another just missing by literally, a split second. Minatare returns junior Steven Juarez who is a two-time state qualifier and Andres Mendoza who qualified for state this past year, while Mario Sanchez missed qualifying by being the third best in the state during the district meet where Minatare placed 3rd as a team. Other returning letter winners include Jorge Montelongo and Tyler Koke. The team is healthy and ready to help the newer kids gain experience. Coach Foster is also positive about the girls team this year. Despite having only one returner, he says, "We'll just have to see. We'll get them out there and see how they do. It's nice to see more girls out this year" When asked about the long-standing boys 400 meter relay record still held in part by yours truly, Coach Foster just laughed and indicated that they may be working on relays in the future. Foster, a veteran coach who has seen lots of talent over the years expects to see some pretty good performances come out of Minatare in 2013. |
| Mitchell Tigers ready to roar 2013-03-21 By Brian Hale brianhale@geringcitizen.com |
| The Mitchell Tigers Boys and Girls Track Teams are a force to be reckoned with this year with 70 kids out including a number of state qualifiers. Coach Michelle Peters is in her second year as Head High School Track Coach after heading up the Junior High program for 10 years. She feels very optimistic about the team this year and their chances to not only be competitive, but also to be in a position to win some meets. Coach Peters also has a solid group of assistants including; Mike Harriger, Jayson Gregory, Glen Eberspecher, Joe Yauney and Colynn Beaver. According to Coach Peters, "The majority of our talent is back and we have some new transfers that came in. We should be able to score points in all events." On the girls side of things, some of the names you'll hear about this year should include Taylor Peters (800 state qualifier), McKenna Zulkoski (recorded one of the fastest times in the state as a freshman), Aspen Reifschneider (less than an inch from qualifying in the long jump), Havannah Newens (state qualifier in the high jump) and Kady Lower (transfer from Morrill). The 4x400 meter relay team was also just two tenths of a second off the school record last year, so look for that record to go down sometime this year. For the boys team, Robbie Burke was a state qualifier in the 400 and tied the school record in the high jump and transfer Tanner Whitten comes from Wilber-Claytonia where he qualified for state in the 400 and 800. Another big positive is the fact that the Cross Country team qualified for state last year. Coach Peters indicated that several of the Cross Country runners also compete on the track team, including Jeremy Carrizales, Nate Jenkins, Levi Avila and Tate Harvey. In other events we should see some good things from Andrew Thomas in the pole vault, Garret Braman and Cole Beaver in the high jump, Adam Scholtthauer in the triple jump and long jump and Spencer Rien in the shotput and discus. "Our new weights coach (Glen Eberspecher) really has the kids motivated," Peters said. With new found strength, a few key transfers, lots of depth with a strong freshmen class coming up and the Mitchell Tigers are ready to roar. |
| The Mitchell Tigers boys’ track team 2013-03-21 By |
| The Mitchell Tigers boys’ track team front row from left, Dylan Schneider, Garrett Sterkel, Tony Vasquez, Chris Armstrong, Josh Jenkins, Marquis Droddy, Drew Gilliland, Adam Schlotthauer, Braydon Wiedeman, Tate Harvey; middle row, Wyatt McMillen, Try Sterkel, Coby Escamilla, Thomas Riley, Andrew Sinner, Levi Avila, Justin Senkel, Antonio Barrios, Trevor Wood, Cody Mueller, Edward Grentz,Cole Breaver; back row, Mick McGlynn, Jonathan Weitzel, Colby Eberspecher, Tegan Carrier, Tanner Whitton, Jeremy Carrizales, Austyn Wright, Garret Braman, Zach Pieper, Robbie Burke, Dylan Peters, Nate Jenkins, Spencer Rien, Andrew Thomas. |
| BEARCATS SILVER IN STATE TOURNAMENT - South Sioux City rallies to edge Scottsbluff in heart-felt title game of comeback teams 2013-03-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| They were undersized in height against their opponents, but not in heart. And it was that heart of a defending champion that, after two comeback victories in the Class B Boys’ State Basketball Tournament, earned the Scottsbluff Bearcats a second straight shot in the tournament’s championship game Saturday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. And while the Bearcats had to rally from an 11-point, second-quarter deficit to defeat upset-minded Aurora on Thursday night and then erase a tight, first-half deficit to overtake Gretna in the semifinals Friday night, Scottsbluff found itself with the early upper hand Saturday against South Sioux City. The Cardinals, who were the 2010 and 2011 Class B champions before the Bearcats dethroned them in last year’s championship game, may have entered postseason play with an 11-12 record. But, never underestimate that heart of a champion either – even one that lost its crown for a year and played a strong schedule that still earned South Sioux City the No. 1 seed in District B-3 and ultimately saw the Cardinals win their fourth straight district title. South Sioux City, seeded No. 7 for the state tourney, had overcome deficits of 11 against No. 2 seed Ralston and 18 against No. 3 Elkhorn South to make the championship game for a fourth straight year. Trailing Scottsbluff by 11 with six minutes left in the first half Saturday night did not faze the Cardinals, who led once early in the game but not again until the final 40 seconds, enough to convert on a lay-up with three seconds left to take the 55-53 win and the state title back to the northeast edge of the state. For Scottsbluff, the loss may have denied the Bearcats a second consecutive state title, but the Bearcats (23-6) still won more games than any team in Class B. And they returned home Monday – after a day’s delay because of a blizzard that left much of eastern Nebraska in a standstill – with Scottsbluff’s seventh tournament finalist trophy, its third runner-up finish to go with its four championships. Not bad for a team that was billed all season long as being undersized and seemed to have met its match when Aurora went on several big early runs to build an 18-point lead and have the top-seeded Bearcats facing a frustrating first-round loss. “Just the way they competed and battled and found ways to win games,” sixth-year Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske said of his most proud quality of the 2012-13 Bearcats. “We could have been done Thursday, but they found a way to win that game. Friday was a very difficult game against Gretna, and they found a way to win that game. It took an outstanding effort by South Sioux City to beat us. We didn’t give the game away, South Sioux City earned it.” And both Scottsbluff and South Sioux City can attest that indeed, the game is not over until it is over. Scottsbluff 59, Aurora 56 In Thursday’s first-round game, a rematch of the opening-round contest last year – also won by Scottsbluff by three points – the eighth-seeded Huskies had control of the defending champion Bearcats for the first 28 minutes, leading 30-12 late in the second quarter and having Scottsbluff on the ropes. “We were getting our butts kicked on the boards, and that was my biggest concern playing those guys coming in was offensive rebounds,” Siske said on Hometown Family Radio. “We gave up 11 of them in the first half and four in the second half, and that gave us the opportunity to get back in it.” And Scottsbluff slowly began chipping away at that deficit after finally getting clicking on offense – much of which Siske attributed to the Bearcats’ finally getting busy on denying Aurora second-chance possessions with rebounds. And Scottsbluff curtailed its deficit to 30-18 by halftime. “The tempo favored them big time in the first half, and we thought we needed to speed it up,” Siske said. “And a lot of it I thought was just going out and playing harder. “I thought offensively we were very stagnant, stood around, didn’t cut hard, didn’t screen hard, and then we were absolutely getting destroyed on the offensive glass. We had to rebound to have a chance.” After Aurora charged out to a 33-20 lead early in the third quarter, Scottsbluff began to turn the tide and ended the period with two baskets that cut the Huskies’ advantage to a workable, seven-point deficit at 38-31. “When you’re into the game and in your focus, your percentage goes up, and in the first half we weren’t. We were standing around and were easy to guard.” Senior guard Eric Moreno, who had five 3-points on his way to scoring 17 points, his a trey off the fourth quarter’s starting possession in cutting Aurora’s lead to four. But the Huskies went on a 6-2 run to rebuild an eight-point lead, one they still held at 50-42 with four minutes left. But then came senior guard Michael Hadden, who had already scored six points in the quarter. Hadden converted a three-point play, then sophomore guard Jackson Hinze ripped a 3-pointer and Moreno – after a steal by senior Matthew Klein – added another trey in giving the Bearcats a 51-50 lead – all in a minute’s work. After two free throws by Aurora senior Ben McQuiston gave the Dragons a 52-51 lead with 2:45 remaining, Klein made a steal and drove his way to the basket for Scottsbluff’s 53-52 lead with two minutes left to play. And then Hadden grabbed Aurora’s next missed shot and fed Klein, who then passed back to Hadden for a layup and a 55-52 lead with 1:25 left. And then Klein got another steal that led to the Bearcats’ 57-52 lead with 50 seconds remaining. Aurora got as close as 57-56 before Moreno hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left and a 59-56 Bearcat lead, and McQuiston’s desperation 3-pointer missed the mark – as did a game-tying try for Huskies last year against the Bearcats – ending the game with Scottsbluff clinging to a three-point win. Hadden finished with 22 points, with 15 coming in the second half. Hadden also shared team-high honors in rebounds with Hinze and Klein with four boards apiece. Hadden also made four assists and Klein had six steals. “He’s done it all year for us,” Siske said of Hadden. “When we’ve needed it, he has come up with big shots and the big plays and did it one more time.” McQuiston led the Huskies (14-10) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, with senior Alex Hunt adding 12 points and 11 rebounds, leading Aurora’s dominant 39-19 charge on the boards. Scottsbluff 55, Gretna 51 Gretna emerged from the District B-2 tournament as a Cinderella after the Dragons knocked off No. 1 seed Elkhorn South in the district semifinals and No. 2 Ralston in the final. And then Gretna, seeded fifth for the state tourney, topped state No. 4 Waverly 48-33 in Thursday’s first round. Three-point plays, both in single shots in the first half and then traditional basket, foul and free-throw conversions in the second half were key in the Bearcats’ conversion on offense. Most of the regular three-point plays came as a result of Scottsbluff’s defensive execution. “I thought we played defensively, I thought we were much more aggressive on offense, and those were the two big things,” Siske said Saturday morning. Hinze provided the Bearcats’ early fuel with three 3-pointers and junior Tyler Mickey added two treys, but the Dragons held a 24-23 halftime lead. “Gretna gave a lot of focus to Eric and really tried to take him away by guarding him, and we knew that would free up other guys and our kids did a great job of stepping up and making big shots,” Siske said, adding that being down by just one – compared with their 12-point halftime deficit Thursday night – gave the Bearcats an extra boost. “The last words when we left the locker room, we said, ‘We’re in a lot better shape than we were (Thursday) night, just go finish like we did (Thursday) night,’” he said. Moreno and Hadden scored Scottsbluff’s first six points of the second half on hoop-and-harm three-point plays, although Gretna then scored five straight to forge a tie at 29-all. But after Moreno knocked down a 3-point shot, Hinze drew a foul on a driving layup and spin move layup, drew the foul and made the free throw for another six-point lead for Scottsbluff at 35-29. “He’s making huge plays for us.” Siske said of Hinze, who finished with 12 points. After the Bearcats had converted four three-point plays in the second half, Hadden drew a foul on a basket with six minutes remaining but missed the ensuing free throw. Down 44-38, Gretna charged back with a pair of 3-pointers by senior Nathan Skrdla, tying the game with 5:05 left. Moreno answered with another trey-ball with 4:48 remaining and senior Taylor Winkler added a free throw with 3:56 left for a four-point lead at 48-44. “After they tied it, we executed an out-of-bounds play and got Eric a great look,” Siske said. The Bearcats built a 55-49 advantage after hitting 7 of 10 free throws in the final two minutes and made a late Dragon basket a moot point. “We made the free throws when we needed to and kept our lead comfortable, and we forced them to score 3s and we were fortunate they didn’t go, and we moved on,” Siske said. Hadden – who had just four first-half points – again ignited Scottsbluff’s second-half offense with 14 points for a team-high 18 on the night. After Hinze’s dozen points, Moreno added nine points, seven after halftime. Hadden and Klein had five rebounds apiece and Klein made five assists and five steals. Gretna senior Mitchell Drey, a 6-foot-5, long-armed threat, finished with 18 points to share game-high scoring honors with Hadden. Senior Jordan Badenhorst followed with 15 for the Dragons, and Skrdla added 10. “He scored some points and we were doubling on him,” Siske said of Drey, who also had team highs of 10 rebounds and five assists, “and he did a good job of kicking it out and that’s where they got some of their 3s.” Gretna (19-8) finished the state tournament with a 66-56 victory Saturday in the third-place game over Elkhorn South (19-7). Drey scored 15 points, leading three Dragons in double figures. South Sioux City 55, Scottsbluff 53 And thus the past two Class B champion schools came together again at the Devaney Center, meeting for the state title 52 weeks to the day after the Bearcats downed South Sioux City 64-61 for Scottsbluff’s fourth boys’ basketball state championship and first since 1955. The Cardinals, who had won their fourth straight district title, had overcome their No. 7 seed at state to first knock off No. 2 seed Ralston 55-47 on Thursday and then needing overtime Friday to down No. 3 seed Elkhorn South 84-76 by overcoming double-digit deficits. With an 8-0 run that overlapped into the second quarter, beginning with a 3-pointer by Moreno and ending with a trey by Klein, Scottsbluff grabbed a 19-9 lead, and a minute later, Moreno canned another 3-ball that put the Bearcats ahead 22-11 with 6:05 left in the first half. “South Sioux had some big comebacks in the first two games, so it was never a situation where we felt comfortable,” Siske said of Scottsbluff’s early margin. Two more 3-balls, including a long, off balance trey by Moreno at the second-quarter horn, gave Scottsbluff a 28-18 halftime lead. “We knew they were going to press and we needed to take care of the ball,” Siske said Monday, shortly before the team's long-awaited departure from Lincoln. "I think we got more against their press than they got out of it.” South Sioux City watched Moreno hit his 99th 3-pointer of the season in giving the Bearcats a 35-25 advantage, but the Cardinals began chipping away at their deficit, never trailed by double digits again and had cut Scottsbluff’s lead to 41-35 by third-quarter’s end. Cards reserve Austin Fritza scored nine of his 16 points in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter saw starters Kaleb Comstock and Nathan Rogers – who had Comstock’s two first-half free throws and Rogers’ five third-quarter points to show between them – come to life and slowly chip away at the Bearcats’ stretch advantage. Hadden gave Scottsbluff a 47-42 lead with 5:55 remaining, but Fritza cut the margin to one at 47-46 and then Comstock tied the game at 48-all with 3:45 left to play. Hinze ripped a 3-pointer with 1:50 left, giving the Bearcats a 51-48 lead, but a basket by Fritza and – then, after Moreno lost the ball on alternating possession with 1:01 remaining – a Rogers 3-pointer put SSC ahead 53-51with 40 seconds left. Hadden, who finished with a game-high 23 points, knotted the score with two free throws with 18 seconds left. After a Cards time-out with 14.3 seconds remaining, Rogers fed Comstock on a give-and-go lay-up with 3.0 seconds left. “We just couldn’t stop them at the end; they made 14 of their last 15 shots,” Siske said. “We just weren’t able to get stops. We forced them to take some outside shots that we wanted them to take and they knocked them down. There’s not much you can do when people are making shots like they were.” The Bearcats’ in-bounds pass, however, was intercepted at midcourt – Scottsbluff’s 14th turnover after each team had seven after three quarters. A successful in-bounds pass into Fritza sealed victory for the Cinderella Cardinals (16-12). Hadden was 9-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-6 on free throws in accumulating his 23 points that he matched with a game-high eight rebounds. Moreno was 4-for-9 from beyond the 3-point arc and 7-for-12 overall in amassing 18 points and followed Hadden on the boards with six. While Klein had just three points, he led Scottsbluff with three steals and shared a team-high four assists with Hinze. The Bearcats had a 26-24 edge in rebounds, with Rogers leading SSC with seven. After shooting less than 30 percent from the floor in the first half, the Cardinals were 15-for-25 (60 percent) in the second half, including 8 of 9 in the fourth quarter. They were 45.6 percent accurate for the game and hit 7 of 9 free throws. Scottsbluff hit 46.5 percent of its shots, including 9 of 16 in the second half; however, the Bearcats got off just four shots in the fourth quarter. They were 5-for-8 on free throws and 8-for-19 on 3-pointers. Besides the second-place medals the Bearcats received for their tournament finish, the cloudiness of finishing as the runner-up was gleaned with plenty of silver linings for Scottsbluff. “I’m very proud of our kids and what they accomplished,” said Siske, who was leading his fourth Bearcat team to state in his six years at Scottsbluff. “It’s not easy to get to the state tournament, let alone win two games. We had a great year.” |
| Bombs away! Moreno shoots way up state record book 2013-03-14 By Terry Gaston |
| Eric Moreno, for 3! It was a phrase that became commonplace at Scottsbluff boys' basketball games this season. A public-address response that was made a whopping 99 times during the Bearcats' 23-6 campaign, which ended Saturday night with a 55-53 loss to South Sioux City in the Class B State Tournament's championship game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. “No, I never really had an idea to hit that many," said Moreno, who attempted 214 3-point attempts and finished the season with a whopping 46.2 percent accuracy rate from outside the arc. “I just wanted to go out and have a great final season with my friends, and we did have a good season.” “Just the fact that he was able to hit that many 3-pointers, he was our one true consistent shooter," Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske said of Moreno. "Our coaches had to work to teach Eric away from the outside. Even with the attempts that he got, he still did it. It was an amazing year for him.” Although the title game loss left the Bearcats -- who entered the season with just three experienced players in seniors Moreno, Michael Hadden and Matthew Klein -- just short of repeating their Class B state championship from last season, Moreno's 3-point success was a major key in Scottsbluff's earning its third straight District B-6 championship and subsequent trip to state. “State is always fun here," Moreno said Monday morning, just before the Bearcats -- who were snowed in by a weekend blizzard, as were the cheerleaders, drill team and pep band -- left Lincoln for home. "We just wanted to come out, this being our last year of playing together, so we just wanted to make a good run together and we did. It didn’t finish how we wanted it to, but it was still a good run for us," he continued. “We knew we were undersized against a lot of teams, so we just knew we had to try and outrun them and that worked four us, and our defense was pretty good most of the season. Just being able to make it back with all the friends I have on this team is a special memory.” Moreno entered the state tournament with 89 3-balls, which tied him for 10th in a season according to the Nebraska School Activities Association's Web site record log. The all-time Nebraska record for 3-pointers, 133, by C.J. Cowgill of Grand Island Central Catholic in 1995-96, might as well be set in stone. By the time he was finished ripping 5 of 8 treys against Aurora on Thursday -- in a 59-56 comeback win from an 18-point, second-quarter deficit -- Moreno had moved up to sixth place. Moreno's two free throws -- not his strongest attribute, with a 65.2 percent accuracy rate on the season -- 7.2 seconds left gave Scottsbluff a margin that forced Aurora into a missed 3-pointer and allowed SHS to survive and advance. The free shots gave Moreno 17 points for the game. All of a sudden, while Moreno seemed uninterested in the personal records and just scoring to gain victories for Scottsbluff, the second-place mark of 99, set by Mike Hancock of Wahoo in 1992-93, was definitely within his reach. In the Bearcats' 55-51 semifinal win over Gretna on Friday, Moreno was 1-for-3 from 3-point range and limited to just nine points. Moreno's 3-pointer kept him in sixth overall but within one of a three-way tie for third place. Moreno had third place all to himself two minutes into the second quarter in the championship game, a trey that he scored on a pass from junior reserve Beau Lofink that gave the Bearcats their largest lead against South Sioux City, 22-11. Moreno hit No. 98 to end the first half, on an NBA-range, off-the-glass, off-balance shot, a trey which kept Scottsbluff ahead 28-18 after South Sioux City had started chipping away at the Bearcats' lead. Moreno's 99th and final 3-pointer of the season, and fourth of the game, again gave Scottsbluff another 10-point advantage, 35-25, midway through the third quarter. But, between the Cardinals' defense and their hot shooting, which resulted in SSC hitting 14 of its final 15 shots to snare the 55-53 victory, Moreno got really only one more good 3-point try, which came off a rebound but he missed with 2:05 left in the game. Nevertheless, Moreno finished the championship game by going 4-for-9 from 3-point range and netting 18 points, second only to senior Michael Hadden's 23. “For us to finish 23-6 and second in the state, with the injuries we had to overcome this year, lack of height and lack of experience, our kids all just did a fantastic job,” Siske said. For the state tournament, Moreno made 10 of 20 attempts from outside the 3-point line, a pretty hot 50 percent. Moreno finished the tournament by scoring 44 points, hitting 15 of 27 field goals overall. “We knew as the number one seed that we would have a big target on our back," Moreno said. "We won it last year, so we knew it would be tough for us. We had a rough start in the first game but we picked it up in the second half and played well. Then we played well against Gretna, and we played pretty well in the championship, but we just couldn’t pull it out.” On Feb. 15, Moreno tied the Scottsbluff school record of nine 3-pointers in a game in the Bearcats' 74-53. The nine trey mark was first reached by Nate Shaddick in 1994. All nine of Moreno's 3-balls formulated his game-high, 27-point effort against the Bulldogs. For the season, Moreno averaged 16.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, made 48.5 percent of his total shots from the floor (154-for-317), had 36 assists, 29 steals and seven blocked shots. “Obviously he is an outstanding shooter, but we needed him to become more of a complete player especially as a senior," Siske said of Moreno. "So he needed to start taking the ball to the basket and that made him tougher to guard, He kind of got forced into a tough role this year. "With his shooting, he should be playing a guard position for us, but with our lack of post players he was our five man, which meant that he had to guard the other team’s biggest post player usually. He had to do a lot for us this year. He had a great senior year, he really did. ” Winning three straight district championships in both basketball and football has made for a memorable high school career for Moreno and his fellow seniors. As the Bearcats’ quarterback during football season, Moreno helped lead Scottsbluff to a 9-0 regular-season record, the third in school history. The Bearcats' season ended in the first round of the Class B playoffs, however, with a 28-9 loss to an underrated York team. Moreno earned all-district honors at punter by kicking his way to an average of 37.5 yards per boot. At quarterback, he completed 58 passes for 936 yards and seven touchdowns. “It was great to do that in football and basketball," he said of the triple district championships. "I think it’s a reflection of the athletes we have in our school and how good of friends we all are, and that just made our teams better.” Throwing the ball, as opposed to shooting it, is more of Moreno's forté, with his success as a pitcher for the WESTCO Zephyrs American Legion baseball team. Last summer, he helped lead the Zephyrs to the Class A State Tournament last summer. On Saturday morning, he made a verbal commitment to play baseball at Lamar Community College in southeast Colorado. “My mom (Amy Winters) and I talked about it and I liked it when I visited it (the first week in January), so we just made the decision and that's where I’m going to go next year,” Moreno said. And, despite his successes in other sports, especially in basketball is baseball his favorite? “Yeah, for sure,” he said. |
| Bearcat boys prep for another state run 2013-03-07 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Whether the Scottsbluff boys’ basketball team emerges Saturday as the Class B state champion again will depend on a number of factors that the Bearcats can control and others that they can’t. All sixth-year Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske wants to be concerned about in the way the Bearcats play in the school’s third straight trip to Lincoln – and the fourth under Siske, and Scottsbluff’s 36th overall – is taking care of business Thursday night. The Bearcats (21-5), the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament, faces a familiar first-round opponent in Aurora (14-9). The game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center is scheduled for a tipoff of 6 p.m. Mountain Time. If the Bearcats have endured a season-long battle, it has come in overcoming adversity. “I think that we have gone through a lot this year as far as injuries and not having a full repertoire of players at practice all the time, the fact that they still find a way to win games and win some close games down the stretch,” Siske said. Senior guards Michael Hadden and Eric Moreno have been the stalwarts in leading the Scottsbluff offense. Hadden has averaged 18 points per game and Moreno has a 17-point average. Hadden has made 53.6 percent of his shots on the season, with team-leading numbers of 156 field goals on 291 attempts. He also leads the Bearcats in rebounding with 148 (6.2 average), free throws and percentage (111 of 140, 79.2 percent) and is second in assists with 52 (2.2 per game). Moreno has been the Bearcats’ most potent weapon from outside, hitting 89 shots from 3-point range at a 45.8 percent success rate. He also has grabbed 126 rebounds (5.25 average). Senior guard Matthew Klein missed the first eight games with a broken hand suffered in the first day of practice, but he stepped back into the lineup to average 8.8 points per game and has hit 25 3-pointers (40.3 percent). Klein leads the Bearcats in steals with 47 (3.0 average) and shares the team-leading assist average at 3.0 with sophomore guard Jackson Hinze. Hinze, who has a team-high assist total of 78, has averaged 2.9 points, and he is one of just three players – junior Tyler Mickey and freshman Austin Clarkson as well – to play in all 26 of Scottsbluff’s games. Senior guard Taylor Winkler has 24 3-point buckets in his 8.7-point average. Mickey has come off the bench to nail 21 3-pointers (44.6 percent) and average 4.7 points, while Clarkson averages 3.0 points and 3.8 rebounds. “I think they’re a really tight-knit group that really believes in each other,” Siske said of his players. “I think that they believe every game when they step on the court, and I think they believe that they can overcome a lot of difference circumstances. “We’ve been down at halftime and we’ve been down double digits in games and come back and won. I also think it’s a group with strong leadership because a lot of the guys have been there before.” Scottsbluff will face Aurora in the first round again after the Bearcats held off the Huskies for a 62-59 win at Lincoln’s Pershing Center. “I’m sure they’re excited to play us,” Siske said. “They’re very, very athletic, they return quite a few players that played last year, so I’m sure they are going to be up to play us and try to knock us off.” The first factor Siske said he noticed about matching up against Aurora will be neutralizing the Huskies’ rebounding abilities. “I still think we have to be tougher defensively, especially on the glass, that’s one think that Aurora does extremely well is offensive rebound,” Siske said. “So we are going to have to be more physical and just tougher. We kind of talk about that rebounding is a want-to deal, and we’ve got to want to do it.” The winner will play the victor of Thursday's first-round game between No. 4 Waverly (18-7) and No. 5 Gretna (17-7), Friday at 7:45 p.m. MT at the Devaney Center. The championship game will be Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Thursday's other first-round games have No. 2 Ralston (19-6) against No. 7 South Sioux City (13-12), and No. 3 Elkhorn South (18-5) against No. 6 York (19-5). But to Siske, Waverly and Gretna could not be of the Bearcats’ concern this week before they left for Lincoln on Wednesday morning. “We will prepare a lot for Aurora, and that’s the only team we will look at and have a game plan for,” Siske said. “Coaches will watch film (on other probable opponents), but we’re not going to prepare for anybody but Aurora, because if we don’t win the first one it doesn’t matter.” And can the Bearcats make it a state championship repeat? “I think they believe they can do it again, and that’s where it has to start,” Siske said. “You have to know that you’re capable of winning it, and I feel that they do know that. They also know it’s not going to be easy, and you have to go there and be at your best for three straight days. But I don’t think they’re satisfied yet, which is a good thing.” A championship would mark the fifth in Scottsbluff boys’ basketball history, joining the 1941, ’52, ’55 and 2012 Bearcats. “It’s a pretty special thing. It doesn’t happen very often,” Siske said of winning a state championship. “For Scottsbluff, it had 57 years, and for other schools, maybe it’s never even happened. Not many kids get to experience that. For one out of 32 teams each year, it is a special thing.” |
| FINAL POINT - Hadden, Hinze part of state-bound Bearcats’ versatility 2013-03-07 By Terry Gaston - Contributing Columnist |
| That Scottsbluff sophomore Jackson Hinze and senior Michael Hadden teamed up to score a key basket in last week’s District B-6 boys’ basketball championship game for the Bearcats is not unusual. That it was Hinze, the Bearcats’ assist leader, on the receiving end of a Hadden pass down inside, well, that was a little unusual. The basket came when the Bearcats needed a game-tying situation against McCook in the third quarter, and Hinze’s lay-up knotted the score at 34-all with 2:33 left in the period. “I somehow was able to get down to the block and they somehow lost me, and Mike got the ball and found me down there. It was a great pass,” said Hinze, whose basket – although followed by a pair of McCook scores – set up 3-pointers by junior Tyler Mickey and himself, giving the Bearcats a 40-39 lead after three quarters. “McCook runs that switching man,” Hadden said of his view of the unfolding situation, “we got them crossed up on their switches, and I was able to find Jack down low and he made the layup.” Added Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske: “It was a big shot, good pass by Michael and the help stepped up, and Jackson put it in.” Then, when Scottsbluff needed another tying situation, Hadden not only connected off a missed 3-pointer by senior Taylor Winkler – knotting the score at 46 with 3:25 remaining in the game – but on the Bearcats’ next possession, Hadden was on the backside waiting to see if senior Eric Moreno’s trey was going to fall. When Moreno’s shot missed, Hadden put the shot back up and put the Bearcats the lead for good at 48-46 with 2:49 left. Moreno, however, atoned by giving Scottsbluff a 51-46 lead on a 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining. “I was just battling down on the low post and the ball came right to me, and I was able to put it up and put it in,” said Hadden, who scored 16 points and made 10 rebounds – three off teammates’ misses. "He makes big plays down the stretch, and he's been doing it not just this year but for a long time for us," Siske said of Hadden. "This is a good way for him and the rest of our seniors to finish their careers." But the Bearcats still needed to seal the victory. McCook pulled to within three at 51-48 with 1:17 left to play. The Bison still needed to commit two fouls to force Scottsbluff to the free-throw line. With 32.9 seconds left, Hinze was the recipient of McCook’s bonus-forcing foul. But his foul shot spun into the goal and rolled out. A missed McCook 3-pointer with 11 seconds left gave the ball back to Scottsbluff, and Hinze was fouled again. This time, however, his first shot went straight through. Although Hinze missed the second free throw, his first one was enough to clinch the Bearcats’ win and third straight district title. And the coveted trip to state in Lincoln became reality, where Scottsbluff enters play Thursday night as the No. 1 seed. Of Hinze’s effort in the district championship game, Siske said, “Jackson played great, made some shots and his defense was phenomenal. When he was playing the point, he did an awesome job of controlling the ball and running our offense.” Hinze’s trip from deep reserve last year to starter, and eventual free-throw, state-clinching clinching shot came with a few bumps and bruises, especially at the expense of senior guard Matt Klein. When this season started, even on the first day of practice, Hinze saw his role elevated to starter. Klein, who ran the Bearcats’ state championship drive from the point guard position, broke his hand during a drill in the first day of practice. Last season, Hinze saw very limited playing time – like, we’re way ahead with 50 seconds left in the game so let’s clear the bench, that kind of limited time – but it was still great experience for a freshman to gain varsity court time he could. So Hinze took the reins of point guard while Klein missed this season’s first eight games. “It was tough because of Matt, because he is such a great leader,” Hinze said of learning his new role. “But he helped me through even though he wasn’t playing, he was coaching me during time-outs, and the other guys really helped out a lot, too. It’s just been a fun experience and I’m really going to miss these seniors.” These seniors thus far have achieved a great deal, on and off the basketball court. Many of them, including Klein – and in a limited role, Hinze – contributed to a perfect regular season for the Bearcats’ football team in the fall that won Scottsbluff’s third consecutive district title. One player involved in the first two of those football district championships was Hadden. And he was a key element on both offense and defense as a junior. However, on the day before practice was to start for his senior year in August, Hadden made the decision that may have led to much of his success on the basketball court, which has added up to team-leading averages of 18 points and 6.2 rebounds. “Practice started Monday, and I went to Coach (Joe Benson) Sunday at around 4 in his office,” Hadden said. “It was last-minute and a really tough decision for me. And I really love playing with the guys, but at the same time I felt it was the right decision for me just to work on basketball and golf this fall.” Hadden said he stayed plenty busy during the fall, including practicing with Scottsbluff assistant coach Lucas Albrecht on his shooting skills – efforts that led to his hitting a team-high 53.6 percent from the floor through districts. “I was in the weight room three times a week and then I had shooting workouts with coach Albrecht in the gym, and then at the same time on the weekends I was going to Colorado and playing in golf tournaments on the weekend, so I stayed busy,” Hadden said. Hadden said he never second-guessed his decision to forgo his senior season of football. “Friday nights were different, being up in the stands but I’m still rooting on my guys, they’re my best friends. They took it well and the coaches were so supportive, so it wasn’t too bad.” Neither is having a chance to earn a second straight Class B state championship this weekend in Lincoln. “Hadden’s a great leader and a great player, on and off the court. He really steps up every game,” said Hinze, the Bearcats’ team leader in assists with 78 (3.0 per game). “It’s been an amazing year. I’ve had a lot of fun and I hope to win another one down in Lincoln.” Added Hadden: “We put together a good run, we’re headed back to Lincoln, and that’s what we’re most excited about. We’re a resilient team, we’ve had our ups and downs and we’ve had some adversity, but we’ve always bounced back and we’ve played well.” |
| Scottsbluff football players sign to play at next level - Six Bearcats commit to South Dakota, Chadron State, Midland 2013-03-07 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF -- For many college football junkies, National Football Signing Day in early February has become as much of a red-letter day on the calendar as opening day, bowl game day and even the spring intra-squad game. On that day this year, Feb. 6, five members of Scottsbluff's three-time District B-6 champions signed their National Letters of Intent to play college football. Four of the Bearcat seniors -- Ty Dunkel, Matthew Klein, Jon Maag and Randy Wentz -- signed their letters together in a ceremony in the Scottsbluff High School board room, and later that evening Luke Worden signed his letter among family and friends at the Wordens' home. And then on Feb. 19, Tim Magdaleno increased the Bearcat recruits' number to six when he signed his letter. Maag and Worden signed with the Univerity of South Dakota, a member of the former NCAA Division I-AA now known as the Football Championship Subdivision, while Dunkel, Klein and Wentz committed to Chadron State College. Magdaleno committed to Midland University in Fremont. South Dakota is an up-and-coming program entering its second year under Lincoln native and former Northern Colorado, Montana and Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn, whose Coyotes were just 1-10 -- not unusual for a team's first year when it is undergoing a major transition under a new coaching staff. And Maag and Worden are on board with Glenn and 30 other first-day signees in helping to bring success back to Vermillion, S.D. And being a FCS program offers such opportunities of playing some Football Bowl Subdivision schools -- formerly known as Division I-AA -- as the visiting opponent. “We go to Kansas next year and we go to Oregon in 2014, and the year after that we go to Kansas State. That will be fun playing one of the BCS schools every year,” Worden said, receiving some light chuckles at the mention of the Coyotes going to perennial power Oregon. Worden said while he and Maag were making their early decisions separately, the fact that they roomed together on their official visit to USD helped solidify each other's decision to become Coyotes. “We were roommates on the official visit, and it was nice knowing somebody and talking about the school and the coaches and players, so it was nice having him there on the visit,” Worden said. Maag added: “We really didn’t tell each other until we decided to go there to school.” Both Maag and Worden were being courted by multiple universities and colleges before they found the South Dakota program to be each other's clear choice. Maag said he looked at some colleges in Nebraska, Colorado and others in South Dakota before deciding on USD. “I chose the University of South Dakota because I felt comfortable going there and I felt like I could fit into the school really easily," he said during the signing ceremony. “They were the only one that came up and gave definite number right away. They weren’t try to hold off and see how long they could keep me going.” Worden concurred that USD became his obvious choice. “I visited a lot of schools last summer during camps and took some unofficial visits, and South Dakota just really stood out as far as the coaching staff and the facilities, and everything fit there and I really love Coach Glenn," he said. Worden’s top-three choices included Nebraska, as a walk-on, and Colorado State as a walk-on with a remote possibility of gaining a scholarship. “Even if those other options would have worked out with full rides, I wasn’t sure if I would even choose those over South Dakota," he said. "I really enjoyed it and South Dakota was definitely my number one option the whole time.” Maag was Scottsbluff’s leading tackler with 57 solo stops, 56 assists, five quarterback sacks and nine tackles for lost yardage. On offense, where he is going to play at USD, Maag joined Dunkel in anchoring an offensive line that blocked the Bearcats to an average of 315.9 yards of total offense per game – 211.4 rushing and 104.5 passing. Scottsbluff’s defense held opponents to 263.8 yards per game. In focusing on becoming an offensive guard, Maag will be a red-shirt this fall while adding weight to his frame. He said his first goal is to make the traveling team for the 2014 season. “That’s fine with me," Maag said of focusing on offense. "I just like playing football.” Maag said he looks to study either business or business management at USD, which features a strong business program. Worden said he would start by taking lower-level business courses and then decide on his emphasis later. On the football field, Worden looks at becoming a defensive back, but his versatility could come in handy for the Coyotes. “I enjoyed playing just about anywhere, I love defense, and it that meant corner or safety or linebacker, whatever it was, I enjoyed all of it," And the same on the offensive side of the ball, I like catching passes, I like blocking, I like running the ball, so just anything that I needed to do I was fine in doing.” Last fall, Worden had four interceptions and a fumble recovery with four touchdowns, and he had 295 kick return yards with one more TD. Worden had four interceptions and a fumble recovery with four more TDs, and he had 295 kick return yards with one more TD. On offense, Worden gained 310 rushing yards and 258 receiving yards with five combined touchdowns. Benson noted that in the course of the Bearcats' season, Worden played four different positions on defense. “You can’t put a kid who doesn’t understand football in a position like that, so he was very beneficial,” he said. While Maag pointed to the Bearcats' entire undefeated regular season and third straight district championship as his favorite memory of being at SHS, Worden was more specific about achieving that 9-0, district-winning season. “That last home regular-season game against Sidney, with the emotions leading up and knowing that if we won that it would give us our third district championship," Worden said of the Bearcats' 35-6 win over Sidney. "And just again, playing with those guys for so long." Worden and Klein also ran together on the Bearcats' Class B state championship-winning 4x100 relay team last spring, which Worden said is an equally high memorable achievement. "That was really fun, being with Matt on that," he said. "We have run together since we were on the Lizards since fourth grade. So those were my two favorite moments.” With three Bearcats going to Chadron State, camaraderie will not only be retained by the three high school teammates but will be extended to include former rivals. “It think it will be cool to have the guys from around the Panhandle, it will be really nice having these guys I’ve played with since I can remember, back at the Carpenter Center and even Y ball," Klein said. "Being able to play with these guys will continue to be fun. “I think will be kind of cool to have district opponents and rivals, that once we are there we will be teammates and be part of the football family,” said Klein, mentioning former Gering players like Danny and Patrick O’Boyle and Zach Smith. Klein, the District B-8 most valuable player and offensive player of the year, also offers great versatility to the Chadron State program. Klein finished his senior season with 1,405 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns, caught six receptions for 52 yards and one TD, and completed 6 of 8 passes for 109 yards and two more TDs. Defensively, Klein had one fumble recovery, one interception he turned into a 49-yard touchdown return, 45 total tackles (35 solo), with six for lost yardage, and five quarterback sacks. “After my official visit, I really started to get a feel for it," Klein said of going to CSC, an NCAA Division II playoff team last season. "I like their coaches, I like the college, I like their facilities, everything they had to offer, and I just felt like it would be a really good fit for me.” Klein said he also visited Colorado Mesa University, but he said "it was a lot different. I just knew Chadron that was going to be the best fit for me.” Klein said he has been talking with the Eagles’ receivers coaches, and also possibility of returning punts and kicks. Klein added, although he would like to play immediately, he would not be surprised to be a red-shirt next fall. “A lot of it is going to be a matter of eventually putting on some weight,” he said. “Jumping from high school to college football is a lot different, and the size is a lot different having an 18-year-old playing against 22-, 23-year-old guys. It’s going to be a big jump for me but hopefully, I am able to put on the weight, get some strength and gain some speed. I would like to be able to play right away.” Klein said he is thinking of studying criminal justice or business but is undecided while he finishes his senior year, which could offer more athletic success. Klein also concurred with the other players’ biggest football memory of finishing last year’s undefeated regular season with a third straight district championship. However, Klein said his biggest memory from high school athletics comes from last March, on the same basketball court in Lincoln where the defending state champions are looking to repeat this weekend. “Last year at the state basketball tournament was a pretty big deal, just winning that state championship,” he said. “Just everything around that with the team, my parents, my coaches and even the community, the way we all reacted to it, it was pretty cool.” Dunkel will likely be a red-shirt in order to build his already large frame into college shape to play defensive lineman. “I’m hoping I can fit into that tradition and maybe win some championships,” said Dunkel, who plans to major in elementary education. “I’m pretty excited,” he said. “I really felt comfortable with the education, classroom (sizes) like Scottsbluff.” As a Bearcat senior, Dunkel finished the season with two fumble recoveries, 42 solo tackles,36 assists with one sack and five tackles for lost yardage. “This year was really fun, winning districts for the third year in a row with my teammates.” Dunkel said. Wentz, who is shooting high academically by setting his sights on earning a master's degree in business administration, has his college hopes on kicking long. “They have a great coaching staff, they have a winning tradition and I like that a lot, and also the coaches put a high emphasis on academic performance, so I liked a lot of things about Chadron. They were definitely my number one choice.” As a Scottsbluff senior, Wentz had 54 kickoffs for a 52-yard average, hit on 8 of 11 field-goal attempts and 34 of 36 extra-point kicks. "The coaches said I may get a look at doing kickoffs my first year, and the rest will be determined by training camp," Wentz said. Wentz and Klein made their official visits to Chadron State at the same time. “I’ve been talking to Dunkel the whole way through, so all three of us pretty much where each other stood,” Wentz added. Wentz said playing in the Panhandle for the Eagles will be good in being away from home but still close. “It will be exciting that my parents and grandparents will get to go up and watch me play," he said. "I think it’s great that I will be close to the community where I grew up.” Magdaleno said he was planning to join Dunkel, Klein and Wentz at Chadron State by joining the Eagles as a walk-on. But then a call came from across the state from Fremont and Midland University, and NAIA school that participates in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. "I was going to go to Chadron as a walk-on, but then the running back coach (at Midland, Todd Drury) saw my film and then got a hold of me and invited me down for a visit to see if I liked it and I did," Magdaleno said. "I really liked the coaching staff and their personalities, and they seemed very way I like the education opportunity seems very positive for my career. I am going there for business, so being close to Omaha will help me get a good job out of school. So it will work both ways." If Magdaleno offers one big dominant factor on the football field for the Warriors, who were 4-6 last season in their first year under new head coach Josh Gehring, it is his versatility. In playing primarily at fullback on offense, Magdaleno was third in rushing for the Bearcats with 225 yards on 41 carries, none for lost yardage, and three TDs. Defensively, Magdaleno — after sitting out his junior season — had 50 solo and 45 assisted tackles with five for losses and caught four passes for 43 yards, two fumble recoveries and an interception with an 18-yard TD return. "I came back after I didn't play my junior year and came back as part of a great team," Magdaleno said."I know how to win, it feels to go win, but I know how to lose too, and that prepares you to be a better athlete." Magdaleno said he will know by sometime this month whether the Midland staff wants to use him as a true freshman or have him red-shirt for 2014, and also will give him the training program to follow. "He is both the running back coach and the linebacker coach, so he is talking to me more about being a running back," Magdaleno said of Drury. "Wherever they put me, I love to play." And that is one common factor among all six of Scottsbluff's signees: They love the game. The large signing ceremony, plus those of Worden and Magdaleno, left Benson very proud. "What is more important to me than it is the football aspect, you have these absolutely tremendous young men who are not only committed to the sport of football but are just great people," Benson said. "You never have to worry about these guys in school. So we are really excited to have these guys moving onto the next level." |
| Minatare Cheerleaders win State 2013-02-28 By Elizabeth Gross elizabethgross@geringcitizen.com |
| Being a cheerleader at Minatare High School is much more than getting the crowd to cheer on their team; it’s about being involved with their community in any way they can. What that means is the routine does not have any stunts such as cartwheels. Darla Novotny has been the cheer coach for the last two years. She was previously the cheer coach at Lake Alice School. Novotny has continued the expectations and traditions of the Minatare Cheer squad. “I wanted them to know what it’s like to give back to the community,” said Novotny. The squad receives no additional funding from the school other than transportation to various games. Anything the girls may need whether it is uniforms or trips to state must all be done via fundraising. Fundraising has been harder recently due to people not being able to give as much because of economic reasons. Despite, the people of Minatare support the girls in any way possible. “The community really stands behind the kids,” said Novotny. This year at the Nebraska Cheer Championships the team won the non tumbling/ non building category. “They love state,” said Novotny, “that’s the end goal.” What that means is the routine does not have any stunts such as cartwheels. They also competed in the hip/hop dance category. Usually, members of the Minatare squad do not have much traditional dance experience so the hip/hop category is usually the best for them to compete in. The competition at the Cheer Championships is usually matched up by the class that the school is in. Minatare is one of the only few class D schools to compete and the only school in Western Nebraska. All the girls’ hard work and dedication have paid off. “I’m extremely proud of my team this year,” said Novotny. |
| The agony and ecstasy of playoff basketball - Alliance rallies late in 2nd OT to end Gering boys’ season 2013-02-28 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF – In a single-elimination playoff game and equally tense yet exciting atmosphere, when both the Gering and Alliance boys’ basketball teams and their fans were taken on a double-overtime emotional rollercoaster, Saturday’s District B-6 first-round contest was bound to come down to which team shook its adversity last. In this third battle of the Bulldogs this season -- the first two won by Gering by margins of 13 and 12 points --No. 5 district seed Alliance controlled the action from midway through the first quarter, built an 11-point advantage before it fended off four game-tying possessions in the fourth quarter by Gering. For most of the night at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace, Alliance’s Bulldogs played consistently well and looked in prime position to upset fourth-seeded G-town. "Even though we were down by seven (at halftime), I told them that if we stay the course where we don't panic and just go out and do what we've done all year, we'd be OK," seventh-year Gering coach Randy Plummer said of the Bulldogs' rally back from being down 29-18 with two unanswered buckets before halftime. And sure enough, Gering stayed the course and got within one score on four occasions in the fourth quarter before Gering senior Zac Bibb took a pass with time running out in the left wing area from freshman Austin Hoffman in the lane. Bibb’s 15-footer beat the buzzer and ripped through the net to forge a 55-all tie and overtime. After nearly four minutes of the first overtime, each team scored just six points and Gering had a four-point lead after Bibb’s back-to-back 3-pointers with 1:57 left in the extra period. Alliance senior Isaac Burnham, who with 51 seconds left had tied the game on two of his perfect run of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime, had the ball as the OT clock wound down, but his 15-footer from the line bounced off. Gering was unable to get off a last shot, so 4:00 more was put on the clock. Both teams came out determined to end the game in the second OT. Gering senior Austin Ferguson hit 3 of 4 free throws, hot-shooting Alliance sophomore Jordan Mills bagged two 3-pointers, Gering sophomore Joses Palomo answered with two 3s and Bibb canned a trey in between. Four lead changes in the first 2:25 of the second extra period, after which Gering led 69-67 – only to have Burnham tie the game on a traditional three-point play with 1:23 left. Then Burnham answered Bibb’s trey with a 3-ball with 50 seconds left, tying the game at 72. After Palomo’s second 3-pointer of the period, and with 22.4 seconds remaining, Bibb hit the first of two free throws giving Gering a 76-72 lead. A safe lead, finally, for the Bulldogs with the home-bench advantage? This Alliance team, playing without a usually hot-shooting junior Trevor Kamerzell because of a suspension following the Bulldogs’ last-second loss a week earlier to Sidney, was not about to give into even a two-possession deficit. After Bibb’s second free throw missed, Ferguson committed his fifth foul on the rebound and Alliance junior Gage Lehl hit the second of two free throws, closing the blue-clad Bulldogs within three of Gering. But then Bibb, while trying to make the in-bounds pass, was trapped by Alliance’s lock-down defense. So were his teammates trying to receive a pass. With no Gering time-outs left to save Bibb, a five-second violation was called; Alliance ball with 21.9 seconds remaining. Mills, who finished with 26 points that included eight 3-pointers, received credit on a short-range shot because of goaltending, but Gering was still ahead 77-76 with 15.2 seconds left. Get the ball in-bounds, make Alliance foul, try to put the game away and advance to Monday’s semifinal game. Sounded easy enough, and Bibb took the ball, dribbled down the left sideline to midcourt – and then the ball got away as he was dribbling around a defender. Alliance ball again, 12.3 seconds. Burnham, who finished with a game-high 32 points, got the chance to win the game for his Bulldogs again. This time, he made good on a driving layup with 7.0 seconds left. But Gering, in spite of its late turnovers, still had a chance. But as senior Walker Britsch drove down the left sideline and tried to get off a shot near the 3-point arc, he slipped and was called for traveling with 0.8 seconds remaining. On Alliance’s in-bounds play, Gering tried to get a quick foul, but the officials said it came too late, Game over: Alliance 78, Gering 77. "It was a pretty even game, if you look at all the stats," said Plummer, whose team held a 42-32 advantage in rebounding. "I kept thinking we were going to win, and then I'd look up again and we'd be behind. But those guys just refused to let us beat them, which is to their credit." Indeed, when all was said and done, both teams had attempted 65 shots from the floor and 18 free throws, and both had 14 turnovers apiece. Gering was 26-for-55 (40 percent), going 13-for-32 (40.6 percent) from the 3-point line. Alliance was 24-for-65 (36.9 percent) from the field, hitting a sharp 12 of 23 from 3-point range (52.2 percent). "I couldn't believe how many 3s we took in the end, but they came out in a zone, which was completely surprising to me since we've played Alliance. And they just packed it in and said, 'If you're going to beat us, you're going to have to do it from the outside.' "We started really hesitant from the outside, we only made two 3s in the second half, and then as we started getting warmed up, the rest of them in the second half and overtime. Usually we're going to play our man offense against their man defense, so it was a different game." From the charity stripe, Alliance made 15 (83.3 percent) while Gering hit just 11 (61.1 percent). "And there's your difference," Plummer said Gering's three more missed free throws while out-rebounding Alliance 42-32. Both teams had 14 turnovers apiece. The Alliance bench players raced out to surround the on-court players. The Gering guys, especially the seniors, were left in shock. So were the Bulldogs’ student section and the other Gering faithful. "This was a crazy game, and they just happened to win," Plummer said. "Sometimes it's harder to finish on a game like that than it is a 20-point blowout. But our guys, to their credit, they came back from that deficit. And Alliance played well, a lot better than the first two times we played them. "You hate to see the season end like that, but it's going to end at some point and it just happened to end (Saturday) night for us." Two teams of Bulldogs, one in agony, one in ecstasy. Alliance (9-13) had its season continue, into Monday's District B-6 semifinals against Scottsbluff. And Gering (13-10) had its bid for the district semifinals disappear in 22.4 crazy seconds. For Plummer and seniors Bibb, Britsch and Ferguson, the loss was even more painful. The three players would never don the Gering basketball uniform again. Bibb finished with a Gering-high 19 points, hitting four 3-pointers and going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line and grabbed 11 rebounds for one of two Gering double-doubles. Ferguson finished with eight points, scoring three second-OT free throws and seven points after halftime, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Britsch had four points, all coming in the third-quarter. "I thanked each one of them for being a part of it, especially the seniors," Plummer said of the post-game locker room atmosphere. "It's always heart-breaking because they almost become like sons to you, when you're with them for all that practice time, bus trips and motels, and then it all disintegrates at the end of the last game." For a team that had no returning starters from last season -- and of the returnees, very little varsity experience -- Plummer said he was pleased with what the Bulldogs accomplished this season. "I think we accomplished quite a bit," Plummer said. "We lost four games that were within the last five seconds of the game. At the end of January and the first of February, we played really well. It was a fun year, and ours just ended (Saturday) night." In leading Gering’s returning players, Palomo followed Bibb with 17 points with five 3-pointers, with all of his scoring coming at key times in the fourth quarter and second overtime. Palomo also had four assists, sharing team-high honors with freshman Austin Hoffman. Junior post Grant Olsson finished with a double-double of 14 points and a team-high 15 rebounds before fouling out in the first OT. "We have a lot of guys coming back so I'm sure they're looking at a chance for next year," Plummer said. "I've got a lot of hungry guys who I'm sure are already licking their chops." |
| Lady Bulldogs earn runner up at District B6 basketball playoffs 2013-02-28 By Philip Eckerberg - Special to the Citizen |
| The Gering girls beat the Sidney Lady Raiders on Thursday night 37-35 and lost to the McCook Bison 63-28 on Friday night to earn runner up honors in the Nebraska Class B6 District playoffs. McCook will now go to the state tournament in Lincoln this week. Gering has lost to Sidney twice this year and got off on a bad foot in this third meeting with the first quarter being outscored by Sidney 2 to 1 to end the quarter 14-7. The Bulldogs staged a small comeback in the second quarter, outscoring the Raiders 6-4 and going into the halftime break with a 5-point deficit trailing Sidney 18-13. Gering has not won a district playoff game since 2011 and it was looking like this was going to be a long night as the Dawgs struggled to oppose the Raiders in the first half. Coach Adam Freeburg rallied the troops in the locker room. Gering came out in the third quarter and exploded, outscoring Sidney 20-8 with a rally that started with a trey by Alexa Anderson and an old-fashioned 3 point play by Katie O’Boyle. Gering ended the third quarter with a 7 point 33-26 lead and it looked like they could cruise to win in the fourth. Somebody; however, forgot to tell Sidney to surrender, as they shot back in the fourth and outscored Gering 9-4. Gering was able to hang on to the lead and win 37-35. Gering coach Adam Freeburg said: “that was a fun one. I am so thrilled for our girls. We got it done on the defensive end, which is what we preach all the time. I told them to get one stop and one stop turned into five stops but the girls found a way to get it done.” he said. “I am proud of these girls.” Individual scores for Gering: Megan Upp 9, Alexa Anderson 9, Kayligh Spreier 6, Santana Mitchell 4, Allie Vacha 4, Katie O’Boyle 3, and Ashlynn Schultz 2. Individual scores for Sidney: K. Segelke 10, J. Heeren 6, S. Krueger 4, S. Mahr 4, K. Price 3, M. Malzahn 3, M. Linneman 2, A. Porter 2, and K. Cole 1. Gering v McCook Gering’s luck ran out on Friday night as McCook outscored them two to one. McCook jumped ahead to an 18-6 lead in the first period. McCook did not let up in the second quarter, outpacing Gering 17-5 to end the half with a 24-point lead 35-11. The carnage continued in the third quarter with Gering being outscored 15-4. McCook finally backed off in the final period when they tied 13-13. The final buzzer of Gering girls’ season sounded with the Bison beating the Bulldogs 63-28. Gering ended the season 12-12 hitting the .500 mark. Individual scores for Gering: Allie Vacha 7, Alexa Anderson 6, Dakota Gellner 6, Kaylee Spreier 5, Megan Upp 3, and Danielle Ysac 1. Individual scores for McCook: Rachael Goltl 17, Brooklyn Trew 16, Brenleigh Dawn 11, Megan Ruppurt 7, Molly Sughroue 6, Kassidy Gillan 6. |
| A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE CROWN - Bearcats cool down hot-shooting Bison, earn No. 1 seed for state 2013-02-28 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF --Note to the staff at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln and other Class B boys' state tournament qualifying teams: The Scottsbluff Bearcats are coming back. In turning in what could be defined as nothing less than a spectacular all-around performance, the Bearcats boys' basketball team pulled off a 52-48 victory over McCook in the District B-6 championship game Tuesday night at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace. The win earned Scottsbluff, the defending Class B champion, its 36th trip to the boys' state basketball tournament, the Bearcats their third consecutive District B-6 championship and sixth-year coach Tony Siske's fourth trip in six seasons as the SHS program's leader. "The kids did all the hard work, I'm just along for the ride," Siske said amid the postgame celebration. Earning another trip to Lincoln was not expected to be an easy chore for either Scottsbluff or McCook, which entered the game ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the Class B power points. The teams had split their first two meetings, the latter a 60-57, double-overtime for the Bearcats at McCook on Feb. 8. The Bison had won 59-45 when the teams met in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Holiday Tournament's third-place game on Dec. 29 in Kearney. And the game was played the way a title contest should be: hard-nosed, strategic and clean play, with only 11 foul shots attempted and nine turnovers committed. Scottsbluff's largest lead was five points and McCook's seven, with 13 lead changes, six ties and the game's outcome still on the line in the final seconds. While the Bearcats were mathematically already in the state tournament before the game started, and their berth was secured when Class B power points leader Ralston was rocked 61-48 by fourth-seeded Gretna (17-7) in the District B-2 finale at Omaha Northwest. Gretna had knocked off No. 1 district seed Elkhorn South -- the power points leader before Monday's semifinals began -- 55-50 on Monday night, and South and Ralston finished with higher power-point averages than McCook. The Bison's quest to earn the must-win district title began with a 9-2 run, but Scottsbluff forged the game's first tie with a 7-0 run. The teams then traded the lead four times, with McCook finishing the first quarter ahead 14-13. Scottsbluff senior Eric Moreno led the Bearcats with six first-quarter points, but senior Matthew Klein led SHS's charge in the second period with three 3-pointers, a stanza that saw senior Taylor Winkler add a fourth trey in pushing Scottsbluff ahead 29-28 at the halftime break. In the third quarter and McCook leading 34-32, sophomore point guard Jackson Hinze broke into an opening down low and took a back-side feed from senior Michael Hadden for a game-tying lay-up. And then Hinze, from his usual outside position, nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:19 left in the quarter that gave the Bearcats a 40-39 lead with one quarter remaining. The fourth period started with a slow pace, with more than three minutes gone before McCook senior Cody Wudtke sank his second 3-pointer of the night, on his way to a game-high 24 points, giving the Bison a 46-44 lead with 4:46 remaining. Then Hadden, as he has on many occasions this season, rallied the Bearcats in the fourth quarter and led the pack with back-to-back buckets: the first off a rebound of Winkler's miss with 3:25 left to tie the score at 46, and then on his back-side put-back following a miss by Moreno, giving Scottsbluff a 48-46 edge with 2:49 remaining. After McCook missed another tying opportunity, Moreno then drilled a 3-pointer, off a feed from Hadden inside, giving the Bearcats their largest lead at 51-46 with 1:37 left in the game. Wudtke sank a driving layup with 1:17 remaining, pulling the Bison to within three at 51-48. But the game was so cleanly played up to that point that McCook still had to commit two fouls in order to force Scottsbluff to the free-throw line. With 32.9 seconds left, the Bison fouled Hinze, but his first attempt rolled out. After a time-out, McCook wound the clock down and Wudtke put up a 3-ball that would have tied the score, but it missed. Hinze found himself back at the line with 7.3 seconds left and needing just one free throw to give the Bearcats a two-possession lead. This time, Hinze's first shot went through. His second missed, but all the Bison could get off is one more shot, by senior Sean Backer, whose miss bounced out of play at the final horn. "Jackson played great, made some shots and his defense was phenomenal," Siske said. "He might be as good of a ball hawk as I've coached, as far as getting up and defending someone bringing up the ball in front of him and where we want it to go. And he's turning into a pretty good court general as well." And when the 32 minutes of competition was over, many of the players hugged the opposing team's others as they went through the line of congratulations. A hard-fought battle between two teams who left everything they had on Ron Brillhart Court. When all was said and done, Hadden had scored six fourth-quarter points and led Scottsbluff with 16, hitting 8 of 15 shots, and he completed a double-double with 10 rebounds, three off teammates' misses. "He makes big plays down the stretch, and he's been doing it not just this year but for a long time for us," Siske said of Hadden. "This is a good way for him and the rest of our seniors to finish their careers." Moreno was 2-for-6 on 3-point attempts and finished with 13 points, while Klein's three treys in the second quarter accounted for all nine of his points, and he grabbed seven rebounds and made three assists. As a team, Scottsbluff was 21-for-43 (48.8percent) for the game after shooting a blistering first-half pace of 60 percent (12-for-20). The Bearcats were 8-for-17 from 3-point range but just 2-for-5 at the free-throw line. McCook started the game with a 50 percent shooting percentage in the first quarter, but the Bison's accuracy tumbled to 25 percent in the fourth period. McCook finished the night 20-for-57 (35 percent) from the floor, with just 5 of 21 3-pointers finding the target (23.8 percent). Wudtke was 11-for-18 from the floor, but his teammates were otherwise 9-for-29. Wudtke and Backer (seven points) shared team-leading rebounding honors with seven boards apiece, and the Bison had a 31-30 edge in rebounds. "They have so many guys that you have to respect offensively," Siske said of the Bison (18-7). "You can't focus on one guy. We trusted Michael to guard Wudtke one-on-one and I thought he did a good job. He made him make tough shots for the most part." Scottsbluff's state tournament quest begins next Thursday as the eight-team bracket's No. 1 seed. The Bearcats (21-5) will take on No. 8 seed Aurora (14-9) in the opening round, with a 6 p.m. Mountain Time tipoff. The Huskies, District B-5's No. 2 seed, won their district title Tuesday night with a 43-37 win over top-seeded Grand Island Northwest, in a game at Grand Island High School. The game will be at the Devaney Center, where last year Scottsbluff outlasted three-time defending Class B champion South Sioux City for the school's fourth state basketball title and first since 1955. A first-round win will keep the Bearcats at the Huskers' home for Friday's 7:45 p.m. semifinal. The Class B championship game will be next Saturday at 5:30, third place at 11 a.m. at Lincoln North Star High School. "They have exceeded expectations, especially when you look at the injuries and everything we've been through this year," Siske said. "Up until late in the season, we haven't had our full team playing. Now that we are, we seem to start getting comfortable and starting to play pretty well." Scottsbluff 74, Alliance 55 In Monday's semifinal, for Alliance to reach its final point total, the Bulldogs needed the full game to knock the down 55 points, while the Bearcats -- who led 53-26 after a convincing first half -- needed just a minute into the third quarter to reach 55. "We got off to a great start, obviously shot the ball extremely well," Siske said of the Bearcats' holding Aliance to just 40.7 percent in the first half while Scottsbluff ripped the cords for 63.3 percent on its way to building a 63-26 halftime lead. "We came out defensively early and played well, but then we let up which I was disappointed with a little about." said Siske, whose Bearcats led the Bulldogs get within the teens before the starters returned to put the game away. "And then the second half, we were up by 25, and I will take the blame, I pulled the starters a little too early, made them feel like it was over. I was just trying to get them some rest and get the other guys out there, but then we put the starters back in there and they were a little flat." Hadden hit a team-high 26 points, with 16 the first half. He was 11-for-14 from the floor, with 10 points leading the Bearcats out of their late-game funk, and Hadden reached a game-high nine rebounds. Moreno was 6-for-9 from the floor, including 5 of 8 3-pointers, and he had six rebounds. Winkler 4-for-5 with 2 of 3 treys falling for 12 points, and Klein had team leads of four assists and three steals to go with his seven first-half points that included a half-ending trey in giving the Bearcats their 25-point halftime advantage. Alliance (9-14) got 14 points from senior Isaac Burnham, 12 from junior Josh Matulka and 10 from sophomore Jordan Mills. Burnham also was the Bulldogs' top rebounder with six. |
| Wiebe medals twice, Miller places at state 2013-02-28 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| LINCOLN -- When it came to the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats swimming and diving team's performances at the Nebraska Swimming and Diving Championships, sprint swimmer Jon Wiebe saved his best splashes for last. And junior diver Noah Miller made his first big splash, with perhaps more to come next season as a senior. Wiebe, the senior leader of the Seacats who was making his third state meet appearance, earned two medals with a pair of top-six finishes at the Bob Devaney Sports Center's aquatic arena. Wiebe finished fifth in the 100-yard freestyle final with a career-best time of 48.41 seconds. He qualified for the final with a 48.48-second time on Friday. Creighton Prep sophomore Sean Tate won the 100 free, in 46.42 seconds. "All you can do is ask a kid to do is to their best, and he got up there and did a great job," Seacats coach Mike Hayhurst said. Wiebe, who had the third-best state-qualifying time (21.88 seconds) entering the state meet in the 50 free, had to settle for a sixth-place medal after falling from a third-place spot at the final turn. Nevertheless, his 22.27-second time got him a state medal this year after he placed 10th in the 50 free last February. Wiebe’s preliminary time Friday was 22.03. The 50 free winner also was Tate, with a clocking of 20.76 seconds. "Jon came in four years ago, never had swum before, never been on a swim team, with really no swimming experience at all, and what he did doesn't happen very often in Nebraska," Hayhurst said. "He comes in and goes to state as a sophomore, he places his junior year and he double medals his senior year, and all the way through he has always given great effort, been a good team leader, did everything we asked him to do and it paid off." On Thursday -- a day when travel was brought to a crawl in some places in Nebraska because of Winter Storm Q and wreaked havoc on the swimmers' practice schedules -- Miller made his goal of placing in the top 12 by finishing 10th with 305.55 points. Miller missed getting the eighth-place medal by more than 18 points. The winning diver was Ralston/Omaha Gross Catholic sophomore Joey Weber with 458.60 points. "Their goal was to make the finals, which is the top 12, and he accomplished that," Hayhurst said. "I saw his first seven dives, and what I saw I thought were his best dives all year. "The scoring at state is much tighter and he's not as well known a person back east, so next year he will be in better shape. They (judges) have seen him twice now at the state meet, and I thought he dove great and handled the pressure really, really well." With Wiebe and Miller’s top-16 results, the Seacat boys finished with 34 team points, good for 18th place. Creighton Prep dominated the boys’ competition, amassing 409.5 points, with Lincoln Southeast a distant second with 212 points. The girls’ division had Millard West take first with 267 points, with Omaha Marian second with 197. Omaha Westside, which won both divisions of the Seacats’ Tri-City Invitational on Jan. 18-19, finished sixth in the girls’ division with 159.5 points and 10th in the boys’ team race with 90 points. Although none of the Seacat girls' entrants made the top 16, Hayhurst said plenty of pride and excitement was to be passed among the other Scottsbluff/Gering state qualifiers. "We had 11 swims and one dive, and we had nine best times," Hayhurst said. "The best example was Sarah Cloud, who dropped three seconds in a 100 breaststroke, and that's just unheard of. "A lot of these kids got experience at state, and we had a couple kids as alternates who didn't swim but they got to see it and experience it. One of our junior kids who went on a relay and had never been before said, 'This is cool!' They were really excited about everything that goes on, so that is just fantastic." In looking toward next season, Hayhurst has a solid unit of girls returning while the younger boys will have to step up and join Miller as team leaders. "All of the girl state qualifiers will be back, and the guys we lose three seniors plus a junior who is going to Australia as a foreign exchange student," Hayhurst said. "But we bring back the bulk of our team and that's exciting." |
| Bayard, Scottsbluff wrestlers finish year at first state dual tourney 2013-02-28 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Bayard and Scottsbluff's wrestling programs got to top off great finishes to their district-winning seasons by participating in a little bit of Nebraska sports history. The Tigers and Bearcats each went 1-2 in their class' eight-team state dual tournament bracket on Saturday at the University of Nebraska Kearney Health and Sports Center, the first State Dual Championships in the Cornhusker State. Bayard won its first-round dual but then took two losses to finish fourth in Class D. Scottsbluff lost its first two duals, both by 34-33 scores, before the Bearcats finally beat district rival Alliance in the teams' third dual meeting, 45-33, for seventh place in Class B. Scottsbluff paid for forfeiting too many weights in losing to Lexington in the first round and then to York in the consolation semifinals, both by 34-33 counts. The Bearcats then avenged two tight dual losses this season to Alliance, downing the Bulldogs 45-33 in the seventh-place match. "It was great for us to go as a team and to see some quality teams," said Scottsbluff coach James Miller, whose team had six wrestlers go 3-0 on the day after having two champions and finishing as the team runner-up at the Class B State Championships the previous week in Omaha. "It was kind of nice for us to get to go there and match up well against the teams we wrestled. I'm a little disappointed in the way some of the duals turned out, like losing two duals in a row by one point each was a little tough to swallow. The fact that we were giving up two or three weight classes in every dual, it's hard to do that and beat some of the best teams in the state. "But for the most part, the guys wrestled well. We had six guys who went undefeated, and then we had some great team efforts by some kids that we plugged in, Court Muir, Keenan Schmidt and Efren Alaniz made the trip. Efren is our only senior and so it was nice for him to get some extra matches." Bearcat wrestlers who went 3-0 included state champions Colton Adams and Keegan Hessler, state runner-up Cruz Delacruz, third-place finisher Tristan Donelson and fifth-place medalist Andrew Aratani. Tristan Donelson overcame his non-medalist state performance to go 3-0 in the state dual event. Adams' three-match sweep gave him a final total of 56 wins against just one loss, which came in the Walsh Ironman National Tournament in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in December. He also recorded a Class B record of 41 pins. For Bayard, which had no finalists at the Class D open state tournament, the dual event was a nice way to end a 5-4-1 dual record season for 14th-year coach Randy McKibbin. "It was a great time. We wrestled relatively well and came away with some success," McKibbin said. "Having it be the inaugural event and to be in on that was a special thing for this team." The Tigers started out by outpointing High Plains Community School of Polk, near Center City,36-32. McKibbin said the Storm's coach, a long-time friend, worked on some match-up strategy -- something coaches can control in a dual tournament but not in the traditional state tourney bracket. "He knew who he wanted to wrestle and who he didn't want to wrestle," said McKibbin, whose team won thanks to three High Plains forfeits to Bayard's one. "When you get to the state competition level, they know which match-ups are the more favorable, and they are going to move their lineup so that happens." Bayard had two wrestlers, juniors Rocky Trevino and Tanner Willey, who traded between the 195- and 220-pound weights through the three duals and both came away with 3-0 records. But one achieved the mark without ever hearing a whistle, just having his arm raised on three forfeits. "From the wrestler's perspective, it's extremely frustrating, but from the coach's perspective you know he really respects you because he knows his wrestler is going to lose, and then they go to somebody else," McKibbin said. "That actually gives you a bit of stock in how people view your team. But he came away with 18 points from it for the team." After taking the win over High Plains, Bayard found itself matched against Pender, which was the state tourney runner-up to Amherst by a 185-172 margin. Those two teams met in Saturday's Bayard, Scottsbluff wrestlers finish year at first state dual tourneyClass D championship dual, won handily by Amherst 52-21. But individual tournaments can be different from dual tourneys. While Bayard had 40.5 points for 11th at state, the Tigers gave Pender all it could handle before Bayard fell in a 42-30 semifinal dual. "I think our boys knew we had a good team, but I don't think they really knew how good they were, because when I told them that we really did have a good chance of competing with and possibly beating Pender, which was our second dual, I don't think they really believed it.," McKibbin said. "And we started out with guns a -blazing, and their eyes opened up, and you could tell on their faces, they were saying, 'Hey, Coach is right, this could really happen.' But then we had a kid who was ahead 11-2 and then he ends up getting pinned. And then we would have ended up tied." After that loss, Bayard lost some momentum entering its third-place match against Plainview, which was the third-place team at state with 90 points. The Tigers only had one on-mat win in the 50-28 loss to the Pirates of northeast Nebraska, a major decision by junior Tristan Hunter; Bayard's other four wins were by forfeit. "Once that dual got away from us, I think the team was disappointed, and we didn't wrestle our best against Plainview," McKibbin said. "But to Plainview's credit, we didn't match up with Plainview. Our better kids were kind of by themselves, and their better kids were against our not-as-strong kids." "You know they laid it on the line, because we had a few kids get injured and that's wrestling," McKibbin said. "So I was really proud of them to come through and be the fourth-best dual team in the state, I'm really proud of them. And the longer the season went, the more successful we were." Bayard will return seven of its 10 state qualifiers for next season and McKibbin sees the Tigers being solid for several upcoming years. In the end, it could be a dual effort of winning state championship team trophies and medals for individual and team successes. Nebraska State Duals Tournament Saturday in Kearney Class B First Round Omaha Skutt 60, Alliance 12; Syracuse 37, Plattsmouth 29; Lexington 34, Scottsbluff 33; Nebraska City 31, York 25 Semifinals Championship -- Omaha Skutt 42, Syracuse 24; Nebraska City 42, Lexington 24. Consolation -- Plattsmouth 47, Alliance 21; York 34, Scottsbluff 33 Finals First place -- Omaha Skutt 33, Nebraska City 27 Third place -- Syracuse 46, Lexington 17 Fifth place -- York 36, Plattsmouth 30 Seventh place --Scottsbluff 45, Alliance 33 Scottsbluff individual results 106/113 -- Cruz Delacruz, 3-0 (2 pins); 113/120 -- Keegan Hessler, 3-0 (1 tech. fall); 120 -- Court Muhr, 1-0; 126 -- Walker Johnson, 1-0 (1 forfeit); 132/138 -- Colton Adams, 3-0 (3 pins); Keenan Schmidt, 0-3; 145 -- Sabian Harsh, 3-0 (2 pins, 1 maj. dec.); 152 -- Tristan Donelson, 3-0 (2 pins, 1 forfeit); 160 -- Cody Rossman, 0-3; 170 -- Efren Alaniz, 0-3; 182 -- Cameron Presher, 2-1 (2 pins); 195 -- Open; 220 -- Mario Soriano, 1-2 (1 pin); 285/Hwt. -- Andrew Aratani, 3-0 (1 forfeit, 1 maj. dec.). Class D First Round Amherst 60, Maxwell 18; Plainview 48, East Butler 19; Bayard 36, High Plains Community 32; Pender 44, Neligh-Oakdale 34 Semifinals Championship -- Amherst 58, Plainview 21; Pender 42, Bayard 30 Consolation -- Maxwell 46, East Butler 33; Neligh-Oakdale 39, High Plains Community 31 Finals First place -- Amherst 52, Pender 21 Third place -- Plainview 50, Bayard 28 Fifth place -- Neligh-Oakdale 42, Maxwell 39 Seventh place -- East Butler 42, High Plains Community 39 Bayard individual results 106 -- Open; 113 -- Madahi Garcia, 0-3; 120/126 -- Sammi Niezwaag, 0-3; Robert Niezwaag, 1-2; 132 -- Brandon Bowers, 0-3; 138 -- Kyler Sides, 0-3; 145 -- Lane Kizzire, 0-2; Conrad Kildow, 0-1; 152 -- Trenton Applegate, 2-1 (1 pin, 1 forfeit); 160 -- Allen Denton, 2-1 (1 inj. forfeit); 170 -- Tristan Hunter, 2-1 (1 pin, 1 maj. dec.); 182 -- Austin Willey, 1-1 (1 forfeit); Alex Wamboldt, 1-0 (1 forfeit); 195/220 -- Tanner Willey, 3-0 (3 forfeits); Rocky Trevino, 3-0 (2 pins, 1 forfeit); 275/Hwt. -- Chris Wurm, 2-1 (1 pin, 1 forfeit). |
