A slow start and a near-constant Jefferson County North offensive attack was the coal in the Christmas stocking of the Oskaloosa varsity girls’ basketball team Dec. 19.
The Chargers and sophomore standout Jordan Kramer capitalized on that slow start and commanded most of the game en route to a 58-41 victory for a third straight Delaware Valley League Preseason Tournament title. That streak will live in perpetuity as this is set to be the final year for the DVL tourney with the addition of ACCHS and Maur Hill Mount Academy to make the league 14 teams next season.
JCN had an advantage in most if not all facets of the game as they outrebounded the Bears, 28-27, and forced 15 turnovers while committing only 11.
The game belonged to the Chargers from the opening tip as senior forward Mallory GrandPre tapped the ball to Kramer, who drove for a layup to get the scoring started. Senior guard Sara Navinskey drilled a 3-pointer on the Chargers’ next possession and GrandPre and Kramer would add 4 more points to force an Oskaloosa timeout with a 9-0 North lead and 4:20 to play in the first quarter. Bears senior Kyra Coffman scored on a jumper coming off the timeout and sophomore forward Rachel Schmanke hit a short jumper to cut the lead to 9-4 as JCN went several minutes of game time without a score. GrandPre finished the quarter with two free throws and a jumper to give North back the 9-point lead at 13-4 entering the second quarter.
North stayed hot to start the second quarter as a 10-2 run made it 23-6 JCN. The quarter would belong to Kramer as she scored 14 points in the period compared to only 11 for the Bears as a team. The Bears pared the lead to 12 but Kramer scored the Chargers’ last 6 points of the half to make it 31-15 North at halftime.
The Bears put their offensive woes behind them coming out in the second half as junior guard Hailey Kelly started the third quarter with a 3-pointer. The score kickstarted a 16-point output for Oskaloosa in the quarter, but North almost kept pace with 14 points to allow only 2 points to be trimmed off the Charger lead. Oskaloosa cut the lead to 11 but North stretched it back to 15 and settled for a 45-31 lead entering the final quarter.
Needing a big offensive quarter to come back, the Bears didn’t get their first score of the fourth quarter until nearly the 6-minute mark as sophomore guard Haley Pfau nailed a 3-pointer. Kramer matched the score with a baseline 3-pointer to make the lead 16 at 50-34 North. The Bears couldn’t make much headway thereafter as a late Pfau 3-pointer made the final score 58-41 North.
Kramer led all players with 25 points in the game and added 4 rebounds. GrandPre scored 10 points, including going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, and added 9 rebounds with 2 steals and 3 blocks for the Chargers. Junior forward Katie Noll added 10 points, all in the second half, with Navinskey scoring 9 points with 5 rebounds.
The Bears were led by a good night from Pfau, who had 19 points with 5 rebounds. Kelly scored 8 points with 6 rebounds and 3 steals, Coffman added 8 points, and Schmanke scored 6 points with 9 rebounds for Oskaloosa.
The win improved North’s record to 4-0 while dropping the Bears to 3-1.
North coach Steve Noll said he was very pleased with his team’s performance coming off a narrow opening-round win over Troy and a solid semifinal victory over KC Christian. He expressed the need for more practice after the KCC win and said the work had paid off Saturday.
“(Practice) did us a little better than I thought it might,” Noll said with a chuckle. “We gave them some second chances at times. One of our goals coming in was to control the boards and I thought we did that the second half. The girls really played well.
“I think Oskaloosa is a quicker team then we are, but we looked quicker tonight. I think that start helped our confidence a lot. They started out kinda tentative and we were attacking, and that’s pretty much the opposite of how we were in the Troy game. All around, having four players in double figures, I’ll take that any game. This is a fun group to coach. I like to say it seems like they could go without us coaches. They listen to me, and I trust their input. This was one of our goals, we knew it was the last one, and we wanted to get it.”
In other county girls’ action Saturday, McLouth fell to Jackson Heights, 41-36, in the fifth-place game to fall to 2-3.
In boys’ action, Pleasant Ridge took the title over KC Christian, 54-48, in overtime. Oskaloosa defeated Horton, 50-31, for fifth place behind 17 points from junior Adam Bowser, 14 points from junior Levi Wade and 10 points from senior Brandon Barnes. The Bears are 4-1. McLouth defeated Doniphan West, 61-45, for seventh place behind 24 points from senior Cole Batman and 12 points from junior Trevor Roberts to move to 2-3.
Monday, December 28, 2009
County girls hoops preview 2009
Two new coaches join the ranks of the county high school girls’ basketball coaches as the county’s six teams follow up what was a notable 2008-09 season.
One team, Jefferson County North, finished last season with an undefeated regular season record, only to get beaten in the substate semifinals to finish 21-1, while another, Oskaloosa, posted only three regular-season losses and came within a game of the state tournament to finish 19-4. Jefferson West also had a winning season at 15-7, McLouth finished with a .500 winning percentage at 11-11, and only Valley Falls and Perry-Lecompton suffered down years at 9-13 and 3-17, respectively.
West and McLouth hired new coaches for the 2009-10 season in Steve Stallbaumer and Robert Good, respectively. Good is returning to coaching after almost 20 years away from the job following a seven-year stint at Sabetha in the 1980s. Stallbaumer comes to West as both coach and school counselor after a year as girls coach at El Dorado.
Following is a capsule review of each team entering the season in order of last season’s record.
JCN
Coach: Steve Noll, fifth year
Last season: 21-1
Noll is looking to reload with the Chargers this year as the team lost some key seniors from last season’s stellar squad, but returns quite a bit of firepower.
There are 22 girls out at North, including three seniors. The seniors – guard Sara Navinskey, forward Mallory GrandPre, and guard Beth Anne Brickell – have been a key part of the Chargers’ resurgence in recent years but Navinskey and Brickell are coming back off knee injuries that derailed their 2008-09 seasons.
“Losing the four seniors we lost costs us a big luxury we had last season in bringing people off the bench,” Noll said. “Right now we’re getting quality time from Anna Kern off the bench but we need a few others to step up. I think we were outplayed by Troy the other night all the way around other than in points.”
Noll said Navinskey and Brickell are at 100 percent in their comeback from injuries, but another Brickell, sophomore guard Kate, suffered a knee injury this summer and won’t return until after the Christmas break. Joining the group on the varsity roster are junior forward Katie Noll and sophomore guard and forward Jordan Kramer, both of whom contributed to the Chargers’ 2008-09 undefeated run, junior guard and forward Kern, freshman guard Kymee Noll, junior guard Gage Funk, and junior post player Kelsey Deviney.
“I’d like to think our strengths are pressure defense and pushing the ball up the court, but we’re not quite there yet,” Noll said. “We’ve got a long way to go before those are big strengths.”
Noll had a hard time picking a favorite in what he considers a tough DVL this season.
“There are a whole bunch of teams that are pretty comparable,” he said. “I think those top eight or nine teams could be right there with each other.”
North had a good win over Maur Hill Mt. Academy and a tight win over Troy under its belt going into DVL tourney play last weekend. Noll was hoping that time would help his team get to the level he would like to see them playing.
“We’ve got people who can step in, we just need to get some scoring off the bench,” he said. “Hopefully that Troy game was just an off night for us. We’ve had our ups and downs, but because of the weather we’ve only had 16 practices and two games. We’re not quite where we need to be, but we know what we need to address and we’ll go after it. The girls are working hard.”
Oskaloosa
Coach: LeeAnn Tufte, fifth year
Last season: 19-4
Tufte returns a small but relatively deep roster for her fifth year as coach of the Bears and has hopes of building on the momentum of a state berth in volleyball this fall.
The Bears lost one of the best players in the county a season ago, Nicole Rockhold, to graduation, but return almost everybody else that had varsity impact last season. There are 16 Bears out for basketball this season, including four seniors. Junior point guard Hailey Kelly is a key returner along with sophomore guard and forward Haley Pfau and sophomore forward Rachel Schmanke. Joining them in the starting lineup are senior forwards Mallory Schmidt and Kyra Coffman, who missed last season with a leg injury.
“I think what we have coming back definitely adds to our ability to continue on from where we left off last season,” Tufte said. “We’ve got more balance this season, and it’s tougher to play a team that’s well-balanced.”
Senior forward Audrey Trowbridge is joined by sophomore guard Jordan Miller and junior forward Katie Barnes in coming off the bench for the varsity rotation. Guard Sam Drinkard is the other senior on the team.
The Bears make the drop to 2A play after a few seasons at the 3A level and will join Valley Falls at the Lebo substate site. Tufte said as far as DVL play goes, she is looking for it to be a challenging schedule this season.
“JCN’s got a good solid team again, and McLouth will be up there along with Horton,” she said. “Jackson Heights and Troy have looked good, and then you’ve got KC Christian and Immaculata in there, too. It’s good. The stronger we can make the DVL, the better off we all are going into substate against other leagues.”
Balance and size are the factors Tufte pointed to that should help the Bears along the way this season.
“We’ve got pretty good size at several spots,” she said. “I’ve been very pleased with how the girls are developing. It’s nice to have that experience at the varsity level with sophomores. Plus they’re a great group of girls, and they get along well. Being able to play an inside game if we need to gives us some balance we haven’t had. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Jefferson West
Coach: Steve Stallbaumer, first year
Last season: 15-7
Stallbaumer inherits a West team that had a good run in 2008-09 but also lost four experienced seniors to graduation.
There are 18 girls out for basketball at West including four seniors. Stallbaumer was an assistant boys coach at El Dorado for three years before taking on the girls’ head coaching spot there for a season. He’ll look to form the team around senior guard and forward BriAnna Ploude, senior guard Taylor James, senior forward Morgan Scott and junior guard Monica Sanders. Joining them in the varsity rotation are senior forward Alexis Lauer, junior forward Tara Massey, and freshman guard Haley Siess.
“We’re gonna try to run with a purpose out there,” Stallbaumer said. “At the same time, we don’t want to throw the ball all over the place. We’ll transition if we can, and if not, we’ll run the half-court offense. Defensively we’ll press some but will mainly be a half-court defensive team.”
Stallbaumer pointed to quickness as a team strength.
“I think we have some athletic girls,” Stallbaumer said. “We’re not a real big team. The girls play hard, and we’ll need to stay out of foul trouble.”
Stallbaumer said, being new to the Big Seven League, he isn’t completely familiar with all the teams but is looking to Holton, Royal Valley and Sabetha to be the cream of this year’s crop.
He said there will be some growing pains this season as he instills his basketball system, but once the team is back from holiday break he hopes to get things running smoothly.
“The girls are working hard,” he said. “We still have a lot to learn. I’m putting in a new system here so we all need to get on the same page. Over these first few games we’ll learn where we’re at.”
McLouth
Coach: Robert Good, first year
Last season: 11-11
After coaching from 1983 to 1990 at Sabetha, Good made a career change and was in the military. Now that he’s retired from that career, Good decided to make the jump back into coaching and takes on a Bulldog team with some potential.
“I had my world adventures,” said Good, who lives in Topeka. “I’ve been to places like Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once I retired I thought I’d get back into (coaching). I didn’t necessarily want a full-time job, and this allows me to coach without teaching too. I’ve always had a passion for basketball and that stayed with me even after I left coaching.”
The main weapon for McLouth is senior guard Missy Rome, who has been a three-year standout for the Bulldogs. She is joined by the twin towers inside of senior forwards Cassidy Bristol and Kylie Shufflebarger to form the team’s core. One factor not working in Good’s favor is that only 13 players are out for girls’ basketball at McLouth.
“It’s tough – we’re just on the margin of having a JV,” he said. “The girls we have have a lot of experience and they get along great, so we’ll make the best of it.”
The senior trio is joined on the varsity roster by sophomore guards Terri Stewart and Morgan Drinnon and junior guard and forwards Jessie Troupe and Logan Terry.
“We don’t have a lot of depth, and we only have a couple freshmen out, but we do have some positives,” Good said. “Missy has got star player qualities, and Kylie has a lot of agility for as tall as she is. Cassidy is solid inside. I want to play up-tempo and pressure the ball – speed the game up if I can. We’re not the most physical team, and we don’t have a lot of height, but we’re quick. We want to take advantage of that.”
Good admitted he’s fairly unfamiliar with the DVL but looks to county rivals Oskaloosa and JCN to provide some good competition this season.
“I think from what I’ve seen there’s a lot of strength up and down this league,” he said.
All in all, Good said it’s good to be back in the coaching ranks again.
“I welcome the opportunity,” he said. “I try not to take things too seriously, and keep engaged with helping them become better. We’ve got good balance, I think. We’ve got some speed, and they can get up and down the floor. We’ve also got good ball handling and I’ve been encouraged by that. I just hope we can do well. We’ll compete. We’ve got some tough competition but the girls are positive and they have a good feel for the game. We’ll be OK.”
Valley Falls
Coach: Todd Gish, fifth year
Last season: 9-13
Gish and the Dragons have the pieces for a solid team this season – it’s a matter of putting them together that’s going to take some time according to the coach.
The Dragons have 19 girls out for basketball, including four seniors. Four experienced seniors were lost to graduation a year ago and Gish is looking for some scoring help at the varsity level. Junior standout guard Abbey Kearney had scored half of the team’s points through the first three games.
“We’ve got a lot of kids that are interchangeable, almost,” Gish said. “I figured we’d struggle a little bit this year as far as scoring, and defensively we’re not where I’d like to be. That’s mainly because we’ve spent an inordinate amount of time working on offense.”
Kearney is joined by senior forward Bethany Myers, senior guard and forward Bailey Sherretts, junior point guard Morgan Streeter and junior forward Kaitlyn Speer in the Dragons’ starting five, with junior guard Monique Emery, senior forward Courtnie Watson, senior guard Skylar Nichols, junior forward Jade Edmonds and sophomore guard Macie Herrig coming off the bench.
“We just need to find one person who can get close to double figures in scoring every night, and that would be a big help,” Gish said. “Our seniors and juniors have been really going out of their way to practice hard and set an example. There have been times in the past that hasn’t been the case, and things have been kind of lax. I think it’ll pay off for them and pay off in terms of showing the younger girls, too, how it needs to be done.”
Gish pointed to JCN, Oskaloosa, and KC Christian as the DVL frontrunners for this season with Jackson Heights potentially also in the mix.
“There are a lot of pretty solid teams in the league this year,” Gish said. “There aren’t a lot of heavy hitters but there aren’t any cupcakes either.”
Experience may be the team’s biggest need in the early going as several players haven’t seen much varsity time going into the season. Gish said that the team has practiced well, which gives him hope for better things to come as the calendar turns to 2010.
“We definitely need the practices,” Gish said. “We’ve been shooting better in practice than in games so far, but I think as we keep moving along, things will even out. I was hoping we’d be better defensively, but we’re not there yet. In order for us to be successful, we’ll have to be better there. We have a little ways to go in a lot of areas. We just need to have all five players on the court on the same page at the same time.”
Perry-Lecompton
Coach: Justin Mayer, second year
Last season: 3-17
Mayer and the Kaws are looking to take a step forward in his second year as coach with only two seniors lost from last year’s squad.
A surge in numbers could help Mayer’s cause as he has 26 girls out for basketball this season, including six seniors. He is counting on a group of experienced players to help lead the Kaws to bigger and better things in the 2009-10 campaign. Leading the way are senior post player Katie Volle, junior guard Abbey Bays and senior forward Jessica Christman. They are joined at the varsity level by senior guard Emma Gantz, senior guard Katie Hirsch, junior guard Taylor Akagi, sophomore guard Natasha Carver, senior post player Katherine Frye and senior post player Angel Bayless.
“We’re counting on several players, especially Katie (Volle), and Jessica has also taken a step forward going into the season,” Mayer said. “I think defense is a strength, because we can mix it up, and there are a wide variety of offensive things we can do. I’ve bombarded them with offensive sets. I told them I think we have more offensive things I’ve asked them to learn for certain situations than anybody else in the state.”
The focus is on improvement for the Kaws despite a tough road to hoe in the Kaw Valley League. Mayer said he is looking to 5A teams Lansing and Mill Valley to lead the league this season, and said Piper also seems to have improved from last season.
“Our goal is to finish better than we did last year, and I think it would take a lot of things going wrong not to do that,” Mayer said. “We feel like we can finish in the top half of the league. That’s our goal.”
As it is, Mayer is hoping a year of instilling his system last season pays off as this season progresses.
“They’ve taken to my system,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll run and gun with anybody – we’ll probably slow the game down a lot. Defensively we’ll need to be there every night. We want to go into substate feeling good, and I think we can do that.”
One team, Jefferson County North, finished last season with an undefeated regular season record, only to get beaten in the substate semifinals to finish 21-1, while another, Oskaloosa, posted only three regular-season losses and came within a game of the state tournament to finish 19-4. Jefferson West also had a winning season at 15-7, McLouth finished with a .500 winning percentage at 11-11, and only Valley Falls and Perry-Lecompton suffered down years at 9-13 and 3-17, respectively.
West and McLouth hired new coaches for the 2009-10 season in Steve Stallbaumer and Robert Good, respectively. Good is returning to coaching after almost 20 years away from the job following a seven-year stint at Sabetha in the 1980s. Stallbaumer comes to West as both coach and school counselor after a year as girls coach at El Dorado.
Following is a capsule review of each team entering the season in order of last season’s record.
JCN
Coach: Steve Noll, fifth year
Last season: 21-1
Noll is looking to reload with the Chargers this year as the team lost some key seniors from last season’s stellar squad, but returns quite a bit of firepower.
There are 22 girls out at North, including three seniors. The seniors – guard Sara Navinskey, forward Mallory GrandPre, and guard Beth Anne Brickell – have been a key part of the Chargers’ resurgence in recent years but Navinskey and Brickell are coming back off knee injuries that derailed their 2008-09 seasons.
“Losing the four seniors we lost costs us a big luxury we had last season in bringing people off the bench,” Noll said. “Right now we’re getting quality time from Anna Kern off the bench but we need a few others to step up. I think we were outplayed by Troy the other night all the way around other than in points.”
