Worth County lived to fight another day as Delaney Davidson struck out 13 Albany batters and the Tigers held off a late Warrior rally to beat Albany 6-4 in the opening round of district action in Stanberry. The Tigers jumped on Albany early, plating three runs, and made it stand up for the rest of the evening.
After Albany went down in order in the first, they pitched Morgan Combs against the Tigers. She had a slow delivery, but made up for it by working really quickly, which meant that she was able to pitch sometimes before Tiger batters were ready. But on the other hand, she fought the strike zone and walked several batters throughout the evening; her wildness led to some Tiger runs.
Worth County's first four batters reached safely in the first inning as Brooke Adams reached on an error as Combs bobbled a grounder. Brooke Gilland walked after a long battle with Combs and Amanda Downing was hit by a pitch. Combs was wild all night; she would hit four Tiger batters during the evening. Ashley Reynolds walked on four pitches to force in a run. Delaney Davidson grounded for what was an apparent single, but Downing tangled with the shortstop and was forced out at third; Brooke Gilland scored on the play. Ashley Reynolds came home on a wild pitch for Worth County's third run of the inning.
Erin Teel walked to lead off the second for Albany and went to second on a passed ball and third on a stolen base. But Delaney Davidson struck out Maisie Yeager, Paige McGinley, and Brooke Smith to get out of the inning. Worth County went down in order in their half of the second, but Davidson struck out the side in the third. With one out in the bottom of the third, Ashley Reynolds walked on a 3-2 count on a close call, but Delaney Davidson struck out and Tonya Troutwine grounded out to keep it at 3-0 after three innings.
The Tigers got the first two outs of the fourth easily enough as Brooke Gilland made a running catch of Thea Sagun's pop fly behind second and Melissa Abreu grounded out to Tonya Troutwine. But Brooke Gilland struggled from the shortstop position as she threw Erin Teel's grounder away and then overcompensated on the next play, throwing Maisie Yeager's grounder in the dirt for another error. Teel and Yeager went to second and third on a wild pitch and the tying run was at the plate, but Delaney Davidson got a called third strike against Paige McGinley on the outside corner to end the inning.
Worth County got a two-out rally to score two more in the fourth. Rebecca Moore was hit by a pitch. Bailey McPike forced her and second and Kacey Smyser flied out to right for the second out. McPike then took off for second and was safe when the throw to shortstop Erin Teel was in the dirt and hit her in the face. Brooke Adams then won a long battle with Combs and drew a walk after a 2-2 count. Brooke Gilland then hit a line drive down the left field line. Left fielder Chantelle Berger tried for a diving catch but missed it and the center fielder had to go get it as Gilland made it to third for a triple. McPike and Adams scored on the play to make it 5-0.
Combs' wildness continued in the fifth inning as she plunked Ashley Reynolds to start the inning. Delaney Davidson forced Reynolds at second and Tonya Troutwine forced Davidson, but Combs plunked Rebecca Moore for her second hit batter of the inning and fourth of the game. But Moore left first too soon and was called out for the third out and Worth County could not take advantage.
Rebecca Moore's troubles were not over as Davidson had an apparent strikeout of Chantelle Berger and Moore, thinking she had tagged out Berger, held the ball. But the umpire never made the call and Berger reached first on a dropped third strike. Thea Sagun walked and then Davidson muffed a grounder to load the bases. Berger then scored on a wild pitch for Albany's first run. Erin Teel walked for Albany's fourth consecutive baserunner to reach, but then Davidson settled down and struck out Maisie Yeager on a called third strike and Paige McGinley as well. Brooke Smith grounded out to Troutwine to end the inning to keep Worth County up 5-1.
The Tigers got another two-out run as Brooke Adams beat out a bunt down the third base line and went to second on a passed ball as catcher McKenzie Pigg bobbled a pitch. Brooke Gilland hit a pop fly to left; again Chantelle Berger went for the shoestring catch and again she came up empty as Adams scored on the play and Brooke Gilland took second on the throw home. Amanda Downing singled and Ashley Reynolds walked to chase Combs, but Katie Thomas came on to strike out Delaney Davidson to keep it at 6-1.