| Cheering on the Bulldogs 2013-02-28 By |
| Gering Spirit Squad members from left, junior Brittany Eckerberg, freshman Maddy Gonzolas and sophomore Valeria Rodriguez entertain the halftime crowd during Saturday's district match up at Gering High School. |
| Adams leads runner-up Bearcats with 3rd state title - Hessler also state champ for SHS; Bulldogs’ Holt places 3rd 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston Sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Scottsbluff High School’s Hall of Champions began a new category last year: three-time state wrestling champion. And 52 weeks later, Bearcat junior Colton Adams added his name to the three-time state champ list to Tyler Nation’s. That Adams is just a junior and is undefeated on the state tournament mats in winning his three state championships, and barring any misfortunes along the way, he just might create his own category next season as a four-time champion. For now, Scottsbluff sophomore Keegan Hessler joined Adams as a state champion, and the Bearcats had four other top-six medalists in rolling up a second-place team scored of 119 points. Scottsbluff trailed only Omaha Skutt Catholic’s dominant winning total of 146.5 points, while Plattsmouth and Syracuse tied for third with 90 points apiece, and District B-4 rival Alliance was fifth at 87.5 points. Gering was 25th with 20 points. In becoming a three-time state titlist, Adams compiled a staggering 53-1 record, in the process setting a Nebraska all-class state record for victories in a season. His only defeat came at a prestigious national competition in Ohio in December. Adams’ title-clinching victory came with a 9-3 decision over Clay Trejo of Cozad in the 132-pound final. Adams thus earned his third gold medal after he won the 112-pound class as a freshman and the 126-pound title as a sophomore. He is a perfect 12-0 in state tournament competition. Hessler had a 50-win season of his own, earning the monumental victory mark in the 113-pound final and his state championship with a 5-3 decision over J.T. Sloboth of Skutt. The Bearcats had one other championship finalist in sophomore Cruz Delacruz, whose title hopes at 106 pounds were dashed by Brian Peska of Skutt in a 10-4 decision. Nevertheless, Delacruz finished a stellar season with a 47-6 record. Scottsbluff sophomore Sabian Harsh overcame a first-round loss at 145 pounds by scoring four straight consolation victories to land him in the third-place final. Harsh then claimed the third-place medal by scoring a 9-4 decision over Cory Sornson of Nebraska City, finishing the season with a 44-11 record. At 120 pounds, Scottsbluff sophomore Joseph Flores-Ybarra rebounded from a semifinal loss to make his consolation final, but he suffered a 5-4 decision to Alliance’s Devin Ushio. Flores-Ybarra finished the season at 27-7. In the heavyweight/285-pound class, Scottsbluff junior Andrew Aratani (38-15) overcame a consolation semifinal loss to claim fifth place with a tie-break win over York’s Ronaldo Trevino. For Gering, sophomore Baily Hort (31-8) overcame a quarterfinal loss to wrestle his way back through three consolation matches to make the third-place match, where he scored a second-period pin, in 3:47, over David Leija of Boys Town. Class D Bayard took 10 state qualifiers to Omaha, but the Tigers were shut out from making the championship finals. Nevertheless, Bayard had two medalists in fifth-place junior Tanner Willey (30-7) at 195 pounds and sixth-place senior Allen Denton (26-7) at 160 pounds, pacing the Tigers’ 13th-place finish in Class D with 40.5 points. Banner County senior David Gifford (40-7) finished fourth at 220 pounds following a 3-0 decision loss to Stevin Horrocks of Hay Springs. Morrill had a sixth-place finisher in sophomore CJ Sidrow (27-13) at 103 pounds. Class C Mitchell had three fifth-place finishers to pace the Tigers’ 15th-place team finish with 38 points. Freshman Drew Gilliland (37-8) took fifth by decision at 106 pounds, senior Brendan Swanson (23-5) was fifth at 170 pounds by winning in overtime, and freshman Braydon Wiedeman (28-10) scored a first-place pin at 182. State Dual meet Saturday Scottsbluff and Bayard will represent the area in the first State Dual Championships on Saturday at the University of Nebraska Kearney Health and Sports Center. Both teams qualified by winning their respective district team titles. Scottsbluff is the No. 6 seed in the Class B bracket and will take on Lexington in first-round action at 8:30 a.m. Semifinals are at 10 a.m., with the Class B and C finals at 11:30 a.m. Bayard enters the Class D bracket as the No. 3 seed and opens against High Plains at 3 p.m. Semifinals are set for 4:30 p.m., with the championship duals for Classes A and D set for 6 p.m. Alliance also made the Class B bracket and takes on No. 1 seed Omaha Skutt Catholic in the first round. |
| Bearcat boys ride Moreno's 9 treys past Bulldogs - Gering girls score season-high 57 points in turning back Scottsbluff 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF -- While the Scottsbluff boys' basketball team blazed away on the offensive end Friday night in avenging a 22-point loss to Gering, Bearcat boys' coach Tony Siske credited his team's defense the most in rolling past the Bulldogs 74-53 at the Scottsbluff High School gymnasium. "We came out and attacked their zone well and made shots, and Eric (Moreno) had the hot hand and that helps a lot," said Siske, whose team lost 55-33 at Gering on Jan. 19. "We were much more aggressive. Last time they forced us so far out and away from the basket, and this time we did a much better job of getting the ball into spots where we could attack." Moreno seemingly couldn't miss from 3-point range Friday night, with the senior hitting 9 of 16 3-point shots, and fellow senior Bearcat Michael Hadden was blazing inside the 3-point arc, with the two combining for 50 points. Moreno was 9-for-17 overall from the floor on his way to scoring a game-high 27 points, while Hadden hit 10 of 18 shots, all inside the arc, en route to a 23-point outing. "Hadden's had a great year and hopefully he can continue it for a few more games," Siske said." I'm just really happy with the way all the kids and the way we're playing." The Bearcats were 30-for-55 from the floor (54.5 percent), including an 11-for-21 effort from 3-point range (52.3 percent). Sophomore Jackson Hinze had seven assists and four steals, and senior Matthew Klein made three picks and shared rebounding honors with Hadden at four apiece. While Gering took a quick 8-3 lead, Scottsbluff reeled off 24 straight points that included four Moreno 3-pointers. The Bulldogs closed to within five at 32-27 with 3:27 left in the first half and trailed the Bearcats 35-29 at halftime. "They shot the lights out, especially Eric Moreno, and other than that it was kind of an even game," Gering coach Randy Plummer said. "But those 3s are the dagger that just kind of takes the spirit out of you. We did get behind big and came back, and they had one run in the third quarter that just finished us off." While Gering clinged to a 47-44 deficit, Scottsbluff indeed answered with a 13-0 run and led 60-44 late in the third quarter. The Bearcats opened the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run to lead 71-49 with 1:12 remaining. "We tried to go to man and that hurt us worse, so we went back to the zone and that's when we got that little run," Plummer said. For the Bulldogs, Grant Olsson had a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds, hitting 7 of 11 shots and a pair of free throws. Six of his rebounds were on the offensive end. Senior Zac Bibb followed Olsson with 15 points and junior Christian Groskopf added 10 points. Gering was 20-for-45 (44.4 percent) from the floor and perfect on 10 free-throw attempts. Thanks to Olsson's work on the boards, the Bulldogs held a 27-24 edge in rebounding. The Gering girls were 47-30 winners over Scottsbluff in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale. After Gering led 8-6 following the first quarter and 15-7 three minutes into the second period, Scottsbluff closed the score to 17-15 and had several possessions to tie or take the lead. "They came out really strong in the first quarter, which we talked about, and we knew that they would," Gering girls' coach Adam Freeburg said. "We knew that we just had to weather that storm in the first quarter, keep playing our game, stay the course and good things would happen for us." And the Bulldogs held off the threat and finished the first half ahead 26-19. Freeburg said the Bulldogs' 6-0 run to start the third quarter, after which Gering led 45-27, showed the Bulldogs' defensive strength the best. "We did a really nice job on the defensive end, especially in the third quarter," Freeburg said. "We did a nice job of coming out of the locker room with lots of intensity to start the second half, and that was the difference in the game." Seniors Alexa Anderson and Santanna Mitchell shared game-high scoring honors for the Bulldogs with 11 points apiece. Anderson was 3-fior-6 from the 3-point line and finished with 11 points, while Mitchell made 5 of 9 shots and a free throw. Sophomore Kaylee Spreier led Gering's 51-28 dominance on the boards by grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior Dakota Gellner grabbed nine boards and Mitchell followed with seven. While Gering (11-11) was just 38 percent accurate from the floor, the Bulldogs held Scottsbluff (2-20) to 24 percent shooting. Senior Alexus Pinedo led the Bearcats with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Freshman Chesney Walker followed in scoring with seven points. District action for Bulldogs, Bearcats District B-6 girls' tournament action began Tuesday night at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace, with Scottsbluff (2-20) facing Alliance(10-11). The winner meets top-seeded McCook (19-4) on Thursday at 6 p.m., while Gering (11-11) and Sidney (16-6) meet in the second semifinal at 7:30- p.m. The semifinal winners play at 7 p.m. Friday for the district championship and automatic trip to the Class B State Tournament at Lincoln on Feb.28-March 2. "This was a big win for us, and now is the fun part. We play a Sidney team on Thursday night that we feel good about playing them. We're going to give everything we have on Thursday." In the boys' district bracket, Gering (13-9) plays Alliance (8-13) Saturday in first-round action B-6 tournament. The winner faces Top-seeded Scottsbluff (18-5 before Tuesday's season finale at Torrington) in Monday's first semifinal at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs have beaten Alliance twice, 56-43 at home on Dec. 7 and 59-47 at Alliance on Jan. 25. "I'm sure they will come and throw everything at us that they've got, because it's time for districts," Plummer said. McCook (17-6) and Sidney (15-7) meet at 7:30 p.m. in Monday's second semifinal. The semifinal winners will play Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the district championship and automatic berth in the Class B State Tournament on March 7-9 in Lincoln. |
| Scottsbluff girls' season ends in district opener - Banner County wins sub-district opener but falls in semifinals 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF -- The Scottsbluff girls' basketball season came to an end Tuesday night when the Bearcats were dealt a 57-40 loss to Alliance in first-round play of the District B-6 playoffs at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace. Scottsbluff (2-21) fell behind 13-4 to end the first quarter but closed to within 13-10 of the Bulldogs (11-11) before Alliance took a 21-10 advantage. The Bulldogs still led 25-15 before the Bearcats closed the halftime margin to five at 25-20. Alliance followed a Scottsbluff free throw with a 7-0 run to take a 32-21 lead and held a 41-29 advantage going into the Bearcats' final quarter of the season. The 17-point final margin was the Bulldogs' largest of the game. Alliance senior guard Morgan Anthony sank three 3-pointers en route to leading the Bulldogs with 15 points. Junior forward Kiley Guerue also scored 15 points to pace Scottsbluff. Junior Toni Rosado followed Guerue with eight points. Scottsbluff loses four seniors but will return a wealth of varsity experience gained by a group that includes three freshmen. "We have to have a really good off-season," Bearcats coach Mike Burda said. "The future is bright, but sometimes you just have to go through some growing pains to get there." Alliance advances into Thursday's 6 p.m. semifinal against No. 1 seed McCook (19-4), while No. 3 Gering (11-11) takes on No. 2 Sidney (16-6) at 7:30 p.m. The winners meet Friday at 7 p.m. for the district championship and the automatic berth into the Class B State Tournament, Feb. 28-March 2 in Lincoln. Sub-District C2-12 at Gering The Bayard Tigers saw an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter Tuesday night slip away to a series of turnovers, which allowed No. 2 seed Hemingford to catch the Tigers and then finish with a 42-35 victory in the C2-12 boys' tournament at the Gering High School gymnasium. No. 2 seed Hemingford thus advances to Thursday's 7 p.m. sub-district final against top-seeded Bridgeport, which overcame a stubborn effort by No. 4 seed Morrill to down the Lions 37-33 in Tuesday's first semifinal. In the second semifinal, Hemingford (19-5) overcame a 33-28 deficit with 4:26 left in the game after three straight Bayard turnovers allowed the Bobcats to forge a 35-all tie with 2:30 remaining. With the teams tied at 37, the Tigers took the lead with 1:22 left on senior Braydon Parriott's driving lay-up. After Hemingford missed two 3-pointers, Bayard had the in-bounds pass intercepted at mid-court by Bobcats sophomore Colt Foster, who then passed off to junior Kyle Kaman, whose pass to sophomore Matthew Wood resulted in a game-tying basket, a foul and a go-ahead free throw with 57.8 seconds remaining. A traveling turnover on the Tigers (8-16) led to six straight free throws for Hemingford -- four by Wood, who finished with a game-high 16 points -- and the Bobcats advanced to Thursday's sub-district final. Parriott led Bayard with nine points. In Tuesday's first game, Morrill (5-14) grabbed a 10-7 first-quarter lead before Bridgeport (14-8) erased the deficit to take an 18-16 halftime lead. The Bulldogs then outscored the Lions by one in each of the third and fourth quarters to claim the slim victory. Bridgeport freshmen Quentin Baxter and Wyatt Pankowski scored 10 points apiece and sophomore Jason Amateis hit two 3-pointers on his way to scoring eight points for the Bulldogs. Morrill senior Sheldon Le hit four 3-pointers in his game-high, 16-point effort. Senior Taylor Lackey followed with seven in his and Le's final game for the Lions. Sub-District D2-12 at Mitchell Banner County scored a 61-31, first-round victory Monday night over South Platte in the District D2-12 playoffs at Mitchell High School. Sophomore Tyson Dahlgrin led the No. 4 seed Wildcats with 21 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Mike McKown added 13 points. No. 5 seed South Platte (0-16) got 14 points from Kris Kopetzky. The Wildcats (3-17) thus advanced into Tuesday's semifinals but lost 65-34 to top-seeded Leyton. The Warriors (19-1) will play Sioux County (13-7) in the sub-district championship game Thursday. Sioux County advanced to the all-Warrior final with a 46-41 semifinal win over Hay Springs (4-17). Sub-District D1-12 at Sidney Minatare entered the D1-12 bracket as the No. 1 seed and having beaten Potter-Dix on Saturday in the teams' final regular-season game. But the No. 4 seed Coyotes, who edged Creek Valley 43-42 Monday night in the teams' sub-district first-round contest, avenged their loss to Minatare with a 62-47 win over the Indians in Tuesday's semifinals. Potter-Dix (8-13, but 2-0 in the postseason) will play No. 3 seed Crawford in Thursday's D1-12 final after the Rams (11-10) scored a 50-40 semifinal win over No. 2 seed Garden County (9-11). Sub-District C1-12 at Alliance The No. 2 seed Mitchell boys were limited to 11 first-half points and saw their season ended Tuesday night with a 47-27 loss to No. 3 seed Chadron in Sub-District C1-12 semifinal play. Although the Tigers (10-11) were the higher seed, they lost all three of their meetings to Chadron, with the Cardinals (7-14) winning by 20 twice and the second game of the year by 23. Chadron began Tuesday's third meeting with a 17-5 first-quarter lead and built that advantage to 27-11 at halftime. Spencer Eliason paced the Cardinals in scoring with 12 points and Vonsinh Sayaloune added 11, while Mitchell got nine points from junior Jamie Fegler. Chadron will play Kimball for the sub-district title Thursday at 6 p.m. The top-seeded Longhorns (19-1) rolled past Gordon-Rushville (3-17) in Tuesday's first semifinal, 69-26. |
| Seacats ready to give their best shot at state meet 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Scottsbluff/Gering swimming and diving head coach Mike Hayhurst said the best element the Seacats can learn, and learn from, at this weekend's state meet is experience. For starters, the Seacats will take an extra swimmer for each division with them as an alternate, a strategy necessitated especially because of the season-long uncertainty of team members' health situations this year. Seven boys and eight girls compose the Seacats' state-qualifying delegation in the Nebraska State Swimming and Diving Championships at the Bob Devaney Sports Center's aquatic arena in Lincoln. "We never used to take alternates, but the last few years we've had illnesses right before state," said Hayhurst, whose team has been illness-plagued much of this season. "It's not like you can just call them up and have them come from seven hours away. We thought we better take kids with us and have them ready, and some of our options are limited to how many events kids can swim, so we started taking alternates last year." Scottsbluff/Gering will compete in 12 events, seven individual events and five relays. Diving will take place on Thursday, while preliminaries in the swimming events begin Friday morning and continue through Saturday. Finals will be broadcast on NETV at 10 a.m. Saturday. Senior Jon Wiebe in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle, along with junior Noah Miller in diving, enter state with the best chances of scoring for the Seacats in Hayhurst's thinking. Wiebe finished eighth in the 50 free last season and Miller looks to advance past the first round in his second state diving meet. "Wiebe is seeded third in the 50 and eighth in the 100, and I think Noah Miller is in good contention to score by making the top 16 in diving," Hayhurst said. Miller has the No. 20 score entering the state diving competition. "And then the other swimmers are just going to have to let 'er rip and see what happens," Hayhurst added. "It will be good experiences for those kids." The boys' 200 medley relay consists of Wiebe, senior Spencer Lake, senior Nick Childs and junior Daniel Schaub. The 200 freestyle relay has Wiebe, Childs, junior Zach Puckett and Schaub, and the 400 freestyle relay is composed of Childs, junior Baylen Smith, Puckett and Schaub. Sophomore James Maag is the Seacat boys' alternate for the relays. The Seacat girls' 200 medley relay consists of junior Vanessa Woolsey, sophomore Erin Weatherman, sophomore McKayla Stark and freshman Sarah Cloud. The 400 freestyle relay has Woolsey, Stark, sophomore Cierra Weatherfield and junior Emily Yanke, with freshman Anna Yanke as the alternate. In the individual events, Weatherfield will compete in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle, while Cloud made the 100 breaststroke and Woolsey is in the 100 butterfly. "It's a good experience for them, because so many of these kids have never been to big meets before," Hayhurst said of all qualifiers and alternates. "So it's a good experience, even if they're not swimming or if they're just swimming relays, now they have been there and they've seen what it's like. "That takes a little bit of anxiety from them the next time they go. They know what to expect and it's not such a shock." |
| Scottsbluff boys finish regular season with win at Torrington 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| While the small-school girls' basketball teams started postseason action last week, a few of the area's boys' teams , along with the Scottsbluff boys and girls, had regular-season action to complete before they were to start playoff action this week. The Scottsbluff boys, looking for a strong regular-season finish before starting their postseason defense of the Bearcats' 2012 Class B state championship, used a 31-point, third-quarter to kick-start their way to a 70-37 romp over Torrington across the state line. The win, which came after Scottsbluff held a slim 27-25 halftime lead after a lackluster first 16 minutes offensively, gave the Bearcats a 19-5 record heading into their District B-6 semifinal game Monday at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace. In their final regular-season contest, Scottsbluff (19-5) held the Trailblazers to 29.6 percent shooting in the first half, and, despite hitting just 34.8 percent of its first-half shots, retained the two-point lead the Bearcats held 16-14 after the first quarter. As the game played out, the first quarter was the Trailblazers' most productive of the night. Scottsbluff shot 52 percent after halftime while holding Torrington to 3 of 12 field goals (25 percent) after the break and rode a 31-6, third-quarter run to turn the tight game into a romp. Scottsbluff senior Eric Moreno, regaining the fire power he had in scoring nine 3-pointers Friday night against Gering, sank 6 of 11 treys Tuesday and led all scorers with 21 points. Senior Matthew Klein and junior Trent Harris were next in scoring for the Bearcats with nine points and one 3-pointer apiece. Klein had a team-high five steals and two blocked shots, and he shared team-leading honors in assists with sophomore Jackson Hinze as each dished out three scoring passes. Senior Michael Hadden, held to five points on just three shot attempts, had a Bearcat-high five rebounds. Senior Blake Wisroth led Torrington with 12 points and senior Cam Kelly added 11, but no other Blazer had more than four points. Torrington out-rebounded Scottsbluff 34-26, led by senior Josh Ring's game-high nine boards and Wisroth's eight caroms. The Bearcats' victory also followed a 64-53 loss Saturday at Rapid City, S.D., to the Central Cobblers, completing a doubleheader sweep for Central after the Cobbler girls downed Scottsbluff 76-34. The Bearcats, after having hosted Gering in a doubleheader Friday night, found the Central teams rested and ready to scored a big sweep at Rapid City on Saturday. In the boys' game, Scottsbluff held a 15-14 lead after the first quarter before Central responded by outscoring the Bearcats 19-10 in the second period, scoring the last nine points of the quarter in giving the Cobblers a 33-25 halftime lead. Hadden led the Bearcats in scoring with 20 points, while Moreno followed with 11. Klein added seven points and made three steals, while freshman Austin Clarkson had a team-high 11 rebounds to go with five points. In the girls' contest, Central bolted to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and led 35-14 at halftime. Freshman Zoe Holscher led Scottsbluff (2-20) with 11 points, while classmate Aly Camacho had seven rebounds for the Bearcats. Minatare boys win The Minatare Indian boys finished their regular season with a 55-50 win Saturday over Potter-Dix. Minatare improved its record 12-6 as the No. 1 seed in the District D1-12 tournament at Sidney, while Potter-Dix fell to 6-13. The Coyotes, however, made their postseason record 2-0 and avenged Saturday's loss Tuesday night by rolling past Minatare 62-47 to make Thursday's D1-12 championship game. Mitchell falls to Kimball The Mitchell boys concluded their regular season with a 52-27 loss to Kimball at home Friday night. The loss dropped the Tigers to 10-10 heading into their first-round, District C1-12 game Tuesday night at Alliance against Chadron. Kimball, which for some strange reason continues to remain unranked in the Omaha World-Herald's Class C1 rankings, improved to 17-1 with the win heading into the Longhorns' sub-district game against Gordon-Rushville. Mitchell got a team-high nine points from junior Jamie Fegler, while junior Garret Braman added six. Junior standout Mike Daum led Kimball with 23 points, while seniors Austin Pile and Caleb Reuter added nine points each. |
| Gering’s Miller dives after state honors, Seacats record 2013-02-21 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Noah Miller is one of a kind on the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats swimming and diving team this season. Miller, a junior at Gering High School, is the Seacats’ diving team. Being the lone diver, who has qualified for this week's Nebraska State Swimming and Diving Championships for the second straight year, he said has its advantages. For one, when the Seacats hosted the Twin City Invitational, Jan. 18-19 at Scottsbluff High School’s Splash Arena, Miller had the home crowd advantage and stage to himself. And, one week after he qualified for state in his first 11-dive program of the season, Miller won the boys’ competition at the Twin City meet with a personal- and season's-best score of 325 points. "I was really happy with my performance,” Miller said the day after his competition, which puts him with the 20th-best state qualification score entering the state championships' diving competition Thursday. “I not only passed 300, which is the state qualifying score, but beat (the) last week’s score of 312 and I also beat my personal high of 318, which was really nice to shot that I have improved.” With his Seacat teammates sitting at the far end of the pool, and easily drawing the loudest support of any of the 12 divers who competed at the meet, Miller won the boys’ program by more than 40 points. One of Miller’s early scores was a 39, which really drew a roar from the home crowd – and applause from many of his competitors as well. “Thirty-nine points is definitely good, because when that pops up, that’s good because I need to average 27-1/2 points per dive in order to get the 300 for state,” Miller said. “So when I have dives that score 39 points, that gives me 13 points or so leeway. I keep a tally in my head if I’m going to be close to 300 or not.” In between dives, Miller turns his attention to mental preparation for the next attempt. In watching him, one sees how focused he gets in getting ready for that next dive. "I like to separate myself sometimes because I'm there to win and do the best I can. It's a big mental game,” Miller said. “I might even over-think things, but I make sure I've thought through everything that my coach reminded me I needed to do. “I think of all that before I go up there, and I do any sort of stretching I need to that's particular to that dive, like if I need a nice, tight tuck I will stretch my legs before I go up there." Miller utilized a long-standing relationship that the Seacats have built with Omaha Westside, in which each plays host to the visiting team members in their homes and they have a joint team meal together after the diving competition on Friday night. At the Twin City meet, when he wasn’t locked into his deep mental preparation, Miller chatted with some of the Westside divers in between his attempts and seemed to enjoy the company. “Westside and us really have a neat bond because we stay in each others’ houses and it helps save both of our teams a lot of money in motel rooms,” Miller said. “It’s just pretty neat that we have something like that worked out, so Westside and us are close to each other and we cheer for each other. We’re friends.” Miller said Westside’s facility is his favorite place to compete on the road. And he scored a 311 at the Warrior Invitational on Jan. 25, saying he started well but then missed a few dives at the end of his program. “I really enjoy Westside’s meet because they have a nice pool and they have nice people, and I really enjoy their gym next to the pool,” he said. “That gym is jam-packed full of teams sitting all over." Miller said he enjoys being the Seacats’ initial competitor at meets. “I like it a lot, because I’m usually first, and then the rest of my trip has no worrying of how I’m going to do,” he said. “All the pressure’s off, so I can enjoy the rest of my trip. While the rest of the swimmers are still nervous about their events, I’m getting to feel good about the rest of my trip and enjoying it.” The Cheyenne meet, where Miller qualified for state, was a one-day event and required him and Scottsbluff/Gering diving coach Deb Post to rise and travel earlier than the rest of the Seacats. Some inclement weather the day before also played a role in their travel plans to the Wyoming capital city. “I got up at 3:30 that morning, we left my house at 4, and when we got there teams were already practicing,” Miller said. “They had a two-hour warm-up, with 26 kids competing, so I had plenty of time.” For the most part, Miller said the divers all support one another – that is, until the competition gets heated. “I have some friends with some of the teams from over there,” he said of the Wyoming schools’ divers, “and one of them always gives me tips on my dives, and he got second. He's a really nice guy, and I like that because a lot of the really good people are cocky and don't want to talk to anyone who's not as good as them, but he's really nice to everybody.” Speaking of friendly relationships, Miller said the Seacat team members are just that, with school affiliation and the usually fierce Twin City rivalry set aside for the sake of the swimmers and diver. “We don’t see it too much because a lot of the people who are swimmers don’t have as much of a hatred as much,” he said. “Like basketball is during swimming season and that’s a rivalry, but the other sports aren’t during our season. We get along great and there’s never been a problem with that. You don’t even think of ‘Oh, they’re from Gering or they’re from Scottsbluff.’” While many of the Seacats got their start in swimming as part of the Scotts Bluff County Torpedoes swim club, Miller got his start in diving in two different non-water activities: trampoline jumping and bicycle motocross racing. “I’ve done trampoline since grade school,” he said. “I got this Olympic-sized trampoline from my grandparents’ house because my dad (Dana Miller, a former Seacat diver who is now Gering’s fire chief) grew up jumping on it, and it just jumps you so much higher compared with the ones you buy nowadays. They don’t the same spring.” After suffering a broken arm while competing in BMX, Miller said his parents influenced his decision to try something different. And Dana Miller, who used that same trampoline as a youngster, saw his son follow his path into the diving arena. “I started right at ninth grade,” Noah said. “I enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, so I just felt that it would be something I might like. “I was nervous coming into it. I didn’t have a clue about how many divers they had or if it would be hard. It wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be and I really enjoyed it. I was actually the only diver for a little while, then they had a girl come back who had dove the year before and dive with me.” Miller had two diving teammates for the first part of this season but is the Seacats’ lone diver now. And while he enjoys being in the spotlight for Scottsbluff/Gering during the diving competitions, sometimes being the lone wolf can have its drawbacks, especially during practice time. Miller has to practice after the Seacats’ daily workouts end at 5:30 p.m., because his diving area requires two of the pool’s six swimming lanes to be open. He usually works out with Post for two hours each weeknight, and when the Seacats are off, like they were last weekend, he also practices on Saturday. “It does get kind of hard at times, just because I am alone a lot and I wonder why I am still doing it,” Miller said. “But my coach is usually there and I enjoy her. And my dad was a diver for the Seacats when he was in high school, and he keeps me motivated too.” The main drawback to his practices, Miller said, is the Torpedoes also have their practices while he is doing his diving workouts. “It’s kind of hard because concentration is so big, and I’m having to deal with a bunch of noisy kids, so that makes a kind of interesting aspect,” Miller said. Before this year’s diving season began, Miller participated in tennis in Gering’s first-year program during the fall. “It was a lot of fun and we beat Scottsbluff a couple times, and that felt kind of good since it was our first time and they’ve had a program for years,” said Miller, who played doubles. “It almost brings you closer; it doesn’t make things awkward or anything.” Miller said his goal for this year’s state meet, which begins Thursday and continues through Saturday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bob Devaney Sports Center's aquatic arena, is to make the top 12. His 325 from the Twin City meet is 21.20 points behind the 12th-place diver entering the state meet. In his final tune-up for state on Feb. 8, Miller won the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Championships boys' diving title with a score of 318.90 points. "My main goal is to go down to state and make it through both cuts, which would put me in 12th place or better,” Miller said. “That would make me really happy, but the main thing is going down and giving it my best." And Miller has his eyes on another goal for either this season or his senior year next year: the Seacats’ school record. “My goal for next year, if it doesn't happen this year, I would really like to break one of the records up on the school-record board in there, which is 367.8 points (for an 11-dive program),” he said of the school record, set by Jose Arellano in 2006. “I was 40 points away, which means I would have to score about four points higher on each dive. “It's doable if I have a really good day, I could definitely hit that. It will probably end up happening next season, but I would love to leave my name up there to show that I was here for four years.” |
| Scottsbluff, Bayard capture team district wrestling titles 2013-02-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Western Nebraska wrestlers flexed their best muscles Friday and Saturday in district action, which this year resulted in determining just the four qualifiers for this week’s state tournament in Omaha but also the automatic qualifying teams in the inaugural state dual tournament. Scottsbluff in Class B and Bayard in Class D punched their respective tickets for the State Dual Tournament on Feb. 23 in Kearney by winning their district titles. Scottsbluff won its second district title in three years, the first under second-year coach James Miller, thanks to junior heavyweight Andrew Aratani’s pin fall in the 285-pound championship match, which clinched the Bearcats a 4.5-point win over Lexington. Aratani’s championship win was one of five gold-medal performances for the Bearcats, who also had two other top-four, state qualifiers in compiling 177.5 team points. Alliance finished third behind Lexington’s 173 with 163.5 points, while Gering qualified four for state in placing eighth with 66 points. While the Bearcats did not have the team title clinched until Aratani’s first-period pin over McCook senior Mitchell Collicott, Miller credited the tenacity and success of Scottsbluff’s consolation wrestlers in compiling the points necessary for Aratani (35-13) to be in the position to win the team crown for SHS. “The most memorable thing will be how everybody contributed and came together,” Miller said. “Honestly, I think we won the district title in the wrestle-backs. The kids who got first and second obviously did a great job for us, but so did those kids who came through the back door and got some wins in the second and third rounds of consolation. The kids who got those extra matches in this weekend, those are the kids that won it for us.” Scottsbluff sophomore Cruz Delacruz (44-5) scored a 10-6 decision over Lexington junior Pascual Francisco to win the 106-pound title. Classmate Keegan Hessler (46-3) scored an 8-0 major decision over Holdrege senior Jacob Fuehrer to win the 113-pound championship. Bearcat sophomore Joseph Flores-Ybarra (24-5) finished second at 120 pounds to Alliance junior Devin Ushio (32-3) on an 18-2 technical fall. Two-time state champion Colton Adams, whose only loss in a 49-1 record came in a pre-Christmas tournament in Ohio, scored a third-period pin over Cozad junior Clay Trejo to take the 132-pound district title. Bearcat sophomore Sabian Harsha (39-10) scored a quick, 32-second pin over Chadron freshman Tate Cullers to win the 145-pound district championship. Chadron got a little revenge when Cardinals sophomore Willy Cogdill scored a 5-1 decision over Scottsbluff sophomore Tristan Donelson (27-9) in the 152-pound consolation match. “We’re looking to place as many of those guys as we can,” Miller said of the Bearcats’ hopes in the state tournament, which begins Thursday at CenturyLink Center and continues through Saturday. “Last year we had four state placers and this year we’re looking to improve on that and we’re looking for those guys to improve on placings. Cruz and Keegan are in the situation where they should be able to make the semis and finals, Colton should be able to wrestle well and come home with another state title. “Sabian Harsh is in a great spot in his bracket where if he wrestles some smart matches he should be in the semis or the finals. Joe Ybarra in a good spot in his bracket where he should be able to medal, and Andrew Aratani is in the same situation. Tristan Donelson will have a little bit of a rougher go of it, but even he has a chance to place if he wrestles smart and well.” And then all the Scottsbluff varsity team members will return to the wrestling room Monday to prepare for the first dual championships, for which the Bearcats earned an automatic berth as one of the four Class B district champions. “It’s pretty cool,” Miller said of Scottsbluff’s successes and rewards. “The kids and our coaching staff were all really excited when we found out we had won districts. It took everybody on the team, it took the entire coaching staff; there’s not just one person or one thing that did it for us. It took everybody, so that was great.” Gering sophomore Baily Hort finished third at 120 pounds in leading the Bulldogs. Hort (26-7) scored a 7-0 decision over Lexington junior Mike Nyugen in the consolation final. Jacob Rexus, Gering’s only senior this season, earned a trip to state by making the consolation final. Rexus was pinned by Lexington sophomore Mario Barraza in the second period, however. Bulldog 170-pound junior Elijah Timblin and 195-pound sophomore Christian Pester also made the consolation finals but settled for fourth-place, state-qualification berths. Timblin (28-11) lost a 6-3 decision to Holdrege senior Matthias Wirges-Becker, while Pester (14-15) lost a 12-4 major decision to Alliance freshman Kyson Schnell. Bayard wins Class D, sends 10 to state The Bayard Tigers, after not having even one state qualifier last season while competing in Class C, rose to Tiger coach Randy McKibbin’s early-season challenge of maintaining their weight programs and won the District D-4 with ease and sends a school-record 10 state qualifiers to Omaha. “They kind of took it to heart and believed what we were all about, and it showed,” said Bayard coach Randy McKibbin, who had five individual champions leading the Tigers’ 186-point ambush. “I wouldn’t say it was the toughest competition we faced, but it was the most intense just because you’re trying to qualify for the state tournament. I guess that’s why you practice, that’s why you go to tough tournaments and you put them up against good people. You never know how things are going to shake out, but things worked out for us.” Bayard’s overall team strength carried the Tigers to an 83-point victory over distant runner-up Hay Springs. Stapleton-McPherson County (SMC) was a close third with 98.5 points. Morrill, which had six wrestlers qualify for state, finished in a tie for fourth with Perkins County at 91 points. Banner County qualified three for state and finished ninth with 44 points, while Minatare finished in 14th with 17 points and qualified one wrestler for Omaha. Bayard had several wrestlers over the past two seasons fall just one consolation semifinal victory short of making the top four in District C-4 meets. With the shift to Class D and the high prospectus of filling most if not all 14 weight classes for districts, McKibbin saw the Tigers’ potential early in the season. Saturday’s results provided the ultimate answers that dedication and a tough regular-season schedule can offer. “Those are always tough pills to swallow, and I guess that’s how character is formed, isn’t it?” McKibbin said of the Tigers’ “bridesmaid bracket” losses. “When you set a goal and run short, you have to re-evaluate your goal and try to work hard and try to attain it again. They all did, so I was really proud to see them come through on top.” Senior Lane Kizzire overcame an early season concussion to win the 145-pound district title with a 7-4 decision over Morrill freshman Elvariste Gomez. Senior Allen Denton (24-4) won the 160-pound district gold medal with a 19-4 technical fall over Mullen freshman Gideon Monette. Tiger sophomore Tristan Hunter (26-10) claimed the 170-pound championship with his second-period pin of Sutherland freshman Landon Fear. Senior Austin Willey (27-5) won an all-area final at 182 pounds by pinning Banner County senior Gared Krakow in the second period. Junior cousin Tanner Willey (also 27-5) won the 195 class title with a third-period pin over SMC junior Clay Seifer. Bayard junior Trenton Applegate (32-7) was the 152-pound district runner-up after losing a major decision in the finals. Junior Brandon Bowers won the 132-pound consolation final with a 1-0 decision over Morrill senior Matthew Unrein. Sophomore Robert Niezwaag (3-10) overcame a broken foot suffered in football to qualify as a fourth-place district finisher. Junior Kyler Sides (9-8) finished fourth at 138, as did junior Chris Wurm (28-1) at heavyweight/285. “We’ll just go there and we’ll give it our best shot,” McKibbin said of Bayard’s state tournament hopes. “Things have to fall the right way, but I think we’ve got some shots. It should matter of how their minds are and how much is in their hearts, and they’ve shown up to this point that they’ve shown a lot of heart and desire, so I don’t know why we couldn’t go down there and bring some hardware home.” And, like Scottsbluff, the Tigers will still have business remaining after the traditional state tournament with their automatic qualification into the first state dual tournament. “Ten get to wrestle in Omaha, and then the whole team gets to travel to Kearney and take on the eight best dual teams,” McKibbin said. “We get a chance to show what kind of team we have, and kudos to Nebraska for stepping up and letting it happen.” For Morrill, senior C.J. Sidrow returns to state after making the 106-pound district final. Sidrow (24-10) lost an 8-4 decision to Perkins County senior Austin Thelander, who is 35-1 on the year. Gomez, 27-17 as a freshman for the Lions, qualified as the 145-pound runner-up to Bayard’s Kizzire. Also for Morrill, freshman Garrett Zwiebel (18-25) earned a third-place finish at 138 pounds with a second-period pin over Bayard’s Sides. Sophomore heavyweight Matthew Hessler (30-11) scored a 40-second pin over Bayard’s Wurm for the consolation title. Unrein (30-15) qualified at 132 and freshman Jackson Carpenter (9-29) made state at 160 after both finished fourth for the Lions. Banner County had 182-pound runner-up Krakow (8-6) lead the Wildcats’ state-qualifying trio. Third-place finishing, 220-pound senior David Gifford (37-5) won by a second-period pin to take the consolation final. Banner County’s other qualifier is 195 fourth-place senior Thomas Grubbs (5-15). Minatare sophomore Marc Cinocco (17-11) made state as a fourth-place finisher at 126. Mitchell takes fourth, qualifies five for state in Class C Mitchell had three seniors among its five state qualifiers, with the Tigers’ two freshmen and one senior finishing as district runners-up in the District C-4 tournament at Southern Valley High School near Oxford in Furnas County. Mitchell thus finished fourth in the team standings with 112 points. Valentine scored a team-winning 188.5 points, 50 ahead of runner-up Sargent-Burwell. Bridgeport has two state qualifiers after finishing 13th in the district team race with 45 points. Freshman Drew Gilliland (33-6) finished second at 106 pounds to Kearney Catholic junior Alex Cantral in an 11-7 decision. Freshman Braydon Wiedeman (24-8) was pinned in the third period by West Holt junior Josh Coyle in the 182-pound championship match. Tiger senior Brendan Swanson (20-3) was pinned in his 170-pound championship match, in the second period by Kearney Catholic junior Thomas Connely. Mitchell senior Spencer Rien (28-16) finished third at 220 with his consolation final pin in 1:57 of Sargent-Burwell junior Brook Huffman. Senior Josh Zulkowski (34-8) finished fourth at 120 pounds after getting pinned by Justin Miller of Sargent-Burwell. Bridgeport junior Brandon Nichols is 36-2 after winning the 138-pound class with a second-period pin over Loomis-Bertrand junior Andrew Abramson. Bulldog junior Dakota Swires (22-6) enters state at 126 after a fourth-place finish. |
| Gering Basketball teams participate in East/West Shootout 2013-02-14 By Philip Eckerberg - Special to the Citizen |
| The East/West shootout is a three night basketball round robin pitting Gering, Scottsbluff, and Alliance against North Platte, Lexington, and McCook. This year the boys made the trip east and the girls got to stay home. The shootout began on Thursday night and ended Saturday afternoon. Here is the roundup of the Gering action. Thursday Night: Gering took on North Platte. The Bulldog boys lost 67-46 and the girls lost 59-39. The Gering and North Platte teams have some commonality, they share the same Bulldog mascot and same blue and gold colors. North Platte is a Class A school; however, and Gering tests its mettle in Class B. The girls' game started out with North Platte racing ahead to a 7-0 lead. Gering finally answered with a trey by Nicole Michael. North Platte continued to lead and the first quarter ended with them enjoying a 12-8 lead. Gering began to come back in the second quarter and was able to reach 19-19 tie with 1:44 left before the half. That would prove to be the closest Gering would come to North Platte. The North Platte Bulldogs outscored Gering 21-6 in the third period and 16-12 in the final quarter to win the game 59-39. North Platte girls' coach Mark Woodhead gave Gering credit for hanging with them in the first half. “Our girls were playing overly aggressive in the first half and committed eight fouls which Gering converted to six points at the free throw line,” the coach said. “Gering had a hard time guarding Ashten Hernandez.” Gering coach Adam Freeburg said that Gering started with a lack of energy in the first quarter and then had the same lack of energy in the third quarter. Freeburg said that by the time the forth quarter came around Gering was “in a hole too big to dig out of.” “Gering relies on defensive play to keep up in games and we just did not get it done tonight,” Freeburg said. Individual scores for Gering: Santanna Mitchell 11, Nicole Michael 10, Dakota Gellner 7, Megan Upp 6, Ashlyn Schultz 2, Brooke Satur 2, Alexa Anderson 1. Individual scores for North Platte: Kaitlynn Harvey 19, Allison Sawyer 17, Ashten Hernandez 16, Sally Hengen 3, Madalynn Doughty 2, Marisa Martinez 2. The Gering boys also struggled Thursday night in North Platte. Gering fell behind 24-12 in the first quarter and never caught up. They were outscored 12-7 in the second, 11-9 in the third, and 20-18 in the fourth. The final score was North Platte 67, Gering 46. Individual scores for Gering: Christian Groskopf 11, Austin Hoffman 11, Grant Olsson 6, Joses Palomo 5, Zac Bibb 3, Austin Ferguson 3, Taylor Nelson 3, and Gage Winkler 2. Individual scores for North Platte: Drew Callaghan 28, Kade Erickson 19, Shand Mauch 9, Jack Kenney 5, Darian Allberry 4, Nick Wilkinson 2, and Kolbey Foote 1. Friday Night Gering takes on Lexington: Gering proved to be better on Friday night with both teams beating Lexington. The boys won 61-45 and the girls won 36-26. Strong defense is the Gering girls’ team specialty and they worked it on Friday night holding Lexington to just 26 points. Gering outscored Lexington in the first quarter 9-4 and tied them 9-9 in the second frame. Gering topped Lexington 14-7 in the third period, and while Lexington bested Gering 6-4 in the final quarter it was too little too late. Lexington girls head coach Brent Frauen said he was disappointed that his Minutemaids lost, but added “We did much better tonight. Yesterday they came out flat and lethargic and they came out with a lot more energy both offensively and defensively.” Frauen said, “We were playing right where we needed to be and staying in there until the third quarter. We were coming back in the forth but could not make up for the third.” Gering girls coach Freeburg said, “We played much better on the defensive end…it felt good to get that taste out of our mouths from last night. The girls had more energy tonight than we did last night, especially in the third quarter. We got some big defensive stops and some big baskets in the game and it was over all a good win for us.” Gering player Katie O’Boyle said, “It was a good game and Lexington is a good team and we can’t let anything down. Coach Freeburg told us that when we have a home game we need to defend our court and show every team that when they walk out they know who we are.” Individual scores for Gering: Jessica Rogers 12, Dakota Gellner 7, Santana Mitchell 5, Allia Vacha 3, Alexa Anderson 3, Megan Upp 2, Katie O’Boyle 2, and Danielle Ysac 2. Individual scores for Lexington: Mackenzie McKeone 7, Molly Woockman 6, MaKenzie Hammond 5, Katelin Schultze 4, Hannah Ostrom 2, and Kaelyn Pack 2. The boys’ team also fared well on Friday night playing in Lexington and beating them 61-45. Gering simply dominated the entire game outscoring Lexington in every quarter. The first quarter Gering led 14-7, in the second 19-17; third frame Gering led 13-11, and the final period Gering led 15-10. Individual scores for Gering: Austin Ferguson 14, Christian Groskopf 12, Grant Olsson 10, Joses Palomo 9, Zac Bibb 7, Austin Hoffman 6, Walker Britsch 3. Individual scores were not available for Lexington boys. Saturday saw split results for the Gering teams vs. McCook. The girls’ team suffered a loss of 42-33 at home. The boys pulled off a stunning upset over number three ranked McCook winning 64-57. McCook is rated the number three ranked class B team according to the Omaha World Herald poll. McCook had just suffered a 60-57 double overtime loss the night before to number two ranked Scottsbluff. It was the Bison’s first home loss. Whether this had an effect on team morale or not, Gering's performance was red hot! The Dawgs Zac Bibb led the way with a single game career high 26 points in the match against McCook. Gering took the lead early in the first quarter 18-8, and never let McCook catch up. McCook staged a small comeback in the second frame outscoring Gering 15-13, but the Dawgs held the Bison off in the third 12-9. The closest McCook would come was three points late in the forth quarter where they actually outscored Gering 23-21 but the Bulldogs held them off and finished with a seven point win. Gering coach Steve Land said, “This was a lot of fun. We had a nine or ten point lead and we knew that would not hold up. We knew that they would make a furious charge at us and they did. We had a couple of turnovers due to the pressure and we did not execute our press break good enough. McCook is a good team and they hit us with some big shots but we did too after we broke the press.” Individual scores for Gering: Zac Bibb 26, Christian Groskopf 11, Joses Palomo 10, Grant Olsson 9, Austin Ferguson 5, Austin Hoffman 2, Walker Britsch 1. Individual scores not available for McCook. The Gering girls did not fare so well in their game against McCook losing 42-33. The contest turned out to be a foul festival as there were a total of 43 fouls and 61 free throw attempts in the game. The Lady Dawgs were outscored in every quarter except the last as the made an 11-4 attempt to catch up but it was not enough to get out of the hole and ultimately they fell. Individual scores for Gering: Jessica Rogers 7, Santanna Mitchell 6, Alexa Anderson 6, Dakota Gellner 4, Nicole Michael 3, Megan Upp 3, Katie O’Boyle 2, Danyele Ysac 1, and Allie Vacha 1. Individual scores for McCook: Brooklyn Trew 15, Molly Sughroue 10, Megan Ruppert 6, Kassidy Gillen 4, Rachal Goltl 3, Madison Chitwood 2,and Brenleigh Daum 2. Gering boys are now 13-8 on the season while the girls are 10-11. Next action is the regular season finale for both boys and girls at Scottsbluff High School on Friday the 15TH. The girls play at 5:30 PM and the boys at 7:00 PM. If you want to watch in person plan to arrive early. According to an e-mail received from Scottsbluff AD David Pauli the gates will open at 4:30 PM and will close when the gym reaches capacity. If you leave you cannot get back in. There will be closed circuit TV coverage in the cafeteria for those that can’t get into the gym. Given Gering’s ability to be a spoiler this year, it will be an interesting game. |
| Scottsbluff boys win two, girls one in Shoot Out action 2013-02-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Many a basketball fans’ eyes were drawn toward McCook last Friday night and the Bison boys’ second match-up of the season against the Scottsbluff Bearcats, teams that were ranked in the top three of state newspaper and the Class B power point ratings. Those who saw the game, or viewed or listened to it via media and technology, certainly got their money and time’s worth from the game, which finished in the equivalent of five quarters. Scottsbluff withstood McCook’s last-second attacks that put the Bison ahead at halftime then forced overtime and the second extra session before the Bearcats shut out McCook in the second overtime and escaped with a 60-57 victory. The game was the second in the annual East-West Shoot-Out, a three-game series that this year saw the Scottsbluff boys go 2-1 on the road and the Bearcat girls win the first of their three home games before falling in the other two at the Scottsbluff High School gymnasium. Friday’s Scottsbluff-McCook boys’ battle lived up to its hype of matching two 16-3 teams, with the top seed in the upcoming District B-6 Tournament likely at stake. McCook had beaten the Bearcats 59-45 in the third-place game of the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament on Dec. 29. In Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske’s eyes, what was the biggest factor for the Bearcats in gaining the victory? “That we can get a win under some tough circumstances and in a fun environment,” he said. Scottsbluff overcame three last-second baskets by the Bison, first at the halftime buzzer that put McCook ahead 30-27, and another buzzer-beater that put the Bison on top 42-39 after three quarters. Senior Sean Backer’s 3-pointer at the end of the first overtime knotted the score at 57-all. But it would be the last points McCook would score after the Bearcats clamped down on defense and got a basket from senior Taylor Winkler and a free throw by senior Eric Moreno. “To overcome the three buzzer-beaters that they took, those are big momentum plays,” Siske said. “Then you battle and take the lead in overtime and play tough defense, then they hit the tough three and send it into the second overtime. “You come to the bench real quick and got to go back out there and compete again. Our kids did a good job of dealing with that kind of stuff.” In the final 30 seconds, it was Scottsbluff’s defense that kept McCook from finding Backer, who missed an off-balance, last-second try, or some other Bison player open to force a third extra period. “On the very last one we played good D,” Siske said. “The shooter got off a running fade-away on one foot, so we played good D and luckily it hit the rim and it bounced out. We got our hand on the ball once or twice and it just made things tough on them.” The Bearcats and Bison were nearly tied on field-goal percentage, with Scottsbluff at 37.2 percent (19-for-51) and McCook at 37.7 percent (23-for-61). The Bearcats ripped 10 3-pointers (still at 37 percent) while McCook was just 6 of 23 from the arc (26 percent). Moreno led Scottsbluff with 22 points, on 6 of 15 field goals that included five 3-pointers, and grabbed 14 rebounds. Senior Matthew Klein followed with a 5-for-7 performance from the 3-point arc on his way to a 6-for-10 night and 21 points. Klein also had eight rebounds, a category the Bearcats led 40-34. Senior Michael Hadden added 12 points and had three steals. Backer led McCook (16-5 after losing Saturday to Gering) with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Cody Wudtke added 14 points and seven boards for the Bison. That win followed Scottsbluff’s big 81-33 romp over Lexington, a game the Bearcats began with a 21-2 first-quarter run and scored 21 again in the second and fourth quarters. “I thought we played really good Thursday night, especially defensively, and that’s the end where we’re certainly kicking it up and we’re getting after it,” said Siske, whose team held Lexington to just 29.7 percent shooting (11-for-37) while forcing 21 Minutemen turnovers and making 12 steals. Scottsbluff ripped the nets at a 63.7 percent clip (32-for-51), including going 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from 3-point range. The Bearcats held a slim 26-21 edge in rebounding. Moreno hit 5 of 7 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point land, to score a game-high 16 points. Klein followed with 10 points that included two treys, and he made three steals. Hadden, while held to six points on 3 of 5 shooting, had a team-high five rebounds. Sophomore Jackson Hinze dished out six assists and tied Klein in steals with three. In a battle of state-ranked teams on Saturday, however, the combination of playing a tough Class A North Platte Bulldogs squad and perhaps some road weariness caught up with the Bearcats in a 65-45 loss. North Platte (15-5), which is sixth in the Class A power points, shot a staggering 58.1 percent while holding Scottsbluff – second in Class B power points – to 41 percent shooting. The Bearcats had a 21-15 lead after one quarter but were outscored 18-5 by the Bulldogs, who led 33-26 at halftime. North Platte peppered Scottsbluff inside behind Kade Erickson’s 24 points that included four 3-pointers and 10-for-16 shooting overall. Jack Kenny was good on all three of his 3-point attempts and made 6 of 8 shots on his way to a 16-point afternoon. Hadden paced the Bearcats (17-4) with 17 points, hitting all seven of his free throws and 5 of 11 field shots, while Moreno also was 5-for-11 and hit all three free throws – the two combined for Scottsbluff’s 100 percent free-throw shooting effort – on his way to 14 points. Hadden and Moreno shared team-high rebounding honors with five apiece – the Bearcats were out-rebounded 25-17 – and Hadden had a team-high three assists. “I think that we’re getting back to full strength and getting everyone practicing and getting everyone on the same page,” Siske said. “I think we’re just starting to play the way you need to be playing at the end of the season.” Bearcat girls score breakthrough victory Just because the Scottsbluff girls’ basketball team went through January and the first weekend of February without a win doesn’t mean the Bearcats haven’t put forth the effort needed to gain a scoreboard victory. The Bearcats’ determination was rewarded Thursday night with a 46-29 win over Lexington in the first of three games in the annual East-West Shoot-Out. “The girls did a good job,” said Scottsbluff girls’ coach Mike Burda, whose team jumped out to an 11-2 lead, which was whittled back to 11-8, before the Bearcats shut out the Minutemaids for more than nine minutes and went on an 18-0 run to lead 29-8 at halftime. “The girls came out and played hard on defense and they were able to get some points in transition. The biggest positive is that the girls haven’t given up. It’s been a rough season, and to get a win is a good thing for them.” Scottsbluff was led by junior Toni Rosado, who finished with of 12 points and eight rebounds. Junior Kiley Guerue led all scorers with 14 points and four steals, while senior Alexus Pinedo added seven points. The Minutemaids (7-16 after a 0-3 weekend in the Panhandle) were paced by Molly Woockman, who finished with six points on the two 3-pointers. Both teams were solid from the free-throw line, with Scottsbluff going 10-for-15 from the charity stripe while Lexington was 11-for-16. Eight of Lexington’s free throws came in the final period. “They rebounded well, ran the transition well,” Burda said. “I’m just proud of the girls for the effort they have put in this season. It paid off with the win. A lot of girls got to play and that’s what we need so they get that experience.” Scottsbluff (2-18) was stopped short of another victory the rest of the weekend, losing Friday to McCook 72-43 and Saturday to North Platte 61-39. Against McCook, which improved to 19-3 after an undefeated weekend, Scottsbluff jumped out to a 14-12 lead before the Bison finished the first quarter with an 11-2 run for a 23-16 lead after the opening eight minutes. McCook then caught fire in the second quarter and led 45-24 at halftime. Brooklyn Trew fueled four McCook double-figure scorers with 17 points, while Guerue and Rosado led the Bearcats with 10 points apiece. Against North Platte (10-10), the visiting Bulldogs led 36-22 at halftime and put the game away with a 15-3 run in the third quarter. North Platte had four girls score in double figures, led by Allison Sawyer’s 14 points. Guerue led Scottsbluff with 13 points. The Bearcats will play host to Gering on Friday at the SHS gym, with the girls’ game starting at 5:30 and the boys following at about 7 p.m. The doors will open for admission at 4:30 p.m. The Scottsbluff teams then travel to Rapid City on Saturday to face Central. The Scottsbluff boys will close out regular-season action Tuesday at Torrington, while the girls begin District B-6 action Tuesday at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace. |
| Minatare boys rediscover winning ways in home stretch of season 2013-02-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| With the high school basketball season winding down for most teams this week, while small-school girls’ teams are in sub-district play, the time has come for teams to make their runs if they wish to contend in the postseason. One such team is the Minatare boys, whose last two victories have the Indians back on track after seeing a 9-1 season start brought down with a five-game losing streak. After losing to 17-1 Leyton twice and 16-1 Oelrichs, S.D., during that five-game drought, Minatare rediscovered its winning form on Feb. 1 with a 51-49 win at home over Sioux County. The Indians (11-6) then followed an eight-day break Saturday with a 79-39 win at Hyannis. The late-season surge helped Minatare earn the No. 1 seed in next week’s Sub-District D1-10 Tournament in Sidney, at the Cabela’s Activities Center. The Indians will first play Potter-Dix (6-12) in Friday’s regular-season finale and then will play in Tuesday’s 6 p.m. sub-district semifinal against the winner of Monday’s Potter-Dix/Creek Valley game. The Minatare girls were cut down by Hyannis 81-17 on Saturday and then had their season ended at 1-16 Monday in a 4-19, first-round sub-district loss to Garden County. Bayard boys down Morrill The Bayard boys completed their regular-season schedule Monday night by scoring a 53-36 win at Morrill. Tyler Fiscus and Braydon Parriott scored 16 points in leading the Tigers (8-15) to the victory. The Lions (5-13) got a team-high 11 points from Jacob Ramirez. Morrill will take on Bridgeport and Bayard plays Hemingford on Tuesday when the District C2-12 tournament gets under way in Gering. Mitchell boys beat Ogallala The Mitchell boys split their Friday and Saturday games, first scoring a 53-45 win at Ogallala. Junior Bo McVay scored 19 points in leading the Tigers’ victory, while juniors Adam Schlotthauer (16 points) and Jamie Fegler (10) also reached scoring in double figures. On Saturday at home, however, Mitchell was dealt a 74-42 loss to Sidney, a game in which Red Raiders junior Paxton Ehler led all scorers with 18 points and sophomore Tate Harvey followed with 17. Fegler led the Tigers (10-9) with 17 points. The Mitchell boys complete the regular season at home Friday against Kimball (16-1) in a match-up of the top two seeds in the District C1-12 Tournament that starts Tuesday in Alliance. Top-seeded Kimball will play Gordon-Rushville and No. 2 seed Mitchell faces Chadron. The Mitchell girls were swept in the back-to-back games after having lost a rematch from the Feb. 2 Western Trails Conference championship game to Kimball in overtime on Tuesday. The Tigers were dealt a 58-51 loss at Ogallala on Friday and were downed by Sidney 69-22 at home Saturday. Mitchell senior Havannah Newens led Mitchell (12-10) in scoring against Sidney with 12 points. The Red Raiders (15-6) got 13 points apiece from Sarah Mahr and Karissa Segelke. Banner County swept Banner County boys lost 35-34 last Tuesday to the Burns, Wyo., junior varsity and then at home Friday in Harrisburg to Lingle-Fort Laramie, 47-30. Mike McKown had 14 points and Tyson Dahlgrin grabbed 16 rebounds for Banner County (2-16) against Lingle-Fort Laramie. The Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in the Sub-District D2-12 boys’ tournament and face winless South Platte (0-15) on Monday at 6 p.m. in a first-round game at Mitchell. The Banner County girls were defeated 61-20 at Burns and 67-8 by Lingle-Fort Laramie. The Wildcats (1-19) saw their season ended Monday night in a 36-25 loss to South Platte in Sub-District D2-12 first-round play at Sidney. |
| WNCC softball wins two against Colby 2013-02-14 By |
| COLBY, Kan. – Mariah Shepherd hit three home runs and Bianca Duran picked up two wins in the circle as the Western Nebraska Community College softball team registered a doubleheader sweep over Colby Community College on Saturday in Colby, Kan. In the opener, the sophomore from Westminster, Colo., struck out 11 and allowed seven hits in leading the Cougars to the 8-1 win. The second game, Duran came on in relief and pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in getting the 9-7 win. In both contests, the Cougars offense was lively, pounding out a combined 24 hits, including Shepherd’s three home runs to push the Cougars to 3-1 on the season. The first game was all WNCC from the start. Shepherd got things going with a 3-run shot in the first inning. The Cougars pushed that to 5-1 after two innings. WNCC didn’t score again until the sixth with three runs on three hits. WNCC had three players record multiple hits. Shelby McGraw went 2-for-2 , while Kayla Romey went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen Base. Lindsey Shiels-Brophy also finished with a 2-for-4 game. The second game was a battle where the Cougars came from behind to capture the win. WNCC scored three times in the first. Duran started the explosive hitting with a double and scored on a Jennifer Cottle single. Shepherd then hit a 2-run home run for the 3-0 lead. The Cougars went up 6-1 with three runs in the fifth on three hits, including run-scoring doubles by Shepherd and Kasey Cash. Colby came back to tie the game at 7-7 before the Cougars won the game in the seventh. Shepherd started things with a lead-off home run. Shiels-Brophy then doubled followed by a single by Nicole Weiss. Shiels-Brophy scored an insurance run by stealing home for the 9-7 win. The Cougars pounded out 14 hits in the contest. Shepherd had three hits, two home runs and a double. Shepherd also had four RBIs and three runs scored. WNCC, 3-1, will be back in action next weekend when they compete in the Midland, Texas, Tournament Friday through Sunday. First Game WNCC 320 003 0 – 8 10 1 Colby 100 000 0 – 1 7 5 WP – Bianca Duran (2-0); HR – Shepherd. Second Game WNCC 300 031 2 – 9 14 2 Colby 001 042 x – 7 12 0 WP – Duran (3-0); 2B – Duran, Shepherd, Jennifer Cottle, Kasey Cash, Lindsey Shiels-Brophy; HR – Shepherd 2. |
| Seacats' Weatherfield, Wiebe, Miller capture GNAC championships 2013-02-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Gering sophomore Cierra Weatherfield and Scottsbluff senior Jon Wiebe each captured a pair of individual swimming championships Saturday, and junior Noah Miller won Friday’s boys’ diving crown Friday in leading the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats swimming and diving team at the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Championships in Hastings. Weatherfield’s first-place finishes in the 200-yard individual medley and 500 freestyle helped the Scottsbluff/Gering girls finish fourth in the team standings with 205 points. Columbus won the team title with 319 points, while Norfolk was second at 297 and Kearney placed third with 208. Wiebe’s wins in the 50 and 100 freestyles and Miller’s diving victory led Wiebe’s top finishes helped the Seacat boys to a third-place finish in the team standings. Norfolk won the boys’ division with 388 points, while Columbus was second with 251, and Scottsbluff/Gering netted 216 points for third. “We would have liked to have finished higher than that in the team scores, but the kids who really worked hard and didn’t have any illness this year, they really swam well,” Scottsbluff/Gering coach Mike Hayhurst said of completing an illness-riddled regular season for the Seacats. “We always swim better than everybody else there (based on previous weeks’ outings) and to have five individual titles is always gratifying.” Part of the Seacats’ biggest battle of the weekend came on the way to Hastings, when they experienced bus trouble. Fortunately, the Scottsbluff boys’ basketball team was in the North Platte area for the East-West Shoot Out, and the Seacats were able to trade buses and continue on eastward. “We had a lot of adversity to overcome and the kids overcame it,” said Hayhurst, adding that the team hurried Saturday to get back home before the arrival of the threatening winter storm, which dropped just a half-inch of snow on the immediate area. In the pool at Hastings, however, a season-long effort paid off nicely for Weatherfield with two conference championships. Weatherfield won the girls’ 500 freestyle in a time of 5:54.41 and won the 200 individual medley in 2:29.03. “Not a surprise, but Cierra Weatherfield had a really good meet and had two really solid swims,” Hayhurst said. “She out-gutted her competition with 50 yards to go in both races. It’s nice to see the good conditioning win out.” Also for the Seacat girls, freshman Sarah Cloud registered a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:16.17. She was also sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:34.18. Vanessa Woolsey and Erin Weatherman both posted fourth-place finishes. Woolsey was fourth in the 100 butterfly in 1:06.87, a new secondary state-qualifying time for her. Weatherman placed fourth in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.65. Weatherman also finished seventh in the 100 butterfly in 1:11.77. McKayla Stark recorded two secondary state-qualifying times with a sixth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (27.47) and a seventh-place finish in the 100 freestyle (59.79). Anna Yanke finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.57 and Emily Yanke was seventh in the 200 freestyle in 2:15.79. Megan Hayhurst placed eighth in the 500 freestyle in 6:28.31 and Claire Hughes was eighth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:23.64. The Scottsbluff/Gering girls also fared well in all three relays. In the 200 medley relay, the team of Woolsey, Anna Yanke, Weatherman, and Cloud finished second in a time of 2:05.04. In the 200 freestyle relay, Stark, Weatherman, Cloud, and Emily Yanke were fourth in 1:55.46. Woolsey, Stark, Weatherfield, and Emily Yanke teamed up to finish fourth in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:02.27. Already automatic qualifiers for the Feb. 21-23 state championships in Lincoln, Wiebe and Miller set the pace for the Seacat boys’ third-place finish. Miller. already a state qualifier in the 11-dive, 1-meter springboard program, won the GNAC title by scoring 318.90 points. As he has done much of the season, Wiebe dominated both sprint events. He finished first in the 50 freestyle in 22.44 seconds and placed first in the 100 freestyle in 49.44. “Jon Wiebe took booth of his races and Noah won the diving, which is what we expected to see,” Hayhurst said. “Those are kind of expected, but it’s always nice to see it anyway.” Also on the boys’ side, Baylen Smith swam to a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle in a time of 2:03.88. Earning fifth-place finishes were Nick Childs in the 100 backstroke (1:02.37) and Daniel Schaub in the 200 individual medley (2:21.23). Childs recorded a secondary state-qualifying time with a ninth-place finish in the 50 freestyle in 24.68. The other secondary time set on the boys’ side was by the Scottsbluff/Gering 400 freestyle relay team. The team of Childs, Smith, Zach Puckett, and Colin Maag finished second in a time of 3:41.10. The Seacats placed third in the other two relays. Childs, Schaub, Wiebe, and Spencer Lake finished third in the 200 medley relay in 1:49.58, while the team of Wiebe, Puckett, Schaub, and Lake were third in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.49.Girls' Team Scoring 1, Columbus, 319. 2, Norfolk, 297. 3, Kearney, 208. 4, Scottsbluff/Gering, 205. 5, North Platte, 104. 6, McCook, 83. 7, Hastings, 51. Seacat Girls' Individual Results 50 freestyle — 6, McKayla Stark, 27.47. 100 freestyle — 7, McKayla Stark, 59.79. 11, Emily Yanke, 1:02.30. 200 freestyle — 7, Emily Yanke, 2:15.79. 500 freestyle — 1, Cierra Weatherfield, 5:54.41. 8, Megan Hayhurst, 6:28.31. 12, Makala Fogg, 6:42.48. 100 butterfly — 4, Vanessa Woolsey, 1:06.87. 7, Erin Weatherman, 1:11.77. 10, Hanna Holloway, 1:18.41. 11, Sierra Betancur, 1:22.06. 100 breaststroke — 2, Sarah Cloud, 1:16.17. 5, Anna Yanke, 1:19.57. 8, Claire Hughes, 1:23.64. 100 backstroke — 4, Erin Weatherman, 1:10.65. 200 individual medley — 1, Cierra Weatherfield, 2:29.03. 6, Sarah Cloud, 2:34.18. 12, Claire Hughes, 2:37.46. 200 medley relay — 2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Vanessa Woolsey, Anna Yanke, Erin Weatherman, Sarah Cloud), 2:05.04. 200 freestyle relay — 4, Scottsbluff/Gering (McKayla Stark, Erin Weatherman, Sarah Cloud, Emily Yanke), 1:55.46. 400 freestyle relay — 4, Scottsbluff/Gering (Vanessa Woolsey, McKayla Stark, Cierra Weatherfield, Emily Yanke), 4:02.27. Boys' Team Scoring 1, Norfolk, 388. 2, Columbus, 251. 3, Scottsbluff/Gering, 216. 4, Kearney, 178. 5, North Platte, 121. 6, Hastings, 85. 7, McCook, 37 Seacat Boys' Individual Results 50 freestyle — 1, Jon Wiebe, 22.44. 9, Nick Childs, 24.68. 11, Zach Puckett, 25.11. 100 freestyle — 1, Jon Wiebe, 49.44. 8, Zach Puckett, 55.87. 10, Christian Eubanks, 58.30. 12, Colin Maag, 58.88. 200 freestyle — 4, Baylen Smith, 2:03.88. 6, Colin Maag, 2:06.62. 7, Spencer Lake, 2:07.90. 11, Hunter Scow, 2:13.15. 500 freestyle — 7, James Maag, 5:40.67. 100 butterfly — 8, Daniel Schaub, 1:05.51. 100 breaststroke — 6, Spencer Lake, 1:12.09. 11, Hunter Scow, 1:18.67. 100 backstroke — 5, Nick Childs, 1:02.37. 7, Baylen Smith, 1:07.43. 200 individual medley — 5, Daniel Schaub, 2:21.23. Diving — 1, Noah Miller, 318.90. 200 medley relay — 3, Scottsbluff/Gering (Nick Childs, Spencer Lake, Daniel Schaub, Jon Wiebe), 1:49.58. 200 freestyle relay — 3, Scottsbluff/Gering (Jon Weibe, Zach Puckett, Daniel Schaub, Spencer Lake), 1:37.49. 400 freestyle relay — 2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Nick Childs, Baylen Smith, Zach Puckett, Colin Maag), 3:41.10. |
| Bayard, Morrill girls have seasons end in C2 sub-district action 2013-02-14 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| GERING – Hemingford senior Kelsy Wood was a one-girl show for the Bobcats in the first half of their Sub-District C2-12 girls’ basketball semifinal game Tuesday night against Bayard, but the Tigers had a six-point halftime lead in the second game of the sub-district doubleheader at the Gering High School gymnasium. Only when Wood finally started getting some offensive help from teammates did Hemingford (14-7) erase that half-dozen point deficit, take a fourth-quarter lead on senior Jayleen Forgey’s 3-pointer with 5:51 remaining and turn back Bayard in the closing minutes for a 32-31 victory. The No. 2 seed Bobcats thus move into Thursday’s 7 p.m. sub-district final against top-seeded Bridgeport. The Bulldogs (10-12) advanced with a 43-30 win over Morrill (5-14) in Tuesday’s first semifinal. Wood, who reached the 1,000-point career mark in tying the early score at 5, scored all 13 of Hemingford’s first-half points. Bayard freshman Kaylie Fiscus had 12 first-half points of her own, fueling the Tigers (5-16) to a 19-13 halftime lead. Bayard clinged to a 25-21 lead after three quarters, and Wood had 19 of the Bobcats’ 21 points heading into the final quarter. Forgey scored all eight of her points in the fourth period, leading Hemingford to a 30-26 lead with 3:30 remaining. Bayard climbed back into the game by taking advantage of the Bobcats’ free-throw struggles down the stretch — Hemingford hit just 3 of 13 charity shots in the final quarter — and closed to within 32-31 on senior Kaylyn Long’s 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining. After two missed Bobcat free throws, Long missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt and senior Chandler Rummel missed a put-back shot off the rebound, and a tied-up possession with 2.7 seconds left gave Hemingford the ball. Wood then ran out the clock for the Bobcats. Wood finished with 21 points, while Fiscus scored just two second-half points to finish with 14 for the Tigers. Junior Megan Stuart, Bayard’s season-long leading scorer, was held to seven points and Long finished with six. In the first semifinal, Bridgeport used a 13-6 second-quarter run to take a 23-14 halftime lead. Bulldog senior Sydney Faessler then scored seven second-half points and finished as Bridgeport’s top scorer with 10 points. Senior Tara Harding added nine for the Bulldogs. Morrill senior Morgan Nortness had seven first-half points and finished with a team-high 10 for the Lions, who got six apiece from senior Mickayla Schneider and junior Dylaine Peacock. Both Bridgeport and Hemingford may have to overcome free-throw shooting issues from Tuesday in their quests to win the sub-district final. The Bulldogs were 11-for-28 at the line and the Bobcats made just 8 of 18 free shots. Sub-district C1-12 at Alliance While the Mitchell girls got the best of the Kimball Longhorns in the girls’ championship game of the Western Trails Conference Tournament on Feb. 1, the Longhorns got the best of the Tigers each of the past two Tuesday nights. That included Kimball’s 54-52 win over Mitchell in Tuesday’s first-round game of the Sub-District C1-12 Tournament at Alliance High School. The loss ended No. 3 seeded Mitchell’s season at 12-11, while No. 2 seed Kimball (14-5) moves into Thursday’s sub-district final against top-seeded Chadron. The Cardinals (20-2) ended Gordon-Rushville’s season at 9-12 with a 56-29 win. The sub-district title game tips at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Sub-district D1-12 at Sidney Garden County ended Minatare’s season after the Eagles downed the Indians 40-19 in Sub-District D1-12 first-round play at the Cabela’s Activities Center in Sidney. The loss ended Minatare’s season at 1-15, with the Indians scoring their only win on Dec. 4, a 28-22 home victory over Banner County. Garden County (8-14) jumped out to an 11-4 lead after one quarter and led 18-8 at halftime. The Eagles then rode a 16-6 third-quarter run to a 20-point margin. Garden County’s win put the Eagles (8-14) against No. 1 seed Crawford (15-5) in one semifinal Tuesday night, while No. 2 Potter-Dix (9-8) and No. 3 Creek Valley (9-9) met in the other semifinal. Tuesday’s winners play Thursday at 7 p.m. for the sub-district championship. Sub-district D2-12 at Mitchell The Banner County girls saw their basketball season end in the first round of District D2-12 action Monday night at Mitchell, losing to No. 4 seed South Platte 36-25. The loss ended the Wildcats’ season end at 1-19, with their lone win coming over Minatare, 36-26 at Harrisburg on Jan. 12. South Platte thus took a 5-11 record into its Tuesday night game against top-seeded Sioux County (14-5), while No. 3 Hay Springs (7-13) faced No. 2 Leyton (9-11).The winners play Thursday at 6 p.m. for the sub-district championship. Gering No. 3, Scottsbluff No. 5 in girls’ District B-6 The Gering girls received the No. 3 seed for next week’s District B-6 Tournament, which starts Tuesday at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace. The Bulldogs (10-11) will face No. 2 seed Sidney (15-6) in Thursday’s second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Scottsbluff (2-18) is the No. 5 seed and plays No. 4 Alliance (10-10) in a first-round game Tuesday at 6 p.m. The winner advances to Thursday’s first semifinal against No. 1 seed McCook (19-3) at 6 p.m. Thursday’s semifinal winners advance to next Friday’s district championship game, which will tip off at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to the Class B State Tournament in Lincoln starting Feb. 28 through March 2. Minatare boys top seed in D1-12 The Minatare boys are the No. 1 seed in Sub-District D1-12 after the Indians have rebounded from five straight losses with a two-game winning streak entering this week. The Indians enter D1-12 play, at the Cabela’s Activities Center in Sidney, with an 11-6 record before they complete the regular season against Potter-Dix on Friday. The top-seeded Indians will play Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Monday’s winner of No. 4 Potter-Dix and No. 5 Creek Valley (both 6-12 at seeding time Tuesday morning). The other semifinal, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, has No. 2 Garden County (9-9) against No. 3 Crawford (10-9). The semifinal winners play next Thursday at 7 p.m. for the sub-district title and a berth in the district playoff. In Sub-District D2-12, Banner County (2-16) is the No. 4 seed and plays winless South Platte (0-15) in Monday’s first-round game at Mitchell High School. The winner advances to Tuesday’s 5 p.m. semifinal against No. 1 seed Leyton (17-1). The other semifinal matches No. 2 Sioux County (11-7) against No. 3 Hay Springs (4-16) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The semifinal victors play at 6 p.m. Thursday for the sub-district title and district playoff berth. Mitchell boys No. 2 seed in C1-12 In Sub-District C1-12 at Alliance High School, Mitchell (10-9) is the No. 2 seed and plays No. 3 seed Chadron (6-13) in Tuesday’s second semifinal at 6:30 p.m. The first semifinal at 5 p.m. matches No. 1 Kimball (16-1) against Gordon-Rushville (3-14). The semifinal winners play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the sub-district title and a berth in the district playoff. In the Sub-District C2-12 bracket, the Bayard boys are the No. 3 seed and Morrill boys are the fourth seed when action begins Tuesday in Gering. Morrill (5-13) faces No. 1 seed Bridgeport (13-7) in Tuesday’s first semifinal at 6 p.m., followed by No. 2 Hemingford (16-5) against Bayard (8-15) at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday’s semifinal winners play next Thursday at 7 p.m. for the sub-district title and right to move on to the district playoff. |
