Northeast Nodaway began showing signs of playing with one of the upper-level teams in the area. The problem is that it only took two bad innings to sink them against South Nodaway as their losing streak has now hit six games. This time, they fell 11-1 in six innings against the Longhorns. They will have to figure out a way to hit fast pitching if these results are to improve as DeKalb's pitcher is only a freshman and South Nodaway's pitcher is only a sophomore.
The Bluejays are still looking for answers to get themselves over the top against the upper division as Coach Rex Wallace shuffled his lineup once again. This time, he put Rachel Runde at catcher, Sarah Fox at third base, Kristan Judd in left field, had Allison Carter and Hallie Oelze leading off, and moved former leadoff hitters Taylor Dougan and Emily Bryant to the 7th and 6th slots in the batting order. Sarah Fox was moved from the 6th to the 8th slot in the order. Mallorie Peters moved up to the third slot in the lineup.
Like the last game they played against the Longhorns, Northeast had their chances, but could not get the big hit that would start a rally and get runs across the plate. In the top of the first, they got runners on with two outs as Mallorie Peters walked and Blair Schmitz hit a sharp single to right. But they were stranded there as Rachel Runde grounded into a force at third to end it.
South Nodaway's first seven batters reached safely as they took a 5-0 lead. Northeast made three errors in the inning and pitcher Taylor Dougan fought the strike zone as she walked three batters. She had three batters down to two strikes, only to lose them to two walks and a single. Marissa VanPelt led off the inning as she bunted and Taylor Dougan threw it away for an error. Kendra Holaday walked and Cheyanne Murphy singled to left, but a strong throw from Kristan Judd kept the run from scoring and set up a possible force at the plate. But Kylee Wiederholt singled to right to score one run after getting two strikes and Brooke Wolf walked after another two-strike count. Rachelle Beattie then grounded for what should have been a force play at the plate, but Sarah Fox threw it away and one run scored on the play. Wiederholt came home when the ball rolled away from Runde and Runde threw the ball away to allow her to score as well. Lindsey Coffman walked to load the bases, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise this time for Northeast, as Fox got the first out of the inning by throwing home on a forceout. Makayla Hilsakeck grounded out to Hallie Oelze at second to score the final run of the inning for South Nodaway.
After Northeast went down in order in the top of the second, Coach Wallace put Runde back in at third, Fox back to left field, Kristan Judd back behind the plate, and inserted Katrina Freemeyer in for Allison Carter in right field. Northeast got two quick outs against South Nodaway as Freemeyer made a nice catch of Cheyanne Murphy's fly ball, but again they couldn't close the deal as Brooke Wolf doubled into the gap in left center and Rachelle Beattie singled to bring her home. But Dougan showed a little more confidence at the mound as she struck out Lindsey Coffman for the third out of the inning.
South Nodaway threatened in the third, but this time, Northeast made a strong play in the field to deny them a run. With one out, Hilsabeck hit a line drive into center for a base hit. Dougan began to fight the strike zone again as she uncorked two wild pitches to move her to third and then lost VanPelt to a walk after having had two strikes on her. But Emily Bryant made a shoestring catch of Holaday's pop fly behind the mound that looked like it would drop in for a scratch hit and then Runde threw out Murphy at first for the third out.
With two outs in the fourth, Northeast tried to manufacture a run but could not score. Rachel Runde hit a sharp grounder that third baseman Cheyanne Murphy knocked down but Runde beat it out. Runde then stole second. But after hitting two hard foul balls down the left field line, Emily Bryant struck out and Northeast remained scoreless.
South Nodaway scored one more in the bottom of the fourth. Dougan struck out Wiederholt to start the inning, but couldn't finish off Brooke Wolf after getting two strikes on her and walked her. Rachelle Beattie bunted to Rachel Runde, who fielded it cleanly, but made an ill-advised throw to second as Wolf was already there. That put runners on first and second with one out instead of a runner on second with two outs. They advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and then Lindsey Coffman grounded to Oelze at second and Wolf was safe at home on a close play at the plate to make it 7-0. Northeast got out of the inning with no further damage done when Marissa McConkey popped out to Dougan and Alexis Nelson grounded out to Hallie Oelze.
Northeast finally got a run across in the fifth thanks to some opportunistic baserunning. With one out, Sarah Fox reached on an error as Murphy threw a grounder into the dirt. Kristan Judd moved her to second with a sharp single to center and then pitcher Kendra Holaday uncorked a wild pitch that barely got away from the catcher. But Fox took off for third and was safe on a close play. Katrina Freemeyer grounded out to score her. Hallie Oelze hit a hard shot off Holaday's glove for a scratch hit, but they could do nothing more as Mallorie Peters grounded out to first to end the inning.