Albany made their final run in the seventh as Davidson began to tire. Ashley Smith singled up the middle and took second and third on wild pitches. McKenzie Pigg walked and stole second; Smith scored on a wild pitch as Pigg took third. Chantelle Berger struck out but Rebecca Moore dropped the third strike; she threw out Berger at first, but Pigg scored on the play to make it 6-3. Davidson continued to fight the strike zone, walking Thea Sagun and Melissa Abreu, who took second and third on a wild pitch. That brought the tying run to the plate. Erin Teel grounded out to Ashley Reynolds at first to score Sagun to make it 6-4 and then Maisie Yeager hit an apparent run-scoring single to right. But Tiger rightfielder Paige McPike charged the grounder and threw to first to retire Yeager for the final out.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Jefferson Hangs Eight in Fourth on NEN in Districts
Northeast Nodaway ended its season with a 13-0 loss to Jefferson in districts. The ending was a disappointing one for the Bluejays, who had greatly improved over last year. Coach Rex Wallace, in looking back over the season, said that the team's biggest weakness was its outfield. "We can't let balls go through our legs like we did tonight," he said. "It must have been frustrating for [pitcher] Taylor [Dougan] to pitch well and to watch that. But overall, we were a lot better than last year." Blair Schmitz was named to the all-conference team as a first baseman; second baseman Hallie Oelze, who played her last game as a Bluejay Wednesday night, was named Honorable Mention.
Northeast did not get a hit against Eagle pitcher Kendle Schieber in the five-inning loss; the closest they came was in the top of the first when Blair Schmitz hit a hard shot that was just foul down the left field line before striking out. After Schieber struck out the side in the top of the first, she walked to lead off the first. Coach Rex Wallace then went to an unorthodox defense, moving Katrina Freemeyer from left field to a spot behind second, moved Oelze way in, and put Schmitz in as close as Dougan on the mound. But that move backfired as Allie Meyer slapped the ball past short and third into the vacated left field area for a triple. Jill Henry then hit a single to center to score Meyer and then went to second as centerfielder Mallorie Peters let the ball roll under her legs. Ashley Chor hit a fly ball down the left field line that looked like trouble, but Katrina Freemeyer made a running catch for the first out, but Darcy Schieber hit a single up the middle to score Chor to make it 3-0. Dougan struck out Sarah Kamper and Jackie Bliley to get out of the inning.
The Bluejays got their only baserunners in the second inning. With one out, Katrina Freemeyer had two strikes on her but laid down a perfect bunt that died in front of the plate. Catcher Jill Henry threw away the ball for an error. Taylor Dougan struck out, but Mallorie Peters walked to put runners on first and second. But Freemeyer was out stealing third to end Northeast's most promising threat of the night.
Jefferson added two more in the top of the second as Kendle Schieber hit a double just over the outstretched glove of Freemeyer and Meyer got her second slap hit, a slow roller that rolled dead halfway between home plate and third base in fair territory. After Meyer stole second, Jill Henry grounded out to score Schieber and Chor stretched a single into a double on the next play as Meyer scored.
The two teams went in order in the fourth, but Dougan began fighting the strike zone in the fifth. Gina Schieber hit a pop fly single down the left field line. Kendle popped out to Bryant at short, but Dougan walked Allie Meyer. After Jill Henry singled sharply between short and third, Chor walked on four pitches to force in a run. The backbreaker for Northeast was Darcy Schieber's single past a drawn-in infield that scored three runs when Freemeyer let the ball roll under her legs. Darcy Schieber went to third on a wild pitch, Sarah Kemper walked and stole second, Jamie Degase singled to left and stole, Jackie Bliley walked, Gina Schieber reached on an error by Kristan Judd when she dropped a throw on a force play and it rolled away, and Kendle Schieber singled in two more. Freemeyer threw out Gina Schieber at third and Dougan struck out Meyer on a change to finally end the carnage.
Northeast did not get a hit against Eagle pitcher Kendle Schieber in the five-inning loss; the closest they came was in the top of the first when Blair Schmitz hit a hard shot that was just foul down the left field line before striking out. After Schieber struck out the side in the top of the first, she walked to lead off the first. Coach Rex Wallace then went to an unorthodox defense, moving Katrina Freemeyer from left field to a spot behind second, moved Oelze way in, and put Schmitz in as close as Dougan on the mound. But that move backfired as Allie Meyer slapped the ball past short and third into the vacated left field area for a triple. Jill Henry then hit a single to center to score Meyer and then went to second as centerfielder Mallorie Peters let the ball roll under her legs. Ashley Chor hit a fly ball down the left field line that looked like trouble, but Katrina Freemeyer made a running catch for the first out, but Darcy Schieber hit a single up the middle to score Chor to make it 3-0. Dougan struck out Sarah Kamper and Jackie Bliley to get out of the inning.