| Hot-shooting Bearcats sweep Sidney, Alliance 2013-02-07 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Anyone who walked away from the Scottsbluff High School gymnasium last Thursday night and felt like the effort put forth by the Bearcat and Sidney Red Raider boys’ basketball teams was disappointing, well, they must have been a highly biased person from Sidney. A nearly packed house of red-and-black-clad Bearcat and Red Raider fans were treated to a full battle between two of the Panhandle’s best teams in a 79-68 win for Scottsbluff that was decided only when the Bearcats slowed down a torrid shooting pace by both teams and won the game the old-fashioned way. Not only did the Bearcats earn the win, but after a barrage of 15 3-point baskets between the two teams, three good-old, traditional three-point plays on driving layups by Scottsbluff senior Michael Hadden in the final quarter. Hadden finished the night with 26 points, hitting 10 of 18 field goals and 6 of 7 free throws, and he also grabbed 11 rebounds. Senior Eric Moreno also had a big night, hitting 9 of 14 shots that included 5 of 7 3-point attempts on his way to scoring 23 points. Hadden and Moreno led the Bearcats to a 53.4 percent shooting night (31-for-58), including 7-for-19 from 3-point range (36.8 percent). But even the Sidney crowd, strong especially for a school night, had to applaud the efforts of their Red Raiders, who shot 56 percent (28-for-50) from the floor that included 8 of 18 3-point shots (44 percent). Quite a difference from five nights earlier, when Scottsbluff scraped out a 54-50 win at Sidney. “We both shot the ball a lot better,” Scottsbluff boys’ coach Tony Siske said. “In both games, the shooting percentages were comparable between the two teams, but tonight they were just 20 points higher for each team.” The Bearcats and Red Raiders ran a torrid pace in the first quarter, after which Scottsbluff led 21-19 on its way to a 38-35 halftime lead. Both teams scored 21 points in the third period. “A lot of what Sidney did, you just have to give them credit,” Siske said. “There were some areas where our defense broke down, but I kept looking at the assistant coaches and I was like, I don’t think we can defend them any better, they’re just putting the ball in the hoop.” Finally, the Bearcats took the ball out of the Red Raiders’ hands in the fourth quarter by running a half-court offense. “I know we ran a lot of clock,” Siske said. “They were trying to jump in the passing lanes and started switching to see if they could get something that way, but our kids just did a good job of moving the ball and moving themselves. “We were efficient offensively and patient, and they had to go from playing defense for 30 to 40 seconds and then try to go down and score, and they were behind,” Siske said. “In your mind-set, you have to score quick in that situation, and we were doing a good job of running the clock and then if they put up a quick shot, we got the rebound, came down and ran the clock again. So we were playing offense for a minute and a half to their 15 seconds or whatever it was.” And when the Bearcats found a seam in Sidney’s defense in the fourth quarter, Hadden was not afraid to take the ball inside, where he scored three times and drew fouls that led to three ensuing free throws as well. “I think the best way to describe Michael is he is a closer,” Siske said. “He’s the guy you want the ball in his hands. Late in the game, you want him on your team because you know that defensively he will come up with that big rebound and offensively you know he’ll make the right play, whether it’s him scoring or finding an open teammate.” Senior Matthew Klein added 14 points and six rebounds for the Bearcats. Sidney got 15 points from junior Logan Lewis and 14 apiece from junior Paxton Ehler, who had 12 at halftime that included two long-range 3-pointers, and 14 more from senior Casey Mabey. The Bearcats’ offense didn’t miss a beat Friday when Alliance came to Scottsbluff, with the hosts running up an 88-62 total on 55 percent shooting from the floor. Scottsbluff was 33-for-60 overall, including a 10-for-22 effort from the 3-point arc led by Klein’s 3-for-7 effort. Sophomore Jackson Hinze was 2-for-3 from outside and five other Bearcats had one trey apiece. Scottsbluff (15-3) also held the Bulldogs to 40.7 percent shooting (22-for-54) and just 18.7 percent in a first quarter the Bearcats used to bolt to a 22-11 lead. They led 41-32 at halftime before a 24-15 outburst in the third quarter gave Scottsbluff a 65-47 advantage. Four Bearcats scored in the teens, led by Moreno’s 16-point outing on 6 of 9 field goals. Hadden and Klein had 15 points apiece, with Hadden grabbing seven rebounds and making five assists, while Klein pulled down six boards. Moreno also had six rebounds, and senior Taylor Winkler had 13 points on 6 of 9 shot attempts. Alliance (8-9) was led by Jordan Mills’ 17 points, while Trevor Kamerzell added 15. The Bearcats hit the road this weekend for the East-West Shoot-Out, which begins Thursday at Lexington. Scottsbluff then visits McCook on Friday night and North Platte on Saturday at 2 p.m. SHS girls drop pair to Alliance, Sidney The Scottsbluff girls fell to Alliance 50-40 Friday night and to Sidney 55-32 Saturday night, falling to 1-16 on the season. Against Alliance (9-8), Scottsbluff junior Toni Rosado scored a game-high 14 points and junior Kiley Guerue added 13. Guerue led the Bearcats against Sidney (14-5) with 10 points, while Sarah Mahr led the Red Raiders with 13 points. Scottsbluff will host its three games in the East-West Shoot-Out, beginning Thursday against Lexington and followed by McCook on Friday night and North Platte on Saturday at 2 p.m. |
| Bulldogs suffer close losses in Sidney 2013-02-07 By Philip Eckerberg - Special to the Citizen |
| SIDNEY — The Gering Bulldogs boys’ and girls’ teams suffered heartbreaking losses to the Sidney Red Raiders on Friday. The boys lost 60-58 in what was a controversial ending to the game. The girls lost 31-27. The Lady Bulldogs’ game was highly defensive and relatively low scoring. The first quarter ended up with Sidney having a slight edge over Gering 8-7. Gering slid further behind in the second quarter being outscored by Sidney 8-5. The Dawgs went into the locker room facing a four-point deficit with Sidney leading 16-12. Gering took charge in the third quarter holding the Red Raiders to just 2 points compared to the Bulldogs 7. Gering had a 1-point lead going into the final quarter. Sidney regained control of the game in the fourth quarter and outscored Gering 13-8 to give Sidney the win 31-27. Gering coach Adam Freeburg said the girls played hard as usual. “They fought their tails off. There were 27 turnovers and Gering only got beat by 4 points,” he said. “That is very, very positive. Those are things that are in their control and can be fixed.” Sidney missed a lot of layups. Coach Freeburg credited the girls for executing their defensive game plan “almost perfectly” he said “We will probably see them again at the district tournament and I like our chances.” The 27 turnovers were not the only problem plaguing Gering Friday night. Gering only made 8 out of 22 free throw attempts against Sidney’s 7 out of 16. “Bump the free throw percentage up a little and you win the game,” said Freeburg. Gering girls have a 3-game home stretch this week as part of the East West Shootout which begins on Thursday against North Platte at 7 p.m. The girls play Lexington on Friday at 7 p.m., and McCook on Saturday at 2 p.m. Coach Freeburg said the three games are winnable. Gering girls are now 9-9 on the season. Gering individual scores: Megan Upp 6, Jessica Rogers 6, Santanna Mitchell 5, Ashlyn Schultz 3, Allie Vacha 2, Dakota Gellner 2, Katie O’Boyle 2, and Alexa Anderson 1. Sidney individual scores: Sarah Mahr 12, Abbi Porter 6, Jeni Heeren 5, Kerissa Segelke 4, Madi Malzahn 2, and Morgan Linneman 2. The boys’ game marked the fourth meeting this season with the Red Raiders. This game was just the opposite of the girls,’ being highly offensive with a score of 60-58 in the Red Raiders favor. Gering started the first quarter strong with a total of three 3-pointers by Zac Bibb and two more buckets by Christian Groskopf and Taylor Nelson gave Gering a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. At one time Gering enjoyed an 11 point lead; however, Gering stumbled in the second quarter only scoring 8 points to Sidney’s 18, at one point trailing by 11 points. Gering went into the locker room at the half down 8 points with the Red Raiders leading 31-23. The third quarter saw the Dawgs and Raiders matching each other at 12 points each, ending the third with Sidney still enjoying an 8-point lead 43-35. The Bulldogs came back in the final quarter but were still trailing 54-60 when Joses Palomo was fouled. A Sidney player protested too much and was called for a technical. This gave Palomo four free throws. Palomo hit all four on the technical foul. Gering maintained possession of the ball. The score was now 60-58 and the Bulldogs had about 15 seconds left. Palomo grabbed the ball and fired off a 2-point shot just before the buzzer. The bucket was good and Gering fans thought they had tied and were ready to go into overtime but referees waived the shot off. There was no signal as to why but the referee had called a travel. Gering fans were severely unhappy with the call. Gering Assistant Coach Steve Land said after the game that he was proud of the kids. “They fought back, and never gave up,” said Land. “We were down 8 to 10 points with a couple of minutes left and our kids stayed focused, we executed, we hit free throws and it was an unfortunate loss. It was an unfortunate play at the end of the game and it was a little controversial what was called,” he said. “The score table told us it was a travel but we never saw a signal from any of the three (refs).” The Gering Bulldogs are now 11-7 for the season. Against Sidney they are 2-2. The Bulldogs are likely to see Sidney again in the district tournament. Next up for the Gering boys is a three-day road trip for the East West Shootout facing North Platte on Thursday at 7 p.m., Lexington on Friday at 7 p.m., and McCook on Saturday at 2 p.m. Individual scores for Gering boys: Christian Groskopf 18, Joses Palomo 12, Grant Olsson 12, Zac Bibb 10, Austin Ferguson 4, and Taylor Nelson 2. Individual scores for Sidney boys: Paxton Ehler 18, Casey Mabey 12, Sam Arterburn 9, Logan Lewis 8, Lucas Rosenbaum 6, Lane Harvey 5, and Tyler Winholtz 2. In other action last week on Tuesday Gering boys and girls traveled to Ogallala to face the Indian basketball teams. The Gering girls notched a win 35-24. The Bulldog boys earned an impressive win at 64-39. |
| Bearcat wrestlers earn runner-up GNAC finish 2013-02-07 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Scottsbluff wrestling coach James Miller watched his Bearcats take advantage of being the host team for the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, with the Bearcats scoring four individual champs and three runners-up on their way to scoring a second-place team finish. Scottsbluff thus compiled 199 team points, finishing second behind Class A power Kearney’s winning score of 212.5 points. Norfolk was a distant third with 155 points. “It was a great day. We had a lot of guys who wrestled really well, and it was great for us to see a couple individual match-ups that were good,” Miller said. Scottsbluff’s champions included Keegan Hessler at 113 pounds, Joseph Flores-Ybarra at 120, Colton Adams at 132, and Sabian Harsh at 145. Runner-up finishes belonged to Cruz Delacruz at 106, Tristan Donelson at 152, and Andrew Aratani at 285. “Cruz had the kid from Hastings in the finals who was undefeated and he wrestled him in a great match,” Miller said of Delacruz, who ended up losing by pin to Hastings’ Nolan Laux. Adams won his title with an 11-3 major decision over Austin Marshall of Kearney. “Colton came out and got some good takedowns, was working on some speed a little bit, working off the bottom and working off the top, so that was good to see,” Miller said. Hessler scored a 5-4 overtime decision victory over previously unbeaten Isaac Stansbury of Kearney. Flores-Ybarra won a 3-1 decision over Kearney’s Scott Bauer, and Harsh won his final by a 10-4 decision over Parker Ridgeway of Columbus. Donelson was pinned by Kearney’s Kalen Mazankowski in the 152 final, while Aratani lost a tough 3-2 decision to Christian Hernandez-DeHorta of Norfolk. “I’m just proud of the guys, of the way they wrestled and the way they handled themselves,” Miller said. “We’re just looking forward to continuing to compete.” The Bearcats look to turn the strong outing into success Friday and Saturday in the District B-4 meet at Sidney. “Anything can happen in districts,” Miller said. “There are couple of weight classes we’re nervous about and couple we’re confident about. at the end of the day, the kids have to wrestle all day Friday and all day Saturday. “The guys are headed in the right direction. We still have a week of practice, which is great, because we still have some things we need to work on. There’s still a little bit of time, so we’ll try to take advantage of it.” Bulldogs turn back Red Raiders The Gering Bulldogs completed their home schedule Friday night with a 36-24 win over Sidney at the Gering High School gymnasium. Damian Hort helped get the Bulldogs going with a 9-6 win over Sidney’s Michael Muggli at 132 pounds. Quentin Timblin notched a second-period pin at 145 to extend the Gering lead to 27-12. Sidney scored two 6-point wins before Gering junior Elijah Timblin held on to beat Sidney’s Kane Taylor 4-3 at 170 pounds to keep the Bulldogs ahead 30-24 with one match remaining. Blake Rains completed Gering’s victory with second-period pin over Sidney’s Brandon Luif in the final match at 182. The Bulldogs competed in the Southeast Duals at Yoder, Wyo., as did several other teams including Banner County, Bayard, Mitchell and Morrill. However, complete results were not available. Districts Friday, Saturday Gering and Scottsbluff make the trip to Sidney for their Class B-4 district tournament at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility, while Mitchell faces a trip of about 300 miles to south of Oxford for District C-4 action at Southern Valley High School. Class D teams Bayard, Banner County, Minatare and Morrill all travel to Sutherland for the District D-4 meet. This year’s district tournaments serve a dual purpose for the first time. Not only will individual wrestlers be looking to qualify for the state championships at Omaha next week, but teams will look to earn berths in the first State Dual Championships, set for Feb. 23 at the University of Nebraska Kearney Health and Fitness Center. Each Dual Championship bracket will consist of eight teams: the four district champions plus the top four wild-card teams that will qualify based on district team points, district participants and state qualifiers. “There are a couple things that we’re pretty excited about and we’re definitely trying to make the state dual tournament,” Scottsbluff’s Miller said. “And by winning the district championship that guarantees us a seed there. I think that would be our easiest way in, other than having to go off the wild-card points. We’ll see how it goes.” |
| Mitchell girls turn tables on Kimball, win WTC title - Tigers ride birthday girl Newens' 24 points to championship game victory 2013-02-07 By Terry Gaston sports@geringcitizen.com |
| Havannah Newens will never forget her 18th birthday. The Mitchell senior, who was among the Tiger basketball players whose eyes welled up last year after losing to Kimball in the championship game of the Western Trails Conference Tournament, was crying tears of joy Saturday night and clenching to the traveling trophy that hasn’t been in Mitchell in 11 years. Newens scored 24 points, many coming on transition plays after the Tigers denied top-seeded Kimball, and sophomore Kady Lower pounded the Longhorns inside on her way to adding 16 points in pacing Mitchell to a 59-47 championship game victory at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace. “We played great team defense and that’s our goal every game, and that’s what we did,“ said Newens, who scored 11 points in a fourth quarter that saw the Tigers (12-7) expand a 38-35, third-quarter lead with a 21-12 run to finish the game and close out Kimball (12-3). “Kimball’s a really good team, and so being able to come out and prove we can play with those better teams. It’s a really great team win. We all stepped up, so I just want to give a shout-out to my team.” The Longhorns grabbed an early 7-2 lead, but after senior guard Darbi Klinkhammer picked up her second foul, Mitchell grabbed a 10-9 lead on Newens’ tip-in off an in-bounds pass. Kimball slipped back into the lead with two baskets by sophomore Jessica Hanks and held a 13-12 lead after one period. The Longhorns extended that lead to 23-17 but Mitchell got baskets from three different players to tie the game at 24 before Hanks made one free throw in giving the Longhorns the halftime lead, 25-24. Newens dished out assists on consecutive baskets in helping the Tigers take a 33-31 lead late in the third quarter, and her 3-pointer with 1:34 left in the period gave Mitchell a 36-33 lead and the upper hand the rest of the game. After the Tigers built a 50-40 lead, Kimball could whittle the margin back only as close as six before Newens scored Mitchell’s last nine points. Senior classmate Chalsey Grentz locked down on defense and had six of her eight points in the final quarter. “We came in extremely focused and everyone stepped up,” a red-faced, tear-stained Newens said. “It was a good team game. “Last year we were seeded lower, so being able to win and get to the championship game was huge. We were just excited to be there, so losing was really tough. Here we came in and we were really confident and we were prepared. It was just a good win.” Mitchell has not just turned the tables in the WTC championship game result in one year, but even this season — their first under Brock Ehler — the Tigers have overcome starts of 0-2 and 4-6 largely against higher-class competition, to win eight of their last nine games and avenge that 62-56 loss to Kimball from Jan. 22. “We’ve come leaps and bounds,” Newens said. “We have girls coming in every Sunday when the gym is open and shooting, girls putting in extra work after practice, everyone’s there and working hard. We do what we have to do, we run the sprints.” The WTC tourney title was Mitchell’s eighth but the Tigers’ first since 2002. Mitchell opened the tournament as the No. 2 seed and rolled past Morrill 62-29 in the first round Thursday before moving to Cougar Palace and routing Bridgeport 60-41 in the semifinals. “It’s just so important for all of us,” Newens said of the Tigers’ weekend successes. “The coaches put in so much time and we put in so much effort. We feel like we’ve improved so much throughout the season and it’s just been a lot of hard work. We’re trying to build a good tradition in Mitchell, and we finally got it done.” The Tigers still had a home game Tuesday against Kimball, a trip Friday at Ogallala (6-11) and their regular-season finale Saturday at home against Sidney (14-5). “I just knew what the girls had to offer, but they needed to learn what they were good at, what their successes were and play the percentages to what those things were,” Ehler said.” It’s like a puzzle, you put everything together, then you manage your pieces and you place them out there and see what they can do.” Ehler said the team had two primary goals: make the WTC tournament final again and clinching a winning record. Saturday’s victory achieved both, and now they can look to finish strong and perhaps take on a challenging field in Sub-District C2-12 next week, with state No. 1 Chadron and Kimball in the field. “Everything else we have, it’s just playing hard and continuing to keep those puzzles working and continuing to get those girls to do what they’re good at so they can be successful now and on through their lives. It’s just lifetime skills.” |
| Bulldog grapple first place at Mitchell Invite 2013-01-31 By Staff report |
| After being defeated in close losses to both Alliance andTorrington last week the Gering wrestling team rallied for three final round pins Saturday at the Mitchell Invite. Going into the final round the Bulldogs were in a virtual tie with the Lingle-Ft. Laramie and Gothenburg squads. The three last moment victories pulled them ahead to finish in first place. Four other Bulldog wrestlers placed in the top four. Gering’s last minute push landed them in the top spot with 115 points, followed by Lingle-Ft. Laramie at 101, and Gothenberg at 98.5. Mitchell finished in fourth place claiming three top spots and ending with a total of 94.5 point. The Bulldog heroes at the invite were Baily Hort, at 113 pounds, who defeated Justus Peterson of Morrill in the semi-finals before a quick 51 second pin over Gothenburg’s Tyler Alverez. The second of the three champions was Jake Rexus. Rexus, at 160 pounds went 3-0 at the invite after defeating Julian Preston from Southeast, Wyo. Last but not least, Gering’s Elijah Timblin, at 170, pounced on Kane Taylor from Sidney with a fast 1:01 pin in the semi-finals. Timblin went on to earn the crown when he took down Gothenburg’s Skyler Kottwitz with a 13-5 decision in the finals. Other Gering standouts at the meet were Marcelino Ramos (120 pounds) who placed second in his class; Damian Hort (132) placed fourth; Quentin Timblin (145) angled his way into third place in his weight class; and the final Gering wrestler of the seven who placed in the top four was Christian Pester (195) who fought his way to fourth. The Lingle-Ft. Laramie team did not go down without a fight, placing individual honors in several weight classes, but at the end of the day Gering prevailed. Lingle-Ft. Laramie’s Wyatt Hageman came out the champion of his weight class (145) when he pinned Hershey’s Jacob Thompson earning a fantastic 14-1 majority decision. Mitchell also had a respectable showing as host team of the tourney. The Tigers won three top spots of their own starting with Drew Gilliland (106 pounds) who took down Thomas Garvie of Lingle-Ft. Laramie in the finals. Tiger Josh Zulkoski won his match against Gering’s Ramos in the 120-pound class, and big freshman Braydon Wiedeman (at 182 pounds) earned a win over Dalton Goodwin of Gothenburg in 5:11. In the final of the heavyweight match 285 pound Matthew Hessler of Morrill won the crown defeating Lane Richardson of Hershey. Team Scoring Gering 115, LFL 101, Gothenburg, 98.5, Mitchell 94.5, Sidney 92, Hershey 82.5, Bayard 71, Morrill 57, Southeast 55, Bridgeport 54, Banner County 27.5, Garden County 24, Hemmingford 19.5, Kimball 13, Crawford 5, Minatare 0. Individual results 106 – 1, Drew Gilliland, Mitchell. 2, Thomas Garvie, LFL. 3, C.J. Sidrow, Morrill. 4, Rowdy Keller, Kimball. 113 – 1, Baily Hort, Gering. 2, Tyler Alvarez, Gothenburg. 3, Lee Jespersen, Hemmingford. 4, Garrett Ryan, Kimball. 120 – 1, Josh Zulkoski, Mitchell. 2, Marcelino Ramos, Gering. 3, Payton Baumann, Bridgeport. 4, Brandon Stevens, Gothenburg. 126 – 1, Chayton Crow, Hershey. 2, Dakota Swires, Bridgeport. 3, Seth Eggleston, Gothenburg. 4, Merritt Hagerman, LFL. 132 – 1, Michael Muggli, Sidney. 2, Lane Hageman, LFL. 3, Matthew Unrein, Morrill. 4, Damian Hort, Gering. 138 - 1, Brandon Nichols, Bridgeport. 2, Nathaniel Votruba, Sidney. 3, Brody Lay, LFL. 4, Joseph Sheets-Sanford, Hershey. 145 – 1, Wyatt Hageman, LFL. 2, Jacob Thompson, Hershey. 3, Quentin Timblin, Gering. 4, Elvariste Gomez, Morrill. 152 – 1, Makay Beck, Garden Co. 2, Dillon Larson, Gothenburg. 3, Tanner Wernsman, Sidney. 4, Trenton Applegate, Bayard. 160 – 1, Jacob Rexus, Gering. 2, Julian Preston, Southeast. 3, Travis Willhoite, Bayard. 4, Ryan Wooley, Sidney. 170 – 1, Elijah Timblin, Gering. 2, Skyler Kottwitz, Gothenburg. 3, Tristan Hunter, Bayard. 4, Kane Taylor. 182 – 1, Braydon Wiedeman, Mitchell. 2, Dalton Goodwin, Gothenburg. 3, Austin Willey, Bayard. 4, Matt McGahan, Hershey. 195 – 1, Wyatt Somsen, Southeast. 2, Tanner Willey, Bayard. 3, Adam Steffes, Hershey. 4, Christian Pester, Gering. 220 – 1. David Gifford, Banner Co. 2, Riggen McIntosh, LFL. 3, Scott Kelsey, Sidney. 4, Colten Stees, Southeast. 285 – 1, Matthew Hessler, Morrill. 2, Lane Richardson, Hershey. 3, Trey Sterkel, Mitchell. 4, Chris Wurm, Bayard. Bayard Invitational High school wrestlers from Banner County, Creek Valley, Hemingford, Lingle-Fort Laramie, Minatare, Mitchell, Scottsbluff JV and Sioux County were in Bayard on Jan. 24 for a rescheduled Tiger Invitational wrestling meet. Individual winners were: 106 pounds: Cristian Baraza, Scottsbluff JV (TF 19-4); 113 pounds: Lee Jesperson, Hemingford (Pin 1:35); 120 pounds: Trevor Wood, Mitchell (Pin 3:40); 126 pounds: Marcos Garcia, Scottsbluff JV (Pin 1:58); 132 pounds: Lane Hageman, Lingle-Ft. Laramie (14-2, 11); 138 pounds: Keenan Schmidt, Scottsbluff JV (8-2, 10); 145 pounds: Wyatt Hageman, Lingle-Ft. Laramie (20-1, 11); 152 pounds: Tristan Donelson, Scottsbluff JV (24-5, 10); 160 pounds: Travis Willhoite, Bayard (14-7, 11); 170 pounds: Tristan Hunter, Bayard (19-8, 10); 182 pounds: Austin Willey, Bayard (18-4, 12); 220 pounds: David Gifford, Banner County (Pin 0:12); 285 pounds: Chris Wurm, Bayard (20-6, 11). |
| Lions complete royal sweep over Wildcats 2013-01-31 By Terry Gaston |
| MORRILL — All four varsity basketball teams from Morrill and Banner County entered Saturday’s doubleheader in need of victories to build momentum in heading down their season’s stretch. And with some Winter Royalty queen candidates playing in the preceding girls’ game and all three king candidates playing in the boys’ game that led to the halftime crowning ceremony, distractions could have been at a premium for the host Lions. By afternoon’s end, both Morrill teams overcame offensive struggles, and the Lion boys offset a Banner County record-setting performance by sophomore Tyson Walgrin, to score a Winter Royalty doubleheader sweep. The Morrill girls’ 26-8 win over the Wildcats wouldn’t have won any crowning honors, but it nevertheless was enough to snap the Lions’ five-game losing streak. The Lion boys broke a six-game slide of their own, scoring their first win of 2013 by out-scrapping Banner County 40-36. Morrill overcame an early 7-0 deficit and ultimately a 21-rebound, Wildcat school-record rebounding effort by Walgrin, whose 13 points matched game-high honors with Morrill senior Sheldon Le. Morrill seniors Raina Younkin and Cody Peachey were crowned queen and king at halftime of the boys’ game, which was knotted at 19-all at the halftime break and Winter Royalty coronation. “We missed 14 shots in the paint in the first half, and we have to figure out a way to make our shots in the paint,” Morrill boys’ coach Cody Wallesen said. “It was our first win in a while, so it feels kind of good even though it was sloppy.” After Peachey and fellow king candidates Le and senior Taylor Lackey took care of the royalty business at the break, they had unfinished basketball business. The Lions, who rebounded from their 7-0 deficit to take the first quarter 13-9, had let Banner County turn Morrill’s 17-11 second-quarter lead into the halftime deadlock, and then the Wildcats grabbed a 25-21 lead midway through the third period. Banner County still clinged to a 26-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter before Morrill senior Jacob Ramirez ripped a 3-point shot eight seconds into the quarter to give the Lions the lead. After the Wildcats tied the score at 28 on junior Ben Hostetler’s free throws, Morrill found its inside game after early struggles and reeled off a 9-2 run to lead 37-31 with 3:51 left in the game. “We’ve been trying to make an effort to get out and run and get some easy baskets,” Wallesen said. “We finally got some stuff going, and it just comes down to making shots.” Banner County got as close as 37-36 on a back-door layup form Hostetler to Dahlgren, but then Lions sophomore Jorge Lara put up an under-handed layup with 1:24 left. The Wildcats missed four shots down the stretch and Lackey added a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to seal Morrill’s hard-fought win. “I think we had the game, but we had about a two-minute breakdown where we had two or three turnovers in a row where we gave the lead back to them and that’s what got us,” Banner County boys’ coach Jim Wyatt said. Banner County sophomore Mike McKown followed Dahlgrin’s 13-point effort with 12 points, which included two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. “These kids fight to the end, you have to be proud of them,” Wyatt said despite watching his team fall to 1-14 on the season. “They have a lot of class and a lot of heart. We haven’t been winning but we’ve competed in most every game we’ve played. “We just haven’t got the scores, but they’re young. When you have three sophomores on the floor and they’re learning, and when a sophomore grabs 21 rebounds, what’s that going to do for two more years?” Lara followed Le’s 13 points with 10 for the Lions (5-9), who visit Bridgeport in the first round of the Western Trails Conference Tournament on Thursday. “They play really hard defensively and we were just down there and they beat us pretty bad,” Wallesen said of the Lions’ 74-38 loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 19. “But I feel like we can compete with them, and if we have a couple things go our way that there’s no reason we can’t compete with that team.” Banner County plays South Platte at Harrisburg on Friday and at Sioux County on Saturday. “These kids are not going to give up, they’re going to fight all the way,” Wyatt said. “They have a lot of personal pride and play hard, and that’s what it’s all about.” Although the points in the girls’ game were few and far in between, Morrill (5-9) turned in a stellar defensive effort, shutting out Banner County (1-14) in the second quarter in building a 12-2 halftime lead and then sparing the Wildcats just a third-quarter free throw to build a 19-3 advantage heading into the fourth stanza. “It’s always good to get a win,” Morrill girls’ coach T.J. Norris said. “Several of our girls played really hard and have a lot to be proud of.” Senior Taylor Cooper scored all seven of her points in the Lions’ third-quarter run. Junior Dylainee Peacock had seven of her game-high nine points in the first half. Banner County sophomore Ashlynne Hanan scored all her team-leading four points in the fourth period. Norris also gave Banner County credit under coach Brittany Cooper, who has just two seniors. “I hope the best for Banner County,” Norris said. “I know they’ve been working hard this season and have faced a lot of struggles. They played hard and gave us a good game.” The Lions have the lowest seed in the Western Trails Conference Tournament this weekend, but Norris said he likes the potential his team has as it prepares for Class C2-12 sub-district play starting Feb. 18. “If we start coming together and start playing hard, there is a great deal of potential in our sub-district and I think we can be extremely competitive.” Both schools had played games Friday night, all on the losing end. The Wildcat boys lost a tough 66-61 decision at Potter-Dix, whose girls downed Banner County 56-17. Hostetler had 19 points and McKown added 13 for the Wildcat boys. Morrill was swept Friday by Crawford, with the Ram boys (8-7) prevailing 51-37 and the Crawford girls (13-3) winning 66-43. Mitchell sweeps G-R The Mitchell girls had a strong outing from seniors Chalsey Grentz and Havannah Newens in turning back Gordon-Rushville 59-52 at home Friday night. Newens scored a game-high 19 points and Grentz added 15 for the Tigers (9-7), who outscored the Mustangs 13-6 after Gordon-Rushville erased a seven-point deficit starting the fourth quarter and forged a 46-all tie. The Mitchell boys (9-7) completed the sweep, riding junior Bo McVay’s 32-point outing in downing Gordon-Rushville 72-51. McVay had five 3-pointers in the first half in scoring 21 points by halftime and also grabbed seven rebounds, made six assists and picked four steals. Garret Braman followed by leading a balanced supporting scoring effort with 10 points, while Jamie Fegler added nine points and Antonio Barrios and Adam Schlotthauer added eight apiece. Bayard splits with rivals The Bayard girls held off a late comeback by Bridgeport to hold off the Bulldogs 41-40, while the Bridgeport boys downed the Tigers 43-30 in the Morrill County arch-rivals’ battle Friday at Bayard. In the girls’ game, Bayard junior Megan Stuart scored 10 of her game-high 22 points in a second-quarter spree that put the Tigers (4-13) ahead 20-15 at halftime. Bayard took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and led by seven points midway through the final stanza before Bridgeport closed to within four. Kaylie Fiscus, who followed Stuart with eight points, scored with 55 seconds left for a 41-35 Bayard lead before the Bulldogs (6-10) rallied to within one but could not catch the Tigers. Bayard thus broke a five-game losing streak with the victory. In the boys’ game, Bridgeport (10-6) used a 13-5 run in the third quarter to pull away from the Tigers (6-11) and handing Bayard its fifth straight loss. Bayard seniors Dustin Daniel and Braydon Parriott had nine points apiece, while Jason Amateis had a game-high 14 points for Bridgeport. Minatare swept in doubleheader The Indians were swept in back-to-back doubleheaders, Friday at Leyton and Saturday at home against Potter-Dix, and then Tuesday night at Hemingford. The Leyton boys (14-1) got a triple-double from Dylan Brenner of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in pacing the Warriors past Minatare. Brennen Cruise added a double-double for Leyton with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Sam Schumacher added 21 points for Leyton. Javier Guerrero led the Indians (now 9-6) with 14 points and Dominic Longoria added 10. Minatare lost at Potter-Dix 46-36 and then at Hemingford 55-38, the Indians’ fifth loss in 11 days. The Minatare girls fell to 1-12 with losses at Potter-Dix (62-24), Leyton (69-12) and Hemingford (69-12). The Indians play host to Sioux County on Friday. WTC Tourney begins Both Mitchell teams will be at home and both Bayard and Morrill teams will be on the road Thursday for first-round action in the Western Trails Conference Tournament. The Mitchell girls (9-7) are the No. 2 seed and face No. 7 Morrill (5-9) at 5:30 p.m. before the No. 4 seed Tiger boys (9-7) entertain No. 5 Bayard (6-11) at 7 p.m. The No. 6 seeds Morrill boys (5-9) and Bayard girls (4-13) will start tourney action at No. 3 Bridgeport (10-6 boys, 6-10 girls), with the girls’ game at 5:30 p.m. and the boys’ contest at 7 p.m. Both Kimball teams (12-1 boys, 11-2 girls) earned their respective No. 1 seeds and subsequent first-round byes and semifinal berths in Friday’s semifinal games after the tournament moves to Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace. Thursday’s other first-round games have Gordon-Rushville (2-12 boys, 6-9 girls) at Hemingford (13-3 boys, 11-6 girls). |
| Gering girls, boys win in Bulldog scrap 2013-01-31 By Staff report |
| ALLIANCE — The Gering boys and girls basketball teams were on the road last Friday to Alliance for a battle of the Bulldogs – and both squads came away with road wins. The girls’ 54 – 51 win came down to the final minute with Alliance holding a 51 – 50 lead. But in the final 30 seconds, Alexa Anderson sank four free throws to pull out the win for Gering. Anderson also led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points and was nine of 12 from the free throw line. Going into the fourth quarter, Gering girls were trailing by eight, but went on to outscore Alliance 22 – 11 in the last eight minutes. Gering was down by six two different times in the fourth quarter, thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Alliance. But Gering overcame both deficits, converting 12 of 16 free throw shots. Katie O’Boyle added nine points for Gering and Jessica Rogers chipped in seven. Alliance senior Shae Brennan led all scorers with 16 points, while teammate Morgan Anthony added nine. Later that evening, the Gering boys took the court against Alliance. They struggled a bit on offense in the first quarter, coming up with only nine points. But the team heated up in the second, opening up a double-digit advantage that ended with a 59 – 47 win. The win lifts the Gering boys to a 10 – 6 record. Three Bulldogs scored in double digits as Christian Groskopf led the team with 16. Grant Olson, who scored six straight in the fourth quarter, finished with 14 points. Austin Ferguson added another 10 to the total. Isaac Burnham of Alliance led all scorers with 19. Teammates Trevor Kamerzell sank 16 points and Jordan Mills chipped in 10. |
| Seacat boys finish eighth in Omaha 2013-01-31 By Staff report |
| OMAHA — The Scottsbluff/Gering Seacat boys’ swim team was in Omaha over the weekend for the Omaha Westside Invitational, finishing in eighth place. Jon Wiebe was a standout, taking first place in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50:31 seconds. He also turned in a time of 1:53:05 in the 200-yard freestyle, good enough for fifth place. Wiebe also teamed with Nick Childs, Spencer Lake and Daniel Shaub for two seventh place finishes. The first was in the 200-yard medley relay, with the team posting a time of 1:52:03. The second was the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:37:31. Lake turned in a time of 1:12:54 in the 100-yard breaststroke, good enough for ninth place. And Noah Miller scored 311.55 points in diving to place eighth. With a total of 66 points, the Seacat boys placed eighth. The Invite winner was Elkhorn, with a total of 301 points. Although the girls’ team wasn’t able to post a score, Coach Mike Hayhurst said team members Sarah Cloud and Anna Yanke both had excellent performances. Cloud and Yanke turned in their personal best in both the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke events. The Seacat boys are in Hastings on Feb. 8 for the GNAC meet. Then they begin preparing for the Nebraska State Meet, scheduled for Feb. 21 – 23 in Lincoln. Boys Team Scoring Elkhorn 301, Millard West 255, Omaha Westside 203, Ralston 186, Grand Island 119, Bellevue West 119, Millard North 109, Scottsbluff/Gering 66, Kearney 65, Lincoln Pius X 49. Seacat Boys Results Diving – 8, Noah Miller, 311.55; 200 medley relay – 7, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:52.03 (Nick Childs, Spencer Lake, Daniel Schaub, Jon Wiebe); 200 freestyle – 5, Jon Wiebe, 1:53.05;100 freestyle – 1, Jon Wiebe, 50.31; 200 freestyle relay – 7, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:37.31 (Jon Wiebe, Nick Childs, Daniel Schaub, Spencer Lake); 100 breaststroke – 9, Spencer Lake, 1:12.54. |
| Bearcats post win over Sidney 2013-01-31 By |
| SIDNEY — In spite of a Red Raider lead for most of the game, the Scottsbluff Bearcat boys’ basketball team held on for a 54 – 50 road win over Sidney on Saturday night. Scottsbluff Head Coach Tony Siske said he was proud of the way the team held together after Sidney rolled out to a 13 – 7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Scottsbluff outscored Sidney 18 – 12 in the final eight minutes to take the win and lift their season record to 13 – 3. Eric Moreno and Taylor Winkler both hit free throws in the final minute to secure the win. Moreno had a huge game for the Bearcats, scoring 26 total points and 10 rebounds. Senior Michael Hadden also had a big game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Kline had seven points and made four steals. Leading scorers for the Red Raiders were Casey Mabey with 17 and Lane Harvey with nine. Although they trailed Sidney by 26 – 23 at halftime, Scottsbluff finished 16 for 25 from the free throw line. Sidney was 4 for 10 and the loss dropped their season record to 11 – 6. Scottsbluff (13-3) 7 16 13 18 – 54; Sidney (11-6) 13 13 12 12 – 50 SCOTTSBLUFF: Beau Lofink 2, Michael Hadden 14, Eric Moreno 26, Matt Klein 7, Jackson Hinze 3, Taylor Winkler 2. SIDNEY: Nick Castner 4, Lucas Rosenbaum 4, Sam Arterburn 3, Logan Lewis 3, Tyler Wintholz 4, Paxton Ehler 6, Lane Harvey 9, Casey Mabey 17. Lady Bearcats Rapid City Stevens was in town last Saturday for a basketball game against the Scottsbluff Lady Bearcats, but Scottsbluff couldn’t find a way to hand a loss to a talented Raider team. Rapid City pulled away in the second half for an 81 – 54 win at Scottsbluff High School. And despite the loss, Scottsbluff coach Mike Burda was impressed with how the team held together against a much more physical team. For the first time this season, the Lady Bearcats scored more than 50 points in a game. Alexus Pinedo scored the first nine of the Bearcats’ first 15 points as they stretched their advantage to 15 – 9 with three minutes left in the first quarter. Then the Raiders put together an impressive run to end the quarter with a 24 – 17 advantage. At halftime, Scottsbluff was trailing by 43 – 30 and were still within 48 – 35 with about five minutes left in the third quarter. But by the end of the third quarter, the Raiders were pulling away with a 62 – 42 advantage and never looked back. The Bearcats’ Toni Rosado went 7 for 8 at the free throw line and had the team high score of 15 points. Kiley Guerue pitched in 14 and Pinedo added 12. The Scottsbluff girls will be on the road for a Feb. 1 game at Alliance and Feb. 2 at Sidney. Rapid City Stevens (5-8) 24 19 19 19 – 81; Scottsbluff (1-13) 17 13 12 12 – 54 SCOTTSBLUFF: Liz Cunningham 2, Alexus Pinedo 12, Zoe Holscher 7, Kiley Guerue 14, Chesney Walker 4, Toni Rosado 15. RAPID CITY STEVENS: Virginia Vifquain 3, Taylor Molstad 15, Kendra LaCroix 6, Madi Hay 4, Ally Gilliland 6, Shelby Shorb 14, Gabby Haefs 23, Brooke Bennett 4, Marissa Hirchert 6. |
| Coach Burda steps down 2013-01-31 By |
| Megan Burda, who coached the Scottsbluff Lady Bearcat volleyball team for the past two years, announced she was stepping down. Megan, who also teaches fourth grade at Longfellow Elementary, said her younger children are getting involved in different activities, so she needed time to spend with her family. Her husband, Mike Burda, coaches the high school girls’ basketball team. Megan said having two coaches in the family can sometimes take a lot out of them. Megan took over as head coach in 2011 from Shana Dick. Before then, she spent three seasons as a varsity assistant under Dick and also coached the junior varsity. She has also coached the freshman and seventh grade teams for a number of years. Megan said she was thankful for the opportunity to coach and would miss working with some great kids. |
| Gering eighth grade boys trounce Sidney 2013-01-31 By |
| On Thursday, Jan. 24, the eighth grade Sidney boys tangled with the Bulldogs at the Gering Junior High gymnasium. Both A and B Bulldog teams earned the victory, with the A team enjoying a 51-30 result; and the B team seeing a final score of 46-34. Saturday, the Bulldog boys saw mixed results on the road against Ogallala, with the A team squeaking by with a 30-27 win. The B team wasn’t as fortunate, and realized defeat with a close 17-20 final score. A game against the Sidney Raiders score by quarter: Gering 7-12-14-18-51 Sidney 6-4-8-12-30 Individual scorers for Gering; Caden Wagner-10, Alex Duncan-9, Elijah Robles-8, Dylan Radzymski-7, Dalton Scott-5, Tanner Wengler-4, Chris Palomo-4, Daniel Marshall-4. Individual scorers for Sidney; Linneman-6, Hill-6, Price-6, Means-6, Campos-4, Cole-2. B game against the Sidney Raiders score by quarter: Gering 12-15-15-4-46 Sidney 10-10-5-9-34 Individual scorers for Gering; Skyler Mueller-12, Luciano Montanez-8, Austin Abbott-7, Michael Guherless-7, Xavier Castillo-3, Chandler Urich-3, Jarrod Salazar-2, Cody Snelling-2, Alex Brady-2. Individual scorers for Sidney, Cole-15, Kokjer-6, Agin-3, Jones-3, Sherma-2, Uptuck-1, unknown-2. Gering at Ogallala’s A game scores by quarter: Gering 2-13-7-6-30 Ogallala 5-10-6-6-27 Individual scorers for Gering; Elijah Robles-7, Alex Duncan-7, Tanner Wengler-5, Chirs Palomo-4, Dalton Scott-2, Keaton Ebbers-2, Dylan Radzymski-1. Individual scorers for Ogallala; Colby R-12, Wyatt B-10, Dillon H-3, Bryce B-2. Gering at Ogallala’s B game scores by quarter: Score by Quarter Gering 3-0-6-8-17 Ogallala 5-7-2-6-20 Individual scorers for Gering; Skyler Mueller-6, Michael Gutherless-5, Luciano Montanez-2, Xavier Castillo-2, Landon Vacha-2. Individual scorers for Ogallala; Brandon B-8, Logan H-5, Tyson I-3, Tyler S-2, Tyler K-2. |
| Gering 8th grade boys basketball teams earn wins 2013-01-25 By |
| GERING - The Gering eighth grade boys played Alliance on Saturday, Jan. 19. In both the A and B games, Gering was the victor. Quarter scores for the A game were, Gering, 14-14-16-6-50 Alliance, 8-9-10-12-39 Individual scorers for Gering, Duncan-16, Wengler-8, Ebbers-6, Radzymski-6, Scott-4, Marshall-4, Rogers-4, Palomo-2. Individual scores for Alliance were, Trout-13, Matulka-13, King-5, Lauder-2, Adamson-2, Morrison-4. Quarter scores for the B game were Gering, 6-7-15-14-42 Alliance, 2-2-9-10-23 Individual scorers for Gering were Abbott-6, Mueller-6, Salazar-6, Gutherless-5, Castillo-5, Montanez-4, Robinson-4, Snelling-4, Vacha-2. Individual scorers for Alliance were Vanluven-10, Toedtli-6, Hawley-3, Garcia-3, Johnson-1. |
| Gering gets decisive win over Scottsbluff 2013-01-25 By Philip Eckerberg Special to the Citizen |
| The Gering Bulldog’s boys ran ahead to get a 55-33 win over #2 ranked and archrival Scottsbluff Bearcats. When the twin city high school sports teams meet you are guaranteed an extra intense contest and the Scottsbluff-Gering basketball game on Saturday night did not disappoint as both teams ramped up the effort. Why is this matchup always so special? Well of course there is the proximity of the 2 schools, just 4 miles apart, and most of the other teams we play are much further away from us. Then there is the intertwining of the two communities. Many of the fans and players are friends; they work together, play together, and go to church together. In some cases they are even family, I saw one family in which the grandmother wore red and sat with Scottsbluff fans, while the grandfather wore blue and sat with Gering fans. We even cheer for the Huskers and Broncos together, but when our two town’s High Schools face off we are as opposite as north and south. The stands were packed and there was a lot of energy in the air at tip off. Scottsbluff started strong taking a 4-0 lead and it looked like a long night might be in store for the Bulldogs. The Gering boys did not wave the white flag and kept up with the Bearcats ending the first period with the Bearcats leading the Bulldogs 19-16. Ultimately the first period would be Scottsbluff’s best as they scored more than half of their points at this time. Gering’s defense stepped up and shut down the Scottsbluff offense in the second quarter holding the Cats to just 4 points while the Dawgs scored 15. The first half ended with Gering leading 31 to 23 and Scottsbluff hitting the locker room being in a position that they are not used to: behind. Gering continued to excel in the third frame as they outscored Scottsbluff 14-8 and had a 45-31 lead. Gering fans could taste victory; however, they have seen big leads eroded in the final quarter before and they intensified the cheering trying to be the sixth man on the court. It worked. Gering stepped up the defense and held Scottsbluff to just 2 points in the last frame while Gering scored 10. Gering outrebounded and outshot Scottsbluff throughout the end of the game. Scottsbluff tried to turn the tide with their famous 3 point shooting but they did not hit a single 3 pointer in the fourth and only hit six in the whole game. Gering meanwhile continued to hammer away through the end. Joses Palomo held the ball at the end of the game as the final buzzer sounded with a final score of Gering 55 and Scottsbluff 33. Gering fans apparently felt this was a big win for them as they rushed the court to celebrate. Gering Coach Randy Plummer was just as excited as the students as he jumped in celebration himself. Plummer said that this is a big win for Gering. Plummer mentioned three factors for Gering getting the win. Plummer said that Gering “caught Scottsbluff on a night when their threepoint shooting was cold.” Plummer also praised the Gering defense for the many rebounds and turnovers. The last item was “a mistake free game” as Gering made few errors and only had 10 team fouls all night. Gering hit 6 of 9 free throws compared to Scottsbluff’s 3 of 5. Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske said “all credit goes to Gering, they played extremely well, they contested our shots well, they made shots, they outrebounded us.” Siske noted “that Gering made 51% of their shots and Scottsbluff only made 23%”. Siske said “Gering beat us and beat us bad.” I talked to the three Gering Seniors Zac Bibb, Walker Britsch, and Austin Ferguson. Bibb said that this is the first time Gering has beat Scottsbluff at a basketball game “since we were little”. Bibb didn’t know how long ago that was but he has never defeated Scottsbluff in High School. Bibb said that they “started out behind but made some changes on offense and were able to get ahead and stay ahead.” Britsch was “happy that they won the last home game of their senior year, especially since it was against Scottsbluff.” Britsch felt that this was a “big boost in confidence” for the Bulldogs. Ferguson said that “they played really good together”. Ferguson added “I have never beat Scottsbluff before.” Fergsuon is “looking forward to Alliance next week and then the east/west shootout will be tough.” Ferguson “thought this game would be a buzzer beater but it was not.” Ferguson is right, it was a decisive win for Gering against a formidable opponent. This was the last home game for the Gering boys. Gering now begins a seven game road stretch that ends on February 15 against no other than Scottsbluff. This will again be another intense game as Scottsbluff looks to redeem themselves from the tonight’s loss against Gering. Gering boys now 9-6 will next see action on Friday January 25 in Alliance. Scottsbluff is now 12-3. Individual scores for Gering: Joses Palomo 18, Grant Olsson 14, Austin Ferguson 11, Walker Britsch 3, Christian Groskopf 3, Zac Bibb 3, Taylor Nelson 3. Individual scores for Scottsbluff: Eric Moreno 11, Michael Hadden 10, Tyler Mickey 6, Taylor Winkler 4, Matt Klein 2. In other action last week both Gering boys and girls faced the Chadron Cardinals at home on Friday night. The Gering girls lost against Chadron 49-29. The Lady Bulldogs matched the Cardinals in the first period ending with 4 points each. Chadron picked up the pace and outscored Gering 21-9 in the second frame and ended the half with a twelve point lead 25-13. Gering struggled against the Cardinals from the beginning. Gering continued to slide in the third being outscored 13-4. Gering rallied in the fourth frame outscoring Chadron 12-11 but it was too little too late and Gering girls fell 49-29. Gering is now 7-8 on the season. Gering Girls individual scores: Megan Upp 9, Allie Vacha 6, Santana Mitchell 4, Katie O’Boyle 4, Alexa Anderson 2, Nicole Michael 2, and Kaylee Sprier 2. Chadron Girls individual scores: Peyton Hinn 15, Ashkea Kerr 13, Ashlyn Eitemiller 7, Briley Hannaford 4, Alia Brennan 4, Carly Churchill 4, and Bailea Kerr 2. The Gering vs. Chadron boys game was an exciting, edge of your seat, break out the heart medicine thriller as the Dawgs escaped with a 56-55 win over the Cardinals. The lead seesawed as Chadron was ahead at the end of the first frame 16-8. Gering roared back in the second quarter outscoring Charon 28-9 and Gering went into the locker room at half time with a comfortable 36-25 lead. Chadron did not give up and outscored Gering in the third frame 18-9 cutting the lead to 2 points 45-43. Chadron outscored Gering in the fourth 12-11 but it was just not quite enough to earn the win as Joses Palomo shot the winning bucket with just a few seconds left and Chadron did not have time to answer. Gering wins 56-55. Individual scores for Gering: Grant Olsson 12, Austin Ferguson 9, Walker Britsch 8, Zac Bibb 8, Joses Palomo 7, Taylor Nelson 3, Christian Groskopf 2, and Isaiah Wilson 2. Individaul scores for Chadron: Spencer Eliason 25, Von Sayaloune 13, Bo Westlake 5, Jackson Dickerson 5, TD Stein 3, Matt Lordino 2, and Cy Rayhill 2. |
| Wrestling round up 2013-01-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Bearcats wrestle well at Green River Duals GREEN RIVER, Wyo. — Three wrestlers from the Scottsbluff Bearcats worked their way through a tough two days of action in the Green River Duals Invitational and were rewarded with undefeated records in the process. Cruz Delacruz at 106 pounds, Keegan Hessler at 113 and Colton Adams at 132 swept all eight of their matches, including wins in the Best of the Best round that concluded the event. Adams, a two-time state champion, also broke Scottsbluff’s school record for pins in a season when he increased his season total to 33. Three Bearcats shared the previous record of 29, including Adams in his freshman season. Adams thus put himself within striking room of the Class B record of 35. The Bearcats began the tournament by rolling past Rock Springs, Wyo., 54-18, winning heavily despite having two open weight classes. Scottsbluff continued its early winning ways by outscoring Cheyenne South, 51-24, and host Green River, 41-35. The Bearcats then rallied from a 17-point deficit to Worland, Wyo., with just three matches left. Hessler and Delacruz recorded back-to-back pins, and then Andrew Aratani earned a technical fall in his match, helping Scottsbluff tie Worland at 39-all. The Bearcats’ 3-0-1 dual record put them into Saturday’s championship pool, in which they lost to Douglas, Wyo., 45-26 and Uintah, Utah, 50-24 but bounced back to defeat Riverton, Wyo., 42-34 to finish in third. In addition to Delacruz, Hessler and Adams, Sabian Harsh at 145, Cameron Presher at 182 and Aratani at heavyweight all scored first-day sweeps. “We saw some great teams there, the kids did a great job of wrestling through some stuff,” Scottsbluff coach James Miller said. “We ended up having to have three opens, so we could have done a little better. But the kids wrestled really hard and did a great job.” Scottsbluff hits the road again for another two-day event Friday and Saturday, competing in the Top of the Rockies Tournament in Lafayette, Colo. The tourney was just the Bearcats’ second of the season with bracketed weight classes. “We’re looking forward to having another great tournament and hopefully getting some guys to place,” Miller said. “There’s going to be some great competition there, including Omaha North and Grand Island, so we will see some good Nebraska Class A teams. It will be pretty exciting.” Horts 3rd for Bulldogs at Chadron CHADRON — Gering had third-place finishes from brothers Baily and Damian Hort in leading the Bulldogs to an 11th-place team finish in the very strong Chadron Invitational, conducted Friday and Saturday. Baily Hort, a sophomore, finished third in the 113-pound class by going 5-1 during the two-day, 26-team event. Damian Hort, a junior, was 6-1 for the tournament in taking third at 132 pounds, which had a full field of 26 wrestlers. Damian had three pins and two overtime wins to his credit. The Bulldogs also had a pair of sixth-place finishers in sophomore Marcelino Ramos at 120 pounds and junior Elijah Timblin at 170 pounds. Ramos had a 4-3 record in the tournament and Timblin was 3-3. Mitchell, which finished in a tie for 12th place, had two sixth-place finishers in senior Spencer Rien at 220 pounds and junior heavyweight Raheem Sterkel. Bayard ties for team title at Lingle-Fort Laramie LINGLE, Wyo. — The Bayard Tigers shared team championship honors with the host Lingle-Fort Laramie Doggers in action Friday and Saturday, with the Tigers earning one individual champion and seven other top-six placers. Junior Tanner Willey led the Tigers with his championship at 195 pounds. Runner-up finishes were earned by junior Trenton Applegate at 152 pounds, senior Allen Denton at 160 pounds and senior Austin Willey at 182 pounds. Junior Chris Wurm was third for the Tigers at heavyweight/285 pounds, while juniors Brandon Bowers at 132 and Rocky Trevino at 195 were fourth-place finishers. Freshman Zaine Gallegos earned a fifth-place finish for Bayard at 220. Banner County’s David Gifford was the 220-pound champion, while C.J. Sidrow of Morrill earned runner-up at 103 pounds. Bayard will be the host of its invitational tournament on Thursday, an event rescheduled from Jan. 12 because of the inclement weather that hit the area that weekend. |
| Miller, Wiebe lead Seacats to 2nd-place finish in Twin City Invite 2013-01-25 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Gering sophomore Noah Miller made the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats’ first big splash in their Twin City Invitational meet by dominating the boys’ diving competition Friday at Splash Arena and earning a personal-best score in building on his state-qualifying effort the previous week. And then on Saturday, Scottsbluff senior Jon Wiebe led the Seacats with victories in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races and paced two runner-up relays in earning Male Swimmer of the Meet honors. Miller and Wiebe thus led the Seacat boys to a second-place team finish with 260 points in the four-school meet, which was dominated by Omaha Westside’s 425-point total. Wiebe, who has already qualified for the state meet in late February in both sprint freestyles, turned in times of 22.71 seconds in the 50 freestyle and 50.60 seconds in the 100 free. “His times were solid; they weren’t his best but they were good,” Hayhurst said. “He was still feeling some ill effects from the week before.” Scottsbluff/Gering placed second in all three boys’ relays. The 200 medley relay team of Nick Childs, Spencer Lake, Daniel Schaub, and Christian Eubanks posted a time of 1:54.7, and the 200 freestyle relay team of Wiebe, Childs, Schaub, and Lake finished in 1:37.57 – a new secondary state-qualifying time. The 400 freestyle relay team of Wiebe, Eubanks, Zacharian Puckett, and James Maag ended in 3:47.48. Also for the Seacat boys, Lake added a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.45. Placing third for Scottsbluff/Gering were Schaub in the 200 IM and Puckett in the 50 and 100 freestyles. Miller increased his 11-dive best score to 325 points in a five-boy competition he won convincingly. “He got his best score again,” Scottsbluff/Gering coach Mike Hayhurst said of Miller, “and he still has some places in a dive or two where he can do even better and maybe even challenge the school record and maybe be ready to score at state. That’s his goal for this year.” The Scottsbluff/Gering girls also had a solid second-place finish with 295 points. The Westside girls ran away with the title, piling up 497 points. Freshman Sarah Cloud led the Seacat girls with her victory in the 100 breaststroke. Her secondary state-qualifying time of 1:17.3 was only about a half-second faster than the runner-up finisher, Omaha Westside’s Carolyn Hanus. “The other big highlight was Sarah’s win, and that was a nice race,” Hayhurst said. “We had a lot of best times.” Cloud added a third-place finish in the 200 IM, and she was on two relays that placed second. The 200 medley relay, which included Erin Weatherman, Hannah Holloway, and Jessie Sorensen, placed second in 2:06.91, and the 200 freestyle relay, which included Anna Yanke, Sorensen, and McKayla Stark, placed second in 1:54.71. The Scottsbluff/Gering girls also took second in the 400 freestyle relay. The foursome of Stark, Anna Yanke, Cierra Weatherfield, and Emily Yanke finished in 4:15.58. Weatherfield gave the Seacat girls a big boost in her individual events. She placed second in both the 200 IM and 500 freestyle. Her IM time (2:29.09) was a new secondary state-qualifying time. Also for the Scottsbluff/Gering girls, Erin Weatherman was third in the 100 butterfly, and Emily Yanke was third in the 500 freestyle. Hayhurst commended the swimmers’ parents for their participation and support, and also to other community members who helped house Omaha Westside swimmers. “All of our parents really help out. We have parents who run the swimming scoreboard, diving scoreboard, judge, put the housing for the Westside kids together,” Hayhurst said. “Our team’s not as big as it has been in the past, and we put the call out to the community, even people who have nothing to do with swimming, and we had all kinds of people who took Westside kids into their homes so they could come out here. That’s just a tribute to our community.” The Seacats will be on the receiving end of their hosts in Omaha when they travel east to participate in the Westside meet with diving on Friday and swimming on Saturday. “We’ll be leaving early Friday morning, get there and warm up, watch the diving, then our kids will have dinner with the Westside bunch, then they’ll stay in their homes for the night, swim the meet and then get back about 2 a.m. (Sunday),” Hayhurst said. “Hopefully we won’t have anybody ill. Between other activities and illness, we’ve had one meet where we had everybody. It’s been a weird year as far as that goes.” Girls‘ Team Scoring Omaha Westside 497, Scottsbluff/Gering 295, North Platte 157, McCook 145 Seacat Girls‘ Results 200 Medley Relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Erin Weatherman, Sarah Cloud, Hannah Holloway, Jessie Sorensen), 2:06.91. 200 freestyle—4, Emily Yanke, 2:14.36. 8, Megan Hayhurst, 2:31.06. 10, Makala Fogg, 2:36.51. 200 IM—2, Cierra Weatherfield, 2:29.09 SEC. 3, Sarah Cloud, 2:37.17. 5, Claire Hughes, 2:44.92. 50 freestyle—4, McKayla Stark, 28.02. 5, Jessie Sorensen, 28.58. 100 butterfly—3, Erin Weatherman, 1:11.78. 5, Hannah Holloway, 1:15.05. 7, Sierra Betancur, 1:20.38. 100 freestyle—5, McKayla Stark, 1:03.09. 6, Jessie Sorensen, 1:03.18. 9, Anna Yanke, 1:05.8. 500 freestyle—2, Cierra Weatherfield, 5:56.44, SEC. 3, Emily Yanke, 6:11.42. 8, Makala Fogg, 6:51.91. 200 freestyle relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Sarah Cloud, Anna Yanke, Jessie Sorensen, McKayla Stark), 1:54.75. 100 backstroke—4, Erin Weatherman, 1:12.47. 7, Sierra Betancur, 1:22.00. 100 breaststroke—1, Sarah Cloud, 1:17.30, SEC.4, Anna Yanke, 1:21.78. 5, Claire Hughes, 1:24.85. 8, Holly Grote, 1:37.27. 11, Mikayla Kreider, 1:41.99. 400 freestyle relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (McKayla Stark, Anna Yanke, Cierra Weatherfield, Emily Yanke), 4:15.58. Boys‘ Team Scoring Omaha Westside 425, Scottsbluff/Gering 260, North Platte 218, McCook 150 Seacat Boys‘ Results 200 Medley Relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Nick Childs, Spencer Lake, Daniel Schaub, Christian Eubanks), 1:54.70. 200 freestyle—6, James Maag, 2:12.84. 8, Hunter Skow, 2:16.54. 200 IM—3, Daniel Schaub, 2:27.84. 50 freestyle—1, Jon Wiebe, 22.71, AUTO. 3, Zacharian Puckett, 25.38. 6, Spencer Lake, 25.84. 9, Christian Eubanks, 26.82. 1-meter diving—1, Noah Miller, 325 points. 100 butterfly—4, Daniel Schaub, 1:09.17. 5, Nick Childs, 1:13.84. 100 freestyle—1, Jon Wiebe, 50.60, SEC. 3, Zacharian Puckett, 57.01. 7, Christian Eubanks, 1:00.38. 500 freestyle—5, James Maag, 5:59.66. 200 freestyle relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Jon Wiebe, Nick Childs, Daniel Schaub, Spencer Lake), 1:37.57, SEC. 100 backstroke—4, Nick Childs, 1:05.22. 100 breaststroke—2, Spencer Lake, 1:13.45. 6, Hunter Skow, 1:22.28. 400 freestyle relay—2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Jon Wiebe, Christian Eubanks, Zacharian Puckett, James Maag), 3:47.48. |
| Mitchell boys fend off Bayard for 4th straight win 2013-01-25 By Terry Gaston |
| BAYARD — Sometimes a final score can be deceiving. While the Mitchell boys’ basketball team left the Bayard High School gymnasium Friday night with a 64-45 victory over the host Tigers, Mitchell assistant coach Jayson Gregory — a Bayard alumnus — said the win was hard fought against Bayard coach Neil Baker’s stubborn defensive unit. “We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Gregory, whose team rode a 22-9 first-quarter lead to a strong start but had Bayard maintain the speed of the action afterward. “We knew they were going to play tough defense and try to control the tempo of the game. “Their goal was to make life miserable for Bo (McVay) and Jamie (Fegler), and it took us awhile to get into the swing of things. We finally found some ways to attack the basket and get everybody involved, and we pulled away in the end. We felt like we were in control the whole game, but they just kind of lingered around the whole time. Coach Baker always does a great job of getting his boys into the best position to at least compete.” McVay wound up leading Mitchell with 14 points and fellow junior Adam Schlotthauer followed with 10, while classmate Fegler finished with eight. Bayard senior Braydon Parriott led all scorers with 17, but Mitchell held the host Tigers without another double-figure scorer in earning their fourth straight win and their eighth in their last 11 games. “We’ve had a stretch of games, starting with the Alliance Holiday Tournament, where we knew we could eventually put some wins together and we told the guys to go one game at a time.” Next up for Mitchell was the Tigers’ long-awaited date Tuesday night at Kimball, which entered the game at 9-1 and coming off a 57-35 win Saturday at Gordon-Rushville — Mitchell’s next opponent at home Friday. “It will be fun, now that we’ve gotten past this stretch of the season, we can finally play this one because we’ve been looking forward to it for a long time,“ Gregory said of the game against Kimball. The Mitchell girls continued their winning ways as well Friday, downing Bayard 74-32. Senior Chalsey Grentz led Mitchell (8-6) with 25 ponits that included four 3-pointers. Junior Havannah Newens followed with 16 points. Bayard junior Megan Stuart led the host Tigers with 13 points, while junior Rachel Frerichs had eight rebounds and senior Kaylyn Long made five steals. Bayard then traveled to Lusk, Wyo., on Saturday to face Niobrara County in another all-Tiger scrap. The Bayard boys (6-8) fell to Niobrara County 64-41 and the BHS girls (3-11) were dealt a 51-31 loss to Niobrara. The Tigers returned to Wyoming on Tuesday for action at Lingle-Fort Laramie. Bayard then plays Thursday at Hemingford before the Tigers return home Friday to face arch-rival Bridgeport. Minatare boys 2nd in MAC SIDNEY — The Minatare boys’ quest to win the Minuteman Activities Conference title fell short Saturday night when the Indians were dealt a 64-33 loss by No. 1 seed Leyton. The Warriors (10-1) thus won their second straight MAC tourney title, while Minatare (9-2) fell for the first time after seven straight wins. The Indians had advanced to the championship game after edging Creek Valley 51-47 in Thursday’s semifinal game at the Cabela’s Events Center. Second-seeded Minatare opened MAC play with a 67-38 win at home over No. 7 seed South Platte. The Minatare boys and girls began a busy week Tuesday night by playing host to Oelrichs, S.D. The Indians then travel to Dalton on Friday to face Leyton and return home Saturday to play Potter-Dix. After Banner County lost both of its first-round MAC tournament games last Tuesday, the Wildcats began a week full of road trips by visiting Crawford on Tuesday in a make-up doubleheader from Jan. 12. Banner County then visits Potter-Dix on Friday and Morrill on Saturday. Morrill The Lion teams were both dealt losses Saturday at Bridgeport, with the Bulldog boys beating Morrill 74-38 and the Bridgeport girls downing the Lions 56-33. Jacob Ramirez led the Morrill boys with 14 points, while Taylor Cooper paced the Lion girls with 11 points. Morrill (both 4-8) will be at home Friday against Crawford and Saturday against Banner County. |
| Alliance uses experience to top Gering wrestlers 2013-01-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Sometimes the difference between youth and experience in a sport like wrestling can be separated by a matter of seconds. With his lineup missing its lone senior Tuesday night in Jake Rexus because of illness, Gering coach Randy Hughes sent out a young team against a well-seasoned Alliance group that used its experience to knock the Bulldogs 54-12 in dual action at the Gering High School gymnasium. “The thing that stands out to me on where we need to improve is in the last 15 seconds in the period,” Hughes said. “We’re just giving up way too many points in those last few seconds, and that comes with knowing that the time is getting short and not relaxing until the period is over. We’ll work on that. “Overall our wrestling is better, and the score doesn’t really reflect the matches. There were certainly a few close ones that we could have pulled out or the score could’ve been a lot closer.” Gering won just two matches, with junior Damian Hort at 132 pounds and sophomore Quentin Timblin at 145 scoring decisions. The Bulldogs gained a forfeit at 113 pounds for sophomore Baily Hort. Damian Hort scored a 9-4 decision over sophomore D.J. Weare, three days after Hort needed overtime to score a 10-8 win over Weare in the consolation quarterfinals of the Chadron Invitational. “It was a hard-nosed win,” Hughes said. “It was nice to get a decisive win. It was a hard-fought battle but we came out on top and that was a definitive win for Damian, although you felt like it was nip and tuck all the way.” Timblin lost an overtime decision to Alliance freshman Manny Cabello in the Chadron consolation round but avenged that loss Tuesday night by holding on for a 7-6 decision. “Quentin came out with a good close win there. He had been struggling lately and it was nice to see him win a close one,” Hughes said. Baily Hort‘s evening was not short-lived however, when he stepped up a weight class for a 120-pound exhibition and scored a 12-3 major decision over Truen Henderson. Even in the matches the host Bulldogs lost, Hughes said he saw signs of improvement in his young grapplers. No match may have reflected Hughes’ sentiment than the 195-pound match that kicked off the dual. Alliance freshman Kyson Schnell had beaten Gering sophomore Christian Pester in an 18-3 technical fall Saturday at Chadron, but the two battled the entire six minutes of regulation, concluded when Pester spun a reverse with 10 seconds left in regulation to forge an 8-all deadlock. After a nearly scoreless overtime, Schnell found a crack in Pester’s defense and scored the winning takedown with two seconds left in the extra period for the win. Despite Pester’s loss, Hughes said he could not fault his 195-pounder’s effort. “Pester is coming on. Granted, he lost in overtime and was back on heels a little bit,” Hughes said of Pester, who later stepped up to 220 pounds and scored a second-period exhibition pin over Jacob Baldwin — who drew a forfeit win at 220 in his regular match. “But that kid at the Chadron tournament beat him big, so for Christian to come back and take him into overtime and nearly pull out the match, he ran out of gas but he was laying it all on the line.” “Guys who run out of gas, you can fix that.” The bottom line of the dual, however, was that Alliance won 11 of the 14 matches: five by pin fall, one by technical fall, three by regular decision, one by major decision and one by forfeit. “In the end, the score is how you get judged,” Hughes said. “Yet there is plenty to celebrate in this match against Alliance, and there’s plenty to work on also. We’re improving every time we get out on the mat, so I am looking forward to seeing where we end up at districts.” A tough week only gets busier when the Bulldogs travel to Torrington for dual action Tuesday. Gering will then be in the Mitchell Invitational on Saturday. “Things have toughened up all the way around: Scottsbluff is tough, Alliance is tough and Torrington is tougher than they have been for a few years,” Hughes said. “We have just one senior and a lot of young guys who are taking their lumps, but we’ll be all right.” Alliance 54, Gering 12 195 — Kyson Schnell, Alliance, dec. Christian Pester, 10-8 (OT); 220 — Jacob Baldwin, Alliance, won by forfeit; 285 — Donald RedNest, Alliance, maj. dec. Garrett Rahmig, 11-3; 106 — Christan Holsey, Alliance, won by technical fall over Garrett Allbaugh, 15-0/2nd period; 113 — Baily Hort, Gering, won by forfeit; 120 — Devin Ushio, Alliance, dec. Marcelino Ramos, 8-1; 126 — Walker Johnson, Alliance, pinned Kelsey Hutson, 2:55/2nd period; 132 — Damian Hort, Gering, dec. D.J. Weare, 9-4; 138 — Tyler Smith, Alliance, pinned Devin De Los Santos, 0:41/1st period; 145 — Quentin Timblin, Gering, dec. Manny Cabello, 7-6; 152 — Tyson Dowler, Alliance, pinned Johnathan Sayaloune, 3:09/2nd period; 160 — Cameron Nagaki, Alliance, pinned Weston Hutson, 1:01/1st period; 170 — Dawson Johnson, Alliance, pinned Elijah Timblin, 3:20/2nd period; 182 — Freddie Lopez, Alliance, dec. Blake Rains, 5-3. Exhibition matches 120 — Baily Hort, Gering, maj. dec. Truen Henderson, 12-3; 138 — James Long, Alliance, pinned Antonio Murillo, 0:56/1st period; 220 — Christian Pester, Gering, pinned Jacob Baldwin, 3:50/2nd period. |
| WNCC men, women split contests at Northwest Kansas 2013-01-10 By WNCC New Service |
| GOODLAND, Kan. -- The Western Nebraska Community College men's and women's basketball teams kicked off the new year with a split of contests on Monday against Northwest Kansas Technical College in Kansas. The Cougar women put five players in double figures, led by Gritt Ryder's 14 points, as they ran past Northwest Kansas 88-52 for their third straight win. The WNCC men, after getting two clutch 3-pointers by Trey Moore and Rich Williams in the waning seconds of regulation and overtime, fell to the Mavericks 77-76 in an extra 5-minute period. It was the second time the two squads have gone to overtime. WNCC won the first encounter back on Dec. 7, 96-85. The women's game was all Cougars. After the two squads were tied early at 9-9, the Cougars went on a 19-2 run to lead 28-11 before leading 55-25 at halftime. WNCC quickly put the game away with a 21-point run that pushed the lead to 78-29 and the Cougars never looked back. Gritt Ryder led the way with 14 points followed by Ashley Stevens with 13 points. Jessica Aratani and Mikayla Brower each chipped in 12 points, while Shalisa Moffit had 11 points. Michelle Brassard also had a near double-figure night with nine points. The men's contest was a tight-knit contest from the get-go and WNCC coach Russ Beck was pleased with how hard his team played while playing short-handed. The Cougars hit a number of clutch shots and they kept fighting until the end. "We turned the ball over too much and we gave up too many offensive rebounds," he said. "However, we were scrappy and really competed. We had guys step up and hit huge shots. I was proud of the guys and we need to stay positive and continue to get better. Starting tomorrow we need to win them all as we start subregion play." WNCC was down early 27-23 deficit to take a 29-27 lead. WNCC led 32-29 in the fading seconds of the first half before Northwest Kansas hit a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to take a 33-32 halftime lead. The second half saw the teams switch leads plenty of times. WNCC took a 50-46 lead on a Cody Johnson 3-pointer.Northwest came back to take a 66-60 lead and led 68-65 with 13 seconds to play. Trey Moore forced overtime as he hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left. In the extra period, the Mavericks went up 74-69 on back-to-back 3-pointers and led 76-71 with two minutes to play. WNCC came storming back, tying the contest at 76-76 on a Rich Williams 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play. Northwest's Gian Clavell then nailed one of two free throws with four seconds to play for the win. Both WNCC teams will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to Lamar Community College to open up South Subregion play. After Tuesday, the Cougars return home to face McCook Community College on Friday. |
| Gering Bulldogs raided by Sidney hoopsters 2013-01-10 By Philip Eckerberg, Special to the Citizen |
| Gering boys’ and girls’ basketball teams fell on Friday night to Sidney with a final score in the girls’ contest of 36-28. The boys’ match was closer, 60-55. Come on strong, get ahead and stay ahead is a great strategy to win any game but unfortunately for Gering it was mantra of both Sidney teams. The Sidney girls started strong out of the gate with 9 points in the first quarter, while holding Gering to one basket. The Lady Bulldogs couldn’t find their groove in the second quarter, continuing to be outscored 8-6. The girls went to the locker room at the half time trailing Sidney 17-8. There were plenty of scoring opportunities for the girls but it seemed like there was a lid on the basket and shots would not go in. The third quarter was no better as the Lady Raiders continued to dominate, outpacing Gering 9-7, heading into the final quarter with a lead of 26-15. Gering finally kicked it in and outscored Sidney 13-10, at one point pulling within 5 points of the Raiders. It was too little too late for the Gering girls as the final buzzer saw the board at 36-28 for Sidney. Gering now has an even season record of 6-6 while Sidney girls are 8-2. Gering coach Adam Freeburg praised his team’s defensive effort saying “to hold a team like Sidney to 36 points is a great accomplishment.” Freeburg added “we need to find a way to get the ball in the hoop a little bit more”. Freeburg was happy with his team’s effort noting that even thought they were down double digits they never gave up and kept fighting. Individual scores for Gering: Jessica Rogers 7, Katie O’Boyle 7, Alexa Anderson 4, Megan Upp 3, Dakota Gellner 3, Santanna Mitchell 2, Kaylee Spreier 2. Individual scores for Sidney: Sarah Mahr 15, Karissa Segelke 11, Jeni Heeren 4, Abbi Porter 2, Morgan Linneman 2, Katelin Cole 1, Cody Rowley 1. The boy’s game was next and for the Sidney Red Raider boys the third time was a charm. This was the third meeting of the Gering and Sidney boys this season. Gering has won the two previous matches but the score was close even going into overtime. Sidney opened the game with some “shock and awe” as two three point field goals and a layup led to an 8-0 lead early in the first quarter. Sidney ended the quarter with a 17-11 lead. The second quarter was no better for Gering as Sidney outscored them 20-14 and ended the half with a 37-25 lead. The Bulldog boys were suffering the same shot accuracy problem the girls had. There were plenty of shots made, but they simply did not fall. It was as if an invisible force was preventing the balls from going in the hoop. The Gering boys came back in the second half and made a try at it. The scoring was tied 9-9 in the third quarter with the score being 46-34 in Sidney’s favor. The fourth quarter Gering began to dominate as they outscored Sidney 21-14. The comeback fell short as the closest the Dawgs could get to the Raiders was 5 points. The final buzzer sounded with Sidney holding onto the 5 point lead 60-55. Gering now has a season record of 7-5 with Sidney at 6-4. Gering coach Randy Plummer lamented that the first half went totally Sidney’s way “They got every loose ball and rebound”. Plummer added that the Gering team “was not ready to play”. A glance at team stats tells the story. Gering only made 6 of 13 free throws, Sidney hit 9 of 18. Gering made 3 three point buckets, Sidney made 7. You can’t win that way. Individual scores for Gering: Zac Bibb 16, Christian Groskopf 13, Joses Palomo 8, Taylor Nelson 7, Austin Ferguson 6, Grant Olsson 5. Individual scores for Sidney: Paxton Ehler 15, Lane Harvey 14, Casey Mabey 12, Sam Arterburn6, Hunter Vowers 5, Logan Lewis 4, Lucas Rosenbaum 4. |
| Bayard boys score weekend sweep 2013-01-10 By Terry Gaston |
| Banner County boys down Hyannis for first win The Bayard boys’ basketball team rode senior Brayden Parriott’s 22 points to a hard-fought, 44-43 victory Friday night over Potter-Dix at the Bayard High School gymnasium. The Tigers’ victory kicked off a nice start for 2013, following with a 43-21 win Saturday at Gordon-Rushville. The wins improved Bayard’s record to 4-6 heading into the Tigers’ Tuesday night game at Morrill. The Bayard girls could not match the Tiger boys’ successes, taking a 44-39 loss Friday to Potter-Dix and a 59-32 setback Saturday to Gordon-Rushville. The losses left the Tiger girls at 2-8 heading into their Tuesday night game at Morrill. Bayard travels to Hemingford on Friday and will entertain Yoder- Southeast on Tuesday. Banner County The Wiildcat teams entered this week still looking for their first wins after they were swept at home Friday by Hay Springs and at Hemingford on Saturday. On Monday night at home against Hyannis, the Banner County boys finally broke through and downed Hyannis 51-36. The Wildcat girls, however, were taken down by the Longhorns 71-29. The Wildcat boys (1-9) had to overcome a five-point deficit in the second quarter and used an 11-2 stretch to finish the half with a 23-17 lead. Banner County led by just three at 39-36 in the final five minutes before the Wildcats finished with 12 unanswered points to secure the victory. Sophomore Tyson Dahlgren led the Wildcats (1-9) with 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot. Mike McKown followed with 12 points and Kadan Huber added nine, while Brenton Soule scored eight points and had 10 rebounds. Hyannis dropped to 1-8 with the loss. Over the weekend, the Banner County boys led Hay Springs 36-29 after three quarters before the Hawks outscored the Wildcats 20-10 in the fourth quarter to take a 49-46 win. Dahlgren fueled Banner County with a game-high 19 points and McKown added 15 and Ben Hosteller put in 10. Hay Springs (2-7) was led by Regg Strogheide’s 16 points with Jordan Encinia adding 13 for the Hawks, who lost Saturday to Leyton at Dalton. On Saturday, the Wildcats were downed 69-23 at Hemingford. The Bobcats (6-3) got 19 points from Matthew Wood and 16 from Brady Turek. McKown led Banner County with six points. In girls’ action Monday night, Hyannis (4-4) jumped out to a 27-7 advantage after one quarter and never looked back. Savanna Jamison led the Longhorns with 24 points, while Ashlynne Hanan led Banner County with eight points. On Friday, Hay Springs defeated Banner County 55-14, and the Wildcats lost to Hemingford 73-17 on Saturday. The Wildcats will travel to Crawford on Friday before they play host to Minatare on Saturday. BCHS will begin play in the Minuteman Activities Conference Tournament on Tuesday. Minatare The Minatare boys picked up the second semester where the Indians left off from 2012, improving to 5-1 with a 41-39 victory Saturday over Creek Valley (4-4) in Chappell. The Minatare girls (1-5) were turned back by the Creek Valley Storm, which improved to 3-5 by downing the Indians 54-17. Minatare began the week by playing host to Garden County (4-6 boys) on Tuesday, and the Indians will be at Banner County on Saturday before opening the Minuteman Activities Conference Tournament on Tuesday. Mitchell The Tiger teams both had tough second-semester openers Saturday night at Chadron, with the host Cardinals scoring a 58-38 win in the boys’ game and the CHS girls winning 56-17. The Chadron boys (5-6) rode Spencer Eliason’s 27-point, 13-rebound performance to victory. Mitchell (4-6) was led by Bo McVay’s 11 points. In the girls’ game, Chadron (11-1) had back-to-back quarter scores of 13-8 to lead 26-8 at halftime. Mitchell (4-6) had Chalsey Grentz and Taylor Peters score four apiece, while Ashlea Kerr led the Cardinals with 14 points. Mitchell began a busy week with a home doubleheader Tuesday against Burns, Wyo. The Tigers will head west on Highway 26 to play at Morrill on Friday, and Mitchell plays host to Bridgeport on Saturday. Morrill The Morrill girls got the Lions’ only victory in a pair of home doubleheaders with a 55-12 win Friday over Guernsey-Sunrise. Brittany Zwiebel led the Lions with 12 points and Taylor Cooper added 10. On Saturday, Morrill was dealt a 64-31 setback to a strong Kimball team, which improved to 6-1 behind 14 points from Darbi Klinkhammer. Zwiebel again led the Lions (4-5) with 12 points. The Morrill boys suffered a 74-45 setback to Guernsey-Sunrise on Friday before undefeated Kimball downed the Lions 58-23 on Saturday. Taylor Lackey led Morrill (4-5) with six points, while Kimball (7-0) got off to a 34-8 halftime lead and received 13 points from Mike Daum and 10 from Jake Reader. Morrill played host to Bayard on Tuesday and has Mitchell at home on Friday. |
| Gering turns back Scottsbluff in Twin City battle 2013-01-10 By Terry Gaston |
