Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Northeast Boys Pull Away With 19 Point Third Quarter

Northeast Nodaway boys used a 19-point third quarter to pull away from Union Star and beat them 54-40 in the first game of the year for both teams. The Bluejays drove new coach Ryan Madden crazy with some of their miscues in the first half, but got things together in the second half to take control of the game. Colby Wiederholt score 20 points for Northeast, 11 in the third quarter. Bryce Farnan added 12 and a ton of defensive boards.

Northeast had their problems in the first quarter as they were not finishing and not running their offense and Kevin Stoll picked up two quick fouls. But Bryce Farnan hit from the right wing and Colby Wiederholt got a rebound putback to make it 7-2 late as Northeast held Union Star without a field goal in the period.

The first-game sloppiness continued as nobody set up the offense, nobody was getting back on defense, and they paid for it as they fell behind 18-15 before Kevin Stoll grabbed a putback at the buzzer to cut the deficit to one point.

The Trojans scored the first basket of the second half, but from there, it was all Northeast. Kevin Stoll scored off a high-low and then Colby Wiederholt scored off a long pass from Bryce Farnan to put Northeast back in front at 21-20. Sean O'Dell tied it up with a free throw at 21, but with Bryce Farnan out, Colby Wiederholt took over for Northeast, scoring at will from the inside. Dalton Welch added a couple of buckets, included a left-handed hook shot. Welch showed that he was one of the most improved players from last year. "You're going to be my sixth man this year," Coach Ryan Madden told him after the game. "I'm going to put you in to bring energy this team. You were going after balls that nobody else was going after." Clayton Judd added a drive to the basket with a huge finishing step for a layup after nobody picked him up on defense; Colby, who had one move -- a left-handed drive -- added a high-arching 3-pointer that made it 36-25.

Union Star cut Northeast's lead to 36-29, but then Farnan came back in and got a putback to jump start another run. Kevin Stoll scored off a Colby Wiederholt steal and Aaron Patton scored from inside with 6:02 left to make it 42-29. The lead stayed at double digits for much of the fourth quarter, but then Northeast had some ill-advised possessions, throwing hail mary passes that were not there and jacking up 3-pointers. There was a two-minute scoring drought for both teams with the score stuck at 45-37, but then Nick Palmer buried a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:52 left to make things interesting, making it 45-40. As Northeast was having trouble getting the ball up court, Union Star got a couple of chances to make it a one-possession game, but Ryan Hutchcraft missed a close shot inside and Northeast blocked another shot.

Finally, a critical mistake by Union Star allowed Northeast to escape with the win as Sean Kelley grabbed Colby Wiederholt on the jersey as he was going up for a shot in transition and was called for the intentional foul. Colby hit one out of two free throws and then hit Bryce Farnan on the ensuing possession to make it 48-40. Following a stop, Farnan threw a long outlet to Aaron Patton and the General took it in for a layup to make it 50-40. Kevin Stoll got a monster stuff on the next play and then Kelley, who was left in the game for some reason, committed another intentional foul as he grabbed Aaron Patton who was trying to dribble out some clock. Bryce Farnan added a bucket at the end for the final score.

Following his nerve-racking first game, Coach Madden said that the key word for his team was "focus." He said that the reason that his team finally pulled away was that "we focused more." He said that the challenge for his team this year was to figure out how to be focused in games and not make the kind of silly mistakes he said they were making Tuesday night.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Northwest Starts 4-0; Peru Finishes in Funk

Long-time Northwest fans may have been thinking shades of Evangel from two years ago. Two years ago, Northwest had an impressive win against South Dakota, the D-II National Championship runnerups, on the road. The Bearcats ended a 22-game home winning streak and a 24-game regular season winning streak in the process. It was a signature win for Coach Gene Steinmeyer, whose teams have frequently knocked off much stronger opponents over the years. Northwest, which was looking to replace standout point guard April Miller (now Healy), figured to be well on the way to do that. But instead, they turned around and lost to NAIA school Evangel at home as Evangel scored at will against Northwest on their way to an 80-71 win. Northwest would go on to win only nine games that year. Evangel outworked Northwest throught the game, beating them on the boards 48-28, getting to the line 30 times and making 24 shots, and taking advantage of defensive lapses to win. Northwest would go on to win just nine games that year and miss the MIAA tournament, of which they were the defending champions.

Saturday night, history threatened to repeat itself as Peru State led much of the way against Northwest. Northwest had started off 3-0 and was looking for a 4-0 start to its nonconference schedule before going on the road to play Emporia State. But then something different happened -- Northwest battled through adversity, playing five on eight at times, before using a 15-0 run late in the game to pull out the win. Peru was red hot on offense, clicking on all cylinders and scoring at will for the first 30 minutes. But then they scored one more bucket at the 7:31 mark and then didn't score again until the closing seconds of the game when it was already decided.

Northwest showed the kind of toughness that they needed to play through a game like this; having a 6'5 player in Kyla Roehrig helped. She scored 28 points and hauled in 17 rebounds for the Bearcats. With Peru being the most physical team that Northwest has played this year, Roehrig answered the challenge as the more physical they got on her, the more she cleaned up on the glass at will, getting 15 points in the last ten minutes of the game. This was the second game that someone had stepped up down the stretch; against Jewell, Gabby Curtis' back to back 3-pointers had sparked Northwest to a win over Jewell after the Cardinals had closed to within two.

The Bearcats started off strongly as Kyla Roehrig tipped out a loose ball to Gabby Curtis for a 3-pointer and Abby Henry hit a pair of free throws off a drive to make it 5-2 early on. But then Peru began driving at will on Northwest off their ball screens, getting on the line at will, and throwing Northwest out of its rhythm as Northwest was missing a ton of shots early. Nyahok Duop's drive with 16:31 left put Peru up 8-5 at the 16:31 mark.

Gabby Curtis threw a beautiful skip pass to Kyla and then Candace Boeh grabbed a putback in transition to put Northwest back up 9-8 and then Candace kicked out to Curtis for her second 3-pointer in six minutes to make it 12-10. But then Peru, behind four more from Duop, used a 7-0 run to go back up 17-12 at the 12:28 mark. The pattern repeated itself throughout the game -- when Northwest was able to play at its pace, getting a lot of good transition looks, they would do well. When Peru was able to hit their shots or get on the line, they would do well.

Off the bench came Tara Roach to spark Northwest. Normally a post player, she developed a lot more versatility this year, adding a sweet outside shot and a drive to her arsenal; she scored six straight points to put Northwest back in from. She drove down the right side to score; Maryville product Meridee Scott pushed it up the floor, made a beautiful spin move in the lane, and fed Roach as the defense collapsed on her for another bucket. Abby Henry then pushed it following another miss and found Roach all alone as she continued to run the floor at will as Northwest went back in front 18-17.

But then Roach picked up her second foul and Peru was able to stop the run. But they were not able to break ahead as Alexis Boeh, Candace Boeh's twin sister, came off the bench for the first time this year after battling a back injury and showed a lot of energy on the floor as she announced her presence with a flying tackle of a Peru player while fighting for a loose ball. Alexis lobbed it into Kyla Roehrig on one play, kicked it out to Abby Henry on another play, fed Gabby Curtis following a steal, and then drove to the rack off an inbounds play as Northwest was able to match the Bobcats; the game was tied at 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33. But then the Peru pattern of getting on the line and throwing Northwest out of their rhythm began to take its toll as the Bobcats slowly built up a seven point lead at 45-38 behind two free throws from Katie Potter before Abby Henry's drive with 37 seconds left make it 45-40 at the break.