The Bluejays got their only baserunners in the second inning. With one out, Katrina Freemeyer had two strikes on her but laid down a perfect bunt that died in front of the plate. Catcher Jill Henry threw away the ball for an error. Taylor Dougan struck out, but Mallorie Peters walked to put runners on first and second. But Freemeyer was out stealing third to end Northeast's most promising threat of the night.
Jefferson added two more in the top of the second as Kendle Schieber hit a double just over the outstretched glove of Freemeyer and Meyer got her second slap hit, a slow roller that rolled dead halfway between home plate and third base in fair territory. After Meyer stole second, Jill Henry grounded out to score Schieber and Chor stretched a single into a double on the next play as Meyer scored.
The two teams went in order in the fourth, but Dougan began fighting the strike zone in the fifth. Gina Schieber hit a pop fly single down the left field line. Kendle popped out to Bryant at short, but Dougan walked Allie Meyer. After Jill Henry singled sharply between short and third, Chor walked on four pitches to force in a run. The backbreaker for Northeast was Darcy Schieber's single past a drawn-in infield that scored three runs when Freemeyer let the ball roll under her legs. Darcy Schieber went to third on a wild pitch, Sarah Kemper walked and stole second, Jamie Degase singled to left and stole, Jackie Bliley walked, Gina Schieber reached on an error by Kristan Judd when she dropped a throw on a force play and it rolled away, and Kendle Schieber singled in two more. Freemeyer threw out Gina Schieber at third and Dougan struck out Meyer on a change to finally end the carnage.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Private Detention Facility Proposed for Sheridan Schoolhouse
Mayor Bud Allee reported on a meeting that he had with Gary Hamilton, who has proposed putting in a private detention facility in the Sheridan Schoolhouse. The building would be brought up to state codes at no cost to the city and Hamilton would put up a six-foot fence around the school. The city would be responsible for getting the new jail appraised and applying for a grant that would net them $5,000 for each job that was created at the new facility. There would be an estimated 10-15 jobs created initially; if the facility expands, it could turn into 20-25 jobs.
Due to the recent closure of the Bethany prison facility, there is now a need for a new facility to house short-term offenders. The proposed facility in Sheridan would house prisoners from Worth County as well as some prisoners from Nodaway, Atchison, and Gentry counties. The most time that anyone would serve in the facility would be 120 days. The facility would do their own transportation, which means that there would be no additional cops for the area.
Mayor Bud Allee said that there had been concerns that the Maryville facility would bring in the wrong elements, but that had not materialized and that it had become an asset to the community. The Maryville facility is a drug treatment facility while the proposed Sheridan facility would house short-term prisoners from Worth and surrounding counties. Councilman Dave Thomas said that while the building could never become a public school under the terms of the deed that the city has, he didn't see any problem with it becoming a prison. Councilwoman Mary Jo Hawk quoted councilman Leland Wake as saying that if the new facility were to fail, that the building would be returned to the city in the current shape that it is in. She explained that there would be no public vote required. The council took no action on the proposal; Mayor Bud Allee directed council members to solicit public feedback and report back at next month's meeting.
Thomas told the city council that when the city was ready to plant new trees, that Cub Scout Pack 62 would volunteer to plant them. There was discussion about whether to plant saplings or get 18-foot trees; if the city were to plant saplings, it would be cheaper; however, it would take longer for them to grow. 18-foot trees would be much more expensive, with some costing as much as $2,000.
The council voted to renew its dues for Worth County Emergency Management and the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments.
Water Superintendent David Parman reported that the city had filled in a hole at Goolsby's, worked on a sewer leak near Mary Jo Hawk's, and did work on the sewer behind Jim Steinman's. The city will charge Steinman $175 for the pipe as well as $100 for the backhoe and the labor, which council members said was much less than what would have been charged commercially.
Mayor Bud Allee appointed councilwoman Candy Martin to work on a DNR engineering grant that would pay for 95% of the city's engineering survey costs up to $25,000 should the city get the grant for overhauling the water system. The work must be done by October 31st.
The city directed Doug Allee to get two loads of cold mix for the streets, one at a time at an estimated cost of $427.35. The new city truck needs work on the two-speed as well as the solenoid; the council also directed Allee to have them worked on as well.