Noll said Navinskey and Brickell are at 100 percent in their comeback from injuries, but another Brickell, sophomore guard Kate, suffered a knee injury this summer and won’t return until after the Christmas break. Joining the group on the varsity roster are junior forward Katie Noll and sophomore guard and forward Jordan Kramer, both of whom contributed to the Chargers’ 2008-09 undefeated run, junior guard and forward Kern, freshman guard Kymee Noll, junior guard Gage Funk, and junior post player Kelsey Deviney.
“I’d like to think our strengths are pressure defense and pushing the ball up the court, but we’re not quite there yet,” Noll said. “We’ve got a long way to go before those are big strengths.”
Noll had a hard time picking a favorite in what he considers a tough DVL this season.
“There are a whole bunch of teams that are pretty comparable,” he said. “I think those top eight or nine teams could be right there with each other.”
North had a good win over Maur Hill Mt. Academy and a tight win over Troy under its belt going into DVL tourney play last weekend. Noll was hoping that time would help his team get to the level he would like to see them playing.
“We’ve got people who can step in, we just need to get some scoring off the bench,” he said. “Hopefully that Troy game was just an off night for us. We’ve had our ups and downs, but because of the weather we’ve only had 16 practices and two games. We’re not quite where we need to be, but we know what we need to address and we’ll go after it. The girls are working hard.”
Oskaloosa
Coach: LeeAnn Tufte, fifth year
Last season: 19-4
Tufte returns a small but relatively deep roster for her fifth year as coach of the Bears and has hopes of building on the momentum of a state berth in volleyball this fall.
The Bears lost one of the best players in the county a season ago, Nicole Rockhold, to graduation, but return almost everybody else that had varsity impact last season. There are 16 Bears out for basketball this season, including four seniors. Junior point guard Hailey Kelly is a key returner along with sophomore guard and forward Haley Pfau and sophomore forward Rachel Schmanke. Joining them in the starting lineup are senior forwards Mallory Schmidt and Kyra Coffman, who missed last season with a leg injury.
“I think what we have coming back definitely adds to our ability to continue on from where we left off last season,” Tufte said. “We’ve got more balance this season, and it’s tougher to play a team that’s well-balanced.”
Senior forward Audrey Trowbridge is joined by sophomore guard Jordan Miller and junior forward Katie Barnes in coming off the bench for the varsity rotation. Guard Sam Drinkard is the other senior on the team.
The Bears make the drop to 2A play after a few seasons at the 3A level and will join Valley Falls at the Lebo substate site. Tufte said as far as DVL play goes, she is looking for it to be a challenging schedule this season.
“JCN’s got a good solid team again, and McLouth will be up there along with Horton,” she said. “Jackson Heights and Troy have looked good, and then you’ve got KC Christian and Immaculata in there, too. It’s good. The stronger we can make the DVL, the better off we all are going into substate against other leagues.”
Balance and size are the factors Tufte pointed to that should help the Bears along the way this season.
“We’ve got pretty good size at several spots,” she said. “I’ve been very pleased with how the girls are developing. It’s nice to have that experience at the varsity level with sophomores. Plus they’re a great group of girls, and they get along well. Being able to play an inside game if we need to gives us some balance we haven’t had. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Jefferson West
Coach: Steve Stallbaumer, first year
Last season: 15-7
Stallbaumer inherits a West team that had a good run in 2008-09 but also lost four experienced seniors to graduation.
There are 18 girls out for basketball at West including four seniors. Stallbaumer was an assistant boys coach at El Dorado for three years before taking on the girls’ head coaching spot there for a season. He’ll look to form the team around senior guard and forward BriAnna Ploude, senior guard Taylor James, senior forward Morgan Scott and junior guard Monica Sanders. Joining them in the varsity rotation are senior forward Alexis Lauer, junior forward Tara Massey, and freshman guard Haley Siess.
“We’re gonna try to run with a purpose out there,” Stallbaumer said. “At the same time, we don’t want to throw the ball all over the place. We’ll transition if we can, and if not, we’ll run the half-court offense. Defensively we’ll press some but will mainly be a half-court defensive team.”
Stallbaumer pointed to quickness as a team strength.
“I think we have some athletic girls,” Stallbaumer said. “We’re not a real big team. The girls play hard, and we’ll need to stay out of foul trouble.”
Stallbaumer said, being new to the Big Seven League, he isn’t completely familiar with all the teams but is looking to Holton, Royal Valley and Sabetha to be the cream of this year’s crop.
He said there will be some growing pains this season as he instills his basketball system, but once the team is back from holiday break he hopes to get things running smoothly.
“The girls are working hard,” he said. “We still have a lot to learn. I’m putting in a new system here so we all need to get on the same page. Over these first few games we’ll learn where we’re at.”
McLouth
Coach: Robert Good, first year
Last season: 11-11
After coaching from 1983 to 1990 at Sabetha, Good made a career change and was in the military. Now that he’s retired from that career, Good decided to make the jump back into coaching and takes on a Bulldog team with some potential.
“I had my world adventures,” said Good, who lives in Topeka. “I’ve been to places like Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once I retired I thought I’d get back into (coaching). I didn’t necessarily want a full-time job, and this allows me to coach without teaching too. I’ve always had a passion for basketball and that stayed with me even after I left coaching.”
The main weapon for McLouth is senior guard Missy Rome, who has been a three-year standout for the Bulldogs. She is joined by the twin towers inside of senior forwards Cassidy Bristol and Kylie Shufflebarger to form the team’s core. One factor not working in Good’s favor is that only 13 players are out for girls’ basketball at McLouth.
“It’s tough – we’re just on the margin of having a JV,” he said. “The girls we have have a lot of experience and they get along great, so we’ll make the best of it.”
The senior trio is joined on the varsity roster by sophomore guards Terri Stewart and Morgan Drinnon and junior guard and forwards Jessie Troupe and Logan Terry.
“We don’t have a lot of depth, and we only have a couple freshmen out, but we do have some positives,” Good said. “Missy has got star player qualities, and Kylie has a lot of agility for as tall as she is. Cassidy is solid inside. I want to play up-tempo and pressure the ball – speed the game up if I can. We’re not the most physical team, and we don’t have a lot of height, but we’re quick. We want to take advantage of that.”
Good admitted he’s fairly unfamiliar with the DVL but looks to county rivals Oskaloosa and JCN to provide some good competition this season.
“I think from what I’ve seen there’s a lot of strength up and down this league,” he said.
All in all, Good said it’s good to be back in the coaching ranks again.
“I welcome the opportunity,” he said. “I try not to take things too seriously, and keep engaged with helping them become better. We’ve got good balance, I think. We’ve got some speed, and they can get up and down the floor. We’ve also got good ball handling and I’ve been encouraged by that. I just hope we can do well. We’ll compete. We’ve got some tough competition but the girls are positive and they have a good feel for the game. We’ll be OK.”
Valley Falls
Coach: Todd Gish, fifth year
Last season: 9-13
Gish and the Dragons have the pieces for a solid team this season – it’s a matter of putting them together that’s going to take some time according to the coach.
The Dragons have 19 girls out for basketball, including four seniors. Four experienced seniors were lost to graduation a year ago and Gish is looking for some scoring help at the varsity level. Junior standout guard Abbey Kearney had scored half of the team’s points through the first three games.
“We’ve got a lot of kids that are interchangeable, almost,” Gish said. “I figured we’d struggle a little bit this year as far as scoring, and defensively we’re not where I’d like to be. That’s mainly because we’ve spent an inordinate amount of time working on offense.”
Kearney is joined by senior forward Bethany Myers, senior guard and forward Bailey Sherretts, junior point guard Morgan Streeter and junior forward Kaitlyn Speer in the Dragons’ starting five, with junior guard Monique Emery, senior forward Courtnie Watson, senior guard Skylar Nichols, junior forward Jade Edmonds and sophomore guard Macie Herrig coming off the bench.
“We just need to find one person who can get close to double figures in scoring every night, and that would be a big help,” Gish said. “Our seniors and juniors have been really going out of their way to practice hard and set an example. There have been times in the past that hasn’t been the case, and things have been kind of lax. I think it’ll pay off for them and pay off in terms of showing the younger girls, too, how it needs to be done.”
Gish pointed to JCN, Oskaloosa, and KC Christian as the DVL frontrunners for this season with Jackson Heights potentially also in the mix.
“There are a lot of pretty solid teams in the league this year,” Gish said. “There aren’t a lot of heavy hitters but there aren’t any cupcakes either.”
Experience may be the team’s biggest need in the early going as several players haven’t seen much varsity time going into the season. Gish said that the team has practiced well, which gives him hope for better things to come as the calendar turns to 2010.
“We definitely need the practices,” Gish said. “We’ve been shooting better in practice than in games so far, but I think as we keep moving along, things will even out. I was hoping we’d be better defensively, but we’re not there yet. In order for us to be successful, we’ll have to be better there. We have a little ways to go in a lot of areas. We just need to have all five players on the court on the same page at the same time.”
Perry-Lecompton
Coach: Justin Mayer, second year
Last season: 3-17
Mayer and the Kaws are looking to take a step forward in his second year as coach with only two seniors lost from last year’s squad.
A surge in numbers could help Mayer’s cause as he has 26 girls out for basketball this season, including six seniors. He is counting on a group of experienced players to help lead the Kaws to bigger and better things in the 2009-10 campaign. Leading the way are senior post player Katie Volle, junior guard Abbey Bays and senior forward Jessica Christman. They are joined at the varsity level by senior guard Emma Gantz, senior guard Katie Hirsch, junior guard Taylor Akagi, sophomore guard Natasha Carver, senior post player Katherine Frye and senior post player Angel Bayless.
“We’re counting on several players, especially Katie (Volle), and Jessica has also taken a step forward going into the season,” Mayer said. “I think defense is a strength, because we can mix it up, and there are a wide variety of offensive things we can do. I’ve bombarded them with offensive sets. I told them I think we have more offensive things I’ve asked them to learn for certain situations than anybody else in the state.”
The focus is on improvement for the Kaws despite a tough road to hoe in the Kaw Valley League. Mayer said he is looking to 5A teams Lansing and Mill Valley to lead the league this season, and said Piper also seems to have improved from last season.
“Our goal is to finish better than we did last year, and I think it would take a lot of things going wrong not to do that,” Mayer said. “We feel like we can finish in the top half of the league. That’s our goal.”
As it is, Mayer is hoping a year of instilling his system last season pays off as this season progresses.
“They’ve taken to my system,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll run and gun with anybody – we’ll probably slow the game down a lot. Defensively we’ll need to be there every night. We want to go into substate feeling good, and I think we can do that.”
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hoops update for Dec. 3-4-7
Thursday’s games (Dec. 3)
Girls
DVL Tourney
Play-in games
Troy def. Valley Falls
• The Dragons started the season 0-1.
McLouth 59, Doniphan West 29
• McLouth took a 34-20 halftime lead and put the game away in the third quarter to start the season 1-0. Senior Missy Rome scored 28 points and sophomore Terri Stewart scored 10 in the win for the Bulldogs.
Boys
DVL Tourney
Play-in games
Oskaloosa 63, JCN 51
• The Bears trailed by 7 at the half but tied the game by the end of the third quarter and pulled away for the win late to start the season 1-0. North started the season 0-1. Junior Levi Wade led the Bears with 25 points, junior Adam Bowser added 13 and senior Brandon Barnes scored 12 for Oskaloosa. Sophomore Billy Noll led the Chargers with 11 points.
McLouth 43, Troy 35
• The Bulldogs came back from a 4-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to win and start the season 1-0. Senior Cole Batman led the Bulldogs with 23 points.
Doniphan West def. Valley Falls
• The Dragons started the season 0-1.
Friday’s games (Dec. 4)
Girls
JCN 65, Maur Hill Mt. Academy 33
• The Chargers started the season 1-0. Sophomore Jordan Kramer led the way with 17 points while junior Katie Noll scored 16, senior Mallory GrandPre scored 12 and senior Sara Navinskey scored 11.
Perry-Lecompton 40, Bishop Ward 37
• The Kaws started the season 1-0.
Silver Lake 44, Jefferson West 30
• The Tigers had a 1-point halftime lead but it was all Eagles in the second half as West started 0-1. Senior BriAnna Ploude led the Tigers with 14 points.
ACCHS 49, Valley Falls 43
• The Dragons led by 5 at halftime but couldn’t hold on to drop to 0-2. Junior Abbey Kearney led the way for Valley Falls with 29 points.
St. Marys 40, McLouth 25
• McLouth dropped to 1-1 as St. Marys pulled away in the fourth quarter to win. Rome scored 11 points in the loss.
Boys
JCN 43, Maur Hill-Mt. Academy 36
• North was up 2 at halftime and got the win to move to 1-1. Junior Jeff Hale led the way with 27 points in the win.
ACCHS 47, Valley Falls 42
• The Dragons dropped to 0-2 as ACCHS took a 9-point halftime lead and made it stick. Junior Brooks Glassel scored 9 points to lead the Dragons.
Bishop Ward 56, Perry-Lec. 44
• The Kaws started the season 0-1.
Silver Lake 70, Jefferson West 59
• West trailed by 11 after one quarter but trimmed the lead to 6 entering the fourth quarter. Lake pulled away to drop the Tigers to 0-1. Senior Alex Baker scored 24 in the loss for West.
St. Marys 60, McLouth 36
• McLouth dropped to 1-1. Batman led the Bulldogs with 9 points.
Monday’s games (Dec. 7)
Girls
DVL Tourney
Quarterfinals
JCN 44, Troy 40
• The Chargers moved to 2-0 and were set to play KC Christian in Thursday’s semifinals.
Oskaloosa 51, McLouth 37
• The Bears moved to 1-0 and moved into the semifinals versus Horton.
Consolation game
Valley Falls 53, Wathena 37
• The Dragons moved to 1-2 and were set to play Doniphan West for ninth place Thursday.
Girls
DVL Tourney
Play-in games
Troy def. Valley Falls
• The Dragons started the season 0-1.
McLouth 59, Doniphan West 29
• McLouth took a 34-20 halftime lead and put the game away in the third quarter to start the season 1-0. Senior Missy Rome scored 28 points and sophomore Terri Stewart scored 10 in the win for the Bulldogs.
Boys
DVL Tourney
Play-in games
Oskaloosa 63, JCN 51
• The Bears trailed by 7 at the half but tied the game by the end of the third quarter and pulled away for the win late to start the season 1-0. North started the season 0-1. Junior Levi Wade led the Bears with 25 points, junior Adam Bowser added 13 and senior Brandon Barnes scored 12 for Oskaloosa. Sophomore Billy Noll led the Chargers with 11 points.
McLouth 43, Troy 35
• The Bulldogs came back from a 4-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to win and start the season 1-0. Senior Cole Batman led the Bulldogs with 23 points.
Doniphan West def. Valley Falls
• The Dragons started the season 0-1.
Friday’s games (Dec. 4)
Girls
JCN 65, Maur Hill Mt. Academy 33
• The Chargers started the season 1-0. Sophomore Jordan Kramer led the way with 17 points while junior Katie Noll scored 16, senior Mallory GrandPre scored 12 and senior Sara Navinskey scored 11.
Perry-Lecompton 40, Bishop Ward 37
• The Kaws started the season 1-0.
Silver Lake 44, Jefferson West 30
• The Tigers had a 1-point halftime lead but it was all Eagles in the second half as West started 0-1. Senior BriAnna Ploude led the Tigers with 14 points.
ACCHS 49, Valley Falls 43
• The Dragons led by 5 at halftime but couldn’t hold on to drop to 0-2. Junior Abbey Kearney led the way for Valley Falls with 29 points.
St. Marys 40, McLouth 25
• McLouth dropped to 1-1 as St. Marys pulled away in the fourth quarter to win. Rome scored 11 points in the loss.
Boys
JCN 43, Maur Hill-Mt. Academy 36
• North was up 2 at halftime and got the win to move to 1-1. Junior Jeff Hale led the way with 27 points in the win.
ACCHS 47, Valley Falls 42
• The Dragons dropped to 0-2 as ACCHS took a 9-point halftime lead and made it stick. Junior Brooks Glassel scored 9 points to lead the Dragons.
Bishop Ward 56, Perry-Lec. 44
• The Kaws started the season 0-1.
Silver Lake 70, Jefferson West 59
• West trailed by 11 after one quarter but trimmed the lead to 6 entering the fourth quarter. Lake pulled away to drop the Tigers to 0-1. Senior Alex Baker scored 24 in the loss for West.
St. Marys 60, McLouth 36
• McLouth dropped to 1-1. Batman led the Bulldogs with 9 points.
Monday’s games (Dec. 7)
Girls
DVL Tourney
Quarterfinals
JCN 44, Troy 40
• The Chargers moved to 2-0 and were set to play KC Christian in Thursday’s semifinals.
Oskaloosa 51, McLouth 37
• The Bears moved to 1-0 and moved into the semifinals versus Horton.
Consolation game
Valley Falls 53, Wathena 37
• The Dragons moved to 1-2 and were set to play Doniphan West for ninth place Thursday.
ACCHS sweeps Dragon varsities
For one half, both the Valley Falls Dragons’ varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams had control of their first Friday night games of the season.
It was the other half that ended up being the problem in two narrow losses to the visitors from Atchison County Community High School. The Dragon boys ended up succumbing by 5 points while the girls ended up on the losing end of a 6-point margin.
For the Dragon boys, the first half was their downfall. The Tigers built a 6-0 lead to start the game and held the lead from there, although the Dragons closed the lead to 3 late in the quarter. A 3-pointer by Tigers sophomore Austin Eckert made the score 16-10 ACCHS after one quarter.
The Tigers had chances to stretch the lead to double digits in the second quarter as the Dragons went an extended period of time without scoring. Senior Chase Lederer drilled a 3-pointer with 1:23 to go in the half as the Dragons held the ACCHS lead to 9, 26-17, at halftime.