Northwest briefly went to a box and one on Duop, who had scored 19 points in the first half for Peru and began focusing more on getting it to Kyla Roehrig, who scored six points in the first four minutes of the second half to get the game tied back up at 49. Melissa Nyquist worked a perfect high-low with her twice and Shelly Martin found her inside and added a 3-pointer in transition off a pass from Henry. But then Peru went back up five as Duop got open for a 3-point play after her defender fell and then Jasmine Tate followed with a putback. Katie Potter's free throws made it 64-61 with 9:55 left for Peru, but then Northwest, normally a man to man team, switched to a zone and went box and one on Duop when she was in the game. The move worked as Peru, which shot 2 for 16 from the 3-point line for the night, could not shoot the Bearcats out of their zone.

With Northwest doing a better job of attacking the basket, they began to take over on the other end as well as Kyla Roehrig scored six straight points to put Northwest up for good at 67-64 with 7:50 left. Abby Henry got a drive and fed her for one shot and then she added a pair of putbacks. Katie Potter scored off a drive, but then Candace Boeh's inside shot with 7:19 left sparked the 15-0 run that put Peru away. With the zone defense causing 13 straight missed shots during Peru State's funk, Northwest was able to get a lot more transition looks that their offense is designed to create. Candace Boeh kicked it out to Abby Henry in transition and then Shelly Martin found Gabby Curtis open for a layup to make it 74-66 with 4 minutes left.

At that point the officials began trying to help Peru out with all sorts of bizarre calls. There was one call where a much taller Peru State player jumped into Abby Henry and knocked her down when she was going up for a shot and the referee didn't call anything. There was another no-call where the Peru State player was setting a ball screen and knocked down Shelly Martin, knocking the wind out of her for several seconds. But Northwest continued to pull away despite the interference from the officials as Abby Henry got a free throw, Kyla Roehrig got a putback, and then Alexis Boeh came off the bench again to lob it into Kyla, who converted a 3-point play. Another lob from Alexis to Roehrig capped the run before Duop hit a meaningless 3-pointer at the end.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Northwest Hits Century Mark, Forces 35 Turnovers vs. Southwestern

Northwest Missouri State got its second win of the season, a 102-64 rout of Southwestern (KS) to open up the Winstead-Reeves Classic Friday night. The Moundbuilders had drawn Coach Gene Steinmeyer's attention as they had jumped out to a 4-0 start, beat a ranked NAIA team on the road, and gave #9 MIAA powerhouse Washburn all they could handle for a while before falling to the Ichabods 96-60. Winning has a way of being contagious, but so does losing -- the Moundbuilders, one of the quickest teams that Northwest has played this year, proceeded to drop their next game against Rogers State by 20 and only got 55 points in the effort. Then, after a fast start, Southwestern faded as the game wore on against Northwest and dropped their third straight game. The streaky Moundbuilders then lost to Briar Cliff for their 4th straight before winning again.

Gabby Curtis (20 points, 6 assists) opened the scoring for Northwest with a drive and 10-foot floater, but Brett Bates, a guard who will shoot from anywhere for Southwestern, countered with a 30-foot 3-pointer. Shelly Martin (10 points) found Abby Henry (13 points) at the top of the key and then Melissa Nyquist fed Candace Boeh inside to put Northwest up 6-3 at the 17:42 mark. But then Southwestern began playing their brand of racehorse basketball as they ran up and down the court, pressing and getting easy looks at the bucket as they pushed out to a 9-6 lead.

But then 6'5" Kyra Roehrig (20 points, 4 blocked shots) came off the bench for Northwest and turned out to be a game-changer for the Bearcats. The Moundbuilders didn't have anyone who could match up with her and Northwest was able to lob the ball at will to her as she scored 20 points in just 19 minutes of work. Shelly Martin, Melissa Nyquist, and Ashley Thayer all found her open during a 10-0 run and Roehrig showed that she could find the open person when doubled, finding Shelly Martin open for a 3-pointer as Northwest went from down three to up seven at 16-9.

Roehrig was a lot more confident with the ball in her second game than she was in the first game and her teammates sensed it and continued to lob the ball in to her. Shelly Martin threw one in to her and then Ashley Thayer threw another pass to her for layups as Northwest's lead grew to 20-11. Then Gabby Curtis scored from the left baseline and then Emily Hauder (10 points) cleaned up on a miss to put Northwest up 24-13. Southwestern came back to within 26-19, but then Roehrig converted a pair of putbacks and Shelly Martin answered a Southwestern bucket with a 3-pointer off a feed from Monai Douglass to start another run for Northwest. Douglass then found Gabby Curtis open from the left side and then Curtis pushed the ball up the floor and found Shelly Martin open at the top of the key to make it 38-21 with 4:34 left. Shelly Martin found Tara Roach (10 points, 8 rebounds) open from the left side and then Monai Douglass' 25-footer gave Northwest its largest lead so far at 49-28 before Southwestern closed to within 52-36 at the break behind a Bates 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Given the style of ball Southwestern was playing, even a 16-point lead was not safe and the Moundbuilders started off strongly, closing to within 56-41 at the 18:04 mark behind a free throw from Tylar Hartfield. But then Abby Henry, who had been held in check, got untracked as she scored off a Shelly Martin steal to start an 11-0 run. Coach Steinmeyer had been telling Henry to go to the basket more all tournament and she did during that stretch as she drove and kicked out to Curtis for a 3-pointer. Then, Kyra Roehrig got a tip and Gabby Curtis picked up the errant carom and fed Henry for the layup; Henry then got a drive and scored two free throws. Henry then found Emily Hauder all alone in the short corner to cap the run and make it 67-41 at the 15:55 mark.

Southwestern came back to within 69-45 with 14:15 left, but then Ashley Thayer took a charge, which sparked another run. Gabby Curtis then found Emily Hauder inside and then Curtis got rewarded as Hauder found Curtis open on the next play for a 3-pointer to make it 74-45. Southwestern got a free throw but then Henry hit a pair of free throws and then pushed it ahead to Shelly Martin on the next play to make it 78-46. Tara Roach, who has really improved her jump shot from last year, hit a heavily-guarded 10-footer to cap the 14-1 run at the 11:35 mark.

Zefiryn Bryan and Kaitlin Tennysonn both hit free throws as Southwestern got back to within 83-50, but then Ashley Thayer hit a pair of free throws, Monai Douglass then jumped a pass and got a steal and score, Douglass then lobbed it into Roehrig who turned it into a free throw, and then Tara Roach capped the run with another free throw after Douglass had taken a charge on defense.

The Moundbuilders came back to within 91-58 as they kept getting on the line, but then Candace Boeh followed her own miss with a 3-point play, Ashley Thayer hit a free throw, and then Boeh got another putback to make it 97-58. Thayer's free throw with 2:42 left put Northwest over the century mark.

Northwest Tops Jewell for Winstead-Reeves Title

Northwest Missouri State's women did what they set out to do in the Winstead-Reeves Classic -- get to a 3-0 start before a week-long layoff. They built up a halftime lead, turned back a second-half run by Jewell, and closed the game on a 16-3 run to win 83-68 Saturday night. Gabby Curtis (20 points), whose back to back 3-pointers started the run, was named MVP. 6'5" post player Kyra Roehrig (20 points) was also named to the team. Both were recognized by Shelly (Winstead) Hiatt, daughter of the late Wayne Winstead.

Jewell used a balanced attack to stay with Northwest and even take the lead for a while. Salisbury standout Cassy Nicolay, who torched Briar Cliff for 26 points in a win the previous evening, got three points; former Benton standout Holly Switzer added four and three other players chipped in as the Cardinals, aided by some questionable calls by officials well out of position to make them, ran out to a 13-7 lead at the 11:43 mark. Gabby Curtis was the only player who was hitting for Northwest, getting the team's first seven points off a feed to the baseline from Shelly Martin (20 points), a Martin steal, and a 3-pointer from the right wing.