South Nodaway tried to manufacture a run in the fifth, but they were denied. Marissa VanPelt bunted a slow roller past Runde at third and Emily Bryant had to scoop it up; she made a strong throw but VanPelt was safe on a close play. Holaday hit a slap to Taylor Dougan, who hesitated on whether to throw to second or first and wound up having no play. That looked like a big inning in store, but Rachel Runde fielded Cheyanne Murphy's grounder and stepped on third for the first out. Dougan redeemed herself by fielding Kylee Wiederholt's bunt and throwing out VanPelt at third for the force. Brooke Wolf hit a hard grounder down the third base line that might have gone for extra bases had it gone through, but Runde knocked it down and held her to a single that loaded the bases. Runde then got her third putout of the inning as Beattie grounded to her and she stepped on the bag at third for the final out.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Emily Bryant, who had been hitting the ball hard and foul all afternoon, finally hit one fair to left for a base hit. Taylor Dougan then hustled down the line to beat out a routine grounder to short to put runners on first and second. But Sarah Fox popped out to strand them there.
Lindsey Coffman walked to lead off the South Nodaway sixth and the backbreaker came on the next play. Marissa McConkey bunted a pop fly in the air that was a possible double play. Taylor Dougan came on the dead run, but it dropped just before she got to it. Blair Schmitz, charging from first, got there and had McConkey out at first with Oelze covering by a clear half-step, but the umpire blew the call and called her safe. Oelze then got shorthopped by Alexis Nelson's grounder to load the bases and then VanPelt's three-run triple aided by the huge South Nodaway field and Kendra Holaday's double ended the game on the 10 run rule.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
More than $17.8 million in stimulus funding awarded to Missouri for community development projects
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced today that state of Missouri and 17 communities have been awarded a total of $17,819,557 in federal grant money through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). The money was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The CDBG program helps states and local governments to undertake a wide range of activities intended to create suitable living environments, provide affordable housing and create economic opportunities.
According to HUD, the following Missouri communities have been awarded funding:
· State of Missouri – $6,433,629
· Blue Springs – $61,127
· Columbia – $227,139
· Florissant – $61,028
· Independence – $202,906
· Jefferson City – $88,951
· Jefferson County – $309,462
· Joplin – $177,586
· Kansas City – $2,371,367
· Lee’s Summit – $84,118
· O’Fallon – $65,991
· Springfield – $360,730
· St. Charles – $84,272
· St. Joseph – $475,429
· St. Louis – $5,333,348
· St. Louis County – $1,431,315
· St. Peters City – $51,159
Funding to states and localities through the economic recovery package will be allocated through existing federal programs like these, rather than earmarks, in order to ensure prompt distribution and better accountability. Local projects receive funds from these grants by following the process set up by each program. During Congressional consideration of the economic recovery bill, McCaskill worked to put additional accountability measures in place.
McCaskill believes that federal grants and loans are a positive alternative to earmarks, which in the past have frequently had too little accountability. Competitive merit and need based federal grants and low-interest government loans bring federal assistance to Missouri in an honest and fiscally responsible manner.
According to HUD, the following Missouri communities have been awarded funding:
· State of Missouri – $6,433,629
· Blue Springs – $61,127
· Columbia – $227,139
· Florissant – $61,028
· Independence – $202,906
· Jefferson City – $88,951
· Jefferson County – $309,462
· Joplin – $177,586
· Kansas City – $2,371,367
· Lee’s Summit – $84,118
· O’Fallon – $65,991
· Springfield – $360,730
· St. Charles – $84,272
· St. Joseph – $475,429
· St. Louis – $5,333,348
· St. Louis County – $1,431,315
· St. Peters City – $51,159
Funding to states and localities through the economic recovery package will be allocated through existing federal programs like these, rather than earmarks, in order to ensure prompt distribution and better accountability. Local projects receive funds from these grants by following the process set up by each program. During Congressional consideration of the economic recovery bill, McCaskill worked to put additional accountability measures in place.
McCaskill believes that federal grants and loans are a positive alternative to earmarks, which in the past have frequently had too little accountability. Competitive merit and need based federal grants and low-interest government loans bring federal assistance to Missouri in an honest and fiscally responsible manner.
McCaskill: Contract Auditors Responsible For Shoddy Work Must be Fired
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Officials from the Defense Contractor Audit Agency (DCAA) faced tough questions today about the agency’s major deficiencies when they testified before the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today outlined continuing problems with the agency, and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill demanded to know why, over a year after problems were first uncovered, those responsible have still not been held accountable.