| For the first five minutes of their Twin City Rivalry girls' basketball game Tuesday night at Gering, the Lady Bulldogs played the aggressor and rode an emotional wave to an early 12-point lead. Once the young Lady Bearcats settled into the game at the Gering High School gymnasium and became acclimated to the rivalry's environs, they grew up over the next 23 minutes and stood toe-to-toe with the Lady Bulldogs in the contest's waning moments. When push came to shove, a lot of which was called to the whistle tune of 39 personal fouls, Gering used its relative experience in the final four minutes to fend off Scottsbluff for a 53-42 win. "Getting up quick like that in basketball is always a really tough thing, because just naturally when you get ahead that big, you let down even when you're doing your best not to," said Gering coach Adam Freeburg, whose team led 14-2 in the first 5:47 but were outscored 7-2 the rest of the first quarter. Sophomore Jessica Rogers scored six of the Bulldogs' first 14 points, and Scottsbluff junior Toni Rosado had a half dozen as well in the opening period in setting a pace for Scottsbluff that kept the Bearcats to within seven points until late in the third quarter. The teams played even scoring basketball in the second and third quarters, with six each in the second and 15 in the third, a factor that kept Gering ahead by seven (37-30) heading into the final eight minutes. Rosado had 10 third-period points, pulling Scottsbluff to within three at 22-19 early in the third quarter, and helped draw the Bearcats to within four with 3:00 left in the period before Gering found its niche against Rosado and began padding a lead for the final margin, 11-point victory. On Tuesday, Rosado mad 6 of 13 field goals and was 6-for-7 at the free-throw line in scoring a game-high 18 points. Rosado also pulled down eight rebounds but she also made six turnovers, of which the Bearcats had 25 miscues for the night. "Her nickname is Crazy, just because she does what she does," Scottsbluff coach Mike Burda said of Rosado. "She goes down there and sometimes it's amazing the post moves she makes. I don't even know how she does it, but the ball gets into the basket." Still, Rosado's improving presence inside has made a major difference in the Bearcats' growth since they were swept in the Western Conference Tournament and on their way to losing their first seven straight games. For the first time all season, Scottsbluff has eclipsed the 40-point barrier and has done so for the past three games. "She's just a competitor, she's really quick , she's not overly tall but for her size she's really quick," Burda said. "She has gone through a lot this year, including as a player, and she has improved as a player." After Gering rebuilt a nine-point lead late in the third and again led by seven after the period, the Bearcats closed to within three at 43-40 with four minutes remaining. The Bulldogs responded by getting a follow shot from senior Dakota Gellner to fall, a pair of free throws by senior Alexa Anderson and an inside basketball by junior Katie O'Boyle to regain a nine-point advantage. Scottsbluff got as close at 47-40 before Gering turned two defensive stops into baskets for the final margin of victory. "They made their runs, and I thought we did a really nice job of putting our foot down and stopping those runs and then making the lead bigger," Freeburg said. "That's a tough thing to do." Scottsbluff connected on just 16 of its 49 shots (33 percent) and was just 50 percent accurate on free throws Senior guard Alexus Pinedo made three assists and was one of four Bearcats to score four points apiece, along with senior Liz Cunningham, sophomore Aysia Ensrud and freshman Zoe Holscher. Junior team-leading scorer Kiley Guerue was shut out on nine shots and made just 1 of 4 free throws for her single-point, two-steal night. "It probably wasn't the prettiest game to watch, but the girls did fight," Burda said. "We feel we're getting a lot better since the beginning of the season. This one hurts a little bit, but we said we were going to let it hurt for tonight and not worry about it, just because we feel that we are getting better in every practice and every game. Hopefully by the end of the season, having that mind-set will pay off." The victory was the Bulldogs' second of the season in two meetings against the Bearcats, the first of which took place on Scottsbluff's home floor in the consolation semifinals of the Western Conference Invitational on Nov. 30. Gering emerged that day with a 48-33 win. The Bulldogs, riding some extra passion on the heels of the death of senior Mikal Orozco on Sunday in a car-train accident, came out of the gate Tuesday night and forced the Bearcats (1-9) into five turnovers in the first four minutes. All the while, Gering was 9-for-24 on free throws and were 21-for-57 (37 percent) from the floor. Jessica Rogers struggled with a 4-for-12 shooting night but still conjured a team-leading 10 points along with a Gering-high 13 rebounds. Senior Santanna Mitchell followed the Bulldogs' balanced scoring attack with eight points, while O'Boyle followed with seven points with a team-high three steals and five rebounds. Senior Megan Upp added seven points, while sophomore Ashlyn Schultz hit two 3-pointers for her six points and Anderson hit a pair of 2-point shots and two free throws for six points. The Bulldogs out-rebounded Scottsbluff 40-29, including an 18-9 advantage on offensive boards. Dakota Gellner had five of her eight rebounds off Bulldog misses and Mitchell followed with seven boards. "We were trying to find mismatches on the post, and I think we did for the most part in the beginning," Freeburg said. "We kind of had some problems getting those mismatches in the middle, but in the fourth quarter, we really did a nice job of getting it in and getting some points on the post." Both Gering and Scottsbluff will play opponents from two of the three Cheyenne high schools, and the Bulldogs will go on the road Thursday night and get the first crack against a strong East Thunderbird squad. "We are going to have our hands completely full and more," Freeburg said."They're one of the best teams in Wyoming in all classes. But you know, this group will go down and play as hard as we can and give it a shot. That's all we can do, and these girls will do that." Scottsbluff then moves into the Wyoming capital Friday night for a game against Central. The Bearcats then play host to East on Saturday at the SHS gym, with the varsity game expected to start at about 3:30 p.m. "We just need to work on starting out sharper," Burda said." I think tonight we had some girls who got a little emotional. We had some freshmen on the floor who I don't think they had played a Gering freshman game, let alone a Gering varsity game. It's a big growing experience for a lot of the girls, and it is what it is, and we can't hang our head too hard just because we are getting better." |
| Bearcats let out new-year’s roar with pair of victories 2013-01-10 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF – For those wondering if the Scottsbluff boys’ basketball team would be rattled following the Bearcats’ pair of losses in their conference tournament, they got a resounding answer through Scottsbluff’s two solid victories last weekend. With senior Eric Moreno scoring at least 20 points in each game, and senior Michael Hadden matching Moreno’s 26-point outing Saturday night, the Bearcats scored a 66-50 win Friday night at Alliance and then turned back Rapid City, S.D.-Stevens 63-53 Saturday at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace. The wins gave Scottsbluff a 10-2 record and got the Bearcats back on the upside of results following their semifinal and third-place game losses in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament on Dec. 27-29 in Columbus. Those losses, to Class A Kearney and District B-6 stronghold McCook, snapped Scottsbluff’s 8-0, season-starting run and a 15-game winning streak that included the Bearcats’ final seven victories on their way to winning the Class B state championship last season. “It was a very good weekend for us,” said Scottsbluff coach Tony Siske, whose team (10-2) committed just a combined 18 turnovers in the two wins. “We wanted to get two wins, and we came out and accomplished the goal.” In a battle of sharpshooters, Moreno was 7-for-10 (3-for-5 on 3-pointers) on his way to his 23-point night, and he knocked down 6 of 8 of his free throws. Hadden was perfect on nine free throws, shot 7-for-11 from the floor and made six rebounds. Senior guard Taylor Winkler tacked on 10 points, nailing a pair of 3-pointers. “Michael and Eric combined to go 14 for 21 for the game,” Siske said, "and what I like that Eric is doing is he is attacking the basket pretty hard, and it’s something we’ve been asking him to do and the past two nights he’s done a great job. “People have to respect his shooting ability. He’s going to get people guarding him up short and his shot faking is kind of deceptively quick, because he kind of lulls people to sleep, floats around a little bit and then he goes right by somebody.” Scottsbluff succeeded defensively by shutting down Stevens junior guard Steven Schaeffer, luring him into early foul trouble with just six first-half points in 16 minutes in which the Raiders (2-4) just scored 19 in the first half. The Bearcats maintained that eight-point lead after three quarters and led by as many as 14 points in the third period. “I thought our defense was really good, especially in the first halftime,” Siske said. “In the second half, it maybe not quite as good because I was switching up defenses and we were in a little bit of foul trouble and some fatigue.” Schaeffer led all scorers with 26 points, hitting 8 of 18 shots including just 2 of 7 3-point shots. “Steven Schaeffer is one of the best players that we have seen," Siske said. "He has six points at half and ends up with 26. A lot of them were earned. I thought we were guarding him pretty well. And the degree of difficulty on some of his shots is pretty high, and that’s what we told the kids that they can make the tough shots and he did.” Senior guard Matt Klein, perhaps still bothered in free-throw shooting by a pre-season broken hand, hit just one free throw but had seven assists and two steals. Freshman Austin Clarkson added four rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Jackson Hinze, who started the game and had a strong effort against Alliance, had ill effects force him out of the game for the second half. “I thought we were very efficient in the second half and played with poise, minus a possession or two,” Siske said. “We took really good shots and knocked down free throws.” Against Alliance on Friday, the Bearcats committed just eight turnovers and made 48 percent from the floor in downing the Bulldogs. Moreno ripped four 3-point shots on his way and was 8-for-13 from the field in reaching the 20-point mark. Winkler followed Moreno by scoring 13 points, while Hadden followed with 12 and Klein hit two 3s on his way to scoring 10 points. “What I told the kids afterward, I said, ‘I think we got better this week and I thought this week was probably our best week of practice we’ve have all year,” Siske said. “And now the challenge is to top it, have a better week of practice and take another step forward. Having Matt back helps and now we can just really getting a set rotation and get used to our roles.” Bearcat girls fall to Alliance The good news for the Scottsbluff girls Friday night was that the Bearcats broke 40 points for the second straight time after having been held under the mark in each of their first seven losses. The bad news was that 40 points weren’t enough against Alliance, which left the SHS gym with a 55-44 win over the Bearcats. “We played well in spots, but we need to be more consistent to be able to produce more victories,” said Scottsbluff coach Mike Burda, whose team (1-8) was coming off winning its first game by taking the seventh-place contest of the GNAC Tournament against Hastings. “We are getting better each week of games and practices, so that is a huge positive. Alliance senior Olivia Vogel had a career-high 18 points and had eight rebounds in leading the Bulldogs (6-4) to their third straight win. The Bearcats, who were outscored 12-5 in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 28-16. Scottsbluff got 14 points from junior Kiley Guerue with 14 points and 11 from senior Liz Cunningham along with three assists and three rebounds. Toni Rosado chipped in eight points and pulled down five rebounds. The Bearcat girls began the week Tuesday at Gering, and this weekend finds both Scottsbluff teams splitting their Friday and Saturday games between the SHS gym and the Wyoming capital city. On Friday, the Bearcat boys play host to Cheyenne East at 7 p.m. and at Cheyenne Central on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Scottsbluff girls will play at Cheyenne Central on Friday at 7 p.m. and will entertain East on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. |
| Bearcats fall short, Bulldogs finish strong in Scottsbluff Duals 2013-01-10 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF – In a dual wrestling tournament, the format almost gives the eight participating teams five mini tourneys. Scottsbluff swept its first four opponents but lost 40-36 loss to Alliance in the championship match-up Saturday on the Bearcats’ home mat at the SHS gymnasium, while Gering lost its first two pool duals but then reeled off three straight team wins to win the consolation bracket on the Bulldogs’ own mat brought up from GHS. So, based on how their teams finished their five-dual sets on the day, one could understand Gering coach Randy Hughes’ more eager satisfaction with his team’s performance afterward, while Bearcat coach James Miller was more disappointed following Scottsbluff’s close loss in the final dual. “It was really nice to finish strong,” Hughes said. “That’s what you want to do and we talked about that with the guys. We kind of regained, regrouped and did that, so I am proud of them.” “Four and one is pretty respectable,” Miller said, “and it hurts a little bit to lose the last one so close. For us to be in the situation where we knew we could win if we had some guys wrestle the way we know they can wrestle, but unfortunately we still have to go out and wrestle the match and that’s not done by takeaway.” But wrestling became a little less important when the Bearcats saw 120-pounder Keegan Hessler unable to get up off the mat after he suffered a head injury against Alliance’s David Ushio, who was awarded a six-point injury default for the Bulldogs. With most of the crowd and non-wrestlers glued with their attentions to him, Hessler was taken to the hospital following on-mat medical assistance. As of Monday night, Miller reported that Hessler was good but still had to take his concussion baseline test before he could return to action. While Hessler received aid and prayers on the Bearcats’ mat, Gering was finishing a 51-24 win over Monarch, Colo. That victory followed the Bulldogs’ 51-20 consolation semifinal win over the Alliance junior varsity – which included several Scottsbluff and Monarch JV wrestlers to fill out the match ladder. Gering fell behind early in pool play, losing to Jefferson County, Colo., 42-28 and to Alliance 53-24 before squeezing out a 30-27 win over Merino, Colo. Individually for the Bulldogs, if a wrestler’s last name was Hort or Timblin, it likely spelled success. Elijah Timblin gained two forfeits before he began a run of three straight pin-fall victories at 171 pounds. His fastest pin was over Caleb Ramey of Merino in 36 seconds. “Elijah had a good day, but the guy who really turned it on and has turned things around for himself was Quentin Timblin,” Hughes said. “He’s been struggling a little bit, but he sure came out tough. Those matches weren’t easy for him and he just wrestled tough.” Quentin TImblin swept through his four on-mat matches at 145 pounds, scoring four pin falls after he gained a first-round forfeit. Timblin had two first-period pins, the quickest in 58 seconds over Kody Fletcher of Alliance. From the Hort camp, Baily Hort went 5-0 at 113 pounds by scoring three pin falls, one technical fall and one forfeit. Hort’s quickest pin was on Eli Moreno of Alliance in 32 seconds. He also pinned Courtland Muhr of the Scottsbluff JV, who participated on the Alliance JV team. “Baily had it in him,” Hughes said. Damian Hort jumped in at 138 for the Bulldogs in the consolation round and responded by pinning Keenan Schmidt of the Scottsbluff JV in 1:27 and scoring another pin fall for a 2-0 record. “Damian Hort didn’t make the weight he was going for, but he came back and wrestled at a heavier weight for us later in the day,” Hughes said. Hughes said working on filling open weights continues to be a priority for the Bulldogs when they enter dual action. “It hurts us a little bit, just where we’re at right now this year, but we’re OK with that. We’re young with only one senior on the team (Jake Rexus, who went 4-1 Saturday with three pins), and we have a lot of young kids coming up who are learning and we’ll be fine.” Scottsbluff had five wrestlers finish with either 4-0 or 5-0 records on the day, led by junior two-time Class B state champion Colton Adams, who pinned all four of his opponents Saturday at 138 pounds. Adams, who while in pursuit of a third consecutive state tournament title, was close to scoring a technical fall in the final dual over Alliance’s D.J. Weare, when he backed off the scoring and went for the pin, which he got and thus gave the Bearcats six team points instead of what would have been five. “That just comes with understanding the sport, all the mat time he’s put in, he understands how team scores work and that we needed that extra point,” Miller said of Adams, whose fastest pin was against pinned Nathaniel Votruba of Sidney in 1:29. “Colton wrestled really tough.” At 152 pounds for the Bearcats, Tristan Donelson was 5-for-5 on scoring pins, with his quickest on Kody Fletcher of Alliance in 1:07. Scottsbluff 106-pounder Cruz Delacruz scored four pin falls in compiling a 5-0 record. His fastest pins came over Caden Feenstra of Monarch, Colo., in 27 seconds and another in just 30 seconds over Cristian Hulsey of Alliance. Cameron Presher went 5-0 after picking up three forfeits, but he won his other two matches by pin fall. Heavyweight Andrew Aratani also was 5-0 with three forfeits, with his two match wins by pin as well; HE pinned Brandon Lulf of Sidney in 1:50. Before his day-ending injury, Hessler had scored three pins and one technical fall at 120. His quickest pin was of Trent Henderson of the Alliance JV in 25 seconds. Add to the Bearcats’ success Isaiah Jaramillo, whose 3-1, three-pin day was spoiled only by a 4-3 decision loss to to Tyler Smith of Alliance. Sabian Harsh, whose went 4-1 with three pin falls; and Tristan Donelson, whose pin loss against Alliance spoiled a four-win, three-pin day. “We had some guys wrestle well,” Miller said. “We saw some guys make some improvements. Cody Rossman had some good solid wins and we were really impressed with him. Sabian Harsh and Tristan Donelson had another great day. “We saw some sparks and still some things we need to continue to work on and just continue to develop and look to February for districts and state.” In the meantime, the Bearcats will head eastward on Friday for a dual against the Beatrice Bears before they participate in the Nebraska City Tournament on Saturday. In retrospect on the Bearcats’ dual tourney, Miller said he is already looking forward for making the event. “We started that last year and it worked really well, so we continued to do it this year,” Miller said of the dual format. “It was good to see Monarch and Jefferson, some new faces, so hopefully we can develop this into 12 teams next year and continue to grow, see some new teams and continue to battle it out.” Gering begins a busy five days Friday at the Lexington Duals and then travels to Imperial for the Chase County Tournament on Saturday. “So we’re looking at the possibility of 10 matches in two days, so it’s going to test our mettle.” After their long, travel-filled weekends, Gering and Scottsbluff will square off against each other in their annual Twin City dual on Tuesday at the Gering High School gym. The varsity matches will start at 7 p.m. “We’ll be ready,” Hughes said with a chuckle. “We keep getting closer and closer, and in a couple weeks we’ll see how it goes.” Scottsbluff Duals Tournament Pool One: Alliance 44, Merino, Colo. 6; Jefferson County, Colo. 42, Gering 28; Alliance 53, Gering 24; Jefferson 45, Merino 30; Alliance 51, Jefferson 24; Gering 30, Merino 27. Pool Two: Scottsbluff 64, Alliance JV 6; Monarchm Colo. 42, Sidney 37; Scottsbluff 60, Sidney 18; Monarch 48, Alliance JV 22; Scottsbluff 59, Monarch 24; Sidney 52, Alliance JV 18. Championship Bracket Semifinals: Scottsbluff 47, Jefferson 19; Alliance 49, Sidney 21. Final: Alliance 40, Scottsbluff 36. Third Place: Sidney 39, Jefferson 39. Consolation Pool Gering 51, Alliance JV 20; Merino 36, Monarch 29; Gering 51, Monarch 24; Merino 45, Alliance JV 12. Gering individual results 106 – Garrett Allbaugh, 2-3; 113 – Baily Hort, 5-0 ( 3 pins, 1 tech. fall) 120 – Marcelino Ramos, 2-3; 126 – Kelsey Hutson, 0-5; 132 – Antonio Murillo, 0-5; 138 – Devin DeLos Santos, 0-3; Damian Hort, 2-0 (2 pins); 145 – Quentin TImblin, 5-0 (4 pins); 152 – Jonathan Sayaloune, 2-3; 160 – Jake Rexus, 4-1 (3 pins); 170 – Elijah Timblin, 5-0 (3 pins) 182/195 – Blake Rains, 3-1 (1 pin, at 195); 220 – Open; 285 -- Garrett Rahmig, 2-0. Scottsbluff individual results 106 – Cruz Delacruz, 5-0 (4 pins); 113 – Cristian Barraza, 3-2; 120 – Keegan Hessler, 4-1 (2 pins, 1 TF); 126 – Marcos Garcia, 3-2; 132 – Colton Adams, 4-0 (4 pins); 138 – Isaiah Jaramillo, 3-1 (3 pins); 145 – Sabian Harsh, 4-1 (3 pins); 152 – Tristan Donelson, 5-0 (5 pins); 160 -- Efren Alaniz, 1-4; 170 – Cody Rossman, 4-1 (3 pins); 182 -- Cameron Presher, 5-0 (2 pins); 195 – Mario Soriano, 1-0 (1 pin); 220 – Open; 285 -- Andrew Aratani, 4-1 (1 pin). Bayard 2nd at Garden County Bayard finished a very strong second in the Garden County Invitational at Oshkosh on Saturday, placing in seven classes and getting a win from senior Allen Denton while two others were runners-up. The Tigers scored 129.5 points, topped only by Maxwell's winning total of 144. Bayard finished 40 points ahead of third-place Sedgwick County/Fleming, Colo. Morrill was 13th with 35 points and Banner County 14th with 31 points. Minatare scored sev pionts and fnished 19th in the 20-team field. Denton led Bayard's run by winning the 160-pound class with a 7-3 decision Gideon Monette of Mullen in the championship match. At 152, Bayard junior Trenton Applegate made the finals but was pinned by Makay Beck of Garden County. At 182, Tiger senior Austin Willey lost his finals match, an 11-3 major decision to Mitch VanDuren of Sedgwick County/Fleming, after he had won all three of his matches by pin fall. Two Tigers won consolation titles, junior Tristan Hunter at 170 and junior Tanner Willey at 195. Hunter won his consolation final match by pinning Brandon Anderson of Sedgwick County/Fleming for the second time during the tournament. Hunter won all three of his matches by pin fall and suffered his lone loss in the same fashion. Tanner Willey pinned Clay Seifer of Stapleton-McPherson to capture his third-place medal. Two more Tigers finished in fourth place: junior Brandon Bowers at 132 and junior Chris Wurm at 285/heavyweight. Wurm's consolation loss was to Morrill's Matthew Hessler, who pinned Wurm with 10 seconds left in the first period. Hessler was Morrill's only medalist, and Banner County's David Gifford placed third at 220 pounds by winning by 7-2 decision over Crawford's Taylor Alcorn. |
| Seacats improve against tough foes 2013-01-10 By |
| The Scottsbluff /Gering Seacats swimming and diving team had a meet each for the boys and girls last week, coming right out of the semester break with just two practices. And ninth-year Seacats head coach Mike Hayhurst was pleased with his team’s performances, which he said can be overshadowed by deceiving lopsided team scores and placements. The Seacat boys welcomed Cheyenne Central to Splash Arena for a dual Thursday, and the Indians won every event in compiling a dominant team score of 138-45. “Cheyenne Central is probably one of the top two or three schools in Wyoming’s top class,” Hayhurst said. “Our boys are a little bit down, so that was kind of indicated in the score. However, I thought our guys swam pretty well.” The Seacats’ senior leader, Jon Wiebe, swam extremely well in gaining time in both his freestyle races, thanks to his competition against Central standout Kyle White. “Jon Wiebe swam two really good races, and it’s the first time this year that he has really been challenged at all,” Hayhurst said. White’s winning times were a stellar 21.71 and the 100 free in 48.80. “So even though he got beat in both races,” Hayhurst said of Wiebe, “it helped him get his season-best times in both races and his lifetime best in the 50 free (22.40 seconds), and his 100 free (time of 48.89) tied his lifetime best time from state last year. So that puts him well ahead of where he was at this point a year ago.” Hayhurst said for the boys to start the second semester with a home dual definitely provides its advantages, even in a lopsided competition. And the annual Twin City Invitational at Splash Arena is next week, beginning with diving on Friday and the full Saturday schedule of swimming events. “It’s always nice to swim in your own pool and not have to travel, and you are familiar with your home facility and your own pool,” Hayhurst said. “I thought we swam pretty well, especially considering that we were coming off a five-day break, and then we had a day of practice, then we had New Year’s Day off and another day of practice and then a meet. “The days of practice we had last week, I really pounded them because this is the time of year that you have to get some yardage in and you’ve got to get a lot of work done. You don’t worry about the meets, you just swim right through them and hope the kids overcome being a little bit tired, and they did. “Even though the score was lopsided, it was a really good team we competed against and it was a good experience for everybody.” The Seacat girls began their second semester with an opposite situation from the boys, competing in a two-day, 20-school meet at the Greeley West Invitational at the Greeley Community Center. Scottsbluff/Gering finished in the middle of the points pack in 10th with 126 points against some of Colorado’s best girls’ teams. The top three scores belonged to Cherry Creek with 366 points, Fossil Ridge at 339 and Loveland with 270. Fort Collins was fourth at 263, with host Greeley West rounding out the top five with 189 points. “It still provides an opportunity for our kids to swim in really long meets with a lot of high-level competition,” Hayhurst said. “We’re used to swim against one really good kid up to this point, but there were 20 good kids. So you have to deal with some confusion, some stuff you’re used to deal with.” Hayhurst said many Seacats turned in season-best efforts, “especially from the new kids, even though it’s a tough time of year to be swimming.” “(Freshman) Anna Yanke had two best times and she probably had the best drops of the competitive kids. She dropped a whole bunch of time in both of her races and she placed 14th in her 100 breaststroke (1:20.92), with a three-and-a-half second drop, so I was really happy with that.” Also in the 100 breaststroke for the Seacats, freshman Sarah Cloud finished 10th in 1:20.15. In other individual events for Scottsbluff/Gering, Cierra Weatherfield had the Seacats’ highest individual finish by placing fifth in the 500 freestyle in 6:01.78. Weatherfield also placed 11th in the 200 freestyle in 2:15.82. Vanessa Woolsey finished the 100 backstroke in a sixth-place time of 1:07.61, while Erin Weatherman finished 15th in 1:12.11. McKayla Stark finished 16th in the 100 freestyle in 1:02.35, Woolsey was 12th in the 200 freestyle in 2:15.93, and Erin Weatherman was 13th in the 100 butterfly in 1:11.47. The Seacats also posted solid efforts in all three relays. The team of Woolsey, Cloud, Weatherman, and Jessie Sorenson finished eighth in the 200-medley relay in a time of 2:06.86. In the 200-freestyle relay, the Seacats’ Stark, Woolsey, Cloud, and Sorenson finished in 10th in 1:54.62. The team of Stark, Weatherman, Weatherfield, and Yanke placed 10th in the 400-freestyle relay in 4:18.44. “A lot of other kids dropped some times, so I was happy with it.” The Seacat boys will compete against all of Wyoming’s top boys’ teams Saturday at the Cheyenne Invitational at the two-year-old South High facility. “It might be the fastest pool we swim in all year, including state.” The Seacat girls, meanwhile, will continue their early semester practices until they play host to the Twin City Invitational. The girls’ open date this week was part of the reason that Hayhurst said he spent some time in Greeley visiting with other coaches in finding some additional meets in Colorado for the Seacat girls next winter. “With our location, it’s really difficult to travel four or five hours across the state and go swim,” he said of a travel-heavy schedule already. “We’re trying to get some closer things in Colorado and Wyoming, but they have opposite seasons. So the boys are now in Wyoming and the girls are now in Colorado, but the Colorado boys are in the spring and the Wyoming girls are in the fall. “So we’re trying to get some things going with some girls’ meets in Colorado for next year.” Boys' Dual Results Cheyenne Central 138, Scottsbluff/Gering 45 200 medley relay — 1, Central, 1:47.50. 2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Nick Childs, Spencer Lake, Daniel Schaub, Jon Wiebe), 1:52.51. 200 freestyle — 1, Brandon Troudt, Central, 1:59.75. 2, Noah Milmont, Central, 2:02.06. 3, Zach Martin, Central, 2:05.79. 4, Baylen Smith, Scottsbluff/Gering, 2:10.16. 5, Zach Puckett, Scottsbluff/Gering, 2:24.83. 200 individual medley — 1, Justin Hood, Central, 2:09.84. 2, Andrew Ehardt, Central, 2:15.48. 3, Thomas Reams, Central, 2:21.79. 4, Daniel Schuab, Scottsbluff/Gering, 2:26.37. 50 freestyle — 1, Kyle White, Central, 21.71. 2, Jon Wiebe, Scottsbluff/Gering, 22.40. 3, Colton Allen, Central, 23.79. 4, Brandon Butt, Central, 24.35. 5, Christian Eubanks, Scottsbluff/Gering, 26.70. 6, Colin Maag, Scottsbluff/Gering, 27.61. 1-meter diving — 1, Luke Mellvain, Central, 175.10. 2, Noah Miller, Scottsbluff/Gering, 158.80. 3, Chris Long, Central, 142.40. 4, Devan Stooksbury, Scottsbluff/Gering, 115.35. 100 butterfly — 1, Justin Kovich, Central, 1:01.02. 2, Noah Milmont, Central, 1:02.84. 3, Mark Kim, Central, 1:04.17. 4, Daniel Schaub, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:05.76. 100 freestyle — 1, Kyle White, Central, 47.80. 2, Jon Wiebe, Scottsbluff/Gering, 49.89. 3, Colton Allen, Central, 53.88. 4, Brandon Butt, Central, 54.75. 5, Spencer Lake, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:00.47. 6, James Maag, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:00.62. 500 freestyle — 1, Brandon Troudt, Central, 5:26.02. 2, Thomas Reams, Central, 5:38.86. 3, Zach Martin, Central, 5:48.03. 4, Zach Puckett, Scottsbluff/Gering, 6:55.64. 5, Colin Maag, Scottsbluff/Gering, 7:28.61. 200 freestyle relay — 1, Central, 1:34.82. 2, Central, 1:41.67. 3, Scottsbluff/Gering (Spencer Lake, Christian Eubanks, James Maag, Zach Puckett), 1:49.57. 4, Central, 2:00.67. 5, Scottsbluff/Gering (Hunter Skow, Maxmillian Bayer, Ramon Chavez, Colin Maag), 2:02.68. 100 backstroke — 1, Justin Hood, Central, 58.22. 2, Ian White, Central, 1:03.28. 3, Nick Childs, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:04.63. 4, Baylen Smith, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:09.94. 5, Mark Kim, Central, 1:13.14. 100 breaststroke — 1, Andrew Ehardt, Central, 1:06.92. 2, Spencer Burkett, Central, 1:12.71. 3, Spencer Lake, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:16.20. 4, Dakota Watkins, Central, 1:21.07. 5, Hunter Skow, Scottsbluff/Gering, 1:30.20. 400 freestyle relay — 1, Central, 3:29.16. 2, Scottsbluff/Gering (Jon Wiebe, Nick Childs, Daniel Schaub, Baylen Smith), 3:44.57. 3, Central, 3:46.42. 4, Scottsbluff/Gering (James Maag, Christian Eubanks, Zach Puckett, Colin Maag), 4:21.78. |
| Gering teams finish tourney with wins: Bulldog boys take 3rd, girls earn 5th in Sidney Shootout 2013-01-03 By Terry Gaston |
| Both Gering basketball teams went 2-1 in the Sidney Cabela’s Holiday Shootout and finished the three-day fest of action with victories Saturday. The Bulldog boys’ 52-49 win over Sidney earned Gering third place, while the Gering girls finished as the consolation champs with a 41-39 win over Gothenburg. Certainly both Gering coaches would like to see their respective teams use their final-day victories as springboards for their second-semester opening action, which continues with a home doubleheader Friday against Sidney. After the Bulldog boys scored a 53-50 overtime win over Sidney in the third-place game of the Western Conference Invitational on Dec. 1, the Bulldogs and Red Raider boys met for the second time for third in a tournament and again the margin was just three points in the Bulldogs’ favor. As in the teams’ first meeting, Sidney (5-4) basically lived and died by the 3-point shot. The Red Raiders, 5-for-21 in their first loss to Gering, shot 24 treys Saturday and made just three. “They just let the 3s fly all over the place,” Gering coach Randy Plummer said. “If they start falling, we might be in trouble.” The Bulldogs (7-4) had a 44-36 lead after three quarters and fended off Sidney’s every effort to collect the win. Junior Christian Groskopf led the Bulldogs with 16 points, while senior Austin Ferguson followed with 15 and had 10 rebounds. Taylor Nelson led Gering’s 34-21 advantage in rebounds with 12 boards and also made four assists. Gering made more free throws (12, out of 17) than Sidney attempted (10, with just four made). “Grant Olsson was out with a back injury, and Taylor Nelson filled in admirably,” Plummer said. “And Austin Ferguson was all over the place.” In the Bulldogs’ 50-46 semifinal loss to Douglas, Wyo., senior Zac Bibb led Gering’s bid with 17 points and four blocked shots. Ferguson was next with seven points and had team-leading efforts of nine rebounds and four assists, doing what Plummer quipped was “everything but sell popcorn at halftime.” Groskopf had three steals in the Bulldogs’ forcing of 22 Douglas turnovers while Gering just committed five. “It was a back and forth game, and it could have gone either way,” said Plummer, whose team took 56 shots (16 made) while Douglas was 15-for-30. “The shots we took weren’t bad shots, we just couldn’t get much to fall.” Gering opened the tournament with a 58-42 win over Hershey, jumping on the Panthers 19-3 in the first quarter and forcing 32 turnovers while committing just six miscues. Sophomore Joses Palomo led Gering’s bounty with five steals and shared team-high scoring honors with Bibb with 12 points each. Hershey had a 28-23 edge in rebounds, largely because the Bulldogs attempted 21 more shots. “We got a lot more shots, so they had more rebounds,” Plummer said. “Then they turned the ball over so much.” Ferguson led the Bulldogs in rebounds with six, while senior Walker Britsch had four assists. “We did all right, if we could have just won the other game,” Plummer said. The Gering girls’ 2-1 run through the shootout began with a 65-41 loss to Hershey but rebounded in the consolation bracket with a 48-29 win over Chase County before rallying to top Gothenburg for fifth place. “After the game on Thursday, the girls decided in the locker room to put it aside and play as hard as we could,” Bulldog girls’ coach Adam Freeburg said. “It felt good after that win Friday, and we carried that momentum into Saturday.” Senior Megan Upp hit two free throws with 11 seconds remaining against Gothenburg (3-7), giving the Bulldogs their only lead of Saturday’s consolation final. Upp’s free shots, which gave her team co-leadership with senior Santanna Mitchell with nine points apiece, capped a 16-8 fourth-quarter rally for Gering. Junior Katie O’Boyle had eight of the Bulldogs’ 26 rebounds, while Upp and Allie Vacha had three steals apiece and sophomore Ashlyn Schultz dished out three assists. Freeburg said his team’s biggest accomplishment of the tournament was its sharing of the wealth. “It was cool to see that we had a lot of different girls contribute in a lot of different ways,” said Freeburg, whose team improved to 6-5. “Winning those two games was a nice accomplishment and we played really well over the weekend.” In Gering’s opening loss to Hershey, senior Dakota Gellner led the Bulldogs with 13 points. O’Boyle had a team-high six rebounds and Vacha made four steals. Against Chase County, senior Alexa Anderson fueled the Bulldogs’ offense with 12 points and sophomore Jessica Rogers added nine, while Gellner pulled down five rebounds and Upp made five steals. “Winning two out of three games was a good way for us to get going with the second semester,” Freeburg said. “Now we have a lot of important conference games ahead of us.” After the Bulldogs play tourney runner-up Sidney (7-2) on Friday at 5:45 p.m., Gering will entertain arch-rival Scottsbluff at 7 p.m. Tuesday. |
| Scottsbluff splits final games in GNAC tourney: Bearcat girls get first win, boys lose two straight 2013-01-03 By Terry Gaston |
| The Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Holiday Tournament in Columbus offered the Scottsbluff basketball teams a little bit of success – which was good for the winless Bearcat girls but not so good for the previously unbeaten SHS boys. The Bearcat boys ran their season-starting winning streak to eight but then lost their next two games to finish fourth. And, after starting the regular season plus the GNAC tournament with seven straight losses, the Scottsbluff girls finally broke into the win column with their 45-33, seventh-place victory over Hastings. For the first time this season, the Bearcat girls not only won but broke the 40-point barrier in scoring, jumping out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. “The girls came out and played hard,” said Scottsbluff coach Mike Burda, whose team led the winless Tigers 23-11 at halftime. “We were pressing throughout the entire game and the girls were so excited to win. We had been searching for that complete game.” Senior Liz Cunningham led the Bearcats in scoring with 10 points, while junior Kiley Guerue and freshman Zoey Holscher added nine points apiece. Guerue pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds, while junior Toni Rosado had eight boards and Roseberry grabbed seven. The win followed Scottsbluff’s 63-23 loss to undefeated Norfolk in the first round Thursday and a 51-27 consolation semifinal defeat to Columbus on Friday. Against Norfolk, Rosado led the Bearcats with six points. No leaders were available from the Columbus game. The Scottsbluff boys got off to a good start in the GNAC tournament with a 65-45 win over Columbus, but then the Bearcats ran into a tough Kearney team in the semifinals and were dealt a 52-42 loss for their first setback in 15 games stretching back to last year. In Saturday’s third-place game, a battle of teams that lost their first games of the season on Friday, Scottsbluff was upended 59-45 by District B-6 opponent McCook. In their win over Columbus, the Bearcats bolted to a 25-9 lead after one quarter and a 43-19 halftime advantage, fueled by senior Eric Moreno’s four 3-pointers. Moreno and Tyler Mickey shared team-leading scoring honors with 14 points apiece, while junior Taylor Winkler added 11 points. Freshman Austin Clarkson led Scottsbluff in rebounds with 11, while Jackson Hinze had team highs of eight assists and three steals. While the Bearcats shot 48 percent in beating Columbus, they struggled from the floor in their subsequent losses. Against Kearney, Scottsbluff was just 34 percent successful in shooting. However, the Bearcats remained close to Kearney after closing within a point after being down 20-11. But the Kearney Bearcats, after pulling back ahead 36-29 at third quarter’s end, outscored Scottsbluff 18-15 in the fourth period for the final 10-point win. Senior Michael Hadden led Scottsbluff with 17 points and Moreno followed with 14 points and nine rebounds. In playing for third on Saturday, the Bearcats again struggled from the floor by shooting 33 percent and fell behind McCook 18-4 after the first quarter. It proved to be a margin the Bison (7-1) maintained the remainder of the game. Hadden led Scottsbluff again with 12 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. Winkler followed with 12 points. McCook had three double-figure scorers, led by Mack Alspaugh’s 20 and Sean Backer’s 16. Scottsbluff’s next action will be Friday, when the girls play host to Alliance and the boys travel to Alliance. Both varsity games are set for 7 p.m. tipoffs. The Bearcat boys then play Rapid City Stevens on Saturday at Western Nebraska Community College’s Cougar Palace at 5 p.m. The Scottsbluff girls will then play at Gering on Tuesday, with the varsity contest at about 7 p.m. |
| Mitchell teams take 3rd at Alliance 2013-01-03 By Staff report |
| After both Mitchell teams lost to the host teams to open the Alliance Holiday Tournament, the Tigers scored a third-place sweep Friday. The Mitchell boys took third with a 72-38 romp over Gordon-Rushville and the Tiger girls won 48-37 over Bridgeport. In their consolation victory, the Mitchell girls (now 4-5) got 17 points from senior Havannah Newens and nine from junior Taylor Peters. Boys’ statistics from Friday were not available. The Tiger boys rebounded from a 55-50 loss to Alliance on Thursday, a game in which Mitchell (also 4-5) got 15 points from Jamie Fegler, 12 from Bo McVay and 10 from Adam Schlotthauer. In the Tiger girls’ 40-34 loss to Alliance (5-4), senior Chalsey Grentz led all scorers with 16 points. Mitchell returns to action Saturday with doubleheader action at Chadron, and the Tigers will be at home Tuesday against Burns, Wyo. |
| Bearcats’ Klein, Maag lead B-8 football team; four Bulldogs on 1st team 2013-01-03 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff seniors Matt Klein and Jon Maag headline the 2012 All-District B-8 football team, on which the Bearcats garnered 11 first-team selections, while Gering had four first-team picks and seven selections to the second team. Klein was named District B-8’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive MVP, while Maag earned the Defensive MVP award. Bearcat coach Joe Benson was named the district’s Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats to a 9-0 regular-season record, 9-1 overall, and Scottsbluff to its third consecutive district title. Klein and Maag both gained first-team offensive and defensive honors for the Bearcats, Klein at running back and Maag on the offensive line. Other first-team selections for Scottsbluff included senior Taylor Winkler at wide receiver, senior Ty Dunkel on the offensive line, senior Eric Moreno at punter and senior Randy Wentz at place-kicker. Scottsbluff also had first-team defensive picks in junior Beau Lofink at linebacker and senior Luke Worden at defensive back. Scottsbluff gained four more spots on the second team, with Moreno at quarterback, Worden at wide receiver, Dunkel on the defensive line and senior Tim Magdaleno at linebacker. Gering had three defensive all-district first-team selections in seniors Nick Chitwood and Austin Ferguson at linebacker spots and senior Jeremy Eskam at defensive back, while junior Dylan Wetherington was the Bulldogs’ lone offensive first-team selection as a lineman. Gering junior Gage Smith earned three of the Bulldogs’ second-team spots by gaining honors as a running back, punter and place-kicker. Other second-teamers for Gering were junior Blake Frye on the offensive line, senior Jake Rexus on the defensive line, junior Elijah Timblin at linebacker and senior Walker Britsch at defensive back. For Scottsbluff, Klein finished his senior season with 1,405 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns, caught six receptions for 52 yards and one TD, and completed 6 of 8 passes for 109 yards and two more TDs. Defensively, Klein had one fumble recovery, one interception he turned into a 49-yard touchdown return, 45 total tackles (35 solo), with six for lost yardage, and five quarterback sacks. Maag was Scottsbluff’s leading tackler with 57 solo stops, 56 assists, five quarterback sacks and nine tackles for lost yardage. Maag and Dunkel anchored an offensive line that blocked the Bearcats to an average of 315.9 yards of total offense per game – 211.4 rushing and 104.5 passing. Scottsbluff’s defense held opponents to 263.8 yards per game. On defense, Dunkel finished the season with two fumble recoveries, 42 solo tackles, 36 assists with one sack and five tackles for lost yardage. Winkler led Scottsbluff in receiving with 23 receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns. He had more than one-third of the Bearcats’ 67 catches, his yardage was more than half of Scottsbluff’s receiving yardage, and his five TDs were among nine caught by Bearcat receivers. Wentz had 54 kickoffs for a 52-yard average, hit on 8 of 11 field-goal attempts and 34 of 36 extra-point kicks. Moreno punted his way to an average of 37.5 yards per boot, and at quarterback he completed 58 passes for 936 yards and seven touchdowns. Worden, who has signed to play football at the University of South Dakota, had four interceptions and a fumble recovery with four touchdowns, and he had 295 kick return yards with one more TD. Worden had four interceptions and a fumble recovery with four more TDs, and he had 295 kick return yards with one more TD. On offense, Worden followed Klein with 310 rushing yards and Winkler with 258 receiving yards with five combined touchdowns. Lofink was Scottsbluff’s second-leading tackler with 54 solo and 53 assisted tackles with four for losses, and Magdaleno — after sitting out his junior season — had 50 solo and 45 assisted tackles with five for losses. For Gering, which went 5-4 on the season and just missed making the Class B playoffs on a tiebreak with York – the team that ended Scottsbluff’s year with a first-round playoff win – the Bulldogs held opponents to 13.4 points in their five wins while Frye and Wetherington helped block the offense to a point average of 20.6 in their victories. Chitwood had 91 total tackles (34 solo, a team-high 57 assists) with three quarterback sack, seven tackles for lost yardage and a pass break-up. Ferguson had a team-high 95 total tackles with a team-best 41 solo stops, had three sacks and three other tackles for lost yards, one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries that included a 39-yard return for touchdown, and one pass break-up. Eskam made 41 total tackles with 14 solos, broke up three passes and had an interception returned for 8 yards. Smith was a potent weapon with his kicking, punting and rushing abilities duly honored with his three second-team selections. He had team highs in rushes (134), rushing yards (849, for a 6.33 average) and running touchdowns (7). Smith also scored 80 total points, thanks to his five field goals out of seven, with a longest kick of 43 yards, and his 15 of 17 extra-point attempts. He averaged 36.3 yards per punt, with a longest boot of 70 yards, and on 37 kickoffs he recorded 17 touchbacks. Britsch had 34 tackles with 16 solos, one tackle for loss and two interceptions. Timblin made 90 total tackles (35 solo, 55 assisted) with a team-high 14 for lost yardage, one quarterback sack, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, an interception and one blocked field goal. Rexus had 66 total tackles with 24 solos, eight stops for lost yardage, three sacks, three fumble recoveries, an interception for a 95-yard return, one pass break-up and a forced fumble. Gering coach Jimmie Rhodes said Alliance coach Travis Hawk is the district coach credited with starting the all-district team, and he added that all selected players were nominated by either their own coaches and/or opposing coaches. First-team selections are awarded medals for their honors, while all picks received certificates. |
| Bayard teams eliminated early at Chadron Classic 2013-01-03 By Staff report |
| After both Bayard teams were first-round losers to Valentine in the Chadron Rotary Classic on Friday, the Tiger girls turned consolation into their second victory of the year Saturday after a winless last season. In the girls’ third-place game, Bayard (2-6) got 20 points from junior Megan Stuart, overcame a 16-8 first-quarter deficit and shut out Hemingford in the third quarter en route to taking a 38-35 victory. The win followed the Tigers’ 69-30 first-round loss to Valentine. The Bayard boys (2-6) were 56-43 losers to Hemingford in their third-place contest, which followed a first-round 49-33 setback to eventual champion Valentine. Bayard seniors Dustin Daniel and Braydon Parriott had 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the Tigers against Hemingford. Parriott paced the Tigers against Valentine with 13 points. Bayard will begin 2013 in busy fashion, playing host to Potter-Dix on Friday and traveling to Gordon-Rushville on Saturday before going to Morrill on Tuesday. |
| Bulldogs hoopsters sweep Torrington 2012-12-27 By Philip Eckerberg |
| The Gering Bulldogs boys and girls basketball teams recorded wins on Friday night against the Torrington Trailblazers. The Gering girls won 40-35 while the Bulldogs boys won 52-39. This is the second time this year that these teams have met with the first time being during the Western Conference Tournament on Nov. 29 in Torrington. The Gering girls lost and the boys won in the previous contests. Get ahead and stay ahead, that would sum up the girls game as Gering led at the end of the first quarter by a score of 11-9. The second quarter saw Gering out score Torrington 9-6 ending the first half leading 20-14. The third frame saw the Gering girls begin to falter some as they only scored three points in the eight minute quarter compared to Torrington’s eight. This took the Bulldog girls team into the fourth quarter with a one point lead at 23-22. Torrington looked like they had the momentum going into the fourth quarter; however, Gering came roaring back with the best performance of the night outscoring Torrington 17-13 in the fourth to end the game 40-35. Torrington had given the Lady Bulldogs a scare though as Torrington actually outscored Gering 21-20 in the second half. The Gering girls are now 4-4 on the season. Gering Coach Adam Freeburg said that when times got tough the kids got tough, especially the seniors. There were two big free throws by Alexa Anderson, two big free throws by Dakota Gellner, and two big free throws by Santana Mitchell. Freeburg also praised a big three-pointer by Nicole Michael. Freeburg said that the seniors did what seniors are supposed to do. Freeburg said that Nicole is a flat shooter and even though she missed a few tonight she was not scared and kept trying sinking a three-pointer when they needed it. Freeburg said that Nicole is a senior leader, she has come a long way in three years and he couldn’t be prouder of her. Gering individual scores: Meagan Upp 12, Santana Mitchell 12, Alexa Anderson 7, Nicole Michael 7, Dakota Gellner 2. Torrington individual scores: Allison Marsh 13, Avery Madden 13, Kailee Adams 4, Kaylie Haun 3, Mikayla McNamee 2. The boys were up next. For some reason Gering’s boys did not get in their grove until the second half. Torrington outscored Gering 10-7 in the first quarter. Gering and Torrington tied for scores in the second frame at 13 points each. Gering went into the locker room at half time behind by three points. Whatever the half time discussion was it worked. Christian Groskopf fired up his shots scoring 19 points in the second half. The third quarter was the best of the night for Gering as they scored 18 points compared to Torrington’s six. Gering continued to roll into the fourth frame as they scored 14 points compared to Torrington’s 10. Gering ultimately won the game 52-39. Gering boys are now 5-3 on the season. After the game Gering Coach Plummer said the Christian Groskopf was the second half spark. He made a lot of drives to the basket and a lot of shots and really turned the tide for them. Gering individual scores: Christian Groskopf 19, Joses Palomo 11, Zac Bibb 7, Taylor Nelson 6, Austin Ferguson 4, Isaiah Wilson 2. Torrington individual scores Cam Kelley 12, Blake Wisroth 10, Josh Ring 6, Garrett Derr 6, Matt Richardson 4. Both Gering teams will next face Hershey in the Cabela’s Tournament in Sidney on December 27 with girls tip off at 5:30 and boys tip off at 7:15. Best of luck to the Bulldogs basketball teams in Sidney. |
| Mitchell 2nd, Bayard 3rd in WTC Tournament 2012-12-27 By Terry Gaston |
| BRIDGEPORT – Mitchell wrestlers turned in a solid performance Thursday at the Western Trails Conference Tournament, just finishing second to a Gordon-Rushville team that rose to the occasion to take the team championship. The Mustangs outscored the Tigers 199 points to 193, and Bayard was a solid third with 175.5 points. Morrill came in fifth with 92 points and Banner County was eighth with 47 points. For Mitchell, four Tigers earned WTC championships and two each earned second- and third-place finishes. Champions for Mitchell were Drew Gilliland at 103 pounds, Josh Zulkoski at 120, Brendan Swanson at 170 and Braydon Wiedeman at 182. Runners-up for the Tigers were Zachariah Sanabria at 113 pounds and Spencer Rien at 220, while consolation final winners were Tristan Robles at 182 and Raheem Sterkel at heavyweight/285. Mitchell’s four fourth-place finishers were Garrett Tinsley at 120, Tanner Whitton at 138, Marquis Droddy at 152 and Thomas Riley at heavyweight. Bayard had three WTC champions and three runners-up in leading the Tigers’ effort. Trenton Applegate won at 152 pounds, Allen Denton was the 160-pound champion and Tanner Willey took gold at 195. Second-place finishers for Bayard were Brandon Bowers at 132, Austin Willey at 182 and Chris Wurm at heavyweight. The Tigers had third-place medalists in Travis Willhoite at 160, Tristan Hunter at 170 and Zaine Gallegos at 220, and fourth-placers in Alex Wamboldt at 182 and Rocky Trevino at 195. For Morrill, heavyweight Matthew Hessler led the Lions with a gold-medal day. Third-place finishers were CJ Sidrow at 103, Matthew Unrein at 132 and Elvariste Gomez at 152, while Justus Peterson placed fourth at 113 and Garrett Zwiebel was fourth at 145. Banner County had a champion in David Gifford at 220 pounds and third-place finishers in Garrett Grubbs at 126 and Gared Krakow at 195. |
| Holiday basketball: Gering at Sidney, Scottsbluff at GNAC 2012-12-27 By Terry Gaston |
| When the Gering basketball teams open play Thursday in the Cabela’s Holiday Shootout in Sidney, both Bulldog teams will face a familiar foe from recent post-Christmas tournament action. The Gering boys won the Holdrege Holiday Tournament last year with a big win over Hershey in the championship game, while the Bulldog girls defeated Hershey for third place. Hershey provides the first-round opposition after both teams have moved westward to Sidney for their between-holiday tournament action. The Gering and Hershey girls play at 3:30 p.m., followed by the boys’ match-up at 5:15 p.m., with both games at the Sidney Middle School gym. Friday’s opposition for Gering in semifinal will be determined by Thursday’s respective first-round games between Chase County and Douglas, Wyo. Friday’s girls’ semifinals will be at 2 p.m. and the boys will play at 5:30 p.m., with Thursday’s losers playing at the middle school and the winners playing at the Cabela’s Activities Center. Saturday’s action begins at 10 a.m. and concludes with the girls’ championship game at 1:30 p.m. and the boys’ title contest at 3:15 p.m. In the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament at Columbus, which runs Thursday through Saturday, the Scottsbluff boys’ 7-0 start earned the Bearcats the No. 1 seed in their bracket. Scottsbluff opens play Thursday against host Columbus (0-7) on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. The Bearcats will then play either No. 4 seed Kearney (4-3) or No. 5 Norfolk (1-5) in either the championship semifinals or consolation semis on Friday. In the girls’ bracket, Scottsbluff (0-5) is the No. 8 seed and is matched against top-seeded Norfolk (4-2) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The Bearcats’ next opponent will be either No. 4 Kearney (4-3) or No. 5 Norfolk (1-5) on Friday. |
| Morrill sweeps Banner County in consolation games at Harrison 2012-12-27 By Terry Gaston |
| HARRISON — After all four teams from Morrill and Banner County lost opening-round games Thursday in the Harrison Holiday Tournament, the Lions and Wildcats got together for consolation action Friday. The Morrill boys (4-3) rebounded from a close loss to Sioux County on Thursday to take third place with a 42-34 win over Banner County for third place in their division. In the Lions’ loss to Sioux County, Jacob Ramirez had 26 points for Morrill. Banner County, a 40-35 loser to Crawford on Thursday, slipped to 0-7 for the first half of the season. The Morrill girls defeated Banner County 41-13 for third place Friday after the Lions (3-4) lost to Sioux County 48-39 in first-round play Thursday. Morgan Nortness led the Lions against Sioux County with 14 points. Banner County, a 60-7 victim to Crawford on Thursday, fell to 0-7 for the first semester. Ashlynne Hanan had five of the Wildcats’ points. Crawford defeated Sioux County in both championship games. |
| Lady Cougars to forfeit games, appeal pending 2012-12-27 By Staff report |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Western Nebraska Community College received some bad news on Dec. 7 when they were formally informed by the National Junior College Athletic Association the Lady Cougars women's basketball team will be required to forfeit 13 games from their 2012 season. The Lady Cougars are ranked 6th by the NCJAA but that could possibly change. NCJAA bylaws prohibit any student athletes who have ever played professionally. Freshman center Evgenia “Jess” Samorodova was declared ineligible after the NJCAA discovered she has played professionally overseas. Samorodova is no longer on the team but it is still a student at WNCC. The 6'3'' center joined the team this season after being recruited from Russia. She played in nine games for the Lady Cougars, but all games prior to the December 7th letter have been deemed losses. Samorodova played professionally in one game each for Hapoel Tel Aviv and Elizur Ramla in Israel in the 2011-12 season. She also played in the professional Women's Basketball EuroCup in 2012. The WNCC Lady Cougars will be allowed to play for the rest of their season and in tournaments in Region IX competition, but their perfect record of 14-0 will be changed to 1-13. School officials said they were taken by surprise by this announcement. WNCC officials announced on Dec. 19 that they have submitted a letter of appeal, with extensive supporting documentation, to the NJCAA regarding the amateur status of women's basketball player Evgenia Samorodova. The college now awaits the determination of the appeal. |
| Bulldog basketball: win some, lose some 2012-12-13 By Philip Eckerberg, Special to the Citizen |
| Gering boys and girls basketball teams saw plenty of action last week. First on Thursday the Gering Bulldogs faced stiff competition from the Mitchell Tigers with a 51-48 loss for Gering . Gering girls faired better, defeating Mitchell 48-41. On Friday it was the battle of the Bulldogs as both teams took on Alliance. The Gering girls beat Alliance 44-43 in double overtime, with the Gering boys defeating Alliance 56-43. The first quarter of the Gering/Mitchell girl’s game was heavily defensive as the first quarter score was 5-2 Gering. Gering girls got into the groove for the second quarter outscoring Mitchell 18-13 to end the half 23-15. The Tigers struck back in the third, posting 12 points to Gering’s 8, ending the third quarter with Gering leading 31-27. Mitchell opened the fourth with a basket and a free throw to pull within 1 point; however, Gering shot back and ended the game 48-41. Gering girls’coach Adam Freeburg said that after Gering had a 10 point lead reduced to one point it was gut check time. Freeburg said that his team, especially the seniors, put their foot down and stopped the Mitchell run. Freeburg complimented the Mitchell team, saying that they are scrappy and that they are going to win a bunch of ballgames this year. Freeburg said his team stepped up and made the baskets and free throws when they needed to. Individual scores Gering: Megan Upp 14 - Santana Mitchell 11 - Katie O’Boyle 7 - Alexa Anderson 6 - Jessica Rogers 6 - Nicole Michael 2 - Kaylee Spreier 2 - Allie Vacha. Mitchell: Chalsey Grentz 16 - Aspen Reifschneider 9 - Havannah Newens 7 - Taylor Peters 7 - McKenna Zulkoski 2.Gering boys did not fare as well against Mitchell as they faced two tough competitors in Adam Schlotthauer and Bo McVay. Gering trailed just behind Mitchell the majority of the game ending the first quarter 10-7 Mitchell, and the first half 21-19 Mitchell. The game was not without some interesting plays as Bo McVay went up for a layup and when he got to the top he no longer had the ball. Gering’s Zac Bibb performed a sleight of hand and was headed down court with the ball in one of the slickest steals of the night. The fourth quarter would see Bibb tie the game at 44 with a slam dunk, a rare occurrence in high school basketball. Mitchell fired back with four unanswered points and Gering responded with four of their own to tie again at 48. The Tigers got the ball back with 8 seconds left and Schlotthauer managed to sink a 3 point basket with just a few seconds left on the clock. It was Mitchell’s first win of the year. Individual scores Gering: Zac Bibb 19 - Gage Winkler 9 - Austin Ferguson 8 - Taylor Nelson 5 - Walker Britsch 3 - Christian Groskopf 2- Grant Olsson 2 - Joses Palomo 2. Mitchell: Adam Schlotthauer 18 - Bo McVay 18 - Jamie Fegler 8 - Zach Pieper 4 - Alex Morales 2 - Nick Harriger 1. Friday’s game against Alliance was intense for the Gering girls with a hard-won victory over Alliance 44-43 in double overtime. The game should have been over with. In fact with Alliance leading 35-26 and only 1:33 left in the game it would have been easy to have walked away assuming Alliance was going to win but the game is never over until the clock hits zero. Gering girls began a nine point run that ended with a tie game at 35. The first overtime period saw only three points scored by either side with one basket and one free throw each. The first overtime period ended ties at 38. Gering’s Megan Upp got the lead back with two free throws and Alliance answered with their own free throws. The game winner was a final free throw by Alexa Anderson to end the game 44-43. Coach Freeburg said even though they were down by 9 points late in the fourth quarter the team continued to battle recognizing that the game is not over until the clock is zero. Freeburg said that the girls fought and fought and found a way to get the game tied. “The girls handled the pressure well. I couldn’t be more proud of them,” he said. Individual scores Gering: Alexa Anderson 10 - Megan Upp 10 - Nicole Michael 6 - Santan Mitchell 4 - Dakota Gellner 4 - Kaylee Spreier 4 - Katie O’Boyle 3 - Jessica Rogers 3 - Allie Vacha 2. Alliance: Oliva Vogel 16 - Rylee Trout 10 - Morgan Anthony 6 - Danielle Brennan 6 - Caitlyn Tritle 3 - Andri Halouska 2 In a Tuesday night game in Wheatland, the Gering girls fell 45-39 in overtime, bringing their record to 3-3. Individual scores were unavailable as of press time. The Gering boys had a chance to redeem themselves from Thursday’s loss to Mitchell and they did not pass up the chance, handily beating Alliance 56-43. Gering was ahead of Alliance 17-12 by the end of the first quarter which included a 3-point play of a bucket, foul, and free throw by Austin Ferguson. Gering continued to outscore Alliance, ending the half with an 8-point lead 27-19. Alliance came back strong in the third tying the game at 32-32. Gering refused to give up and took the lead again, ending the third at 41-32. Gering extended the lead to 13 points in the fourth, winning the game 56-43. Assistant Coach Steve Land said it was a great learning experience from last night. Land said that Coach Plummer encouraged the team to hold their composure, pass the ball well, and relax a little more. Land said that the kids are growing as we watch them. “They executed on offense well and were 10 times better than Thursday night,” said Land. He added that they took a few ill-advised shots but they are learning when to take those shots and when not. The win brought Gering’s season record to 3-2. Individual scores Gering: Christian Groskopf 12 - Zac Bibb 10 - Grant Olsson 8 - Austin Ferguson 8 - Taylor Nelson 6 - Joses Palomo 6 - Gage Winkler 4 - Walker Britsch 2. Alliance individual scores: Isaac Burnham 18 - Trevor Kamerzell 13 - Sage DuBray 8 - Ryan Romick 3 - Jordan Mills 1. Gering boys would go on to fall to Wheatland on Saturday night with a score of 63-53, bringing their season record to 3-3. Next action for the Bulldogs boys and girls will be at Chadron on Saturday , Dec. 15. |
| Seacats sweep team titles, girls’ races in McCook Quad 2012-12-13 By Terry Gaston |
| While winning events at a swim meet is a great reward for the competitors, the ultimate goal is to have performances that ultimately qualify the participants for the state championships. Nevertheless, the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats came away from the McCook Quadrangular on Friday with team victories in both divisions, maintaining an unbeaten streak for the Seacats in the meet against host McCook, Hastings and North Platte under ninth-year coach Mike Hayhurst. Led by the Gering trio of McKayla Stark, Cierra Weatherfield and Vanessa Woolsey, the Scottsbluff/Gering girls won all 10 swimming events in scoring 124 points to North Platte’s second-place 69 points. In the boys’ competition, Gering sophomore Noah Miller had a second-place finish in diving and Scottsbluff senior Jon Wiebe earned his third automatic state-qualifying time by winning the 200-yard freestyle, leading the Seacats to an 86-70 win over runner-up North Platte. Individually for the Seacat girls, Woolsey won the 200 freestyle in a secondary state-qualifying time of 2:13.89 and the 100 backstroke in 1:06.69. Weatherfield reached secondary state-qualifying status with her winning time in the 200 individual medley of 2:31.77, a race in which teammate Sarah Cloud was second. Weatherfield also completed the 500 freestyle in a winning time of 5:52.39. Woolsey and Weatherfield also teamed with Emily Yanke and Erin Weatherford for a win in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:15.82. Stark won the 100 freestyle in 1:02.33, leading one of the Seacat girls’ three 1-2 finishes in which Yanke was second. Stark also won the 50 free in 28.42 seconds. Weatherfield and Stark teamed with Sarah Cloud and Hanna Holloway in winning the 200 medley relay in 2:11.11. Cloud, Anna Yanke and Claire Hughs were the top-three finishers in the 100 breaststroke, led by Cloud’s winning time of 1:18.41. Weatherman won the 100 butterfly in 1:12.45. “Eighty percent of the kids had their best times, and the kids who didn’t have their best times were all faster than last year at McCook,” Hayhurst said. “The kids were high-spirited and were cheering well for each other. “For a couple kids, it was their first meet of the year and they swam well, so we were pleased with what they did.” In the boys’ division, Wiebe demonstrated his overall strength in winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:51.25. “That’s his third-best event, but you can only swim in two events at state,” Hayhurst said of Wiebe, who had earned automatic state-quaifying marks in the season-opening Hastings meet in the 50 and 100 freestyles. “He’s a good all-around swimmer who is really working hard in practice and is targeted for state, and he is on track.” Wiebe also won the 100 free in 50.28 seconds, scoring two of the Seacat boys’ six victories on the day. He also teamed with Nick Childs, spencer Lake and Daniel Schaub in winning the 200 medley relay in 1:50.20 and with Lake, Schaub and James Maag in earning a secondary qualifying time in the 200 free relay by winning in 1:39.41. Miller scored 182.3 points in earning his second-place diving finish, an improvement on points from his 162-point winning effort at Hastings. The quartet of Childs, Baylen Smith, Christian Eubanks and Maag won the 400 free relay in 3:59.77, and Childs won the 100 backstroke in 1:02.81. “I had looked at the seeded times, and if everything had scored out exactly, it would have been a tie,” Hayhurst said of the team battle. “For us to score and win by 16 points, I was really pleased.” The Seacats will compete at North Platte on Friday in a double-dual scored meet that includes McCook. The Scottsbluff/Gering boys will then compete at Newcastle, Wyo., on Saturday in a meet that Hayhurst said is always a good challenge yet fun for his male competitors. |
| Mitchell wins triangular, but Bayard wrestlers leave impact 2012-12-13 By Terry Gaston |
| MITCHELL — While the high school wrestling season is not even two weeks old, many area grapplers are either making early-season impacts as year-older veterans while others are trying to find their niche in their team’s lineup. While Mitchell defeated both Bridgeport 44-27 and Bayard 39-34 in the Tigers’ home triangular last Thursday, one of Mitchell’s top all-around athletes in senior Spencer Rien found himself on the verge of victory over the less-experience Bayard junior Chris Wurm in the all-Tiger heavyweight dual. Rien had Wurm under control until the Bayard Tiger slipped Rien for a reverse and suddenly had Rien pinned in 1:17. The win was Wurm’s second by fall for the night — his first, a second-round fall over Bridgeport’s Will Frerichs — and served as a prelude to his heavyweight championship on Saturday at the Banner County Invitational. “I have some pretty-seasoned wrestlers and I have some really not-seasoned wrestlers, and there’s really no one really in between,,” said Bayard coach Randy McKibbin, who has five returnees who all made the district consolation semifinals but lost in the “heartbreak” round. “Chris is someone who was at Bayard a few years ago and moved back. He’s such a nice kid and wanted to help (Rein) up after the match when other kids might not. At the 220 or 285 weight class, it’s either pin or get pinned. It’s very rare that those matches go all three periods. No pun intended, but we ended up getting the right roll at the right time. It very well could have gone the either way.” The triangular was loaded with forfeits, with Bridgeport leaving six weights open. Thus the number of limited wrestlers of winning two matches was few but proved exciting nevertheless. In addition to Wurm, Bayard had a double on-mat victor in 160-pound junior Trenton Applegate, who followed his first-round pin of Bridgeport’s Troy Isom with an action-packed, first-round fall over Mitchell’s Andrew Thomas. “Trenton’s kind of a grinder,” McKibbin said of Applegate, Bayard’s other champion in Banner County on Saturday. “Unfortunately for Trenton, we have some more seasoned wrestlers and have three guys for two spots and he’s the guy who has to move (classes) because he can’t beat the other ones, but competition is good because things happen. “That’s why it’s called a team, and we’re able to have people step in and pick up the slack. Trenton is one of our more seasoned wrestlers, even though he’s a junior.” Mitchell senior 126-pounder Josh Zulkoski won a major decision against Bridgeport’s Todd Widener 13-3 and scored a second-round pin over Bayard’s Lucas Jones to finish as the Tigers’ only on-mat double winner. “As a senior leader, he is doing what he needs to do,” Mitchell coach Randy Donelson said of Zulkoski, a returning state qualifier. “We do need to get better on bottom and he knows that. He’s working hard and I think as a leader, eventually he will get him where he needs to be.” Donelson pointed to senior Brendan Swanson’s 20-5 technical fall win over Bayard junior Tristan Hunter as a highlight for the Tigers. “Swannie wrestled well on his feet,” Donelson said. “Right now we’re just a little out of shape as a team. We’re getting there, It’s still early and we’re just starting to figure out who is going where, and when we do that we will get better and where we need to be.” On his team’s opposition for the night, Donelson said: “Both Bridgeport and Bayard showed that they are pretty tough. They have some good middle-weights We’re still young and we’re getting there, so to pull out the wins were a good thing for us.” The same four kids missed out in the heartbreak round of districts the past two years, Brandon Bowers, Lane Kizzire, Trenton, Allen, plus Austin and Tanner also lost out in the 2012 consolation semifinals. Bridgeport and Bayard tied on the scoreboard at 36-all in their dual, but the Bulldogs won the dual by winning more matches, 7-6, when both teams left the 106 class open. It’s a problem at 106 that McKibbin hopes his team will help remedy by season’s end as it prepares for postseason competition at the Class D level this winter. “We are in Class D, which will eventually help us,“ McKibbin said. “When it’s all said and done, we could have a full team. If they are ready to follow through in their weight-loss plans, we could have all 14 weight classes full. That should help us down the line too.” Banner County Invitational Bayard had champions in Wurm and Applegate on the Tigers’ way to finishing third in the team race Saturday in the Banner County meet in Harrisburg. The Tigers also had runner-up finishes from Hunter at 170 pounds and junior Tanner Wiley at 195. Senior Allen Denton took third at 152, as did Alex Wamboldt at 182.Bayard finished with 104.5 points, placing behind Holyoke, Colo., with 139 points and Julesburg-Sedgwick County with 128.5. Morrill came in fifth with 77 points. C.J. Sidrow was Morrill’s top per former as the 106-pound champion. Matthew Unrein was second at 132 for the Lions, as was Elvariste Gomez at 152 and Matthew Hessler in the 285 heavyweight class. Other area placers were Banner County’s David Gifford in third at 220 pounds and Marc Cinocco of Minatare in fourth at 126. Gering at Cheyenne East The understaffed Gering wrestlers dropped a 62-16 dual last Thursday at Cheyenne East. For the Bulldogs, Joseph Ybarra scored an 11-2 major decision at 120 pounds while Jake Rexus scored a second-round pin at 160, and Elijah Timblin pinned his 170-pound Thunderbird opponent in 1:11. Scottsbluff at Alliance Alliance and Scottsbluff are expected again to be among the contenders come District B-4 time, and the host Bulldogs edged the Bearcats 40-38 in dual action last Thursday. Scottsbluff handed the Bulldogs 18 points on forfeits, so the Bearcats out-performed Alliance on the mat otherwise. But Scottsbluff also was without two-time state champion Colton Adams, who competed at the Walsh Ironman National Tournament in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio over the weekend. Five Bearcats scored wins by pin fall: Andrew Aratani at 285 pounds, Cruz Delacruz at 106, Keegan Hessler at 113, Sabian Harsh at 138 and Tristan Donelson at 145. The Bearcats joined Gering and Alliance at the Charlie Lake Varsity Tournament at Cheyenne East on Saturday. Cheyenne East Inv. After a long day of nearly 12 hours of wrestling in a 16-team field, Scottsbluff had two champions in Delacruz and Hessler that paced the Bearcats to a fourth-place finish. Harsh also wrestled in the 145 final but finished second, while Aratani came in third at heavyweight. Adams made well on his trip to Ohio and the elite tournament at Walsh Jesuit High School by placing third at 126 pounds after amassing a 6-1 record. Gering earned three top-four finishes in placing 11th in the team rankings. Ybarra took third at 120 pounds, defeating teammate Marcelino Ramos in the consolation match on an 8-1 decision. Timblin was a second-place finisher at 170. Both Gering and Scottsbluff will participate in the Sidney Invitational on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. The Bulldogs will then travel to Kimball on Tuesday for dual action starting at 5:30, while the Bearcats are off until they play host to the annual Scottsbluff Invitational on Jan. 5. |
| Bearcats undefeated after sweep in Wyo. tournament; area teams see action 2012-12-13 By Terry Gaston |
| Just when the Scottsbluff boys’ basketball team was beginning to look acclimated to playing without injured starting guard Matt Klein, down went senior forward Michael Hadden during the Bearcats’ action in the Camel Tournament at Gillette, Wyo., over the weekend. Hadden, who had been averaging 26.5 points per game entering the contest, suffered a high ankle sprain in the Bearcats’ 60-53 win over Rock Springs, Wyo., on Friday. Senior guard Taylor Winkler picked up the offensive slack in Hadden’s absence, scoring 25 points while hitting 7 of 13 shots from the floor and 8 of 13 free throws. Senior forward Eric Moreno followed Hadden’s 11 points with nine points and three steals, while freshman Austin Clarkson added seven points and 12 rebounds. Moreno had a strong tournament, scoring 30 points with six 3-pointers in Scottsbluff’s 70-65 victory Thursday night over tournament host Campbell County, the No. 1 team in Wyoming Class 4A. The top-rated Class B Bearcats also got 21 from Hadden, including a 9-for-10 performance at the free-throw line. Clarkson had 10 rebounds, while Hadden made nine grabs and Moreno had five boards. Sophomore guard Jackson Hinze, who stepped up big for the Bearcats against Casper-Kelly Walsh on Saturday, had four assists against Campbell County. In the Bearcats’ tournament finale, a 63-49 win over Kelly Walsh, Moreno led the Scottsbluff charge with 29 points, hitting five out of six 3-point attempts and 8 of 11 shots overall. WInkler rang in two treys on his way to scoring 10 points, and junior Tyler Mickey also ripped two 3-pointers in scoring nine points. Hinze scored eight points but added seven assists and seven rebounds while committing no turnovers. “He played incredible,” Siske said. “Pretty much everyone stepped up their games.” The Bearcats won the Camel Tournament for the second consecutive year and again followed their sweep through the season-opening Western Conference Invitational. “That’s a tough tournament, with three games in a row again,” Siske said. “Campbell County might be as good a team that we will play for a while. Kelly Walsh was a strong team and Rock Springs was a very athletic team that causes you problems.” The Bearcats return to action with just a single game this weekend, at Chadron on Friday starting at about 7 p.m. Scottsbluff girls Despite turning in their best defensive effort of the young season, the Scottsbluff girls entered this week still looking for their first win after dropping a 35-26 loss to Wheatland, Wyo., on Friday at the Bluffs Middle School gym. Junior forward Kiley Guerue led the Bearcats (0-4) with nine points. The Bearcats are back in action at Chadron on Friday starting at about 7 p.m. Mitchell Two nights after stunning Gering on Adam Schlotthauer’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a 51-48 win at Gering, the Tigers found themselves on the short end of a 56-49 count to Hemingford. Junior Jamie Fegler led Mitchell (1-4) with 16 points and junior Bo McVay — who had 18 points, as did Schlotthauer, and the winning assist against Gering — followed with 13 points. The Mitchell girls improved to 2-3 with their 58-45 victory over Hemingford. The Tigers return to action Friday when they hop over into Goshen County to play Yoder-Southeast. Mitchell returns home on Saturday when the Tigers play Morrill starting at about 5 p.m. with the girls’ game. Morrill Senior forward Jacob Ramirez, one of two returning starters along with senior guard Sheldon Le, had a 22-point outing and hit the last of four 3-pointers to put the Lions ahead of Garden County and lift the Lions to 2-1 on the season. The Morrill girls got their first win under rookie head coach T.J. Norris with a 38-26 win over the visiting Eagles. The victory put the Lions at 1-2 entering their Tuesday date at home against Hay Springs. Morrill will then begin preparation for their west Scotts Bluff County rivalry matchup at Mitchell on Saturday. The girls are to start at about 5 p.m., with the boys’ contest at about 6:30 p.m. Bayard The Bayard teams had a rough weekend in road trips to arch-rival Bridgeport on Friday and to Alliance on Saturday. The Tiger boys (1-3) fell to Bridgeport 52-41 and to Alliance 54-34. The Bayard girls, still looking for win No. 1 under second-year head coach Roger Russell, lost to Alliance 49-44 in overtime after the Tigers were dealt a 56-27 setback at Bridgeport. Bayard has Hay Springs at home on Friday, with the girls’ game starting at about 5:30 p.m. and the boys matching up with the Hawks at 7 p.m. The Tigers then travel to Kimball for action Saturday with the girls playing at 3:30 p.m. and the boys tipping off at about 5 p.m. Minatare After a 2-0 start under first-year coach Kyle Cotton, the Minatare boys met defeat for the first time at the hands of Sioux County, 48-44, Friday night in Harrison. The Indian girls, coming off their first win against Banner County last Tuesday, were handed a 57-16 loss to Sioux County. Minatare returns to action Friday against Arthur County, with the girls’ game beginning the action at 4 p.m. The Indians then travel to Crawford on Saturday for action starting at 1 p.m. Banner County The 0-3 Banner County teams will look to find a win when they play host to Leyton on Friday and travel to Chappell to face Creek Valley on Saturday. The Wildcats will then be in the Sioux County Holiday Tournament at Harrison on Monday and Tuesday. |
| Hadden fuels Bearcats to 3rd straight Western Conference title 2012-12-06 By Terry Gaston |
| Hadden fuels Bearcats to 3rd straight Western Conference title SCOTTSBLUFF — If the boys’ division of this year’s season-opening Western Conference Invitational Tournament is remembered for nothing else, it should be for the performance of Scottsbluff senior Michael Hadden. In leading the Bearcats to their third straight Western Conference tourney title, Hadden chalked up in Scottsbluff’s three games – including a 39-point effort in leading the Bearcats to a 65-52 to tournament newcomer Omaha Skutt Catholic. Hadden, who grew into a starter late last season and was a key element in the Bearcats’ drive to winning the Class B state tournament championship, scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in Scottsbluff’s tournament-opening, 57-39 home win over Chadron in which the Cardinals – who finished 1-2 after downing Mitchell for seventh place – had led 30-21 at halftime. In Scottsbluff’s 67-39 semifinal win over Gering, Hadden scored 14 of his game-high 18 points in a first half that the Bearcats roared to a 48-22 halftime lead. Gering rebounded, literally, from its semifinal loss to Scottsbluff by capturing third place with a 53-50 overtime win over Sidney, which had been forced into overtime Friday night by Skutt in a game the Red Raiders lost 62-52. Alliance won the consolation bracket by downing Torrington, Wyo., 51-56, and Chadron earned seventh place with a 69-46 win over Mitchell. Scottsbluff 67, Gering 39 After having needed to rally in beating Chadron in its first-round victory, Scottsbluff embraced its switch to Western Nebraska Community College’s Ron Brillhart Court at Cougar Palace and continued the roll that ignited the Bearcats past Chadron in the second half Thursday night. “I thought Chadron came out and executed pretty well,” Scottsbluff boys’ coach Tony Siske said. “We had some defensive breakdowns, kind of shored those up and have kind of rolled since that first half.” Scottsbluff led 48-22 at halftime, which gave Siske not only a chance to rest his starting rotation for Saturday’s championship game against Skutt but gave his younger players significant playing time. Against Gering, which advanced with a 60-45 first-round victory at Torrington, Wyo., on Thursday night (see story, page B2), Scottsbluff never trailed, reached a permanent double-digit lead in the final minute of the first quarter and led by 14 before Gering cut the quarter’s end margin to 25-14. “We played really well,” said Siske whose team shot 50 percent (24-for-48) from the floor, including 6 of 13 3-pointers while holding the Bulldogs to 30.2 percent shooting (16-for-53). Scottsbluff also was good on 13 of 16 free throws (81.3 percent). “I expect Gering to be a good team. They may not have any starters back, but they have more guys with experience back than we do. They have a lot of guys back that played a lot for a team that went to state.” The Bearcats smothered the Bulldogs and allowed Gering just eight second-quarter points, while Scottsbluff poured on a half-ending, 15-0 run to lead 48-22 at halftime. “The opponent was very, very good and exposed everything that we had done wrong. Gering boys’ coach Randy Plummer said. “We didn’t stop anything on defense, they were quicker than us, took us to the hole. We shot 3 at the offensive end and couldn’t get anything going, so we went to the one-on-one individual dribble around and took bad shots, and that’s the recipe for getting your fanny kicked. “They took us to the woodshed, because they executed everything better on offense and defense, and they played with more confidence.” The Bulldogs had one advantage in the otherwise lopsided contest, and that was leading in rebounding, 28-18. Senior Zac Bibb had a team-high six rebounds in a balance attack on the boards for Gering. Bibb had six points for the Bulldogs, outscored only by junior Taylor Nelson’s eight points in reserve time. After Hadden’s game-high 18-point effort, Scottsbluff had senior Taylor Winkler, who also had 14 points at the half, finished with 16. Senior Eric Moreno scored 13 points, 10 in the first half, with three 3-pointers on the night. Gering 53, Sidney 50 (OT) Gering found its third-place battle against Sidney a tough one in the early going. Instead of seeing the Red Raiders run loose like Scottsbluff had done against the Bulldogs on Friday night, Gering put Sidney’s 15-0, first-quarter run aside and drew to within two at 23-21 before halftime on sophomore Joses Palomo’s 3-pointer. After letting the Red Raiders jump ahead by seven in the third, the Bulldogs finished the quarter with seven straight points to forge a 30-all deadlock. The game-tying basket came on junior Gage Winkler’s backdoor pass to Nelson, who lay in the ball at the third-period buzzer. Gering led 45-43 in a nip-and-tug fourth quarter but committed two turnovers in the final 1:10. Sidney played messy ball as well, but the Raiders forged a tie when junior Lucas Rosenbaum scored off an inbounds pass with 10 seconds left. The Bulldogs’ youth was evident in the waning seconds of regulation, when the Bulldogs lost focus on the time and were unable to put up a game-winning attempt. Sidney had Gering down 50-49 on junior Paxton Ehler’s fourth 3-pointer of the game. But the Bulldogs scored on 4 of 6 free throws, the first two by Bibb with 27.1 seconds left when Sidney tried to call time-out with a loose ball going out of bounds. The Raiders had burned all their time-outs, forcing a technical foul. After some indecision on who was going to shoot the technical free throws, Bibb hit a pair to give Gering a 51-50 lead. After that, Sidney missed two shots, and a free throw each by Bulldog senior Walker Britsch and Bibb provided the final margin. “When you have a team that has not played any varsity (as starters), everybody’s establishing their roles and the team is establishing their identity, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing right now,” Plummer said. “That’s a big step in getting a team’s identity is getting a big win like that.” For the third straight game, the Bulldogs held the rebounding advantage, 35-30. “We found a way to win at the end and that’s going to help us as we progress along in this season. We’ll take a 2-1 in this tournament. It’s a tough tournament.” Gering was 42.3 percent (22-for-52) from the field but held Sidney to 30.5 percent (18-for-59). “After (Friday) night’s thorough buttkicking, to come back like that and beat a really, really good Sidney team, that’s a good way to start the season,” Plummer said. “Our guys developed some character right off the bat. True, they missed a lot of shots but so did we.” The Bulldogs will be at home Thursday against Mitchell and Friday against Alliance, with both games starting at about 7:30 p.m. Gering then travels to Wheatland, Wyo., for a Saturday evening contest. Scottsbluff 65, Omaha Skutt 52 In the Bearcats’ finale against Skutt, the 6-foot-3 Hadden was not afraid to take the basketball inside against the Skyhawks’ bigger inside players, 6-4 senior leading scorer Brian Schwetschenau and 6-8 senior Zach Legband. Hadden scored four on four baskets on which he drew ensuing fouls and went to the line for 26 shots, where he made 21 (80.8 percent). His free-throw shooting prowess added to an 82-point run for Hadden, a 27.3 per-game average, in the season-opening three-day tournament. “He’s starting to get smarter about body control, when to jump stop and that kind of stuff to avoid the charge call,” Siske said of Hadden’s increasing aggression. “He got called for one, but he avoided a lot and got himself to the free-throw line, obviously quite a few times. He had a great night.” As the defending Class B state champions, Siske said the Bearcats – who are without senior starting guard Matt Klein with a broken wrist – are not worried about their preseason No. 1 rankings by eastern daily newspapers. “We’re not going out to make statements, we’re going out to beat the people on our schedule,” Siske said. “That’s all we try to do, and our kids had a great weekend.” The Bearcats travel to Gillette, Wyo., for the Campbell County Classic. Scottsbluff plays the host Camels on Thursday, Rock Springs on Friday and Casper-Kelly Walsh on Saturday. Chadron 69, Mitchell 46 When a team like Mitchell has just one senior anyway — in Robbie Burke, and then Tigers are missing him with a pending prognosis after a preseason knee injury – learning from its experiences against larger schools’ teams offers a sense of urgency. “Defense is a must. We have to learn how to stop teams and their penetration first,” Mitchell assistant coach Jason Gregory said. “Offensively, we think that will come with time and practice, but we’ve got to figure out how to stop teams.” Mitchell was dealt a 74-41, first-round loss to Sidney and then fell to Alliance 74-59 to find itself facing the only other Class C1 school in the tournament in the Chadron Cardinals. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the level of classification didn’t matter any Saturday morning. Chadron jumped ahead 17-9 after one quarter, led 34-18 late in the second quarter and increased its lead to 52-31 after three periods. The Cardinals led by as many as 26 at 62-36. “We were able to shoot the ball,” Gregory said. “Both with Bo McVay (eight points vs. Chadron) and Jimmy Fegler (21 points), when they’re hot they’re hot and can put up points in bunches. We can push the ball up the floor and like that.” Sophomore Alex Morales added 10 points for the Tigers. The height of 6-7 Chadron junior Spencer Eliason 24 points and 6-4 Cy Rayhill (18 points) was too tall an order for a smaller Mitchell team. The Tigers have two games this week, Thursday at Gering for a 7:30 p.m. start and Saturday at home against Hemingford. |