But after Jewell passed up on two chances to go up eight thanks to a pair of turnovers, Abby Henry (11 points, 6 steals, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) got on the line and hit a pair of free throws after getting an offensive board. Candice Boeh added another free throw and Tara Roach, normally a post player, stepped out and popped a surprise 3-pointer following a steal to tie it at 13. Shelly Martin hit a shot over a screen to cap the 8-0 run to put Northwest up 15-13.

Jewell took its last lead at 20-19 behind Nicolay's backdoor layuup with 6:12 left, but Northwest begin to take control thanks to Shelly Martin's 3-pointer from the right wing on an assist from Curtis; Ashley Thayer found Kyra Roehrig inside and then Gabby Curtis scored off a steal and drive to make it 26-20. Ashley Patton hit a 3-pointer for Jewell, but Abby Henry grabbed an errant carom and found Shelly Martin for a 3-pointer from the right side and then Shelly Martin got a steal, got it to Kyra Roehrig, who found Melissa Nyquist backdoor for a layup to make it 31-23 with 3:30 left. Jewell closed to within 33-28, but then Abby Henry worked a perfect give and go with Roehrig and then pushed it up the floor on the next play and found Martin open for a 3-pointer with 1:10 left. Martin then answered a Jewell tip-in with a beautiful fake and 20-footer and drew the foul and 3-point play to make it 41-30. Jewell put on a surprise press and got a 4-0 run to make it 41-34, but Northwest had a good possession and got some good ball movement which resulted in a good look and a Kyra Roehrig putback to make it 43-34 at the break.

Northwest opened the second half with a run as Candace Boeh kicked out to Gabby Curtis to start. Holly Switzer countered with a 3-pointer for Jewell, but then Shelly Martin answered with a drive and floater that beat the shot clock and then 6-footer Candace Boeh lived out her dream of being a point guard as she got a steal off a trap, put on a perfect spin move, and finished with the left hand to cap the run and put Northwest up 49-37 with 17:11 left. Jewell proceeded to launch some 3-pointers that kept them under 10, but then Shelly Martin kicked one out to Melissa Nyquist and then Emily Hauder lobbed one into Kyra Roherig to give Northwest its biggest lead at 58-45 so far.

But with both their main shooters, Holly Switzer and Ashley Patton on the bench, Jewell rallied as Sierra Howard hit a shot from the right side and followed with a pair of free throws as the Bearcats missed a pair of 3-pointers. Katy Colby's 3-pointer closed back to six at the 11:49 mark. Kyra Roehrig scored off a Hauder drive and then added a putback to make it 62-52 at the 9:34 mark, but then Howard connected again from the top of the key and then Colby's steal made it 62-56. Switzer came back in and drew a 3-point play to close to within 65-63 and then Jessie Wheeler's free throws following a bogus foul call on Tara Roach made it a two-point game again at 67-65.

But then all of a sudden Northwest, which had been missing 3-pointers all half, suddenly got two to drop as Abby Henry found Gabby Curtis on consecutive plays for back-to-back 3-pointers to give Northwest some breathing room again at 73-65 with 4:21 left. Following a Jewell turnover, Tara Roach lobbed it into Roehrig, and the 6'5" player's shot bounced forever on the rim before finally going in to make it 75-65. Chelsea Meeks countered with a 3-pointer for Jewell and the Cardinals got the ball back with a chance to cut it to four or five, but Ashley Patton missed a shot and then Roehrig's 3rd-chance putback following a drive from Abby Henry make it 77-68 with 2:06 left. At that point, Jewell was forced to foul and Northwest went six for six down the stretch with Abby Henry going 4 for 4 and Shelly Martin going 2 for 2 from the line.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Tyler Hann Named Building Inspector for City

Tyler Hann was named the building inspector for the city by a vote of the City Council. He will be classified as a part-time employee of the city and will be doing building inspections at a rate of $25 per inspection on an as-needed basis. He would inspect buildings for city ordinance violations as directed by the city. If Hann were unable to determine whether or not a building was in violation, the city would need to hire an engineer who would make that determination for the city. If the owner believes that their building is safe, then there would be a hearing before a building commission. The city council will act as the building commission in that case; there would be a public hearing. At the hearing, the burden of proof would be on the building owner to prove that their building was safe and in compliance with city ordinances.


The city met with Michel Goins of Midwest Data to renegotiate the contract between the two. The city will implement three-tiered pricing. The contract will run for five years with Midwest Data getting 85% of the revenues and the city getting 15% of the revenues. Support services would remain the same.


Andy Macias has inspected the west side of the Square for the city and an official report is on its way. Macias did so free of charge for the city. The cause of the fire has been undetermined. The city learned that it would take 20 days for the samples from the buildings were back. Nothing can be done regarding demolition until the reports are back. DNR would then need to sign off on demolition. The insurance comany would then put the insurance money for the owners into escrow until the cleanup was complete. Dennis Adams said that his coverage was for up to $25,000 in the event of such a disaster. The city withheld 10% of the insurance proceeds per property owner until cleanup was completed.


Should the samples test positive for asbestos or lead paint, then the inspector who tested for the asbestos would have to be on site during the entire cleanup for $30 per hour plus mileage. Nothing was burnt on the ground floor of Carquest. The council voted to issue a new building permit for Adams to rebuild his business across the street from Worth County Lumber. Adams subsequently met with Greg Miller of the water department as well as people from Davidson Construction to make plans for construction of the building.


The city voted to have Sullivan update their code books for $100.


The city voted to hire Doug Thomson as City Attorney and Prosecutor at a rate of $135 per hour. Thomson serves in that capacity for several other towns in the region, including Maryville. Thomson will not charge a retainer fee, but will charge for municipal court hearings, attending meetings, and writing letters. Mayor Debbie Roach said that the rate was typical for the area; she said that the change was needed because of David B. Parman's injury. The city had previously hired Robert Rice to prosecute ordinance violations; however, Rice became Nodaway County Prosecutor and could no longer prosecute city cases. Parman had stepped down as city prosecutor because of conflicts of interest. Roach said that Thomson's practice was to work out a deal where violators would be fined $500 and then have all but $150 of it waived if it were resolved within a sufficient period of time. Fines would approved by Joel Miller, who as Associate Circuit Judge, also serves as the Municipal Court Judge for Grant City. Roach said that the move was needed immediately because of the need to look at contracts regarding the recently-passed bond issue, Midwest Data, and others. The city can fax contracts over so that Thomson would not have to make the trip to Grant City.


Councilman Dennis Downing said that he worried that there would come a point in time where the city could not afford to have court given the high legal fees. He said that he was not against enforcing the city ordinances, but "what if it costs $800 and we only bring in $200 worth of fines?" Roach said that fines had not been asked for in the past but that if they lined up a lot of cases at a time, the fines would be well worth the fees.


Mayor Roach reported on the meeting between the State Department of Economic Development and local officials regarding the proposed Enhanced Enterprise Zone for the county and said that she felt comfortable proceeding with the project. The entire county qualifies, but one census bloc has to be omitted under the rules. It would give tax breaks for future businesses to locate in the area. The city has already given its approval to the project.


The council voted to authorize Holly Baxley to pay $15.47 per month to optimize search engine results for the city website.


The city voted to change the color of the blocks for the new Pool Bathhouse to buff.