The Dragons came out of the locker room on a hot streak to start the second half as two scores by junior Alex Nottingham and, later, a 3-pointer by senior Tyler Wynkoop helped knot the score at 26. A Nottingham lay-in with 2:32 left in the quarter gave the Dragons their first lead of the game at 30-29. It was short-lived, however, as the Tigers ended the quarter on an 8-point run to take a 37-30 lead into the fourth quarter. Three late turnovers did the Dragons no favors in the run.
Midway through the final quarter, the Dragons had made no headway on the 7-point deficit and the lead eventually reached 10 points at 42-32. Three points by Dragons senior Riley Bunde trimmed into the lead, and a lay-in by junior Brooks Glassel cut the lead to 42-37 with 1:27 to play. The Dragons cut the lead to 3 on a late 3-pointer by sophomore Brock Watson but ACCHS junior Ryan Martin salted the game away with two free throws with 3 seconds left to make the final score 47-42 Tigers.
Eckert led the Tigers with 15 points while Martin added 10 in the win. Eckert and junior Blaze Hollands led the Tigers with 6 rebounds each. Martin also had 5 steals.
Valley Falls was led by 9 points from Glassel and 8 points each from Bunde and Nottingham. Bunde also pulled down 14 rebounds with 3 steals and 3 blocked shots in the loss. The Dragons outrebounded the Tigers, 28-27, but committed 20 turnovers compared to 17 from ACCHS.
Tiger girls 49, Dragons 43
The Dragons and junior guard Abbey Kearney ruled the first half of the game with ACCHS, but the Tigers surged back in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 6-point win.
Kearney scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half but the Dragons were outrebounded and outgunned in the game’s final minutes.
Kearney scored the Dragons’ first 10 points as they took a 10-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. A late 3-pointer from sophomore Macie Herrig helped the Dragons take a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
The Tigers started the second quarter on a 9-1 run fueled by 4 points from sophomore Tara Jo Ellerman and a 3-pointer from senior Jennifer Harmon that gave the Tigers a 16-15 lead with 5:12 left in the half. Kearney snatched the lead back for the Dragons with a running jumper and then converted a 3-point play to give Valley Falls some breathing room at 20-16. Atchison County tied the score at 22, however, before the Dragons finished the half on a 5-point run thanks to 5 more points from Kearney to take a 29-24 lead into halftime.
Ellerman notched 4 points to start the third quarter but the Dragons clung to the lead until late in the quarter. An Ellerman jumper tied the game at 34 with 58 seconds left and a free throw by sophomore Katrina Reiss gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead entering the final quarter.
Neither team could pull ahead through the first part of the fourth quarter until an Ellerman jumper made it 39-36 Tigers with 4:48 to play. The Tigers stretched the lead to 5 but Kearney hit a 3-pointer with 1:58 left to cut the lead back to 2. The Dragons had two chances to tie the game but couldn’t cash in. Late Dragon shots wouldn’t fall and sophomore Brooke Fowler hit 5 free throws down the stretch to help the Tigers to the 49-43 win.
Ellerman led the way for ACCHS with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals while Harmon scored 12 points in the win.
The Dragons were led by 29 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks from Kearney. Only senior Bailey Sherretts joined Kearney with more than 5 points as she scored 7 for the Dragons. The Tigers outrebounded the Dragons, 28-22, and had 20 turnovers compared to 21 for Valley Falls.
It was the other half that ended up being the problem in two narrow losses to the visitors from Atchison County Community High School. The Dragon boys ended up succumbing by 5 points while the girls ended up on the losing end of a 6-point margin.
For the Dragon boys, the first half was their downfall. The Tigers built a 6-0 lead to start the game and held the lead from there, although the Dragons closed the lead to 3 late in the quarter. A 3-pointer by Tigers sophomore Austin Eckert made the score 16-10 ACCHS after one quarter.
The Tigers had chances to stretch the lead to double digits in the second quarter as the Dragons went an extended period of time without scoring. Senior Chase Lederer drilled a 3-pointer with 1:23 to go in the half as the Dragons held the ACCHS lead to 9, 26-17, at halftime.
The Dragons came out of the locker room on a hot streak to start the second half as two scores by junior Alex Nottingham and, later, a 3-pointer by senior Tyler Wynkoop helped knot the score at 26. A Nottingham lay-in with 2:32 left in the quarter gave the Dragons their first lead of the game at 30-29. It was short-lived, however, as the Tigers ended the quarter on an 8-point run to take a 37-30 lead into the fourth quarter. Three late turnovers did the Dragons no favors in the run.
Midway through the final quarter, the Dragons had made no headway on the 7-point deficit and the lead eventually reached 10 points at 42-32. Three points by Dragons senior Riley Bunde trimmed into the lead, and a lay-in by junior Brooks Glassel cut the lead to 42-37 with 1:27 to play. The Dragons cut the lead to 3 on a late 3-pointer by sophomore Brock Watson but ACCHS junior Ryan Martin salted the game away with two free throws with 3 seconds left to make the final score 47-42 Tigers.
Eckert led the Tigers with 15 points while Martin added 10 in the win. Eckert and junior Blaze Hollands led the Tigers with 6 rebounds each. Martin also had 5 steals.
Valley Falls was led by 9 points from Glassel and 8 points each from Bunde and Nottingham. Bunde also pulled down 14 rebounds with 3 steals and 3 blocked shots in the loss. The Dragons outrebounded the Tigers, 28-27, but committed 20 turnovers compared to 17 from ACCHS.
Tiger girls 49, Dragons 43
The Dragons and junior guard Abbey Kearney ruled the first half of the game with ACCHS, but the Tigers surged back in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 6-point win.
Kearney scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half but the Dragons were outrebounded and outgunned in the game’s final minutes.
Kearney scored the Dragons’ first 10 points as they took a 10-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. A late 3-pointer from sophomore Macie Herrig helped the Dragons take a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
The Tigers started the second quarter on a 9-1 run fueled by 4 points from sophomore Tara Jo Ellerman and a 3-pointer from senior Jennifer Harmon that gave the Tigers a 16-15 lead with 5:12 left in the half. Kearney snatched the lead back for the Dragons with a running jumper and then converted a 3-point play to give Valley Falls some breathing room at 20-16. Atchison County tied the score at 22, however, before the Dragons finished the half on a 5-point run thanks to 5 more points from Kearney to take a 29-24 lead into halftime.
Ellerman notched 4 points to start the third quarter but the Dragons clung to the lead until late in the quarter. An Ellerman jumper tied the game at 34 with 58 seconds left and a free throw by sophomore Katrina Reiss gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead entering the final quarter.
Neither team could pull ahead through the first part of the fourth quarter until an Ellerman jumper made it 39-36 Tigers with 4:48 to play. The Tigers stretched the lead to 5 but Kearney hit a 3-pointer with 1:58 left to cut the lead back to 2. The Dragons had two chances to tie the game but couldn’t cash in. Late Dragon shots wouldn’t fall and sophomore Brooke Fowler hit 5 free throws down the stretch to help the Tigers to the 49-43 win.
Ellerman led the way for ACCHS with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals while Harmon scored 12 points in the win.
The Dragons were led by 29 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks from Kearney. Only senior Bailey Sherretts joined Kearney with more than 5 points as she scored 7 for the Dragons. The Tigers outrebounded the Dragons, 28-22, and had 20 turnovers compared to 21 for Valley Falls.
County boys basketball preview 2009
Only one county high school boys’ varsity basketball team could top a .500 winning percentage a year ago and the 2009-10 season dawns with each team facing its own set of challenges.
The 2008-09 season was a mediocre one at best for county boys’ teams as Perry-Lecompton led the way at 12-10, followed by Oskaloosa at 11-11, Valley Falls at 11-12, JCN at 10-12, Jefferson West at 6-14, and McLouth at 2-19.
All six teams got into action last week with middling results. Oskaloosa and McLouth were the two county teams to get wins to start the season as the Bears defeated county rival JCN and McLouth defeated Troy in play-in games to the DVL Preseason Tournament, which is set for this week in Oskaloosa.
Following is a capsule review of each team entering the season in order of finish last season.
Perry-Lecompton
Coach: Jeff Dickson, fifth year
Last season: 12-10
Whether it was the Kaw football team’s run to the state title game in 2008 or another factor, the Perry-Lecompton boys’ basketball team didn’t quite take the step forward Dickson was hoping for following a 19-3 record in 2007-08.
This year, he is faced with the task of reloading from the loss of a group of eight seniors, but Dickson said he feels the potential is there for another good season for the Kaws.
The Kaws have 28 players out for the team, including seven seniors. The main returnees in terms of experience are senior guard and forward Brad Phillips, senior point guard Riley Shafer, and senior guard Kameron Hurd, who averaged 14 points a game last season on the Kaw junior varsity despite saving some game time for the varsity side.
“We’ve been pretty successful in turning the program around,” Dickson said. “We’ve had three winning seasons in a row for the first time since the 1970s, and the kids are to the point where they play a lot in the summer. I think the team has some of the best senior leadership we’ve had. It’s way more positive in terms of feel than last year. There’s more of a friendly, team feel to it. That part’s exciting to me.”
Dickson is also counting on senior forward Shelby Politte, senior guard and forward Logan Hurd, senior guard Johnny Stewart and senior Brooks Christman to help lead the way on varsity. Some younger players in the varsity mix include sophomore guard Jeremy Immenshuch and sophomore post player Jon Denton.
“We’ve got some talented kids,” Dickson said. “The guys that have worked the best in the program are more of the blue-collar type. You have to work hard. The guys that are unwilling to do that fall by the wayside. You’ve got to play the summer games and lift the weights and put in some extra time.”
The Kaws fell to eventual 4A state champ and Kaw Valley League foe Basehor-Linwood in substate play to end last season and Dickson said Basehor, Mill Valley, Lansing, Turner and Piper to be the teams to beat in the Kaws’ last season in the KVL before moving to the Big Seven.
“Obviously you have to note Basehor-Linwood because they’re the defending champ and have a bunch back. A sleeper could be Santa Fe Trail. They’ve become a good rival to us in past seasons.”
Dickson said confidence building could be the key to how the Kaws do in the 2009-10 campaign.
“These kids have been doing the work, and I’d like to think they realize all that work is gonna pay off at some point. I think if we play hard every single time out, we should be right in games. They’ve dedicated themselves to proving something to people. Last season I think I underestimated how much effect that football run had on the team. We never got back to where I felt like we needed to be at. This year, I like the emotion of the team and how hard they’ve worked. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates to the floor. I’m hoping for us that the payoff comes a little earlier this time.”
Oskaloosa
Coach: Rod Stottlemire, fifth year
Last season: 11-11
Stottlemire lost a crew of seven seniors but the cupboard isn’t quite bare for the Bears as they try to improve on an even record a season ago.
There are 24 players on the Bears’ squad, including five seniors. Stottlemire hopes to capitalize on a core of guards – junior Adam Bowser, senior Brandon Barnes and junior Levi Wade – for success this season.
“I think we’ll be OK at the guard spot,” Stottlemire said. “In the post, I think we’ll be OK in time, but we don’t have a lot of experience there. There may be nights we look good and other nights that we struggle.”
Joining that guard trio on the varsity roster are junior post player Sheldon Malicke, junior forward Braden McGinnis and senior guard Mitch Boucher. Stottlemire said sophomore forward Adam Brien and senior forward Kodey Martin may get worked into the rotation as the season progresses.
“I think you’ll see a team in February that is much different than how we were in December. It’s gonna be a tough go at times. We could be middle-of-the-pack.”
Stottlemire pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the Delaware Valley League this season.
“I think Valley Falls is kind of a dark horse this season,” Stottlemire said. “If things go right for them I could maybe see them winning the league.”
At least for the start of the season going into Christmas break, the focus at Oskaloosa is to get some experience and try and work out the kinks for a shot at a stretch run into substate.
“When you’re dealing with inexperience at a position, those are things you have to live through,” Stottlemire said. “There are times we may have a four-guard look on the floor, depending on what the other team has. There are times we won’t be able to do that. We have guards who can score the ball, and I think we’ll get a lot better ball movement this year. As far as points go, I think we’ll be OK, but rebounds and stuff like that, we’ve got to work on. We’re 2A this year, so that’s a little different too. I feel good about where we’re at.”
Valley Falls
Coach: Caleb Gatzemeyer, fifth year
Last season: 11-12
The improvement continued at Valley Falls last season as the Dragons followed up seasons of 0 and 7 wins with a near-even record at 11-12. Gatzemeyer returns five players who started at some point for that squad.
The 28-player squad at Valley Falls includes six seniors, including post standout Riley Bunde. Bunde will be joined in the starting rotation by junior guard and forward Alex Nottingham, junior forward Brooks Glassel, senior guard Mitchell Streeter, senior guard Tyler Wynkoop and senior point guard Chase Lederer. Gatzemeyer will have to await the return of senior guard Logan Wyn-koop, who broke his collarbone in the football team’s season-ending loss to St. Marys.
“I think with the nucleus we have coming back, we can fill the holes left by the seniors we lost,” Gatzemeyer said. “I think we’re in good shape, but it’ll be big when Logan gets back in there.”
Other players in the Dragons’ varsity mix include sophomore guard Brock Watson, senior guard Colby Herren, junior guard Nick Domann, junior post player Jordan Morrow and junior forward James Grey.
Gatzemeyer pointed to Pleasant Ridge as the Delaware Valley League frontrunner with KC Christian and Wathena also among the leaders. He didn’t shy away from touting his own squad as a potential leader in the DVL, and also cited Jefferson County North and coach Jim Brickell as a perennial team that is in the league lead hunt.
“I feel very confident about the team,” Gatzemeyer said. “Based on how the guys did over the summer, I think we can compete with anybody.”
Gatzemeyer said balance will hopefully give his team the edge this season.
“I feel the most confident in the balance of this team between our guards and post players,” he said. “We’ve been really solid in the post area in recent years but have had problems taking care of the ball. “This year the guards have really impressed me in the way they take good care of the ball. They really value it. We’ve got experienced seniors who have emerged as our leaders, and even the juniors who have had some varsity experience are stepping up. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve had some good practices leading up to the start of the season.”
Jefferson Co. North
Coach: Jim Brickell, 24th year
Last season: 10-12
An up-and-down season for Brickell and the Chargers ended slightly on the down side for North at two games below .500, but the longest-tenured county coach thinks his team has the athleticism to improve on that mark.
The Chargers’ squad of 24 players includes six seniors and Brickell gets some key experience back at the varsity level. Leading the way are senior forward Nick Clark, senior guard Austin Gaspard, junior guard Jeff Hale, senior forward Tyler Noll, and junior forward Spencer Wentz. Also set for varsity play are senior transfer Tyler Leakey from a Missouri high school and senior guard Cody McMahon.
“We’re a little more athletic and have a little more size than last year. We want to be able to run the ball up the floor. I still worry a little bit about us offensively. Our post guys are coming along, but we have to develop there.”
Brickell is also adding some youth to the mix potentially as four sophomores could see varsity time – post Dalton Minor, guard and forward Dominic Kingman, forward Billy Noll and guard James Priest. Brickell said freshmen forward Jacob GrandPre and guard Cory Noll also may get some varsity experience this season.
“I think we’ll be a little better defensive team than we’ve been,” Brickell said. “Hopefully we can get back to playing more man-to-man defense.”
Brickell pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the DVL and said he felt his team’s first opponent, Oskaloosa, could be a sleeper in the league race this season.
“I think Oskaloosa may be a little better than last season,” Brickell said. “I know we played them in summer ball and they thumped us, although we didn’t have a few of our key guys there.”
This year’s team is a work in progress going into the start of the season as Brickell said he hopes to have the team running at full strength by the time substate play rolls around.
“We’ve had good practices – our only problem is we’ve had some kids miss for various reasons,” he said. “We won’t be starting the lineup I think will be the starting lineup down the line. We added some conditioning drills we got from KU, and we’ll see how those work out for us. I don’t know that we’ll see the results immediately, but down the line I think they’ll help.”
Jefferson West
Coach: Matt Tinsley, second year
Last season: 6-14
Tinsley issued his returning Tigers a challenge following their substate loss a season ago, and he thinks the offseason regimen has been worth it.
The coach’s first season at the helm of the Tigers resulted in a 6-14 record in a tough Big Seven and 4A schedule. Only three seniors were lost, however, from that squad so the bulk of the varsity roster returns.
The Tigers have 28 players on the team, including seven seniors that make up half of a 14-player varsity and junior varsity pool. Leading returners include senior post player Alex Baker, junior post player Dillon Roy, who had his bright spots as a sophomore last season, and senior post player Tim Rhodd, who Tinsley is looking to as one of the vocal leaders of this year’s Tigers.
“We took a few positives from last season,” Tinsley said. “It was a rebuilding year. I told them at the end of last season we have to be better than that on the first day of practice this season, and they’ve done that. They’ve worked very hard all summer. We always look to our seniors for leadership and we’ve got seven great ones out this year.”
Added to the varsity rotation are senior post player Austin Siess, who missed last season because of injuries, senior guard Sam DeMaranville, senior guard Adam Fechter, senior guard Bryce Miller, junior guard Chance Higgins, and freshman point guard Cory Brown.
Tinsley knows the Tigers always have their work cut out for them with a Big Seven schedule. He is looking to Holton and Hiawatha as the teams to beat in the league this season.
“There’s never an easy game in this league. I think having a great senior class will give our younger kids more time to get seasoned on the junior varsity,” he said. “The kids know what I expect now and we can go out and continue to develop.”
The Tigers’ depth is one thing Tinsley pointed to as a strength of this year’s squad.
“We have a lot of kids who can play multiple positions,” Tinsley said. “I like who we have, although we’re still tinkering with the starting group. I feel like we’ve made a step forward from last season. I’m excited. The guys’ work ethic is great. We just want to build on what we did last year. The kids believe we can win. After a good football season, I think that confidence and competitive mentality has carried over.”
McLouth
Coach: Jason Schroeder, fourth year
Last season: 2-19
The Bulldogs and Schroeder took their lumps in a 2-win 2008-09 campaign, but a young team returns with only three seniors lost to graduation.