| Bearcats take consolation prize at Blazer Duals 2012-12-06 By Terry Gaston |
| TORRINGTON, Wyo. -- Wrestlers from Gering, Scottsbluff and Morrill began their seasons Saturday in the annual Blazer Duals at Torrington High School. Scottsbluff won the team competition in the consolation bracket by downing Glenrock, Wyo., 49-24 and finished with an overall dual record of 3-2. Morrill’s lone dual victory came over Gering in the consolation bracket, 42-36. Scottsbluff junior Colton Adams led the Bearcats as the team's Outstanding Wrestler Award winner by scoring all five of his victories at 132 pounds by pin fall. Adams thus got himself off to a good start after finishing third in the Class B state meet at 126 pounds. Three other Bearcats also posted 5-0 records on the day, including two state returnees in Cruz Delacruz at 106 pounds and Keegan Hessler at 113. Both Delacruz and Hessler posted four pins apiece and gained their fifth victories by forfeit. Sabian Harsh also went 5-0 for Scottsbluff at 145 pounds. Harsh's perfect record required three decisions, including a 15-2 major decision, plus one pin and a forfeit. Gering's Outstanding Wrestler Award winner was Joseph Ybarra at 120 pounds. Ybarra's 5-0 record included to pins, two one-point decisions and a forfeit. Matthew Unrein earned Morrill's Outstanding Wrestler Award by going 4-1 at 132 pounds. Unrein had three wins by pin fall and one by a 5-0 decision. His only loss was to Adams by pin fall. Scottsbluff had four other wrestlers who finished action with 4-1 records. Junior heavyweight Andrew Aratani scored four pins but lost a 7-5 overtime decision to C.J. Allen of Douglas, Wyo. Isaiah Jaramillo also had four pin victories at 138 pounds but lost a 12-0 major decision to his Wheatland, Wyo., counterpart. Cameron Prescher went 4-1 at 195 pounds with two decisions and two forfeits but lost on pin fall to another Douglas wrestler, whose team was the Gold Bracket champion with a 5-0 dual record. Torrington was second at 4-1 and Cheyenne South finished in third at 3-2. Tristan Donelson was 4-1 at 152 with his four pins offset by a decision to his Douglas counterpart. Gering had three wrestlers who finished their days with 3-2 records: Jake Rexus at 160, Elijah Timblin at 170 and Blake Rains at 182. In head-to-head duals, Scottsbluff defeated Gering 48-33 in the Consolation Bracket semifinals, Morrill slipped past Gering 42-36 in the Consolation Bracket third-place match; and Scottsbluff topped Morrill 66-6 in Round 3 action. Gering and Scottsbluff were scheduled for a dual Tuesday night at Gering High School, but the action was postponed to a later date. The Bulldogs and Bearcats still have busy schedules remaining this week. On Thursday, Gering will be in dual competition at Cheyenne East, with the varsity set to start at about 5:30 p.m., and Scottsbluff will be at Alliance for a 7 p.m. dual. Both Gering and Scottsbluff will be in the Cheyenne East Invitational on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. Torrington Blazer Duals Team Scores Round 1 — Torrington 51, Cheyenne South 24; Glenrock, Wyo., 51, Gering 27; Douglas, Wyo., 75, Morrill 3; Wheatland, Wyo., 40, Scottsbluff 36. Round 2 — Torrington 60 , Glenrock 24; Cheyenne South 57, Gering 9; Douglas 48, Scottsbluff 27; Wheatland 72, Morrill 12. Round 3 — Torrington 72, Gering 6; Cheyenne South 57. Glenrock 24;Douglas 62, Wheatland 9; Scottsbluff 66, Morrill 6. Consolation Bracket — Semifinals: Glenrock 58, Morrill 12; Scottsbluff 48, Gering 33; Third place: Morrill 42, Gering 36; First place: Scottsbluff 49, Glenrock 24. Gold Bracket — Semifinals: Torrington 54, Wheatland 21; Douglas 63, Cheyenne South 9; Third place: Cheyenne South 43, Wheatland 33; first place: Douglas 50, Torrrington 21. Gering results 106 & 113 — Open; 120 — Joseph Ybarra, 5-0; 126 — Kelsey Hudson, 0-5; 132 — Austin Dolberg, 0-5; 138 — Antonio Murillo, 0-5; 145 — Open; 152 — Quintin Timblin, 1-4; 160 — Jake Rexus, 3-2; 170 — Elijah Timblin, 3-2; 182 — Blake Rains, 3-2; 195 — Open; 220 — Christian Pester, 2-3; 285/ Hwt. — Garrett Rahmig, 0-5. Scottsbluff results 106 — Juan Delacruz, 5-0; 113 — Keegan Hessler, 5-0; 120 — Ryan Aratani, 1-4; 126 — open; 132 — Colton Adams, 5-0; 138 — Isaiah Jaramillo, 4-1; 145 — Sabian Harsh, 5-0; 152 — Tristan Donelson, 4-1; 160 — Jeremy Aguallo, 0-3, two matches open; 170 — Cody Rossman, 2-3; 182 — Open; 195 — Cameron Prescher, 4-1; 220 — Mario Soriano, 1-4; 285/Hwt. — Andrew Aratani, 4-1. Morrill results 106 — Justus Peterson, 1-4; 113 — C.J. Sidrow, 2-3; 120 & 126 — Open; 132 — Matthew Unrein, 4-1; 138 — Alex Knouse, 1-4; 145 — Garrett Zwiebel, 1-4; 152 — Elvanste Gomez, 1-4; 160 — Jackson Carpenter, 1-4; 170, 182, 195 & 220 — Open; 285/Hwt. — Matthew Hessler, 2-3. |
| All-Western Conference teams announced 2012-11-29 By Terry Gaston |
| The three fall All-Western Conference teams include 45 student-athletes from Gering, Scottsbluff and Mitchell. Four football players from Gering, six from Scottsbluff and two from Mitchell earned all-conference honors, while the honorable mention list included four players each from Gering, Scottsbluff and Mitchell. Earning all-conference honors from Scottsbluff were seniors Ty Dunkel, Matt T. Klein, Jon Maag, Tim Magdaleno, Eric Moreno and Luke Worden. From Gering, all-conference honorees are seniors Nick Chitwood, Austin Ferguson and James Guzman, and junior Gage Smith. Mitchell senior Brendan Swanson and junior Adam Schlotthauer were the Tigers' all-conference picks. On the honorable mention list for Gering were seniors Walker Britsch and Jake Rexus, along with juniors Elijah Timblin and Dylan Wetherington. Scottsbluff's honorable mention selections were seniors Randy Wentz and Taylor Winkler, along with juniors Andrew Aratani and Beau Lofink. Honorable mention picks for Mitchell were seniors Spencer Rien, Brent Vorse and Austyn Wright, along with junior Bo McVay. The Western Conference all-conference softball team includes four Gering players and three from Scottsbluff, while two Bulldogs and Bearcats each were named honorable mention. On the all-conference list from Gering are seniors Jennifer Barge and Shayla Garetto, along with junior Alexa Longoria and sophomore Jessica Rogers. Bulldogs who were honorable mention were senior Brooke Satur and sophomore Isabel Thompson. Scottsbluff seniors Brianna Fliam, Lexi Webber Natalie Wooden were all-conference honorees, while Bearcat seniors Kelsey Albright and Zoey Rada were honorable mention picks. On the volleyball all-conference team were four area selections: Gering senior Santanna Mitchell, Scottsbluff senior Lauren Miller and Mitchell senior Chalsey Grentz and junior Taylor Peters. Honorable mention volleyball selections were Gering juniors Kelsea Priells and Savannah Walker, Scottsbluff seniors Brayden Auer and Connor Ehler, and Mitchell junior Mikaela Karpen and senior Brianne Hessler. |
| WNCC holds softball clinic 2012-11-29 By Press Release |
| SCOTTSBLUFF The Western Nebraska Community College softball team will be holding a pitching camp for girls from the 2nd to 12th grade on Sunday, Dec. 2 at Cougar Palace. The pitching clinic will be held from 2-5 p.m. and costs $25. Last year’s pitching camp had around 20 girls participate. Participants are asked to bring a glove and water bottle. The camp will be instructed by WNCC head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff, her assistants, and the Cougar softball players. To download a camp registration form, visit wncc.edu and then go to Cougar Athletics. For more information, contact Coach Winn-Ratliff at (308) 635-6189 or at winnm@wncc.edu. |
| Gering, Mitchell girls hit the court for scrimmages 2012-11-29 By Terry Gaston |
| MITCHELL- Third-year Gering girls' basketball coach Adam Freeburg and first-year Mitchell girls' coach Brock Ehler both saw some positive action from their respective teams Saturday night in the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame Jamboree played at Mitchell High School. The Bulldogs and Tigers were joined by Crawford for the event, in which three one-half scrimmages were played in triangular fashion. No scoring or official stats were kept; both Freeburg and Ehler, who coached the Gering seniors when they were freshmen, will wait until their respective season-opening games Thursday to keep the numbers. Freeburg, whose team finished last season 8-15 and lost all five starters, said his new lineup of players has practiced well together and their scrimmages against Mitchell and Crawford were filled with positive results. "I thought we did really well and we kept everything under control," Freeburg said. "Going in, we wanted to work on multiple things, and on our defense we ran some man, zone and mixed in some press a little bit, too." Seniors Megan Upp and Alexa Anderson provide the most experience among the Bulldogs' returnees, with a core group of returning senior reserves -- Dakota Gellner, Nicole Michael, Santanna Mitchell and Brooke Satur -- ready to make the step into the full-time varsity lineup. "We figuring out what works best for us," Freeburg said. "I am pleased with how hard the girls all seem to work well together." Gering heads over to Torrington to open the season and Western Conference Tournament play Thursday at 5:30 p.m. "I anticipate it to be a pretty evenly-matched game," Freeburg said of facing the Blazers, who also start the year with a new lineup. "We are going to try to fine-tune everything," he said of preparing for game action. "We realize we are not going to be a finished product by any means, and we need to work on a few things that came up during the scrimmage, and hopefully we will carry that enthusiasm into Torrington on Thursday night." Regardless of their Thursday result, the Bulldogs will play Friday at 5 p.m. against Chadron or Scottsbluff. A Gering win Thursday would put the Bulldogs in semifinal action at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace, while a first-round loss puts Gering into consolation semifinal play at Scottsbluff High School. Ehler, who was Mitchell boys' coach Kirk Kuxhausen's assistant the past two years, inherits an experienced group of two full-time starters in seniors Chalsey Grentz and Havannah Newens and four other varsity-experienced players in juniors Taylor Peters and Mikaela Karpen, senior Brianne Hessler and sophomore Aspen Reifschneider. The Tigers were 11-13 last season, but with Ehler implementing a new system, success may not necessarily be reflected in Mitchell's record -- especially this weekend against much larger schools. "I feel good, and what we saw was about what we expected when you are bringing in new strategies and schemes," Ehler said. "The girls have spent a lot of time in extra practice of learning the X's and O's and have worked hard and been very receptive to our new style. "The girls are coming together, and as the year goes on I think we will be better." Mitchell will open the season at Sidney in the Western Conference Tournament on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and Ehler said he expects the Red Raiders to give his Class C1 Tigers a big challenge. "They have the best Class B team in the Panhandle and are very experienced," he said. Ehler said the Tigers' goal will be to play well and improve in every game, while the results fall where they may. "This is a hard way to open the season, but we have a lot to game and nothing to lose," he said. "We'll see if we can't come out of there with a win or two." Mitchell's semifinal game Friday will be against another Class B team, Alliance or Omaha Skutt. The Tigers will play at 3:30 p.m. either way. If they defeat Sidney, the Tigers will play at WNCC; a loss puts Mitchell in consolation action at Scottsbluff High.  Gering's Santanna Mitchell preps for a shot amid defensive action from Crawford opponents during Saturday's scrimmage in Mitchell. No official scoring was kept, as the games were a pre-season warm up for the teams participating. |
| Young Gering, Mitchell boys’ teams look for answers in openers 2012-11-29 By Terry Gaston |
| MITCHELL – In the case of the Gering and Mitchell boys’ basketball teams and coaches, thank goodness for the preseason Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame Jamboree. Both Gering coach Randy Plummer and Mitchell assistant coach Shawn Harvey said that their respective teams needed the Jamboree event, which took place Saturday night at Mitchell High School, to learn what their squads need before they each open regular-season play Thursday in the Western Conference Tournament. Plummer, who has to replace all five starters and two strong bench players from last season’s state-qualifying team, said Monday that the Bulldogs have been short-handed in practices and were again for their scrimmages against Mitchell and Crawford on Saturday. And with the Bulldogs scheduled to open the season Thursday night at defending Wyoming state champion Torrington, Plummer is taking more of a wait-and-see, precautionary approach into the teams’ Western Conference Tournament opener. “We’re pretty much starting over, but we have a few guys back with a little varsity experience,” Plummer said. “It’s going to be a learning process." On the Jamboree scrimmages, Plummer said, “I thought we executed pretty well and wet ried to stay as organized as we could every trip down. Now tonight (Monday), we were missing three guys to injuries or illness and so we couldn’t work on the things we need to have ready for Thursday. "I am actually pretty nervous, but that’s the way it goes, especially this time of year when there are a lot of illnesses floating around.” What the Bulldogs lack in experience, they compensate for in depth. “We have two guys who are battling for each position, so we have 10 guys who are pretty good,” Plummer said. He said if he has everyone healthy, Plummer would field a starting lineup that includes senior forwards Zac Bibb and Austin Ferguson, both of whom saw some varsity time last year, as did senior point guard Walker Britsch. Also back with limited experience are junior guard Christian Groskopf and junior post man Grant Olsson. But right behind the starters are five solid up-and-comers that include sophomore point guard Joseph Palomo, junior guards Dillon DeMott and Gage Winkler, junior forward Isaiah Wilson and junior post Taylor Nelson. “We hope to have the best group of guys together,” Plummer said. “Regardless of how many guys we lost, we are still going to be a defensive-based team. We’ve got some good components; it will be just how they respond to the varsity game.” Gering plays Torrington at about 7.p.m. Thursday, following the girls’ game. The Bulldogs will play either Scottsbluff or Chadron on Friday at 8 p.m. If Gering wins at Torrington, then the Bulldogs will be in the championship semifinals at Western Nebraska’s Cougar Palace. If Torrington wins, Gering will play the Scottsbluff-Chadron loser at Scottsbluff High School in Friday’s consolation bracket. Class C1 Mitchell faces a tough test in going to Sidney for its season-opening and first-round Western Conference Tournament game. The Tigers and Red Raiders meet at 7 p.m. before action moves to Scottsbluff for semifinal action. Harvey said the Jamboree helped he, head coach Kirk Kuxhausen and varsity assistant Jason Gregory to decipher what they have in the Tigers’ lineup against competition. “There were some positives and of course some negatives in what the kids need to work on,” Harvey said. “The advantage of the exhibition game is it gives you a good look at what you have against another teams. “We lost some pretty good starters, but we have a large junior class where the kids have either started or otherwise played some varsity time.” The Tigers return juniors Jamie Fegler and Bo McVay from last year’s starting lineup. Robbie Burke, Mitchell’s lone senior on the team, returns with some starting experience, as do juniors Adam Schlotthauer and Nick Harriger. Other returning varsity team members with limited experience include juniors Garrett Braman and Tate Harvey. Sophomore Alex Morales moved up to the varsity roster late last season, and classmate Antonio Barrios will be on the varsity roster as well. “Our defense is pretty strong, and we should be able to move the ball up and the down the court,” Shawn Harvey said. “These kids have played a long time together and should be a good half-court team.” Harvey said the Tigers’ strategy, as the smallest school in the Western Conference Tournament, will be to try to maintain the tempo so they don’t get run out of the gym. “We felt we ran the ball fairly well (Saturday), but against these larger, Class B opponents we will probably have to slow it down,” he said. “We are going into this that the boys understand how they need to play, but we think they will be up for the competition. There are two or three teams, if we get to play any of them, that we can play with.” Mitchell will play either Omaha Skutt or Alliance on Friday at 6:30 p.m. If they win Thursday, the Tigers will play at WNCC. A loss to Sidney will put Mitchell in the consolation semifinals at Scottsbluff High. “They see the advantages of playing at that level of competition, because it will help us get ready for Gering next week (at Gering on Thursday) and hopefully make a run at the Western Trails Conference title,” Harvey said.  Mitchell's Nick Harringer preps for a shot as Ram defenders respond as Tiger teammate jamie Fegler eyes the action during Saturday's pre-season contest against Crawford. |
| Scottsbluff teams get good warm-up against Kimball 2012-11-29 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF – While the scores were unofficial Monday night, what was official was the chance for both Scottsbluff boys’ basketball coach Tony Siske and Bearcat girls’ coach Mike Burda to get a good look at their teams against competition after two weeks of practice. Both coaches’ answers after emerging from the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame Jamboree event at the Scottsbluff High School with unofficial winning scores were that plenty of work remains before either team is at top level. The Bearcat boys – who have some good returning experience from their Class B state championship season but many more newcomers otherwise – posted a convincing, 85-47 unofficial winning score against Kimball in a full-game scrimmage in which every Scottsbluff player scored. “In spurts, we looked OK,” Siske said. “I know I didn’t like, we have to get a lot tougher defensively, rebounding-wise. “Everything we’re doing this year is new and it’s going to take time. I’ve got to be patient and I have to keep reminding myself that 11 of the 16 guys who have been practicing are freshmen or sophomores.” As they did last season, the Bearcats begin the year with a key returning starter sidelined because of a serious injury. Senior guard Matt Klein broke his right hand in the first day of practice on Nov. 12, and Siske said “it’s going to be a while” before Klein returns. “Not much you can do,” Siske said of Klein’s injury, likened to last year’s foot injury that kept leading scorer and rebounder Zach Clemens sidelined largely until January. “Like I told the team, it happened early and we’re going to take the positives out of it. The positives are that it was the first day and maybe we will get him back a little sooner. And then the other thing is we get to build more depth that way, someone’s going to play minutes that they wouldn’t hat gotten otherwise.” Senior forward Eric Moreno score nine first-quarter points and had 14 at halftime before finishing with a team-high 16 points. Sophomore guard Trent Harris had two 3-pointers on his way to scoring 13 points, and freshman forward Austin Clarkson also scored 13 in a strong first varsity-like performance. Senior guard Taylor Winkler also had two 3-pointers on his way to 10 points. Sophomore guard Jackson Hinze also had two 3-balls in scoring eight points. In all, the Bearcats hit on 11 treys. In addition to Moreno and Klein when he is able to play, senior forward Michael Hadden – who had just four first-quarter points in limited action – also returns to the starting lineup. Siske used 11 players Monday night – junior Beau Lofink is also out with an injury – and has many questions regarding personnel heading into Thursday’s season-opening game against Chadron in the Western Conference Tournament. “I don’t think anything is set at this point, and it may take two weeks’ worth of games to really get it set,” Siske said. “I thought some guys did some good things tonight and probably exceeded expectations, (while) some guys didn’t live up to expectations and that’s kind of how it has been with this group, and we’re just looking for consistency.” The Bearcat girls rode junior guard Kiley Guerue’s 15 points in outscoring Kimball 50-43. Guerue, a part-time starter last season, had seven of her points in the fourth quarter to keep the Longhorns at bay after Scottsbluff led 39-32 after three quarters. “I thought we did a good job,” Burda said. “It was a pretty sloppy game, but for a first game-like situation, I thought we played fairly well on the offensive end. We shot fairly well, got a lot of buckets in transition. “Defensively, we didn’t do a great job. We had a lot of fouls, didn’t move our feet and got ourselves in bad situations. Senior returnee Alexus Pinedo followed with 11 points, igniting the Bearcats with nine second-quarter points on their way to a 30-24 halftime lead. Freshman newcomer Zoe Holscher added nine points. Senior Brayden Auer also returns after seeing varsity action last season. Otherwise, the Bearcats are very young and will need time to mesh, Burda said. “The majority of the girls who played tonight haven’t played varsity basketball, so it’s a young group and there is some potential there though,” Burda said. Both Bearcat teams make their season and Western Conference Tournament opening action Thursday against Chadron at the SHS gym. The girls will meet at 5:30 p.m. and the boys will follow at about 7 p.m. Both Scottsbluff teams will play either Gering or Torrington in Friday's semifinal action. The winners' bracket game will be at Western Nebraska Community College's Cougar Palace, with the girls' contest at 5 p.m. and the boys playing at about 8 p.m. A loss to Chadron would put either Scottsbluff team in its own gym for Friday's consolation semifinals. The girls' game is set for a 5 p.m. start, with the boys tipping off at about 8 p.m. Saturday's finals would have the girls' championship at WNCC at 5 p.m. and the boys' title game at 6:45 p.m.  Bearcat Liz Cunningham makes her way through Kimball defenders at Monday's warm up game against the Longhorns. The Bearcats outscored Kimball 50-43. |
| Bearcats' Benson to coach in relocated Shrine Bowl 2012-11-29 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff head football coach Joe Benson has earned a special honor following the Bearcats' perfect 9-0 regular-season performance. Benson will be an assistant coach on the North team for the 56th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl, which will be played in Kearney for the first time on June 1. "It will be fun," Benson said of his chance to coach on the North staff, which will prepare the team for two weeks prior to the game. "Obviously (my selection) is a reflection of the way we played this season." Benson will join North head coach Mike Johnson of Waverly and fellow assistants Steven Gubbels of Arlington, Chris Nizzi of Creighton Prep, John Bacus of Elkhorn and Seth Styskal of Waverly. The 2013 and 2014 Nebraska Shrine Bowl games will be played at the University of Nebraska-Kearney’s Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field, the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska Inc. and the City of Kearney announced on Nov. 17. “Since the formation of the Nebraska Shrine Bowl in 1958, the annual event has been held in Lincoln. We have had a group working on this project since it was announced earlier in the year that the Shrine Bowl Committee would be looking for a new home as Memorial Stadium could no longer host the football game due to new NCAA rules,” Steve O’Brien, secretary of the Shrine Bowl Executive Committee and past potentate of the Hastings-based Tehama Shriners, said in a press release. An official bid was presented in September to the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. by the Kearney Visitors Bureau with input from a variety of Kearney community leaders, the release said. Lincoln also presented a bid. After comparing presentations, the bid was awarded to Kearney. The three Nebraska Shrine temples, Sesostris (Lincoln), Tangier (Omaha) and Tehama (Hastings) joined forces to create the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. in May of 1958. This groups’ mission is to recognize the best senior football players and the efforts of great coaches in Nebraska with the goal of raising funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children. "It would be neat if we had some Scottsbluff players selected as well, but that will be decided by the other coaches," Benson said. Funds from the Kearney Visitors Bureau along with funds from TEAM Kearney will be used to help offset the costs of hosting such a prestigious event. The main purpose of this premier athletic event is to raise revenue to support the Shriners Hospitals for Children and benefit Shrine Hospital transportation funds. Benson said he likes the move to Kearney, if for no other reason the shorter travel distance for Panhandle football fans who want to attend the game. "The game's accessibility, being two and a half hours closers, will make a big difference," he said. Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international hospital system located throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico with specialties ranging from orthopedic, burn, and spinal care. All 22 facilities are dedicated to providing specialized research and treatment to children under the age of 18, absolutely free of charge to the patient and his/her family. TEAM Kearney was formed to allow Kearney to continue to be a competitive sports and special events community in the regional and national markets. A group of hospitality businesses help provide funding to bring new events or expand existing events in the Kearney area. According to the press release, this group sees a direct impact on the number of visitors that come to Kearney for sports and special events, and spend their money in local restaurants, shopping facilities and lodging properties. |
| Lady Cougars volleyball finishes runner-up at national tournament 2012-11-22 By Press Release |
| WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team had hopes of bringing home another national title, but it wasn’t in the cards as the Cougars had to settle for a –runner-up finish at the NJCAA national tournament on Saturday in West Plains, Mo. College of Southern Idaho played an almost flawless contest in earning the national championship with a sweep over the Cougars 25-20, 25-21, 25-20. The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 33-1 record with their only loss coming to the Cougars back on Aug. 31. “Obviously we fought as hard as we could, but it didn’t seem to be our night,” fifth year WNCC coach Giovana Melo said. “But I am happy with the team. We have come a long ways and the players learned so many other things besides on the volleyball court and that is what I am so much proud of. The people they have become, the family we have created is more important to me than winning a national title.” The WNCC players need not be upset with a runner-up finish with the season they had. The Cougars finished with s another 40-win season and they have the longest streak of attending the national tournament at 14 straight. Luiza Martins and Danika Youngblood each put in stellar performances to be placed on the all-tournament team. In the championship match, Martins finished with 27 set assists and eight digs, while Youngblood 11 kills and six digs. Youngblood, who already committed to play at Cal State-Bakersfield and will join former Cougars Debora Araujo and Fernanda Goncalves, cherished being a part of the all-tournament team. “That honor feels good because I was working on it all season and I wanted to be a part of that just because I saw Debora and Fernanda get it last year," she said. "And as a player, I wanted to work for that also.” WNCC also had plenty of outstanding performances during the tournament. Saturday night in the championship match, the Cougars just couldn’t buy a break as Southern Idaho was on the top of its game. Youngblood said they had a good season and they just couldn’t get that final win. “We just didn’t have tonight what we had all tournament. I mean that is a good team {CSI) but I still think we were strong enough that we could have had it," she said. "The loss is frustrating and it is hard. But our team is a family and we are there for each other and we played like we are three for each other. We at least can leave saying that we left together as a family.” WNCC did start the match out strong, jumping to a 7-4 lead on a Youngblood kill and two service points. WNCC then pushed the lead to 14-10 on a Priscila Mendes kill and two service points and later led 17-13. It was after that the wheels started to fall off and it started as Marie Fujie served three points to tie the match at 17-17. Martins stopped the run momentarily, but the Golden Eagles came back to take their second lead of the night on two service points by Eseta Makia before finishing off the set to win 25-20. Makia started the Golden Eagles off with a four=point service run only to watch WNCC come back to tie the the second set at 5-5. The two teams would be tied at 17-17 after two Tasha Meyer points. Southern Idaho jumped back in front 21-17 only to watch WNCC came back to tie the set at 21-21 on a Taylor VanderWerff kill and three Youngblood points. But Fujie served the final three points for the win. WNCC came out in the third set and played well to start, holding an 8-6 lead. Southern Idaho came back as Kaylee Holmstead served three points for a 10-8 lead. Fujie then had a four-point service run for a 15-9 lead. Rivera finished with 17 digs while Mendes had 10 digs and Tasha Meyer had 13 digs. Agson pounded home nine kills while Tovar had six kills followed by VanderWerff with three kills, and Lauren Knox with two kills. The tournament MVP went to Southern Idaho’s Keani Passi while the coach of the tournament went to CSI’s Heidi Cartisser. All-tournament team selections included Marie Pierre-Bakima and Oni Lattin of San Jacinto, Vanessa Benke of Central Florida, Martins and Youngblood of Western Nebraska, Helena Peric of MSU-West Plains, Jaqueline Santos of Tyler, Andrea Tauai of Hillsborough, Yulia Voronko of Iowa Western, and Yang Yang of North Idaho. Youngblood said the team has nothing to hang their heads about with the season they had. “It was a good run and we had a good season and we stayed strong,” she said. Saturday’s Results 9th Place – MSU-West Plains over Temple, 20-25, 25-11, 25-14, 25-18 7th Place – Hillsborough CC over North Idaho, 25-23, 25-20, 29-27 5th Place – Tyler JC over Central Florida, 25-14, 25-21, 25-18 3rd Place – San Jacinto over Iowa Western, 23-25, 28-26, 25-13, 25-22 Championship – Southern Idaho over Western Nebraska, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21 |
| Krzyzanowski commits to golf scholarship at South Dakota 2012-11-22 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering all-stater, 4-time state medalist to play for Division I Coyotes With the way Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski has played high school golf the past four years, the question was not if the four-time Class B state tournament medalist would play golf collegiately but where she would matriculate both academically and athletically. Last Wednesday, on the first day she could sign a national letter of intent, Krzyzanowski signed her letter to attend the University of South Dakota during a ceremony in the Gering High School library. Krzyzanowski thus joins her older brother, Erik, at the NCAA Division I level. Erik is a sophomore at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. “I wanted to go there because I think it’s a great fit for me,” Krzyzanowski, the oldest daughter of Kevin and Susan Krzyzanowski of Scottsbluff, said of USD. “I went down there for a couple of visits and I really like the team and felt like I made a connection with them, so I’m just really excited to go down there and get an education and play golf.” Krzyzanowski had said late this fall that South Dakota, which is coached by Nick Hovden for both the men’s and women’s programs, was a front-runner in her choice for competing collegiately and for its academic opportunities. “I was thinking about other schools, but South Dakota ended up at the top of my list pretty quickly,” she said. “The players I met were all super friendly and talked to me about what would happen if I went there and how practices and other things would go. I felt like I made a good connection with the coach too. I’m really excited to work with him.” Krzyzanowski said she likes her chances of making an immediate impact in the Coyotes program. “I think I can jump right into the varsity level when I get there,” she said. “I think there is a good opportunity for me to do really well in their conference.” The Coyotes are part of the Summit League, which consists of the University of Omaha (formerly Nebraska-Omaha), Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne, University of Missouri-Kansas City, North Dakota State University, Oakland University (Mich.), South Dakota State University and Western Illinois University. At Gering, Krzyzanowski won eight tournaments as a junior and seven more as a senior, culminating with the District B-4 medalist championship and a fourth-place state finish. She had finished second at state as a junior and, when she still attended Scottsbluff High School before she transferred to GHS in January 2011, placed third as a sophomore and 15th as a freshman. “There were some disappointments in my season, but I think I accomplished a lot to be really with what I’ve done here,” said Krzyzanowski, who led her team to a state tournament-qualifying berth, where sophomore Sam Rahmig earned a 15th-place medal. “I just felt overall that I did really well here and I couldn’t ask for a better two years here at Gering.” The ceremony took place in the library where Gering girls’ golf coach Annie Boggs spends part of her days as school library media specialist for grades 7-12. So the link between Krzyzanowski’s high school career as a student-athlete and her collegiate signing was one that was certainly appropriate. “Kaitlyn brings a work ethic, number one, she’s not afraid to put in the time that’s needed to be a successful student and a successful athlete,” Boggs said of Krzyzanowski. “She brings leadership skills, she’s not afraid to take charge and lead people in a positive direction. She also brings a lot of energy to the team and everyone appreciates that. Just all around, they are getting a great recruit.” Krzyzanowski said she is undecided on what her major will be at USD. “Hopefully I can get that figured out pretty soon,” she said. “I feel like they are good in academics and I like the facilities as well for education. I am super excited to go there.” Boggs said Krzyzanowski has been like a second coach to the Bulldogs during her two years on the Gering team and said late in the season that she believed Krzyzanowski would make a great coach and teacher if she wanted to pursue that direction. “I think I would enjoy doing something like that, just spending time around the sport and then being around other people who love it,” Krzyzanowski said. “If that opportunity came my way, I would take it.” Kevin Krzyzanowski commented after the ceremony that the family’s chances of traveling to see Kaitlyn play collegiately will be greater than the opportunity to watch Erik, which he said has come only about one time per season. And Kaitlyn said the relatively closer distance to USD, in Vermillion, in the southeast corner of South Dakota, definitely played a role in her choice. “It’s good because I can come home and my family can come see me play golf, so it’ll be just like it has always been,” she said of their ability to travel. “I think that was a big factor in it as well because it’s just homey.” * * * After Kaitlyn’s signing ceremony, Kevin Krzyzanowski also said that youngest daughter Emily, a third-grader at Westmoor Elementary School in Scottsbluff, may be the most competitive among his and Susan’s three children on the golf course. Consider this fair warning to budding golfers when Emily Krzyzanowski reaches the high school level in the fall of 2018. She pours a pretty mean punch ladle, as discovered at her sister’s signing ceremony. |
| Gering Girls 8TH Grade Basketball Starts Season Strong 2012-11-22 By Philip Eckerberg, Special to the Citizen |
| The Gering Girls 8TH Grade Basketball A-Team is 3-0 so far this season. The season started on Monday, Nov. 12, in Sidney. The A-Team game was a hard fought battle with Gering leading by a couple of points for 3 quarters. Gering was behind in the fourth quarter and with 20 seconds left the score was 33-31 Sidney leading. Gering’s Emma Sterkel was fouled and sank both of her free throws to tie the game at 33. Sidney took possession and lost it. Sterkel got the ball and ran down the court with a successful layup for the winning basket with 4 seconds left. Final Score Gering 35 Sidney 33. The B-Team played Sidney and lost. Sterkel was the high scorer. The next challenge for Gering’s A-Team was at Kimball on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Gering played strong and defeated Kimball 36-24. The high scorer honors was split between Mariah Conn and Brianna Eckerberg with 9 points each. The B-Team also won against Kimball. Gering played Torrington on Thursday, Nov. 15. This was Gering’s first home game of the season. Gering routed the Torrington team 39-3. Emma Sterkel was the high scorer with 15 points. The B-Team also won against Torrington. Next up for Gering is a home game against Mitchell on Monday the 19TH and then Gering will be at Torrington on Thursday, Nov. 29. |
| Cougar men top Salt Lake 2012-11-22 By Press Release |
| CASPER, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team picked up a big road win over Salt Lake Community College 82-76 in the Reigon 18/9 Showcase on Saturday night at Casper College. The Cougars trailed 37-30 at halftime, but came out and exploded for 52 second half points while holding Salt Lake to 39 points for the win. WNCC was paced by Willie Mangum with 32 points including six 3-pointers, while Charles Ward pitched in 23 points and three treys. The Cougars connected on 10 3-pointers all together. Trey Moore had the other 3-pointer. Cody Johnson finished with a double-double for the Cougars with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tahir Little led the team with nine assists. WNCC, 2-3, will be back in action Tuesday when they host Western Wyoming at 7 p.m. The Cougar women will host Casper College at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. WNCC 30 52 – 82 Salt Lake CC 37 39 – 76 WNCC Tahir Little 2, Willie Mangum 32, Trey Moore 3, Doudou Gueye 3, Charles Ward 23, Cody Johnson 12, Youssoupha Kane 6, Chad Calcalterra 2. |
| Scottsbluff football coach Joe Benson named assistant coach in Shrine Bowl 2012-11-22 By Press Release |
| KEARNEY - The Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. and the City of Kearney are proud to announce that the 2013 & 2014 Nebraska Shrine Bowl games will be played at the University of Nebraska-Kearney’s Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field. “Since the formation of the Nebraska Shrine Bowl in 1958, the annual event has been held in Lincoln. We have had a group working on this project since it was announced earlier in the year that the Shrine Bowl Committee would be looking for a new home as Memorial Stadium could no longer host the football game due to new NCAA rules,” stated Steve O’Brien, Secretary of the Shrine Bowl Executive Committee and Past Potentate of the Tehama Shriners. Along with a new home, the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. has nominated these Nebraska high school football coaches for the 2013 game: South Head Coach Bill Carlin Adams Central Asst. Coach Craig Schnitzler Kenesaw Brett Froendt Omaha Westside David Colling Kearney Catholic Shawn Mulligan Adams Central Dave Leader Lincoln Southeast North Head Coach Mike Johnson Waverly Asst. Coach Steven Gubbels Arlington Chris Nizzi Creighton Prep Joe Benson Scottsbluff John Bacus Elkhorn Seth Styskal Waverly An official bid was presented in September to the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. by the Kearney Visitors Bureau with input from a variety of Kearney community leaders. Lincoln also presented a bid. After comparing presentations, the bid was awarded to Kearney. Funds from the Kearney Visitors Bureau along with funds from TEAM Kearney will be used to help offset the costs of hosting such a prestigious event. The three Nebraska Shrine temples, Sesostris (Lincoln), Tangier (Omaha) and Tehama (Hastings) joined forces to create the Shrine Bowl of Nebraska, Inc. in May of 1958. This groups’ mission is to recognize the best senior football players and the efforts of great coaches in Nebraska with the goal of raising funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The main purpose of this premier athletic event is to raise revenue to support the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and benefit Shrine Hospital transportation funds. Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international hospital system located throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico with specialties ranging from orthopedic, burn, and spinal care. All 22 facilities are dedicated to providing specialized research and treatment to children under the age of 18 absolutely free of charge to the patient and his/her family. TEAM Kearney was formed to allow Kearney to continue to be a competitive sports and special events community in the regional and national markets. A group of hospitality businesses help provide funding to bring new events or expand existing events in the Kearney area. This group sees a direct impact on the number of visitors that come to Kearney for sports and special events, and spend their money in local restaurants, shopping facilities, and lodging properties. |
| Area athletes earn NCA All-State honors 2012-11-22 By Citizen Staff Report |
| Five high school athletes from Scotts Bluff and Morrill counties earned All-State honors from the Nebraska Coaches Association and Cricket Sports. In girls’ golf, Gering senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski was a repeat selection to the All-State team. Krzyzanowski finished fourth in the Class B state tournament after winning medalist honors in the District B-4 tournament. Krzyanowski was an All-State pick in 2011 after she placed second at state. Gering junior Brian Doll earned honorable mention selection to the Nebraska High School Tennis Coaches Association All-State boys’ tennis team. Doll played No. 1 singles on the Bulldogs’ inaugural boys’ tennis team. The tennis awards are sponsored by NHSTCA in cooperation with NCA and Cricket Sports. Two Scottsbluff cross country runners made the Super State Team. Class B state boys’ cross country champion Matthew Barraza, a sophomore at Scottsbluff, and Bearcat junior and third-place state finisher Anthony Parra were two of the Class B boys’ Super State selections. Also, Bridgeport senior Cody Franklin was the lone Class D Super-State boys’ cross country selection. Franklin was the Class D boys’ state champion this fall. |
| FINAL POINT : Thank you for making this opportunity and area great 2012-11-22 By Terry Gaston |
| Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. If you are a fan of “Late Night” comedy, the Olympics or even credit card commercials with a revolting red-headed toddler, you likely know Jimmy Fallon – or, at least who the comedian is. My favorite part of Fallon’s act is when he closes a week of “Late Night” shows on Friday, or a two-week Olympic Games broadcast by NBC, by writing Thank You notes, usually in a satirical fashion to make light of the week’s top newsmakers. So in honor of Thanksgiving, I offer my own set of Thank You notes, roughly compiled over the past year. Some are fun, but mostly they are to offer my gratitude for the successes and hard work that coaches, athletes and others connected with our student-athletes contribute to their ultimate success as people. Thank you Giovana Melo, coach of the Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team, for leading an amazing program that has not only qualified for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament for 14 straight years but made the tournament’s semifinals an astonishing nine years in a row. Whether academicians like it or not, athletics in America puts your colleges and universities on the map. And WNCC is on every junior college volleyball program’s radar every November because of the quality students that Melo, and before her Chris Green, were and are able to bring to WNCC and the North Platte Valley to play volleyball and earn their associate degrees along the way. On the other end of the spectrum, thank you to those student-athletes who go out and practice hard every day during their season but may only taste victory just a handful of times, or perhaps not at all. Your dedication to your program and to being a solid teammate will prove more beneficial in life than had you not gone out with your fellow players and given the game you play your best shot. Thank you to Josh Guerue, the Scottsbluff girls’ junior varsity basketball coach, who early last season had his players in a huddle during a timeout very late in a game, holding to a one-basket lead but having to stop the in-bounds play. He firmly told his girls, “You have to deny the in-bounds pass.” The kicker? He asked, “Do you know what deny means?” The Bearcat players nervously nodded their heads, but the moment was priceless. If I remember correctly, the opposition got in the in-bounds pass but it could not convert on its go-ahead opportunity. Anytime I run into Josh, and even Dr. Cyndi Guerue, all I have to say is, “Deny” and we laugh. Thank you to football linemen, who sacrifice their identities so the running backs, quarterbacks and receivers can make the plays because of your blocking and tackling execution. As a lineman in high school or even the next level, you have to sacrifice yourself physically for success, but those who score touchdowns and field goals usually thank their blockers first when their achievements are recognized. Thank you to Tim Marquez, who these past few years has been more known as Nate’s dad, but his allegiance to Nate and his Gering American Legion Post 36 Platte Valley Seniors baseball team was immeasurable. In this first of two notes to Tim, thank you for that moment we will never forget when we were trying to correctly score a fielding play as a hit for the batter or an error on the fielder. And then after some dispute in the press box, Tim just took his toy – in this case, the iPad with the GameChanger program that served as the 36ers’ official statistic keeper – and went to the home dugout. Similar to Josh Guerue and the “Deny” moment, when Tim and I cross paths at games or elsewhere, it always starts with “Hit or error?” Thank you to Scottsbluff girls’ varsity basketball coach Mike Burda for another comical moment last season, although it took place in the middle of the action on court. To a player whose innocence will remain protected, and frankly I couldn’t tell you for sure who it was anyway, Burda yells out with a nearly silent gym, “You are the blondest brunette I have ever seen.” Again, a priceless moment. In fact, in general, thank you to our area coaches, activities directors and school secre— oops, that’s administrative professionals – for your assisting in getting us information on their schedules, games and cooperation in giving us good quotes that help make my job easier and better for our readers. And I also want to say thank you to our schools’ activity bus drivers, who may have the most challenging physical and mental task by ensuring that the bus is mechanically ready for the long travel that most of our teams here in the Panhandle have to endure to reach their destination for competition. Then, as I waited for my son and his Math Club teammates to arrive home Thursday night from Lincoln, I thought of my days of riding on long bus trips to athletics and other activities, and how alert the bus driver has to be. So kudos to all of you whose job it is to say, “Leave the driving to us.” Thank you to Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski, for not only having a challenging name that I make sure I have spelled every time I type it, and not just for your great golfing successes in winning 16 tournaments over two years after becoming a Gering Bulldog, including that elusive district medalist title this year. Even more so, thank you for leading your young teammates in a way that Gering coach Annie Boggs says is like having you as being a second coach. While you may be disappointed in finishing fourth individually at state in October after placing second last fall, you and your teammates brought Gering back into the girls’ golf picture at the state level by finishing fourth as a team. And to the Scottsbluff girls and Coach Mike Klein, thank you for your continued successes and taking third in the state team race. Thank you again to Tim Marquez, this time for speaking in Nate’s Economics class, taught by Randy Plummer, last spring. And in tongue-in-cheek fashion, you said you told members of the two-time state tournament-qualifying Senior Legion team that he didn’t think they had what it took to win the state championship like he and his Legion mates did in 1982. In early July, the 36ers were in a slump and didn’t even earn their No. 1 district seed – which actually turned out to be a blessing the way the bracket worked in their favor. By Aug. 1, Gering had its third state Legion championship. Many times, the best success can come from being challenged. Thank you to Chuck Bordeaux, who organized a long-time-coming reunion of the 1982 state championship Gering Legion baseball team. And although only six team members were present at the barbecue, the stories they told – and with a few faded memories, they worked as teammates to piece together the long-forgotten facts – were far more filling than the food Chuck grilled that July Saturday evening. We didn’t realize it at the time, but the event served as the perfect prelude to the 2012 Senior 36ers’ late-season run that culminated with their winning their own state championship and formed a special bond between the 1982 and 2012 Legion state-winning teams. Speaking of state championships, thank you to Scottsbluff High School boys’ basketball and track and field team members who earned your state titles respectively last March and May. Thank you to Scottsbluff sophomore Matthew Barraza for your hard work culminated by winning the Class B boys’ cross country individual title, leading the Bearcats to a second-place team finish after he and junior Anthony Parra led Scottsbluff to the team title in 2011. In addition, thank you to Matt Williams and Hometown Family Radio in letting me “cover” the state basketball tournament as if I were sitting in the press area at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. Thank you to Matt Palomo for his desire in seeing tennis become part of the Gering activities program. While, like any first-year program, the Bulldog boys struggled but they defeated Scottsbluff in their home dual. One day, when we start seeing successes from both Gering and Scottsbluff tennis players at the state level, we can say we were there when the building of one program under Palomo and the rebuilding of another under Scottsbluff coach Ron Swank all began. Thank you to Lisa Betz and the Citizen staff who read through my stories and column each week to try to keep this longtime, yet imperfect, sports journalist looking good my catching my ugly grammatical errors. It is a joy to be a part of this still-budding effort to serve the Gering community and our surrounding cities and towns. Most of all, thank you to our readers and subscribers who believe in the mission of the Gering Citizen. Thank you for having me provide you with the opportunity to write about our student-athletes and ultimately provide you with your children’s achievements in their scrapbooks. And finally, thank you to James Naismith and ancient Greeks for respectively creating basketball and wrestling, which beginning next week we get to enjoy in earnest at the high school level for the next three months. Also beginning its season next week is the Scottsbluff/Gering Seacats swimming team – who may most exemplify in area athletics the spirit of two schools but one team and our ethic in the North Platte Valley of working together. Again, Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you, Jimmy Fallon. |
| WNCC names Godemann Distinguished Alumnus of the Year 2012-11-22 By Citizen Staff Report |
| SCOTTSBLUFF - On Monday, Nov. 13, Western Nebraska Community College announced that Darwin Godemann is the College's 2012 Distinguished Alumnus. The public announcement occurred during the Nebraska Community College Association's annual conference, this year held in Norfolk. "Darwin not only represents the College's aviation maintenance program admirably as a well-respected member of the aviation industry, but he is also a wonderful example of success for all of our students," said Dr. Todd Holcomb, WNCC president. Darwin Godemann is currently employed as a Master Airframe Technician by Duncan Aviation in Lincoln. During his 33 year career with Duncan Aviation, Darwin has worked as an Airframe Department Training Coordinator responsible for New Hire Orientation and scheduling recurrent training for a department of over 100 employees. In addition, he has worked for the Human Resources Department as a Professional Development Specialist overseeing and scheduling the recurrent training requirements of over 200 employees. Darwin began at Duncan Aviation in October 1979 just five months after graduating from Western Nebraska Technical College, now Western Nebraska Community College, in Sidney. Before attending WNCC, while still in high school, Darwin worked two years part-time for Win-Air Aviation Services at Brenner Field in his home town of Falls City. Darwin is a former member of the Nebraska Wing Civil Air Patrol, and served as Ground Team Leader, Mission Pilot, Cadet Orientation Pilot and Wing Aircraft Maintenance Officer. In April 1986, he received the Meritorious Service Award as Nebraska Wing Aircraft Officer. Since the mid-1980s, Darwin has volunteered to help plan and coordinate the annual Nebraska Aviation Maintenance Seminar (NAMS) held each year in Kearney. The NAMS is an annual IA Renewal Seminar for Aviation Maintenance Technicians throughout Nebraska and surrounding states. He has been a member of the Nebraska Aviation Council since the 1990s and the Federal Aviation Administration FAASTeam Representative volunteer since 2010. While at Western Nebraska Technical College, Darwin was involved in the Student Senate. The Student Senate assisted in renovating the old officers club and turned it into a recreation center for the student body. He also worked with the College’s public relations department taking pictures of school activities for their marketing publications. For more than 20 years, Darwin has served on the Western Nebraska Community College Aviation Maintenance Advisory Board. According to Darwin, “The education and training that I received over 30 years ago at WNCC has afforded me a rewarding career in the field of Aviation Maintenance. This career has allowed me to provide for my family, my wife Penni and my two daughters, Christal, the former Director of Instrumental Music for Arlington Public Schools, now stay at home mom, and Amanda, an International English teacher (ESL) currently working in Chile and scheduled for Thailand after the first of the year for two years.” |
| Lady Cougar hoopsters move to 4-0 2012-11-15 By Press Release |
| COLBY, Kan. -- Jess Samorodova recorded a double-double and the Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team went to 4-0 with a 75-40 win over Fort Carson Army Base Saturday in the final day of the Ambassador Classic in Colby, Kan. Samorodova, the 6-foot-3 post player from Russia, poured in 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to finish the Ambassador Classic with a 3-0 mark. WNCC coach Dave Harnish said it was a good weekend for his young team. "We have a very good weekend and a very good start to the season to go 4-0," Harnish, who is in his 25th year as the head coach at WNCC, said. "We played hard and competed all weekend. We have done everything well this weekend [in all the games] except shoot and we shot better today." The Cougars controlled the contest running out to a 38-20 halftime lead and cruised after that. The Cougars shot around 40 percent for the game and connected on just 5 of 6 free throws. What impressed Harnish in the win against Ft. Carson was how well his team played defensively along with hitting the boards hard. Samorodova and Bridgeport's Ashley Stevens honkered down on the boards with a combined 18 rebounds. The Cougars put down four 3-pointers Saturday against Ft. Carson, which was much better than the one trey they made Friday against Colorado Northwestern. Shalise Moffit and Idil Ozbayrak each connected on two treys each. The Cougars finished with three players in double figures. After Samorodova's 21 points, Moffit and Katie Kerkhoff each had 10 points on the day. Ozbayrak and Stevens also poured in eight points each, while Gritt Ryder had six points and six steals. The Cougars, 4-0, will be back in action Tuesday when they host Colorado Christian junior varsity at 6 p.m. WNCC will then compete in the Central Wyoming Classic where they will face Central Wyoming College and Miles Community College over the weekend. WNCC (4-0) 38 37 -- 75 Ft. Carson 20 20 -- 40 WNCC Michelle Brassard 2, Shalisa Moffit 10, Lauren Rivera 4, Idil Ozbayrak 8, Jess Samorodova 21, Gritt Ryder 6, Mikayla Brower 2, Maurissa Ortega 2, Jenna Lindquist 2, Ashley Stevens 8, Katie Kerkhoff 10. |
| Five WNCC soccer players earn all-region honors 2012-11-15 By Press Release |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Jack Cutler, a freshman of Bristol England, was the only Cougar to earn first team honors as a defender for the 4-13 Cougars. Cougars garnering second team all-region honors included Jacob Santos and Kyle Gonzales. Santos, a sophomore from Houma, La., earned all-region honors as a midfielder, while Gonzales, a sophomore from Windsor, Colo., made it as a forward. Joey Rasnic and Thomas Wright earned honorable mention honors. Rasnic, a sophomore from Gering, earned all-region as a goalkeeper, while Wright, a freshman from Portiaose, Ireland, made it as a defender. Rasnic is seventh in the nation in saves as a goalkeeper with 132 saves. All-region Most Valuable Player went to Laramie County’s Gleydson Neri, while Freshman of the year went to Mitch Jensen of Western Wyoming. The Region IX Coach of the Year went to Western Wyoming’s Jeff Adkinson. Adkinson led his team to the Region IX title over Northwest College. Northwest would then beat Western Wyoming in the district playoffs, where both Region IX teams qualified for nationals, which began Monday in Georgia. |
| Lady Cougars earn second seed at volleyball nationals 2012-11-15 By Press Release |
| SCOTTSBLUFF Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Giovana Melo knows that if her team wants to be the best, they will have to play the best. Well, after the NJCAA released the seedings for next week’s national tournament, the Cougars will be facing some of the best teams in the nation. WNCC, 37-2, received the No. 2 seed in next week’s national tournament in West Plains, Mo., and will face No. 15 Wallace State-Hanceville (33-6) on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. The Cougars also have No. 3 Iowa Western Community College (43-2) and No. 7 North Idaho College (22-5) on their side of the bracket. Iowa Western and North Idaho are the only teams to defeat the Cougars this season. “Winning a national title is never easy no matter what kind of opponents you get,” Melo said. “That is why not many people can say they are national champions.” College of Southern Idaho earned the top-seed at the national tournament with a 29-1 record. CSI’s only loss came at the hands of WNCC at the Salt Lake Invite on Aug. 31. The rest of the top five seeds include San Jacinto College at number four and Tyler Junior College at number five. Casper College, the winner of the Region IX north title, received the No. 13 seed and will face San Jacinto. San Jacinto occupied the No. 1 spot in the polls for much of the season. If WNCC wins its opening round contest, they will face the winner of North Idaho and No. 10 Hutchinson Community College (27-8) at 6:30 p.m. A loss will put the Cougars into a Friday, Nov. 16 contest against the loser of North Idaho and Hutchinson. WNCC could also meet up with Iowa Western in a semi-final match if both teams win their matches on Thursday. Melo said it won’t be no easy chore to win a national title as all 16 teams will be fighting for the right to be national champs. “Every single team who made to nationals is there because they have earned it,” she said. “They had to beat some other great teams in their region to be there so, yes, I believe this is the best 16 teams in the country and everybody will be battling out for the title.” Complete first round pairings has Iowa Western taking on No. 14 Temple College (22-17) and No. 6 College of Central Florida (33-6) facing No. 11 Western Texas College (26-8) at 8 a.m. No. 1 College of Southern Idaho facing No. 16 Faulkner State Community College (27-7) and No. 8 Hillsborough Community College (27-12) taking on No. 9 Missouri State-West Plains (25-9) at noon. The final slate of first-round contests had No. 5 Tyler Junior College (29-5) facing No. 12 Redlands Community College (23-9) and No. 4 San Jacinto College (32-2) taking on No. 13 Casper College (23-17) at 2 p.m. The winners of the first round advance to play in the quarterfinals later on Thursday while the losers fall into the consolation bracket and play on Friday. The finals are slated for Saturday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. All the matches can be watched on the Internet at www.njcaavbd1.com. There could be some interesting matches after the first round, including Tyler and San Jac, who faced each other in the regional championship game could play each other in the second round. Also, former teammates at WNCC back in the early 2001 could face each other in the semifinals as Melo and Flavia Siqueira, who is the coach at the College of Central Florida, could do battle. Melo said if they end up playing North Idaho and Iowa Western, it will be interesting to see how they match up with them at the end of the season. North Idaho is the last team to beat the Cougars on Sept. 1. After that loss, the Cougars have reeled off 31 straight victories. Melo said this team can win four straight and capture their third national title in six years, but it will take teamwork. “We have to play our hearts out and play as a team,” she said. “We will need every single player in this team to be with the same mindset. We have to be striving for the same goal.” First-round Pairings Thursday, Nov. 15 8 a.m. No. 3 Iowa Western (43-2) vs. No. 14 Temple College (22-17) No. 6 Central Florida (33-6) vs. No.11 Western Texas College (26-8) 10 a.m. No. 7 North Idaho (22-5) vs. No. 10 Hutchinson C.C. (27-8) No. 2 Western Nebraska (37-2) vs. No. 15 Wallace State-Hanceville (27-8) Noon No. 1 College of Southern Idaho (29-1) vs. Faulkner State (27-7) No. 8 Hillsborough C.C. (27-12) vs. Missouri State-West Plains (25-9) 2 p.m. No. 5 Tyler Junior College (29-5) vs. Redlands C.C. (23-9) No. 4 San Jacinto (32-2) vs. Casper College (23-17) |
| WNCC women find success at Ambassador Classic in Colby, Kansas 2012-11-15 By Press Release |
| COLBY, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team put three players in double figures in posting their third victory of the season after dropping Colorado Northwestern Community College 58-41 in the second day of the Ambassador Classic in Colby, Kan. Jess Samorodova paced all scorers with 14 points followed by Idil Ozbayrak with 12 points and Gritt Ryder with 10 points. WNCC head coach Dave Harnish said they once again played pretty good first-half defense, but they still have to improve their shooting. “Defensively, I thought we were strong all game, holding then to 22 points in the first half, and I think the defense was pretty solid,” Harnish said. “We played well and caused 36 turnovers. What we aren’t doing is capitalizing the turnovers into points. We are still struggling in that part. We also had 22 turnovers.” The Cougars held a slim 27-22 halftime lead and then came out in the second half and played strong defense, holding the Spartans to just 19 points. The Cougars had a balanced scoring attack in the game. After the three double figure scorers, Jessica Aratani and Shalisa Moffit each had six points. The Cougars nailed just 1 of 7 from the 3-point area and were 13 of 24 from the free throw line. Ozbayrak had a team high nine steals, while Samorodova had nine rebounds, followed by six each from Ryder and Ashley Stevens. Harnish said he is pleased to be unbeaten right now, especially with the number of freshmen and newcomers that are on the team. “You have to be happy being 3-0 especially how we are playing defense,” Harnish said. “Now, if we can get our offense going we will be a pretty good team right now.” The Cougars, 3-0, will wrap up the Ambassador Classic on Saturday when they face Fort Carson Army Base at 1 p.m. WNCC will then return home to host Colorado Christian junior varsity on Tuesday at 6 p.m. WNCC (2-0) 27 31 – 58 CO Northwestern 22 19 – 41 WNCC Kelsey Doddridge 3, Shalisa Moffit 6, Jessica Aratani 6, Lauren Rivera 1, Idil Ozbayrak 12, Jess Samorodova 14, Gritt Ryder 10, Mikayla Brower 2, Ashley Stevens 2, Katie Kerkhoff 2. WNCC holds CCC to five points at half COLBY, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball team held Colby Community College to just five first-half points in racing to a 62-24 win over the Trojans to open up the Ambassador Classic in Colby, Kan., on Thursday. “The first half we were exceptional on defense only allowing them to five points,” WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. “We played pretty good defense and we didn’t turn it over that many times. The only thing we didn’t do was shoot very well.” The Cougars raced out to a 36-5 halftime lead because of their aggressive defense that resulted in a number of turnovers. “We started out in the first half and pressed and caused turnovers,” Harnish said. “We also controlled the boards. They had us down by out rebounding them 48-43.” The Cougars saw a balanced scoring lineup as everyone scored by Gritt Ryder. Jess Samorodova paced all scorers with 14 points followed by Ashley Stevens with nine points and Idil Ozbayrak with seven points. Stevens also pulled down 10 rebounds on the night. WNCC also received six points from Lauren Rivera, and five points each from Kelsey Doddridge, Jessica Aratani, and Katie Kerkhoff. The Cougars, 2-0, will continue play in the Ambassador Classic when they face Colorado Northwestern at 2 p.m. on Friday. Harnish said Colorado Northwestern has plenty of good athletes and his team needs to be ready to play just like they were today against Colby. “They press and they are pretty athletic,” he said. “They are a team that presses a lot and we have to handle the ball a little bit better and control the tempo of the game.” WNCC (2-0) 36 26 – 62 Colby CC 5 19 – 24 WNCC Kelsey Doddridge 5, Michelle Brassard 2, Jessica Aratani 5, Lauren Rivera 6, Idil Ozbayrak 7, Jess Samorodova 14, Mikayla Brower 3, Maurissa Ortega 2, Jenna Lindquist 2, Alyssa Yates 2, Ashley Stevens 9, and Katie Kerkhoff 5. |
| Final Point: Awesome autumnal athletes thrive in team, individual roles 2012-11-15 By Terry Gaston |
| This time last year I passed out a few awards to some of the best teams, athletes and coaches who helped to make their fall-season sports successful not only in the Panhandle, but also at the state level. We are back to do that again. Let’s start with the best athlete. But really, is it fair to name just one for boys and one for girls? For example, football, softball and volleyball are true team sports. On the other hand, cross country, golf and tennis are where team results are based on individuals’ performances, and also the individuals compete for personal awards. In talking about the best boys’ athlete of the fall, is it fair to select Scottsbluff sophomore and Class B state cross country champion Matthew Barraza over Bearcat senior football player Matt T. Klein, just because Barraza won his individual state title? Comparing a speedy guy like Klein — who has a track gold medal in his own collection, along with those earned as part of the Bearcats’ state championship basketball and track teams from last year — to a long-distance runner is like comparing apples to pineapples. They both carry the same school name, but the fruit is different. Klein is a formidable talent, and so is Barraza. But Klein cannot succeed in football without 10 teammates on the field with him. Although the Scottsbluff cross country program is deep with talent and the Bearcats earned second place in the team battle this season after winning it last fall, Barraza competed both individually and as a team member. I hope I have proven my point here. So for the Best Boys’ Athlete in a team sport, Klein is as much of a runaway choice as Barraza is for the same honor in a primarily individual sport. Klein’s statistics speak volumes as to why the Bearcats won a third straight District B-6 title and went undefeated in the regular season at 9-0 for the first time since 2001 and the third time in school history. Klein finished his senior year with 1,405 yards with 18 touchdowns on the ground, completed 6 of 8 passes for 109 yards with two touchdowns and caught six receptions for 52 yards for one TD. Defensively, he had one fumble recovery, an interception he turned into a 49-yard touchdown return, 45 total tackles (35 solo), with six for lost yardage, and five quarterback sacks. Sadly, for Bearcat fans and especially the players — as well as for the sake of the entire Panhandle — Scottsbluff saw its season ended abruptly in the first round of the playoffs by a very underrated York team, 28-9. But we might as well name the best Boys’ Team of the Season while we are talking about Bearcat football. From the reporter’s standpoint, the Bearcats were a joy to watch every time they took to the field. Whether it was quarterback Eric Moreno running the offense or Klein running it out of the Wildcat formation, or with big guns Jon Maag and Ty Dunkel ready to pounce on opponents from their defensive tackle spots or Klein, Tim Magdaleno, Luke Worden, Taylor Winkler or other Scottsbluff defenders alert in their coverage of offensive attacks, every member of the 2012 Bearcat football team and coaching staff — led by a high-spirited Joe Benson — should be very proud of the season they achieved. Back to the individual boys’ athlete honor, Barraza sealed this award by winning state. But the award, and the state title, could have easily gone to junior teammate Anthony Parra, who finished second to Barraza in the District B-4 race and third in the state event. You see where this is headed if you are wondering about the best Boys Team of the Season in an individual-based sport. Although the Bearcats were disappointed with their second-place finish at state after having won the team title in 2011, nevertheless Scottsbluff carried the mantle well for the valley at state while the Bearcats brought home the second-place hardware and lots of medals, team and individual. Joining Barraza and Parra in the top 15 of Class B was junior Brendan Taedter in 11th place, while junior Ben Willis-Teff came in 21st. With just two seniors in Tayler James (18th) and Justin Pritchard (23rd), the Bearcats will return a strong core group next fall and will be looking for a return trip to the top step of the podium in the team standings. Wow, Scottsbluff really dominated the boys’ awards. Maybe the same could be said for another school in the girls’ honors? Let’s see what happened at Gering High School during the fall sports season. In first sticking with the team element, the best Girls’ Team of the Season was easily Molly Bonuchi’s Gering Bulldog softball team. The Bulldogs went 21-7, earning a No. 1 seed in the District B-6 tournament by completing the program’s first 20-win season since 2002. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, their performance and competition in the district tournament left them two games away from qualifying for the state tournament, again for the first time since 2002. And the best Girls’ Team Player of the Season? Gering senior pitcher Jennifer Barge hurled her way to a 16-5 record and kept the Bulldogs’ opposition at bay for most of the season. Barge also carried a big bat, as did many other Gering players who contributed to the success of the Bulldogs’ season. For the individual-based sports, the Gering girls’ golf team owned this category. With senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski earning her fourth state individual medal by finishing fourth and having sophomore teammate Sam Rahmig place 15th in her first state appearance, the Bulldogs finished fourth as a team. Scottsbluff deserves plenty of mention since the Bearcats used a strong second-day effort to pass Gering in the team competition and finish third. Scottsbluff had just one medalist in junior Kim Moore, who placed in a tie for 11th. We would be remiss if we overlooked some strong cross country outings from the Bulldogs as well. Gering senior Rachel Huffman placed ninth individually, and she and her Bulldog teammates finished seventh in the team battle. That brings us to the coaches, who all have said at one time or another that their success is based on how the student-athletes perform, not in particular how they coach. That withstanding, coaches should be honored, and their teams’ achievements have already been well documented above. Best Boys’ Team Sport: Joe Benson, Scottsbluff. To get teenage kids motivated week after week and come out victorious nine weeks in a row is hardly a small chore. Coach Benson also is very cooperative on a week-to-week basis with ensuring that his players get the recognition in the Citizen that they deserve. Best Boys’ Individual Sport: It’s easy to pick Scottsbluff coach Jim Barker for this honor for the second year in a row, based solely on his team’s performances. But what I really like about Coach Barker is where I run into him away from school and the practice and competition fields. In October, we crossed paths at the Wyo-Braska Coin and Stamp Show at the Gering Civic Center. While I was stirring my interest in coins and stamps, Barker was into a delve of foreign currency that he uses as examples to teach his Social Studies students at Bluffs Middle School. Then just Monday night, we met again, this time at Goodwill, where a great-looking nutcracker soldier caught his eye and he even asked me if I thought it would look good in his classroom as these holiday months unfold. You bet it would, I said. Not just a great coach but a great teacher. Thank you, Jim Barker. Best Girls’ Team Sport: Molly Bonuchi, Gering softball. This is a woman who not only coached the Bulldogs to a .750 winning percentage but on a daily basis carries out duties as the residence life and activities coordinator at Western Nebraska Community College, plus assists the Cougars’ softball team through its fall scrimmage season. Just listing all that wears me out, and she lives it. Best Girls’ Individual Sport: Annie Boggs, Gering girls’ golf. More on her in a moment, but a strong honorable mention goes to Caleigh Barker, the Gering girls’ cross country coach. Just in case you didn’t know and were wondering, she is a chip off the ol’ block named Jim Barker. What a great pedigree and what success she has brought to Gering, qualifying her girls for state two straight years now. Media’s Best Friend Award: This honor goes to two people, a coach and a community contributor, who help make the Citizen’s sports coverage the best it can be. First of all is the coach who spent all season — well, the past two seasons — trying to deny that she had much to do with her team’s success and growth. Gering’s Annie Boggs admits she was given a special treat for her first season when Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski decided to transfer to GHS from Scottsbluff after she had earned two state medals for the Bearcats. Between Boggs and Krzyzanowski, they inspired their younger players to aim high and improve, which all of them did. In fact, the Bulldogs all improved so well that they had a solid group of six that could have made districts and state, but only five can qualify. The other honoree is Mark Rein, whose official title at WNCC is sports information assistant and photographer. Anyone who knows Mark and his work would say sports is more than a title, it’s his life, and not just at WNCC. He can be seen at many local and area athletic events; even if he is not covering them directly, he is there just to promote the youth, on and off the field, through his photographic passion. Mark is great about promoting the achievements earned by Cougar athletic teams. Of course, the Cougar volleyball team’s success is a standard, and WNCC is in the NJCAA National Tournament for the 14th straight year and looking for its third national title in six years. Thanks to Mark, we will have the Cougars’ successes at nationals available to us next week. More than WNCC athletics’ current successes, Mark helps us in announcing our student-athletes’ signings to earn athletic scholarships and participate in sports at the next level. If we have an unsung hero in this community, it truly is Mark Rein. And now a final nod. We love the new Gering cursive G. It’s a great-looking change in Gering athletics. I will tip my cap, which is not adorned with a script G, to Gering football head coach Jimmie Rhodes and maintenance director/facilities manager Jack Martin for their work in making the new G very stylish and attractive. |
| Final Point: To err is human, but let’s still make this right 2012-11-08 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff senior Taylor Winkler finished the Bearcats’ just-completed 9-1, third-straight district-championship football season with 23 receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns. When reviewing the Bearcats’ season leaders in putting a wrap on Scottsbluff’s undefeated regular season and then sudden season-ending first-round playoff last week, I inadvertently missed including Winkler’s set of impressive statistics when going through the coaches’ final stat package – a factor revealed to me late last week. So here I am to correct that error, along with another one brought to my attention on Sunday. One of the earliest lessons I was taught early in my professional journalism career was to check your facts before you put them in print. Because assuming makes a (donkey) out of you and me – if you don’t understand that one kids, leave explanation to your parents – I have always made it my goal to ensure that any information I have for a story is correct, and that present it correctly. Thankfully, those occasions have been rare over the years, largely because of that assumption thing from which I learned dearly when I was 18. Also in last week’s column, I stated names without including the same information I had used in Scottsbluff’s season preview in August. Thus, what I tried to convey did not come out right. So let’s take care of that issue as well. As I stated last week, early in the column, I listed Ty Dunkel and Bo Lofink as teammates of Matt T. Klein’s who also played on the Bearcats’ Class B state championship basketball team last winter. Indeed they were, and my intended point was to say that they were returning all-conference football selections who also later played on the state championship basketball team. Because I left out the “all-conference” portion of the intended point, means I left out more Bearcats than just Winkler, who came off the bench early in most games for Scottsbluff during basketball season. Eric Moreno, on the other hand, was a starter most of the basketball season. So now, for the record, the Bearcat football players who also played on Scottsbluff’s state championship team last winter are Ty Dunkel, Matt T. Klein, Eric Moreno, Taylor Winkler, Ty Benson, Ty Dunkel, Jackson Hinze and Bo Lofink. The sources on that? Comparing this season’s Scottsbluff football roster with the back of the Bearcats’ state championship shirts, of which we purchased four since two of my sons were at SHS at the time. Although I do have a question after looking at the shirt again, because Lofink’s first name on the shirt was spelled Beau, as it was on football and basketball programs throughout last season after checking those documents. This football season, Lofink’s first name became Bo. Before it is mentioned again, likely either in postseason football honors stories or basketball recaps, a call to the SHS attendance office is in order. I just want to get the record straight. Let’s go back to Winkler’s receiving stats for a minute. He had more than one-third of the Bearcats’ 67 catches, his yardage was more than half the receiving yardage the Scottsbluff coaches credited to pass-catchers, and his five TDs were among nine caught by Bearcat receivers. That’s a pretty good year, and Winkler’s athleticism in obtaining many of those receptions isn’t even reflected and I highly regret the errors that excluded his deserving mentions because to err is human, such measures of making amends are not always taken. I have worked with people in the journalistic profession who have made errors and have the error revealed to them, but they treat it with an “Oh, well, we all make mistakes” attitude and not take atonement for it with a correction and that brings me to a journalistic proverb that I saw, once again, early in my career. “To err is human. To not correct the error is a mistake.” I was hired in my part-time role with the Citizen in December 2010 to initially cover Scottsbluff basketball. That quickly evolved into both Gering and Scottsbluff basketball, and in gathering information on our other area schools’ athletic results. It is a joy to do so, and the ultimate reward is to see the youth of our valley area succeed and bring their achievements to our readers’ attention. Hopefully, in error-free fashion, my third winter sports season with the Citizen will be filled with many successes of your high school student-athletes of which we can fill our pages. |