Watch video of the hearing
“I used to be a prosecutor before I was an auditor, and in the criminal law we have ordinances, then we have misdemeanors, then we have felonies, then we have capital crimes. And criminal conduct ranges from one end to the other. In the world of auditing, what has been committed here is a capital crime. There can be no greater indictment of an audit agency than this GAO report,” McCaskill said.
Citing today’s GAO report that outlined the extent of the DCAA’s failures, McCaskill focused on one example among many. She read a section of the report about a DCAA audit of one of the five largest defense contractors in Iraq.
The contractor initially failed the lengthy review; however, after the contractor exerted pressure and persuasion over agency supervisors, the auditors took steps to reassess the contractor and changed the review. As part of the new review, an interim audit supervisor directed auditors to throw out documentation citing some of the worst violations by the contractor and alter sections of the review, including pasting the signature from the former supervisor on a new draft of work papers to make it appear as if the supervisor has approved them.
“In April 2007, SIGIR, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, reported that, in spite of being paid $3 million to complete the renovation of a building in Iraq, the contractor’s work led to plumbing failures and electrical fires in a building occupied by the Iraqi civil defense directory. Now, I have one simple question: has that interim audit supervisor been fired?” McCaskill asked.
McCaskill continued, “Has that interim audit supervisor, who told that auditor to commit fraud by copying and pasting a supervisor’s signature to work papers, have they even been demoted?”
Despite some attempt to clarify the circumstances, the DCAA officials admitted that fraud had occurred and no one had been fired or demoted, and in fact the interim supervisor has been promoted.
McCaskill also referenced the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal when the Washington Post reported in early 2007 that major failures within the organization had resulted in abysmal conditions for wounded service members. McCaskill recalled being impressed that Secretary Robert Gates held officials at the top of the organization accountable by firing the officer responsible for the entire Army Medical Command. McCaskill suggested the same brand of accountability was needed for DCAA.
“I admired Secretary Gates, and I really was beginning to believe that we had in the military now someone that understood that when you have a scandal, you must have accountability,” McCaskill said. “Let me say for the record, that no one has been demoted over this capital offense. No one has lost their job.”
McCaskill continued, “If somebody is not fired over this, I don’t think anyone should ever take this agency seriously again.”
Watch video of the hearing
“I used to be a prosecutor before I was an auditor, and in the criminal law we have ordinances, then we have misdemeanors, then we have felonies, then we have capital crimes. And criminal conduct ranges from one end to the other. In the world of auditing, what has been committed here is a capital crime. There can be no greater indictment of an audit agency than this GAO report,” McCaskill said.
Citing today’s GAO report that outlined the extent of the DCAA’s failures, McCaskill focused on one example among many. She read a section of the report about a DCAA audit of one of the five largest defense contractors in Iraq.
The contractor initially failed the lengthy review; however, after the contractor exerted pressure and persuasion over agency supervisors, the auditors took steps to reassess the contractor and changed the review. As part of the new review, an interim audit supervisor directed auditors to throw out documentation citing some of the worst violations by the contractor and alter sections of the review, including pasting the signature from the former supervisor on a new draft of work papers to make it appear as if the supervisor has approved them.
“In April 2007, SIGIR, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, reported that, in spite of being paid $3 million to complete the renovation of a building in Iraq, the contractor’s work led to plumbing failures and electrical fires in a building occupied by the Iraqi civil defense directory. Now, I have one simple question: has that interim audit supervisor been fired?” McCaskill asked.
McCaskill continued, “Has that interim audit supervisor, who told that auditor to commit fraud by copying and pasting a supervisor’s signature to work papers, have they even been demoted?”
Despite some attempt to clarify the circumstances, the DCAA officials admitted that fraud had occurred and no one had been fired or demoted, and in fact the interim supervisor has been promoted.
McCaskill also referenced the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal when the Washington Post reported in early 2007 that major failures within the organization had resulted in abysmal conditions for wounded service members. McCaskill recalled being impressed that Secretary Robert Gates held officials at the top of the organization accountable by firing the officer responsible for the entire Army Medical Command. McCaskill suggested the same brand of accountability was needed for DCAA.
“I admired Secretary Gates, and I really was beginning to believe that we had in the military now someone that understood that when you have a scandal, you must have accountability,” McCaskill said. “Let me say for the record, that no one has been demoted over this capital offense. No one has lost their job.”
McCaskill continued, “If somebody is not fired over this, I don’t think anyone should ever take this agency seriously again.”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
'Lil Tigers Junior Squad Shuts Out Mount Ayr
Worth County's Junior Squad made some goal line stands and held off a tough Mount Ayr White squad as they notched a hard-fought 12-0 win. It was their second cliffhanger win of the season as Drake Kinsella made a goal line tackle on fourth down in Worth County's first game to preserve a 22-19 win.