There are 22 players out for the Dawgs with only two seniors this season. Senior guard Cole Batman, who was one of the team’s leading scorers last season, is the main returnee along with sophomore forwards Gavin Swearngin and Alen Kramer, sophomore forward Alex Courtney and senior guard Tyler Drinnon.
“We’re still young team, but even though we’re young, we do have some experience back at the varsity level after last season,” Schroeder said. “I think we’ve got a lot better chemistry than we’ve had. The group all complements each other well.”
Added to the varsity rotation will be junior guard Derek Wright, sophomore guard Shawn Dailey, junior forward Trevor Roberts and sophomore forward Gentry Bignall. The youthfulness of the team may make for a roller coaster season but could also have benefits down the road for the Bulldogs.
“I expect another up and down season,” Schroeder said. “We’ll probably take some lumps. But everybody seems to know their role and are committed to it. We’ve got inside guys and outside guys and defensive guys. I think we’ve got a lot better in terms of ball handlers from the last two years. We’ve got three guys who can play point guard.”
Schroeder also pointed to Pleasant Ridge and KC Christian as the frontrunners in the DVL, and said Valley Falls, Jackson Heights, Oskaloosa and Horton could also be in the league title hunt.
As play began last week, Schroeder said he was ready to see how his team stacked up against the competition.
“We’ll see what we’ve got and how much we’ve grown,” he said. “The guys played together all summer and looked better, but we’ll see once we get into some games.”
The 2008-09 season was a mediocre one at best for county boys’ teams as Perry-Lecompton led the way at 12-10, followed by Oskaloosa at 11-11, Valley Falls at 11-12, JCN at 10-12, Jefferson West at 6-14, and McLouth at 2-19.
All six teams got into action last week with middling results. Oskaloosa and McLouth were the two county teams to get wins to start the season as the Bears defeated county rival JCN and McLouth defeated Troy in play-in games to the DVL Preseason Tournament, which is set for this week in Oskaloosa.
Following is a capsule review of each team entering the season in order of finish last season.
Perry-Lecompton
Coach: Jeff Dickson, fifth year
Last season: 12-10
Whether it was the Kaw football team’s run to the state title game in 2008 or another factor, the Perry-Lecompton boys’ basketball team didn’t quite take the step forward Dickson was hoping for following a 19-3 record in 2007-08.
This year, he is faced with the task of reloading from the loss of a group of eight seniors, but Dickson said he feels the potential is there for another good season for the Kaws.
The Kaws have 28 players out for the team, including seven seniors. The main returnees in terms of experience are senior guard and forward Brad Phillips, senior point guard Riley Shafer, and senior guard Kameron Hurd, who averaged 14 points a game last season on the Kaw junior varsity despite saving some game time for the varsity side.
“We’ve been pretty successful in turning the program around,” Dickson said. “We’ve had three winning seasons in a row for the first time since the 1970s, and the kids are to the point where they play a lot in the summer. I think the team has some of the best senior leadership we’ve had. It’s way more positive in terms of feel than last year. There’s more of a friendly, team feel to it. That part’s exciting to me.”
Dickson is also counting on senior forward Shelby Politte, senior guard and forward Logan Hurd, senior guard Johnny Stewart and senior Brooks Christman to help lead the way on varsity. Some younger players in the varsity mix include sophomore guard Jeremy Immenshuch and sophomore post player Jon Denton.
“We’ve got some talented kids,” Dickson said. “The guys that have worked the best in the program are more of the blue-collar type. You have to work hard. The guys that are unwilling to do that fall by the wayside. You’ve got to play the summer games and lift the weights and put in some extra time.”
The Kaws fell to eventual 4A state champ and Kaw Valley League foe Basehor-Linwood in substate play to end last season and Dickson said Basehor, Mill Valley, Lansing, Turner and Piper to be the teams to beat in the Kaws’ last season in the KVL before moving to the Big Seven.
“Obviously you have to note Basehor-Linwood because they’re the defending champ and have a bunch back. A sleeper could be Santa Fe Trail. They’ve become a good rival to us in past seasons.”
Dickson said confidence building could be the key to how the Kaws do in the 2009-10 campaign.
“These kids have been doing the work, and I’d like to think they realize all that work is gonna pay off at some point. I think if we play hard every single time out, we should be right in games. They’ve dedicated themselves to proving something to people. Last season I think I underestimated how much effect that football run had on the team. We never got back to where I felt like we needed to be at. This year, I like the emotion of the team and how hard they’ve worked. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates to the floor. I’m hoping for us that the payoff comes a little earlier this time.”
Oskaloosa
Coach: Rod Stottlemire, fifth year
Last season: 11-11
Stottlemire lost a crew of seven seniors but the cupboard isn’t quite bare for the Bears as they try to improve on an even record a season ago.
There are 24 players on the Bears’ squad, including five seniors. Stottlemire hopes to capitalize on a core of guards – junior Adam Bowser, senior Brandon Barnes and junior Levi Wade – for success this season.
“I think we’ll be OK at the guard spot,” Stottlemire said. “In the post, I think we’ll be OK in time, but we don’t have a lot of experience there. There may be nights we look good and other nights that we struggle.”
Joining that guard trio on the varsity roster are junior post player Sheldon Malicke, junior forward Braden McGinnis and senior guard Mitch Boucher. Stottlemire said sophomore forward Adam Brien and senior forward Kodey Martin may get worked into the rotation as the season progresses.
“I think you’ll see a team in February that is much different than how we were in December. It’s gonna be a tough go at times. We could be middle-of-the-pack.”
Stottlemire pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the Delaware Valley League this season.
“I think Valley Falls is kind of a dark horse this season,” Stottlemire said. “If things go right for them I could maybe see them winning the league.”
At least for the start of the season going into Christmas break, the focus at Oskaloosa is to get some experience and try and work out the kinks for a shot at a stretch run into substate.
“When you’re dealing with inexperience at a position, those are things you have to live through,” Stottlemire said. “There are times we may have a four-guard look on the floor, depending on what the other team has. There are times we won’t be able to do that. We have guards who can score the ball, and I think we’ll get a lot better ball movement this year. As far as points go, I think we’ll be OK, but rebounds and stuff like that, we’ve got to work on. We’re 2A this year, so that’s a little different too. I feel good about where we’re at.”
Valley Falls
Coach: Caleb Gatzemeyer, fifth year
Last season: 11-12
The improvement continued at Valley Falls last season as the Dragons followed up seasons of 0 and 7 wins with a near-even record at 11-12. Gatzemeyer returns five players who started at some point for that squad.
The 28-player squad at Valley Falls includes six seniors, including post standout Riley Bunde. Bunde will be joined in the starting rotation by junior guard and forward Alex Nottingham, junior forward Brooks Glassel, senior guard Mitchell Streeter, senior guard Tyler Wynkoop and senior point guard Chase Lederer. Gatzemeyer will have to await the return of senior guard Logan Wyn-koop, who broke his collarbone in the football team’s season-ending loss to St. Marys.
“I think with the nucleus we have coming back, we can fill the holes left by the seniors we lost,” Gatzemeyer said. “I think we’re in good shape, but it’ll be big when Logan gets back in there.”
Other players in the Dragons’ varsity mix include sophomore guard Brock Watson, senior guard Colby Herren, junior guard Nick Domann, junior post player Jordan Morrow and junior forward James Grey.
Gatzemeyer pointed to Pleasant Ridge as the Delaware Valley League frontrunner with KC Christian and Wathena also among the leaders. He didn’t shy away from touting his own squad as a potential leader in the DVL, and also cited Jefferson County North and coach Jim Brickell as a perennial team that is in the league lead hunt.
“I feel very confident about the team,” Gatzemeyer said. “Based on how the guys did over the summer, I think we can compete with anybody.”
Gatzemeyer said balance will hopefully give his team the edge this season.
“I feel the most confident in the balance of this team between our guards and post players,” he said. “We’ve been really solid in the post area in recent years but have had problems taking care of the ball. “This year the guards have really impressed me in the way they take good care of the ball. They really value it. We’ve got experienced seniors who have emerged as our leaders, and even the juniors who have had some varsity experience are stepping up. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve had some good practices leading up to the start of the season.”
Jefferson Co. North
Coach: Jim Brickell, 24th year
Last season: 10-12
An up-and-down season for Brickell and the Chargers ended slightly on the down side for North at two games below .500, but the longest-tenured county coach thinks his team has the athleticism to improve on that mark.
The Chargers’ squad of 24 players includes six seniors and Brickell gets some key experience back at the varsity level. Leading the way are senior forward Nick Clark, senior guard Austin Gaspard, junior guard Jeff Hale, senior forward Tyler Noll, and junior forward Spencer Wentz. Also set for varsity play are senior transfer Tyler Leakey from a Missouri high school and senior guard Cody McMahon.
“We’re a little more athletic and have a little more size than last year. We want to be able to run the ball up the floor. I still worry a little bit about us offensively. Our post guys are coming along, but we have to develop there.”
Brickell is also adding some youth to the mix potentially as four sophomores could see varsity time – post Dalton Minor, guard and forward Dominic Kingman, forward Billy Noll and guard James Priest. Brickell said freshmen forward Jacob GrandPre and guard Cory Noll also may get some varsity experience this season.
“I think we’ll be a little better defensive team than we’ve been,” Brickell said. “Hopefully we can get back to playing more man-to-man defense.”
Brickell pointed to Pleasant Ridge, KC Christian and Valley Falls as the teams to beat in the DVL and said he felt his team’s first opponent, Oskaloosa, could be a sleeper in the league race this season.
“I think Oskaloosa may be a little better than last season,” Brickell said. “I know we played them in summer ball and they thumped us, although we didn’t have a few of our key guys there.”
This year’s team is a work in progress going into the start of the season as Brickell said he hopes to have the team running at full strength by the time substate play rolls around.
“We’ve had good practices – our only problem is we’ve had some kids miss for various reasons,” he said. “We won’t be starting the lineup I think will be the starting lineup down the line. We added some conditioning drills we got from KU, and we’ll see how those work out for us. I don’t know that we’ll see the results immediately, but down the line I think they’ll help.”
Jefferson West
Coach: Matt Tinsley, second year
Last season: 6-14
Tinsley issued his returning Tigers a challenge following their substate loss a season ago, and he thinks the offseason regimen has been worth it.
The coach’s first season at the helm of the Tigers resulted in a 6-14 record in a tough Big Seven and 4A schedule. Only three seniors were lost, however, from that squad so the bulk of the varsity roster returns.
The Tigers have 28 players on the team, including seven seniors that make up half of a 14-player varsity and junior varsity pool. Leading returners include senior post player Alex Baker, junior post player Dillon Roy, who had his bright spots as a sophomore last season, and senior post player Tim Rhodd, who Tinsley is looking to as one of the vocal leaders of this year’s Tigers.
“We took a few positives from last season,” Tinsley said. “It was a rebuilding year. I told them at the end of last season we have to be better than that on the first day of practice this season, and they’ve done that. They’ve worked very hard all summer. We always look to our seniors for leadership and we’ve got seven great ones out this year.”
Added to the varsity rotation are senior post player Austin Siess, who missed last season because of injuries, senior guard Sam DeMaranville, senior guard Adam Fechter, senior guard Bryce Miller, junior guard Chance Higgins, and freshman point guard Cory Brown.
Tinsley knows the Tigers always have their work cut out for them with a Big Seven schedule. He is looking to Holton and Hiawatha as the teams to beat in the league this season.
“There’s never an easy game in this league. I think having a great senior class will give our younger kids more time to get seasoned on the junior varsity,” he said. “The kids know what I expect now and we can go out and continue to develop.”
The Tigers’ depth is one thing Tinsley pointed to as a strength of this year’s squad.
“We have a lot of kids who can play multiple positions,” Tinsley said. “I like who we have, although we’re still tinkering with the starting group. I feel like we’ve made a step forward from last season. I’m excited. The guys’ work ethic is great. We just want to build on what we did last year. The kids believe we can win. After a good football season, I think that confidence and competitive mentality has carried over.”
McLouth
Coach: Jason Schroeder, fourth year
Last season: 2-19
The Bulldogs and Schroeder took their lumps in a 2-win 2008-09 campaign, but a young team returns with only three seniors lost to graduation.
There are 22 players out for the Dawgs with only two seniors this season. Senior guard Cole Batman, who was one of the team’s leading scorers last season, is the main returnee along with sophomore forwards Gavin Swearngin and Alen Kramer, sophomore forward Alex Courtney and senior guard Tyler Drinnon.
“We’re still young team, but even though we’re young, we do have some experience back at the varsity level after last season,” Schroeder said. “I think we’ve got a lot better chemistry than we’ve had. The group all complements each other well.”
Added to the varsity rotation will be junior guard Derek Wright, sophomore guard Shawn Dailey, junior forward Trevor Roberts and sophomore forward Gentry Bignall. The youthfulness of the team may make for a roller coaster season but could also have benefits down the road for the Bulldogs.
“I expect another up and down season,” Schroeder said. “We’ll probably take some lumps. But everybody seems to know their role and are committed to it. We’ve got inside guys and outside guys and defensive guys. I think we’ve got a lot better in terms of ball handlers from the last two years. We’ve got three guys who can play point guard.”
Schroeder also pointed to Pleasant Ridge and KC Christian as the frontrunners in the DVL, and said Valley Falls, Jackson Heights, Oskaloosa and Horton could also be in the league title hunt.
As play began last week, Schroeder said he was ready to see how his team stacked up against the competition.
“We’ll see what we’ve got and how much we’ve grown,” he said. “The guys played together all summer and looked better, but we’ll see once we get into some games.”
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
St. Marys routs Valley Falls, 42-8
The Valley Falls Dragons’ 2009 football playoff run consisted of a big win and a frustrating defeat, as the Dragons got past Troy in the bi-district round but got stifled by St. Marys, 42-8, in Saturday’s 2-1A regional round.
Valley Falls faced league foe Troy in the bi-district round Nov. 3 and came away with a 40-8 home win. That set up a home game Saturday with St. Marys, which trounced Wabaunsee, 50-16, in the opening round.
It wouldn’t take long for St. Marys to establish command in the game and Valley Falls’ best efforts to answer the Bears offense fizzled. The Dragons took the opening kickoff, but on the first play from scrimmage senior running back Tyler Wynkoop took a hard hit and fumbled with the Bears recovering at the Dragons 29.
A holding penalty backed St. Marys up on their first play but, two plays later, junior quarterback Mitch Baumchen connected with junior wideout Dorian Sills-Berry for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Baumchen ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0 Bears with 10:52 left in the opening quarter.
The Dragon offense responded as senior running back Chance Gier had what would be his longest run of the night for a 32-yard gain on the next offensive play. Junior quarterback Alex Lederer then found senior Mitchell Streeter deep down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown strike but the Dragons were flagged for a chop block to nullify the score. The Dragon drive stalled there and Valley Falls was forced to punt.
St. Marys chipped away at the Dragon defense by mounting a 67-yard drive in 13 plays highlighted by a 16-yard run by senior back Luke Olsen, a 13-yard Baumchen run and a 7-yard touchdown pass from Baumchen to senior Derik Flerlage. Baumchen added the 2-point conversion again to make it 16-0 Bears with 1:44 left in the opening quarter.
The Dragons were flagged for another chop block, which is otherwise known as a block below the knees, usually, but not always, when the defensive player is dealing with another offensive player at the time of the block. The call helped stall the next drive and, after a punt, St. Marys got a 51-yard gain from Olsen to take the ball past the Dragons 15. Penalties backed the Bears up but the Dragons were flagged for a horse collar tackle to help the Bears’ cause. Olsen cashed in the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to make it 22-0 Bears with 6:30 left in the first half.
The Dragons went three-and-out on the next possession and Lederer’s punt went off the side of his foot and out of bounds for a 4-yard loss on the play to give the Bears another dose of good fortune. Baumchen scored from 2 yards out and senior Chris Fiedler added the 2-point run to make it 30-0 St. Marys with 3:46 left in the half.
Valley Falls used the short pass to effectiveness on the ensuing drive as Lederer found four different receivers to take the ball to the St. Marys 25. The Bears were flagged for pass interference to give the Dragons first down at the 12 with 1:06 left in the half. On third down at the 12, Lederer’s pass was picked off in stride by senior Josh Decker inside the 10, and Decker returned the ball to the Dragons 16 to kill the momentum for the home side. Baumchen scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak three plays later to make the halftime score 36-0 Bears.
The Dragons defense stiffened somewhat in the second half as the Bears turned the ball over on downs at the Dragons 25 on their first possession of the second half. The short passing game worked for the Dragons again to take the ball to the St. Marys 18, but once again the drive stalled and the Bears took over on downs at their own 23. St. Marys had one more big play as Baumchen and Sills-Berry connected for a 55-yard pass play on the last play of the third quarter. Olsen scored from 1 yard out on the third play of the fourth quarter to make it 42-0 St. Marys.
The Dragons once again drove into Bears territory but stalled out at the 29 and the Bears ground down the clock before turning the ball over at the Dragons 30 with 1:18 to play. Lederer and senior tight end Riley Bunde connected for a 55-yard pass play and then a 15-yard scoring strike to deny the Bears the shutout. Gier added the 2-point conversion run to make it 42-8 with 56 seconds to play. From there, it was a matter of Bears backup quarterback freshman Kasey Clark kneeling out the clock.
The Bears amassed 418 yards of offense, including 291 rushing yards, compared to 247 total for the Dragons. Of the Dragons’ total, 210 yards came through the air. Lederer was 14-for-30 passing for 210 yards and a score and Bunde had 6 catches for 136 yards and a score in the loss.
St. Marys was led by 20 carries for 158 yards and two scores from Olsen and 13 carries for 61 yards and two scores from Baumchen. Baumchen also was 6-for-9 passing for 127 yards and two scores. Sills-Berry had 3 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Dragons were unable to take advantage of 10 St. Marys penalties for 93 total yards. The Dragons were flagged for 5 penalties for 50 yards.
The Dragons finished the season at 6-5 and were one of only two teams in the county to advance past the first playoff round along with Jefferson West, which also lost Saturday to Eudora in a 4A regional playoff.