Public Works Director Carl Staton reported that one truck was ready for snow and that city crews had been hauling dirt on 5th street, where a water line had frozen last winter. Work on the gas line by the river was completed; FEMA reimbursed the city $26,000 for the work. A water leak by Alan Fletchall's was fixed and some new stop signs were put up.


The city received a complaint from Robin Behrens regarding dogs getting into her trashbags. It was also reported that there was a female dog who was running around the northwest corner of town which was giving birth to a lot of puppies.


The city purchased two more cell phones to use in the event of another major fire.


Clerk Ayvonne Morin reported a sharp drop in sales tax revenues in October. September revenues were $13,697 while October revenues were $6,395.


The budget timeline for next year was discussed. Following the audit of the city finances following Thanksgiving, an amended 2010 budget will be passed in December and the regular 2011 budget will be done in January 2011.


An informational meeting between Brock Pfost of Middlefork Water Company, Tye Parsons of Northwest Missouri Regional Council, and city officials will be held Monday evening November 29th at 5:30.


The council voted to donate $25 for the Worth County Holiday Program.


The city voted to enter into closed session to discuss potential pending litigation as well as employee matters. In closed session, the council voted to hire Janelle Buffington as part-time clerk for the License Office as the other part-time clerk has taken another position. The council also voted to approve a $100 Christmas Bonus for full-time employees and $50 for part-time employees.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Critical UNK Mistake Leads to Decisive Run for Northwest

Nebraska-Kearney had just made a run to tie the game against Northwest Missouri State's women at 63 with under six minutes left. But then one of their players got a steal, got trapped against the sideline, and took a timeout that Kearney didn't have. Shelly Martin knocked down the free throws for Northwest and then Abby Henry had a drive and floater on the ensuing possession for Northwest to put them up to stay. That was part of a game-deciding 9-0 run that put the game out of reach. UNK got the deficit down to two, but could not get the critical stop that would have given them the chance to tie or take the lead and Northwest came away with an 81-75 win Monday night.

Northwest came in not knowing what to expect. The Bearcats are without their standout player Gentry Dietz for the first half of the year. Coach Gene Steinmeyer talked on the Northwest website about wanting to see more speed and more pressure on the ball from his guards. He got both Monday night as his charges forced 29 turnovers while surrendering the ball only 17 times themselves. Northwest features a skyscraper post player in 6'5" Kyla Roehrig; bringing her in with an already strong post game means that their 3-point shooters will be a lot more open this year. And Coach Steinmeyer got the speed he was looking for from former Maryville standout Meridee Scott (7 assists), a skinny freshman, who was the fastest player out on the court Monday night. She was constantly pushing the ball up the floor against Kearney and finding the open person. And Abby Henry, whom Coach Steinmeyer says is one of the best players he's ever coached, held up her end with a 26-point effort. The Bearcats come in off a 14-15 year with everyone back; they will need time to gell, but figure to do a lot of damage in the MIAA come January and February when Dietz returns. Dietz has a 37-point 16-board effort to her credit last year.

But Kearney came into the game with plenty to prove. Having beat a good Missouri S&T (formerly Missouri-Rolla) team to open, they figured to present plenty of problems with Northwest since they had already gotten a game under their belt. Their main post player, Megan Becker, ate Northwest alive on defense; she was a 6 foot mobile athletic post and she scored at will in the early going, getting 10 of UNK's first 12 points. Northwest countered with 3-pointers from Ashley Thayer and Gabby Curtis along with a balanced attack that left them up 13-12 at the 12:57 mark. Meridee Scott used her speed to push it up the floor and got it to Emily Hauder on the right side; Shelly Martin kicked it out to Gabby Curtis for a 3-pointer to make it 18-12. Kearney fought right back as Melissa Voichahoske's free throw, a shot from the left wing and a steal from Debi Johnson that she converted to a 3-point play, and a driving layup from Becker made it 20-18.

Abby Henry's 3-pointer from the top of the key after she had dribbled around a ball screen several times to get open sparked another Northwest run. A UNK free throw tied it at 21, but Meridee Scott came off the bench and slipped behind the defense in transition; Monai Douglass threw her the long pass and Scott found Tara Roach underneath for a layup. Scott then got a steal and found Gabby Curtis open for a layup and then Abby Henry's driving layup made it 27-21.

UNK then called a timeout and switched to a 1-2-2 zone which seemed to slow Northwest down and they began missing shots as the Lopers climbed back into the game. They began to beat Northwest off the cut and a couple of defensive breakdowns didn't help as Kearney used an 11-0 run to take their largest lead at 32-27 with 1:40 left. But then Northwest took timeout and Tara Roach worked a perfect high-low with Roehrig and then Abby Henry hit a 3-pointer in transition following a miss that tied it up. Nicole Arp's 3-pointer put UNK back up three before Henry's drive cut the gap to one at 35-34 at the half.

The lead changed hands several times at the start of the second half. Shelly Martin hit a 3-pointer from the right side to put Northwest back in front, but Kearney used a drive from Vanessa Leeper and then Becker began to get open again as her putback put UNK up 39-37. Candace Boeh converted an offensive board into a putback and then Martin's second 3-pointer in two minutes made it 42-39. UNK went back in front 46-44 as Leeper's 3-pointer from the top of the key with 14:17 put them up, but Northwest responded as Roehrig got a pair of putbacks and then Northwest got consecutive steals off the press as Meridee Scott connected from the left side off of one steal and Abby Henry scored a 3-pointer off another steal before UNK burned a timeout to stop the run.

Ashley Thayer's 3-pointer with 11:15 gave Northwest its largest lead at 56-48 at that point; the teams traded buckets before Leeper's second 3-pointer of the half sparked a run. Lea Ann Jameson was fouled on a 3-pointer following a steal from Megan Becker and then a pair of free throws from Kim Rickels tied it up at 63. Northwest missed a pair of close shots during that stretch. The critical play happened next as Northwest had the ball in frontcourt and threw the ball away as Vanessa Leeper stole a pass. But she was right next to the sideline and Tara Roach and Kyla Roehrig set a perfect trap on Leeper, who panicked and called a timeout that Kearney didn't have at the 5:43 mark.

Instead of Kearney with the ball and a chance to take the lead, Northwest got the ball as Shelly Martin hit both free throws and then Abby Henry got a drive and floater in the lane on the ensuing possession as Northwest was up 67-63. Gabby Curtis then hit from the left wing and then Abby Henry hit a 3-pointer in transition to make it 72-63 with 4:37 left, which turned out to be too big for UNK to overcome.

Kearney chipped away, cutting the lead to 72-68 with 3:01 left, but then Abby Henry's driving layup with 1:42 left broke the run. Leeper's driving layup with 43 seconds left cut it to 75-73, but then Abby Henry's driving layup made it 77-73 and then UNK tried for a long hail mary pass that wasn't there and threw it away with 23.1 seconds left and Gabby Curtis hit two free throws with 21.2 seconds left. Becker's layup made it 79-75 with 11.5 seconds left, but Henry's free throws made it 81-75 and Kearney threw away another hail mary pass to seal their fate.

County Studies Renovation of Interior Square

The County has begun the process of looking into a Missouri DOT Grant for the inside of the square. Proposed upgrades would include retainer walls and a five foot sidewalk that runs around the outer edge of the Courtyard. Randy Hall of Snyder and Associates attended the County Commission Meeting Monday to guide commissioners through the process. He said that the DOT might look favorably on such a grant proposal if the city Downtown Renovation Project, which is being paid for by a federal appropriation, goes smoothly without problems. "Entities like that could get grants again and again," said Hall.