The Tigers took the opening drive of the game against Mount Ayr in to score and made it stand for the rest of the half. Worth County took over at its own 30 and Tevin Cameron took a dive play 4 yards and then moved a pile to the 40. Jacob New then took a pitchout 10 yards for a first down to the 30 behind a Tevin Cameron block. Cameron then took a pitch down the right side for 9 yards behind a Cade Allee block and then took a 13-yarder down to the Mount Ayr 8. Two plays later, quarterback Michael Burch concealed the ball perfectly as everyone was keying on Cameron and he ran untouched into the end zone from 4 yards out to make it 6-0 with 10:28 left in the first quarter.
Mount Ayr's opening script was simple -- run the sweep until Worth County stopped it. Baylee Love got five consecutive carries that moved the ball to the Tiger 35 and then Tristan Holmes caught a 10-yard pass to the 25. Then, they switched to the quarterback sneak and Triston Ackley took three carries down to the Tiger 15. They went back to the sweep as Love carried the ball 7 yards to the Tiger 8. But the Raiders stalled there as a botched handoff made it third and 7 at the 12. Love's dive only got three yards back as he was met by Drake Kinsella and Bryant McCord and then a fourth and four pass into the end zone was in and out of the hands of a Mount Ayr receiver as Worth County held for the first of many times.
Worth County got out of the hole behind the running of Tevin Cameron. He converted a third and 9 for a nine-yard gain to the 19 and then outran some defenders on a pitchout for a 14-yarder to the 33. The Tigers stalled there and were forced to punt. Mount Ayr came right back down the field as Love ran for eight yards on third and seven at their own 23 thanks to some poor tackling to the 31. Sweeps by Ackley and Love netted seven and 14 yards respectively, and the Raiders were right back into Tiger territory at the 28. Love broke to the outside for what appeared to be a possible score, but Will Engel stopped him at the last minute for a six yard gain to the 22. The Raiders stalled there thanks to a holding penalty, a false start penalty, and a fumble. Tevin Cameron took a fake reverse and netted 23 yards on the last play of the first half.
Mount Ayr gambled to start the second half and it backfired, leading to Worth County's second score of the game. Love's sweep was stopped for a loss of 3 as Peyton Weir shot through to make the play. A false start made it second and 18, but Love's sweep went for 15 yards to the Mount Ayr 37. A bobbled snap led to an incomplete pass, but Love's cutback run made it first and 10 at the Tiger 35. A false start penalty moved them back to midfield and Drake Kinsella and Tevin Cameron combined to stop Love for a one yard loss. Dylan Campbell picked up six yards back, but a fumble left them fourth and 10 at the Tiger 35. Mount Ayr went for it and Drake Kinsella shot through to throw Campbell for a loss of 3 to give the Tigers excellent field position at their own 38.
The Tigers took full advantage of the gift. Cameron ripped off gains of 4 and 5 down to the Mount Ayr 33. A fumbled snap made it fourth and one, but Michael Burch atoned for it when he took a sneak five yards to the 28 and then executed a perfect fake handoff that fooled everyone and took a carry 14 yards to the Mount Ayr 14. Two plays only netted four yards, but then Tevin Cameron jumped to the outside and made it into the end zone for Worth County's second score of the day to make it 12-0 with 2:06 left in the third.
Mount Ayr put some fresh legs in and went to Bradley Wurster, who promptly ripped off gains of 14 and 20 off the sweep down to the Tiger 10. That set up first and goal, but Peyton Weir strung out another sweep by Wurster perfectly to the sideline and held him to a gain of two down to the 8. One of the Mount Ayr linemen back into his own quarterback, knocking him down and making it third and goal at the 10. A sweep by Wurster only got to the 7, but an offsides penalty moved it to the 3. The Raiders went to Love on fourth and goal, but he was stopped at the 1 and the Tigers had held deep in their own territory yet again.
Worth County went three and out and Mount Ayr got the ball on the Tiger 38. With time running out, Wurster got 18 yards down to the Tiger 20, but the Tigers held there. Will Engel hit Tristan Holmes and separated him from the ball on a pass play; Keegan Warner shot through and stopped Wurster for no gain, and Drake Kinsella shot through to throw Love for a loss of 3 as the Tigers were finally getting rid of their blockers and flying to the ball. A false start set up fourth and 18 and a fumble was recovered by the Tigers, who ran out the clock for the win.