Valley Falls faced league foe Troy in the bi-district round Nov. 3 and came away with a 40-8 home win. That set up a home game Saturday with St. Marys, which trounced Wabaunsee, 50-16, in the opening round.
It wouldn’t take long for St. Marys to establish command in the game and Valley Falls’ best efforts to answer the Bears offense fizzled. The Dragons took the opening kickoff, but on the first play from scrimmage senior running back Tyler Wynkoop took a hard hit and fumbled with the Bears recovering at the Dragons 29.
A holding penalty backed St. Marys up on their first play but, two plays later, junior quarterback Mitch Baumchen connected with junior wideout Dorian Sills-Berry for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Baumchen ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0 Bears with 10:52 left in the opening quarter.
The Dragon offense responded as senior running back Chance Gier had what would be his longest run of the night for a 32-yard gain on the next offensive play. Junior quarterback Alex Lederer then found senior Mitchell Streeter deep down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown strike but the Dragons were flagged for a chop block to nullify the score. The Dragon drive stalled there and Valley Falls was forced to punt.
St. Marys chipped away at the Dragon defense by mounting a 67-yard drive in 13 plays highlighted by a 16-yard run by senior back Luke Olsen, a 13-yard Baumchen run and a 7-yard touchdown pass from Baumchen to senior Derik Flerlage. Baumchen added the 2-point conversion again to make it 16-0 Bears with 1:44 left in the opening quarter.
The Dragons were flagged for another chop block, which is otherwise known as a block below the knees, usually, but not always, when the defensive player is dealing with another offensive player at the time of the block. The call helped stall the next drive and, after a punt, St. Marys got a 51-yard gain from Olsen to take the ball past the Dragons 15. Penalties backed the Bears up but the Dragons were flagged for a horse collar tackle to help the Bears’ cause. Olsen cashed in the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to make it 22-0 Bears with 6:30 left in the first half.
The Dragons went three-and-out on the next possession and Lederer’s punt went off the side of his foot and out of bounds for a 4-yard loss on the play to give the Bears another dose of good fortune. Baumchen scored from 2 yards out and senior Chris Fiedler added the 2-point run to make it 30-0 St. Marys with 3:46 left in the half.
Valley Falls used the short pass to effectiveness on the ensuing drive as Lederer found four different receivers to take the ball to the St. Marys 25. The Bears were flagged for pass interference to give the Dragons first down at the 12 with 1:06 left in the half. On third down at the 12, Lederer’s pass was picked off in stride by senior Josh Decker inside the 10, and Decker returned the ball to the Dragons 16 to kill the momentum for the home side. Baumchen scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak three plays later to make the halftime score 36-0 Bears.
The Dragons defense stiffened somewhat in the second half as the Bears turned the ball over on downs at the Dragons 25 on their first possession of the second half. The short passing game worked for the Dragons again to take the ball to the St. Marys 18, but once again the drive stalled and the Bears took over on downs at their own 23. St. Marys had one more big play as Baumchen and Sills-Berry connected for a 55-yard pass play on the last play of the third quarter. Olsen scored from 1 yard out on the third play of the fourth quarter to make it 42-0 St. Marys.
The Dragons once again drove into Bears territory but stalled out at the 29 and the Bears ground down the clock before turning the ball over at the Dragons 30 with 1:18 to play. Lederer and senior tight end Riley Bunde connected for a 55-yard pass play and then a 15-yard scoring strike to deny the Bears the shutout. Gier added the 2-point conversion run to make it 42-8 with 56 seconds to play. From there, it was a matter of Bears backup quarterback freshman Kasey Clark kneeling out the clock.
The Bears amassed 418 yards of offense, including 291 rushing yards, compared to 247 total for the Dragons. Of the Dragons’ total, 210 yards came through the air. Lederer was 14-for-30 passing for 210 yards and a score and Bunde had 6 catches for 136 yards and a score in the loss.
St. Marys was led by 20 carries for 158 yards and two scores from Olsen and 13 carries for 61 yards and two scores from Baumchen. Baumchen also was 6-for-9 passing for 127 yards and two scores. Sills-Berry had 3 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Dragons were unable to take advantage of 10 St. Marys penalties for 93 total yards. The Dragons were flagged for 5 penalties for 50 yards.
The Dragons finished the season at 6-5 and were one of only two teams in the county to advance past the first playoff round along with Jefferson West, which also lost Saturday to Eudora in a 4A regional playoff.
High school football playoff wrapup
Tuesday’s games (Nov. 3)
4A bi-district playoffs
at Basehor
Jefferson West 41. Basehor-Linwood 27
• West picked up its first playoff win since 1998 by taking down Basehor-Linwood on the road to improve to 7-3. Senior Austin Siess scored on a 7-yard run and a 22-yard pass from senior quarterback Alex Baker, junior Ethan Mumaw scored on runs of 1, 9, and 60 yards and junior Grady Tichenor scored on an 11-yard pass from Baker, who added five extra points.
3A bi-district playoffs
at Rossville
Rossville 51, Oskaloosa 8
• The Bears got rolled on the road to finish the season 7-3.
2A bi-district playoffs
at Valley Falls
Valley Falls 40, Troy 8
• The Dragons improved to 6-4 on the season by rolling to a 32-0 halftime lead and holding on for the win. Junior quarterback Alex Lederer scored on runs of 64 and 45 yards and connected with senior Riley Bunde on a 12-yard scoring strike. Senior Chance Gier scored on an 8-yard run and added two 2-point conversion runs and senior Tyler Wynkoop scored on a 4-yard run with senior Logan Wynkoop scoring two 2-point conversions. Lederer ran 9 times for 168 yards and Gier ran 21 times for 83 yards. Bunde had 2 catches for 48 yards and Lederer and Tyler Wynkoop had interceptions on defense.
Saturday’s games (Nov. 7)
4A regional playoffs
at Meriden
Eudora 23, Jefferson West 16
• The Tigers couldn’t generate a second-half comeback as Eudora ended their season at 7-4. Siess scored on a 7-yard pass from Baker and Mumaw ran for a 16-yard touchdown. Baker also added a 31-yard field goal and an extra point.
St. Marys 42, Valley Falls 8
• The Dragons were down, 36-0, at the half en route to the loss to finish the season 6-5. A report on the game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
4A bi-district playoffs
at Basehor
Jefferson West 41. Basehor-Linwood 27
• West picked up its first playoff win since 1998 by taking down Basehor-Linwood on the road to improve to 7-3. Senior Austin Siess scored on a 7-yard run and a 22-yard pass from senior quarterback Alex Baker, junior Ethan Mumaw scored on runs of 1, 9, and 60 yards and junior Grady Tichenor scored on an 11-yard pass from Baker, who added five extra points.
3A bi-district playoffs
at Rossville
Rossville 51, Oskaloosa 8
• The Bears got rolled on the road to finish the season 7-3.
2A bi-district playoffs
at Valley Falls
Valley Falls 40, Troy 8
• The Dragons improved to 6-4 on the season by rolling to a 32-0 halftime lead and holding on for the win. Junior quarterback Alex Lederer scored on runs of 64 and 45 yards and connected with senior Riley Bunde on a 12-yard scoring strike. Senior Chance Gier scored on an 8-yard run and added two 2-point conversion runs and senior Tyler Wynkoop scored on a 4-yard run with senior Logan Wynkoop scoring two 2-point conversions. Lederer ran 9 times for 168 yards and Gier ran 21 times for 83 yards. Bunde had 2 catches for 48 yards and Lederer and Tyler Wynkoop had interceptions on defense.
Saturday’s games (Nov. 7)
4A regional playoffs
at Meriden
Eudora 23, Jefferson West 16
• The Tigers couldn’t generate a second-half comeback as Eudora ended their season at 7-4. Siess scored on a 7-yard pass from Baker and Mumaw ran for a 16-yard touchdown. Baker also added a 31-yard field goal and an extra point.
St. Marys 42, Valley Falls 8
• The Dragons were down, 36-0, at the half en route to the loss to finish the season 6-5. A report on the game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Oskaloosa heads to state but falls short in pool play
NOTE: This was supposed to be posted last week but didn't get done. The Independent apologizes for the omission from the blog.
Coach Tosha Landau and the Oskaloosa Bears entered their volleyball substate as the top seed for the third year in a row Oct. 24, but this time there would be no substate letdown as the Bears survived two three-game victories to win the 2A substate title on their home court and advance to this weekend’s state tournament in Hays.
The Bears cruised past eighth-seeded Wathena in the opening round, 25-11, 25-9, and faced county rival and fourth-seeded Valley Falls in the semifinals. The substate semifinals have been a thorn in the side of the Bears in recent years, as in each of the last two years the Bears have been the top seed in their 3A substates only to fall in that round. A drop in class to 2A and some home cooking, combined with a talented young team that includes only two seniors, must have done the trick, as the Bears fended off the Dragons, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, to advance to the championship game against third-seeded Jackson Heights. The Valley Falls loss ended the Dragons’ season at 17-18.
More adversity awaited the Bears in the title match as the Cobras won the first game, 25-22, before Oskaloosa regrouped to win the second game, 25-17, and the third, 25-15, to celebrate what is believed to be the school’s first ever volleyball substate title with a 30-10 record. The last Oskaloosa team sport to make a state tournament appearance was the softball team in 1994.
Oskaloosa advanced to its first state volleyball tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University, as the seventh seed. Pool play started at 3:30 p.m. Friday as Oskaloosa was in a pool with second seed Lebo (35-4 record), third seed Uniontown (33-5) and sixth seed Moundridge (31-9). The other pool in the tournament included top seed Decatur Community from Oberlin (36-1), fourth seed Spearville (31-7), fifth seed Valley Heights (32-9) and eighth seed Sacred Heart (25-12).
The Bears' first ever trip to the state volleyball tournament ended in relatively short order Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays as the Bears went 0-3 in pool play to finish the season 30-13. The Bears lost to Lebo, 25-22, 25-17, and went on to fall to Uniontown, 25-14, 25-20, and eventual state champion Moundridge, 25-23, 25-20, to finish out of the top two pool spots that advanced to Saturday’s finals. The Bears scored more points on Moundridge than either Valley Heights or Lebo would Saturday in the semifinals and state championship matches.
The Bears’ substate title makes it three consecutive seasons that a county team has advanced to state as the Jefferson County North Chargers had done it the past two seasons. The third-seeded Chargers ended sixth seed McLouth’s season in the quarterfinals of the 3A substate at Wellsville, 20-25, 28-26, 25-23, as the Bulldogs finished 22-16. JCN’s season ended, however, in the semifinals as second seed Osage City won in straight games, 25-7, 25-20, to finish the Chargers’ season at 30-10. In 4A action in Perry, the host and eighth seed Perry-Lecompton Kaws fell to top seed Hayden, 25-11, 25-12, to finish 14-24 on the season, and the fifth seed Jefferson West Tigers lost to fourth seed Wamego, 25-17, 25-20, in the opening round to finish the season 19-18.
Coach Tosha Landau and the Oskaloosa Bears entered their volleyball substate as the top seed for the third year in a row Oct. 24, but this time there would be no substate letdown as the Bears survived two three-game victories to win the 2A substate title on their home court and advance to this weekend’s state tournament in Hays.
The Bears cruised past eighth-seeded Wathena in the opening round, 25-11, 25-9, and faced county rival and fourth-seeded Valley Falls in the semifinals. The substate semifinals have been a thorn in the side of the Bears in recent years, as in each of the last two years the Bears have been the top seed in their 3A substates only to fall in that round. A drop in class to 2A and some home cooking, combined with a talented young team that includes only two seniors, must have done the trick, as the Bears fended off the Dragons, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, to advance to the championship game against third-seeded Jackson Heights. The Valley Falls loss ended the Dragons’ season at 17-18.
More adversity awaited the Bears in the title match as the Cobras won the first game, 25-22, before Oskaloosa regrouped to win the second game, 25-17, and the third, 25-15, to celebrate what is believed to be the school’s first ever volleyball substate title with a 30-10 record. The last Oskaloosa team sport to make a state tournament appearance was the softball team in 1994.
Oskaloosa advanced to its first state volleyball tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University, as the seventh seed. Pool play started at 3:30 p.m. Friday as Oskaloosa was in a pool with second seed Lebo (35-4 record), third seed Uniontown (33-5) and sixth seed Moundridge (31-9). The other pool in the tournament included top seed Decatur Community from Oberlin (36-1), fourth seed Spearville (31-7), fifth seed Valley Heights (32-9) and eighth seed Sacred Heart (25-12).
The Bears' first ever trip to the state volleyball tournament ended in relatively short order Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays as the Bears went 0-3 in pool play to finish the season 30-13. The Bears lost to Lebo, 25-22, 25-17, and went on to fall to Uniontown, 25-14, 25-20, and eventual state champion Moundridge, 25-23, 25-20, to finish out of the top two pool spots that advanced to Saturday’s finals. The Bears scored more points on Moundridge than either Valley Heights or Lebo would Saturday in the semifinals and state championship matches.
The Bears’ substate title makes it three consecutive seasons that a county team has advanced to state as the Jefferson County North Chargers had done it the past two seasons. The third-seeded Chargers ended sixth seed McLouth’s season in the quarterfinals of the 3A substate at Wellsville, 20-25, 28-26, 25-23, as the Bulldogs finished 22-16. JCN’s season ended, however, in the semifinals as second seed Osage City won in straight games, 25-7, 25-20, to finish the Chargers’ season at 30-10. In 4A action in Perry, the host and eighth seed Perry-Lecompton Kaws fell to top seed Hayden, 25-11, 25-12, to finish 14-24 on the season, and the fifth seed Jefferson West Tigers lost to fourth seed Wamego, 25-17, 25-20, in the opening round to finish the season 19-18.
High school football scores from Oct. 29 games
Thursday’s games (Oct. 29)
Oskaloosa 42, McLouth 0
• The Bears had a 30-0 lead at half and rolled from there to finish the regular season 7-2 overall and 2-1 in district play. They were set to travel to Rossville Tuesday to play a 3A bi-district playoff game. That game hadn’t been played at press time. McLouth finished the season 1-8 overall and 0-3 in district play.
Holton 16, Jefferson West 13
• A report on this game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
Onaga 22, Valley Falls 16
• The Dragons dropped to 5-4 overall with the loss as Onaga took a 22-8 lead into the fourth quarter and held on to win. Senior Chance Gier scored on a 2-yard run for the Dragons while junior Alex Lederer scored on a 12-yard run. Senior Tyler Wynkoop added a 2-point conversion and Lederer connected with senior Mitchell Streeter on another 2-point conversion. Valley Falls was set to play host to Troy Tuesday night for a 2-1A bi-district game. That game hadn’t been played at press time.
Pleasant Ridge 47, JCN 0
• The Chargers finished the season 2-7 overall and 1-2 in district play.
Perry-Lecompton 55, Santa Fe Trail 2
• The Kaws finished the season 2-7 overall and 1-2 in district play. Senior Brad Phillips finished his high school career with a 4 touchdown night as he had three touchdown receptions of 45, 33, and 15 yards from sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh, plus a 27-yard scoring run. Sophomore Brandon Ball scored on a 6-yard blocked punt return, senior Shelby Politte scored on a 38-yard pass from Immenschuh, Immenschuh scored on a 6-yard run, and senior Brooks Christman scored on a 3-yard run. Senior John Mehl added seven extra-point kicks.
Oskaloosa 42, McLouth 0
• The Bears had a 30-0 lead at half and rolled from there to finish the regular season 7-2 overall and 2-1 in district play. They were set to travel to Rossville Tuesday to play a 3A bi-district playoff game. That game hadn’t been played at press time. McLouth finished the season 1-8 overall and 0-3 in district play.
Holton 16, Jefferson West 13
• A report on this game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
Onaga 22, Valley Falls 16
• The Dragons dropped to 5-4 overall with the loss as Onaga took a 22-8 lead into the fourth quarter and held on to win. Senior Chance Gier scored on a 2-yard run for the Dragons while junior Alex Lederer scored on a 12-yard run. Senior Tyler Wynkoop added a 2-point conversion and Lederer connected with senior Mitchell Streeter on another 2-point conversion. Valley Falls was set to play host to Troy Tuesday night for a 2-1A bi-district game. That game hadn’t been played at press time.
Pleasant Ridge 47, JCN 0
• The Chargers finished the season 2-7 overall and 1-2 in district play.
Perry-Lecompton 55, Santa Fe Trail 2
• The Kaws finished the season 2-7 overall and 1-2 in district play. Senior Brad Phillips finished his high school career with a 4 touchdown night as he had three touchdown receptions of 45, 33, and 15 yards from sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh, plus a 27-yard scoring run. Sophomore Brandon Ball scored on a 6-yard blocked punt return, senior Shelby Politte scored on a 38-yard pass from Immenschuh, Immenschuh scored on a 6-yard run, and senior Brooks Christman scored on a 3-yard run. Senior John Mehl added seven extra-point kicks.
West falls short versus Holton, 16-13
The scoring stopped at halftime of the 4A district-deciding tilt between Jefferson West and Holton Oct. 29 but the second half was still a nailbiter as the Wildcats escaped Meriden with a 16-13 win.
The deciding play ended up being a 36-yard field goal by Holton senior Mitchell Hampton with time dwindling in the first half. For the most part, the teams were evenly matched as Holton churned out 295 yards of offense, all on the ground, and West compiled 278 yards of offense with 233 of that total on the ground.
It was the yards that West didn’t get that cost them a game in which they controlled the action throughout the second half.
Holton picked up a delay of game penalty before its first offensive snap but, three plays later, senior Jackson DeLay broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead as Hampton’s extra-point kick sailed wide.
The teams traded stalled drives before a 16-yard run by West senior Stephen Skaggs set up a 25-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Alex Baker to senior wideout Austin Siess to give the Tigers the lead with the Baker extra point, 7-6.
Holton converted a fourth-and-inches situation on its next drive and a 46-yard run by Hampton was the key play as junior Gunnar McKenna took the ball in for the score from 1 yard out to make it 13-7 with Hampton’s extra point. and 2:34 left in the opening quarter.