West Commissioner Dennis Gabbert said that the commission wished to do it in two phases, starting with the north and west sides and possibly the south side if it were cost-effective. Should it only be feasible to do two at a time, commissioners decided to go with the north and west sides first. The east side would be saved for last as East Commissioner Rob Ruckman said that he believed that it would be the most expensive to do. Curbs and gutters would be part of the project; County Clerk Lisa Hargrave said that the project would revolve long-standing drainage issues along the north side. Among other things the commissioners wanted for the project was to put up ornamental lighting that would match the city's portion of the project, separate metered outlets in order to have community events along the square, and walls that complimented the appearance of the Courthouse.

All of the corners and the whole route would have to be ADA compliant. Hargrave noted that the south staircase would have to be redone and possibly the east staircase. The maximum award amount for the project would be $248,000, of which the county would match at least $48,000. If the county were to put up more, it would be more likely to get the grant. The county can use in-kind labor as part of their match; possible in-kind work could include excavation and hauling of dirt, removal of any trees, and concrete removal.

Kevin Harding of the City of Allendale came to the meeting to inquire about county help for a tube needed in Allendale. The county is in the process of seeing if they can get it through FEMA funds. The county would put it in whether FEMA approved it or not. Commissioner Gabbert said that the county should know something before too long. Harding also reported that the City of Allendale had also approved becoming a part of the proposed Enhanced Enterprise Zone that the county is seeking to attract more businesses. Sheridan and Grant City are also on board.

Jim Fletchall inquired whether the road by Mike Troutwine's, county road #35, had gotten gravel under the Special Rock fund; Clerk Lisa Hargrave reported that under the program, it is to get 88 tons of gravel. It is both a mail and school bus route. Fletchall said that some of it was in good shape, but that other parts of it were pretty bad and that it needed ditching and buildup work. He said conditions on that road were really bad because of ice conditions. Records produced by Hargrave showed that it was one of the first roads served; gravel was delivered from June 30th to July 14th.

Commissioner Ruckman reported that Friday's rains, which came to almost three inches in some places, washed a lot of gravel off of roads.

Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe reported that FEMA had requested additional documentation for the Nation Bridge; the county is in the process of getting that documentation.

Kobbe reported that 20 people had attended the after-action meeting regarding the Square Fire Thursday. Grant City Fire Chief Ben Fletcher did a power point presenation on the fire discussing what was done well and what could have done better. He has already given this presenation for the Creston Fire Department. Everyone at the meeting wanted the incident command trailer to be up and running, and Fletcher requested three phones and two scanners for the trailer as well as spare batteries for radio chargers to ensure better communication. Improved communication was seen as in need of improvement; for instance, Hargrave noted that the excavator was a big help in putting out the fire and that it was important to locate it promptly. Another idea put forth was that of a sheriff's posse, which paricipants felt would have been perfect for such a scenario. Hargrave said that another thing that needed to be addressed was determining who could be on the scene during such an emergency and who couldn't be; HazMat was in the process of coming up with a plan.

Russell Burns reported on the maintenance needs of the county equipment. He reported that three batteries were down Monday morning. He reported that there were minor transmission fluid leaks on the grader that he operates and that the crews were dealing with really muddy conditions in light of Friday's rains. For instance, he said that he had to get the bulldozer to pull out other equipment which got stuck in the mud one time. He said that there were several mechanical issues that needed to be addressed over the winter regarding the equipment.

Commissioner Ruckman reported that there was a lot of interest in the CART program. Sign-up deadline for the program is November 19th. Sheridan presented their Patron invoice; the county matched 65% of Sheridan's contribution this year. Commissioners said that they felt that in the future, they should match Sheridan at 75% like everyone else. Sheridan is hauling their own gravel, which will allow them to put it where they want to and when.

Commissioners did the second reading of the Enhanced Enterprise Zone bill.

County Clerk Lisa Hargrave reported that she had found a cleaning agency which will work with the claims adjustor to determine smoke damage from the fire to the Courthouse. They will take a look at the Courthouse, including problem areas such as Judge Miller's chambers as well as the Extension Office. Hargrave also reported a problem with the heater of the Sheriff's office, which either has to be all the way on or all the way off.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Wake Up Call Sparks Tiger Boys against Longhorns

A long 3-pointer by Austin Pulley, one of South Nodaway's skyscraper twins on their junior high boys squad, turned into a wake-up call for the Junior High tigers against their opponent. Northeast Nodaway, whom Worth County had beaten by 10 earlier this year, had destroyed South Nodaway earlier this year. But the taller Longhorn squad had come to play against Worth County, leading the whole quarter before Pulley's 3-pointer made it 7-3. But after the wakeup call, Worth County pulled themselves back together and went on to win 39-22 against the Longhorns.

Cole Parman (16 points) responded with a steal and drive to start the second quarter and then Austin Carlson scored from inside against the taller Longhorn squad off a drive down the middle from Brevyn Ross to tie it up. Carlson showed some mobility on offense as he pushed it up the floor and fed Josh Warner for a layup to put Worth County up to stay. Brevyn Ross followed with a steal and Cole Parman got a putback off the glass to make it 13-7 and cap a 10-0 run.

Grady Luke's free throws ended the run, but then Josh Warner answered with two free throws and Cole Parman scored after Brevyn Ross pushed it up the floor and then Josh Warner scored off the class early in the second half to make it 19-9.

South Nodaway got the ball into Pulley and they whittled away at the lead, cutting it to 20-14 at the 1:50 mark. But then Cole Parman hit the first of two free throws and Josh Warner put back the second shot for a 3-point play to make it 23-14. South Nodaway fought back as Michael McConkey's free throws made it a six point game again at 26-10 with 3:57 left. But then Brevyn Ross drove down the left side of the lane and flipped the ball in for a reverse layup, which seemed to be a backbreaker for South Nodaway. Cole Parman followed with a steal and drive, Brevyn Ross hit from the right side, and Cole Parman scored off a Dallas Monticue steal. Josh Warner followed with a free throw and then the reserves got in on the act as Ben Badell got a steal and drive and Dallas Monticue scored from the left wing in transition to cap a 13-0 run.

Junior High Girls Down South Nodaway in Final Home Game

Worth County's Junior High girls downed South Nodaway in their final home game of the year 17-12 as they got back on the winning track following a loss to Jefferson in a game the players felt they should have taken. The game was tight and low-scoring, with the score stuck at 2 for most of the first quarter before Kaitlyn Davidson (7 points) hit a free throw and Crystal Davis (6 points) added a banked wing shot to make it 5-2.

Kristen Nielson scored four points at the end of the first half to tie it at 8, but then South Nodaway missed two wide open layups that would have put them in front and then Allison Hilsabeck, their tallest player, picked up her fourth foul and sat down. This seemed to get the Tigers untracked as South Nodaway could no longer match their size. Sydney Thummel hit three out of four from the line to break the tie and then Crystal Davis went coast to coast to make it 13-8. Following a spectacular block by Crystal from behind, Kaitlyn Davidson's putback with 12 seconds left put Worth County up 15-8. Neilson did all she could in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to get her team back in it, cutting it to 15-12. But then Crystal Davis' shot with 42 seconds left iced it for the Tigers.

WCCC to Set Up Family Council

Administrator Karen Fletchall reported that a family council for the Worth County Convalescent Center will be forming. The council is run by family members and legal representatives to represent resident concerns to administration. The first meeting will be on November 23rd at 11:30 and the council is still looking for members. Fletchall said that she has gotten some response. Staff members will be there to help them get started. After that, the Family Council will be for family members or legal representatives. This is similar to the Resident Council. Fletchall said that they would try to be flexible on scheduling to fit the work schedules of members attending.