| Bulldogs rally to beat Bearcats in District B-6 tourney 2012-11-01 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering's season ended by top-seeded Sidney in semifinals Gering and Scottsbluff may have had down seasons on the volleyball court this fall, but that factor and their resulting low seeds for the five-team District B-6 tournament took nothing away from a classic match at the Perkins County High School gymnasium in Grant. Although irrelevant, Gering was the better seed at No. 4, and the Bulldogs had defeated the Bearcats three times this season — all in best-of-3 tournament action. Scottsbluff, meanwhile, owned wins in both the teams’ best-of-5 dual matches. And the Bearcats had a 2-1 set lead Tuesday night against a Gering team that had been off since the Bulldogs played in the Alliance Pilfold Tournament on Oct. 20. Scottsbluff, which finished seventh in Saturday’s Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament in Columbus, won the first two sets Tuesday, overcame the Bulldogs’ 25-22, hard-fought first-set victory to rebound with 25-19 and 15-13 victories to sway the match and subsequent semifinal berth in its favor. But after the Bearcats had taken an 11-9 lead in the fourth set, Gering began a 16-5 roll with five straight points to take the lead and ride the wave to a match-tying, 25-16 win. And in a deciding fifth set tailor-made to epitomize the teams’ evenness this season and rock-solid arch-rivalry otherwise, the Bulldogs started with a 6-2 run, shook off a set-tying rally by Scottsbluff to finally take the set 15-12 on their third match point and ended the Bearcats’ season. Gering’s reward was a berth in the semifinal match against No. 1 seeded Sidney, which had its own troubles at Gering on Oct. 16, losing the opening set to the Bulldogs before the Red Raiders scratched and clawed out a four-set victory. With the Bulldogs having had to scratch and claw their way through a tough five-setter against Scottsbluff that totaled 197 points, the well-rested Red Raiders faced a still-feisty Gering team but erased an early Bulldog lead and in the end scored a 25-19, 25-11, 25-19 win. The victory puts Sidney (24-6) into the district B-6 finals Thursday night at Bayard for the second straight year, but the Red Raiders — hard-luck losers in a marathon five-setter to Gering last year — will face No. 2 seeded Alliance as the favorite this time around. The Bulldogs (17-13) advanced to the championship match -- and earned both themselves and Sidney a shorter trip to the district finale -- by ousting No. 3 seed McCook in straight sets, 25-15, 25-16, 25-12. Although the natural Twin Cities arch-rivalry was displaced by more than 140 miles, the intensity followed the teams to Perkins County and was evident in the first set, when after Gering took a 10-5 lead, Scottsbluff rallied to tie. The Bulldogs responded with a 7-1 run begun with five unanswered points, but that 17-11 lead was erased when Scottsbluff scored five straight points to forge a 19-all tie. Gering then scored three straight points, and the Bearcats matched with three unanswered points to knot the score at 22-all. Gering finished the set with three unanswered points to take the 25-22 set victory and a 1-0 match lead. Scottsbluff the second set with six straight points and a 14-1 lead, and the Bearcats extended that lead to 20-6 before Gering answered with a 13-5 swing. But the run wasn't enough, and Scottsbluff tied the match with the 25-19 win. The Bearcats trailed the third set 6-5 before going on a seven-point flurry for a 12-6 lead. Scottsbluff extended its lead to 19-10 and 22-11 before claiming the third set and a 2-1 advantage with the 25-13 set win. Gering opened the fourth set with a 7-3 lead, only to have the Bearcats tied the score at 7-all and overtake the Bulldogs with a short-lived 11-9 lead in building hopes of ending the match in four games. But Gering scored five straight points that grew to leads of 20-13 and 22-14 before the Bulldogs won 25-16 and forced a winner-take-all fifth set. Gering's early four-point lead, matched when the Bulldogs scored four straight for a 14-10 advantage, was the largest by either team in the deciding set. after Scottsbluff fended off the first two match points, a kill by Gering junior Savannah Walker ended the match and the Bearcats' season at 10-25. In the Bulldogs' semifinal match against Sidney, Gering (9-25) struck first with a 6-1 lead. The Red Raiders then caught the Bulldogs at 8-all and then followed a Gering point with seven straight for a 15-9 lead. Sidney then extended its advantage to 19-11 and 23-14 before the Bulldogs fought back to within five at 24-19. But a Gering error gave the Red Raiders the set at 25-19 and a 1-0 lead. The second set featured more runs by Sidney, which jumped out to a 13-6 lead. The Raiders then grew the lead to double digits at 19-8 and finished by outscoring the Bulldogs 6-3 for the dominating 25-11 win and a 2-0 set lead. Gering opened the third set with an 8-3 run, but a 10-1 flurry put the Red Raiders ahead 13-9. The Bulldogs scored five straight points for a 14-13 edge, and the teams remained close to one another until Sidney started building on an 18-17 lead. The Raiders led 20-17, then 22-18 and finally 25-19 to win the match in three sets and secure their 13th consecutive victory. Statistics and comments from Gering coach Craig Schadwinkel were not available Tuesday night. Scottsbluff's final match of the season featured 17 kills junior Makayla Castro, 36 set assists by senior Connor Ehler, nine kills and two service aces by senior Brayden Auer, seven kills and three aces by junior Kiley Guerue, seven kills by freshman Chesney Walker, six kills and one ace by senior Alexus Pinedo and an ace by senior Lauren Miller. |
| Bridgeport outplays Bayard to capture C2-12 sub-district title 2012-11-01 By Terry Gaston |
| No. 1 seeded Tigers sweep Morrill in tourney opener SCOTTSBLUFF – Bayard High School volleyball coach Cindy Korell said her Tigers had been notorious slow-starters during the regular season. Despite having a slow start in their Sub-District C2-12 tournament semifinal match Tuesday night at the Scottsbluff High School gymnasium, the Tigers proved worthy of their No. 1 seed in sweeping the Morrill Lions. But in the championship match against Bridgeport, by the time the Tigers recovered from a two-set deficit and won the third set, execution let them down. And thus the Bulldogs, which swept Hemingford in their semifinal match, rode the momentum from that victory, overcame their own eventual execution mishaps and scored a four-set victory to win the sub-district title. Bridgeport, which gained the No. 2 seed despite having a less-impressive record than Hemingford, overcame its resulting tougher schedule — and about a 20-minute delay in the third set when the ball sailed straight upward and shattered the SHS gym’s wrestling spotlight — to sweep the Bobcats, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23. The Bulldogs will play North Platte St. Patrick’s (28-1) on Friday in the District C2-6 championship match Friday for an automatic berth to the state tournament next Thursday through Saturday in Grand Island. Bayard 3, Morrill 0 The Tigers rode the momentum of a 25-23, first-set win over Morrill in the semifinals to sweep the next two sets 25-15 and 25-12, ending the Lions’ season at 7-17. It wasn’t that long ago that Bayard was suffering first-round sub-district losses. In Cindy Korell’s first two seasons, the Tigers went 13-17 and then what she called a deceiving 5-20 mark last year. ”We had lost about 10 matches where we lost by two points going into the third set,” Korell said of her young team’s season last fall. “So this year we had a different focus and it was to win when you are ahead and just keep pushing it. “I think we have done a good job of that this year, everybody’s a year older and more mature and that certainly helps.” Because of injuries, however, the Tigers needed a lift from some younger players, and Korell said freshman outside hitter Miah Vera played a key role in her first postseason match. Morrill had an early 10-6 lead in the first set after an 8-1 run, but Bayard tied the match at 15-all and the teams were tied at 23 in closing out the game. But a long serve gave Bayard the lead, and Tiger senior Breanna Korell served up an ace to secure the first set for the Tigers. “We’re kind of a slow-starting team and that has been our theme all year. I was hoping we could get out of that,” Coach Korell said. “Winning that first set is such a momentum. We have freshmen on the floor because of injuries, so we wanted to make sure that they were comfortable in their roles.” Freshman outside hitter Miah Vera, who had 15 successful serves, was also perfect on 13 hits with seven kills. “Miah Vera stepped it up big time. She had six aces, spot serving and that was key, and I think I think that helped the rest of the girls relax and she really stepped up big for us. Breanna Korell made 22 set assists, scored 14 service points and had five aces. Junior Megan Stuart was 14-for-16 on hits with nine kills and also had six digs and three solo blocks. Junior Rachel Frerichs had four kills, and senior Kaylyn Long had eight points and five assists. In Set 2, Bayard broke loose with a 14-2 run that put the Tigers ahead 18-5 and they eventually led 20-6. Morrill closed to within nine at 24-15, but a hit into the net gave Bayard a 2-0 set lead. The final set was all Tigers, who jumped out to an 8-0 lead, built it to 14-3 and finished with three straight kills – one by Stuart and two by Frerichs to win the set by 13 and the match in three straight games. Bridgeport 3, Bayard 1 While the Tigers awaited the Bridgeport-Hemingford winner before they could take the court for the sub-district title match, the Bulldogs turned right around after their semifinal win and kept their momentum going from their victory over the Bobcats. Bridgeport took an early 9-3 lead before Bayard closed to within a point with five straight scores. The Bulldogs held two more five-point leads before they followed Bayard’s 15th and final point of the set with six unanswered points for a 25-19 victory. The second set began with the Tigers building an 8-3 lead before the Bulldogs caught up at 11-all and finished a 7-0 run with a 15-10 lead. Bridgeport built that advantage to 19-12 and eventually to 22-14 before finishing the set with that same eight-point margin at 25-17 and a 2-0 set lead. “Credit Bridgeport. They’re a good team,” Korell said after the teams split their two meetings this season. “We knew it was going to be a hard match. It always is when we play, and they just happened to come out on top tonight.” Bayard made another early-set lead stand in the third game, however, taking a 5-1 advantage to ignite a run that left the Tigers up 18-10. The Bulldogs closed to within three twice and then to with a point at 21-20, but Bayard finished the set on a 4-1 run to close Bridgeport’s set count favor to 2-1. “That is one thing this team does is fight and they don’t ever give up,” Korell said. “No matter how far down we are, we just have a way to keep playing and working hard. And that’s what I told the girls, I said’ That’s all to you, that’s your heart and you play with your heart.’” Bayard led the fourth set 5-2, but Bridgeport forged ahead 7-5. The Tigers tied the Bulldogs on three occasions before Bridgeport charged ahead 17-14 with three straight points and fended off two Bayard rallies to within a point. The Bulldogs closed out the match with for unanswered points. “We struggled passing at times, and obviously it’s a serve-pass game,” Korell said. “I thought we picked up our serve and started serving better and little tougher and that helped. But when you can’t pass the ball, you can’t run an offense and we struggled at times. “I don’t know if it was enough to make a difference in the game, but at this stage you have to play pretty much perfect volleyball in order to win.” For the Tiger seniors, Breanna Korell finished the final match with 26 set assists, 15 good serves with five aces and eight service points. Long had 10 good serves for eight points, two aces, seven digs and four blocks. Vera had another strong match by going 13-for-16 on hits with two kills and 11 good serves with eight points. Stuart was 33-for-36 on hits with 13 kills and had nine blocks and five digs. Frerichs had 10 blocks and was 14-for-16 on hits with six kills. Junior Hannah Lenhart made 10 of 14 hits with seven kills, was 12 of 16 on serves with nine points and also made three blocks. The loss left the Tigers with a 15-13 record for the season. But the results from Tuesday night still cannot take away from Bayard the fact that the Tigers earned the No. 1 seed for the sub-district. “That was very exciting for us because it has been a very long time since we’ve been in that position,” Coach Korell said. “We’ve worked really hard to get here and to that point, so it’s fun. “I told them that they left their hearts out on the court, that they did everything they could to win. We had our share of mistakes, but so did they, and it’s hard to win when it’s that tight.” C1 sub-districts On Tuesday at Alliance High School, Mitchell scored a four-set victory over Kimball in the Sub-District C1-12 semifinals, but the No. 3 seeded Tigers were eliminated by top-seeded Chadron in four sets. Mitchell’s season finished with a 23-8 record, while Kimball was 18-8. Chadron (27-2), which swept Gordon-Rushville (11-21) in the sub-district semifinals, will play for the C1-6 district title on Friday against Ogallala (26-10). D1 sub-districts In Sub-District D1-12 action Monday at Bayard High School, Minatare’s season finished without a victory in 22 matches, but not before the Indians took the second set from Crawford in the teams’ first-round match. Minatare eventually lost in four games to the Rams, 25-17, 23-25, 25-13, 25-9. Crawford (4-20) then faced top-seeded Potter-Dix but lost to the Coyotes in four sets. In the other semifinal Monday, No. 2 seed Creek Valley defeated No. 3 Garden County (7-18) in four sets. In Tuesday’s final, Potter-Dix won the sub-district with a four-set win over Creek Valley (9-13), 25-21, 25-21, 24-26, 25-15. The Coyotes (16-11) will play Sutherland (23-6) on Thursday for the D1-6 district title and automatic trip to state. D2 sub-districts In Sub-District D2-12 action at Sidney, No. 5 seeded Banner County’s season came to an end Monday at 4-25 after a three-set loss to fourth-seeded Hay Springs, 25-21, 25-7, 25-21. The Hawks (10-17) then were ousted in three sets to top-seeded Leyton. In Monday’s other semifinal, third-seeded South Platte needed four sets to oust No. 2 seed Sioux County (16-8). Leyton improved to 30-0 with a 3-0 set victory Tuesday night over South Platte (12-12) in Tuesday’s final. The Warriors will take on Mullen on Thursday for the District D2-6 title and automatic trip to state. |
| Final Point: Klein a leader on playing fields, in the SHS hallways 2012-11-01 By Terry Gaston |
| Matthew T. Klein’s diploma from Scottsbluff High School will read 2013. But the calendar year 2012 will likely go down in Klein’s memory books as the year that opportunities of winning multiple championships while wearing the Bearcats’ red and black colors, offered many fruitful rewards. First was his role last winter on the Bearcats’ Class B state championship boys’ basketball team. As the point guard, Klein’s on-floor leadership helped set the pace for Scottsbluff to win its first basketball state title since 1955. In May, Klein — along with his classmate and namesake, Matt D. Klein, also known as Kleiner — and other backfield mate Luke Worden, were on the state-winning 400-meter relay team and helped lead the Bearcats to a state team title for the seventh time, but the first since 1968. Senior tackle Jon Maag also went to state in track, while fellow seniors Ty Dunkel and Bo Lofink were on the Bearcats’ state basketball roster. “It’s been a dream and dreams come true,” Klein said after the Bearcats finished the regular season with a 35-6 victory over Sidney on Oct. 19 and perfect 9-0 record, Scottsbluff’s first undefeated regular season since the 2000 and 2001 Bearcats accomplished the feat. “We’ve finally broken through that barrier of where we are where we want to be. But then again, our coaches just said to us right after this game, ‘It’s a whole new season now, we’re oh and oh, those nine wins mean nothing except for a seed anymore.’ We’ve got to start over we’ve got to come work to practice and we’ve got to be ready to go next week.” Unfortunately for Klein and the Bearcats, they saw their undefeated season and No. 1 seed in the Class B playoffs snuffed out by York, a 28-9 winner that claimed the No. 16 berth in a tie-break over Gering and Alliance. Scottsbluff coach Joe Benson said he wasn’t sure the Bearcats could finish the regular season unbeaten. First of all, football is a physical game, and nine straight Friday nights can take a lot out of a team. But Klein and the Bearcats had the resolve for nine consecutive weeks, in the process overcoming teams with powerful offenses and stingy defenses — and also their own errors, with 435 yards of penalties infracted on the year. “I think we learned that you have to have a lot of fight in you,” Klein said. “You can’t just expect to come out and play like you do every single time. You’ve got to have that heart and you have to be able to be able to dig down deep at some point to really find what you need inside you to win games. I think that played a huge role, I think every single person on our team was hungry for it this year.” Klein had a great junior year, with 1,159 yards and 18 touchdowns. Worden added 585 yards and 10 TDs last season. Maag (250 pounds) and Ty Dunkel (245 pounds) were returning all-conference linemen. the Bearcats finished 7-3, losing to Ralston 14-12 at home in the first round of the playoffs. The horses were in place. How the execution followed determined the Bearcats’ success. “I think we just had to believe in ourselves,” said Klein, whose team gave up 130 points in their 10 games — but 67 in the final three games. “Our coaches have been telling us for the past few weeks that we lost our fire and we haven’t had that heart to play defense as hard as we can like we played every single play like we did earlier in the year. We did a better job of finding that (against Sidney).” Klein finished his season in an inauspicious way. He went for a tackle against York’s Evan Neville, but the two collided helmet-to-helmet. Klein was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but he was uninjured and back at school on Monday. Despite gaining only 50 rushing yards against the Dukes, Klein finished his senior year with 1,405 yards with 18 touchdowns on the ground, completed 6 of 8 passes for 109 yards with two touchdowns and caught six receptions for 52 yards for one TD. Defensively, he had one fumble recovery, an interception he turned into a 49-yard touchdown return, 45 total tackles (35 solo), with six for lost yardage, and five quarterback sacks. “I love coming out and playing this game every single day that I get the chance to, whether it’s practice, whether it’s game nights, whether it’s just hanging out with friends and playing a pick-up game or something like that,” Klein said. “That’s enough for me, just the love for the game and getting a chance to do what I can to the best of my ability.” When life‘s importance crosses sports I missed Friday night’s Class B state playoff opener for the Bearcats, who entered the game against York after having compiled a 9-0 regular-season record — and the No. 1 seed for the 16-team playoffs — I have known since basically the beginning of the season that I would miss the first playoff weekend. My oldest son, Brett, is a junior music education major at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., having transferred there in August after completing his associate’s degree from Western Nebraska Community College over the summer. The FLC Concert Band’s first performance of this semester, with Brett playing the baritone saxophone, was scheduled for Oct. 26 — Friday, the long-scheduled day for Class B first-round playoff games. Oh well, just part of being a working parent. The parental responsibilities get lost enough during the evening and weekend hours required of a sports writer to properly cover your athletic youth of our area. Like most people who had seen the Bearcats this season, my hope and expectation was that the Bearcats would take care of business as a No. 1 seed should: defeat York and hopefully gain a second-round, quarterfinal host berth this week — as long as No. 8 seed Elkhorn defeated No. 9 Blair. Elkhorn took care of business. But York gets to host the second-round game, not Scottsbluff. People had asked my professional and insight-filled opinion all week long if I thought the Bearcats would win, and how easily? Again, I know how teenage athletes can win together, but they can also lose together. On a personal note, I certainly did not want to see a repeat of an occurrence of a 1996 Oklahoma playoff game, when our hometown team entered the playoffs as undefeated district champions — and left after the first round with one loss on the season and then packing the equipment soon thereafter. Two years later, our team went undefeated again, won its first four playoff games and made the state championship game. They lost by one point. The team that won that day on the scoreboard featured an all-around yet undersized star player named Wes Welker, who still flexes his versatility 14 years later with the New England Patriots on Sundays. Having very little knowledge of York, primarily that gained from looking at the Dukes’ scores on the NSAA Web site and what Benson had said throughout the week, I wasn’t taking a Scottsbluff win for granted. No win is ever safe. (We interrupt this football-based column for this word from the very brief World Series.) Just ask the Detroit Tigers, winners of the American League pennant by a sweep, seemingly unstoppable with great pitching from Justin Verlander and the hitting power of Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, the also likely American League Most Valuable Player. But then the Tigers were losers of the World Series by a sweep to the deserving San Francisco Giants and their loaded pitching staff, National League MVP favorite Buster Posey and the Series MVP, Game 1 triple-homer “Kung Fu Panda,“ Pablo Sandoval. Back to Friday night: While we waited for the combination concert choir then band performances to begin at Fort Lewis, and with the Scottsbluff-York game about an hour in, I decided to text Gering Citizen photographer Sheila Weber, who was at Bearcat Stadium, for an update back here on the home front. Her reply was doubly shocking. First was the score, 17-3 York, but second and worse was the news that both Matt Kleins were out of the game with injuries. Oh no, I thought. Matt “Kleiner” Klein had reinjured a shoulder initially hurt four weeks earlier, shortly after making an interception in the Bearcats’ 23-21 win over Grand Island Northwest. You hate to see anyone get hurt, but re-aggravating an injury that can be hard to heal was not overly shocking — I was in a sling for five weeks with a separated shoulder when I was 21. I hope Kleiner heals well before track season, while he pitches in on producing Hometown Family Radio basketball broadcasts until then. Learning that Matt T. Klein had suffered a helmet-to-helmet injury in the third quarter while playing defense, lay still on the field for a few seconds before rolling over and was taken to the hospital was stomach-churning. Perhaps my greatest sight of young Mr. Klein of the year came Monday. After gaining the game and season statistic reports and visiting with Bearcats football coach Joe Benson, I was walking down the hall toward the SHS commons area when I saw Matt. He looked as fresh and alert as he did when we visited on the field of Bearcat Stadium on Oct. 19. “He is just a tremendous young man, he has great character, and those are the kind of kids you win with,” Benson said of Klein, who will likely be back wearing his No. 2 basketball jersey starting Nov. 29. “People who don’t know him just think he’s a great athlete, but there’s a lot more to him.” While 2012 has been a blessing-filled calendar year for Klein, his senior year still has nearly seven months remaining. And thus more opportunities to bring home individual and team championships in 2013. A great three-year run Some Scottsbluff faithful might be disappointed that the Bearcats won three consecutive district titles but also lost three straight Class B first-round playoff games. For goodness’ sakes, those three teams went a combined 23-7! Benson said he felt the Bearcats made early-season statements when they jumped on McCook with 14 quick points and only let a late Bison touchdown spoil a shutout in scoring a 17-7 win on Aug. 31. And then Scottsbluff faced the daunting task of playing traditional Class B power Aurora on the road on Sept. 21, but the Bearcats prevailed 32-8 and improved to 5-0. The state was taking notice. “ I think we played our best game against McCook and we played awfully well against Aurora also,” Benson said. “But that’s typical of any season, and that’s the thing a lot of people don’t understand. You want to play your best football at the end of the year, but you’re not going to play your best game over and over, that’s impossible.” Some other Bearcats who had great seasons included Worden, who had 310 rushing yards and 258 receiving yards with five combined touchdowns. Worden also had four interceptions and a fumble recovery, with four more TDs in the process, and had 295 kick return yards with one more TD. Senior Randy Wentz had 54 kickoffs for a 52-yard average, hit on 8 of 11 field-goal attempts and 34 of 36 extra-point tries. Senior Eric Moreno, who completed 58 passes for 936 yards and seven touchdowns, also punted his way to another strong average of 37.5 yards. “The kicking game is one-third of the game,” Benson said, “and if you don’t have a good kicker and a punter, you’re in trouble. And we had both.” Maag was the Bearcats’ leading tackler with 57 solo stops, 56 assists, five quarterback sacks and nine tackles for lost yardage. Lofink was next with 54 solo and 53 assisted tackles with four for losses, and senior Tim Magdaleno — after sitting out last season — had 50 solo and 45 assisted tackles with five for losses. “We didn’t have a lot of depth, and it would have been nice if we were a little bigger,“ Benson said. “But you can’t have everything.” On the contrary, if you have good young men who work hard, no matter the season’s result, you just might have everything. |
| Bearcats' stellar season hits wall in playoffs 2012-11-01 By Terry Gaston |
| York's speed, defense ends Scottsbluff's unbeaten run, 28-9 SCOTTSBLUFF — After outscoring its nine regular-season opponents by nearly a 3-to-1 ratio and scoring a perfect 9-0 record, all that went right for the Scottsbluff football team those first nine Friday nights went awry once the Bearcats were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Class B state playoffs. Scottsbluff more than met its match in a York team that obviously believed its 5-4 regular-season record was history, and that the Dukes had the same clean record entering the first-round playoff game Friday at Bearcat Stadium as Scottsbluff. York ‘s rushing tandem of Eric Buller and Evan Neville led the Dukes’ 251-yard ground attack, and their defense held the Bearcats to a mere 82 rushing yards in scoring a 28-9 victory that ended Scottsbluff’s stellar undefeated season and proved why the games are played on the field and not on paper. The best outcome from the game for Scottsbluff faithful was that senior Matt Klein, who suffered a helmet-to-helmet blow in the third quarter with a bulling Neville, did not suffer any serious injury and was back at school Monday. “You are just concerned for the young man and just hope he is OK,” Scottsbluff coach Joe Benson said of Klein, who was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. “There are a lot more important things than football in this life. We’re glad everything turned out all right. It’s a lot better than the football game.” Scottsbluff used 19 plays off the opening kickoff to drive as close as the York 10-yard line, but the Bearcats had two major penalties that forced them to punt. “If we could have scored on the first drive, I think that would have made a big difference,” said Benson, who then watched Dukes quarterback Linden Kaliff link up with Buller on an 82-yard touchdown for the game’s first score. “We had a hard time adjusting to because we were so zoned in on stopping the run. They had one pass play that hurt us two or three times. They just executed really well, put in a couple little wrinkles and played really good football. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but it would have given us a little more confidence and it would have fun to have seen what would have happened from there.” The Dukes’ denial thus left Scottsbluff — which had its most successful scoring quarter during the regular season in the first period, with 113 points, a 12.6 point average — scoreless in the first 12 minutes. Not much fun happened afterward for the Bearcats. In the second quarter, Scottsbluff again drove deep into York territory thanks to three straight pass completions by senior Eric Moreno. But the drive stalled, and Bearcat senior Randy Wentz kicked a 31-yard field goal that cut the Dukes’ early lead to 7-3. Late in the first half, Buller cut loose for an 89-yard touchdown run to put York ahead 14-3 at halftime. “I don’t think we played really well, and the other thing that was a little bit disconcerting is that they kind of put a hat (helmet) on our hat every play and we just didn’t react very well,” Benson said. What the Bearcats did well was throw the ball. Moreno completed 12 of 24 passes for with one touchdown, a 44-yard completion to senior Taylor Winkler in the fourth quarter. The score, followed by an incomplete 2-point conversion, only got Scottsbluff to within 21-9, however. After a scoreless third period, the Dukes had struck on Neville’s 12-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter for a 21-3 lead. Following Winkler’s TD reception, York finished its stunning rout with Kaliff’s 1-yard TD run in the final two minutes. “I think in retrospect, they were probably the best team we played,” said Benson, whose team owned regular-season wins over three Class B playoff teams: No. 6 seeded Aurora (which defeated No. 11 Grand Island Northwest, another Bearcat victim) and No. 7 McCook, which lost to No. 10 Norris. “We knew they were good, but I think their overall team speed surprised me a little bit,” Benson said of the Dukes, whose regular-season results included a win at Northwest and losses to Aurora, Norris and No. 3 seeded and 10-0 Beatrice. “They were a little bit better up front defensively than we thought we were, and they had one little wrinkle on offense that hurt us,” Benson added of the Dukes, who with the win get to play host Friday in quarterfinal action to Elkhorn (7-3), a 27-20 first-round victor over Blair (5-5). Klein, who had averaged 140.5 rushing yards per game during the regular season, gained just 50 yards on 22 carries and had one reception for 6 yards before his game-ending injury. Senior Luke Worden added 16 yards on seven carries and a team-high six receptions for 68 yards. Winkler led the Bearcats in receiving yardage with 92 on three catches, including his 44-yard TD. Junior Blake Wills had two catches for 24 yards and senior Tim Magdaleno made two receptions for 21 yards. Defensively for Scottsbluff, junior Bo Lofink had a team-high 13 tackles (eight solo), while senior Jon Maag had 10 stops (seven solo) with one for 3 lost yards and Magdaleno had eight tackles (six solo) with two stops for 11 lost yards. Worden had an interception for the Bearcats. The loss aside, Benson said the Bearcats have plenty of which to be proud the past three seasons: three straight District B-6 titles and a cumulative regular-season record of 23-4. “I didn’t know if it was possible that we would be undefeated in the regular season,” Benson said. “I guess you always hope you can win every game, but that’s pretty darn hard to do. We were extremely to be 9-0, but no, I wouldn’t have expected to be 9-0. “These kids should be proud of that. These three classes did a tremendous job, accomplishing the feat of winning three district titles, that’s hard to do. We’ll see if we can go for No. 4 next year.” |
| Gering emerges as top dog beating Alliance 14-7 2012-10-25 By Philip Eckerberg, Special to the Citizen |
| It was a battle of Bulldogs, the Gering Bulldogs and the Alliance Bulldogs met up for the final regular season game with playoff hopes alive. Gering scrapped their way to the top of the pack, beating Alliance 14-7. Gering’s offense started slow, having to punt on the first possession and giving the ball back to Alliance on their first offensive chance as they got some help moving the ball downfield, thanks to a pass interference call on third and 16, only to punt a few plays later. Gering on their next possession then faced head coach Jimmie Rhodes with a tough decision to go for it on fourth and inches. But the play call was unneeded as Alliance got an encroachment violation giving Gering a first down. The drive faltered as quarterback Dillon Demott’s pass was intercepted by Alliance’s Austin Davidson. Two plays later Alliance’s Mitch Pancost fumbled giving the ball back to Gering. The G-town Bulldogs had no trouble moving the ball down the field capping it off with a Demott to Zac Bibb 10 yard touchdown pass and a good PAT by Gage Smith to give Gering the lead of 7-0 with 11:04 left in the first half to round out the scoring in the first half. The second half started with Alliance getting the first possession but both teams traded ball back and forth. Then came the controversial play of the game which also turned out to be a huge momentum swing for Gering as an Issac Burham pass ruled a lateral was dropped and Gering recovered. Before Gering could even snap the ball on the ensuing possession two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Mitch Pancost and Alliance head coach Travis Hawk gave Gering a first and goal. A pass interference call on the next play gave Gering a 1st and goal at the 4 yard line. Demott then scrambled in for the four yard score with a PAT by Smith giving Gering a 14-0 lead with 4:32 left to go in the third quarter. The penalty bug then struck Gering as a roughing the passer penalty kept the Alliance drive alive giving them momentum with a touchdown as Isaac Burnham ran the ball in from the one yard line with a good PAT the score was 14-7 Gering’s lead with 25 seconds left on the third quarter clock. Both teams traded possessions before crunch time as Alliance marched down the field threatening to get in the end zone. But the Gering faithful left Memorial Stadium happy when Isaac Burnham was intercepted by Walker Britsch on the 4 yard line virtually sealing the game for the Blue and Gold Bulldogs. Gage Smith added the icing on the cake with a 73 yard run down to the 5 yard line and Gering was able to take a knee to run out the clock giving Gering the win 14-7. Coach Rhodes after the game was very excited for his team coming up with a big win. “The kids played hard for each other and they knew how important this last game was.” Rhodes said ”They played hard for each other, they played hard for their city, they played hard for their seniors, and for them to line up and play four quarters hard was awesome.” Unfortunately the stars did not line up right for Gering to get into the postseason needing a Grand Island Northwest victory over Columbus and a Chadron victory over Valentine only getting one of the two as Grand Island soundly defeated Columbus 44-13, but Chadron fell at home in overtime against Valentine 14-20 ending Gering’s season at 5-4. |
| Bayard falls short of playoff with loss to Kimball 2012-10-25 By Terry Gaston |
| BAYARD – The chances of the Bayard Tigers advancing to the Class C2 state playoffs for a third straight year looked hopeful for the first two quarters Thursday night against the Kimball Longhorns in a District C2-10 game that essentially decided which of the 3-4 teams would advance to the postseason. After senior Allen Denton scored off the opening kickoff and junior quarterback Zac Rice scored early in the second quarter, the Tigers led by eight. But Denton was lost for the second quarter to a knee injury and for the game after a short comeback attempt in the third period. Meanwhile, Kimball controlled the ball for more than six minutes in the second quarter, scored the game-tying touchdown with nine seconds left before halftime, turned up its defensive pressure on Rice and the Tigers, scored two more unanswered touchdowns and left Bayard with a 27-21 victory. The Longhorns (4-4) thus earned one of the final C2 playoff berths and will be the No. 13 seed in the west bracket and play No. 4 seed Blue Hill (7-1) in first-round play Thursday. “We lose like men and we will win like men,” Bayard coach Philep Willey told his players, who rallied into playoff contention after losing their first three games. “I feel like we could have beaten those guys on another night, I felt we could have beaten them tonight, but that’s life, that’s one of the hard lessons of football.” Bayard seemed ready to go, riding Denton’s 30-yard opening kickoff return to the Tigers’ 42-yard line. Eleven plays later, Denton scored on a 5-yard run and senior Dustin Daniel kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Bayard lead just 3:18 into the game. Kimball began its first scoring drive with a 22-yard run by sophomore Colton Stull to the Bayard 39. The six-play drive culminated on senior Austin Pile’s 27-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Jonathan Withrow with 1:46 left in the first period. The extra-point attempt never got off when the snap was fumbled. Bayard took advantage of another Longhorn miscue on special teams, a high punt snap that put the Tigers at the Kimball 11-yard line. Rice ran on two plays, the last a 5-yarder, and Daniel’s kick had Bayard ahead 14-6 with 9:01 left in the half. The teams traded three-and-out possessions before Kimball found its offensive niche with an 18-play, 74-yard series on which Pile completed 5 of 6 passes – the lone incompletion was a spike to stop the clock with 14 seconds left at the Bayard 4-yard line. He connected with senior Caleb Reuter for the TD on the next play, and Stull’s 2-point run tied the score going into halftime. After the teams traded turnovers in the third quarter, Kimball got a short field from the Bayard 29 and Withrow scored three plays later on a 7-yard run. The extra-point attempt was blocked by Bayard junior Richard Kadayso, but the Longhorns had the lead. Kimball tackle Jake Reader then gave the Bayard offense fits, proving to be a key factor in stopping the Tigers’ offensive threat. “We couldn’t account for Jake Reader,” 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior, who had four quarterback sacks, three solo tackles, six assists and two other tackles for lost yardage. “We tried a lot of different things, we tried cutting him, we tried double-teaming him, but he did a great job.” Kimball extended its lead to 28-14 with 4:49 remaining on Withrow’s 84-yard TD run, which followed Pile’s interception of Rice that was tipped by Stull. The play could have taken the wind out of the Tigers’ sails. Instead, Bayard scored on the ensuing, 66-yard drive on a 13-yard pass from Rice to senior Tyson Schmunk with 2:25 remaining. Daniel made the extra point, and the Tigers tried an onside kick that didn’t work. After a Kimball punt, Bayard got one last chance from its own 29. However, Reader sacked Rice once and teamed with another Longhorn to end Bayard’s hopes on four straight plays with lost yards. Denton hobbled his way to 56 yards on 16 carries, while Rice netted 53 yards on 20 rushes – he had 77 yards before Kimball’s final defensive assault on the Tigers’ final series. Rice completed 10 of 27 passes for 100 yards with one interception. Senior Braydon Parriott had three catches for 43 yards and Schmunk pulled in four passes for 30 yards. Defensively, junior Tanner Willey had six solo tackles and four assists with two tackles for losses and two quarterback sacks. Parriott had six solo stops with seven assists and one fumble recovery, while senior Austin Willey had two solo tackles, seven assists and one fumble recovery. Junior Chris Wurm had five solo tops and seven assists. For Kimball, Withrow had 117 yards on nine rushes and Stull gained 79 yards on 16 carries. Pile completed 8 of 11 passes for 88 yards, with Reuter catching four passes for 39 yards and Withrow making two receptions for 36 yards. “I’m proud of the kids,” Willey said. “They haven’t given up all year and they didn’t start tonight. “This will be a tough group of seniors to replace. I won’t forget this season for a long time. There wasn’t very high expectations going in, and I think they proved a lot of people wrong.” While Bayard (3-5) saw its hopes of extending its season ended, four other area teams played in season finales Friday night. Two of those, Mitchell and Morrill, ended their seasons on explosively high notes to break respective five-game losing streaks. Morrill 88, Sutherland 40 The Lions had their Thursday trip to Sutherland and the teams’ District D1-10 finale postponed by torrid cross winds that closed Interstate 80 for much of Thursday. The delay to Friday only added fire to Morrill’s offense, which outscored winless Sutherland 56-6 in the second and third quarters after the Lions trailed the Sailors 20-16 after the first period. Taylor Lackey rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 266 yards and two more TDs in giving Morrill (3-5) its first win since Sept. 7. Alex Gonzales ran for three touchdowns and caught another from Lackey, while Sheldon Le had 91 rushing yards and one touchdown and had 95 receiving yards. On defense, Matt Hessler led Morrill with eight tackles and four quarterback sacks. Gonzales had 12 total tackles and one interception. Lackey, Le and Colten Miller made 10 tackles apiece, and Noonie Gomez had two sacks. Mitchell 35, Gordon-Rushville 28 At Mitchell, the Tigers got 227 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries by junior Adam Schlotthauer in snapping their own five-game slide with the win in District C1-10 action. Mitchell (2-6) recorded more than 500 yards of offense against the Mustangs (3-5). Senior quarterback Brendan Swanson completed 7 of 12 passes for 168 yards and ran for a first-quarter TD. Junior Bo McVay caught five passes for 156 yards. Crawford 48, Banner County 30 At Harrisburg, the Wildcats’ hopes of ending the season with a win were dashed by the visiting Rams, who finished 2-6 on the year after the teams’ D2-10 district finale. Banner County finished with its third 0-8 season in four years after the Wildcats were 1-7 last season. Elba/NL-Scotia 58, Minatare 18 The host Indians (1-6) saw their season ended Friday afternoon with a 40-point loss to Elba/North Loup-Scotia (4-4) in the six-man ranks. |
| Scottsbluff's Barraza wins state cross country title 2012-10-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Bearcat boys 2nd as team; Gering girls place 7th behind Huffman's 9th-place finish While Scottsbluff sophomore Matthew Barraza scored the Bearcats’ first boys’ individual state cross country championship in 51 years, disappointment still was left for the two-time defending Class B team state champion Bearcats to absorb Friday at the state meet in Kearney. The Gering girls, on the other hand, were celebrant in their seventh-place team finish in Class B, led by Bulldog senior Rachel Huffman’s ninth-place finish on the Kearney Country Club course. Huffman finished the 4,000-meter race in 15:38.5, just a half-second behind Scottsbluff’s lone girls’ participant, sophomore Taylor Muncie. Erin Lee, a freshman from York, won the girls’ race in 14:55.1. “She is such a great competitor,” Gering girls’ coach Caleigh Barker said of Huffman. “She went in with her goal to place and wanted to be on the podium. I think it was her best race of the season, even though she ran faster at districts, the Kearney course is just so much more hilly. “We wanted her to be in the lead pack and she turned in a great performance on her part.” Sophomore Kali Rimington was Gering’s second finisher, hitting the line in 36th place in 16:27.4. Senior Damaris Martinez was 55th in 16:54.8, while freshman Marisa Robles came in 59th in 17:02.9. Senior Dakota Gellner took 61st in 17:05.8. Freshman Hadley Kirk was 75th in 17:49.4. The Bulldogs’ top four team scorers totaled 119 points, three points of Western Conference rival Sidney. The Red Raiders were led by sophomore Alli Ehler’s third-place finish in 15:21.1. “I thought the girls ran well and I am very proud of them,” Barker said. “They all ran faster than they did at the UNK Invite (on the same course, on Sept. 24). They really ran well and wanted to place in the top five, but we improved on last year’s ninth-place finish.” Seward was the girls’ team champion with 41 points, with Plattsmouth second at 63. District B-4 champion was fifth with 91 points, four points behind York’s fourth-place count. In the Class B boys’ race, Barraza used his experience of placing fourth as a freshman last year to run his way to the first state individual boys’ championship won by a Bearcat since Allen Russell won the Class A crown in 1961. Joe Perez won Scottsbluff’s first boys’ title the year before. With the Bearcats sporting such a young team, Scottsbluff’s individual drought was bound to end in the next year or two. Instead, it ended Friday, when Barraza completed the 5,000-meter course in a winning time of 16:22.1 for a victory by 6.3 seconds. “We’re very excited for Matthew. He is very deserving and has worked hard, especially in the late season,” Scottsbluff coach Jim Barker said of Barraza, who Barker said had overcome some late-season hip issues. “We’re really proud of him.” Barker saw two of his runners place in the top three, with junior Anthony Parra just getting nipped for second by Mount Michael Benedictine junior Thomas Kalil. Both runners had times of 16:28.4, but Barker said the electronic chips put in all runners’ shoes in order to break such a tie recorded Kalil as finishing second. “It was basically a foot stride that kept Anthony out of second, but to have Matthew and Anthony place 1 and 3 is just phenomenal,” Barker said. “They are great training partners and are the best of friends.” The team battle came down to the expected schools in Scottsbluff and Mount Michael Benedictine. Mount Michael runners placed sixth, eighth and ninth to join Kalil in formulating its team score of 25 points. With junior Brendan Taedter placing 11th in 17:02.8 — three seconds out of the top 10 — and senior Tayler James taking 18th in 17:21.6, the Bearcats’ team count was 32 points. Other Bluffs runners with their places and times were junior Ben Willis-Teff in 21st at 17:29.7 and senior Justin Pritchard in 23rd at 17:34.3. The Bearcats’ total was well ahead of Seward’s third-place, 85-point total. But for a team with such high expectations, Scottsbluff’s runner-up finish was somewhat disappointing. “Second is a very good finish to the season, but it’s not what we wanted,” Barker said. “But we’re proud that we got on the awards stand. Most schools would love to be in our shoes and be in the top two.” While Barker said Barraza overcame his hip injury and Taedter had been battling bronchitis in recent weeks, the biggest winner for both Scottsbluff and Mount Michael was sportsmanship. “Last year they had the individual champion and we were the team champ, and it was reversed this year. “But we give them nothing but the highest respect. Our guys went over to congratulate them, like their guys did to ours last year.” Barker also praised Muncie for her eighth-place finish in 15:38.0. “She had a great start, and the fact that she is just a sophomore is great,” Barker said. “I think she went out to run the race with the attitude to win. If you go out to just make the top 10, most of the time you won’t.” Class C In the Class C boys’ competition, Mitchell got a 15th-place finish by junior Tate Harvey in leading the Tigers to a sixth-place team finish. Mitchell scored 107 points in a pack led by Milford with 50 points. Harvey’s time was 17:33.6. Ogallala senior James McKeag won the Class C boys’ individual title in 16:53.2. Other Mitchell runners, with their places and times, included junior Levi Avila, in 23rd at 18:03.4; junior Luis Panduro, in 44th at 18:38.1; freshman Edward Grentz, in 68th at 19:16.2; senior Jeremy Carrizales, in 74th at 19:24.7; and freshman Chase Watson, in 87th at 19:46.5. Class D In the Class D girls’ race, Bayard freshman Montana Belford carried the area’s torch to a 16th-place finish in 16:17.7. The winning time was 15:08.8 by Aquinas Catholic senior Marissa Dewispelare. |
| Gering wins home finale over Bridgeport 2012-10-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff falls to North Platte, Mitchell wins WTC title Area volleyball teams jockeyed to make their final say in their district and sub-district seedings with their final dual and tournament matches over the past week. The Gering Bulldogs on Thursday celebrated the final home match of their lone senior, Santanna Mitchell, who went out by recording 10 kills and 14 assists in the Bulldogs’ 25-14, 25-21, 25-18 sweep over Bridgeport. The match was a tune-up for Gering in the Pilfold Invitational at Alliance on Saturday, in which the Bulldogs finished fifth after defeating Scottsbluff 25-21, 25-22. Gering had lost its pool play matches to eventual tourney champion Chadron and host Alliance and stands at 8-24 in awaiting the District B-6 seeds for the tournament at Perkins County High School in Grant next Wednesday and Thursday. Seeds and the brackets for all districts and sub-districts are set to be released Thursday. They may be found on www.nsaahome.org/vb.php. Mitchell added two aces and seven service points against Bridgeport to her double-digit kill and assist totals. Also against Bridgeport, Gering junior Savannah Walker made nine kills and six digs; junior Kelsea Prieels had 25 set assists, two digs and six aces; freshman Allie Boggs recorded eight digs, two blocks, and two aces; sophomore Kaylee Spreier scored seven kills and three blocks; and junior Brooke Vowers made 15 digs. In the Alliance tournament, Gering lost its opener 25-12, 25-9 to Chadron. Mitchell led the Bulldogs in hitting with six kills. Walker added five kills, while Boggs and Spreier scored three kills apiece. Prieels made 18 assists, while junior Katie O’Boyle led Gering with three blocks and two aces. Vowers had a team-high five digs. In taking a 25-16, 22-25, 25-18 loss to Alliance, Gering still got a double-double from Prieels 22 assists and 10 digs. Walker and Mitchell both scored nine kills. Mitchell also added 13 digs and four blocks, while Walker finished with three assists, seven digs and three blocks. Spreier recorded nine blocks, two aces and seven digs, while Vowers had four digs, Boggs had five blocks and O’Boyle had six digs and six blocks. Gering was again balanced in winning its tight victory over Scottsbluff in the fifth-place match. Mitchell paced the Bulldogs with eight kills, while Walker and Spreier each scored seven kills and O’Boyle killed five. Prieels dished out 29 assists and Vowers paced Gering defensively with 11 digs. Spreier led the Bulldogs in blocks with seven, while Boggs added in with five. O’Boyle served two aces to go with four blocks, and Mitchell added three blocks and eight digs. Against Gering, Scottsbluff seniors Brayden Auer and Makayla Castro led the Bearcats in hitting with five kills each. Junior Kiley Guerue and freshman Chesney Walker added three kills apiece. Senior Conner Ehler recorded 13 assists. Castro and Auer both served two aces, while senior Lauren Miller led the Bearcats defensively with 14 digs. Ehler added nine digs and Guerue had seven. Walker finished with a team-high two solo blocks. Scottsbluff moved into the fifth-place match after the Bearcats lost to Sidney 25-14, 25-10 and to Ogallala 25-7, 25-11. Against Sidney, Miller had seven digs, Auer had three blocks and Ehler finished with seven assists. Auer, Walker and Ehler scored two kills each. Senior Alexus Pinedo served two aces. Against Ogallala, Guerue, Walker, Castro and Auer had two kills apiece. Ehler made eight assists and Miller scored eight digs. Auer led Scottsbluff with two blocks. Chadron (24-2) swept Sidney 25-14, 25-20 in the championship match. Ogallala claimed third place by downing Alliance 28-26, 25-12. North Platte 3, Scottsbluff 1 On Monday, in a match postponed from Thursday because of treacherous winds along Interstate 80 that prevented North Platte from traveling to Scottsbluff, the visiting Bulldogs spoiled the Bearcats’ final home match with a four-set victory. Scottsbluff took the first set 26-24 before North Platte swept the next three games to take the match. Bearcat junior Amy Colburn made 23 digs and five kills for Scottsbluff, while Guerue had five kills and seven digs. Junior Savannah Menghini made nine digs and six set assists, Ehler had eight digs and five set assists, Auer had nine digs and four kills, Miller made 23 digs and Makayla Castro had 12 digs. Scottsbluff (9-22) still has three matches left before district play. The Bearcats will travel to Columbus for the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday. WTC Tournament Mitchell won the Western Trails Conference Tournament on Saturday in Hemingford with three victories. The Tigers had to overcome a slow start to defeat Morrill in their opening match, 22-25, 25-7, 25-22. Mitchell then swept Gordon-Rushville 25-17, 25-5 in the semifinals before finishing with a 25-15, 22-25, 25-18 win over Kimball. The Tigers improve their season record to 20-7 and gave Mitchell its third-straight 20-win season. Mitchell was led in the tournament by Taylor Peters with 38 total kills, four ace serves, 34 digs and 18 points. Chalsey Grentz finished with 17 points, five ace serves, 56 set assists and 42 digs. Also for the Tigers, Michaela Karpen and Morgan Michael had seven ace blocks apiece, while Arissa Gabel had 44 digs, Felina Blanco had 27 digs and Brianne Hessler had nine ace serves and 26 digs. In other first-round matches, Bridgeport defeated Hemingford 24-14, 28-26 and Gordon-Rushville defeated Bayard 25-23, 18-25, 25-17. The other semifinal saw Kimball defeat Bridgeport 21-25, 25-17, 25-11. Gordon-Rushville edged Bridgeport 25-23, 13-25, 25-19 for third place in the tournament. |
| WNCC offers softball camp 2012-10-25 By Press Release |
| SCOTTSBLUFF The Western Nebraska Community College softball team will be holding a hitting league and pitching camp for youngsters in grades second through 12th this semester. The hitting league begins Oct. 28 and runs for the next four Sundays (Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18). The hitting league will have times of 6 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and will be held at the WNCC hitting facility located at the Com Shop at 1209 Second Avenue in Scottsbluff. Cost for the hitting league is $90 for a team of three or $35 per person. Registration for the hitting league ends Thursday, Oct. 25. Times for the first games will be posted on the WNCC softball website at wncc.edu and then the Cougar Athletic link beginning Friday, Oct. 26. The pitching camp will be held Sunday, Dec. 2 from 2-5 p.m. at Cougar Palace. The cost of the camp is $25 and participants are asked to bring a glove, water bottle, and no cleats. Individuals can download a registration form from the WNCC athletic website at wncc.edu and then the Cougar Athletics link. For more information on the hitting league or the pitching camp, contact Coach Maria Winn-Ratliff at 308-635-6189 or winnm@wncc.net. |
| Rhodes: Losses, not tie-break, cost Bulldogs playoff berth 2012-10-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Even after the Gering Bulldogs lost their first two District B-8 football games, second-year coach Jimmie Rhodes said he knew the Bulldogs still had a chance to qualify for the Class B playoffs for a second straight year. The only problem, Rhodes said, is that Gering had to have five results to happen in the Bulldogs favor for them to earn the 16th and final available playoff bracket berth. First was that the Bulldogs needed to finish the regular season with a victory over Alliance. Gering did so by scoring a 14-7 victory Friday night on a night when Senior Night and homecoming festivities could have distracted the Bulldogs. “They are a very explosive team, and it is exciting to be the spoiler to their playoff chances,” Rhodes said of defeating an Alliance team that rolled up 487 offensive yards the week before in a 49-33 home loss to Scottsbluff. “It was a busy night, we had to play Alliance, then it was Senior Night and homecoming, and us beating them was really exciting.” But Gering still needed help – and the fact that the Bulldogs needed such outside assistance was what left Rhodes sullen Saturday, several hours after the final Class B power points were tabulated and thus the playoff bracket was set. Gering, by virtue of its victory over Alliance, brought the Bulldogs up three spots in the power rankings and Alliance down three positions. Both Bulldog teams finished with 5-4 records and 39.1111 power points. So too did York. Gering eliminated Alliance with its Friday night victory. Since neither team had played the Dukes of York, the second criterion in the Nebraska School Activities Association’s tie-break rules came into play: strength of schedule. Rhodes said four other results had to fall the Bulldogs’ way for Gering to gain the playoff berth over York. Without expanding on what they were, the first three results required did. “Coach Clark was keeping an eye on scores through the radio and Internet, and so he knew that three of the four teams that we needed to win had already won,” said Rhodes, adding that Clark did not pass that information onto him on the sideline until the Bulldogs’ victory was over. Chadron, which had lost its first two games this season to Alliance and Gering, then had to maintain its first-tier status – of having a final record of 5-3, in the Cardinals’ case – to keep Gering’s strength of schedule higher than York’s. Chadron went into overtime at home against Valentine but lost, 20-14. Another direct factor was when Grand Island Northwest – which defeated Gering 40-23 on Sept. 21 – lost to York. That loss for Northwest dropped the Vikings’ record to 6-3 – giving them the No. 11 seed in the Class B playoffs – but pulled their power rating into the second division and affected Gering’s power points in the process. Bottom line, Gering’s strength of schedule fell behind York’s, and the Dukes earned the playoff spot – which earns them a trip to Bearcat Stadium to play undefeated and No. 1 seeded Scottsbluff on Friday night. “When you have to rely on other people, your season ends,” Rhodes said. “During the year, you control your own destiny.” To end the season in a winning fashion will be a solid factor in building the 2013 Bulldogs, Rhodes said. And to see area teams succeed in the playoffs will be good to see, he added. “I won’t root against the teams in our area, especially the kids in the valley,” Rhodes said. “I know several kids from Scottsbluff and hope they play well, and I will root for Ogallala and Chadron.” |
| Bearcats finish season 9-0 with romp over Sidney 2012-10-25 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff earns No. 1 seed for Class B playoffs, opens against York SCOTTSBLUFF – Just because a team finishes its regular season undefeated does not mean it still has no areas to improve. Such is the case with the Scottsbluff Bearcats football team, which gave up 487 total yards to Alliance on Oct. 12. The Bearcats righted its defensive ship Friday night against Sidney, with junior Andrew Aratani scoring a touchdown on an interception and senior Tim Magdaleno’s pick setting up senior Matt Klein’s second touchdown of the first quarter in fueling Scottsbluff’s 35-6 romp over the Red Raiders. The win gave Scottsbluff a 9-0 record, the third in school history and the first since the 2001 season. The victory also clinched the Bearcats’ third consecutive district B-8 title and also the No. 1 seed for the Class B playoffs, which Scottsbluff opens Friday at Bearcat Stadium against York (5-4). “I’m very proud and I’m happy for the kids, I think that’s an outstanding achievement,” Benson said. “If you’re going to be in this game to coach, to win every game, that’s not going to be a very good profession for you. You want the kids to grow and so on, and when you do something like that, that’s special and I told the kids to enjoy it and celebrate it.” The first quarter was all the Bearcats needed in dominating the Red Raiders (1-8), who rode into the game off a 237-rushing-yard performance by junior Logan Lewis in a 44-24 win over Gering for their first victory of the season. In the first period against Scottsbluff, Lewis netted 48 rushing yards, but needed 14 carries to do so. Lewis finished with 105 yards on 34 carries, barely 3 yards per attempt. “If you had told me before that would have gotten just 105 yards, I would have been very pleased,” Benson said. “And we played without three starters.” Scottsbluff, on the other hand, had 99 rushing yards in the opening quarter on a mere six plays, with Klein scoring on a 59-yard run down the left sideline for the game’s first score just 3:22 into the game. Senior Randy Wentz’s extra-point kick gave the Bearcats the quick 7-0 lead. On second-and-20 from Sidney’s own 22-yard line, Raider sophomore Lane Harvey’s jump pass was read perfectly by Aratani, who returned the interception 20 yards for the touchdown. Wentz’s extra point gave Scottsbluff a 14-0 advantage with still 6:41 left in the first quarter. “I just read the quarterback, when he dropped back I knew it was going to be a screen,” the 6-foot-2, 280-pound Aratani said. “I just stood there for three or four seconds like the coaches told me to and it was coming right toward me, so I never had any trouble getting it and then I ran forward.” Sidney caught a break after having to punt out of its next possession when Bearcat senior Luke Worden misplayed the catch on the attempted return. Red Raider sophomore Chance Anglin recovered the ball at the Scottsbluff 49. But another holding penalty pushed the Raiders back into their own territory. And on third-and-23, Harvey was rushed to throw the ball and Magdaleno caught the wayward pass at the Sidney 40 and returned his interception 13 yards. Klein then took the pitch from senior quarterback Eric Moreno and ran left again for a 27-yard TD with 3:23 still remaining in the opening period. Wentz kicked the extra point high and perfect, giving the Bearcats a 21-0 lead. Sidney followed with its only scoring drive, a methodical 19-play, 80-yard series that bridged the first and second quarters for 7:37. Lewis got the Red Raiders on the board with a 6-yard carry with 7:45 left before halftime, but Harvey’s 2-point pass attempt missed. Two series later, Scottsbluff churned out a six-play drive that included 23 yards by Klein on one carry to the Sidney 25 and 11 yards by Worden on three carries. Magdaleno had two rushes, the first on a 17-yard gain to the Sidney 8 and he finished the series on a 1-yard rush with 3:04 remaining before intermission. Wentz’s extra-point kick gave the Bearcats a 28-6 lead that stood through the halftime break. Senior Taylor Winkler made Scottsbluff’s third interception of Harvey on Sidney’s second down of the third quarter. The Bearcats’ were unable to score on the ensuing series, but they did on their next possession which started at their own 32-yard line. While running primarily out of the Wildcat formation, Klein had two rushes and two passes to Winkler. The first completion went for 30 yards to the Sidney 30, and the second came on a left screen that Winkler ended 33 yards later for the Bearcats’ fifth TD with 5:13 left in the third period. Wentz’s fifth successful extra point ended the scoring at 35-6. Klein finished the night with 140 rushing yards on 10 carries with his two first-quarter touchdowns and was 2-for-3 for 63 passing yards and his TD connection with Winkler. Moreno had one completion for 10 yards on four attempts. As a team, Scottsbluff ran for 211 yards and passed for 73 for 288 yards on 40 plays. Sidney needed 73 plays to amass 203 yards, with 112 yards coming on the ground and Harvey completing 8 of 17 passes for 101 yards with the three interceptions. “They still made some plays, but we played a lot better on defense,” Benson said. “I’m really pleased with the progress we made, but we still have a long ways to go.” Perhaps four games to go – and a spot in the Class B state championship game on Nov. 20 at the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium. |
| Inaugural Monument Marathon attracts runners from 25 states: Nearly 400 runners test their mettle on Panhandle terrain 2012-10-19 By Jerry Purvis news@geringcitizen.com |
| About 400 runners from across the country were in the valley this Saturday for the first Platte Valley Companies Monument Marathon – and it was big success. “Despite the weather, it was a tremendous success,” said Dayle Wallien, director of the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation and marathon coordinator. “The runners were thrilled to see the beautiful scenery.” Wallien said the most frequent comment she received was the overwhelming support from the committee and the community as the approximate 200 volunteers were out on the course to cheer on the runners. Runners from 25 different states participated, from Washington State to Florida, from New York to California. “News of events spreads fast in the runners’ circles, so we knew we had to do things right the first time,” Wallien said. “I think we were successful in making sure the marathon went well the first year.” She added a lot of runners told her they would be back next year and would tell their friends about the event. “We had a runner from Sarasota, Fla. who told us he’s completed about 135 marathons and this one was in his top 10.” A light rain did cause some challenges for the runners, but nothing they hadn’t faced before. “It was a bit muddy for the full marathon that ran around the north side of the bluffs,” Wallien said. “The wind was strong, but the runners took it all in stride because they’re used to all kinds of conditions.” Wallien said she wanted to give a shout-out to the City of Gering and their Parks and Street Departments for the help they provided in making the marathon a success. The Street Department resurfaced an entire stretch of the route in the West Lawn Cemetery area after it has become muddy the day before the event. “Everyone, from the cities to the county and so many others helped make this first marathon a big success,” she said. “Our tentative date for next year’s event is Oct. 19.” Spencer Moul of Laramie, Wyo. won the male half marathon category, crossing the finish line in 1:26:40. Sara Stahl, a Morrill native, currently of Bellevue, Neb., led the female half marathon field, winning in 1:45:19. Sam Malmberg, former Scottsbluff resident, now of Eaton, Colo., won the male full marathon division, with a time of 2:53:2. His wife, Jennifer Malmberg, a native of Mitchell, won the female full marathon division finishing in 3:24:39. .jpg) Photos by Philip Eckerberg/for the Citizen Jennifer Malmberg, a native of Mitchell, won the female full marathon division finishing in 3:24:39. |
| Bearcats spike host Bulldogs in volleyball sweep: Gering, Scottsbluff have final home matches Thursday night 2012-10-19 By Terry Gaston |
| While the Gering High School gymnasium was the host site for the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and Scottsbluff on the volleyball court this season, the Bearcats and their fans turned the “Doghouse” into their own cage of red and black — with a lot of pink supplied by the SHS student section. Scottsbluff, which rallied from two sets down and was two points from elimination when the teams met at SHS on Sept. 11, made sure the 2-0 lead the Bearcats mounted last Thursday didn’t go to waste and won a hard-fought victory in three straight sets. Both Gering and Scottsbluff were at home against District B-6 opponents Tuesday night. The Bulldogs took the first set from likely B-6 tournament top seed Sidney before the Red Raiders charged back to take the next three sets and the match, while the Bearcats were swept by Alliance in three sets. Scottsbluff 3, Gering 0 The Bearcats won three tight sets to score their second best-of-5 dual victory over the Bulldogs and their third win over the Bearcats in four matches this season. Scottsbluff won the first set 25-19, the second 25-22 and the third and clinching game 25-21. Scottsbluff senior Connor Ehler had 10 digs and 16 set assists for the Bearcats, while senior Brayden Auer powered the front line with eight kills and three blocks to go along with 16 digs. Senior Alexus Pinedo added 14 service points and two kills, while senior Lauren Miller made 23 digs; junior Makayla Castro made seven digs, three kills and two service aces; and junior Kiley Guerue added seven digs and five kills. “This is a very important stretch and we talked about that in pregame, that this is now the time we need our best volleyball and our most consistent volleyball,” Scottsbluff coach Megan Burda said. “And they stepped up to the challenge.” Many of the Scottsbluff students came dressed in pink to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and they defied the notion that pink is a calming color by cheering loudly for their Bearcats. “We love the support and I love the pink too,” Burda said. For Gering, senior Santanna Mitchell made 11 kills, four blocks and two digs, while junior Brooke Vowers had 17 digs; junior Kelsea Prieels had 27 assists and one ace; junior Katie O’Boyle had nine blocks and one kill; sophomore Kaylee Spreier made six kills and three blocks; and freshman Allie Boggs had four blocks and two kills. “I just didn’t feel our overall aggression and intensity matched the effort that they gave,” Gering coach Craig Schadwinkel said. “I thought we did some things, but we just weren’t consistent enough to get over the hump. We were missing serves and doing various things that kind of affected us.” The first set established the tone for all three games, with the teams tied at 11-all before Scottsbluff opened up a 17-13 lead. The Bearcats finished the set by winning four of the last five points. In Set 2, Gering led a seesaw battle 13-12 before Auer had a tying kill and served five straight winning points. Pinedo made a reverse bump from the right sideline over the net that dropped in for the Bearcats’ leading point at 14-13. Gering drew to win a point twice before Scottsbluff win three of the last four points. In the final set, the Bulldogs jumped ahead 11-5 before the Bearcats rallied to overtake the hosts at 15-14 and built a 20-17 advantage. Gering got to within one on two occasions, but Auer’s kill at the net finished a 4-1 run for Scottsbluff and the victory. Sidney 3, Gering 1 That hump Schadwinkel said the Bulldogs couldn’t get over against Scottsbluff? Well, they did in a big way Tuesday night in taking the first set from the Red Raiders, 25-19. And the 28th-year, usually stoic Gering head coach let his emotions and excitement turn loose. “When the kids listen to me and they follow our game plan, it’s just so much fun to watch and see,” said Schadwinkel, whose team is just 2-11 since Sept. 28 but is trying to find some late-season success in order to avoid having to play in the five-team district‘s “bunny bracket” game. “Core-wise, I think our team is as good as anybody out there. It’s just that our record (6-22) doesn’t show it. We’re not giving up and we’re going to keep pushing through to districts, and that’s why you play the match. One of these times, it’s going to be on our side.” Sidney (20-5) began Set 2 with a 7-0 run and en route to a 25-12 victory to square the match. In the third set, the Red Raiders had a 23-19 lead before the Bulldogs charged back with five unanswered points, including three straight kills by Spreier, that had Schadwinkel jumping for joy. The set and a 2-1 Gering lead was on the serve of Prieels, who engineered the comeback run from the service line. But Sidney senior Karissa Segelke answered with a tying kill at 24. Segulke hit a wide shot to give the Bulldogs another set point, but a net violation put the serve back in Sidney’s hands. Three straight points later, the Red Raiders were the ones with the 2-1 lead after winning the set 27-25. The loss deflated Gering for the fourth set, falling behind 10-4 and watching Sidney win the set’s last 13 points for a 25-8 win and a 3-1 victory. “In the fourth set, we quit believing in ourselves, and then we became a very average team,” Schadwinkel said. “If anything else, we got their attention. We may not have won the war tonight, but I think we won quite a few battles, and it’s something we can really look forward to and continue to build our confidence. “They’ve got to believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. We have a great athletic team, and once we get all the pieces together, it’s going to be ugly on the other side of the net for somebody.” For the night, junior Savannah Walker made 11 kills with three digs and one block, while Spreier had six kills, three blocks and one service ace. O’Boyle made five kills, six blocks, three digs and one ace serve, while Prieels made 28 assists, two blocks, one dig and one kill. Defensively, Vowers had 27 digs with one assist, while Mitchell made seven digs, three blocks, one kill and two service aces. Boggs had five digs, four blocks, one assist and one kill. Gering finishes its regular-season dual schedule Thursday at home against Bridgeport, with the varsity match set for about 7 p.m. The Bulldogs and Scottsbluff will then be in Alliance on Saturday for the Pilfold Invitational. Gering is then off until District B-6 action, which is Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at Perkins County High School in Grant. Seedings for the five-team tournament will be announced on Oct. 25. Alliance 3, Scottsbluff 0 Just when the Bearcats began to gain some late-season momentum, they ran into an Alliance team that is making its own end-of-year charge. After losing the first two sets to the Bulldogs 25-9 and 25-21, Scottsbluff (9-18) found itself down 15-8 and in jeopardy of getting swept. But the Bearcats regained their footing and surged back to tie the set at 16-all, the first of three straight deadlocks. Scottsbluff then ran off four straight points to take a 22-18 lead and appeared ready to extend the match. But Alliance (15-10) stepped up to the challenge and scored seven unanswered points to head home with the sweep. The win improved the Bulldogs’ October record to 6-1 and was their fifth straight victory. Before Saturday’s tournament action in Alliance, Scottsbluff will take on North Platte in the Bearcats’ final home action Thursday night with first serve at about 7 p.m. Scottsbluff splits triangular After the Bearcats took care of Gering on Thursday, Scottsbluff earned a split of its home triangular Saturday by defeating McCook 25-20, 25-19 and giving a tough Ogallala team all the Indians could handle before Ogallala emerged with a 25-22, 15-18 win. Auer led the Bearcats offensively against McCook (11-17), a District B-6 foe, with eight kills, and she also had five digs with three assisted blocks. Pinedo had three kills and freshman Chesney Walker had two. Ehler made 12 set assists, while Walker made eight digs, Pinedo dug seven balls and Castro had five digs. Against Ogallala (20-9), Guerue had seven kills and shared the dig lead with Pinedo as each had 10. Walker, Castro and Auer had two kills apiece. Ehler had eight more assists and Pinedo had three while scoring two service aces. Bayard sweeps in Morrill The Tigers swept Hemingford and Morrill in a triangular at Morrill on Thursday, improving the Tigers‘ winning streak to eight out of 11 matches heading into their home triangular Tuesday against Creek Valley and Mitchell. Bayard needed three sets and a gritty comeback to down Hemingford 16-25, 25-23, 26-24 and had a relatively easier time in defeating Morrill 25-21, 25-19. For the matches, Breanna Korell scored 17 service points with four aces, five digs, three blocks and 19 set assists. Chellani Parriott followed with 13 kills, 10 digs and five blocks. Kaylyn Long added 18 set assists, 13 service points, four service aces, six digs and three blocks. Also for Bayard, Megan Stuart made 12 blocks, 10 service points and five kills, while Chandler Rummel made 17 digs, scored nine points and aced two serves. Mitchell defeated Bayard in two sets Tuesday night while the host Tigers (now 14-11) needed three sets to defeat Creek Valley. Mitchell 3, Bridgeport 0 In Thursday action at Bridgeport, the visiting Mitchell Tigers scored a 26-24, 25-13, 25-15 victory over the host Bulldogs. Senior Taylor Peters powered the Tigers’ victory with 16 kills, 19 digs, two service points and one ace block, while Chalsey Grentz added eight points, four service aces, 25 set assists and 13 digs. Mitchell (16-7) played in Bayard’s triangular on Tuesday night and defeated the host Tigers in two sets. Mitchell’s result against Creek Valley was unavailable at press time. |
| Scottsbluff boys, Gering girls ready to run for state meet success 2012-10-19 By Terry Gaston |
| Most of the attention on cross country in western Nebraska this season has rightfully been directed toward the Scottsbluff boys’ team and their highly favored bid to win a third straight Class B state championship. However, the Gering girls have their own mission for the state meet on Friday in Kearney after the Bulldogs just missed winning the District B-4 team championship by two points. Led by the sixth-place district finish of senior Rachel Huffman, Gering also had top-15 finishers in sophomore Kali Rimington in ninth and freshman Marisa Robles in 13th in leading the Bulldogs to their second-place total of 45 points at Ogallala. Lexington, with individual champion Vanessa Ambriz leading the way, took the team title with 43 points. “The girls ran a great race,” Gering girls’ coach Caleigh Barker said. “As a coach, you couldn’t ask for a better performance. You could tell from their warmups and the week’s events that they were ready. This is such a determined group of girls.” Huffman, Rimington, seniors Dakota Gellner and 2010 sixth-place state medalist Damaris Martinez, and freshman Hadley Kirk have the Bulldogs looking to make their mark in the pack on Friday. “Every single one of the girls raced well and they ran well for each other,” Barker said. “I think one thing is that Gering really prepares these kids from the start of the season. Some people want to just go to state, but we want to compete and we are getting them ready to have one more good race. State should be their best effort of the season.” Also competing in the Class B girls’ race is Scottsbluff sophomore Taylor Muncie, who earned a return trip by finishing in third at districts. Other girls competing at state include Bayard freshman Montana Belford, who finished third in the District D-5 meet in Grant, and Banner County junior Amanda Harrison, a third-time state qualifier after she finished ninth in the district race. Barker’s dad, Jim Barker, has the Scottsbluff boys running fantastically for their bid in becoming three-time team champions. The Bearcats captured five of the top six spots at the District B-4 boys’ event in Ogallala, led by sophomore Matthew Barraza in first and junior Anthony Parra in second. Junior Brendan Taedter finished fourth and senior Tayler James was fifth in totaling Scottsbluff’s nearly perfect team score of 12 points. But the Bearcats weren’t done making noise in the individual standings when junior Ben Willis-Teff came in sixth and senior Justin Pritchard placed eighth. All six Scottsbluff runners ran within a minute of each other, led by Barraza’s 16-minute winning time and capped with Pritchard’s clocking of 16:57. Parra was seven seconds behing Barraza with his runner-up finish. The Bearcats have three returning state medalists in Parra, who was third last year; Barraza, who placed fourth; and Pritchard, who took seventh. Gering qualified two individuals for state, with sophomore Michael Mapes finishing 11th in the district race and junior Aaron Pierce coming in 12th. Mitchell junior Tate Harvey and junior Levi Avila led the Tigers to a third-place team finish in the District C-5 competition. Harvey placed eighth and Avila came in 11th, just eight seconds apart. Other Tigers making the trip to state under coach Mike Harriger are senior Jeemy Carrizales, junior Luis Panduro, and freshmen Edward Grentz and Chase Watson. |
| Ill-depleted Tigers fall at Perkins County: Area football roundup 2012-10-19 By Terry Gaston |
| While the Bayard football schedule for last week required the Tigers to travel to Grant to play a football game Friday night against Perkins County, a key District C2-10 match-up, a tougher opponent reared its ugliness on several team members even before the Tigers left Bayard. A fall coach’s late-season nightmare, the early-season flu bug. An outbreak of stomach flu left the 3-4 Tigers – who at full strength would have been decisive underdogs anyway to the 6-1 Plainsmen in what resulted in a 39-6 decision for Perkins County, missing senior rusher-receiver Allen Denton and senior Tyson Schmunk unable to compete at full strength. Junior quarterback Zac Rice, whom Bayard coach Philep Willey said was the first Tiger player to come down with the flu as he arrived at school Friday morning, was able to shake most of his symptoms and complete 60 percent of his passes (15 of 25) for 178 yards. “First off, Zac got sick when he showed up at school, then Allen got it at noon, then Dustin McDaniel and Tyson Schmunk,” Willey said. “Allen went home, Tyson suited but could only play about a quarter, and some of the other guys who aren’t starters went home.” Rice completed a 25-yard, second-quarter touchdown to senior Braydon Parriott midway through the second quarter, cutting Perkins County’s lead to 20-6. Unfortunately, it was all the scoring Bayard could muster against a Plainsmen team that has lost just one game, an out-of-state visit to Oberlin, Kan. “Zac played a pretty good game for how the day started for him,” Willey said of Rice, who had two interceptions. “And then I started getting sick at about halftime. Fortunately, it was a 24-hour deal. “We moved the ball OK, but I don’t think it would have mattered if we were healthy, because we could not tackle their quarterback,” Willey said. “He was fast.” Rice ran the ball 16 times for 42 yards, while junior Tristan Hunter jumped into the lineup for the absent Denton to run for 30 yards on 12 carries. Parriott caught six passes for 145 yards. Hoping to have his team at full strength for Thursday’s season finale, in what could be a playoff game in itself when the Tigers play host to the equally 3-4 and improving Kimball Longhorns, Willey said he hopes his team can step up to the challenge and clinch a third straight Class C2 playoff berth. “It is definitely for all the marbles,” he said. “It seems like it has become a pretty good rivalry game, so that adds to the fire. The kids really want to get into the playoffs, but we will have to play well to beat Kimball.” Chadron 47, Mitchell 3 After opening the season with losses to Class B Alliance and Gering, the host Cardinals improved to 5-2 overall and remained unbeaten in District C1-10 in routing Mitchell. The Tigers (1-6, 0-3 district) had a 36-yard field goal from junior Bo McVay, but the Tigers were already well down after trailing 33-0 at halftime. Adam Schlotthauer led the Tigers in rushing with 54 yards. Mitchell looks to a home game Friday against Gordon-Rushville (3-4) with the hopes of closing out the season in a positive fashion. Hemingford 67, Morrill 22 At Hemingford, the host Bobcats improved to 7-0 by handing Morrill (2-5) its fifth straight loss in the teams’ District D1-10 contest. Hemingford struck with 44 first-quarter points and led 60-6 at halftime. Morrill senior Taylor Lackey ran for a second-quarter touchdown from 5 yards out and completed second-half TD passes to Sheldon Le for 11 yards and to Colten Miller for 26 yards. Miller had a team-leading 10 tackles with six solo efforts and four assists. Jorge Lara had three solo stops and 11 assists, and Matt Hessler added four solo tackles and five assists. The Lions will travel to Sutherland (0-7) on Thursday in search of their first victory since they started the season 2-0. Arcadia 68, Minatare 18 The host Huskies (4-3) had their way with Minatare (1-5) in winning by 50 points. The Indians will look to close out the season on a high note when they play host to Elba/North Loup-Scotia (3-4) in a Friday game that kicks off at 2 p.m. Garden Co. 58, Banner Co. 20 At Harrisburg, the visiting Eagles improved to 7-0 with their win over Banner County (0-7) in District D2-10 play. The Wildcats will finish out their season Friday at home against Crawford (1-6). |
| Bearcats outrush Bulldogs to win offensive slugfest: Speedy Alliance attack leaves Scottsbluff defense vulnerable 2012-10-19 By Terry Gaston |