West drove inside the Holton 25 on its next possesson as junior back Ethan Mumaw had a 37-yard run on the drive, but Siess came up short on a run on fourth-and-3 to give Holton the ball at its own 20. Holton let the chance to grab momentum slip away as, on a rainy night, junior quarterback Bryce Barnett fumbled a second down snap and Skaggs recovered for West at the Holton 35.
The Tigers didn’t take long to capitalize on the miscue as Baker connected with Mumaw for a 20-yard gain on a screen pass and a 9-yard Siess run helped set up a Siess 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game as Baker’s extra point kick ricocheted off the right upright and cross bar before falling short.
Holton ground down the clock to drive 50 yards on its next possession before facing fourth-and-8 at the 18 with 26 seconds left. After a timeout, Holton coach Brooks Barta elected to kick the field goal and Hampton’s boot sailed true to give the Wildcats the 16-13 lead with 20 seconds left in the half. Tigers head coach Steve Johnson had Baker kneel out the clock and the teams went to halftime.
Neither team could do much on their first drive of the second half as West picked up a delay of game penalty on fourth-and-short and was forced to punt, and Holton went three-and-out on its first chance of the half. West was driving at the Holton 26 on its next possession but the Wildcats recovered a fumbled snap at their own 28 to kill the drive.
Holton got the offense going to drive the ball 45 yards to the West 27 but a holding penalty and an incomplete pass on the Wildcats’ only pass attempt of the game stalled the drive.
West responded with another drive into Holton territory as Mumaw broke a 27-yard run and a personal foul call on Holton gave the Tigers first down at the Wildcats 21 early in the fourth quarter. On third down at the Holton 14, Baker looked to find Siess on a pass in the back of the end zone but, despite Siess’ best efforts, he couldn’t make the catch in bounds and the Tigers faced fourth down. Baker looked for Siess again on fourth down but the pass sailed through Siess’ hands and off the top of his helmet as Holton took over on downs at the 14 with 10:06 to play.
West’s defense held strong to force another Holton punt and the Tigers mounted another drive. Mumaw, Skaggs and Siess drove the ball on runs to the Holton 19 with less than five minutes to play. West called a timeout with 3:21 to play facing third-and-7 at the Wildcats 20. A Baker pass intended for Siess fell incomplete at the goal line and, on fourth down, Holton Kane Lovvorn knocked the ball away from sliding Tigers senior Tim Rhodd at the goal line to give the ball to the Wildcats on downs at the 20 with 3:07 to play.
Needing another defensive stop, the Tigers stopped Hampton inches shy of a first down on third-and-9 with about 90 seconds to play at the Holton 29. On fourth-and-inches, Barta had to choose between going for the game-killing first down in his own territory or punting the ball away and chose to risk the former. Sophomore Rob Riederer plowed forward for two yards and senior quarterback Ashtin Meerpol was able to kneel out the clock to secure the 16-13 Wildcats win.
Mumaw was the key player for West in the game as he amassed 178 rushing yards on 27 carries on a soggy night. Baker was 2-for-7 passing for the Tigers for 45 yards. Holton was led by 100 yards rushing on 14 carries by DeLay with McKenna adding another 84 yards and Hampton adding 75 on the ground.
Johnson said his team had its opportunities but couldn’t make the best of them. The loss dropped West to 6-3 to finish the regular season. They advance to the 4A bi-district playoffs and were set to travel to Basehor-Linwood to play in that round Tuesday. The game hadn’t been played at press time.
“These were tough conditions to try and make plays in,” Johnson said. “I’d say on a dry field, 99 times out of 100 Austin makes that catch (on the first failed fourth down in the fourth quarter). We were forced to make some throws and it worked out for them. I might have gotten a little bit greedy there in the fourth quarter but the pass was there. Maybe I should have been a little more stubbron and ran the ball. We put in a good enough effort to win that game, and we’d love to play them agan, but it would have to be in the state semis. I thought our defense was absolutely awesome tonight. It’s a letdown but we’ll get back to work tomorrow.”
The deciding play ended up being a 36-yard field goal by Holton senior Mitchell Hampton with time dwindling in the first half. For the most part, the teams were evenly matched as Holton churned out 295 yards of offense, all on the ground, and West compiled 278 yards of offense with 233 of that total on the ground.
It was the yards that West didn’t get that cost them a game in which they controlled the action throughout the second half.
Holton picked up a delay of game penalty before its first offensive snap but, three plays later, senior Jackson DeLay broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead as Hampton’s extra-point kick sailed wide.
The teams traded stalled drives before a 16-yard run by West senior Stephen Skaggs set up a 25-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Alex Baker to senior wideout Austin Siess to give the Tigers the lead with the Baker extra point, 7-6.
Holton converted a fourth-and-inches situation on its next drive and a 46-yard run by Hampton was the key play as junior Gunnar McKenna took the ball in for the score from 1 yard out to make it 13-7 with Hampton’s extra point. and 2:34 left in the opening quarter.
West drove inside the Holton 25 on its next possesson as junior back Ethan Mumaw had a 37-yard run on the drive, but Siess came up short on a run on fourth-and-3 to give Holton the ball at its own 20. Holton let the chance to grab momentum slip away as, on a rainy night, junior quarterback Bryce Barnett fumbled a second down snap and Skaggs recovered for West at the Holton 35.
The Tigers didn’t take long to capitalize on the miscue as Baker connected with Mumaw for a 20-yard gain on a screen pass and a 9-yard Siess run helped set up a Siess 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game as Baker’s extra point kick ricocheted off the right upright and cross bar before falling short.
Holton ground down the clock to drive 50 yards on its next possession before facing fourth-and-8 at the 18 with 26 seconds left. After a timeout, Holton coach Brooks Barta elected to kick the field goal and Hampton’s boot sailed true to give the Wildcats the 16-13 lead with 20 seconds left in the half. Tigers head coach Steve Johnson had Baker kneel out the clock and the teams went to halftime.
Neither team could do much on their first drive of the second half as West picked up a delay of game penalty on fourth-and-short and was forced to punt, and Holton went three-and-out on its first chance of the half. West was driving at the Holton 26 on its next possession but the Wildcats recovered a fumbled snap at their own 28 to kill the drive.
Holton got the offense going to drive the ball 45 yards to the West 27 but a holding penalty and an incomplete pass on the Wildcats’ only pass attempt of the game stalled the drive.
West responded with another drive into Holton territory as Mumaw broke a 27-yard run and a personal foul call on Holton gave the Tigers first down at the Wildcats 21 early in the fourth quarter. On third down at the Holton 14, Baker looked to find Siess on a pass in the back of the end zone but, despite Siess’ best efforts, he couldn’t make the catch in bounds and the Tigers faced fourth down. Baker looked for Siess again on fourth down but the pass sailed through Siess’ hands and off the top of his helmet as Holton took over on downs at the 14 with 10:06 to play.
West’s defense held strong to force another Holton punt and the Tigers mounted another drive. Mumaw, Skaggs and Siess drove the ball on runs to the Holton 19 with less than five minutes to play. West called a timeout with 3:21 to play facing third-and-7 at the Wildcats 20. A Baker pass intended for Siess fell incomplete at the goal line and, on fourth down, Holton Kane Lovvorn knocked the ball away from sliding Tigers senior Tim Rhodd at the goal line to give the ball to the Wildcats on downs at the 20 with 3:07 to play.
Needing another defensive stop, the Tigers stopped Hampton inches shy of a first down on third-and-9 with about 90 seconds to play at the Holton 29. On fourth-and-inches, Barta had to choose between going for the game-killing first down in his own territory or punting the ball away and chose to risk the former. Sophomore Rob Riederer plowed forward for two yards and senior quarterback Ashtin Meerpol was able to kneel out the clock to secure the 16-13 Wildcats win.
Mumaw was the key player for West in the game as he amassed 178 rushing yards on 27 carries on a soggy night. Baker was 2-for-7 passing for the Tigers for 45 yards. Holton was led by 100 yards rushing on 14 carries by DeLay with McKenna adding another 84 yards and Hampton adding 75 on the ground.
Johnson said his team had its opportunities but couldn’t make the best of them. The loss dropped West to 6-3 to finish the regular season. They advance to the 4A bi-district playoffs and were set to travel to Basehor-Linwood to play in that round Tuesday. The game hadn’t been played at press time.
“These were tough conditions to try and make plays in,” Johnson said. “I’d say on a dry field, 99 times out of 100 Austin makes that catch (on the first failed fourth down in the fourth quarter). We were forced to make some throws and it worked out for them. I might have gotten a little bit greedy there in the fourth quarter but the pass was there. Maybe I should have been a little more stubbron and ran the ball. We put in a good enough effort to win that game, and we’d love to play them agan, but it would have to be in the state semis. I thought our defense was absolutely awesome tonight. It’s a letdown but we’ll get back to work tomorrow.”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Odds and ends
Volleyball update
The McLouth High School volleyball team improved to 18-12 by sweeping a recent triangular with Valley Falls and Pleasant Ridge.
The Bulldogs defeated Valley Falls, 25-21, 18-25, 27-25, and Ridge, 25-17, 25-23, to improve to 8-3 in Delaware Valley League play.
The Bulldogs followed that performance up with a fourth-place finish at the DVL Tournament Saturday. The Bulldogs went 4-3 on the day to improve to 22-15 overall.
They defeated Horton, 25-10, 23-25, 25-16, Valley Falls, 25-23, 25-21, Wathena, 25-20, 25-16, and Pleasant Ridge, 27-25, 13-25, 25-20, and lost to JCN, 25-13, 25-18, in pool play. They advanced to the semifinals and lost to Oskaloosa, 25-23, 25-23, before losing to KC Christian, 25-22, 25-19, to end the day on a sour note.
Kylie Shufflebarger had 78 kills on the day for the Bulldogs while Jeri Holwick had 60 assists and Courtney Chilcoat had 54 assists.
JCNMS wins league tourney
The JCNMS Volleyball team recently won the Delaware Valley League Tournament at Effingham Middle School. The girls won five matches to earn the title and finish the season 16-1. Team members include Jamie Navinskey, Amber McCown, Kayla Jobbins, Mallory Kramer, Bailee Deviney, Kylie Manville, Jacee Kramer, Cheyenne Johnson, Heather Polson, Coach Shawna Deviney, and Coach Beth Wilson.
The McLouth High School volleyball team improved to 18-12 by sweeping a recent triangular with Valley Falls and Pleasant Ridge.
The Bulldogs defeated Valley Falls, 25-21, 18-25, 27-25, and Ridge, 25-17, 25-23, to improve to 8-3 in Delaware Valley League play.
The Bulldogs followed that performance up with a fourth-place finish at the DVL Tournament Saturday. The Bulldogs went 4-3 on the day to improve to 22-15 overall.
They defeated Horton, 25-10, 23-25, 25-16, Valley Falls, 25-23, 25-21, Wathena, 25-20, 25-16, and Pleasant Ridge, 27-25, 13-25, 25-20, and lost to JCN, 25-13, 25-18, in pool play. They advanced to the semifinals and lost to Oskaloosa, 25-23, 25-23, before losing to KC Christian, 25-22, 25-19, to end the day on a sour note.
Kylie Shufflebarger had 78 kills on the day for the Bulldogs while Jeri Holwick had 60 assists and Courtney Chilcoat had 54 assists.
JCNMS wins league tourney
The JCNMS Volleyball team recently won the Delaware Valley League Tournament at Effingham Middle School. The girls won five matches to earn the title and finish the season 16-1. Team members include Jamie Navinskey, Amber McCown, Kayla Jobbins, Mallory Kramer, Bailee Deviney, Kylie Manville, Jacee Kramer, Cheyenne Johnson, Heather Polson, Coach Shawna Deviney, and Coach Beth Wilson.
County football scores from Oct. 16 games
Friday’s games (Oct. 16)
Jefferson West 31, Hiawatha 14
• The Tigers moved to 5-2 with the win and 1-0 in district play.
Pleasant Ridge 36, Oskaloosa 22
• The Rams used a 14-0 third quarter to hold off the Bears and drop Oskaloosa to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in district play. Oskaloosa senior Brandon Barnes ran 27 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns, of 6 and 3 yards, plus added two 2-point conversions. Junior Levi Wade ran 15 times for 82 yards and a 7-yard score. Junior Mark Newell had 18 rushes for 85 yards.
Valley Falls 36, Lyndon 14
• The Dragons improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in district play as they took a 30-14 halftime lead and held on to win. Senior Chance Gier had scoring runs of 44, 4 and 30 yards plus a 2-point conversion run. Senior Tyler Wynkoop had a 42-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run and junior Alex Lederer had a 98-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run. Gier had 11 carries for 161 yards and 3 scores, and Lederer had 8 carries for 102 yards and a score.
Jeff. Co. North 27, McLouth 0
• The Chargers did all their scoring in the second half to improve to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in district play. The Bulldogs dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-1 in the district. Junior Jeff Hale had touchdown runs of 5 and 28 yards, and senior Breck McMillan had a 5-yard touchdown run and a 16-yard scoring catch from Hale. Hale added three extra points. McMillan ran 13 times for 99 yards and a score while Hale had 12 carries for 74 yards and two scores.
Eudora 45, Perry-Lecompton 14
• The Cardinals outscored the Kaws, 31-7, in the second half to drop the Kaws to 1-6 overall and 0-1 in district play. Perry-Lecompton got scores from junior Trent Robb on a 5-yard pass from sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh and a fumble recovery by junior Cody Amerine in the end zone. Senior John Mehl added the extra points.
Jefferson West 31, Hiawatha 14
• The Tigers moved to 5-2 with the win and 1-0 in district play.
Pleasant Ridge 36, Oskaloosa 22
• The Rams used a 14-0 third quarter to hold off the Bears and drop Oskaloosa to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in district play. Oskaloosa senior Brandon Barnes ran 27 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns, of 6 and 3 yards, plus added two 2-point conversions. Junior Levi Wade ran 15 times for 82 yards and a 7-yard score. Junior Mark Newell had 18 rushes for 85 yards.
Valley Falls 36, Lyndon 14
• The Dragons improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in district play as they took a 30-14 halftime lead and held on to win. Senior Chance Gier had scoring runs of 44, 4 and 30 yards plus a 2-point conversion run. Senior Tyler Wynkoop had a 42-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run and junior Alex Lederer had a 98-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion run. Gier had 11 carries for 161 yards and 3 scores, and Lederer had 8 carries for 102 yards and a score.
Jeff. Co. North 27, McLouth 0
• The Chargers did all their scoring in the second half to improve to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in district play. The Bulldogs dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-1 in the district. Junior Jeff Hale had touchdown runs of 5 and 28 yards, and senior Breck McMillan had a 5-yard touchdown run and a 16-yard scoring catch from Hale. Hale added three extra points. McMillan ran 13 times for 99 yards and a score while Hale had 12 carries for 74 yards and two scores.
Eudora 45, Perry-Lecompton 14
• The Cardinals outscored the Kaws, 31-7, in the second half to drop the Kaws to 1-6 overall and 0-1 in district play. Perry-Lecompton got scores from junior Trent Robb on a 5-yard pass from sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh and a fumble recovery by junior Cody Amerine in the end zone. Senior John Mehl added the extra points.
Oskaloosa falls to P. Ridge, 36-22
The Oskaloosa Bears gave the visiting Pleasant Ridge Rams all they could handle in the first game of 3A district play Friday but a couple key mistakes factored in to a 36-22 Bears loss.
The Rams only outgained the Bears by a few yards, 470-462, but while Delaware Valley League-leading Pleasant Ridge scored very easily at times on the Oskaloosa defense, the Bears offense was more methodical in grinding out 426 rushing yards on the night.
The tone for the game was set early as Oskaloosa took the opening kickoff and drove 68 yards to the Rams 5 thanks in part to runs of 13 and 28 yards by senior back Brandon Barnes. On second-and-goal at the 5, Barnes made a run close to the end zone but fumbled and the Rams came up with the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
The Rams got a 7-yard run from senior quarterback Matt Hager on first down, but then the next seven Rams offensive plays went for either a first down or score. Junior back Will Ryan had runs of 10 and 41 yards to set up a Hager 22-yard touchdown run with junior Gary Flack kicking the extra point for a 7-0 Ridge lead with 5:48 left in the quarter.
Oskaloosa answered with a more successful second drive of the game as the Bears went 67 yards in nine plays. The big play came on third-and-long at the Oskaloosa 26 when junior quarterback Adam Bowser connected with Barnes on a 26-yard play when Barnes caught a ball tipped by a Ridge defender. Junior Levi Wade followed with a 17-yard run followed by a 22-yard Barnes run that eventually set up a Wade 7-yard touchdown run to cut it to 7-6. Barnes ran the ball in for 2 points to give the Bears an 8-7 lead with 1:45 left in the quarter.
The Rams had a quick answer themselves as they went 66 yards in only three plays – two Ryan 15-yard runs and a Hager 36-yard touchdown run. Ryan added the 2-point conversion run to make it 15-8 Ridge only 59 seconds after the Bears’ score.
The Bears started another lengthy drive on their next possession after starting at their own 30. Runs of 16 and 12 yards by Barnes set the Bears up at the Ridge 10 and a 10-yard Wade run got the ball to the 2. A delay of game penalty on third down hurt the Bears by backing them up to the 7, but Barnes ran for 4 yards to set up fourth down at the 3. Barnes took the ball in from there to cut the lead to 15-13, but the 2-point conversion play came up short to keep that the score with 6:52 left in the half.
The Rams struck quickly again as Hager connected with senior Terell Jordan on a 71-yard scoring pass up the middle to make it 22-14 Ridge with Flack’s extra point and 6:37 left in the half.
The Bears converted a fourth down at their own 38 on the next drive and eventually faced another fourth down at the Ridge 37 with time dwindling. A Bowser pass to Wade fell incomplete and the Bears sideline’s plea for a pass interference call on the Rams went unrewarded and Ridge took over at the 37. Ridge almost drove for another score but an illegal block penalty called back a pass play that took the ball inside the Oskaloosa 5, and a holding call nullified a 26-yard scoring pass with time expiring. Ridge got one more play but Hager was stopped for a 9-yard run to send the game to the half with a 22-14 Rams lead.