The Tigers took the opening drive of the game against Mount Ayr in to score and made it stand for the rest of the half. Worth County took over at its own 30 and Tevin Cameron took a dive play 4 yards and then moved a pile to the 40. Jacob New then took a pitchout 10 yards for a first down to the 30 behind a Tevin Cameron block. Cameron then took a pitch down the right side for 9 yards behind a Cade Allee block and then took a 13-yarder down to the Mount Ayr 8. Two plays later, quarterback Michael Burch concealed the ball perfectly as everyone was keying on Cameron and he ran untouched into the end zone from 4 yards out to make it 6-0 with 10:28 left in the first quarter.
Mount Ayr's opening script was simple -- run the sweep until Worth County stopped it. Baylee Love got five consecutive carries that moved the ball to the Tiger 35 and then Tristan Holmes caught a 10-yard pass to the 25. Then, they switched to the quarterback sneak and Triston Ackley took three carries down to the Tiger 15. They went back to the sweep as Love carried the ball 7 yards to the Tiger 8. But the Raiders stalled there as a botched handoff made it third and 7 at the 12. Love's dive only got three yards back as he was met by Drake Kinsella and Bryant McCord and then a fourth and four pass into the end zone was in and out of the hands of a Mount Ayr receiver as Worth County held for the first of many times.
Worth County got out of the hole behind the running of Tevin Cameron. He converted a third and 9 for a nine-yard gain to the 19 and then outran some defenders on a pitchout for a 14-yarder to the 33. The Tigers stalled there and were forced to punt. Mount Ayr came right back down the field as Love ran for eight yards on third and seven at their own 23 thanks to some poor tackling to the 31. Sweeps by Ackley and Love netted seven and 14 yards respectively, and the Raiders were right back into Tiger territory at the 28. Love broke to the outside for what appeared to be a possible score, but Will Engel stopped him at the last minute for a six yard gain to the 22. The Raiders stalled there thanks to a holding penalty, a false start penalty, and a fumble. Tevin Cameron took a fake reverse and netted 23 yards on the last play of the first half.
Mount Ayr gambled to start the second half and it backfired, leading to Worth County's second score of the game. Love's sweep was stopped for a loss of 3 as Peyton Weir shot through to make the play. A false start made it second and 18, but Love's sweep went for 15 yards to the Mount Ayr 37. A bobbled snap led to an incomplete pass, but Love's cutback run made it first and 10 at the Tiger 35. A false start penalty moved them back to midfield and Drake Kinsella and Tevin Cameron combined to stop Love for a one yard loss. Dylan Campbell picked up six yards back, but a fumble left them fourth and 10 at the Tiger 35. Mount Ayr went for it and Drake Kinsella shot through to throw Campbell for a loss of 3 to give the Tigers excellent field position at their own 38.
The Tigers took full advantage of the gift. Cameron ripped off gains of 4 and 5 down to the Mount Ayr 33. A fumbled snap made it fourth and one, but Michael Burch atoned for it when he took a sneak five yards to the 28 and then executed a perfect fake handoff that fooled everyone and took a carry 14 yards to the Mount Ayr 14. Two plays only netted four yards, but then Tevin Cameron jumped to the outside and made it into the end zone for Worth County's second score of the day to make it 12-0 with 2:06 left in the third.
Mount Ayr put some fresh legs in and went to Bradley Wurster, who promptly ripped off gains of 14 and 20 off the sweep down to the Tiger 10. That set up first and goal, but Peyton Weir strung out another sweep by Wurster perfectly to the sideline and held him to a gain of two down to the 8. One of the Mount Ayr linemen back into his own quarterback, knocking him down and making it third and goal at the 10. A sweep by Wurster only got to the 7, but an offsides penalty moved it to the 3. The Raiders went to Love on fourth and goal, but he was stopped at the 1 and the Tigers had held deep in their own territory yet again.
Worth County went three and out and Mount Ayr got the ball on the Tiger 38. With time running out, Wurster got 18 yards down to the Tiger 20, but the Tigers held there. Will Engel hit Tristan Holmes and separated him from the ball on a pass play; Keegan Warner shot through and stopped Wurster for no gain, and Drake Kinsella shot through to throw Love for a loss of 3 as the Tigers were finally getting rid of their blockers and flying to the ball. A false start set up fourth and 18 and a fumble was recovered by the Tigers, who ran out the clock for the win.
Monday, September 21, 2009
'Lil Tiger Senior Squad Can't Solve Raider Size
Worth County's senior squad was one touchdown away from an unbeaten season last year. Last Saturday, they have a whole lot farther to go after they fell to a Mount Ayr Raider squad that was loaded with 6th graders 32-8. Coach Richard Baker said that Mount Ayr's first touchdown "let the air out of our team." "We saw some good things out of everyone, but not all at one time." Baker said that the team had a lot of work to do before Saturday's home game at 1:00 to get back on the winning track. Specifically, he mentioned getting on the blocking sleds and working on their stances.