There were 29 residents living in the facility as of last Wednesday; Fletchall said that some people had been discharged back into their homes, which she said was always a good outcome. She said that the goal of the facility was to give them a good experience so that they would return.


The board reviewed a draft of a van use policy regarding non-medical transportation for individual residents. Under the proposed plan, the WCCC will charge 50 cents per mile plus 1 1/2 times normal pay for facility-approved drivers; should a resident wish to hire a companion, that would be between the resident and the companion. This policy applies to individual residents wishing to make a non-medical trip; the policy would not apply to facility outings such as trips to the Senior Center for the monthly dinner or other such community events.


The board decided to pursue a possible proposal with Duane Warner to put in a zone heating and cooling system for the facility which would involve a new boiler systems. The price tag for the deal was around $170,000, which was at least $100,000 cheaper than any of the other offers made. The other businesses presented various offers involving individual room heating systems. The board decided to pursue the proposal of Warner after hearing presenations from him and other heating and cooling businesses. However, Board Member Anthony Steinhauser said that he was concerned about the durability of the Samsung unit that would be included, saying that he feared it would be damaged easily. Steinhauser and board member Mike Hall will meet with Warner and look at alternatives.


Board President Scott Houk said that the board and administration needed to think of ways of generating more income and marketing the facility. "If we decreased the number of resident beds, we could add an assisted living wing," he suggested. The facility recently went from a 60-bed license to a 50-bed license. Houk said that with people living longer and staying home more, the facility needed to look at ways of adapting to a changing population. Steinhauser added that it was tough to change the mindset that people had of the facility being a place where one spent the end of their days.

Ms. Fletchall announced a new workshop on living a healthy life with chronic conditions. This event is free and open to the community. It will be held at the WCCC starting November 23rd from 9 to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday until December 28th. To register, people can contact Freda Miller or Melissa Steele at (888) 844-5626. This is sponsored by the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging. This is a six-week group education workshop series and is designed to help people with chronic conditions gain self-confidence in their ability to manage their own health. Among other things, the workshop will teach people how to improve knowledge of living a healthy life with a chronic condition, identify the latest medical and pain management approaches, develop an individualized exercise program, manage fatigue and stress more effectively, find solutions to problems caused by your condition, identify ways to deal with anger, fear, frustration, and depression, discuss the role of nutrition in chronic disease management, and develop new ways to communicate with family and friends.

Tigers Fumble Away Game in 42-6 Loss

Worth County saw their chances at a trip to St. Louis slip away as they fumbled away the ball 11 times and lost six of them in rainy conditions against Mound City. They also threw an interception as they committed seven turnovers, far too many for an opportunistic team like Mound City. And the tackling, which was better the second time around against the Panthers, nonetheless broke down at a critical moment allowing them to score a critical touchdown.

The game was similar to Mound City's 38-23 win over Stanberry during the middle of the season; in that game, a bad second quarter by Stanberry led to Mound City scoring 30 points in a nine-minute span in the second quarter that erased an early Stanberry lead. Worth County had their chances to stay with Mound City, but critical breakdowns snowballed into a big lead for the Panthers.

The game was one of the muddiest games played in recent memory with over an inch having fallen during the day and a continuous rain falling throughout the night. Mound City sought to take full advantage, running James Schoonover right up the middle. The Panthers got two first downs on their initial drive, but then fumbled the ball away and Cody Green pounced on it for the Tigers. A bad snap drove the Tigers back to their own 24, but then Eli Mullock broke off a pair of 10-yard runs for a first down into Mound City territory. But they stalled at the 30 and the blocking broke down as Worth County turned the ball over on downs.

Mound City was faced with fourth and two at the Tiger 36, but then James Schoonover found a big hole and rumbled 35 yards down to the one before Eli Mullock caught him from behind. Schoonover scored from one yard out on the next play to make it 6-0 with 4:31 left in the first.

Eli Mullock took the snap out of the wildcat formation and ran for 11 yards and a first down to the Panther 35. An offsides penalty and Alex Harmening's three yard run got Worth County another first down at the Mound City 24. A pair of false starts set up third and 17 for the Tigers, but Bryce Ross threw a short pass to Alex Harmening and his catch and run for 15 yards set up fourth and two at the 16. But Eli Mullock was stopped one yard short at the 15 and Mound City took over on downs.

Mound City had trouble hanging onto the ball in the slippery conditions and a halfback pass by Schoonover fooled nobody as he came under a heavy rush and his throw was well off the mark and Mound City was forced to punt. Three straight carries by Eli Mullock netted seven yards and Worth County elected to gamble and went for it on fourth and three. But a bad snap gave Mound City the ball back on the Worth County 25 with a short field to work with.

The critical sequence of the game happened next. Alex Harmening dropped Zach Kahle for no gain and then John Hinz dropped Schoonover for one yard. A counter by Thomas Shiflett only got three yards and Mound City was faced with fourth and five at the Tiger 20. Lucas Schawang went on the keeper around right end and was seemingly stopped for no gain. But Worth County's tackling woes, which had haunted them so badly in the first meeting between the two teams, came back to bite them at the worst possible time as someone tried to arm-tackle Schawang, who broke the tackle and was gone for a 20-yard touchdown with 8:36 left in the half.

Everything started to snowball from there. Wyatt Rush muffed the ensuing kickoff and Mound City pounced on it; four plays later, James Schoonover was in the end zone from two yards out to make it 18-0 with 7:02 left. With 6:16 left, on their second play from scrimmage, Worth County had a bad snap which resulted in a safety to make it 20-0, forcing them to kick it back to Mound City.

On the ensuing drive, Worth County stiffened up and forced Mound City into a fourth and two at the Tiger 14, but James Schoonover's cutback run converted it into a first down at the 7. Mound City tried a shot into the end zone, but Dallas Greenland broke it up to deny them. Two cracks at the line set up fourth and goal at the one, but the Tigers held as Lucas Schawang was denied on a quarterback sneak. Eli Mullock bounced outside for a 16 yard gain to get the Tigers out of the hole, but then Alex Harmening was stood up and stripped of the ball; that set up James Schoonover's 22-yard run with 1:09 left. Zach Kahle ran in the extra points to make it 28-0.

Worth County tried to air it out, but Bryce Ross' pass was way underthrown and Miles Jumps intercepted it and returned it all the way to the Tiger 8. Two plays later, James Schoonover was in the end zone from one yard out and he ran in the extra points to make it 36-0 at the half. The snowball effect continued in the second half as Worth County fumbled away the first play from scrimmage and Mound City took it in four plays later as James Schoonover dove into the end zone to make it 42-0 with 10:43 left in the game.

The game threatened to end right then and there thanks to the mercy rule, but Worth County was able to keep Mound City from scoring from there. Alex Harmening's 10-yard run got the Tigers a first down into Mound City territory at the 26, but they stalled there and the Panthers took over on downs. But then the fumble bug hit Mound City as they fumbled away their second play and Tyler Schmitz pounced on the loose carom. But Worth County could not take advantage as three cracks only netted three yards and a delay of game and a fumble gave the ball right back to Mound City. Mound City continued to struggle with moving the ball as two false starts and two fumbles drove them back 10 yards and they were forced to punt.

Worth County converted a first down, but they stalled at their own 33 and were forced to punt. The kick was a good one and it pinned Mound City back on their own one. Mound City rode the back of Schoonover and got out of the hole and drove to their own 24. Schoonover then broke several tackles on his way to a 26-yard run to the Tiger 30. But then a botched handoff was recovered by Cody Green, denying Mound City their best chance to end the game on the mercy rule.