Due to the recent closure of the Bethany prison facility, there is now a need for a new facility to house short-term offenders. The proposed facility in Sheridan would house prisoners from Worth County as well as some prisoners from Nodaway, Atchison, and Gentry counties. The most time that anyone would serve in the facility would be 120 days. The facility would do their own transportation, which means that there would be no additional cops for the area.
Mayor Bud Allee said that there had been concerns that the Maryville facility would bring in the wrong elements, but that had not materialized and that it had become an asset to the community. The Maryville facility is a drug treatment facility while the proposed Sheridan facility would house short-term prisoners from Worth and surrounding counties. Councilman Dave Thomas said that while the building could never become a public school under the terms of the deed that the city has, he didn't see any problem with it becoming a prison. Councilwoman Mary Jo Hawk quoted councilman Leland Wake as saying that if the new facility were to fail, that the building would be returned to the city in the current shape that it is in. She explained that there would be no public vote required. The council took no action on the proposal; Mayor Bud Allee directed council members to solicit public feedback and report back at next month's meeting.
Thomas told the city council that when the city was ready to plant new trees, that Cub Scout Pack 62 would volunteer to plant them. There was discussion about whether to plant saplings or get 18-foot trees; if the city were to plant saplings, it would be cheaper; however, it would take longer for them to grow. 18-foot trees would be much more expensive, with some costing as much as $2,000.
The council voted to renew its dues for Worth County Emergency Management and the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments.
Water Superintendent David Parman reported that the city had filled in a hole at Goolsby's, worked on a sewer leak near Mary Jo Hawk's, and did work on the sewer behind Jim Steinman's. The city will charge Steinman $175 for the pipe as well as $100 for the backhoe and the labor, which council members said was much less than what would have been charged commercially.
Mayor Bud Allee appointed councilwoman Candy Martin to work on a DNR engineering grant that would pay for 95% of the city's engineering survey costs up to $25,000 should the city get the grant for overhauling the water system. The work must be done by October 31st.
The city directed Doug Allee to get two loads of cold mix for the streets, one at a time at an estimated cost of $427.35. The new city truck needs work on the two-speed as well as the solenoid; the council also directed Allee to have them worked on as well.
Editorial: Rural Missouri Left Behind
An October 4th item on the Missourinet website reported on the work of a Senate Job Creation 2020 Committee that is looking at strategies that they say will lead to job creation throughout the state by 2020. But from all indications, it looks like they are focused on big-city economic development while totally ignoring the rural part of the state. That is highly ironic, seeing that some rural areas of this state were among the few places in the country to give John McCain a higher share of the vote than George W. Bush in 2004 and that the committee in particular is chaired by a Republican, Senator Tom Dempsey of St. Peters.
The Job Creation Committee has met in two different parts of the state -- Jefferson City and Kansas City, with two more meetings to follow -- in St. Louis and Columbia. That's it. No meetings for this part of the country. Nothing for Maryville. St. Joseph or Cameron or Bethany would be other acceptable locations as well. And what about places like Kirksville, Hannibal, Cape Girdareau, Springfield, or Joplin -- do they not matter all of a sudden?
Mr. Dempsey claims in the article that the process in question is an "open process." Well, Senator, how is it an open process when the nearest place that anyone can go to voice their ideas or concerns is 120 miles away? That would take a day out of my schedule, and it would take a day out of anyone else's schedule as well, when one considers the fact that you not only have to drive 2-3 hours there and back, you have to find the place and then fight traffic every step of the way.
And then they wonder why the perception is out there that our leaders have done nothing to reverse steady economic decline throughout the state. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote an editorial about this matter in its October 5th issue, hinting that the consequences of this inaction will be a decline similar to the one that has recently hit Michigan.
It is not rocket science to figure out what our needs are. Better roads -- while some of the worst roads have been repaired, our roads are still not in good shape. More money for water for our towns to repair/replace aging water and sewer systems. Putting wind farms in every town in the state and ethanol plants in every town the size of Maryville or bigger. More money for communities to tear down aging buildings -- who wants to buy up a piece of land and be stuck with the repair bill for a house that is about to fall in? But when our politicians hold meetings on our future in which our people are not able to attend without going hundreds of miles out of their way, it is not surprising that people think that their legislators simply don't care.
The Job Creation Committee has met in two different parts of the state -- Jefferson City and Kansas City, with two more meetings to follow -- in St. Louis and Columbia. That's it. No meetings for this part of the country. Nothing for Maryville. St. Joseph or Cameron or Bethany would be other acceptable locations as well. And what about places like Kirksville, Hannibal, Cape Girdareau, Springfield, or Joplin -- do they not matter all of a sudden?