A fumbled snap led to the Tigers losing the ball on downs and Mount Ayr took over on the Tiger 35. After a ragged sequence in which both sides were moving, the Raiders were stuck at their own 38 at third and 17. But Zach Murphy took a pitchout 10 yards and then Kyle Dolecheck took an option 13 yards to the 19 for the first down. Dolecheck victimized the Tigers all day long with his running. Five plays later, Levi Jared would score Mount Ayr's first touchdown. Logan Stark caught the two-point conversion pass to make it 8-0 with 4:26 left in the first quarter.
The real backbreaker came on the next series. Aided by an offsides penalty, Brevin Ross converted third and inches with a first down run down to the Mount Ayr 34. But quarterback Ben Badell was thrown for a loss of three and a false start made it third and 18 at their own 32. Badell then threw the ball into a crowd of white shirts and Dolecheck added a pick-six to make it 14-0 with 13:54 left in the half.
Worth County was inadvertently given an extra down on its next series, but still couldn't convert thanks to a fumbled pitch that made it third and 18 on their own 22. The Tigers were forced to punt and Mount Ayr took over on their own 20. From there, Trevor Anderson ran around end for 19 yards to the 39; three plays later, Dolecheck went back to pass, found nobody open, and scrambled 39 yards for Mount Ayr's third score to make it 20-0 with 6:26 left.
The Tigers fumbled another snap to set themselves in a second and 11 hole. A pair of runs by Brevin Ross nearly got them out of that hole and set up fourth and two at their own 38, but a false start wiped out any hopes of a first down and the Tigers were forced to punt again. Anderson took off for a 27-yard sweep, but on their next play, Mount Ayr made one of their few miscues, fumbling the ball away; Montana Lykins pounced on the loose carom as time was running down in the half.
Worth County started off determined to make a game of it, but everything went out the window on the second play. Mount Ayr had a busted play, but poor tackling on Worth County's part meant Dolecheck was off to the races again, this time for a 47-yard score that made it 26-0 with 12:42 left. But Worth County was able to use a late hit after the touchdown run was over to answer as they started off on Mount Ayr's 35. Facing third and six at the Mount Ayr 31, Brevin Ross got seven down to the Mount Ayr 24. The Tigers were faced with third and 9 from the 23 but Ben Badell aired it out to Jonny Carlson for a 21-yard pass play that set up first and goal at the 2. Two plays later, Brevin Ross scored from one yard out with 6:02 left in the third quarter. Jonny Carlson's pass made it 26-8.
Mount Ayr ate a lot of time off the clock but Worth County finally got a stop. A fumbled snap set back Mount Ayr second and 14 on their own 26, but three consecutive carries by Dolecheck got them a first down on the Tiger 36. Trayton Breit shot through and forced a bad pitchout that made it second and 14 at the 40. Breit then hurried Dolecheck into an errant throw on third down. But Dolecheck was off to the races as he got a 16-yard gain down to the Tiger 24. But a clipping penalty, a false start penalty, and a bad snap were too much for even Dolecheck to overcome and Mount Ayr was forced to punt, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 20.
Worth County got another good drive going and threatened to make it a two-possession game. This time, it was Nathan Pointer who caught a long pass for a 27-yarder to the Mount Ayr 36. Brevin Ross carried for five yards on a cutback run and then Jonny Carlson took a reverse down to the 23. But the blocking was nonexistent on the next few plays as the Tigers were driven back to the 31. Pointer caught a long pass, but his 15-yarder was not enough for the first down and Mount Ayr took over on downs. Dolecheck lined up at receiver and took a reverse 55 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 left to account for the final score.
A fumbled snap led to the Tigers losing the ball on downs and Mount Ayr took over on the Tiger 35. After a ragged sequence in which both sides were moving, the Raiders were stuck at their own 38 at third and 17. But Zach Murphy took a pitchout 10 yards and then Kyle Dolecheck took an option 13 yards to the 19 for the first down. Dolecheck victimized the Tigers all day long with his running. Five plays later, Levi Jared would score Mount Ayr's first touchdown. Logan Stark caught the two-point conversion pass to make it 8-0 with 4:26 left in the first quarter.
The real backbreaker came on the next series. Aided by an offsides penalty, Brevin Ross converted third and inches with a first down run down to the Mount Ayr 34. But quarterback Ben Badell was thrown for a loss of three and a false start made it third and 18 at their own 32. Badell then threw the ball into a crowd of white shirts and Dolecheck added a pick-six to make it 14-0 with 13:54 left in the half.