| While a highly potent offensive attack has been a consistent factor in the Scottsbluff football team’s winning its first eight games this season, the Bearcats’ stellar defense has been equally rock solid. But the Alliance Bulldogs provided quite a challenge to Scottsbluff’s defense, compiling more than double the yardage the Bearcats had allowed per game in their first seven contests. Nearly 800 total offensive yards and another 211 return yards later, the Bearcats added to their undefeated record and finally broke loose from the explosive Bulldogs in the fourth quarter for a 49-33 victory at Bulldog Stadium. “I thought we played great on offense,” Scottsbluff coach Joe Benson said Monday of the Bearcats’ 381 yards from scrimmage, anchored by senior Matt T. Klein’s 227 yards and three touchdowns. “And we played great on special teams,” he added of his team’s 186 return yards that included a 48-yard punt return by senior Klein and a 79-yard kickoff return by senior Luke Worden for touchdowns in the third quarter. Worden had four kick returns for 121 yards, and senior Randy Wentz was perfect on seven point-after-TD kicks while averaging nearly 50 yards per kickoff and forcing numerous touchbacks. “Our defense,” Benson bluntly said after the Bearcats allowed Alliance 487 total offensive yards, although Wentz had an interception, “must improve.” Scottsbluff entered the District B-8 game averaging 216 yards allowed per game, but Benson said the Bearcats may have not seen the team speed with which the Bulldogs behind senior quarterback Isaac Burnham and senior tailback Mitch Pancost attacked the SHS defense. “Mostly, Alliance has great team speed,” Benson said. “They are one of the fastest teams we have seen, if not the fastest we will see all season.” Scottsbluff outgained Alliance on the ground, 309 rushing yards to 214, but the Bulldogs’ total was nearly double that which the Bearcats’ defense had allowed in their first seven games. And the 33 points Alliance scored was about one-third of the Bearcats’ scoring total of 96 points allowed this season. Pancost led Alliance’s ground charge with 134 yards on 28 carries, while Burnham had 46 yards on 10 rushes. Burnam had 13 completions for 283 passing yards and three touchdowns, including an 80-yard scoring play by Pancost off a screen pass that gave the Bulldogs a 21-14, second-quarter lead. Klein scored on Scottsbluff’s next series with a 59-yard rush that knotted the score at 21-all at halftime. Klein and Worden’s touchdown returns helped give the Bearcats a 35-33 lead after three periods, and Scottsbluff sealed the hard-fought victory with two more scores in the fourth quarter. Following Klein in rushing for the Bearcats was senior Tim Magdaleno, who added 40 yards on four carries. Worden had 23 yards on six rushes. Senior quarterback Eric Moreno had 4 of 9 completions for 72 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown connection with Taylor Winkler that pulled Scottsbluff even with Alliance at 14-all in the second quarter. Sidney is riding its first victory of the season into Bearcat Stadium on Friday night on the heels of a 257-yard, three-TD rushing attack by Logan Lewis in the Red Raiders’ 44-24 home rout of Gering. Benson said plenty of defensive focus on stopping the rush in the teams’ regular-season finale was to be a key focus in practice this week. “We need to stop Sidney’s running game to have a chance to win,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.” Despite their two district victories over Gering (4-4, 1-1 district) and Alliance (5-3, 1-1 district), the Bearcats are playoff bound but still have not clinched the District B-8 title. “The district is up for grabs,” Benson said. Sidney (1-7, 1-1 district) has a chance to steal the district title if the Red Raiders can pull off the surprise against Scottsbluff on Friday at Bearcat Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. |
| First-year Bulldogs, Bearcats look to build on state tennis experiences 2012-10-19 By Terry Gaston |
| Scottsbluff boys’ tennis coach Ron Swank got to witness his first state tournament by a Bearcat entry in his two years at the SHS helm. Perhaps Gering coach Matt Palomo can say the same next season after the first-year Bulldogs were all first-round victims in the Class B State tournament at the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln. Scottsbluff’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Traver Pettijohn and sophomore Sean Mercer-Smith scored the Bearcats’ first state victory in Swank’s two years and in several years beforehand. Mercer-Smith and Pettijohn were dominant in scoring a 6-1, 6-2 victory over the College View Academy team of seniors Curtis Moseley and Tyler Mathews. “We got points, so I am excited,” Swank said of the four points gained by Mercer-Smith and Pettijohn, which put the Bearcats in a seven-way tie for 18th place in the team standings. In the second round, Mercer-Smith and Pettijohn were shut out 6-0, 6-0 by the No. 4 seeded Holdrege team of juniors Jared Karlson and Walker Hohensee, who eventually went on to win the No. 1 doubles state title without losing a set. Swank said he wishes he had Pettijohn for another year. “He has come a long way since last year; he couldn’t keep the ball in the court then,” said Swank, who deems the entire season a success from last year. “Our new courts sure were a blessing,” he said. “We finished the season with 13 players and we had eight come out last year. We are making progress, and that’s all you can ask. “It’s a good year when you have 10 people letter also, which means we had a lot of players get enough varsity matches in. We’ve got a lot of good experience across the board now.” Scottsbluff junior No. 1 singles player Alex Harbach lost his first-round match to College View Academy sophomore Jonathan Deemer 6-2, 6-0. Deemer then lost his second-round match in straight sets. In No. 2 singles, Scottsbluff sophomore Eric Olson lost 6-1, 6-0 to McCook senior Tristan Thomas in his opening match. Thomas was then taken out in the second round, able to muster just one second-set game victory. Scottsbluff’s No. 2 doubles tandem of freshman Blake Wilberger and junior Logan Woodward lost 6-2, 6-1 to York sophomores Logan Cobb and Hayden Sandall. The York tandem then lost in the second round in straight sets. Palomo, the longtime coach in the Gering Tennis Club, said he felt his transition to the high school circuit was good for both him and the Bulldog players. “We wanted to keep keep our people challenged and reinforced, and that is what I thought they could do,” Palomo said of his 10-player team. “We got them to believe in what they can do and go out and execute it.” Success for the Bulldogs in their first year at state will come in learning lessons, Palomo said, and he thinks the Gering players did well in that regard. In No. 1 singles, Gering junior Brian Doll lost his first-round match to York senior Creighton Loreman, 6-1, 6-4. Loreman then lost his second-round match in straight sets to No. 2 seeded Adams Central senior Jordan Nash, who eventually finished fourth. In No. 2 singles, Gering freshman Jason Doll lost his first-round match to the No. 9 seed, Adams Central senior Zane Nelson, 6-0, 6-1. Nelson advanced into the quarterfinals, where he lost in straight sets to eventual No. 2 singles champion Zahler Zandt, a sophomore from Elkhorn South. Gering’s No. 1 doubles team of juniors Vincent Moreno and Anthony Ramirez were dealt a 6-0, 6-1 defeat to Elkhorn seniors Caden Bischof and Sawyer Nietfeld. Bischolf and Nietfeld met their fate in the second round in straight sets. At No. 2 doubles, Gering junior Noah Miller and sophomore Alex Luphar were downed by Adams Central senior Grant Ostrander and junior Garrett Moller 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. The Central team then lost in straight sets in the second round. “They weren’t intimidated by the atmosphere and the great competition they saw in Lincoln,” Palomo said. “They know they have a lot of work to do and they now know what it takes to get to that level. “We had an incredible season from day one, and the character they reflected is such a building block,” he added. “Already we have several others interested in coming out next year, and the kids we had this year set their standards high.” Elkhorn South, which swept the singles titles, finished second in No. 2 doubles and third in No. 1 doubles, scored 51 points to repeat as team champion. Omaha Skutt Catholic was second with 36-1/2 points and Lincoln Christian was third with 34. |
| Gering Bulldogs fall short against Sidney 44-24 2012-10-19 By Philip Eckerberg Special to the Citizen |
| SIDNEY — The Gering Bulldog football team sought to get back on a winning note Friday as they headed to Sidney to take on the 0-6 Red Raiders but it was not to be. The Raiders brought in their first win of the season with a score of 44-24. The game got off on the right foot for Gering as junior Gage Smith stuck Sidney with a touchback on the opening kickoff and Sidney started at the 20 yard line. The first play from scrimmage quarterback Lane Harvey fumbled the snap on the first play from scrimmage giving the ball back to the Bulldogs in great field position. Four plays later Smith scored on a direct snap, extra point good it was quickly 7-0 Gering with 9:55 left in the first quarter. The ensuing kickoff boosted the Red Raiders as Sidney started from their 49 yard line. The Red Raiders marched down the field as Sidney’s Chance Anglin scored on a 10 yard end around for a touchdown. With their kicker out with a concussion the Red Raiders failed on a 2 point conversion giving Gering the 7-6 lead with 8:36 left to go in the first quarter. The following possession Gering tried to catch Sidney off guard as Smith attempted a punt fake on fourth down but the pass fell short giving the Red Raiders the ball on downs. Sidney found the end zone on the next possession as Logan Lewis scored a 29 yard run for a touchdown on fourth, Dru Estrada scored on the 2-point conversion giving Sidney a 14-7 lead with to 2:59 left to play in the first. Gering failed to find the end zone on their next possesion settling instead for a Gage Smith 29 yard field goal to make the score 14-10 Sidney with 8:43 to go in the second quarter. The two teams then traded possessions and on the following Gage Smith punt setup the Sidney offense at their own one yard line as Gage Winkler put on a great second effort to down the ball, Sidney then punted the ball a few plays later. The following possession Smith threw an interception to Sidney’s Lane Harvey with a 77 yard return setting up the Red Raiders at the Bulldog’s three yard line. Logan Lewis handled the rest scoring from two yards out with another successful 2-point conversion making the score 22-10 Sidney at half time. The next Bulldog possession was a costly one as Jake Rexus fumbled the ball giving it back to Sidney. The Red Raiders moved the ball down the field with a 77 yard run by Lewis to the one yard line. Lewis then finished the job scoring on the next play with a successful 2-point conversion made the score 30-17 Sidney with 3:28 to go in the third quarter. Gering answered on the following possession with a 20 yard run by Smith into the end zone and a good PAT by to make it 30-24 Sidney with 10:50 to go in the fourth quarter. Sidney responded quickly with one of their four passes of the night as Lane Harvey threw a pass to Lucas Rosenbaum for a 30 yard touchdown with a good 2 point conversion 6:32 left in the fourth quarter Sidney led 38-24. The following Bulldog possession Smith broke a spectacular 80 yard touchdown run that was nullified by a holding penalty. Two possessions later with less than a minute left in the game Sidney scored one more time on fourth down and 23 Gering’s back was against the wall and just a few seconds left the Bulldogs attempt at getting a first down failed as Sidney’s Bryant Dagg intercepted the ball and ran it in for a touchdown with another successful 2-point conversion 44-24 Sidney to round out the scoring. Having suffered a loss with four players out on injury, runningback James Guzman, quarterback Dillon DeMott, defensive end Joey Orozco, and Baylen Smith, Gering Coach Jimmie Rhodes declined to speak with the media after the game on Friday. Gering moves to 4-4 (0-2) on the season with Sidney gaining their first win to move to 1-7 (1-1). Gering squares off in the battle of the Bulldogs against Alliance on Homecoming night Friday in Gering, while Sidney heads to Scottsbluff Friday for the district matchup against the 8-0 Bearcats. |
| WNCC soccer drops matches against Northwest 2012-10-19 By Gering Citizen |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team made a strong finish, but the Cougar men came up short against Northwest College, falling 3-2 Saturday afternoon at the Landers Soccer Complex. The Cougar women also played tough, but once again had trouble finding the back of the net in falling to Northwest College 3-0 in action Saturday. WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said both teams are hampered with injuries. Still, both teams played well in the second halves. “We were banged up in the men’s game. We had a couple of our starting defenders out and we had to move Jacob [Santos] into the back to play defender. I have been looking at my bench right know and we are beat up with ankles and knees and pulled groins,” Rasnic said. “The good news is that they are starting to get a little bit consistency in their play and they are starting to get better in the offensive third of the field. We are going to keep playing and see how the playoffs go. We get an automatic berth in the playoffs and hopefully we get up against a team that we can battle with.” The WNCC men played much better in the second half than the first. In the opening 45 minutes, Northwest scored twice. The first goal was made by Gage Woodward, who went one-on-one with WNCC goal keeper Joey Rasnic, made a move and was wide open for an easy score in the 29th minute. Northwest’s second goal came eight minutes later as Kris Mull scored off an assist from Woodward for the 2-0 halftime lead. WNCC sliced the lead in half with 20 minutes to play in the match as Daniel Agnew lofted shot from 45-feet out that looped into the net. Rasnic said that Agnew saw the goal keeper off line and hit the long shot for the goal. Two minutes later, though, Northwest went up 3-1 after James McMorrow scored off two fabulous saves from Joey Rasnic, but the third shot went in. The Cougars got to within on at 3-2 with 4:19 to play as Jacob Santos intercepted a pass and went straight to the hit and knocked the ball into the net for the score. WNCC had a couple other prime scoring chances to tie the game, but couldn’t get a good kick on the ball. Northwest outshot WNCC 28-7 and held the corner kick advantage 3-2. Joey Rasnic made 13 saves in net. The women’s game was a tale of two halves. The Cougar women started off strong with two early shot attempts that just missed. After that, Northwest scored its first goal with 15 minutes gone. The Trappers went up 2-0 on a goal by Samantha Schneider for the halftime lead. The second half saw Northwest go up 3-0 just seven minutes into the half on a goal by Samiha Simao. After that, WNCC kept fighting to get a goal as they had plenty of prime scoring chances, but couldn’t put the right touch on the ball. Northwest out shot WNCC 20-5 and held a 4-1 corner kick advantage. Patty Sylvester had eight saves in net for the Cougars. Both Cougar teams will be back in action at home next Friday and Saturday when they host Trinidad State Junior College and Otero Junior College in the regular season finales. |
| WNCC volleyball team sweeps Trinidad for 30th season win 2012-10-19 By Gering Citizen |
| TRINIDAD, Colo. — The second-ranked Western Nebraska Community College volleyball team continued to breeze along in south sub-region play sweeping past Trinidad State Junior College 26-24, 25-12, 25-20 Saturday afternoon in Trinidad, Colo. The win was the Cougars 24th straight victory and it was the team's 30th win of the season. On top of that, the Cougars have now won 42 straight sets. The Cougars, however, came close in dropping the first set but battled back to get the first-set win 26-24. Assistant coach Fatima Balza said they were down 16-11 at one time and trailed 21-19 before tying the game at 22-22. A big key in the win was a big scoring run by freshman Yoro Tovar that helped spark the team. After that, the Cougars finished off the Trojans with the 25-12 and 25-20 wins. Priscila Mendes led the Cougars with a double-double of 10 points and 10 digs. Tovar and Danika Youngblood each tallied nine kills. Tovar also had four blocks, while Youngblood had 11 digs. Also for the Cougars, Morgan Broussard tallied two kills, two blocks, nine digs, and 41 set assists; Kat Agson had six kills and three blocks; Megan Johnson had five kills; Allora Tanner had four kills; Lauren Knox had four digs; Alex Rivera had 20 digs; and Tasha Meyer had five digs. The Cougars' final two home games will be this weekend when they host Northeastern Junior College on Friday and Casper College on Saturday. |
| Krzyzanowski finishes prep career as 4th state medalist, Rahmig 15th : Scottsbluff 3rd as team, young Gering squad finishes in 4th 2012-10-15 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski bettered her score in the second day of play Tuesday in the Class B State Girls’ Golf Championships in Lincoln. But Krzyzanowski, a four-time state medalist, had to settle for the fourth-place medal after her count of 80 gave her a two-day total of 18-over-par 162 at Mahoney Golf Course. As a team, the Bulldogs nearly matched their first-round, second-place total of 361 by carding 365 on Tuesday. But the difference, combined with Scottsbluff’s 12-stroke improvement that pulled the Bearcats out of a fourth-place tie into third by meet’s end, left Gering in fourth at 726. As a bonus, however, Gering also had sophomore Sam Rahmig earn the 15th-place medal in her first state tournament. Rahmig bettered her 89 from Monday by one stroke to finish in a tie for 14th at 177 but settled for the 15th and final medal in a tie break. “Fourth is good, and looking back we had a really great season and it’s remarkable how far we’ve come the past two years,” second-year Gering coach Annie Boggs said after the Bulldogs placed first or second in every tournament that counted team scores this fall — with three team titles and six runner-up finishes, plus the lowest team score in the Best in the West Classic. “And to have two medalists in Kaitlyn and Sam gives us a lot of positives.” Rahmig said her round Tuesday began with more negatives, however. “On the front nine, nothing was dropping and I wasn’t very happy,” Rahmig said of Tuesday’s wind-plagued second round. “But on the back nine I shot 40 and I was dropping some really long putts.” Krzyzanowski had the third-best score in Tuesday’s final round, but there was no stopping McCook senior Kaylee Samway. Samway not only maintained her first-round lead but secured top-medalist honors by carding a 1-under-par 71 for a 148 total and victory over Elkhorn South junior Nicolle Barmettler by nine strokes. Elkhorn South senior Ann Pearson, last year’s state medalist champion, came in at 160 (79-81). “The weather was typical for this time of year, cold and windy, but obviously with Samway hitting a 71 it didn’t bother her much,” Boggs said. “She just went out and had the best day of her career.” Krzyzanowski finished second to Pearson in 2011 and — before she transferred to Gering from Scottsbluff — was third as a sophomore after finishing in a tie for 15th as a freshman in 2009. “Of course we would have liked to have seen Kaitlyn finish a little higher, but she has had an outstanding high school career,” Boggs said of Krzyzanowski, who entered the state meet as the District B-4 champion and with eight tournament titles in each of her junior and senior seasons. Rahmig said she will carry her first state experience into a hard-working off-season of preparation for next fall. “We’ll just keep up the hard work,” she said. “I worked all summer for this and it’s exciting to see what the outcome is.” Gering junior Kendall Bayne, who was tied for 13th after Monday’s first round of 87, slipped to a tie for 21st after her Tuesday round of 95 left her with a 182 total. Gering junior Amber Fertig and sophomore Ashlyn Schultz, who were tied for 53rd at 103 after Monday’s round, finished separated by one stroke and two places. Schultz followed with a 101 for a 204 total and a tie for 50th, while Fertig completed Tuesday at 102 for a 205 and a tie for 52nd. Gering’s scores were fairly steady from the first round, but the Bulldogs — in second after Monday’s first-day action at 361 — slipped to fourth after Scottsbluff’s 12-stroke improvement. The Bearcats, tied for fourth after carding a 367 on Monday, turned in a 355 count Tuesday for a 722 total. Elkhorn South (328-333 — 661) won the Class B title again and McCook was second at 696 after matching its first-day count of 348 on Tuesday. Elkhorn South had all five of its team members finish among the top 16. “They were putting better today,” Scottsbluff coach Mike Klein said of the Bearcats’ rounds Tuesday. “Yesterday (Monday), they putted a lot more. Today they hit the ball better and their short games were better.” Junior Kim Moore bagged Scottsbluff’s only top-15 medal with her six-stroke improvement in a two-day score of 90-84 — 174, which was good enough for a tie for 11th place. Moore finished Monday’s first round in a tie for 20th place. Moore had Bearcat company in the top 20 in junior Megan Pilkington (89-90) in a tie for 17th at 179 with Alliance’s Danielle Brennan (87-92) — the same position in which Pilkington was after Monday’s round — while Scottsbluff sophomore Jordan York (93-88 — 181) finished in a tie for 19th, improving nine spots from Monday. Also for Scottsbluff, senior Ashlee Pilkington finished in a four-way for 29th after finishing at 95-93 — 188, improving her final placement by three spots. Freshman Hannah Holloway finished in a tie for 58th after following her opening round of 102 with a 113 for 215 total. “It was fine,” Klein said of the Bearcats’ second straight third-place finish, from which only Ashlee Pilkington will graduate in May. Scottsbluff preceded the two straight bronze-medal team finishes with three straight Class B team championships, four of the previous five and five in eight seasons. The foundation for that return to golden glory is in the works, Klein said. “A lot of the girls haven’t played golf but two or three years, and they are getting more consistent,” he said. “We have all but one back and another who was injured (junior Morgan Lease), and these girls will play a lot and they’ll come back next year.” |
| Pilkington ties for 11th at Class C State Golf Tournament 2012-10-15 By Terry Gaston |
| In the Class C competition at Quail Run Golf Course, Bayard junior JaLee Pilkington picked up a medal in her second trip to state, finishing in a tie for 11th with her count of 93-97 — 190. Pilkington finished just one stroke back of the top 10 and well back of the deadlock in first, at which Ogallala sophomore Maaika Mestl and Grand Island Central Catholic’s McKenna Kime finished at 166. Kime, who led the first round by four strikes at 10-over 82, won state medalist honors in a playoff over Mestl and paced Central Catholic to the team championship with scores of 369 and 377 for 746. Ogallala was second at 365-386 — 751. Norfolk Catholic placed third at 386-398 — 784, 10 strokes ahead of fourth-place Chadron at 394-400 — 794. Bridgeport moved from 14th to ninth in the team standings by chopping 58 strokes off the Bulldogs’ first-day, 14th-place count of 456 — which left them in 14th among the 15 competing teams. Bridgeport seniors Tara Harding and Jada Huck improved their first-day scores drastically, with Harding following her 108 Monday with a 90 Tuesday to finish at 198 and a tie for 21st. Huck claimed a tie for 28th after following her 109 Monday with a 93 Tuesday for a 202 count. Other Bridgeport golfers included junior Breanne Franklin, in 70th after knocking 16 strokes off her first-day count for a 122-106 — 228. Junior Kimberly Mueller improved on her score by five strokes in finishing in a three-way tie for 71st at 117-112 — 229. Sophomore Cassidy Mitchell rounded out the Bulldogs’ ladder with her 77th-place score of 232 (123-109). Mitchell sophomore Emily Snyder improved her first-day score by eight strokes, finishing at 200 and in a tie for 24th place. Snyder’s 96 also improved her standing from a tie for 37th after the first round. Chadron senior Kelli Haynes finished her prep career with a fifth-place state finish at 175 (87-88). |
| Cats tame the Dogs in annual rivalry game 2012-10-15 By Philip Eckerberg Special to the Citizen |
| One of the most anticipated sporting events in the Panhandle took place Friday as the Scottsbluff Bearcats and the Gering Bulldogs locked up for their annual rivalry game at Gering’s Memorial Stadium. Historically Gering has not fared well in the last 10 years against the Bearcats as Gering has only beaten Scottsbluff three times in 2003, 2004, and 2009. Gering received the opening kickoff and after just three plays and 59 seconds Gering quarterback Dillon De Mott threw an interception to Matt Klein who ran 50 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, Randy Wentz tacked on the extra point to make it 7-0 Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff would strike again when Tim Magdaleno ran five yards into the end zone with 4:40 left in the first quarter, a Randy Wentz PAT made the score 14-0. Gering went three and out on their next possession giving the ball back to the Bearcats. Scottsbluff made quick work of the possession scoring in two plays as Magdaleno scored from 20 yards out and another extra point by Randy Wentz to make the score 21-0 Bearcats. Gering finally answered on their fourth possession, setup by Gering senior James Guzman, who had a spectacular run setting up the Bulldogs at the Bluffs 20 yard line. Guzman left the game with a knee injury after that run and didn’t return. Junior Gage Smith carried the load from there on and got Gering on the scoreboard breaking a 20 yard run for the score, Smith tacked on the extra point making the score 21-7 Scottsbluff with 20 seconds left in the first quarter. With 7:27 left in the first half Matt Klein ran the ball in from two yards out, another Wentz extra point to make it 28-7 Bluffs. Gering on their next possession turned the ball over after a Gage Smith fumble Scottsbluff recovered the ball in great field position but the Gering defense held their own holding the Cats to a 31 yard field goal by Wentz to make the score 31-7 with 3:31 left in the first half. With four seconds left in the first half Scottsbluff opened up their bag of tricks, scoring on the ensuing play as quarterback Eric Moreno pitched the ball off to Matt Klein who found an open Luke Worden for a 50 yard touchdown pass. Randy Wentz added the extra point to make it 38-7 at half time. Both sides would share possessions to open the second half as the Bulldogs found the end zone again as Nic Ferreyra scored on a run from 13 yards out and Gage Smith kicked an extra point to make it 38-14 with 1:15 left in the third quarter to round out the scoring improving Scottsbluff’s record to 7-0 while Gering falls to 4-3. On the final play of the game Gering tried to find the end zone one more time as De Mott lobbed a Hail Mary pass. After the game, Gering Coach Jimmie Rhodes had positive things to say about the Bearcats, “Scottsbluff is a very good football team,” said Rhodes “Turnovers and penalties don’t win ball games and that’s what happened to us tonight.” The 7-0 (1-0) Bearcats will head to Alliance next Friday as they take on the Bulldogs, while Gering 4-3 (0-1) looks to get back on the winning track at Sidney against the Red Raiders. |
| Gering girls finish softball season 2012-10-15 By Citizen Staff |
| The Gering Lady Bulldogs entered the Class B, District 6 softball tournament in McCook as the top seed, but were eliminated after a 15-1 loss to Cozad. The Haymakers got on the board in a hurry on Sept. 5 with four runs in the first inning. They scored another six runs in the second and never looked back. The team’s final five runs came in the fourth inning. Miscues on defense hurt the Bulldogs, who committed five errors while Cozad had none. Gering only managed two hits compared to 14 for the Haymakers. Gering opened the tournament on Sept. 4, losing a close a one-run 19-18 game to Lexington. Later in the day, the Bulldogs bounced back with a convincing 21-10 victory over Alliance. But they ran out of gas on Friday in the elimination game with Cozad. Even with the earlier-than-expected exit from post-season play, the team was proud of what they accomplished. Gering finished the regular season with a 21-7 record, just one victory shy of the school’s season record for most wins. Two of their goals, to win the Scottsbluff Tournament and run off a 12-game winning streak were accomplished. Although some key players will be lost next season to graduation, the team still has a good group of younger players who will step up to grow the program in the next few years. |
| Area volleyball round up 2012-10-15 By Citizen Staff Report |
| The Gering Lady Bulldogs fell to Cheyenne East in a tough battle 25-14, 25-19 and 25-18 on Tuesday, Oct. 9 in Cheyenne, Wyo. The win marks their 25th against only three losses while Gering dropped to 6-20. Even though they lost, Gering Coach Craig Schadwinkel was optimistic afterwards, saying he was pleased with how the team played against the very competitive Cheyenne school. The next match for Gering is against rival Scottsbluff, this one on Thursday night, Oct 11 in Gering. The last matchup between these two river rivals resulted in a Bulldog victory, 2-1. Also on Thursday, Morrill hosts a triangular with Bayard and Hemingford, while Mitchell travels to Bridgeport. In other Tuesday night action the Lady Longhorns of Kimball posted a 25-20, 25-15, 25-12 win at home over the visiting Lady Tigers. Amber Kilgore, Kelly Green and Darbi Klinkhammer combined for 18 kills while Klinkhammer also had 10 assists and four ace serves. Other action around the area from earlier in the week included: On Thursday, Oct. 4, the undefeated and No. 5 ranked Chadron Lady Cardinals were too much for the Lady Bearcats Thursday night as they downed Scottsbluff in three sets, 25-8, 25-19, 25-20. Scottsbluff was led by Alexus Pinedo with two kills while Conner Ehler and MaKayla Castro combined for seven ace serves. Lauren Miller finished with seven digs and Brayden Auer had one kill and one block in the tough loss to the Chadron. Only two area teams were in action on Friday, Oct. 5. The young Lady Indians of Minatare were dominated by Arthur County in three sets, 25-17, 25-14, 25-14 (3-0) while Banner County fell to Hay Springs, 25-21, 25-16, 25-15. Saturday, Oct. 6 was the busiest day of volleyball this week with several area teams playing in the annual Western Conference Volleyball Tournament hosted by Alliance. In Pool A it was Alliance, Chadron and Scottsbluff with games played at Alliance High School. Alliance defeated Scottsbluff, 25-23, 25-11 in the first game, and Chadron defeated Alliance, 25-14, 25-17 in the second, and then the Chadron-Scottsbluff matchup which resulted in another Lady Cardinal win in two sets, 25-19 and 25-20. In Pool B it was Sidney, Gering and Mitchell with games played at Alliance Middle School. In the first match, it was a nail-biter as Mitchell downed Gering 25-22, 25-23. The second match was not as close as Sidney downed the Lady Bulldogs of Gering 25-7, 25-17. The last contest in Pool B had Sidney defeating Mitchell in two sets, 25-13 and 25-16. The fifth place matchup was played at the middle school and was a great one that pitted the Gering Lady Bulldogs against the Scottsbluff Lady Bearcats with Gering victorious in three sets, 25-23, 22-25 and 28-26. Gering’s Savannah Walker led the team with 27 kills and added 19 digs, five blocks, and three ace serves. Santanna Mitchell totalled 25 kills, led with 34 digs and had seven blocks; while Kelsea Prieels led with 58 assists, had 20 digs, and three ace serves. Allie Boggs tallied 23 digs and 11 blocks while Katie O’Boyle had 10 digs, 10 blocks, and two ace serves. The third place contest was played at the high school with host Alliance defeating Mitchell 25-13, 25-17. The championship games showcased two area teams that are having tremendous seasons. Sidney is 18-5 on the season, while the Chadron girls were undefeated and ranked No. 5 in the state. Perhaps the biggest surprise came when the undefeated Chadron Lady Cardinals fell to the Sidney Lady Red Raiders in two sets 25-20, 25-23. Sidney was hot over the weekend, defeating Gering and Mitchell as well, to go 3-0 on the day to capture the conference championship. Banner County was also in action Saturday, losing to Leyton, 25-7, 25-15 and Pine Bluffs, Wyo., 25-17, 25-22. |
| Gering, Scottsbluff netters prep for state competition 2012-10-15 By Terry Gaston |
| David vs. Goliath might not exemplify the battle that the first-year Gering boys’ tennis team faces in the Class B State Tournament, which takes place Thursday and Friday at the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln. The same could be said for the six players who will represent Scottsbluff. Nevertheless, the two delegations to the state tournament from Scotts Bluff County will accept the tall challenge each entry faces, though to their fortune only one entry for each school will take on a seeded opponent. In No. 1 singles, Scottsbluff junior Alex Harbach will take on College View Academy sophomore Jonathan Deemer, the No. 12 seed at 15-5 on the season. Gering junior Brian Doll faces York senior Creighton Loreman in the first round. Also in No. 1 singles, Alliance senior Keagan Hill, who beat both Harbach and Doll in the Gering Triangular on Sept. 25, is the No. 10 seed at 21-4 and faces Waverly freshman Seth Howe in first-round play. At No. 2 singles, Gering freshman Jason Doll faces Adams Central senior Zane Nelson, the No. 9 seed. Scottsbluff sophomore faces a familiar competitor in conference foe Tristan Thomas, a senior from McCook. No. 1 doubles action matches Scottsbluff sophomore Sean Mercer-Smith and Bearcat senior Traver Pettijohn against College View Academy seniors Curtis Moseley and Tyler Matthews. For Gering, juniors Vincent Moreno and Anthony Ramirez will face Elkhorn seniors Caden Bischof and Sawyer Nietfeld. In No. 2 doubles, Gering junior Noah Miller and sophomore Alex Lupher will take on the Adams Central pair of senior Grant Ostrander and junior Garrett Moller. Scottsbluff freshman Blake Wilberger and junior Logan Woodward will face York sophomores Logan Cobb and Hayden Sandall. Elkhorn South has No. 1 seeds in senior Nikita Fomichev (24-1) at No. 1 singles, sophomore Zahler Zandt (21-3) at No. 2 singles, and senior Alec Lubben and junior Patrick Thomas (17-1) at No. 1 doubles. South has the No. 5 seeded team in No. 2 doubles, where Lincoln Pius X senior Davis Warner and sophomore Adam Olson (18-9) are the top seeds. |
| Gering junior varsity runner takes fourth at Sidney Invite 2012-10-15 By Gering Citizen |
| SIDNEY — Members of the Gering Bulldogs Cross Country Team hit the road last week for the Sidney Invitational. The Gering Junior Varsity boys’runner, sophomore Ben Horrocks took fourth place. The varsity squad had no members in the top ten at this invitational. The Sidney Raider men won the boys’ invitational with the Chadron Lady Cardinals winning the girls.’ Varsity Boys Sam Arterburn, Sidney, 17:04 ; Jachob Wiedeburg, Sidney, 17:38.00; Alec Burk, Chadron, 18:13; Hayden Lienemann, Sidney, 18:20; Phil Duncan, Chadron, 18:34; Calder Rosdail, Sidney, 18:40; Ryan Waggener, Alliance, 18:54; Ryan Birner, Sidney, 18:54; Logan Uhlir, Sidney, 18:55; Thomas McClure, Chadron, 19:10. Junior Varsity Boys Jacob Schaub, Sidney, 19:02; Mitchell Renkert, Sidney, 19:42; Gage Lehl, Alliance, 19:57; Ben Horrocks, Gering, 21:05; Allen Kissack, Sidney, 21:16; Jordan Coe, Sidney, 21:18; Nick Banaszak, Sidney, 21:22; Eli Rischling, Alliance, 21:24; Manjesh Mogallapalli, Sidney, 21:37; Dillion Vogt, Chadron, 21:41. Other local Finishes 14,Kelsey Hutson, Gering; 16Edmond Liu, Gering, 22:42; 17, Seth Leathermon, Gering, 22:45;22,Caleb Bonnell, Gering, 23:11. Varsity Girls Nicky Applegarth, Chadron, 16:13; Kiya Passero, Chadron, 16:33; Morgan Linneman, Sidney, 16:36; Briley Hannaford, Chadron, 16:45; Genessa Schilz, Sidney, 16:47; Kelsey Adamson, Alliance, 16:48; Preslie Allen, Sidney, 17:02; Madisen Stafford, Sidney, 17:16; Mia Hernandez, Sidney, 17:17; Sara Tweet, Crawford, 17:25. Junior Varsity Girls Mikala Sweetser, Sidney, 18:00; McKenzie Rosdail, Sidney, 18:08; Briana West, Sidney, 18:30; Erin Lindeman, Sidney, 18:59; Naomi Isaka, Sidney, 19:02; Jamie Lines, Sidney, 19:24 ; Kari Rood, Sidney, 19:26; Rachell Borges, Sidney, Sidney, 19:36; Kelsie Swanson, Garden County, 19:41;Skyler Ryan, Hay Springs, 19:42. |
| Bayard downs Bridgeport in offensive archrival battle: Area football roundup... 2012-10-15 By Terry Gaston |
| After starting the season with an 0-3 record, the Bayard Tigers football team is hitting its strides at the right time. In the teams’ District C2-10 opener at Bridgeport, Bayard won the Morrill County bragging rights for the fourth straight year, riding a potent offensive attack to a 45-32 victory over the host Bulldogs. More importantly than pulling even at 3-3 on the season, the Tigers are 1-0 heading into Friday night’s battle of district unbeatens at Grant against Perkins County. The Plainsmen (5-1 overall) are unbeaten against Nebraska competition but stepped down across the Kansas line last week and lost 21-12 to the Oberlin Red Devils (2-3). Bayard completes district and regular-season play next Thursday at home against Kimball (2-4 overall, 1-1 district). Against Bridgeport, Tiger senior back Allen Denton had 142 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 23 carries against the Bulldogs (1-5). Denton also caught two TD passes from junior quarterback Zac Rice, who connected with Denton on two of his two touchdown passes. Rice threw for 337 yards and also had a 6-yard rush for a third-quarter TD and connected with senior Braydon Parriott on the 2-point conversion, putting the Tigers ahead 26-12. Bayard led 39-18 in the fourth quarter before Jaime Gonzalez scored on a 40-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs and Brandon Nichols returned a tipped interception of Rice 45 yards to pull Bridgeport to within seven at 39-32. Denton then completed his four-TD night on the ground with a 3-yard carry to seal the Tigers’ victory. Parriott led Bayard in receiving with 164 yards on six catches. Defensively for the Tigers, junior Tanner Willey totaled 13 tackles. Senior Austin Willey and junior Tristan Hunter both totaled 12 tackles. Hunter also finished with a sack and a forced fumble. Arthur County 46, Minatare 20 In Arthur, the host Wolves had the best of the Minatare Indians in improving to 4-2 on the season. The Indians (1-5) were led defensively by Marc Cinocco, who had nine solo and nine assisted tackles. Chance McAllister had five assisted and to solo tackles, while Steven Juarez had three assists and one solo tackle. Danny Grumbles had three solo stops, while Bobby Barron mad three assisted tackles. Dominic Longoria and Mario Sanchez had two assists each, and Tyler Grumbles made one assisted stop. Minatare travels to Arcadia (3-3) for a Friday afternoon contest before the Indians finish their regular season on Oct. 19 at home against Elba-North Loup-Scotia (3-3) in a 2 p.m. match-up. Ogallala 35, Mitchell 34 At Mitchell, the Ogallala Indians held on for their first victory of the season in their one-point, District C1-10 victory over the host Tigers. The game was the district opener for both teams, and the loss left Mitchell (1-5) looking to get back into the C1-10 race when the Tigers travel to Chadron (4-2) on Friday. Mitchell concludes its district and regular-season schedule at home on Oct. 19 against Gordon-Rushville (3-3 heading into this week’s game at Ogallala). Maxwell 50, Morrill 6 In Morrill’s home finale of its first season at the D1, eight-man level, visiting Maxwell ran away from the Lions for the big victory. For Morrill (2-4 overall), senior Taylor Lackey teamed up with Sheldon Le on an 8-yard touchdown pass for the Lions’ only score. Lackey had 118 passing yards and Le had 60 receiving yards. Defensively for Morrill, Matt Hessler had 11 total tackles and 1-1/2 sacks. Le, Colten Miller and Garrett Zwiebel had nine tackles apiece. Maxwell improved to 3-3 overall, 2-1 in district play. Morrill finishes the season at Hemingford (6-0) on Friday and at Sutherland (0-6) next Thursday. Hay Springs 36, Banner County 16 The Hay Springs Hawks improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in district play with their 20-point win over the visiting Wildcats. The loss dropped Banner County to 0-6 overall and 0-4 in District D2-10 play. The Wildcats have home-field advantage Friday night when they play Garden County (6-0) in a non-district contest. Banner County entertains Crawford (1-5) in the teams’ season and district finale Oct. 19. |
| Guzman’s all-purpose performance fuels Bulldogs past Tigers: Senior scores game-clinching TD on 49-yard punt return 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| For the Gering football team’s first two scores Friday night, senior James Guzman was just the warm-up act at Memorial Stadium. On the Bulldogs’ final, game-clinching score in their 16-13 comeback victory over Hastings, however, Guzman was at center stage. Guzman capped a night of 202 all-purpose yards with a 49-yard punt return for touchdown, leading the Bulldogs to a win that broke a two-game losing streak and left Gering at 4-2 in preparation for its Twin Cities archrival game Friday against 6-0 Scottsbluff at Memorial Stadium. How key was Guzman’s performance, especially on special teams? His 119 return yards helped negate Hastings’ advantage in total offensive yards of 331 to 216, and two Gering turnovers. “Our kids didn’t quit, they didn’t lay down, they kept fighting for the G tonight and I’m proud of them,” Gering coach Jimmie Rhodes said. “We got a win and we’re back on track.” Guzman’s first touch of the night was on a 20-yard return of the opening kickoff. He ran for 9 yards on the drive’s three plays, but the Bulldogs had to punt. Hastings had its own all-purpose weapon in senior quarterback Tyler Ripperger, who rushed 20 times for 173 yards — 22 more than Gering’s total ground yardage — and passed for 43 more yards on 5 of 7 completions. “To be able to play against a veer, midline option team and only have three days to prepare for it, our kids did a phenomenal job,” Rhodes said. “You have to be assignment sound and you have to tackle. “That guy is a good football player,” Rhodes said of the quarterback, the son of Hastings coach Rick Ripperger. “He’s a coach’s kid and you can tell.” Ripperger had five carries of at least 14 yards, including a 69-yard gain — reverted from 75 after an illegal block penalty. He gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead on a 24-yard run with 9:12 left in the second quarter. Hastings senior Michael Sadd might have felt that way after his extra-point kick bounced off the right upright. Guzman, who had 83 yards on 14 rushes, then started his contributions to all four Bulldog scores. He returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Hastings 35, where Sadd redeemed himself by saving what otherwise could have been a touchdown. Guzman said he learned a great deal about the Hastings kick coverage unit on that return as well. “I saw the outside linebackers crash to the right in the middle, so we had iso-right and I just ran to the left,” Guzman said. “We knew we had to pick it up, so I got the team motivated and started it off with that.” Gering got as close as the 19 but were backed up to the 27 by penalties and lost rushing yards. Still, junior Gage Smith avoided a blocked-kick attempt and got the Bulldogs on the board with a 44-yard field goal with 6:53 left before halftime. Ripperger opened the Tigers’ next drive with a 39-yard gain, but Gering defenders Dylan Wetherington and Elija Timblin teamed up to sack him and force a punt. Guzman pulled in the kick at the 17 and was off to the races again, running up the middle for 54 yards before Ripperger stopped him at the Hastings 29. “I saw what they were doing and I just read it out at the beginning,” Guzman said. “The wings were crashing on the outside and no one was in the middle, I just read it and ran with it.” Smith then turned a zigzag run into a 29-yard touchdown to put Gering ahead 9-6 with 4:05 left in the half, but his extra-point kick was blocked. The Bulldogs forced a three-and-out, after which the Tigers wisely punted the ball away from Guzman. Gering drove 38 yards to the Hastings 20. Bulldog junior quarterback Dillon DeMott tried a third-down pass to senior Zac Bibb, but Tiger junior cornerback Anthony Julian — who had strong coverage on Bibb during the second quarter — read DeMott’s pass, intercepted it and ran 75 yards to the Gering 13. Sadd tried a 30-yard field goal that would have tied the score at halftime, but the kick sailed wide left, leaving Gering ahead 9-6 at the break. Hastings drove 32 yards to the Gering 48 after the second-half kickoff, but Ripperger was stopped cold on fourth-and-1. The Bulldogs advanced only as far as the Tigers’ 42 and had to punt, and the Gering defense returned the favor by forcing a Hastings punt from its own 16. Tiger sophomore Brandon Menke’s punt went into Guzman’s hands at the Hastings 49. Guzman found his opening again and this time earned his own touchdown with 3:58 left in the third quarter. “I saw an open lane in the middle and I just took it,” Guzman said. “That was a momentum thing for us,” Rhodes said of Guzman’s touchdown return. “For us to be in a tight game and have a lead, and for that to happen and just completely blow the doors off like he did, he made a couple of big shakes got a big block at about the 10-yard line and then he walked in. “He has waited his turn, he has played behind some good kids, and tonight he showed that he deserves to play.” Despite Guzman’s game-breaking punt return, Rhodes said the wear on the defense on consecutive series took some toll on the Bulldogs. “That punt return actually kept out defense out there another series, so that really gassed us,” Rhodes said of the Tigers’ back-to-back possessions, the second of which lasted just five plays but kept the Gering defenders on the field for another 2-1/2 minutes. The Bulldogs responded by driving the ball 38 yards on 11 plays to the Hastings 20 but turned the ball over with 7:04 remaining in the game. Ripperger broke loose on second down for what was going to be a 75-yard touchdown, except one of his teammates committed an illegal block at the Gering 6-yard line. On the next play, however, the Bulldogs had it back after Tiger junior Cody Hoffa missed an option pitch and Gering senior Collin Havengar recovered the loose ball. Hastings got the ball back with 4:25 remaining after forcing a Gering punt and capitalized on a 29-yard combination option play on which Ripperger ran about 15 yards and then pitched back to trailing tailback Tyce Matthias for a 29-yard gain to near midfield. Eight plays and a Bulldog interference penalty later, Ripperger broke loose for a 14-yard touchdown with 47.5 seconds remaining, and Sadd’s extra-point kick pulled the Tigers to within three at 16-13. But Gering’s “hands team” was ready for the ensuing onside kick, and Bulldog senior Walker Britsch pulled in the ball to put Gering into victory formation. Smith’s touchdown run contributed to his 44-yard rushing total on nine carries to follow Guzman’s 83-yard effort. Senior Jake Rexus added 13 yards on three carries and DeMott had 11 yards on eight rushes. DeMott completed just 7 of 18 passes for 65 yards with the late second-quarter interception. Britsch had four catches for 36 yards, while senior Austin Ferguson had two receptions for 23 yards and junior Gage Winkler caught a 6-yarder. Rhodes said the Bulldogs got to celebrate the win until Saturday morning, when preparations for their attempt to avenge last year’s 17-0 loss at Scottsbluff would begin. And Guzman, while enjoying hugs from family and friends after his all-purpose performance Friday night, agreed. “We’ve just got to prep well, just got to play the power game and get off focus for the week,“ he said. Kickoff for the Twin City rival game at Memorial Stadium is at 7 p.m. |
| District champ Krzyzanowski leads Bulldogs to state golf: Rahmig, Bayne also medal, pacing Gering to 2nd-place finish 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski has reached one goal, winning the District B-4 championship Monday at the Hastings Country Club. And after qualifying for the Class B State Tournament for the fourth time, Krzyzanowski gets to take her Bulldog teammates of the past two years with her to compete next week in Lincoln. On a windy day that played havoc with many golfers’ short games, Krzyzanowski’s 81 stood as the lowest score — shooting 41 and 40, the best scores on each side of the course. And she led the trio of Gering competitors who earned top-10 medals on their way to a four-player score of 378 — finishing second only to district champion McCook’s winning count of 371. “The conditions were tough,” second-year Gering coach Annie Boggs said. “The wins were a constant 20 miles per hour and we hung in there hole by hole. Kait shot a good score, considering the conditions. “We’re just excited for the opportunity to go down there and prove we can play golf.” Gering sophomore Sam Rahmig finished seventh by shooting a 94 (48-46) and junior Kendall Bayne was tied for 10th at 99 (49-50). Other Bulldogs who will also make the trip to state are junior Amber Fertig, who shot a district score of 53-51 — 104, and sophomore Ashlyn Schultz, who carded a 56-51 — 107. “The girls deserve it,” Boggs said. “Kaitlyn was playing over the summer anyway, but they all worked hard on their game this summer and it really showed. “The girls weren’t thrilled with their scores. They are happy that they made state, but they know they can do better and that’s probably a good thing as they prepare for state.” Scottsbluff also qualified its quintet for state by finishing in third at 384, led by junior Megan Pilkington’s runner-up finish at 86 (45-41), senior cousin Ashlee Pilkington’s sixth-place 94 (47-47) and sophomore Jordan York’s 10th-place tie at 99 (50-49). Bearcat junior Kim Moore had a 53-52 — 105 and freshman Hannah Holloway followed with a 55-51 — 106 in rounding out Scottsbluff’s team ladder. Krzyzanowski attended and played for Scottsbluff when she finished 15th at state as a freshman and third as a sophomore. She transferred to Gering for the spring 2011 semester and last fall finished a frustrating second after leading late in state tournament. One rung of the ladder remains. “I think I’m going to use them all as learning experiences,” Krzyzanowski said of past state trips and shortcomings. “I know the switches I need to make from past years and using those to my advantage in bettering myself.” Krzyzanowski will look to become the first Gering girl to win a state medalist title since Sabrina King in 2009. King then won state medalist honors for Scottsbluff in 2010. Gering’s first state champ was Mandi Schlaepfer in 2001. Schlaepfer led the Bulldogs to the state team championship as well. Krzyzanowski missed the chance to take her Gering teammates to play at state last year after the Bulldogs finished fifth in the district meet, and she savors that opportunity next week at Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln. “I’m really proud of them, that’s so exciting,” Krzyzanowski said of her team, which has finished in first or second in every team race this season while she has won eight of 10 medalist honors. “It’s been a good year and going to state will be really fun for them.” Rahmig said she “was really surprised when I saw what the scores were” and put her in the top 10. “The conditions weren’t really great, so I was really surprised.” Bayne’s 10th-place tie was just icing on the cake for the Bulldogs, Rahmig said. “It was really great having her come in 10th and have all three of us placing,” she said as the team was leaving Holdrege. “It hasn’t in that we’re going to state. It is exciting to go and hopefully we will play well.” Rahmig credited Krzyzanowski’s arrival as a huge factor in the Bulldogs’ success this season and qualifying for state as a team within two years. “She has been a big influence,” Rahmig said. “She is like a second coach and is always trying to help us with everything.” The Bulldogs had three team championships — the Western Conference Tournament in Sidney and the Gering and Ogallala invitationals — and the district second place was their sixth runner-up finish. Gering also unofficially won the Best in the West team title because team scores were not kept. “We’ve met two of our three goals: to win the Western Conference and qualify for state,” Boggs said. “And our third is to have a good showing at state. We feel like we have a legitimate chance.” A four-team battle for the three state team spots never developed in Holdrege, as Sidney finished a distant fourth at 416, 32 strokes behind Scottsbluff. Even more surprising is that the Red Raiders did not even have one individual qualifier. “I felt bad for them,” Boggs said of the Red Raiders, whose best score was a 101 carded by No. 2 player Karson Langley while two others had scores of 102. “I don’t know what happened.” Alliance had a qualifier in senior Danielle Brennan, whose 97 placed her in ninth. District B-5 at Ogallala Bayard junior JaLee Pilkington earned a second berth into the Class C State Tournament and Mitchell sophomore Emily Snyder will make her first state trip after they earned top-10 finishes in the District C-5 Tournament at West Winds Golf Course in Ogallala. Snyder finished fifth with a score of 92, while Pilkington came in eighth with a 95 in an individual pack led by Chadron senior Kelli Haynes and her winning score of 78. Bridgeport senior Tara Harding paced the Bulldogs to a third-place team finish and state qualification by placing seventh at 94. Senior Jada Huck was next for Bridgeport at 103, while sophomore Cassidy Mitchell shot 115, junior Kimberly Mueller was at 116 and junior Breanne Franklin carded a 120. The Bulldogs were solid third-place finishers with their four-player score of 428, which was well behind team champion Ogallala at 357 and runner-up Chadron at 365 but well ahead of fourth-place Kimball’s 452. The Class C State Tournament will be played Monday and Tuesday at Quail Run Golf Course in Columbus. |
| Gering draws top seed for district tournament: Young Bearcats learn from tough GNAC softball competition 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering softball coach Molly Bonuchi sees the Bulldogs’ No. 1 seed in the District B-6 Tournament as a reward for the team’s success in going 20-5 this season. But Bonuchi also realizes that having the top seed also means the Bulldogs are a targeted team when play opens Thursday at the McCook Jaycee Complex. The top-seeded Bulldogs thus receive a first-round bye, as does No. 2 seed and host McCook (16-15), which finished third in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament in Scottsbluff on Saturday. Action in the six-team field continues until Friday, and the district champion will advance to the Class B State Tournament in Hastings on Oct. 11 and 12. “I think it’s a good accomplishment for the girls and it shows how hard of workers they have been this season,” Bonuchi said of the Bulldogs’ top seed. “But we have to realize that we have a target on our back. We just have to go in prepared, knowing that everyone wants us to lose.” Gering will play at 3:45 p.m. Mountain Time against either No. 4 Cozad (13-15) or No. 5 Lexington (11-16). A win puts the Bulldogs into Friday’s 10 a.m. semifinals, with the loser facing the Scottsbluff-Alliance loser Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Scottsbluff (14-16) is the No. 3 seed and plays No. 6 seeded Alliance (1-19) at 2 p.m. Mountain Time in the first round on Thursday. A win earns the victor a 3:45 p.m. date against No. 2 seed McCook (16-15), a loss into a 5:30 elimination game. The championship game is set for Friday at 1:30 p.m., with a second title game if needed at 3:15 p.m. In preparing for either Cozad or Lexington — which was the No. 8 seed in the GNAC tournament but scored a 7-4 upset win over top-seeded North Platte — Bonuchi said the Bulldogs have the advantage of splitting two games against Cozad. “To our benefit, we have seen Cozad twice, but we have not seen Lexington,” she said. “It may be to our benefit to play Cozad, because we know their strengths and we know their weaknesses.” “The thing we have been telling the girls is we can’t take anything for granted. Whoever has the best weekend is going to come out on top.” Bonuchi said that starting senior pitcher Jennifer Barge (15-3), who has been resting an injured right throwing shoulder for several weeks, was expected to resume workouts on Tuesday. Junior Alexa Longoria has stepped in nicely and compiled a 5-2 record. “Alexa has done a very good job, and we also have Brook Satur, who threw some innings at Ogallala (in losses to Cozad and McCook on Sept. 20) and she kept the hitters off-balance,” Bonuchi said. “So we know we have some options, although we really need Brooke at shortstop.” Bearcats swept in GNAC SCOTTSBLUFF — Despite watching his young Scottsbluff softball team lose all three of its games Saturday in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament, Bearcats coach Kendall Vogel said he saw some rays of hope from his girls with the District B-6 Tournament looming Thursday and Friday in McCook. The Bearcats played all three of their games at Lacy Park, the last two scheduled east of town following their 9-1, opening-round loss to No. 3 seeded Norfolk. Scottsbluff then fell to Hastings 12-5 in the consolation semifinals and then lost to Columbus 9-2 in the seventh-place game. “One thing we talked is that when we get runners in scoring position, we’ve got to come up with the timely hits. We left tons of runners out there. The second game we should have won if we had made a few timely hits,” said Vogel, whose team stranded eight runners against Columbus. “But I thought the girls competed well, and that’s what we’re looking for, at least to compete well. It’s a little tough when you have these three games in a row, and Bri (Fliam, the starting pitcher in all three games) did a good job of pitching.“ Against Norfolk, Scottsbluff senior Natalie Wooden led off with an inside-the-park home run. The Panthers responded with a run in each of the first three innings, but then scored six runs — five after a two-out error — in the bottom of the fourth to end the game on run rule. “I thought our defense was good for the most part, it seems like we always give up one big inning,” Vogel said. “We just talked about that we need to learn from this and get better for districts.” Wooden and senior Kelsey Albright had the only two hits off Norfolk sophomore pitcher Skylar Johnson. “It was good to see this kind of pitching,“ Vogel said. “We saw a little better pitching, which is good for us going into districts. And it was good to play some new teams too, and that was good for the girls.” The Panthers then advanced into the championship semifinals at the SHS fields and downed McCook 8-6. Kearney (9-20) then won the championship 14-5 over Norfolk (12-20). Third place went to McCook after the Bison drilled Lexington 14-2. Lexington, the No. 8 seed, surprised top-seeded North Platte 7-4 in their first-round contest. North Platte (17-10) then downed Columbus 6-2, before blanking Hastings (10-21) for fifth place, 8-0. Columbus (9-20) had lost to Kearney 9-4 in the first round, and Hastings was sent to Lacy Park after a 12-5 loss to McCook. In their semifinal loss to Hastings, the Bearcats got seven hits off senior Taylor Musgrave but committed four errors. Scottsbluff scored four runs in the top of the first inning, only to have the Tigers score three in the bottom of the first, then four in the second and two more in the third. The Bearcats scored three in the fourth to pull within 9-7, but Hastings answered with three in the bottom of the fifth inning. Scottsbluff senior Lexi Webber had two of the Bearcats’ hits, driving home two runs on a single and two more on a triple. Fliam pitched the first three innings before giving way to freshman Sarah Cloud for the final two innings. Errors haunted Scottsbluff in the seventh-place game against Columbus, with the Bearcats committing six miscues. The Discoverers took command of a 3-1 game with five runs on six hits and one Scottsbluff error in the fifth inning. Senior Savanna Betancur had three of the Bearcats’ six hits and scored one run while driving home another. Junior Betsy Holscher, sophomore Barbara Calvert and Wooden had Scottsbluff’s other three hits, all singles. |
| Bearcats fend off late rally to remain unbeaten: Scottsbluff downs Northwest 23-21, plays Gering on Friday 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Scottsbluff football coach Joe Benson said the Bearcats played great for three quarters in shutting down Grand Island Northwest’s potent spread offensive passing attack Friday night at Bearcat Stadium. But maybe some homecoming plans entered the Bearcats’ minds with a two-touchdown lead, because the visiting Vikings stormed back and came up short because of two missed extra-point attempts. And thus the Bearcats, ranked No. 2 in Class B by the Associated Press and Omaha World-Herald, improved to 6-0 by hanging on for the 23-21 victory heading into Friday’s Twin City archrival game at Gering. “It was good to win,” said Benson, whose team had been outscored its first five opponents 147-28. “We’re not going to win all our games by two touchdowns. We expected a tight game and that’s what we got.” The Bearcats faced Class B’s most potent quarterback in Northwest senior Zach Rouzee, who entered the game averaging more than 325 passing yards per game — and was coming off a 421-yard, Class B record-breaking performance in the Vikings’ 40-23 home win over Gering on Sept. 21. “Their offense was different,” Benson said of the Vikings’ spread attack. “They dared you to stop the pass.” Relatively speaking, the Bearcats stopped Rouzee by allowing him just 195 passing yards on just 18 of 43 completions. Scottsbluff also made two interceptions, the first by senior Matt D. Klein, who later left the game with a shoulder injury. Klein’s pick, which gave the Bearcats their first possession at the Northwest 25. Bearcat senior quarterback Eric Moreno completed a 16-yard gain to senior Taylor Winkler, but the drive stalled and senior Randy Wentz put Scottsbluff on the board first with a 22-yard field goal. On the Vikings’ first play from scrimmage after Wentz kicked his second touchback, Rouzee fumbled the ball and Bearcat senior Ty Dunkel pulled in the loose ball at the Vikings’ 20. The Northwest defense then held Scottsbluff to no gain, and Wentz booted a 37-yard field goal to give the Bearcats a 6-0 lead midway through the first period. Wentz then drilled the ball through the end zone again for his third touchback and starting the Vikings on the 20 again. “Our kicking game was great,” Benson said. “Randy had three field goals and three touchbacks.” Rouzee, who threw for 88 first-quarter yards, connected with senior Alec Waters that put Northwest ahead 7-6 with 4:32 left in the first quarter. Wentz added his third field goal, a 21-yarder, with 6:50 left before halftime after the Bearcats had driven 35 yards to the 4 but stalled out again. Scottsbluff finally found the end zone in the third quarter when senior Matt T. Klein ran for a 6-yard score. Klein added another touchdown on a 7-yard rush early in the fourth period for a 23-7 Bearcat lead. But then Rouzee and Co. erupted when he completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior Alex Larsen with 6:53 remaining. Senior Kyle Bockmann ran in the 2-point conversion, pulling the Vikings to within 23-15. Rouzee and Larsen the connected on a 30-yard score with 1:03 left in the game to put Northwest within two points. But Scottsbluff juniors Blake Wills and Bo Lofink snuffed out Bockmann on the 2-point try to preserve the Bearcats’ win. “ We could have scored at least 40 but we kicked it around a lot and let them back into the game,” said Benson, whose team netted 306 total offensive yards. “The kids got tired. We won the first three quarters and they won the fourth.” Klein finished with 148 yards and his two touchdowns on 31 carries, while Moreno completed 9 of 18 passes for 107 yards. |
| Twin City volleyball hosts finish back in the pack: Losses leave Gering in 8th while Scottsbluff wins consolation pool; Mitchell wins Morrill tourney 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| After watching his Gering volleyball team lose five of its six matches in the Twin City Invitational Tournament over the weekend, Bulldog coach Craig Schadwinkel was frustrated. And no one would have blamed the Bulldogs’ 28th-year head coach if he was even more beleaguered after watching his team Tuesday night take a two-set lead on Alliance in a dual at the Gering High School gym. The visiting Bulldogs rallied back to take the match, 21-25, 19-25, 25-13, 26-24, 15-9 — Alliance’s third win over Gering in five days and fourth in as many matches this season. “I can handle this because I felt the kids left it on the court,” Schadwinkel said. “We gave a gallant effort in the fourth set and just came up short again, but if they continue to build on this, there will be a lot of positives that come from it.” The Bulldogs (5-17) finished the first set on a 6-2 run to take the 25-21 win and then held several leads of between six and eight points in winning Set 2, 25-19. Alliance (10-9, including a 3-2 record in best-of-five matches) struck quickly in the third set, however, taking a 12-2 that grew to 20-8 before AHS won by 12 and cut Gering’s set lead to 2-1. Alliance again jumped out quickly in Set 4, leading 8-1 and built that to 15-5 and 3ventually 23-13 before Gering got on a roll with an 11-1 rally off senior Santanna Mitchell’s serve to forge a tie at 24-all. And Schadwinkel saw so many more positives from his Bulldogs’ effort than from the weekend. “I think I saw a little fatigue in the third set and then we popped back around in the fourth set,” he said. “We just got done playing six really tough matches over the weekend with basically one day of rest and come back to play a tough five-set match. “In the third set and again in the fifth set, we just kind of backed away from passing, and that’s something we’ve taken a lot of time with and we’ll just have to continue to stay with that.” After Gering battled to take an early 7-5 lead in the decisive set, Alliance reeled off six unanswered points for an 11-7 lead, and the visiting Bulldogs finished on a 4-2 run to win the match. “These guys have to just continue to believe in themselves and realize that they can get the job done,” said Schadwinkel, whose Bulldogs are 0-4 in best-of-five matches. That record includes a Sept. 11, five-set loss at Scottsbluff in which Gering was two points away from sweeping the match in three sets before the Bearcats rallied to win that third set and subsequently the fourth and fifth games for the stunning victory. The Bulldogs get Scottsbluff at the GHS gym on Oct. 11. “But we’ve got to finish one of these matches like this so they know that they can, and then I think that confidence will be there. They have to keep their heads up and we just got to keep fighting,” Schadwinkel said. “I’m just really proud of the kids that they didn’t fold in the fourth set and came back. They’re right there, but it’s so dang frustrating this year. We feel like we’re at the finish line and we’re losing the photo finish is kind of the way it has been in about 12 of our matches. But I can applaud their efforts and can be happy with that, and again I think it’s something they can build on at least for the future.” Sophomore Kaila Borgman jumped into the starting lineup for classmate Kaylee Spreier, who is out for at least one week with an ankle injury, and Borgman had six blocks with two kills. Junior Savannah Walker had 13 kills, five digs, three blocks and 2 services aces, while Mitchell made 11 kills with three digs, two blocks and one ace. Junior Katie O’Boyle had four blocks and one kill, while freshman Allie Boggs made four blocks, four assists, two kills and two aces. Schadwinkel said Saturday, after watching his Bulldogs lose all three of its bracketed matches in the Twin City Invitational and finish eighth, that this is proving to be his most challenging. The Bulldogs forced a third set against McCook in the seventh-place match at the GHS gymnasium and had several three-point leads in the deciding set, but numerous errors opened the door for the Bison to rally and take the match, 25-11, 22-25, 25-23. “This is the hardest group I’ve had to figure out,” said Schadwinkel, whose team went 1-2 in Friday’s pool play — defeating Gordon-Rushville 25-18, 25-23 — to earn the eighth seed in the bracket action Saturday. “From one point to the next, I just sit here and take the ride. I have no clue what they are going to do.” Friday’s win over Gordon-Rushville came after the Bulldogs had been edged by Alliance 25-21, 25-23 and beaten by Blue Pool winner Sidney 25-18, 25-10. The Blue Pool took place at the Gering High School gymnasium. In defeating Gordon-Rushville, “I was really pleased with our sub Leah Newman,” Schadwinkel said of the sophomore. “I thought she came in and played the kind of volleyball that I’ve been asking the others to play.” On Saturday in starting bracket play, Gering lost to Ogallala, the eventual runner-up, 25-12, 25-17 at Scottsbluff High School. The Bulldogs then moved back to the GHS gym and met up with Alliance again, and AHS earned another victory, 25-17, 25-23, in the consolation semifinals. In tying McCook at a set apiece, Gering won six straight points that included two service aces by junior Kelsea Prieels, to take a 16-11 lead. The Bison went on a 6-1 run to forge a 17-all tie, but an ace by freshman Boggs and a kill by Mitchell, the Bulldogs’ lone senior, helped give Gering 21-18 lead. The Bulldogs had four-point leads at 23-19 and 24-20 before a two-hand violation on McCook gave Gering the set and a deadlock in the match. The Bulldogs and Bison traded six leads early in the final set and Gering built a 17-14 lead before McCook turned around by winning 10 of 13 points and led 24-20. the Bulldogs scored three straight points to pull within one before the Bison finished the set and match on a kill by 6-foot junior Kira Johnson. “The aggressive team is always going to win. If we have an over-pass and we don’t put it down, then the game’s over,“ Schadwinkel said of the loss. After Tuesday‘s dual, the Bulldogs will participate in the Western Conference Tournament at Alliance on Saturday. Bearcats take consolation bracket On the north side of the river, Scottsbluff made the best of its opportunity in the Twin City tourney’s consolation round-robin action at Bluffs Middle School. The Bearcats, who went winless on Friday and thus were relegated to the four-team consolation pool, defeated all three of their opponents and left second-year coach Megan Burda pleased with her team’s comeback. “We just struggled (Friday) night, but we played some tough teams like Ogallala and Torrington,“ Burda said. “But we redeemed ourselves against Cheyenne South.” Scottsbluff lost the White Pool opener at the SHS gym to Cheyenne South 25-23, 17-25, 25-12. The Bearcats then lost to Torrington 25-23, 15-16 and to Ogallala 25-9, 25-9. On Saturday, Scottsbluff began its run through the consolation pool by beating Lexington 25-13, 25-13 and then avenged its Friday loss to Cheyenne South with a 25-16, 25-12 win. The Bearcats then completed its sweep by downing Gordon-Rushville 25-19, 25-21. “The girls stepped up and that a credit to them,” said Burda whose team improved to 7-12 after Saturday’s sweep through the consolation pool. “We made some positive changes and really stepped up and played well today. I was very proud of them.” Grand Island Northwest won the tournament’s championship with a 25-21, 25-21 win over Ogallala. Rapid City Stevens claimed third place over Sidney, 25-15, 25-22. Torrington finished as the fifth-place team by defeating Alliance 25-15, 25-22. The Bearcats play undefeated Chadron at the SHS gym Thursday night before they and Gering play in the Western Conference Tournament on Saturday in Alliance. Scottsbluff then visits Gering on Thursday, Oct. 11. Mitchell wins Morrill Invitational MORRILL — The Mitchell Tigers emerged from a competitive field at the Morrill Invitational to take the championship with victories in all three of its matches. The Tigers finished their run to the title by downing Sioux County 25-14, 25-14 in the championship match. Bayard finished in third place with a 25-12, 25-16 win over Banner County. The Tigers opened play with a 25-11, 25-14 win over Guernsey-Sunrise before losing to Mitchell 26-24, 25-13 in the semifinals. Morrill rebounded from a first-round loss to claim fifth place with a win over Crawford. Guernsey-Sunrise came in seventh after defeating Minatare. Mitchell (12-5) also scored a three-set sweep last Tuesday over Yoder-Southeast, snapping the Cyclones’ 15-match unbeaten streak. The Tigers won the match 25-18, 25-14, 25-20. Mitchell will be in the Western Conference Tournament in Alliance on Saturday. |
| Krzyzanowski repeats as Best in the West after winning playoff 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski celebrated another Best in the West girls’ golf championship last Wednesday at Monument Shadows Golf Course. But this time around, things were different: Krzyzanowski got to share the spotlight with three other teammates who also medaled and placed in the top six of the 24-player field. And in a repeat of the end from the Gering Invitational on Sept. 11, Krzyzanowski needed a playoff to capture medalist honors over Chadron senior Kelli Haynes. What made this playoff different from the first, won by Krzyzanowski with a birdie on the first hole, is the pair started at the 18th hole, faced a bevy of weather and course conditions from tee to green, then tied with pars and then went back to the first hole where Krzyzanowski won with a par putt. For good measure, and to summarize how difficult the playing conditions were made by having the golfers use the men’s tees in preparation for Monday’s district action, Haynes went ahead and putted out for an otherwise meaningless bogey on the final extra hole. The harsh playing conditions kept the day’s scores high. Krzyzanowski, who trailed Haynes‘43 by five strokes after the front nine, shot a 1-over 37 on the back nine while Haynes shot 42 in forcing the playoff after both carded 85. Krzyzanowski said the key to her back-nine rally was “staying mentally strong, because that was hard coming off a 48 and trying to shoot par. I ended up shooting 1-over on the back, so it was really hard, so just staying mentally strong.” Krzyzanowski faced no harsher conditions than on her approach shot on the par-4 18th in the playoff. With a shower blowing right into the left-hander’s face, Krzyzanowski fired her second shot over the green and right on top of a mound that sits right behind the putting surface. “I took too much club and I thought it was OK, because I had used a club higher when I was in about the same spot when I played it before (in regulation),” she said. “When it came in there, I was just getting too aggressive and usually when I get nervous, I hit it a lot farther because I get antsy. It was just way too much club.” Krzyzanowski then chipped a shot that first had her and spectators in awe of its placement, but even more so when the ball rolled within two feet of the hole. “That was a hard chip, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “It was downhill for me, so I was above it in the hill’s hard ground. It was hard and it came out and turned out good, left me with a two-footer.” While Haynes made the green in two shots, she had to two-putt for her par. Krzyzanowski then drained her short putt to force the second extra hole -- at No. 1, where Kryzanowski outplayed Haynes 15 days earlier to win the Gering Invitational. The playoff marked the end of head-to-head competition at the high school level between the two friendly rivals. While Gering and Krzyzanowski played in Class B district competition at Holdrege on Monday, Haynes and Chadron were in the District C-5 meet in Ogallala. “She really challenges me,” Krzyzanowski said of Haynes. “Both times, she was ahead of me going into the back nine, and I usually have to fight it out.” Both players went wide right of the fairway on their tee shots, but Krzyzanowski got her second shot on the green and two-putted for the winning par. Haynes left herself with a third shot to the green after her tee shot went nearly out of bounds. Conditions were more so difficult that a double-digit score was required to crack the top 10. Gering‘s other three medalists included the consistent play of sophomore Sam Rahmig, who had 44 on both sides on her way to taking third place at 88. “We’ve been working on the white tees for two days, and it really wasn’t different than the red tees, it felt pretty good,” Rahmig said. “It was a really consistent day for me and I was just really happy with that.” The third-place medal performance was Rahmig’s best in five medal placements this season, including three straight medal-earning efforts. “I had a fifth in Alliance, so third is a great step for me,” she said. “Our team has really improved and we’re just getting better each and every time and hopefully getting ready for state — well, districts first.” Gering junior Amber Fertig (45-48 — 93) came in fifth while sophomore Ashlyn Schultz took sixth with her 49-45 — 94. As they came in after finishing their rounds, Schultz, Fertig and Rahmig all had the clubhouse lead, passing each other along the way. “I am so happy for them,” Krzyzanowski said. “We are doing well. They are doing exceptional and I’m so proud of them. We’re hoping to get to state from districts on Monday.” Also competing for Gering — and with the battle for the fifth and final spot on the Bulldogs’ district ladder looming — were junior Kendall Bayne, who finished among three golfers tied for 15th at 103, and sophomore Jasie Beam, who was 21st at 54-54 — 108. Bayne shot 52-51, as did Mitchell‘s Emily Snyder in tying for 15th. Bayard junior JaLee Pilkington struggled on the front nine at 53 but came in with a 48 to tie for 12th at 101. Bearcats fourth in GNAC Scottsbluff finished its regular-season schedule Friday by placing fourth in the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament at Lakeside Country Club in Lexington. The Bearcats shot a four-player score of 351. Norfolk won the team championship with a 329, followed by McCook in second at 344 and Columbus in third at 347. Senior Ashlee Pilkington led the Bearcats individually with a season-low score of 81, good for a fifth-place finish. Pilkington finished just two strokes behind top medalist Jenna Weber of Norfolk and was tied at No. 4 with McCook’s Kaylee Samway but lost on a scorecard tie break. Pilkington was the only medalist for Scottsbluff. Kim Moore was next for the Bearcats at 86, while Megan Pilkington carded an 87, Hannah Holloway shot a 97 and Jordan York finished at 103. |
| Area football round up 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| Bayard 21, Hershey 17 Senior quarterback Zac Rice threw six interceptions, including one that Hershey returned for the game’s first score, but Rice atoned for his miscues by hitting senior Tyson Schmunk for a 31-yard touchdown on fourth down with less than 50 seconds remaining to lift the Tigers to their second straight victory. Bayard (2-3) was in a fourth down-and-12 situation at the Hershey 31-yard line when Rice connected with Schmunk for the game-winning score. “Schmunk made an adjustment and Zac rolled out and looked like he was going to make an adjustment and hit Schmunk for the score,” Bayard coach Philep Willey said of the Tigers’ winning play. Rice completed 14 of 28 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, but he scored the Tigers’ first TD on a 1-yard run. Dustin Daniel’s extra-point kick, the first of his three makes in as many tries, tied the game at 7-all early in the second half. Rice, who led the Tigers with 87 rushing yards on 17 carries, later connected with senior Braydon Parriott on a 35-yard touchdown pass, giving Bayard a 14-7 lead. Hershey (2-3) scored on an 11-yard pass from Colton Marshall to Dylan Johnson to knot the halftime score at 14-all. Hershey added a go-ahead field goal of 31 yards in the third quarter, but otherwise the Bayard defense kept the visitors off the board. The Tigers’ defense has held its last two opponents to 17 points — all to Hershey after shutting out Dundy County-Stratton on Sept. 21 — after allowing 121 points in its first three games, all losses. “We had two or three goal-line stands,” Willey said of his defense, which allowed Hershey 239 total yards and forced four fumbles, two of which were turnovers. “Our defense really came up big for us.” Senior Austin Willey had 12 total tackles from his defensive end spot, stopping Hershey on several key third- and fourth-down plays, Coach Willey said. Junior Tanner Willey led Bayard with 13 total tackles, also with five solo stops, and made one forced fumble and one recovery. Senior Allen Denton and Parriott had eight tackles apiece, while Denton, Tristan Hunter and Travis Willhoite had a forced fumble each. Daniel had the other fumble recovery, and Jayden Smith had three pass deflections. Bayard takes its new-found winning ways to Morrill County archrival Bridgeport on Friday. The Bulldogs are 1-4 after losing to Gordon-Rushville 26-13. Paxton 42, Morrill 22 In a District D1-10 game at Morrill, the host Lions had some offensive success against undefeated Paxton (5-0, 2-0 district) but not enough to avoid their third straight loss. Morrill senior quarterback Taylor Lackey ran for a 3-yard touchdown and threw for 244 yards and three TDs, all to classmate Sheldon Le, for 60, 28 and 15 yards. Le finished with 151 receiving yards and Cody Peachey made 46 yards in receptions. Morrill (2-3 overall, 0-2 district) plays host to Maxwell (also 2-3 and 0-2) on Friday in the Lions’ final home game. Chase County 50, Mitchell 8 The visiting Tigers ran into a buzz saw in Imperial and fell to the Longhorns (3-2) in their final non-district game. Mitchell (1-4, 0-1 district) looks to break its two-game losing streak at home Friday against winless Ogallala (0-5) at 7 p.m. Leyton 63, Banner Co. 8 In a District D2-10 game at Dalton, the host Warriors (4-2 overall, 2-0 district) kept the Wildcats winless at 0-5 (0-2 district). Banner County will look for victory at Hay Springs (1-3, 0-1 district). In Six-Man football, Minatare (1-3) had the week off and prepares for a Friday game at Arthur County (3-2). The Wolves were beaten by Sioux County 54-8 in Harrison last week. |
| Scottsbluff boys sweep Western Conference, Gering girls second 2012-10-05 By Gering Citizen |
| SIDNEY — Sidney’s Western Conference Cross Country meet on Saturday saw the Scottsbluff boys placing five of the top ten runners for a first place team standing led by sophomore Shane Burkey at first place. Sidney boys were second, Mitchell third, and Gering fourth, with Chadron and Alliance fifth and sixth respectively. Sidney’s Alli Jay Ehler had the home advantage, taking first place with a time of 15:49 in the girls’ standings, followed by Gering’s Rackel Huffman in second, and Scottsbluff’s Taylor Muncie in third. Boys’ varsity team results: Scottsbluff 17, Sidney 32, Mitchell 47, Gering 57, Chadron 91, Alliance 121. Boys Varsity Top 10: Shane Burkey, Scottsbluff, 17:31; Jachob Wiedeburg, Sidney, 17:31; Ben Willis-Teff, Scottsbluff, 17:54; Tate Harvey, Mitchell, 18:03; Nathan Pritchard, Scottsbluff, 18:04; Michael Mapes, Gering, 18:09; Sam Arterburn, Sidney, 18:24; Luke Parsley, Scottsbluff, 18:35; Tomas Carillo, Scottsbluff, 18:38, and Hayden Lienemann, Sidney, 18:45. Area highlights: 11,Levi Avila, Mitchell,18:47.00; 12, Edward Grentz, Mitchell,18:48.00, 14, Hunter Hancock, Scottsbluff, 19:13.00, 16, Caleb Hayden, Gering,19:23.00;17, Sam Leach, Gering,19:24.00;18, Aaron Pierce, Gering, 19:26.00; 19,Jacey Shaul, Gering,19:38.00; 20, Luis Panduro, Mitchell,19:46.00; 26,Jeremy Carrizales, Mitchell,20:24.00;27, Nate Jenkins, Mitchell,20:30.00; 29,Arich Knaub, Gering,20:51.00. Girls’ varsity team results Sidney 31, Gering 33, Chadron 36, Scottsbluff 48. Girls Varsity Top 10: Alli Jay Ehler, Sidney, 15:49; Rachel Huffman, Gering, 15:58, Taylor Muncie, Scottsbluff, 16:07; Nicky Applegarth, Chadron, 16:33; Briley Hannaford, Chadron, 16:50; Kiya Passero, Chadron, 17:04; Marisa Robles, Gering, 17:20; Kali Rimington, Gering, 18:22; Kelsey Adamson, Alliance, 17:28, and Genessa Schilz, Sidney, 17:29. Area highlights: 14,Shayleigh James, Scottsbluff,17:45.00; 16,Celeste Calderon, Scottsbluff,17:56.00; 17,Damaris Martinez, Gering,17:57.00; 18,Tyli Muncie, Scottsbluff, 18:09.00; 19, Claire Holsinger, Scottsbluff, 18:12.00; 20, Hadley Kirk, Gering,18:25.00; 21, Julia Ybarra, Gering,18:41.00; 23,Vanessa Avalos, Scottsbluff, 20:35.00; 26, Madison Holstein, Mitchell,21:59.00. It’s a busy week for the Gering Cross Country teams, who will next compete at the Sidney Invitational this Thursday, then travel to Cheyenne on Friday for the last two meets of the season. The District meet is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 11 in Ogallala. |
| Young Bearcat netters learn from tough GNAC competition 2012-10-05 By Terry Gaston |
| While the Scottsbluff boys’ tennis team brought up the rear of the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference tennis tournament pack on Saturday at Norfolk, Bearcat coach Ron Swank said many positives could be taken away from the tough, eight-team event for the young Bearcats. Scottsbluff scored just four team points, well behind three-time champion Kearney’s winning 38-point total. North Platte was a close second with 33 points, while McCook had 27 points in edging Hastings with 23 for third. Scottsbluff’s one junior singles player, Alex Harbach, had one victory in his last scheduled match, which came by default against Columbus. The Bearcats’ No. 1 doubles team of senior Traver Pettijohn and junior Logan Woodward defeated Columbus’ No. 1 tandem in their final match, 9-7. No. 2 sophomore singles player Eric Olsen and the No. 2 doubles team of junior Court Muhr and freshman Owen Parra were both shut out in their seven round-robin matches, although Swank said not all was lost for those participants. “We had a tough weekend,” Swank said. “However, we got some valuable experience for Owen Parra, Court Muhr, and Eric Olsen. All three are new to the sport and have made tremendous progress since first picking up a racquet at the start of tennis practice on Aug. 6 of this year. “We had 14 players out this year and we have played 12 of them in a varsity match. This gives them a good taste of the competition and hopefully inspires them to work with our coaches in the off-season. Success in tennis is achieved in the off-season, especially the summer months before practice starts.“ Scottsbluff completed its regular-season schedule Tuesday with a 4-0 loss to McCook at the new SHS courts. “We followed the format that will be used at the state tournament in Lincoln next week,” Swank said of the best-of-three schedule that the Bearcats and Bison used. The Class B State Tournament is next Thursday and Friday at the Nebraska Tennis Center and will offer the stage for the conclusion of Gering’s first boys’ tennis season. A preview of Gering and Scottsbluff’s state participants will be in next week’s Gering Citizen. |