Neither side could move the ball in the rain and mud until late in the game, when Worth County took over on downs at their own 32. Finally, Eli Mullock reversed his field for 15 yards to the Mound City 33. A false start and a fumble stalled the Tigers momentarily, but Dallas Greenland's 10-yard and and a diving catch by Cody Green for 13 yards of a pass from Bryce Ross put the Tigers on the Panther 16. Eli Mullock got five yards to the 11 and two cracks from Alex Harmening got Worth County into the end zone with 1:09 left in the game to make it 42-6.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Early Intervention Key to Preventing Underage Drinking

Gary Hillebrand of Preferred Family Healthcare facilitated a discussion on the ongoing problem of teen drinking in the county; he said that the earlier that people intervene, the more likely that alcohol use among teens can be prevented. The meeting was held at the United Methodist Church in Grant City Monday and was attended by Tim and Betty Hayes, Lori Wimer, Clella Goodwin, and Superintendent Matt Robinson. Hayes said that his concern was drugs and alcohol and that in a lot of places where he has lived, “alcohol is like water in a faucet.” Betty Hayes added that frequently in this area, teens have adults buy it for them through some place that will sell it.

Clella Goodwin, guidance counselor at Worth County R-III, said that there were a lot of kids who were busy, but for those who were not, there was a perception that “there was nothing to do.” Consequently, they will go and hang out with young adults who will supply them with alcohol and “I don’t know how to help.” Hillebrand said that was a problem even among large communities; he said that they did surveys of teens in cities as big as Chicago and that even there, there was a perception that there was nothing to do. He said that part of the problem was inflation, seeing that stuff that used to cost $1.50 or so now costs $10 or more, well outside of family budgets.
Hillebrand said that the downside with many one week programs was that “it is one week and they’re done.” He said that people were dealing with a life and death situation because there were situations in which a split second decision meant the difference between life and death.

The prevention service field, of which Preferred Family Health is a part, has grown tremendously as people everywhere were seeking answers to drug and alcohol abuse. Hillebrand said that when he first began working for the company, he knew everyone by name, but that now they had grown to over 600 employees, 23-24 facilities around the State of Missouri, and one facility as far away as San Antonio. The nearest facility to this area is Liberty, which can be reached at (816) 407-1754. They have prevention specialists like Mr. Hillebrand, school based programs, community based training. Preferred Family Healthcare is designated as a Regional Support Center and is certified by the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Hillebrand said that communities knew better than Preferred Family Health what their needs are; “My job is to facilitate and figure out what you want and how we can help you.”

Turning to early intervention, Hillebrand said that in Missouri, 11½ was the average age of first use of alcohol. He said that what they have found is that the longer that they can delay the first onset of alcohol use, the less likely that kids were to have problems with alcohol. He said that the more likely that teens were to stop usage before 30 days, the better outcomes there would be as well. Ideally, Hillebrand said that based on what is known about the human body, people should not start drinking before the age of 25, when the body is much better able to handle the effects of drinking. “Earlier, it becomes poison,” he explained. He said that if the body doesn’t function well, then underage drinking can lead to alcoholic poisoning, a potentially fatal condition.

Hillebrand said that there were other drug problems that were there in addition to alcohol. For instance, there were constantly different drugs being tried. However, Missouri remains the top state for meth production, with 807 labs busted in the state last year compared to 142 for California.

“It takes the whole community to address these problems,” said Hillebrand. He added that the best chance of getting government money for a program was if there was evidence that a program works. He said that other criteria were implementation, evaluation, and sustainability.
Hillebrand said that there was no such thing as a drug which gets rid of pain that was not addictive. “If there is a drug that is out there that gets rid of pain, you will want it again and again,” he said. He said that any substance that alters the mind, body, or spirit could be classified as a drug – even water or air. For instance, he said that people have died of water overdoses from rupturing their bowels. He said that people could also die from hyperventilation from breathing too much air and that hospitals had to keep oxygen tanks locked up so that people would not steal them and use them to get high. “I can go to the grocery store and get all the things I need to get high,” he said.

Therefore, Hillebrand said that it was a matter of what was taught. In addition, he said that it was a matter of programs as well; for instance, the City of St. Joseph requires anyone who serves alcohol to take tests regarding serving alcohol. He said that what they found was that they were less likely to serve alcohol to minors and more likely to call the police if minors attempted to purchase alcohol. Other communities have sought to become smoke-free; for instance, a student-led initiative making the Worth County school a smoke-free campus was successfully implemented. And Hillebrand said that sometimes, it was a matter of culture change. “You have to decide which way you want to go,” he said.

Hillebrand said that he had worked in drug treatment with kids who had given their lives over to drugs; for instance, he worked with one kid who had spent $300 per day on his cocaine habit. In addition, he didn’t work for it, but obtained the money illegally. “Even that kid wished that someone had told him no when it came to alcohol,” he said. Hillebrand said that even if your kid doesn’t drink, “What if your non-drinking kid is killed by a drunk driver?”

Ultimately, Hillebrand said that if people didn’t act, then they would be asked, “Why didn’t you do anything” whenever there was a tragic situation involving alcohol. As an example of what can happen, Hillebrand said that there was one tragic situation involving alcohol which caused a multiple pileup and fatalities in England, which has been used as an ad campaign against irresponsible drinking. In it, there was a small child screaming, “Please make mommy and daddy wake up!”

He said all these sorts of things were preventable but that one of the main obstacles was the stigma involved. For instance, he said suicide was preventable, but that there was a stigma about talking about it and a wrong perception that if you talk about it, it would make people more likely to commit it. He said that there was also a stigma regarding mental illness as well; 80% of suicidal people have some sort of mental disorder. Hillebrand said that addressing these issues involved talking about these sorts of situations and that the same thing was true with drugs or alcohol.

There are plenty of myths about underage drinking addressed by the US Department of Health and Human Services. One myth was that alcohol is not as harmful as other drugs; however, it has been found to increase risk of many other diseases such as cancer. Another myth is that alcohol is a good way to loosen up at parties; however, it also makes people do things they wouldn’t normally do such as get into fights or have sex. Drinking alcohol is not cool as is frequently perceived because it can cause bad breath and weight gain.

There is also a perception that all the other kids drink; however, more than 70% of youth from 12 to 20 have not had a drink in the past month. Another myth is that people can sober up quickly; however, it takes 2-3 hours for a single drink to leave the body. Nothing can speed up the process, including coffee, taking a cold shower, or “walking it off.” Another myth is that adults drink; therefore, kids should drink as well. However, a young person’s brain and body are still growing; drinking alcohol can cause learning problems or lead to adult alcoholism.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Tigers Set School Record in Playoff Win

Worth County set a school record for most points scored in the playoffs as they dismantled Tarkio 76-30 in the opening round of state playoff action Friday. The Indians used a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns and another long kickoff return to stay in the game for much of the first half. But then Worth County got the momentum back right before the break and pulled away to trigger the running clock. The previous record for most points scored in a playoff game for Worth County was 70 in the state championship game against Hardin-Central in 2007.

The opening kickoff went over the Tarkio back's head and Dallas Greenland and Dalton Welch led a swarm of Tigers who buried the Indians at the 11. Three runs only netted three yards for Tarkio as Eli Mullock and John Hinz stopped a run and Jordan Harding filled hard on another play to deny them. On the ensuing punt, Worth County rushed the kicker and got a hand on the punt, which squibbed out of bounds at the Tarkio 20. Worth County was faced with third and five, but an offsides penalty gave them the first down at the 10 and then Alex Harmening picked up a block from Cody Green and then dove into the end zone for the extra points to make it 8-0 with 9:02 left.