Worth County was inadvertently given an extra down on its next series, but still couldn't convert thanks to a fumbled pitch that made it third and 18 on their own 22. The Tigers were forced to punt and Mount Ayr took over on their own 20. From there, Trevor Anderson ran around end for 19 yards to the 39; three plays later, Dolecheck went back to pass, found nobody open, and scrambled 39 yards for Mount Ayr's third score to make it 20-0 with 6:26 left.
The Tigers fumbled another snap to set themselves in a second and 11 hole. A pair of runs by Brevin Ross nearly got them out of that hole and set up fourth and two at their own 38, but a false start wiped out any hopes of a first down and the Tigers were forced to punt again. Anderson took off for a 27-yard sweep, but on their next play, Mount Ayr made one of their few miscues, fumbling the ball away; Montana Lykins pounced on the loose carom as time was running down in the half.
Worth County started off determined to make a game of it, but everything went out the window on the second play. Mount Ayr had a busted play, but poor tackling on Worth County's part meant Dolecheck was off to the races again, this time for a 47-yard score that made it 26-0 with 12:42 left. But Worth County was able to use a late hit after the touchdown run was over to answer as they started off on Mount Ayr's 35. Facing third and six at the Mount Ayr 31, Brevin Ross got seven down to the Mount Ayr 24. The Tigers were faced with third and 9 from the 23 but Ben Badell aired it out to Jonny Carlson for a 21-yard pass play that set up first and goal at the 2. Two plays later, Brevin Ross scored from one yard out with 6:02 left in the third quarter. Jonny Carlson's pass made it 26-8.
Mount Ayr ate a lot of time off the clock but Worth County finally got a stop. A fumbled snap set back Mount Ayr second and 14 on their own 26, but three consecutive carries by Dolecheck got them a first down on the Tiger 36. Trayton Breit shot through and forced a bad pitchout that made it second and 14 at the 40. Breit then hurried Dolecheck into an errant throw on third down. But Dolecheck was off to the races as he got a 16-yard gain down to the Tiger 24. But a clipping penalty, a false start penalty, and a bad snap were too much for even Dolecheck to overcome and Mount Ayr was forced to punt, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 20.
Worth County got another good drive going and threatened to make it a two-possession game. This time, it was Nathan Pointer who caught a long pass for a 27-yarder to the Mount Ayr 36. Brevin Ross carried for five yards on a cutback run and then Jonny Carlson took a reverse down to the 23. But the blocking was nonexistent on the next few plays as the Tigers were driven back to the 31. Pointer caught a long pass, but his 15-yarder was not enough for the first down and Mount Ayr took over on downs. Dolecheck lined up at receiver and took a reverse 55 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 left to account for the final score.
Softball Tigers in Brutal GRC Stretch
The Worth County softball team lost 15-0 in three innings to Hamilton last Thursday as they entered the third leg of a brutal stretch of games in which they play some of the powerhouse teams in the conference. They must still play Stanberry and make up their rained-out game with them; they must also play King City, Maysville, and participate in an always-tough Eagleville tournament. They came into the game having already lost 11-0 to Jefferson and 12-3 to Gallatin.
Part of Worth County's problems come from consistency -- against Jefferson, Delaney Davidson struggled on the mound and it was Ashley Reynolds who pitched respectably for the Tigers. But against Hamilton, it was Reynolds who was shelled for 10 runs and Kacey Smyser who pitched better in the last two innings. Against Plattsburg in the Union Star Tournament, it was Smyser who got into trouble and it was Reynolds who shut them down. Coach Todd Simmons pitched Reynolds, who had pitched well in a 4-1 loss to the Hornets last year, and told her to challenge the Hornet hitters. The move backfired drastically as the avalanche of hits and errors in the first inning was capped by Elise Greenwood's grand slam home run that made it 10-0.
Part of Worth County's problems come from consistency -- against Jefferson, Delaney Davidson struggled on the mound and it was Ashley Reynolds who pitched respectably for the Tigers. But against Hamilton, it was Reynolds who was shelled for 10 runs and Kacey Smyser who pitched better in the last two innings. Against Plattsburg in the Union Star Tournament, it was Smyser who got into trouble and it was Reynolds who shut them down. Coach Todd Simmons pitched Reynolds, who had pitched well in a 4-1 loss to the Hornets last year, and told her to challenge the Hornet hitters. The move backfired drastically as the avalanche of hits and errors in the first inning was capped by Elise Greenwood's grand slam home run that made it 10-0.
"They're a hard-hitting team," said Simmons after the game. "They're a good strong team."