The Rams got the ball first in the second half and Hager had runs of 27 and 12 yards before scoring from 1 yard out with Ryan adding the 2-point conversion to make it 30-14 Ridge with 9:24 left in the third quarter.
The Bears had their second stalled drive of the night on the ensuing possession as the Rams took over at their own 31. Hager took a big hit from Barnes on the next drive and would leave the game for good with an apparent leg injury. Backup sophomore Dalton Warden entered the game and the Rams relied on Ryan, who scored on a fumbled pitch from 6 yards out to make it 36-14 Rams with 58 seconds left in the quarter.
Oskaloosa got an 11-yard run from Wade and a 19-yard run from Barnes to help set up a 6-yard Barnes touchdown run, as Barnes also added the 2-point conversion to cut the Ridge lead to 36-22 with 10:10 left in the game.
The Rams forged another drive deep into Oskaloosa territory as Warden came through with a 42-yard run on the drive. Ridge eventually faced a fourth-and-1 at the 3 but Warden fumbled the snap and Barnes recovered at the Bears 5 with 4:54 to play.
Down 14 points with only that amount of time left to play, the Bears and coach Scott Whaley showed no sense of urgency on offense as they stuck to the running attack. Barnes had a 21-yard run and junior Mark Newell had a 16-yard run to take the ball past the Rams 40. Barnes ran for nine yards to take the ball to the Ridge 2 with under 30 seconds to play, but on the next play, Newell fumbled and the Rams recovered at their own 3. Warden then kneeled to run out the clock and conclude the 36-22 win.
Barnes had 27 carries for 257 yards and 2 scores for the Bears to go with 2 2-point conversions and 36 receiving yards, Newell ran 18 times for 85 yards and Wade ran 15 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. Bowser was 3-for-6 passing for 36 yards for Oskaloosa.
Ridge was led by Ryan’s 18 rushes for 164 yards and 1 TD and 9 carries for 126 yards and 3 TDs from Hager on the ground and 4-for-7 passing for 108 yards and a score by Hager.
The loss likely cost Oskaloosa, now 5-2 overall, its slim chances at a league crown as the Rams moved to 7-0. Some members of the Oskaloosa crowd were vociferous in their displeasure with the officiating throughout the game. Each team finished with eight penalties on the night.
Oskaloosa moves on to play host to JCN Friday with the second district playoff spot likely on the line, as JCN blanked McLouth last Friday. Pleasant Ridge plays McLouth in the other district game.
The Rams only outgained the Bears by a few yards, 470-462, but while Delaware Valley League-leading Pleasant Ridge scored very easily at times on the Oskaloosa defense, the Bears offense was more methodical in grinding out 426 rushing yards on the night.
The tone for the game was set early as Oskaloosa took the opening kickoff and drove 68 yards to the Rams 5 thanks in part to runs of 13 and 28 yards by senior back Brandon Barnes. On second-and-goal at the 5, Barnes made a run close to the end zone but fumbled and the Rams came up with the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
The Rams got a 7-yard run from senior quarterback Matt Hager on first down, but then the next seven Rams offensive plays went for either a first down or score. Junior back Will Ryan had runs of 10 and 41 yards to set up a Hager 22-yard touchdown run with junior Gary Flack kicking the extra point for a 7-0 Ridge lead with 5:48 left in the quarter.
Oskaloosa answered with a more successful second drive of the game as the Bears went 67 yards in nine plays. The big play came on third-and-long at the Oskaloosa 26 when junior quarterback Adam Bowser connected with Barnes on a 26-yard play when Barnes caught a ball tipped by a Ridge defender. Junior Levi Wade followed with a 17-yard run followed by a 22-yard Barnes run that eventually set up a Wade 7-yard touchdown run to cut it to 7-6. Barnes ran the ball in for 2 points to give the Bears an 8-7 lead with 1:45 left in the quarter.
The Rams had a quick answer themselves as they went 66 yards in only three plays – two Ryan 15-yard runs and a Hager 36-yard touchdown run. Ryan added the 2-point conversion run to make it 15-8 Ridge only 59 seconds after the Bears’ score.
The Bears started another lengthy drive on their next possession after starting at their own 30. Runs of 16 and 12 yards by Barnes set the Bears up at the Ridge 10 and a 10-yard Wade run got the ball to the 2. A delay of game penalty on third down hurt the Bears by backing them up to the 7, but Barnes ran for 4 yards to set up fourth down at the 3. Barnes took the ball in from there to cut the lead to 15-13, but the 2-point conversion play came up short to keep that the score with 6:52 left in the half.
The Rams struck quickly again as Hager connected with senior Terell Jordan on a 71-yard scoring pass up the middle to make it 22-14 Ridge with Flack’s extra point and 6:37 left in the half.
The Bears converted a fourth down at their own 38 on the next drive and eventually faced another fourth down at the Ridge 37 with time dwindling. A Bowser pass to Wade fell incomplete and the Bears sideline’s plea for a pass interference call on the Rams went unrewarded and Ridge took over at the 37. Ridge almost drove for another score but an illegal block penalty called back a pass play that took the ball inside the Oskaloosa 5, and a holding call nullified a 26-yard scoring pass with time expiring. Ridge got one more play but Hager was stopped for a 9-yard run to send the game to the half with a 22-14 Rams lead.
The Rams got the ball first in the second half and Hager had runs of 27 and 12 yards before scoring from 1 yard out with Ryan adding the 2-point conversion to make it 30-14 Ridge with 9:24 left in the third quarter.
The Bears had their second stalled drive of the night on the ensuing possession as the Rams took over at their own 31. Hager took a big hit from Barnes on the next drive and would leave the game for good with an apparent leg injury. Backup sophomore Dalton Warden entered the game and the Rams relied on Ryan, who scored on a fumbled pitch from 6 yards out to make it 36-14 Rams with 58 seconds left in the quarter.
Oskaloosa got an 11-yard run from Wade and a 19-yard run from Barnes to help set up a 6-yard Barnes touchdown run, as Barnes also added the 2-point conversion to cut the Ridge lead to 36-22 with 10:10 left in the game.
The Rams forged another drive deep into Oskaloosa territory as Warden came through with a 42-yard run on the drive. Ridge eventually faced a fourth-and-1 at the 3 but Warden fumbled the snap and Barnes recovered at the Bears 5 with 4:54 to play.
Down 14 points with only that amount of time left to play, the Bears and coach Scott Whaley showed no sense of urgency on offense as they stuck to the running attack. Barnes had a 21-yard run and junior Mark Newell had a 16-yard run to take the ball past the Rams 40. Barnes ran for nine yards to take the ball to the Ridge 2 with under 30 seconds to play, but on the next play, Newell fumbled and the Rams recovered at their own 3. Warden then kneeled to run out the clock and conclude the 36-22 win.
Barnes had 27 carries for 257 yards and 2 scores for the Bears to go with 2 2-point conversions and 36 receiving yards, Newell ran 18 times for 85 yards and Wade ran 15 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. Bowser was 3-for-6 passing for 36 yards for Oskaloosa.
Ridge was led by Ryan’s 18 rushes for 164 yards and 1 TD and 9 carries for 126 yards and 3 TDs from Hager on the ground and 4-for-7 passing for 108 yards and a score by Hager.
The loss likely cost Oskaloosa, now 5-2 overall, its slim chances at a league crown as the Rams moved to 7-0. Some members of the Oskaloosa crowd were vociferous in their displeasure with the officiating throughout the game. Each team finished with eight penalties on the night.
Oskaloosa moves on to play host to JCN Friday with the second district playoff spot likely on the line, as JCN blanked McLouth last Friday. Pleasant Ridge plays McLouth in the other district game.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
County football scores from Oct. 9 games
Friday’s games (Oct. 9)
Oskaloosa 55, Doniphan West 28
• The Bears improved to 5-1 as they took a 36-8 halftime lead en route to the easy win. Senior back Brandon Barnes scored on runs of 1, 11, 6, 7, and 31 yards plus an 80-yard kickoff return score. Junior back Mark Newell scored on a 37-yard run and junior quarterback Adam Bowser connected with senior Mitch Boucher for a 46-yard scoring pass. Barnes and Newell added 2-point conversion runs. Cody Green added an extra-point kick.
Jeff. West 59, Maur Hill Mt. Acad. 14
• The Tigers improved to 4-2.
Valley Falls 46, McLouth 14
• The Dragons improved to 3-3 and the Bulldogs fell to 1-5. A report on this game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
Troy 34, Jeff. Co. North 12
• The Chargers dropped to 3-3 with the loss.
Piper 34, Perry-Lecompton 14
•The Kaws dropped to 1-5 as the Pirates outscored them, 13-0, in the second half. Sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh scored on a 10-yard run and junior Trent Robb scored on a 2-yard run with sophomore Luke Kellum scoring a 2-point conversion for the Kaws.
Oskaloosa 55, Doniphan West 28
• The Bears improved to 5-1 as they took a 36-8 halftime lead en route to the easy win. Senior back Brandon Barnes scored on runs of 1, 11, 6, 7, and 31 yards plus an 80-yard kickoff return score. Junior back Mark Newell scored on a 37-yard run and junior quarterback Adam Bowser connected with senior Mitch Boucher for a 46-yard scoring pass. Barnes and Newell added 2-point conversion runs. Cody Green added an extra-point kick.
Jeff. West 59, Maur Hill Mt. Acad. 14
• The Tigers improved to 4-2.
Valley Falls 46, McLouth 14
• The Dragons improved to 3-3 and the Bulldogs fell to 1-5. A report on this game can be found elsewhere on the blog.
Troy 34, Jeff. Co. North 12
• The Chargers dropped to 3-3 with the loss.
Piper 34, Perry-Lecompton 14
•The Kaws dropped to 1-5 as the Pirates outscored them, 13-0, in the second half. Sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh scored on a 10-yard run and junior Trent Robb scored on a 2-yard run with sophomore Luke Kellum scoring a 2-point conversion for the Kaws.
Odds and ends Oct. 13
JCN XC teams place in top five at Ridge
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently competed in the Pleasant Ridge Invitational with the boys placing third and the girls placing fifth.
Following are the individual medalists for the Chargers:
Boys – Brad Bengel, 11th, Billy Noll, 13th, Landon Noll, 15th, Tyler Leakey, 18th, Dallas Edwards, 19th, Ed Huyghebaert, 20th, Jacob Schrick, 24th, Brett Manville, first in junior varsity, Kyle Polson, fourth in JV, Steuart Hensleigh, fifth in JV, Cory Noll, eighth in JV, and Lance Leakey, 10th in JV.
Girls – Emma Bassette, 16th, and Tori Lange, 23rd.
Volleyball update
The McLouth High School volleyball team improved to 16-12 by sweeping a triangular with Doniphan West and KC Christian.
The Bulldogs defeated West, 24-26, 25-17, 25-9, and KCC, 26-24, 21-25, 25-23. Senior Kylie Shufflebarger had 37 kills on the night while Jeri Holwick had 27 assists and Courtney Chilcoat had 16 assists.
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently competed in the Pleasant Ridge Invitational with the boys placing third and the girls placing fifth.
Following are the individual medalists for the Chargers:
Boys – Brad Bengel, 11th, Billy Noll, 13th, Landon Noll, 15th, Tyler Leakey, 18th, Dallas Edwards, 19th, Ed Huyghebaert, 20th, Jacob Schrick, 24th, Brett Manville, first in junior varsity, Kyle Polson, fourth in JV, Steuart Hensleigh, fifth in JV, Cory Noll, eighth in JV, and Lance Leakey, 10th in JV.
Girls – Emma Bassette, 16th, and Tori Lange, 23rd.
Volleyball update
The McLouth High School volleyball team improved to 16-12 by sweeping a triangular with Doniphan West and KC Christian.
The Bulldogs defeated West, 24-26, 25-17, 25-9, and KCC, 26-24, 21-25, 25-23. Senior Kylie Shufflebarger had 37 kills on the night while Jeri Holwick had 27 assists and Courtney Chilcoat had 16 assists.
Valley Falls rolls past McLouth, 46-14
In their final tune-up before district play begins this Friday, Valley Falls had an all-around solid game but suffered a key injury, and McLouth continued to suffer its own growing pains in a 46-14 Valley Falls victory.
The Dragons churned out more than 350 offensive yards while the host Bulldogs managed only 119 on the game. Those stats were proven out by the fact Valley Falls had no trouble moving the ball while McLouth struggled to gain yardage until making a couple good drives in the second half.
The Dragons took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards in 13 plays punctuated by a 2-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Alex Lederer. Lederer connected with senior back Mitchell Streeter on a 2-point conversion play to make it 8-0 Valley Falls with 7:19 to play in the opening quarter.
McLouth gained 4 yards on its first possession as an unsuccessful fake punt gave the Dragons the ball at the McLouth 39. An illegal block penalty backed the Dragons up but senior back Chance Gier broke free for a 44-yard run and then scored on a 1-yard run before adding the 2-point conversion to make it 16-0 Dragons with 4:25 left in the opening quarter.
McLouth went backwards for 3 yards on its next possession and the Dragons started another possession in McLouth territory at the 47. Gier ran for 7 yards on a third-down play and didn’t get up with an apparent leg injury. He wouldn’t return to the game. The drive continued, though, as senior back Tyler Wynkoop scored from 6 yards out on the second play of the second quarter and then added the 2-point conversion to make it 24-0 Dragons.
The Bulldogs scratched out only 2 yards on their next possession and the Dragons drove 44 yards on four plays as sophomore back Taylor Anderson picked up a fumbled pitch and ran it in for an official 4-yard touchdown run to make it 32-0 with Lederer’s 2-point conversion run.
The tough night for the Bulldogs, whose roster includes only four seniors and three juniors, continued as another stalled drive ended with the Dragons blocking a punt and Lederer returning it 20 yards for a score to make it 38-0 with 7:14 left in the first half.
The Dragons didn’t stop there as they recovered an onside kick but, for the first time in the game, were stopped by the McLouth defense at the Bulldogs 33.
This time the Bulldogs began to move the ball as a late hit penalty on a run by Bulldogs freshman quarterback Marc Walbridge gave McLouth first down at the Dragons 34. Walbridge connected with senior back Chris Culter on a 9-yard play on fourth-and-7 and, on the next play, found Culter deep down the right sideline for a 22-yard scoring pass. Walbridge connected with senior E.J. Field for the 2-point conversion to make it 38-8 Dragons with 1:09 left in the half.
The Dragons almost added another score before halftime as Lederer broke free on a run but stumbled at the McLouth 5 as time expired.
The scenario continued for much of the second half as the Bulldogs went backward on their first possession of the second half and Lederer ran for a 31-yard touchdown and then hit senior Riley Bunde for the 2-point conversion to make it 46-8 Dragons.
With the deficit over 35 points in the second half, the running clock then went into play. McLouth would add a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 58-yard Culter run to make the final score 46-14 Dragons.
The Dragons were led by 11 carries for more than 100 yards by Gier in slightly more than a quarter of action, plus 5 carries for 78 yards and two scores by Lederer and 9 carries for 50 yards and a score by Wynkoop.
Culter had the touchdown run plus 3 catches for 43 yards and a score, while Walbridge was 8-for-11 passing for 92 yards and a score.
The Dragons improved to 3-3 and will take on Lyndon in the first game of district play Friday. The Bulldogs fell to 1-5 and will take on the JCN Chargers in a road game Friday for game one of district play.
The Dragons churned out more than 350 offensive yards while the host Bulldogs managed only 119 on the game. Those stats were proven out by the fact Valley Falls had no trouble moving the ball while McLouth struggled to gain yardage until making a couple good drives in the second half.
The Dragons took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards in 13 plays punctuated by a 2-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Alex Lederer. Lederer connected with senior back Mitchell Streeter on a 2-point conversion play to make it 8-0 Valley Falls with 7:19 to play in the opening quarter.
McLouth gained 4 yards on its first possession as an unsuccessful fake punt gave the Dragons the ball at the McLouth 39. An illegal block penalty backed the Dragons up but senior back Chance Gier broke free for a 44-yard run and then scored on a 1-yard run before adding the 2-point conversion to make it 16-0 Dragons with 4:25 left in the opening quarter.
McLouth went backwards for 3 yards on its next possession and the Dragons started another possession in McLouth territory at the 47. Gier ran for 7 yards on a third-down play and didn’t get up with an apparent leg injury. He wouldn’t return to the game. The drive continued, though, as senior back Tyler Wynkoop scored from 6 yards out on the second play of the second quarter and then added the 2-point conversion to make it 24-0 Dragons.
The Bulldogs scratched out only 2 yards on their next possession and the Dragons drove 44 yards on four plays as sophomore back Taylor Anderson picked up a fumbled pitch and ran it in for an official 4-yard touchdown run to make it 32-0 with Lederer’s 2-point conversion run.
The tough night for the Bulldogs, whose roster includes only four seniors and three juniors, continued as another stalled drive ended with the Dragons blocking a punt and Lederer returning it 20 yards for a score to make it 38-0 with 7:14 left in the first half.
The Dragons didn’t stop there as they recovered an onside kick but, for the first time in the game, were stopped by the McLouth defense at the Bulldogs 33.
This time the Bulldogs began to move the ball as a late hit penalty on a run by Bulldogs freshman quarterback Marc Walbridge gave McLouth first down at the Dragons 34. Walbridge connected with senior back Chris Culter on a 9-yard play on fourth-and-7 and, on the next play, found Culter deep down the right sideline for a 22-yard scoring pass. Walbridge connected with senior E.J. Field for the 2-point conversion to make it 38-8 Dragons with 1:09 left in the half.
The Dragons almost added another score before halftime as Lederer broke free on a run but stumbled at the McLouth 5 as time expired.
The scenario continued for much of the second half as the Bulldogs went backward on their first possession of the second half and Lederer ran for a 31-yard touchdown and then hit senior Riley Bunde for the 2-point conversion to make it 46-8 Dragons.