| Gering rips Alliance for 20th victory 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| TERRYTOWN — After having been stuck on 19 victories following two tough losses last Thursday, the Gering Bulldogs finally walked off the softball field Tuesday night as 20-game winners. And as they have in two previous meetings against Alliance this season, the Bulldogs dominated in securing a 15-2 romp at the Carpenter Center and the Gering program’s first 20-win season since 2002. “I’m real proud of them,” said Gering coach Molly Bonuchi, whose team had lost to District B-6 foes Cozad (15-3) and McCook (11-5) last week in the Ogallala Invitational — the first time the Bulldogs had lost consecutive games. “They got their 20th win, which hasn’t happened since I’ve been here.” On a night when Gering’s four seniors — Jennifer Barge, Shayla Garetto, Maggie Martin and Brooke Satur — and parents were honored before the game, junior Jessica Rogers and sophomore Brooke Doggett provided the biggest blows in an 11-run, second-inning explosion that helped end the game early. After Martin drew base on an Alliance error and sophomore Isabel Thompson drew a walk to start the second inning, both scored when a pickoff attempt of Martin at third sailed into the outfield and both Bulldogs scored. Garetto then gained first on a bunt single and Rogers blasted the ball past the Alliance center fielder and to the fence for an inside-the-park home run and an 8-1 Gering lead. Barge was then hit by a pitch on the left hip and was replaced at first by junior Allison Witcofski. After junior Aubrey Gonzales drew a walk and Garetto was hit by a pitch, Doggett drilled the ball over a leaping right fielder and trailed her three teammates home for a grand slam, making the score 12-1 for Gering. But the host Bulldogs weren’t finished. Junior Alexa Longoria, the starting pitcher, then drew a walk, as did Martin and Thompson following a pitching change. Garetto drove home Longoria, and junior Isabel Wolf plated Martin for a 14-1 advantage. During her at-bat, Thompson gave hitting a traditional home run her best shot, clearing the left-field fence but having the ball sail just foul. Thompson ripped another hard-hit foul to left before she eventually drew her walk and scored junior Allison Witcofski’s bases-loaded walk for the Bulldogs’ 15th and final run. Longoria, who has seen considerable time in the pitching circle since Barge became plagued with shoulder soreness and has thus been rested more of late, improved to 5-2 and put last week’s losses aside by allowing Alliance just a first-inning single to junior Rachel Schoeneman. The hit was without impact, because a fielding error allowed junior leadoff hitter Brianna Ridenour — who drew base on the first of her two hit-by-pitches — to score from third base. Longoria’s three-inning victory came with a few struggles, with three hit batters (Ridenour twice) and three walks while she struck out two. “We’ve been trying to get her some more innings and work her in more a little bit, because I don’t anticipate Jenn to be able to throw every game at districts,” Bonuchi said of Longoria. Alliance (1-19) has proven to be fodder for Gering, which downed the host Bulldogs in Alliance 16-0 on Aug. 28 and 20-1 in the Scottsbluff Invitational on Sept. 7. Bonuchi felt like her team might have been easy on the visitors in light of their previous dominant successes. “I was a little disappointed in our effort and our intensity just wasn’t there,” she said after watching Alliance take its first-inning lead and score twice in the third to prolong the eventual victory. “And going into districts, we’ve got to get better or they’re going to mow us down.” Gering answered Alliance’s run with four of its own in the bottom of the inning. Thompson, who drew a leadoff hit by pitch, advanced and scored on a pair of wild pitches thrown to Garetto for the game-tying run. Rogers and Barge had back-to-back RBI singles, with Garetto scoring on Rogers’ hit and Rogers scoring on Barge’s hit, and Barge came home when Satur drew a throw to second on her successful steal. Gering shared the offensive wealth, with Rogers going 2-for-2 with three runs batted in, two runs scored and her two-run homer. Garetto was 2-for-2 with a walk and scored twice with one RBI. Thompson scored three runs after being hit twice and drawing a walk. Martin scored twice after gaining base on an error and walk. And Doggett’s grand slam accounted for her team-high four RBI. Seedings for the District B-6 Tournament, which will be played Oct. 4-5 at the McCook Jaycee Complex, will be released Thursday. Before Tuesday’s action, Gering had a commanding lead over McCook in power points for the top seed, 42.917 to 41.385. Scottsbluff was a narrow third (40.115) over Cozad (39.958), with Lexington fifth at 39.609 and Alliance sixth at 35.842. “We have a target on our back and those are the things we need to get better at, to just keep the intensity and finish out the season,” Bonuchi said. “We’ve been trying some different things and switching the lineup a little bit and trying to get some kids some playing time in some different positions. “You never know, all stops are out at districts, so we’re going to do what it takes to be able to go to McCook and compete.” |
| Unbeaten Bearcats make complete-game statement: Scottsbluff wins 32-8 at Aurora in battle of 4-0 teams 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| Although the Scottsbluff Bearcats had begun the football season with four victories, in which they had outscored their first quartet of victims 115-20, Scottsbluff coach Joe Benson said he had not yet seen a complete-game effort from the Bearcats. In a game that had much of the state’s football faithful turning its eyes toward Aurora on Friday night, Scottsbluff not only turned in that elusive complete-game performance sought by Benson and staff, but the Class B, No. 2 rated Bearcats dominated the No. 4 ranked Huskies on their home field in the process, 32-8. As has been their custom this season, the Bearcats struck early and often to put their opponents on their heels. With the game drawing such broad attention since the teams were in the Omaha World-Herald’s top four of Class B rankings, Benson said the Bearcats reached into their state experience in other sports to find that extra dose of fortitude that being in a spotlight situation often requires. “It is different when have kids who have been in those situations through basketball, track and wrestling,” Benson said, in particular the Class B state championship basketball and track teams from last March and May. “It is easier when you have those kids who have been in those situations and they kind of embrace it.” Indeed, the Bearcats embraced the chance to show how strong that decisive average of winning by nearly 24 points per game was through their first four contests — even when they have only scored 14 after halftime and none in two games after intermission. Scottsbluff senior Matt T. Klein led the Scottsbluff ground game with 124 yards on 25 carries, and he scored the game’s first points — and the first of his three touchdowns — on a 2-yard rush to end the game’s opening possession. Senior Randy Wentz nailed the extra-point kick for a 7-0 Bearcat lead. But Klein and Company weren’t done, even in the first quarter. Aurora (4-1) tried a fake pass play out of punt formation from its own 21 on fourth-and-9. Senior quarterback Eric Moreno then hit senior Taylor Winkler on a 26-yard scoring pass, and Wentz’s ensuing kick gave the Bearcats a quick, 14-0 lead. The Huskies cut into Scottsbluff’s lead with a second-quarter touchdown and 2-point run conversion. But that was as close as Aurora got to the well-focused Bearcats. In starting the second half by stopping the Huskies on three plays, Scottsbluff scored after going 56 yards on six plays. Klein ran 31 yards on third-and-1 to the Husky 16, then senior Tim Magdaleno drove 14 yards to the Aurora 2. Klein scored from a yard out two plays later, and his PAT run after he took a direct snap out of the kick formation gave the Bearcats a 22-8 advantage. In the fourth quarter, Scottsbluff posted 10 more unanswered points when Wentz cleared a 27-yard field goal to start the period. Then after Magdaleno returned a fumble deep in Bearcat territory 37 yards to the 43, Scottsbluff was in business again. Moreno, who was 7-for-12 for 98 yards on the night, connected with Winkler on a 37-yard pass play. Klein finished the scoring drive on another 1-yard rush and Wentz added the extra-point kick. “We played four quarters like we’ve been playing two or three quarters,” Benson said. “I am just pleased at how well we have played and how well everything came together.” With Klein leading the way, the Bearcats finished with 154 rushing yards and 252 overall from scrimmage. Aurora had 296 total yards, 187 passing and 109 rushing — but just eight points. “I think our bend-don’t-break philosophy worked well,” Benson said. “We had the field-position advantage on them and gave them a lot of tries, but they just couldn’t finish their drives.” The Bearcats will have their staunch defense tested when Grand Island Northwest visits for Scottsbluff’s homecoming game Friday at Bearcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Northwest is coming off a 40-23 home victory over Gering, in which Vikings quarterback Zach Rouzee threw for a Class B record 421 yards with five touchdowns. The Vikings’ only loss was at McCook, 26-13 in the third game of the season. Scottsbluff won at McCook the previous week, 17-7. “Northwest is obviously a big challenge,” Benson said. “I have watched them play all four games they won (on video) and they can score on anybody and at anytime. So we will have our hands full.” |
| Bulldogs look to build on positives from road loss: Gering bitten by GI Northwest passing game but scores defensive TD 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| By the time Gering football head coach Jimmie Rhodes had a chance to analyze the Bulldogs’ 40-23 Friday night loss at Grand Island Northwest, he said Sunday that the final score might not reflect the Bulldogs’ effort either for that game or in their first five contests. “We had a lot of positive things that happened. A lot of kids got some good playing experience and we played good football,” Rhodes said Sunday night. “Both backs rushed for more than 100 yards.“ The harsh reality, but still something from which the 3-2 Bulldogs could learn? “We turned the ball over five times and gave them short fields, and they had five big plays.” Indeed, the Vikings (4-1) opened up the offense against Gering, and in the process Northwest quarterback Zach Rouzee threw for five touchdowns and a Class B record 421 yards. Three of those TDs were to senior Alex Larsen in the second half for 72 yards, then for 52 and finally for 52 again. Rouzee’s longest touchdown pass came after Bulldog senior Jake Rexus alertedly grabbed Kyle Bockmann’s attempted option pass at the Gering 2 and went the distance to pull the Bulldogs to within 19-10. “A 98-yard interception return for a D-lineman doesn’t happen every day,” a still excited Rhodes said. The Vikings’ 19-3 halftime lead, which included a 7-yard TD pass from Rouzee to Bockmann in the first quarter and a 16-yard scoring strike to Austin Anderson in the second period might have been worse had Northwest not missed a half-ending field goal and some other opportunities. Gering senior Branden Gabel ended Northwest’s first possession with an interception for the Bulldogs, but the Vikings regained possession when Larsen picked off Bulldog junior Dillon DeMott and returned the ball to near midfield. The Vikings’ defense took any hopes of Gering’s gaining an effective aerial attack away before halftime. DeMott felt the pressure of the Vikings’ defense, completing only 2 of 11 passes for 29 yards with two interceptions. “Some of our incompletions were throwaways,” Rhodes said. “We had two interceptions in the first half, and I just said we aren’t throwing it again.” Northwest also took advantage of a Gering fumble deep in its own territory, setting up Rouzee’s TD toss to Anderson. Bulldog junior Gage Smith, who had 16 carries for a team-leading 107 yards, helped put Gering on the board with a 32-yard field goal halfway through the second quarter. Bockmann gave Northwest its 16-point halftime lead on a 1-yard run, after which the 2-point pass failed, and the Vikings missed a 32-yard field goal as time expired on the first 24 minutes. After Rexus scored on his interception return, which cut the Vikings’ lead to nine, Rouzee and Larsen scored on the first of their long-bomb touchdowns for a 33-10 advantage . DeMott gained one score back on a 2-yard run to cut Northwest’s lead to 33-16 early in the fourth quarter. Smith, however, had his first missed extra-point kick in eight attempts this season blocked. Rouzee and Larsen connected on their second 52-yard scoring play for a 40-16 Viking advantage. Then Gering senior James Guzman, who had 19 carries for 105 yards, ended the scoring with a touchdown of 10 yards that pulled the Bulldogs to within 17 for the final scoring margin. DeMott’s touchdown run was part of six carries for 18 yards that attributed to the Bulldogs’ 236-yard rushing attack. DeMott’s two pass completions were to senior Austin Ferguson for 28 yards and junior Gage Winkler for 1 yard. Although the loss was the second straight for Gering, Rhodes said he and the Bulldog players and assistant coaches have plenty for which they can approach Friday night’s home game against Hastings with optimism. “We showed some speed but had some team blunders, and we can learn from those,” he said. “We weren’t necessary outplayed, we just weren’t ready.” The Tigers, 44-0 losers to 5-0 Beatrice on Friday night, have gone 1-4 overall. Their only win was against Seward, a 48-41, triple-overtime shoot-out in the teams’ season opener. “They haven’t been beaten by a team with a losing record,” Rhodes said of Hastings. All four of the Tigers’ losses have been to teams that are either 5-0 or 4-1, with the closest a 21-12 defeat to now 4-1 Alliance in the teams’ second game. Hastings is being outscored 139-46, including 28-7 by Scottsbluff at home two weeks ago, but is a dangerous threat with its triple-option offensive package, Rhodes said. “We’ll have to play assignment football and tackle the man with the football,” he said. “They play an old-school option and veer. We’ll just have to be ready to play. “We’re still 3-2, we have a lot of momentum, it’s a home game and there a lot of positive things for us going in.” Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. |
| Final Point: This year, it’s a team effort for Bulldog golfers 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| When we raised the curtain on Final Point last year, our first featured subject was Gering golfer Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski. For those who are new to Final Point or need a refresher, our pronunciation guide assists you with her Polish-rooted surname: sha-NOW-ski. In the course of interviewing the then-junior — who eventually finished second in the Class B state tournament after having placed third as a sophomore at Scottsbluff High School and 15th as a freshman — we discovered that Krzyzanowski wanted to have her young Bulldog teammates along for the ride in her final two quests for state tournament qualification. The Bulldogs finished a distant fourth as a team in the brutally rigid District B-4 Tournament last year. Krzyzanowski won eight top-medalist honors in 11 tournaments. She was second in the district tournament. But on the heels of having won the Western Conference Championships at Sidney on Aug. 25, the Gering Invitational on Sept. 11 and the Ogallala Invitational on Sept. 17, those state tournament qualification hopes the Bulldogs had last year are more realistic for Gering this season. But, as all coaches and players know — especially in golf, when course and weather conditions, along with many intangibles, can turn a leader board upside down — nothing is ever guaranteed. Still, with an additional five second-place team finishes — including a tie for first with Sidney at the Sept. 4 Chadron Invitational, which the Red Raiders won the team medals on a tie break — the Bulldogs are making their mark and statement for earning one of the three state tournament team berths from Monday’s District B-4 Tournament at Holdrege Country Club. Second-year coach Annie Boggs credits Krzyzanowski with not only wanting to improve her own game but her teammates’ efforts as well in being the major factor in the Bulldogs’ success this season. “Kaitlyn has been a tremendous part of that,” Boggs said of Gering’s season-long improvements. “She is a phenomenal leader, and someday, she will make a great teacher and coach if she chooses to go that route in her life. She is just always caring about other people and trying to teach them. At practice, it’s ideal that she is left-handed, so the other players can mirror her. “She just helps as a strong junior (then) senior leader with experience. I wouldn’t say it’s just Kaitlyn, but she definitely plays a leadership role.” Krzyzanowski said each team member has her moment in the sun this season, and that the other Bulldogs have grown as a group. “A lot of them have had their really surprising moments and everybody’s improved,” the senior leader said. “It’s hard to specifically pick out one person when I know they are all working so hard.” “And that’s the difference. Last year they would have been excited to get those kind of scores, and this year they are not satisfied. And that’s good, it pushes them.” The most objective way to analyze the Bulldogs’ successes this season is by going to the scorecards. Krzyzanowski — with six medalist championships, including the past three straight heading into the Best in the West Tournament at Monument Shadows Golf Course on Wednesday — leads Gering with an eight-tournament average of 79.375. Sophomore Sam Rahmig, whose 92.25 is the team’s second-best average, had a season-best 85 in placing fifth on Saturday in Alliance. Her highest score of 100 came, perhaps surprisingly to some, during the Gering Invitational. No home-course advantage for Rahmig that day, but sophomore Ashlynn Schultz (90), and juniors Kendall Bayne (94) and Amber Fertig (95) rose to the occasion in giving the Bulldogs their own tournament’s team championship. Fertig has Gering’s third-lowest scoring average at 94, which has included a low of 88 at Ogallala and a high of 100 at Scottsbluff on Sept. 15. With Krzyzanowski winning on Saturday in Alliance and Rahmig taking fifth, Gering had three top-10 finishers when Bayne took eighth with her 87. With that season-low score, Bayne lowered her fourth-leading average to 96. Schultz, still looking for her first sub-90 score of the season, has a fifth-leading average of 100.75. The 90 she carded in the Gering tourney earned her the seventh-place medal. Sophomore Jasie Beam played on the Gering junior varsity team Saturday at Alliance, and she carded her best count of the season at 92 in winning the JV individual medal. Beam has improved immensely since her season-opening 112 at Sidney, carrying a 102.5 averaged into Best in the West — in which all six Gering players qualified. One factor has been the Bulldogs’ enigma, Boggs said: consistency. And by seeing the gaps in some players’ low and high scores, the inconsistency in placement can be easily seen. For example, Krzyzanowski has shot as low as 73 — a par score in winning at Ogallala — to 89 at Chadron, a 16-shot difference. Despite Krzyzanowski’s season-high score, she placed fifth, eight strokes off the winning 81 of Chadron senior Kelli Haynes. The Bulldogs also had Fertig place ninth and Bayne 10th after both shot 92, marking the first time in who knows how long that Gering had three golfers make a tournament’s top 10. The best analysis of the team’s scores is that no player has shot 100 or higher in the past two tournaments. “We just have to keep working all the time,” Boggs said. “We’re inconsistent in our play from two through six, so we’re just waiting to see who continues to improve coming toward the end of the season.” Monday’s district results will qualify the top three teams and best 10 individuals for the Oct. 8-9 Class B state tourney in Lincoln. When the season is over and however it ends, Krzyzanowski will have left a legacy in Gering golf — the biggest, in that all other team members will still be around in 2013. “We have a really strong group of sophomores who have really high expectations on themselves,” Boggs said. “They’re successful in everything that they do also. “And our juniors are solid too in Kendall and Amber, so this year we are fortunate in that we are six deep. “It’s tough in the fact that we can take only five to districts, but we are six deep so they are always competing for that fifth spot, which is fun. From a coaching perspective, that’s a good problem to have.” How much credit does Boggs think she has contributed to the Bulldogs’ success this season? “About all I can take credit for is just forcing them to come to practice every night,” she said. “They all work hard and they have high expectations of themselves.” When all is said and done, Krzyzanowski has the best philosophy on the difference between winning and losing: “Just trying to have fun.” |
| Gering netters outlast Scottsbluff 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| While their teammates stood back and watched while eating pizza and sharing a few laughs following their own matches, the No. 1 doubles teams from Gering and Scottsbluff slugged their way into the dusk Tuesday in a three-set match that would decide the first dual between the Bulldogs and Bearcats in boys’ tennis. As the match between the natural archrivals neared its conclusion, the players in waiting moved down to get a closer look at the action on Court 3 of the Gering High School tennis complex. Finally, when the Gering duo of Noah Miller and Alex Lupher shared a handshake and a hug in celebrating their 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 comeback win over Scottsbluff’s Traver Pettijohn and Sean Mercer-Smith, their Bulldog teammates and coach Matt Palomo celebrated the resulting 3-2 dual victory for Gering. The match broke a 2-all deadlock in the triangular’s final dual of the day. Alliance had not given up more than three games in any set in sweeping Gering and Scottsbluff 4-0 — No. 3 doubles matches were not played in those duals, like the Bearcats and Bulldogs did. The Twin City teams split the singles matches, with Scottsbluff No. 1 Xavian Perez topping Gering’s Brian Doll 7-5, 6-2 and Gering No. 2 Jason Doll defeating Bearcat Eric Olsen 7-5, 6-1. No. 2 doubles went to Gering’s tandem of Anthony Ramirez and Vince Moreno, 6-2, 6-4 over Logan Woodward and Blake Wilberger. The Bearcats took No. 3 doubles, with Owen Parra and Court Muhr beating Jarrin Rasnic and Dan Olmstead 6-3, 6-1. “It was a very good competition,” Palomo said. “It’s pretty fair and even with us and Scottsbluff, and we couldn’t have asked more from both teams and the way they played. And with the energy, it’s just great.“ Palomo tipped his hat to Alliance, which has five seniors among its six varsity players. “They have a very good team, they develop it over the years, they are just very well-coached,” he said. “A lot of hard work done over the years shows. They should do pretty good at state.” While Gering might have outlasted Scottsbluff on Tuesday night, both Palomo and Scottsbluff coach Ron Swank are most pleased with the camaraderie that has developed between the two teams. On many occasions, the students have been classmates when they have transferred between the schools, or they have played summer tennis together or been comrades in other activities such as Boy Scouts — in which Palomo is Muir’s scoutmaster for Gering Troop 17. “There’s a very good bond between Coach Swank and myself,” Palomo said. “We are good friends and play club tennis together, have for 30 years now. “And then to have our kids mingle the way they do with each other outside the court when we have played this year, it’s great. It’s good for the community, it’s good for them and it’s great fellowship.” “It’s a lot of fun to watch,” Swank said, “because they will be over on the break together, telling jokes or something. They’re serious, but they’re still friends and it’s really great to see.” Swank is in his second year of coaching the Bearcat boys but his first with the new tennis courts at Scottsbluff High School. “This team is a little more competitive,” he said. “We were hurting for years because we didn’t have courts, and it’s hard to build any kind of players when you don’t have courts. “We had eight out last year and we have 13 out this year, and we’ll have more out next year. The more people you can get out the better, and the more you can get them to play in the summertime the better you’ll be. It just takes practice and practice and practice.” Palomo has 10 players on Gering’s first boys’ tennis team, which gaining the school program was a longtime hope of his. “We’ve accomplished our goal and we’re still working at it,” Palomo said. “The kids are improving and I can ask for nothing more.” Gering‘s schedule is finished until the Class B State Tournament, which will be Oct. 11-12 at the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln. Scottsbluff still has pre-state action, traveling to Norfolk for the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday and by playing host to McCook in a dual on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. “Tennis is looking up out here,” Swank said. “Our goal is we want to go down east in the next two or three years and make some noise. Right now we’re the laughingstocks at the invites, but we’ll get our laughs in. It takes time to build it, and we’re getting there.” And it looks like the coaches are willing to build those successes, together, to carry the banner for western Nebraska. “I’ll cheer for them all the time when they are not playing us,” Palomo said. “It’s great. I like the kids, and the coach, of course.” |
| Krzyzanowski wins 6th meet of year at Alliance: Scottsbluff takes 5th team title of season, Gering finishes in 2nd 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| The long-awaited District B-4 girls’ golf tournament is Monday in Holdrege, with a field that includes four solid teams that will be playing for only three available team spots to the Class B State Tournament on Oct. 8-9 in Lincoln. Scottsbluff, Gering and Sidney stated their cases for those berths Saturday in the Alliance Invitational. Scottsbluff shot a four-player score of 343, one off its season‘s-best total, to top runner-up Gering by five strokes. Sidney was a distant third at 371, while Class C force Chadron was fourth at 374. Gering senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski, who is looking to qualify for her fourth state tournament and improve on the second-place finish she scored after a third-place medal as a sophomore, won her sixth individual medalist title of the season and fourth straight gold medal with her score of 81. Sidney’s Rachel Petik was second at 82. And then came the balanced attack of Scottsbluff Bearcats, who placed all four of their team scorers in the top 10. Junior Kim Moore finished third at 83 and junior Megan Pilkington was seventh at 86. Sophomore Jordan York was ninth and senior Ashlee Pilkington 10th after both shot scores of 87 and finished among five players tied. For the first time this season, Krzyzanowski was joined in the top 10 by two Gering teammates. Sophomore Sam Rahmig was fifth at 85 and junior Kendall Bayne took eighth at 87 in winning the five-player scorecard tie-break. Also for Scottsbluff, Hanna Holloway carded a season-best 92. Other scorers for Gering had Amber Fertig finish in 19th with a 95 and Ashlynn Schultz in 23rd with a 97. Jasie Beam led the Bulldog junior varsity golfers with a 92 to win the JV medal. Also in the JV division, Scottsbluff‘s Jocelyn Brunner was ninth at 109 and Katelyn Lambert took 11th at 118. Gering‘s Kaitlyn Wagoner was 15th at 136. Class C golfers from Bridgeport and Chadron also got a warm-up for Wednesday’s Best in the West Classic at Monument Shadows in Gering and their District C-5 tournament at Ogallala on Monday. Bridgeport senior Jada Huck, on the heels of winning her home invitational on Thursday, finished the Alliance meet in sixth at 86, while Chadron senior leader Kelli Haynes finished 12th in the five-way tie-break among the golfers who carded 87. Scottsbluff completes its regular season Friday at the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament in Lexington. WTC Tournament/ Gordon-Rushville Invitational Both the Western Trails Conference championships and Gordon-Rushville Invitational titles were simultaneously at stake on Monday, and Bridgeport’s Huck and Bayard’s Pilkington finished 1-2 again in each competition. Huck shot 90 and Pilkington 91, with Bridgeport’s Cassidy Mitchell (fifth in the WTC at 105), Tara Harding (sixth at 106) and Breanna Franklin (eighth at 113) combining with Huck to win both team championships for the Bulldogs at 414. MItchell placed seventh and Harding eighth in the overall G-R standings. Mitchell’s Snyder shot a 102 that placed her fourth in the WTC standings and fifth in the G-R Invitational. Other scorers for Mitchell, which had a team count of 508, included Musfelt at 127, Sisson at 137 and Rebecca Leider at 142. Pilkington had two Bayard teammates make the trip north with her. Douglas turned in a 125 and Brunmeier carded a 145. After the qualifiers for the Best in the West Classic play in Gering on Wednesday, the Bridgeport, Bayard and Mitchell golfers will be off to Ogallala on Monday for District C-5 state-qualification action at the West Winds Golf Course. Bridgeport Invitational Huck carded a season-low 81 to win medalist honors as the Bulldogs used their home-course advantage to score a season-best team count of 369 at Court House and Jail Rock Golf Course. The Bulldogs lowered their season-best team count by 12 strokes and outdistanced runner-up Kimball by 52. Individually, Bayard junior JaLee Pilkington was second to Huck at 89. Scottsbluff’s Holloway earned the eighth-place medal by firing a 101, while Mitchell’s Emily Snyder was ninth, also at 101, and Gering’s Beam took 10th at 103. Joining Holloway on the Scottsbluff JV were Bruner at 108 and Lambert at 131. Also for the Gering JV, Butler and Wagoner both came in at 126. Mitchell also had Myranda Musfelt fire a 115 and Brittany Sisson card a 123. For Bayard, sophomore Tessa Douglas carded a 118 and Tiger classmate Maggie Brunmeier was at 124. |
| Area volleyball roundup... 2012-10-01 By Brian Hale |
| It was another busy week of high school volleyball action is in the books as area teams took to the net with just one month to go before district playoffs begin. Gering The Gering Bulldogs played in a round-robin in Kimball on Thursday against the host Lady Longhorns and the Lady Red Raiders of Sidney. Gering fell to Sidney despite winning the first set 25-21. The Lady Bulldogs could not hold off the Red Raider comeback, dropping the final two sets 25-9, 25-17 to lose 2-1. In the matchup against the Lady Longhorns, Gering held off Kimball to win in two sets, 25-18, 25-17. The Lady Bulldogs are not in action until next month when they host Alliance, Tuesday, Oct. 2. Scottsbluff The Scottsbluff Bearcat volleyball team traveled to Bridgeport on Thursday for a Triangular with the host Bulldogs and the Lady Cardinals of Chadron. The Lady Bearcats found success in defeating Bridgeport in a closely contested matchup, 25-23, 26-24. Chadron, now 13-0 and ranked No. 5 in Class C-1, reigned supreme defeating both Bridgeport and Scottsbluff in straight sets. Chadron downed Scottsbluff 25-15, 25-17 and Bridgeport 25-8, 25-20. Scottsbluff travelled to Sidney for a 7:00 p.m. matchup Tuesday night. Mitchell The Mitchell Lady Tigers used Thursday's game against Hay Springs to excite the fans and give them a flavor of what they might expect when they host a multi-class tournament two days later. The Lady Tigers were ignited early on when sophomore Taylor Peters served up five aces en route to a 13 point service run in the first set. Felina Blanco also had a four point service run in their 25-10 first set victory over the Lady Hawks. Hay Springs fought hard in the final two sets scoring twice as much as in the first, but ultimately fell 25-10, 25-20, 25-20. The Lady Tigers, with just two seniors on the team (Chalsey Grentz and Brianne Hessler) hosted an invitational which included some stiff competition including the undefeated Chadron Lady Cardinals, Bayard, Morrill, Hemingford, and Gordon-Rushville. Chadron continued their winning ways defeating Gordon-Rushville, 25-9, 25-13, Morrill, 25-15, 25-15, and Bayard, 25-12, 25-16 en route to the Championship trophy. Bayard defeated Hemingford, 25-27, 25-23, 25-17 and Mitchell, 13-25, 25-23, 25-18, before losing to Chadron in the Championship game. Mitchell's only loss came to the Bayard Tigers who finished second in the tournament, 13-25, 25-23, 25-18. Mitchell cruised past Hemingford, 25-11, 25-19 and then won the consolation match over Morrill, 25-20, 25-11 to secure third. Bayard in on the road to play in a triangular at Hemingford with the host Bobcats and the Bridgeport Bulldogs Tuesday. Morrill The Morrill Lady Lions fought hard for their fifth place finish with a win over Gordon-Rushville, 25-23, 25-14. Morrill lost to two tough opponents in champion Chadron, 25-16, 25-15 and third place Mitchell, 25-20, 25-11. The Lady Lions play host to the Banner County Lady Wildcats Tuesday. Mitchell travels to play Southeast, Wyo. in a Tuesday night duel. Minatare The Lady Indians of Minatare continue to battle, but droped their Friday night contest against Hyannis, 25-7, 25-8, 25-11 in three straight sets at home. Banner County The Lady Wildcats of Banner County came up short all weekend, losing each of their five matches. On Thursday, Hemingford won three straight sets, 25-16, 25-12, 25-4 and then Potter-Dix came to town Friday night and did the same thing, 25-12, 25-18, 25-22. On Saturday, Banner County traveled north to play in the Crawford Tournament, but again came home without a victory on the scoreboard, at least, losing to Crawford, 25-16, 25-15, Hay Springs, 25-11, 25-23 and Sioux County, 25-8, 25-6. The Lady Wildcats are next in action Tuesday as they travel to Morrill. |
| Special teams decide Kimball’s win over Mitchell: Area football roundup 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| MITCHELL — When two football teams combine for 677 offensive yards, more than likely the scoring will be high as well. But it also indicates that some likely twist in the action would be the deciding factor in the outcome. In a battle of teams that had just one win apiece against five combined defeats, Kimball overcame a 71-yard deficit in total offense by turning the scoreboard and momentum away from Mitchell with a pair of long kickoff returns by sophomore Jonathan Withrow for touchdowns to take a 33-24 victory. In a game that featured five lead changes, the visiting Longhorns used a 90-yard kickoff from Withrow in the second quarter return to answer the Tigers’ game-tying touchdown — a 15-yard run by junior Adam Schlotthauer. Kimball missed the extra point, however, and thus gave Mitchell the opportunity to take a 14-13 lead into halftime when freshman Jorge Arellano scored from 6 yards out with 3:02 left before intermission. Junior Bo McVay’s second extra-point kick gave the Tigers the one-point halftime edge. Mitchell’s second-quarter outburst gave the Tigers a 191-159 advantage in total yardage. McVay, who returned the second-half kickoff 33 yards to the Mitchell 42, increased the Tigers’ lead to 17-13 with a 32-yard field goal that ended the ensuing 11-play drive. Kimball used three double-digit passing plays to fuel the Longhorns’ following series, with senior Austin Pile completing a 13-yard pass to senior tight end Caleb Reuter to put the Longhorns ahead 20-17 with 1:57 left in the third quarter. Pile completed all three of his passes on the drive for 42 yards, and he was 7-for-12 on the night for 92 yards. Mitchell followed with a 65-yard series that bridged the third and fourth quarters, ending with Schlotthauer‘s 1-yard run and McVay’s extra point 39 seconds into the final period for a 24-20 Tiger lead. Senior quarterback Randy Swanson connected with McVay for 36 yards to the Kimball 9 four plays earlier. But after the Tigers retook a four-point lead, Withrow emerged from a scrum following the ensuing kickoff and ran 79 yards for the Longhorns’ final lead change with 11:01 remaining in the game. After holding Mitchell to three plays and forcing a punt, Kimball drove 13 plays over 69 yards and 6:33 to seal the victory on Pile’s 2-yard plunge with 2:37 left on the clock. Besides the obvious breakdowns on kickoff return coverage that allowed Withrow’s two game-decisive touchdowns, Mitchell coach Chris Bailey was left perplexed at his team’s special team’s performance. In the first quarter, a high punt snap sailed over McVay’s head. McVay still salvaged a 9-yard net on his rugby-style boot from about 20 yards back of his placement, but the mishap set up Kimball’s first touchdown drive at the Longhorns‘ 46. Kimball needed 11 plays and 6:57 to cover the remaining 54 yards, which ended on Pile’s 15-yard completion to Reuter 1:30 into the second quarter. The Longhorns’ game-opening series included a fake punt, on which senior up-man Bernie Bridge took the direct snap and hauled 35 yards 35 yards to the Mitchell 24. But the Tigers ended the drive when a fumble forced by Pile ended up in Mitchell senior Austyn Wright’s arms. Still, Mitchell was held to a net of 22 yards that ended in McVay’s short punt. “The fake punt, the two kick returns back, you can’t have that,” said Bailey, the Tigers’ second-year coach. “Up to this point, we’ve had pretty good special teams. You have to play every snap every down, and we’ve been practicing it and just need to keep at it.” In leading Mitchell offensively, Schlotthauer gained 158 yards on 21 carries with his two TDs. Arellano had 61 yards and his TD on 10 carries. Swanson was 10-for-20 for 124 passing yards with one interception, and he carried the ball seven times for 28 yards. McVay pulled in six of Swanson’s passes for 92 yards. On defense, Schlotthauer and Swanson had a dozen tackles apiece for the Tigers. “I think offensively we were rolling,” Bailey said. “Defensively at times we would play really well and times we were lax. We have to play with serious heart, and it just comes down to consistency. We have said to our kids again and again and again that we have to be more consistent. The great teams do that.” Mitchell (1-3) next travels to Imperial to take on Chase County. The Longhorns are 2-2, coming off consecutive losses to Chadron (27-20) and Cozad (32-20). Mitchell was a 77-26 loser at Cozad (now 3-1) on Sept. 7. Kimball (2-3) faces a long trek of its own, to Grant on Friday to face Perkins County (4-0). “We’ve got four games left, the season isn’t over and we’ve got to keep playing,” said Bailey, whose team begins District C1-10 action next Friday at home against Ogallala. “I know our kids well. I’m proud of how hard they worked at the end and we’re getting better every time, but we have to start doing the things it takes to win.“ Bayard 47, Dundy Co.-Stratton 0 In Benkelman, hard work against tough early-season opposition paid off for Bayard in a battle of Tigers who were each looking for victory No. 1. The visiting Tigers (1-3) rolled up 480 total offensive yards, held DC-Stratton (0-5) to 51 yards, all by passing, and scored what seventh-year coach Philep Willey believes is his first winning shutout. “The best part is we were a little more disciplined, and that includes having heart,” Willey said. “We were solid against the other teams but we weren’t able to finish.” Bayard junior Zac Rice threw for 289 yards and six touchdowns on 24 of 37 completions and also ran for 73 yards. Senior Brayden Parriott had seven receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Allen Denton split out of the backfield to catch six Rice passes for 79 yards and two TDs. Denton also gained 93 of the Tigers’ 191 rushing yards and had another TD on the run. Other playmakers for Bayard included junior David Schuler with six catches for 72 yards and one TD, and senior Tyson Schmunk with two catches for 13 yards and a TD plus a 2-point conversion. “Zac and the running backs had a big night,” said Willey, who also collectively praised both the offensive and defensive lines. “The O-line played to their potential and played great in protecting Zac, and they were running blitzes. The defense also had a phenomenal game.” Bayard will welcome Hershey for Friday’s action. Hershey (2-2) defeated Bridgeport 12-0 on Friday. “Hershey is pretty talented, so we will see if we got any better,” Willey said. Hyannis 58, Minatare 54 The home-standing Minatare Indians were unable to make 54 points enough for victory as Hyannis scored its first win of the season. Minatare quarterback Tyler Koke had 249 passing yards on 12 of 23 completions with four touchdowns. Javier Guerrero caught five of Koke’s passes for 154 yards and three TD, while Chance McAllister made three receptions for 57 yards and one TD. Steven Juarez had four receptions for 38 yards. Guerrero led the Indians in rushing with 17 carries for 128 yards and three TDs. Defensively, Marc Cinocco recovered a Hyannis fumble and scored on his 76-yard return. Minatare will travel to Arthur County on Friday. SMC 59, Morrill 18 After opening its first eight-man season with two victories, Morrill slipped to 2-2 after committing six turnovers against Stapleton-McPherson County in the teams’ District D1-10 opener at Stapleton. Lions quarterback Taylor Lackey ran for a 63-yard touchdown and completed two TD passes to Sheldon Le, the first for 13 yards and the second for 30. SMC (4-0) led 23-12 after the first quarter and 49-18 at halftime. Morrill has 4-0 Paxton at home on Friday. Paxton downed Maxwell 54-18 in its closest game thus far. Potter-Dix 65, Banner Co. 24 At Harrisburg, the Banner County Wildcats ran into an aerial assault by Potter-Dix quarterback Luke Johnson, who threw for 312 yards and six touchdowns by halftime in the District D2-10 opener for both teams. Johnson, who led the visiting Coyotes (3-1) to a 53-0 halftime lead, rested during the second half. The Wildcats (0-4) were able to scratch three second-half touchdowns, beginning with Ben Hostetler’s 45-yard scoring run and ensuing 2-point rush. After Potter-Dix completed its scoring in the third, Banner County scored twice in the fourth quarter on Tyson Dahlgrin’s 10-yard rush and 2-point run, and Kaden Huber’s 35-yard interception return followed by another 2-point run by Dahlgren. The Wildcats rushed for 285 yards, led by Michael McKown with 16 carries for 107 yards and Hostetler with 15 rushes for 103 yards. Banner County continues district play Friday in Dalton against Leyton (3-2), which won its district opener 48-18 over Hay Springs. |
| Bearcats sweep Chase County, eye GNAC tourney 2012-10-01 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF — Even when the Scottsbluff softball pitchers were having control issues and putting Chase County batters on base, the Bearcats simply overpowered the visiting Longhorns in taking a doubleheader sweep Saturday. In the first game, Scottsbluff had eight extra-base hits and scored 11 first-inning runs, plenty to give senior pitcher Brianna Fliam a nice 10-run cushion, in scoring a 15-3, three-inning victory. The second contest, a 15-6 Scottsbluff win in five innings, proved a little tougher when starting Bearcat sophomore pitcher Hannah Brown had to leave the game with injury issues after giving up nine walks in 1-1/3 innings with two strikeouts. Fliam came back into the circle, threw a wild pitch that brought home two Chase County runs in giving up a walk, but she struck out her next hitter and forced a ground-out to escape the inning with a 7-5 Bearcat lead. “We tried to work some things out getting ready for districts, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t,” said 11th-year Scottsbluff coach Kendall Vogel, who earlier in the week was rewarded with his 200th career win. In the first game, Fliam struck out four Longhorns and walked just one while allowing six hits, all singles. She also hit one of Scottsbluff’s four doubles, driving home a run in the 11-run first inning. But the Bearcats cranked four doubles and four triples off Longhorn pitcher Anna Bauerle, with Brown hitting a two-run triple and an RBI double in the inning. Brown’s double gave Scottsbluff an 11-1 lead after 16 batters took to the plate, and the inning also included consecutive RBI triples by Bearcat seniors Kelsey Albright and Natalie Wooden. Scottsbluff scored twice in the second inning on RBI singles by Wooden and senior Savanna Betancur. After Chase County (2-22) had back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the third, Brown tripled home Zoey Rada, who led off the bottom of the third with a double. Brown then scored the game-ending run on an infield error off Fliam’s bat. Brown was 3-for-3 with four RBI on two triples and a double and she scored twice. Wooden also was 3-for-3, with a triple, two RBI and two runs. Rada was 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and three runs, while senior Marissa Yonts went 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and two runs. “We were timing the girl really good the first game,” Vogel said of the Bearcats’ 15-hit assault off Bauerle. But Longhorn left-hander Cassie Burpo gave the Bearcats a little more trouble in Game 2, while Brown continued to struggle in the pitching circle with injuries. In her relief stint in Game 2, Fliam had three strikeouts and allowed two walks and Chase County its only hit of the game. By earning both victories, Fliam improved her record to 12-10 and had no errors committed behind her or Brown in either game. “Bri I thought pitched really good, she was hitting her spots and throwing her pitches where we needed her to,” Vogel said of Fliam, who led off the game-clinching, four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored on an error. “And then the defense is playing well. “The first game was a pretty complete game and we came out ready to go, and then we had a little trouble with the timing with the second game. But that’s part of it, we just need to adjust.” Burpo limited Scottsbluff to eight hits in four innings, but her defense failed her with nine errors. For the Bearcats, Rada was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI, while junior Mikka Salazar had a two-run single in the first inning and three RBI for the game. The Bearcats (13-13) played at Chadron on Tuesday and are the host team for the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday. Play begins at 10 a.m. with two games each at the Bearcat complex and at Lacy Park. Semifinal action is set for noon, with the finals at 2 p.m. “We’re just working out some things and we’re just trying to get better now every game until districts,” Vogel said of the District B-6 tournament, next Thursday and Friday in McCook. “We have some tough games coming up this week.” Ogallala Invitational Both Gering and Scottsbluff were winless in their two games each Thursday in the Ogallala Invitational. Gering was tagged with a 15-3 loss to Cozad in three innings and an 11-5 setback to McCook. Gering coach Molly Bonuchi said the losses, the first two in consecutive fashion for the Bulldogs (19-5) this season, would be used as a learning experience. Gering hoped to execute what it learned Thursday when the Bulldogs closed out its regular-season schedule Tuesday night against Alliance. Against Cozad, Gering never recovered from the Haymakers’ 11-run first-inning rally. Cozad added four more runs in the second before the Bulldogs scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the second. The game ended after three innings on the run rule. For Gering, which had six hits, senior Shayla Garetto and sophomore Jessica Rogers both were 2-for-2 at the plate. Garetto had two singles, scored one run and had one RBI. Rogers hit home a run as well, and sophomore Isabel Thompson had a triple and scored once. Junior pitcher Alexa Longoria (4-2), who pitched both games, took the first loss after giving up 12 hits and five walks while she struck out two. Garetto and senior Jennifer Barge both were 2-for-4 with two singles against McCook, which out-hit the Bulldogs 13-10. Barge scored a run and batted in another. Sophomore Brooke Doggett doubled home a run and classmate Cierra Booker singled home another. Scottsbluff left the bases loaded three times in its 10-7 loss to Southern Valley and then was held to one run in a 3-1 loss to Cozad. For the Bearcats, Fliam went the distance in pitching both games. Against Southern Valley, Fliam struck out five and gave up 12 hits in six innings. Against Cozad, she struck out five and allowed seven hits. Salazar tagged Southern Valley with two hits and one RBI, while Yonts had a three-run triple in the seventh inning to help pull Scottsbluff to within three runs. Against Cozad, Wooden had two singles and sophomore Lourdes Ramirez ripped a pinch-hit triple for Scottsbluff. Earlier in the week... Gering and Scottsbluff both earned easy road victories last Tuesday, with the Bulldogs smacking Chadron 15-1 in three innings and the Bearcats’ getting Vogel’s 200th career win by ripping Alliance 15-0 also in three innings. For Gering, Thompson drove home five runs and finished the brief game by going 2-for-3 with a home run and one run scored. In adding to the Bulldogs’ eight-hit assault, Barge was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. Doggett had a double with three RBI and two runs scored, while junior Allison Witkofski had a double and RBI. Longoria improved to 4-0 by allowing just one run and five hits with three strikeouts. In Scottsbluff’s win over Alliance, Fliam went to the circle with a 10-0 lead and allowed just two hits with four strikeouts. Salazar fueled the Bearcats’ offense by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Rada and senior Maggie VanAmburg had two hits apiece, with Rada driving in three runners and VanAmburg hitting home two teammates. |
| Bulldog golfers score season-best at Ogallala: Krzyzanowski wins 3rd straight medalist title 2012-09-21 By Terry Gaston |
| When Gering girls' golf coach Annie Boggs posted the results Monday from the Ogallala Invitational, she said simply but firmly, "It's a great day to be a Bulldog!" Indeed it was. With Gering senior Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski's season-best round of an even-par 73 leading the way, the Bulldogs won their second tournament team title in a week in which they also finished second to the host Bearcats in the Scottsbluff Invitational on Saturday. Gering won its third team title of the season with a four-player score of 343 at Ogallala's West Wind Golf Course. The Bulldogs edged Scottsbluff by three strokes and district rival McCook by six. The victory also gave the Bulldogs their lowest team count of the season, lowering their winning total from the Sept. 11 Gering Invitational by a staggering 11 strokes. Gering junior Amber Fertig and sophomore Sam Rahmig both tied at 10th with an 88, with Fertig taking the medal on a scorecard tie break. Sophomore Ashlynn Schultz finished with a 94 and junior Kendall Bayne finished with a 96. Scottsbluff junior Kim Moore led the Bearcats’ runner-up performance by finishing in fourth with an 81. Scottsbluff junior Megan Pilkington was fifth with an 85 and senior Ashlee Pilkington was seventh with an 87. Rounding out the Bearcats' scores, sophomore Jordan York shot a 93 and Hannah Holloway carded a 99. Monday's victory came two days after Gering finished second to Scottsbluff in the Bearcats' tourney at Scotts Bluff Country Club with a 365. When the individual results were posted and broken into decadents, only Krzyzanowski's name appeared in the 70s column with her day's best round of 79. Gering had the ninth medalist in Schultz after her round of 92. Other scores for the Bulldogs were Rahmig at 96, Bayne with a 98 and Fertig at 100. The second- through fifth-place medals were all claimed by Bearcats, whose cumulative scores totaled 342. Megan Pilkington was second at 82, while Moore and York both shot 85 but Moore took third in a scorecard tie break. Ashlee Pilkington was fifth at 90, and Holloway turned in a 106. Not only was Krzyzanowski the only golfer to break 80 on Saturday, she was the lone participant to break 40 on either half of the course, with her 38 on the front nine -- an area where most of the competitors shot the highest part of their scores. "I think I was a little more consistent on the front, and the front might be a little bit longer and I really like it longer because I can bomb it down there and then have to hit as many short shots," Krzyzanowski said. "I like that a lot more and I think that helps me more." For Krzyzanowski, the win was her second straight medalist victory at the Scottsbluff meet. "I play out here a lot because it's closer to my house, so I play both Gering and here a lot," said Krzyzanowski, who with Monday's win has five victories on the season. "Plus it's a lot harder course than what we play mostly everywhere else. So it feels pretty good to come out on top." Boggs said she was pleased with the Bulldogs' consistency in the ladder. "I think we're doing pretty well, especially at this point in the season," Boggs said. "By the end, we should be doing pretty well." Scottsbluff coach Mike Klein sized up what will be a brutal district team race when the District B-5 meet takes place in Holdrege on Oct. 1. "Districts will be Scottsbluff and Gering, and probably McCook and Sidney, so we're just going to have to go and play well," Klein said. "The top four girls are capable of shooting in the 80s. We have two more that are hurt and we don't know if we're going to get them back, but we're going to go with what we've got." Both Gering and Scottsbluff will have junior varsity entries joining smaller schools' varsity squads Thursday at the Bridgeport Invitational, while both the Bulldog and Bearcat varsity teams will be at the Alliance Invitational on Saturday. Gering will play host to the Best in the West tournament next Wednesday, and Scottsbluff's next action will be Friday, Sept. 28, at the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Championships at Lexington. |
| Gering softball team 3rd in North Platte tourney: Bulldogs take 2 run-rule wins over Bearcats in 3 days 2012-09-21 By Terry Gaston |
| Gering softball team entered Saturday’s North Platte Tournament on a roll. And despite losing to the host Bulldogs in the semifinals, the Gering Bulldogs rediscovered their winning ways in capturing third place with their second win over Scottsbluff in three days. On the heels of a 12-4, five-inning victory over Scottsbluff at the Carpenter Center on Thursday night, the Bulldogs steamrolled the Bearcats 12-1 in six innings for third place at North Platte. Gering opened the tourney with a 14-2, three-inning victory over Chadron before the Bulldogs fell to Class A North Platte 12-5. The win over Scottsbluff (10-11) lifted Gering’s record to 18-3, which included a winning streak of 12 before the setback to North Platte but a run that the Bulldogs turned into 13 wins in 14 games by downing the Bearcats for the fifth time this season. Although after Thursday’s win, Gering coach Molly Bonuchi said she and the Bulldog players had no idea that they were on a double-digit winning streak. “We don’t keep track of stats, the only thing we do is come out one game at a time. if you ask them their record, they won’t know. We’re trying to keep it down to earth and in reality.” Gering senior pitcher Jennifer Barge, who had recorded four no-hit efforts this season, found herself in her own reality check Thursday night. Barge struggled with her rise ball and walked 10 Scottsbluff batters with just one strikeout. Barge issued four walks in Scottsbluff’s third inning, in which the Bearcats scored all four of their runs — three on Betsy Holscher’s bases-loaded triple. But when Bonuchi brought in junior No. 2 pitcher Alexa Longoria from right field to warm up for relief in the third inning, Barge righted her ship and the Bulldog defense gave her strong support. “She’s been throwing really well and dominating most of the competition, but we have to get her into reality and let your defense work,” Bonuchi said of Barge, who stood at 16-3 following a 3-1 week. “We’re a team and they just continue to bring each other up and support each other. “The good think about this team is they are very diverse. A lot of it, and I can’t take credit for, is you have to be able to read the defense and be able to get it done.” Gering entered the third inning with a 6-0 lead, scoring three in the first frame that included Brooke Satur’s two-run single. In the second, Longoria finished a seven-pitch leadoff at-bat against Bearcat senior Brianna Fliam with a single and scored on sophomore Isabel Thompson’s one-out single. Thompson and sophomore Jessica Rogers, who gained base on a Scottsbluff error, scored on a wild pitch to junior Aubrey Gonzales. Thompson had an inside-the-park home run to score the first of Gering’s two runs in the fourth inning. And after Barge threw just nine pitches in retiring the Bearcats in the fifth inning, the Bulldogs closed out the game via run rule with a six-inning rally that ended with Rogers’ two-RBI triple. In taking the pitching loss, Fliam had four strikeouts and four walks while allowing 11 Gering hits. Barge finished by allowing just one Scottsbluff hit with one strikeout in spite of her 10 walks allowed. Thompson was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBI with her solo homer. Satur was 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored, while Gonzales went 2-for-3 with a run and sophomore Brooke Doggett added a run-scoring triple. In North Platte on Saturday, Gering scored 11 times against Chadron in the first inning and cruised to the shutout victory for Longoria. Roger spaced the Bulldogs with a 3-for-3 game, including a double, a home run, and six RBI. Her home run was a two-run shot in the first inning. Senior Shayla Garetto finished the game 2-for-2 with three runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases, while Gonzales was 1-for-3 with a double. Longoria struck out one and allowing four Chadron hits in her three-inning victory. Gering got off to a rough start against North Platte by allowing seven first-inning runs to the host Bulldogs. Gering scored four times in the third inning but surrendered a run each in the second and fourth innings and four runs in the third. North Platte out-hit the Bulldogs 10-3. Thompson had two runs scored and hit a triple, while Garetto had two RBIs, a run scored and a double; and Barge hit a double with two RBI. Barge took the loss, going just over an inning in striking out two and walking six. Longoria finished the game, striking out one and walking four. Longoria (2-0) then picked up the win against Scottsbluff, giving up four hits while striking out three and walking one in the six-inning victory. Scottsbluff scored its lone run in the first inning, when senior leadoff hitter Natalie Wooden scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Barbara Calvert. Gering scored in five of the six innings, including three times in the second and four runs in the sixth. Thompson led the team with a 2-for-4 game, including a run scored, two RBI and a home run. Her home run came in the second inning for two runs. Also for the Bulldogs, Garetto was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two stolen bases; Barge was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two doubles; Rogers was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double; an Doggett was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double. Scottsbluff Bearcats For the Bearcats, Wooden had the only extra base hit with a double. Scottsbluff opened the tournament with a 21-7 win over Lexington before falling 11-1 to Lincoln North Star and then the loss to Gering. The Bearcats ripped 16 hits in their three-inning win over Lexington. The Minutemaids were ahead of Scottsbluff 6-5 after 1 1/2 innings before the Bearcats scored three times in the second. Scottsbluff then sealed the lopsided victory with 13 runs in the third inning. Fliam earned the pitching victory, scattering seven hits while striking out three. Junior Mikka Salazar had a single, double and triple with four RBI. Calvert went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI, while senior Zoey Rada went 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBI. Senior Lexi Webber went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. In Scottsbluff’s loss to Lincoln North Star, the Bearcats scored their only run in the first. North Star then opened up the contest with four runs in the second and five in the fourth for the win. Fliam took the loss in the circle. Scottsbluff had just six hits, with Holscher going 2-for-3 with two singles. Both Gering and Scottsbluff took to the road on Tuesday, with the Bulldogs traveling to Chadron and the Bearcats at Alliance. Both teams then play in a triangular in Ogallala on Thursday. Scottsbluff will face Southern Valley and Cozad, while Gering will take on Cozad and McCook. Gering completes its regular-season schedule next Tuesday against Alliance with a 5:30 p.m. contest at the Carpenter Center. |
| Bulldogs look to learn from loss to Bison 2012-09-21 By Terry Gaston |
| When a football team like the Gering Bulldogs enters its fourth game with a 3-0 record, either the game is going to prove that the team is good enough to remain unbeaten or it needs to correct some things — or both. In the case of the Bulldogs, who were upended 26-7 by the McCook Bison on Friday night at Memorial Stadium, second-year Gering head coach Jimmie Rhodes saw more that needed to be fixed than sustained as the Bulldogs prepare this week for Friday’s game at Grand Island Northwest. First of all, although the Bulldogs surrendered 296 yards to the Bison, who won their second straight game after an unprecedented 0-2 start under longtime coach Jeff Gross, McCook averaged just 4.6 yards per rush, a respectable figure considering the Bison’s smash-mouth running tradition. The Bulldogs allowed McCook — which played without starting quarterback Austin Cherry, who suffered a shoulder injury against GI Northwest — just three pass completions for 74 yards, although the first was a 58-yard touchdown reception by senior Cody Wudtke from junior back-up QB Vince Lyons. “It was a game of short-field opportunities,” Rhodes said. “We gave them a few big runs, but we continued to stop them mid-line and we stopped the veer, but we didn’t answer and that was our downfall.” McCook’s potent two-back set of senior tailback Jake Schlager (18 carries, 125 yards) and senior fullback Kyle Stewart (21 rushes, 95 yards) paved the Bison’s ground game in taking advantage of their short-field offerings. McCook needed just 41 yards early in the second quarter to drive six plays, the last of which resulted in the first of Stewart’s short-rush touchdowns for a 3-yard score. Senior Dakota Baumgartner added the extra point and ended a 24-yard drive late in the quarter with a 27-yard field goal that gave the Bison a 17-0 halftime lead. Gering junior Gage Smith tried to get the Bulldogs on the board with seven seconds left in the half, but his 36-yard field goal was blocked by McCook senior Javier Beltran. Baumgartner added a 39-yard field goal with 5:22 left in the third quarter, ending a Bison drive that included a late-hit penalty against Gering. “I can’t tell our guys not to play on the edge of out of control,” said Rhodes, whose team committed four penalties for 50 yards. “Some of the things were frustration penalties, some of them were just ridiculous, even flops at times. “We have to play smarter football, we don’t coach like that and the kids don’t play like that, and we’re going to get it fixed. Stewart increased McCook’s lead to 26-0 on a 2-yard run with 3:02 remaining — again, ending a short, 36-yard drive. After Gross decided his first-team defense had earned the rest of the night off, Gering drove 75 yards on 10 plays — aided by 33 yards of Bison penalties — to score with 9.6 seconds left on Smith’s 2-yard rush. Smith added the extra-point kick, giving him eight perfect PAT opportunities on the season. Smith finished with 11 carries for 53 of Gering’s 57 rushing yards, which took 32 carries to net. Junior quarterback Dillon DeMott was just 6-for-20 in the air for 70 yards and had two interceptions. Until the fourth quarter, McCook had held the Bulldogs to 84 total offensive yards and allowed Gering just 127 for the night. “We ran the ball a lot of times, but we had to,” Rhodes said. “But we have to learn how to catch the football. It’s not like we don’t work on it, it’s not like we haven’t been throwing it since I’ve been here for nine years (the first seven as an assistant). It’s either going to be addressed, or we’re going to go to two tight ends and three backs.” Rhodes said Northwest will provide a completely opposite offensive attack to McCook’s. “They will throw the ball 70 times a game,” he said. “They will run twins and trips (receivers) every play, so we’ve got to be ready.” |
| Area volleyball teams have busy week, playing 42 sets combined 2012-09-21 By Brian Hale |
| Over 1,600 points were scored in 42 sets of area high school volleyball action this past week. Gering, Mitchell, Morrill, Minatare, Bayard and Banner County were among those in action, with most schools playing at least three and some, four games in a three day-span. Gering Bulldogs Gering tipped off the busy volleyball weekend on Thursday with a strong win in two sets, 25-21 and 25-20 over Gordon-Rushville before dropping a tough match to Chadron, 25-16, 26-24. The Gering girls then fell to Ogallala in three straight sets on Saturday, 25-16, 25-12, 25-18. The Lady Bulldogs will be traveling to Sidney for a Triangular with the host school and Kimball on Thursday, Sept. 20. Morrill Lions Morrill played four games this past week, winning a three-set match against Hay Springs on Saturday, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19. Their other three matches ended in losses to Garden County in five sets on Thursday, 25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 23-25, 15-9. Potter-Dix swept a three-set match, 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 on Friday, then Sioux County downed the Lady Lions 25-17, 25-21 on Saturday. Minatare Indians Minatare suffered three losses in the same number of tries as they fell to Cody-Kilgore in three sets on Friday, 25-11, 25-16, 25-20, then to Hemingford and Hyannis in straight sets on Saturday. Hemingford defeated the Lady Indians, 25-17, 25-12, while Hyannis won with twin scores of 25-9, 25-9. The Lady Indians play host to Hyannis again on Friday night, Sept. 21. Bayard Tigers The Bayard Lady Tigers were busy on Saturday as they played three games, winning two of the eights sets. Bayard gave the Lady Bulldogs from Bridgeport a run for it winning the first set, 26-24. Bridgeport bounced back, however, winning the final two sets and the match, 25-23, 25-18. The game against the Leyton Lady Warriors was short lived as the Lady Tigers fell in straight sets, 25-17, 25-20. Bayard was able win the middle set of their match against Perkins County, but it wasn’t enough as they lost in three sets, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20. The Lady Tigers have another busy week ahead as they travel to Mitchell for an invitational tournament, then up to Hemingford for a Triangular with the Lady Bobcats and the Bridgeport Lady Bulldogs, Tuesday, Sept. 25. Banner County Wildcats The Banner County Lady Wildcats had the opportunity to play an opponent from out of state in their match on Friday. Sedgewick, Colo. came to play as they downed the Lady Wildcats in three sets, 25-14, 25-20, 25-11. The Lady Wildcats host Potter-Dix on Friday, Sept. 21 and travel to Crawford for a tournament on Saturday, Sept. 22. Mitchell Tigers The Mitchell Lady Tigers were also in action on Saturday, falling to Chadron in straight sets, 25-12, 25-13 and to the Kimball Lady Longhorns, 25-22, 25-17. The Lady Tigers will host Hay Springs on Thursday night, then turn around and host an invitational at Mitchell on Saturday, Sept. 22. Scottsbluff Bearcats The Scottsbluff Lady Bearcats had the week off from games, but are back in action at the Bridgeport Triangular Saturday as they challenge Chadron and Bridgeport on Thursday, Sept. 20. Then next Tuesday they travel to Sidney to take on the Lady Red Raiders. |
| Bearcats prepare for battle of unbeatens at Aurora 2012-09-21 By Terry Gaston |
| On Labor Day, before the Scottsbluff Bearcats played Holdrege at home, Scottsbluff coach Joe Benson took his senior leaders aside and said the Bearcats’ next two games were the most important of the season: against the Dusters at home and then last week at Hastings. There were two reasons that was that the case. First of all, teams at any level and in any game cannot look past opponents. Second of all, the Bearcats still had plenty of improvement, despite a 2-0 start that included impressive wins over Lexington and McCook. Scottsbluff scored 37 first-half points on their way to a 44-6 win over Holdrege on Sept. 7, and then last Friday the Bearcats took care of Hastings 28-7. And that brings the 4-0 Bearcats — ranked No. 2 in Class B by the Omaha World-Herald — to an eagerly anticipated showdown against likewise 4-0 Aurora on Friday night on the No. 4 ranked Huskies’ home field. “Our emphasis this week is that we talk about every play,” said Benson, whose team is allowing between just 160 and 170 yards to each opponent thus far. “The kids need to play, from the first play and all the way through the second half. And to be honest, we haven’t done that.” The Bearcats, as has been their custom through their first four games, pounced on Hastings for 28 unanswered points by halftime. Scottsbluff has kept the opposition off the board in the first half of all four games thus far. “Our blocking was good and our intensity was really good in the first half,” Benson said. “We lost our intensity a little bit in the second half and it showed when we didn’t score any points. We’ve done that twice so far (the first against McCook, a 17-7 Bearcat victory on Aug. 31).” Hastings (1-3) scored in the third quarter after Bearcat turnover inside Scottsbluff’s own 5-yard line. “We were expecting their triple-threat option, which is a different style of offense that what we usually see,” Benson said. “That we held them to 160 yards is a credit to our kids up front.” Senior Matt T. Klein scored four touchdowns for Scottsbluff, which netted 308 yards of total offense. Klein scored on first-quarter rushes of 4 and 8 yards and had a 39-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter. He finished the game with 178 yards on 17 carries, while senior Luke Worden added 77 yards on nine carries. Senior Eric Moreno completed 4 of 6 passes for 65 yards, including a 19-yard toss to Klein that completed the Bearcats’ TD scoring. Klein caught two passes for 28 yards, while senior Taylor Winkler had one reception for 28 yards and Worden made two catches for 24 yards. Senior Randy Wentz was a perfect 4-for-4 in kicking extra points. Aurora enters Friday’s showdown having beaten McCook 26-13, Alliance on the road 28-14, Seward at home 42-14 and Sidney 41-14 in Cheyenne County. “They have great skill players who as good as any team we will play this year,” Benson said of the Huskies. “We came back Monday with some typical bumps and bruises and we hope to have some of those players back Friday.” |
| Krzyzanowski, Schultz lead Bulldogs to own tourney win Gering tops Sidney by 5 strokes for 2nd title of year 2012-09-14 By Terry Gaston |
| GERING — Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski won the Gering Invitational girls’ golf tournament on Tuesday for the second straight season. But the Bulldogs’ senior leader this year and last season said her greatest reward is receiving the team medals she and her teammates won with their victory at Monument Shadows Golf Course. Led by Krzyzanowski’s 3-over-par 75 and sophomore Ashlynn Schultz’s seventh-place 90, the Bulldogs carded a four-player score of 354, finishing five strokes ahead of runner-up Sidney in the team battle. Krzyzanowski needed to rally late in regulation to force a playoff with Chadron senior Kelli Haynes, which she won by sinking a 15-foot par putt on hole No. 1. Haynes had a similar putt but missed it left, ending the playoff with Krzyzanowski as the Gering tourney champion for the second straight year. Of winning the tournament’s medalist honor for the second straight time, Krzyzanowski said this time meant “a lot more than the last one, but it’s my senior year and I really wanted to win my home invite.” With Haynes in the clubhouse at 75, Krzyzanowski said she realized the situation with two holes remaining if she wanted a chance to repeat. “There was lots of pressure, but I was three-putting a few times and I just didn’t put down a score I’d like to,” she said. “Going into the second-to-last hole I knew I was one down, and I knew I had to get up there to get a playoff going. I was putting a lot more pressure on myself.” In the resulting playoff, Krzyzanowski’s tee shot landed about 25 yards left of the No. 1 green, while Haynes placed her tee shot just a few feet from the front fringe. “I landed it a little long but sunk that putt,” Krzyzanowski said of the 15-footer. She had left the putt behind the hole with her chip second shot, on which she used a sand wedge. “Everyone thought I had missed it, but I looked up when it was a little over halfway to the hole,” Krzyzanowski said of the group of about 20 that followed the playoff well behind her and Haynes. “Once I saw it, I knew it was going good.” With her third individual title of the season at stake, Krzyzanowski said she implemented much of the pressure on herself to succeed in her home tournament. “High-pressure situations are a good thing because they are going to push me to get better,” she said. “It helped a lot toward the end when I knew I had to make a par and I knew I needed to make a birdie. I think that helped in that aspect.” Schultz, who was the No. 6 player on the Bulldogs’ ladder for Tuesday’s tourney, carded 45 on both sides of the course to record a seventh-place 90, although she was disappointed when discussing her score that she had missed two opportunities to lower her score. An 88 would have still given her the seventh-place medal regardless. And two strokes back of the top 10 was junior Kendall Bayne, whose 94 (45-49) left her in a tie for 11th. “I am really proud of them,” Krzyzanowski said of her teammates. “I love being on this team and they just work for it. They want to improve and it’s great seeing that.” Gering’s other team members had junior Amber Fertig at 95 (46-49), junior sophomore Sam Rahmig finishing at 100 (49-51) and sophomore Jasie Beam came in at 101 (50-51). “It’s always great to win your home invite,” said Gering coach Annie Boggs, whose team bettered its best team score of the season, a 357 in the Bulldogs’ second-place finish at North Platte on Aug. 30. That performance came a week after Gering won the Western Conference Championships team title at Sidney, breaking Scottsbluff’s stronghold on the conference title since 2006. Winning at Monument Shadows on Tuesday? Well, Boggs said that required a little extra effort on her players’ part. “Going in, the girls put a lot of pressure upon themselves to succeed at home, so sometimes that is a tough thing to accomplish,” Boggs added. “It’s fortunate that we are six deep, but you can only take five to districts so they are always competing for that fifth spot, which is fine.” Bayard junior JaLee Pilkington was the sixth-place medalist with her count of 87 in leaing other local area golfers. Scottsbluff had two junior varsity players in Joclyn Bruner (114) and Katelyn Lambert (117). |
| Bearcats erase deficit to top Bulldogs in 5 sets 2012-09-14 By Terry Gaston |
| SCOTTSBLUFF—Volleyball is a momentum-dominated game in which a team needs to take advantage of the opportunities it is given. The Gering Bulldogs, rebuilding under 28th-year coach Craig Schadwinkel, found themselves within two points of sweeping Scottsbluff out of the youth-laden Bearcats' gymnasium Tuesday night. Four straight Gering errors, however, gave Scottsbluff not only the third-set win but a new life of which the freshly energized Bearcats took full advantage. Scottsbluff rode that four-point momentum swing after falling behind two sets and 23-21 in the third to win in five sets, 23-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 15-9. "There were certain phases of the match early in which we did a good job in," Schadwinkel said. "But in a dual match like this, two sets doesn't win it. "With this group of kids, we've got to have a leader who's going to step up, crack the whip and say, 'Let's go, let's get 'er done,' and finish. We're not where we need to be." In a match that was tightly contested most of the night -- Scottsbluff had a 10-point lead in Set 4 for its biggest margin, while Gering's largest lead in the match was the five points by which the Bulldogs won the second set -- the pivotal difference in the contest that totaled 207 points was a two-point deficit that in four points became a two-point set victory for the Bearcats. In the third set, Scottsbluff looked ready to cut into the 2-1 set deficit with relative ease, leading 20-14 and then still up at 21-18 when Gering rallied on senior Santanna Mitchell's serve to take the lead at 23-21 -- and have the match victory by sweep within two points. "I think the girls finally realized that hey, we are going to get swept," said second-year Scottsbluff coach Megan Burda, whose team last season was 0-4 against state qualifier Gering. "They stepped up and didn't let a ball drop and figured out how to get those points that we needed." Two missed Gering sets pulled the match even at 23, and then a missed block against Bearcat senior Alexus Pinedo and a palm ball on set point gave Scottsbluff new life and a fourth set. And the Bearcats took full advantage of the opportunity, trailing only 2-1 early and bounding to a 10-6 lead that grew to 16-9 and then to 20-10 before Scottsbluff finished with the eight-point win and forced the fifth-set race to 15. The teams battled in the final game, neither leading by more than two points until Scottsbluff junior Kylie Guerue began the Bearcats' final 6-2 run with an ace serve. Junior Makayla Castro had two huge kills for SHS in the final set and freshman Chesney Walker ended the Bearcats' comeback with a push return that sailed beyond the tightened Gering defense and still well inside. That final, 207th point set off a celebration for the 3-7 Bearcats that rivaled any postseason tournament or series-clinching victory no matter the level or sport. "We've talked a lot about being really disciplined on defense and I think they stepped up to that challenge and figured some of those things out," Burda said. "Sometimes you just have the tendency to creep forward, but staying disciplined on defense and going after everything really helped us out tonight." Statistically for Gering, Mitchell led the Bulldogs with 13 kills and made 16 digs with two service aces. Junior Brooke Vowers had a team-best 25 digs with one service ace, while junior Savannah Walker had 11 digs, three solo blocks and two assisted blocks with one service ace. Also, Gering junior Kelsea Prieels made team highs of 29 pass assists and three aces along with four kills; junior Katie O'Boyle had six kills, two blocks, one dig and one ace; and freshman Allie Boggs made four digs, two kills, two pass assists and one ace. For Scottsbluff, Castro had a team-leading 10 kills while Guerue added eight and Pinedo made seven. Senior Connor Ehler made 22 of the Bearcats' 33 set assists, while Pinedo had a team-best three service aces. The Bulldogs (2-8) return to action Thursday with a triangular at Chadron that includes Gordon-Rushville starting at 4 p.m., then a noon dual match Saturday at Ogallala. Gering will be in a triangular next Thursday at Kimball that includes Sidney, and the Bulldogs play at home again at the Twin Cities Invitational on Sept. 28 and 29. Scottsbluff is off until next Thursday, when the Bearcats meet up with Chadron in Bridgeport for varsity and junior varsity triangulars. |
| Bulldogs' rally fest ends with 27-24 victory 2012-09-14 By Terry Gaston |
| LEXINGTON — Four times the Lexington Minutemen took a lead in Friday’s Class B football match-up against the Gering Bulldogs. On all four occasions, the Bulldogs responded and erased the deficit, scoring with 41 seconds remaining on junior Dillon DeMott’s 7-yard rollout pass to senior Walker Britsch for the go-ahead touchdown. Junior Gage Smith kicked his third extra point of the night for Gering’s three-point lead. And then on the short ensuing drive, Britsch preserved Gering’s 3-0 season start with an interception that thus denied Lexington a fourth comeback attempt of its own. “It was a good team effort,” Gering coach Jimmie Rhodes said of the Bulldogs’ winning performance. “They got the opening kickoff and scored, then we scored on our first play to answer. “Their tempo was upbeat, they lined up in formation, and our defense had to be ready. It was more like controlled chaos, and we held them under 100 yards rushing and tackled well.” Gering’s answer to Lexington’s opening score came on a 62-yard completion by DeMott to Jeremy Eskam, and then Smith gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead with his first PAT kick of the game. The Minutemen added a field goal, but Gering responded with a 48-yard connection from DeMott to senior Zac Bibb for a 14-9 Bulldog lead. Lexington scored another touchdown to hold a 19-14 halftime lead. No scoring occurred during the third quarter, although Gering’s next go-ahead score was set up by a 15-play drive that bridged the third and fourth periods. Nick Chitwood finished the series with a 2-yard rush, and the Bulldogs tried a 2-point pass but failed but maintained a 20-16 lead. Lexington scored with 2:14 remaining for a 24-20 lead, and then the Gering offense dug in and deep. “It was a great drive by our whole team,” Rhodes said of the following, winning series. “We just got the football and did what we do. DeMott passed for 205 yards, 63 to Britsch, while senior James Guzman led the Bulldogs on the ground with 86 yards. Smith’s three extra-point kicks gave him seven in as many attempts on the season. “It was a great three-phase game for us, offense, defense and special teams,” Rhodes said. “Our kickoff cover team was outstanding. the week before, Lexington had scored on a fake field goal and a kick return.” Next up for the unbeaten Bulldogs are the McCook Bison, who lost their first two games to fellow Class B stalwarts Aurora and Scottsbluff but scored their first win Friday over Grand Island Northwest, 26-13. For the second straight year, McCook comes to Gering, with kickoff at Memorial Stadium set for 7 p.m. “They have played two football teams that are pretty good, and against Grand Island Northwest, their defense played hard,” Rhodes said in his early analysis of McCook last weekend. “And they have had a blocked punt in every game. “We started preparing for them on Saturday, and we asked the kids, ‘Will you be ready for them? Do what you do and play as tough as we can, and if we do that, we can win the game.’” Gering will be on the road the next two Fridays, next week at Grand Island NW, then Sept. 28 at Hastings, before returning home to play Scottsbluff on Oct. 5. |
| Gering queens of the diamond in SHS Invitational 2012-09-14 By Terry Gaston |
| For the first time since Molly Bonuchi has coached the Gering softball team, the Bulldogs pulled off a sweep in the six-team, round-robin Scottsbluff Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday. By executing what Bonuchi said was a “total team effort,” Gering opened play Friday with dominating wins of 10-0 over Chadron, 21-1 over Alliance and 11-4 win over Gothenburg in what proved to be the deciding game of the tournament. The Bulldogs’ dominance continued on Saturday with a 13-0 romp over Chase County and a 15-2 win over the Bearcats, Gering’s third win in as many tries on Scottsbluff’s home field this season. The Bulldogs’ win over the Bearcats was actually a come-from-behind victory. After Scottsbluff posted its two runs in the top of the first inning, Gering answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Isabel Thompson led off the Bulldogs’ comeback rally with a first-pitch home run off Bearcat pitcher Brianna Fliam (8-5). Jennifer Barge then tied the game with another solo homer, and Brooke Satur and Brooke Doggett drove in a run each in giving Gering the lead. Then the Bulldogs erupted for 11 runs on nine hits in the second inning, enough to end the contest after three innings. Gering had 16 batters. Jessica Rogers drove home two runs to ignite the rally, and Thompson added a two-run single in an otherwise methodical rally that has become the Bulldogs’ trademark this season. "That's one thing about this group is you can't get them down,” Bonuchi said. “And if you get them down, you've done a lot, because they scored a couple quick runs, then we exploded in the second inning and have scored more than that. That's just how they are." The game ended after Scottsbluff got two runners on board, but Gering third baseman Maggie Martin reeled in a line drive then stepped on third base to complete an unassisted double play. The Bulldogs finished the game with 14 hits. Thompson, Rogers, Barge, Satur, Doggett and Aubrey Gonzales led the assault with two hits each. Thompson, Rogers and Satur all drove in three runs apiece, while Thompson scored three runs. Every hitter in the Gering lineup scored at least one run. Barge (13-2) scattered four hits and struck out five in three innings of pitching for the win. Natalie Wooden led Scottsbluff with a 2-for-2 outing by getting a triple, double and scoring one run Zoey Rada |