Brooke Gilland doubled in the gap to left center field with one out in the bottom of the first, but she was stranded there as Reynolds and Amanda Downing struck out to end the inning. After the first inning, Coach Todd Simmons took Reynolds out of the game, moved Brooke Adams from shortstop to left field where she played last year, put Rebecca Moore at catcher, and moved Brooke Gilland to shortstop. "Ashley did nothing wrong; she did everything I asked her to," explained Coach Simmons. "I wanted to put Kacey in and get her some experience." The moves stemmed the bleeding, but not enough to avoid Hamilton ending the game on the 15-run rule.
Sarah Green flied out to start the second and Smyser made a nice running catch of a pop fly as she sprinted all the way to the third base line and snagged it before it dropped. But Emily Schieber tripled to the wall in left, Ellie Whitt singled, and Katrina Grossman tripled to bring home two more runs. The damage could have been worse but Eileen Greenwood hit a high chopper to Gilland at short; she threw an errant throw, but Delaney Davidson dug it out of the dirt for the third out.
Worth County made five errors in the third that led to the fatal 15th run crossing the plate. Shelby Dickey reached on an error when Bailey McPike threw a grounder into the dirt; Elsie Greenwood was hit by a pitch. They took second and third on a wild pitch. Jill Lucas hit a pop fly behind second; Gilland came on the dead run and made a great catch but fell down, allowing Dickey to score. Greenwood took off to third and Gilland threw it away; nobody was covering home which meant Greenwood scored on the play as well. Sarah Green scored on a wild pitch later in the inning for the 15th run.
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances: An Important Document in Financial and Estate Planning
Currently taking an online estate planning course from Kansas State University, Dr. Rebecca J. Travnichek, Family Financial Education Specialist with University of Missouri Extension, has realized families, including her own family, need to plan for a number of important future concerns. Two issues can be resolved by instituting two legal documents—a durable power of attorney for finances, described below, and a health care proxy or durable power of attorney for health care to be described in the next Financial Success Spotlight.
Pretend you have been in an accident and are lying unconscious in a hospital bed unconscious for almost a week. Your mortgage payment was due the day of the accident. The car payment is due tomorrow. There are several other bills that need to be paid this week. Your checking account is in your name only. What is going to happen to your finances? Well, let’s just say it might not be good.
One solution to this type of problem is to establish a spouse, loved one, or trusted friend as your durable power of attorney for finances. This person or persons can act in your behalf in financial matters—paying your bills—if you are unable to do so yourself. You want to be sure the person or persons you appoint in this role are individuals you trust above all others.
There are other manners in which you can accomplish these means, but they are time consuming and costly. For example, appointing a guardian may take as long as six months to finalize and cost up to $10,000 or more depending upon the situation. Power of attorney forms cost as little as $1. Many states offer free forms on their websites. It must be notarized too, which may cost a few dollars as well.
The word “durable” is important regarding this and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. Durable means that it remains in effect for as long as you live, as long as you do not change it. It does not end if you become incapacitated. At death, your last will and testament becomes the important guiding document.
One last thing to remember about the durable power of attorney for finances document, keep the signed, original document with other important documents in your home, not in your safe deposit box. Most entities will act only upon receipt of the original document, not a copy. Give a copy to the individual or individuals you designate as the powers of attorney, but be sure to tell them where to locate the original if they need too.
For more information on this or any other family or personal finance topic, contact Dr. Rebecca J. Travnichek at University of Missouri Extension-Andrew County (816) 324-3147 or via e-mail at TravnichekR@missouri.edu.
One solution to this type of problem is to establish a spouse, loved one, or trusted friend as your durable power of attorney for finances. This person or persons can act in your behalf in financial matters—paying your bills—if you are unable to do so yourself. You want to be sure the person or persons you appoint in this role are individuals you trust above all others.
There are other manners in which you can accomplish these means, but they are time consuming and costly. For example, appointing a guardian may take as long as six months to finalize and cost up to $10,000 or more depending upon the situation. Power of attorney forms cost as little as $1. Many states offer free forms on their websites. It must be notarized too, which may cost a few dollars as well.
The word “durable” is important regarding this and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. Durable means that it remains in effect for as long as you live, as long as you do not change it. It does not end if you become incapacitated. At death, your last will and testament becomes the important guiding document.
One last thing to remember about the durable power of attorney for finances document, keep the signed, original document with other important documents in your home, not in your safe deposit box. Most entities will act only upon receipt of the original document, not a copy. Give a copy to the individual or individuals you designate as the powers of attorney, but be sure to tell them where to locate the original if they need too.
For more information on this or any other family or personal finance topic, contact Dr. Rebecca J. Travnichek at University of Missouri Extension-Andrew County (816) 324-3147 or via e-mail at TravnichekR@missouri.edu.
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