But Tarkio made a momentum-changing play when Dillon Noland ran straight up the middle for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. Kyle Livengood ran in the extra points for Tarkio to tie it up at 8-8. Worth County got off three running plays, but then threw an interception that gave the ball right back to Tarkio at their own 35. But then Tarkio, faced with fourth and two at the Tiger 37, elected to punt and gave the ball back to the Tigers at their own 15 after the punt went into the end zone. This time, Worth County would not be denied as Eli Mullock got three carries behind the blocking of Cody Green to move to the Tarkio 36. Finally, Alex Harmening got a block from Dallas Greenland to spring him in the clear and he scored his second touchdown, a 36-yard scamper, to put Worth County back up 14-6 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.

A long kickoff return by Noland was called back by a block in the back penalty, but Tarkio still got the ball in good field position at their own 38, and it set up their next score. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the 27 and then Tarkio lined up Alex Toben at quarterback and the tall Livengood at receiver. Livengood caught a 22-yard pass that went to the Tiger five; two plays later, Dillon Noland was in the end zone. Livengood's run put Tarkio up 16-14.

Worth County came right back down the field following a successful third down converstion as a spread draw to Eli Mullock got 10 yards to the 35. Bryce Ross then came in at quarterback and was used as a decoy as Tarkio sold out to stop the pass and Eli Mullock bounced to the outside with 11:27 left in the second quarter to make it 22-16. Dallas Greenland ran in the extra points for Worth County.

Alex Toben lined up at quarterback for Tarkio and moved them right down the field with his feet, picking up carries of 12 and 8 yards. Kyle Livengood converted a third and two with a two-yard run to the Tiger 12. But then the Tigers made a goal line stand as Tyler Schmitz belted Toben and shook him up for the rest of the game. Cody Green and Dallas Greenland broke up passes in the end zone and then Cody Mandeville dropped what looked like a sure touchdown pass that would have tied it up and the Tigers held on downs at the 13.

Worth County converted their third consecutive third down as Bryce Ross came in at quarterback and threw a 12-yard strike to Eli Mullock to the 32. A late hit moved the ball into Tarkio territory at the 33. Bryce Ross threw an incomplete pass, but then Alex Harmening's sweep picked up seven yards and then Eli Mullock got a block from Harmening to pick up 13 more to the Tarkio 13. Alex Harmening got 12 yards down to the 1 and then Eli Mullock got blocks from Kevin Stoll, Cody Green, and Dallas Greenland to get into the end zone with 4:49 left. Mullock dove into the end zone on the two point conversion to make it 30-16.

But Worth County's kickoff woes continued as Cody Mandeville ran back the ensuing kickoff for a score; Livengood ran in the extra points to make it 30-24. Two running plays for Worth County went nowhere after they were pinned back on their 18, but Tarkio did not take advantage of their good fortune this time as Bryce Ross aired it out to Eli Mullock for a 32-yard pass to get the Tigers out of a third and ten hole. The ref tacked on a 15-yard roughing the passer play that shook Ross up down to the Tarkio 15. Eli Mullock's sweep went to the three. A false start moved it back to the 8, but then Eli got a block from Dallas Greenland to get into the end zone to make it 36-24 with 2:50 left.

Tarkio moved into Tiger territory with a 17-yard pass to Mandeville and then tried to air it out to cut it to one possession. However, two passes were incomplete; the second one was broken up by Bryce Ross in the end zone. Finally, Toben aired it out one too many times and Eli Mullock intercepted it and returned it to the 34.

Two running plays went nowhere, but once again Bryce Ross came in to bail the Tigers out; a short pass to Alex Harmening netted six yards to the Tarkio 39 and then Ross aired it out to Eli Mullock for the score with 47.6 seconds left to make it 42-24. Tarkio made a bid to score before the half and a couple of complete passes got the ball to the Tiger 26. But then Kevin Stoll got a sack on the final play of the half and Worth County went into the break with all the momentum.

Tarkio kicked off and Adam Summers got a good runback to the 35 to set Worth County up for their first score. Eli Mullock broke tackle after tackle and got a block from Dallas Greenland to the Tarkio 9. Alex Harmening was sacked for a loss of three, but then Bryce Ross came in as a decoy as Eli Mullock's cutback run made it 48-24 with 10:47 left.

Alex Toben went nowhere on two plays as Dallas Greenland ran him out of bounds and then he was gang tackled on the next play. Eli Mullock broke up a third down pass as Tarkio went three and out. A short punt gave Worth County good field position at their own 36 and they took advantage as Eli Mullock handed off to Dallas Greenland for 16 yards to the 28 as he got a block from Alex Harmening. Eli Mullock got five more as he got a block from Wyatt McClain to the 23. An option play lost one yard, but then Eli converted third and six as his cutback run netted 12 yards down to the 12. Mullock got a block from Kevin Stoll and picked up six more and got a facemask penalty added on, moving the ball down to the three. Two plays later, Dallas ran a trap play into the end zone as he squeezed through a narrow gap to score and make it 54-24 with 6:10 left in the third.

Tarkio got driven backwards on their next series as a substitution infraction moved it back to the 22. Hinz then dropped Toben for no gain. Adam Summers blitzed on the next play and got a sack and a fumble as Tarkio was moved all the way back to the 8. Brian Hall recorded a sack on the next play and Kevin Stoll recovered after the ensuing scramble to give Worth County the ball at the Tarkio 9. Worth County only needed one play to score as Bryce Ross lined up at quarterback and bulldozed his way into the end zone with 4:20 left to make it 60-24.

Dalton Welch made one of his signature hits, burying Mandeville to put Tarkio in a hole to start the next drive. Toben ran for five on the next play, but then Livengood nearly fumbled it away as he got a shot from Tyler Schmitz and Adam Summers. Dallas Greenland and Alex Harmening dropped Livengood for no gain on the next play to force Tarkio to punt.

Alex Harmening got eight yards to the 35 as he got a block from Kevin Stoll, but then a block in the back drove Worth County back and they got in a third and 20 hole. But a defensive holding penalty made it third and 10 and then Bryce Ross scrambled his way for a 19-yard run and a first down to the 26. A substitution infraction moved the ball to the 31, but Eli Mullock got a block from Alex Harmening on an option from Ross as he picked up 10 yards to the 21. Eli got three more to make it third and two, but a botched shovel pass lost eight yards. But then Bryce Ross aired it out to Dallas Greenland for the remaining 23 yards to put Worth County up 68-24 as Wyatt Rush ran in the extra points.

Tarkio finally got on the board in the second half, using a seven play 57 yard drive capped by a 9-yard pass to Noland with 8:55 left that made it 68-30 against the second string. The Indians then threw in the towel and turned things over to their JV. Tarkio intercepted a long pass and started at their 21, but they couldn't take advantage and were forced to punt, giving Worth County one last scoring drive to trigger the running clock. Worth County got into a third and eight hole, but Andrew Mullock dragged a host of defenders for 11 yards to the Tiger 33. Wyatt Rush got five more to the 28 and then Dakota Owsley got 18 more yards as he bounced outside to the 10. Two plays later, Owsley was in the end zone; Wyatt Rush ran in his second conversion of the night to make it 76-30 with 2:23 left. Tarkio got a pair of long runs as the clock wound down, but ran out of time before they could get in the end zone.

Worth County was able to score on all but two of their possessions; they owned third downs against the Indians, converting eight of 11 third down conversions against the Indians. They also converted two fourth downs against them. Eli Mullock rushed for 208 yards on 26 carries; Alex Harmening added 85 yards on 8 carries. Bryce Ross had 32 yards and Dallas Greenland 25. Ross was 7 of 10 through the air for 108 yards.