With the deficit over 35 points in the second half, the running clock then went into play. McLouth would add a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 58-yard Culter run to make the final score 46-14 Dragons.
The Dragons were led by 11 carries for more than 100 yards by Gier in slightly more than a quarter of action, plus 5 carries for 78 yards and two scores by Lederer and 9 carries for 50 yards and a score by Wynkoop.
Culter had the touchdown run plus 3 catches for 43 yards and a score, while Walbridge was 8-for-11 passing for 92 yards and a score.
The Dragons improved to 3-3 and will take on Lyndon in the first game of district play Friday. The Bulldogs fell to 1-5 and will take on the JCN Chargers in a road game Friday for game one of district play.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Odds and ends Oct. 6
Volleyball update
The McLouth Bulldogs went 1-4 at last weekend’s Valley Falls Invitational volleyball tournament.
The Bulldogs defeated Axtell, 25-21, 25-20, but lost to Valley Falls, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, B&B, 25-20, 25-23, Maranatha, 25-18, 25-23, and Oskaloosa, 17-25, 25-15, 25-19. Kylie Shufflebarger had 60 kills on the day while Jeri Holwick had 49 assists and Jessie Troupe had 48 digs.
JCN teams finish in top 3 at Centralia XC
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently ran at Centralia and came away with top three finishes.
The boys were second and the girls were third overall.
Individuals receiving medals were as follows.
Boys – Brad Bengel, 11th and team, Landon Noll, 12th and team, Tyler Leakey, 13th and team, Dallas Edwards, 15th and team, Ed Huyghebaert, 16th and team, Billy Noll, 19th and team, and Jacob Schrick, 21st and team.
Girls – Emma Bassette, 13th, Mary Kern, 15th, Tori Lange, 18th, Lincoln Kingman, 22nd, and Luise Bellgardt, 23rd.
The McLouth Bulldogs went 1-4 at last weekend’s Valley Falls Invitational volleyball tournament.
The Bulldogs defeated Axtell, 25-21, 25-20, but lost to Valley Falls, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, B&B, 25-20, 25-23, Maranatha, 25-18, 25-23, and Oskaloosa, 17-25, 25-15, 25-19. Kylie Shufflebarger had 60 kills on the day while Jeri Holwick had 49 assists and Jessie Troupe had 48 digs.
JCN teams finish in top 3 at Centralia XC
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently ran at Centralia and came away with top three finishes.
The boys were second and the girls were third overall.
Individuals receiving medals were as follows.
Boys – Brad Bengel, 11th and team, Landon Noll, 12th and team, Tyler Leakey, 13th and team, Dallas Edwards, 15th and team, Ed Huyghebaert, 16th and team, Billy Noll, 19th and team, and Jacob Schrick, 21st and team.
Girls – Emma Bassette, 13th, Mary Kern, 15th, Tori Lange, 18th, Lincoln Kingman, 22nd, and Luise Bellgardt, 23rd.
County football scores for Oct. 2
Friday’s games (Oct. 2)
Wathena 20, Oskaloosa 14 (OT)
• The Bears suffered their first loss of the season to drop to 4-1. Wathena took a 14-0 halftime lead but Bears senior Brandon Barnes scored on a 1-yard run and added the 2-point conversion run to cut the lead to 14-8 in the third quarter. Barnes scored from 6 yards out to tie the game in the fourth quarter but coach Scott Whaley elected to go for the 2-point conversion rather than the go-ahead extra point kick. The run failed and the game went to overtime, where Wathena scored and held Oskaloosa off the board to get the win.
Jeff. Co. North 41, Jackson Heights 6
• The Chargers improved to 3-2 as they took a 27-0 halftime lead en route to the win. Sophomore Dalton Minor scored twice on a 9-yard pass from junior Jeff Hale and a 42-yard pass from senior Austin Gaspard. Senior Lucas Page scored on pass plays of 13 and 10 yards from Hale, and Gaspard scored on runs of 3 and 57 yards.
Jefferson West 26, Nemaha Valley 21
• A report on this game can be found elsewhere. The Tigers improved to 3-2.
Valley Falls 44, Horton 8
• The Dragons improved to 2-3 as they scored 28 unanswered points from the second quarter on. Senior Tyler Wynkoop scored on a 5-yard run, junior Alex Lederer scored on runs of 18 and 10 yards, plus a 17-yard pass to junior Alex Nottingham, and senior Chance Gier scored on runs of 11 and 5 yards. Gier added three 2-point conversion runs and Lederer ran for another. Gier had 18 carries for 149 yards while Lederer had 12 carries for 127 yards in the win.
Doniphan West 33, McLouth 0
• The Bulldogs fell to 1-4. Sophomore Shawn Dailey ran 25 times for 71 yards in the loss.
Perry-Lecompton 21, Lansing 19
•The Kaws improved to 1-4 as they held off the Lions in the second half. Junior Trent Robb scored on a 1-yard run while senior Brad Phillips scored on a 4-yard run and sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh made a 34-yard scoring pass to sophomore Luke Kellum. Senior John Mehl added three extra points.
Wathena 20, Oskaloosa 14 (OT)
• The Bears suffered their first loss of the season to drop to 4-1. Wathena took a 14-0 halftime lead but Bears senior Brandon Barnes scored on a 1-yard run and added the 2-point conversion run to cut the lead to 14-8 in the third quarter. Barnes scored from 6 yards out to tie the game in the fourth quarter but coach Scott Whaley elected to go for the 2-point conversion rather than the go-ahead extra point kick. The run failed and the game went to overtime, where Wathena scored and held Oskaloosa off the board to get the win.
Jeff. Co. North 41, Jackson Heights 6
• The Chargers improved to 3-2 as they took a 27-0 halftime lead en route to the win. Sophomore Dalton Minor scored twice on a 9-yard pass from junior Jeff Hale and a 42-yard pass from senior Austin Gaspard. Senior Lucas Page scored on pass plays of 13 and 10 yards from Hale, and Gaspard scored on runs of 3 and 57 yards.
Jefferson West 26, Nemaha Valley 21
• A report on this game can be found elsewhere. The Tigers improved to 3-2.
Valley Falls 44, Horton 8
• The Dragons improved to 2-3 as they scored 28 unanswered points from the second quarter on. Senior Tyler Wynkoop scored on a 5-yard run, junior Alex Lederer scored on runs of 18 and 10 yards, plus a 17-yard pass to junior Alex Nottingham, and senior Chance Gier scored on runs of 11 and 5 yards. Gier added three 2-point conversion runs and Lederer ran for another. Gier had 18 carries for 149 yards while Lederer had 12 carries for 127 yards in the win.
Doniphan West 33, McLouth 0
• The Bulldogs fell to 1-4. Sophomore Shawn Dailey ran 25 times for 71 yards in the loss.
Perry-Lecompton 21, Lansing 19
•The Kaws improved to 1-4 as they held off the Lions in the second half. Junior Trent Robb scored on a 1-yard run while senior Brad Phillips scored on a 4-yard run and sophomore Jeremy Immenschuh made a 34-yard scoring pass to sophomore Luke Kellum. Senior John Mehl added three extra points.
West scores in final minute to pick up 26-21 win
In a game that included an unconventional touchdown play for both teams, the Jefferson West Tigers turned a late Nemaha Valley miscue into a drive for the game-winning score with less than a minute to play for a 26-21 win.
The win improved West’s record to 3-2 with one game left before district play begins, and marked the Tigers’ first win over the Raiders since 2003. The teams weren’t that far apart in performance as West gained 348 yards on offense compared to 323 for Nemaha Valley. The difference came down to the Raiders committing two turnovers to West’s one.
The Raiders grabbed the early momentum as they forced a three-and-out on the first Tiger possession and then blocked the punt with West recovering the ball at the Tiger 35 and turning it over on downs. Four plays later, senior Jacob Nordhus took the ball into the end zone from 13 yards out to make it 7-0 Raiders with the extra point.
West ground out a scoring drive on the next possession as the Tigers went 63 yards in 13 plays, including a conversion on fourth-and-short, as junior running back Ethan Mumaw scored on a 5-yard run to tie it at 7 with the extra point by senior Alex Baker.
West was driving again early in the second quarter, and the possession culminated in a 5-yard Mumaw touchdown run. Baker added the extra point to make it 14-7 Tigers with 8:12 to play in the half. Nemaha Valley would have an answer, though, as senior quarterback Dane Brinker and junior wideout Kevin Burdiek connected for a 48-yard gain and junior running back Keegan McKernan would score on a 1-yard run to cut it to 14-13 as McKernan’s extra point try fell short.
The Tigers got the ball back with 2:42 to play in the half and a 22-yard run by freshman fullback Cylus Tichenor got West a chunk of yardage. Baker found senior wideout Austin Siess for an 18-yard gain to take the ball to the NV 42, and West would take a timeout with 22 seconds left and facing a second-and-16 at the Raider 38. The resulting play was a big one as Baker found senior wideout Tim Rhodd open on a hook pattern along the left sideline, but Rhodd lateraled the ball to Siess, who took it the rest of the way for a 38-yard score to make it 20-13 West with 12 seconds left in the half.
The score would hold at halftime. Both teams stalled on their first drives of the second half as a 42-yard Brinker run resulted only in the Raiders turning the ball over on downs at the West 18, and West picked up one first down before punting the ball away.
The Raiders would drive 57 yards on the ensuing possession. The key play came on fourth-and-3 at the West 23 as Brinker threw a deep pass to junior back Thomas Enneking, who fell down but managed to come up with the catch from the ground in the end zone to cut it to 20-19. Brinker found McKernan on a pass for the 2-point conversion to make it 21-20 Raiders with 11:14 left in the game.
West would drive 59 yards to the Nemaha Valley 30 on the next possession only to see a fumbled pitch recovered by the Raiders at their own 33 with 6:08 to play. The Raiders converted a fourth down as the clock ticked down, but McKernan fumbled a pitch on the next play and West junior Clint Lee fell on the ball at the Raider 44 with 3:31 to play. A 14-yard Mumaw run gave the Tigers a first down at the Raider 23 and Siess broke free for a 12-yard run to get the ball to the 10 with 1:26 to play. On third down at the 6, Mumaw came through with a touchdown run to make it 26-21 West as the 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful with 37 seconds to play.
The Raiders ended up getting only two plays as a Brinker pass fell incomplete and another pass on second down was intercepted by a diving Mumaw at the Raider 47 with 28 seconds to play. The Raiders tried to stay alive by using their timeouts but Mumaw ran for a 28-yard gain on third-and-long to put the game away for the 26-21 win.
Mumaw finished the game with 29 carries for 173 yards and three touchdowns and also had 2 catches for 14 yards. Tichenor had 12 rushes for 55 yards, and Baker was 7-for-9 passing for 95 yards and a score. Siess had 4 catches for 63 yards and a score.
The Raiders were led by 13 rushes for 91 yards by Brinker and 12 rushes for 83 yards by Nordhus. Brinker was 5-for-9 passing for 106 yards, a score and an interception.
Tigers coach Steve Johnson said he was happy to see his team’s resilient effort Friday to get them over a .500 winning percentage at 3-2.
“Our focus all year has been to try to get them to play harder,” Johnson said. “They stood up and played tonight. Mumaw is a horse, and he was strong for us tonight. He was mad at himself for that fumble but kept his head in the game and made a couple big plays.
“I’m glad to see us making plays through a full game. Nemaha Valley’s a good team. It’s nice to see us have some bad things happen but come back and get the win.”
The win improved West’s record to 3-2 with one game left before district play begins, and marked the Tigers’ first win over the Raiders since 2003. The teams weren’t that far apart in performance as West gained 348 yards on offense compared to 323 for Nemaha Valley. The difference came down to the Raiders committing two turnovers to West’s one.
The Raiders grabbed the early momentum as they forced a three-and-out on the first Tiger possession and then blocked the punt with West recovering the ball at the Tiger 35 and turning it over on downs. Four plays later, senior Jacob Nordhus took the ball into the end zone from 13 yards out to make it 7-0 Raiders with the extra point.
West ground out a scoring drive on the next possession as the Tigers went 63 yards in 13 plays, including a conversion on fourth-and-short, as junior running back Ethan Mumaw scored on a 5-yard run to tie it at 7 with the extra point by senior Alex Baker.
West was driving again early in the second quarter, and the possession culminated in a 5-yard Mumaw touchdown run. Baker added the extra point to make it 14-7 Tigers with 8:12 to play in the half. Nemaha Valley would have an answer, though, as senior quarterback Dane Brinker and junior wideout Kevin Burdiek connected for a 48-yard gain and junior running back Keegan McKernan would score on a 1-yard run to cut it to 14-13 as McKernan’s extra point try fell short.
The Tigers got the ball back with 2:42 to play in the half and a 22-yard run by freshman fullback Cylus Tichenor got West a chunk of yardage. Baker found senior wideout Austin Siess for an 18-yard gain to take the ball to the NV 42, and West would take a timeout with 22 seconds left and facing a second-and-16 at the Raider 38. The resulting play was a big one as Baker found senior wideout Tim Rhodd open on a hook pattern along the left sideline, but Rhodd lateraled the ball to Siess, who took it the rest of the way for a 38-yard score to make it 20-13 West with 12 seconds left in the half.
The score would hold at halftime. Both teams stalled on their first drives of the second half as a 42-yard Brinker run resulted only in the Raiders turning the ball over on downs at the West 18, and West picked up one first down before punting the ball away.
The Raiders would drive 57 yards on the ensuing possession. The key play came on fourth-and-3 at the West 23 as Brinker threw a deep pass to junior back Thomas Enneking, who fell down but managed to come up with the catch from the ground in the end zone to cut it to 20-19. Brinker found McKernan on a pass for the 2-point conversion to make it 21-20 Raiders with 11:14 left in the game.
West would drive 59 yards to the Nemaha Valley 30 on the next possession only to see a fumbled pitch recovered by the Raiders at their own 33 with 6:08 to play. The Raiders converted a fourth down as the clock ticked down, but McKernan fumbled a pitch on the next play and West junior Clint Lee fell on the ball at the Raider 44 with 3:31 to play. A 14-yard Mumaw run gave the Tigers a first down at the Raider 23 and Siess broke free for a 12-yard run to get the ball to the 10 with 1:26 to play. On third down at the 6, Mumaw came through with a touchdown run to make it 26-21 West as the 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful with 37 seconds to play.
The Raiders ended up getting only two plays as a Brinker pass fell incomplete and another pass on second down was intercepted by a diving Mumaw at the Raider 47 with 28 seconds to play. The Raiders tried to stay alive by using their timeouts but Mumaw ran for a 28-yard gain on third-and-long to put the game away for the 26-21 win.
Mumaw finished the game with 29 carries for 173 yards and three touchdowns and also had 2 catches for 14 yards. Tichenor had 12 rushes for 55 yards, and Baker was 7-for-9 passing for 95 yards and a score. Siess had 4 catches for 63 yards and a score.
The Raiders were led by 13 rushes for 91 yards by Brinker and 12 rushes for 83 yards by Nordhus. Brinker was 5-for-9 passing for 106 yards, a score and an interception.
Tigers coach Steve Johnson said he was happy to see his team’s resilient effort Friday to get them over a .500 winning percentage at 3-2.
“Our focus all year has been to try to get them to play harder,” Johnson said. “They stood up and played tonight. Mumaw is a horse, and he was strong for us tonight. He was mad at himself for that fumble but kept his head in the game and made a couple big plays.
“I’m glad to see us making plays through a full game. Nemaha Valley’s a good team. It’s nice to see us have some bad things happen but come back and get the win.”
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Odds and ends Sept. 29
North girls pace field at Troy XC invite
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently competed at the Troy Invitational with the girls placing first and the boys placing third.
Individuals receiving medals were as follows.
Girls – Mary Kern, third; Emma Bassette, fourth; Tori Lange, sixth; Lincoln Kingman, eighth; Gage Funk, ninth; Jordyn Mize, 12th; and Luise Bellgardt, 13th. Boys – Ed Huyghebaert, 12th; Tyler Leakey, 13th; Billy Noll, 14th; and Landon Noll, 15th.
The JCN boys tied for first at a meet in Wabaunsee Sept. 26. Medalists there were Tyler Leakey, third and team, Dallas Edwards, fifth and team, Brad Bengel, ninth and team, Steuart Hensleigh, 10th and team, Brett Manville, 11th and team, Tyler Noll, 18th and team, and Spencer Wentz, 21st and team.
Volleyball update
The McLouth Bulldogs improved to 12-7 on the year and 6-2 in league play by sweeping a triangular with Troy and Horton. The Bulldogs defeated Troy, 25-8, 25-11, and Horton, 25-14, 25-8. Senior Kylie Shufflebarger had 20 kills on the day with Jeri Holwick adding 14 assists and Courtney Chilcoat adding 9 assists.
The Jefferson County North High School cross-country teams recently competed at the Troy Invitational with the girls placing first and the boys placing third.
Individuals receiving medals were as follows.
Girls – Mary Kern, third; Emma Bassette, fourth; Tori Lange, sixth; Lincoln Kingman, eighth; Gage Funk, ninth; Jordyn Mize, 12th; and Luise Bellgardt, 13th. Boys – Ed Huyghebaert, 12th; Tyler Leakey, 13th; Billy Noll, 14th; and Landon Noll, 15th.
The JCN boys tied for first at a meet in Wabaunsee Sept. 26. Medalists there were Tyler Leakey, third and team, Dallas Edwards, fifth and team, Brad Bengel, ninth and team, Steuart Hensleigh, 10th and team, Brett Manville, 11th and team, Tyler Noll, 18th and team, and Spencer Wentz, 21st and team.
Volleyball update
The McLouth Bulldogs improved to 12-7 on the year and 6-2 in league play by sweeping a triangular with Troy and Horton. The Bulldogs defeated Troy, 25-8, 25-11, and Horton, 25-14, 25-8. Senior Kylie Shufflebarger had 20 kills on the day with Jeri Holwick adding 14 assists and Courtney Chilcoat adding 9 assists.
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