Mr. Dempsey claims in the article that the process in question is an "open process." Well, Senator, how is it an open process when the nearest place that anyone can go to voice their ideas or concerns is 120 miles away? That would take a day out of my schedule, and it would take a day out of anyone else's schedule as well, when one considers the fact that you not only have to drive 2-3 hours there and back, you have to find the place and then fight traffic every step of the way.
And then they wonder why the perception is out there that our leaders have done nothing to reverse steady economic decline throughout the state. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote an editorial about this matter in its October 5th issue, hinting that the consequences of this inaction will be a decline similar to the one that has recently hit Michigan.
It is not rocket science to figure out what our needs are. Better roads -- while some of the worst roads have been repaired, our roads are still not in good shape. More money for water for our towns to repair/replace aging water and sewer systems. Putting wind farms in every town in the state and ethanol plants in every town the size of Maryville or bigger. More money for communities to tear down aging buildings -- who wants to buy up a piece of land and be stuck with the repair bill for a house that is about to fall in? But when our politicians hold meetings on our future in which our people are not able to attend without going hundreds of miles out of their way, it is not surprising that people think that their legislators simply don't care.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Sheddrick Explains Coverage, Limitations
The natural question that people have on their minds is, "Where was the Sheriff's Department on the night that the dogs and cats were poisoned?" While Sheriff Terry Sheddrick said that they could only be so many places at once, they were doing all they could. Sheddrick patrols the county 24/7; his deputies alternate weekends so that Dennie Mildfeldt is off one weekend and Tom Trullinger is off the next weekend. The problem is that Sheddrick explained that deputies can only work 40 hours per week; he said that the county was not willing to pay overtime.
He said that the Sheriff's office was not even notified of the poisonings until 4:30 on the afternoon of Sunday the 13th, almost one day after the poisonings had happened. They had been investigating a break-in at the schoolhouse in Sheridan that morning. Sheddrick said that they were still looking for leads in the animal poisoning case and that even if people were not sure about the significance of evidence, they should turn it in to the Sheriff's Department. The number is (660) 564-2222; persons may also contact Sheddrick or deputies Tom Trullinger or Dennie Mildfeldt.
In response to the incident, Sheddrick said that the sheriff's departmen has been stepping up patrols of the area and that people had been watching more closely. He said that there had been no more reports of any information since a suspicious bag was turned into the department on the 15th; the bag in question has been sent into a lab for testing. "If people see someone throw stuff out of their window, call us," said Sheddrick. He explained that the Sheriff's office takes all calls seriously and that they will get to the most serious calls first.
Due to the limited resources of the office, Sheddrick said that the department had to prioritize. For instance, if they got a call about a loud party and a call about an accident at the same time, they would have to work the accident first and then work their way down. In addition, he said that there had been a lot of cattle thefts in the region and the Sheriff's Department was patrolling a lot of rural roads; he said that increased visibility of the department would deter such crimes. He said that they check out suspicious cars in pastures. He said that most of their calls came from out of Grant City. "We have a limited amount of help and equipment, but we go with what we've got," he said.
Two ideas that have been pitched to alleviate the deputy shortage in Worth County were volunteer deputies and posses. Terry said that his office has floated around the idea of posses at community events who would keep an eye on things and contact them if there was any trouble. They would not have arrest powers, but the county would not be liable for their actions. However, Sheddrick said that he had contacted the state about that and that the state had never gotten back to him. Sheddrick and Commissioner Kevin Austin said that volunteer deputies who got the proper training would have to be commissioned by both the county and the state; the downside of that is that it would lead to more liability for the county.
He said that the Sheriff's office was not even notified of the poisonings until 4:30 on the afternoon of Sunday the 13th, almost one day after the poisonings had happened. They had been investigating a break-in at the schoolhouse in Sheridan that morning. Sheddrick said that they were still looking for leads in the animal poisoning case and that even if people were not sure about the significance of evidence, they should turn it in to the Sheriff's Department. The number is (660) 564-2222; persons may also contact Sheddrick or deputies Tom Trullinger or Dennie Mildfeldt.
In response to the incident, Sheddrick said that the sheriff's departmen has been stepping up patrols of the area and that people had been watching more closely. He said that there had been no more reports of any information since a suspicious bag was turned into the department on the 15th; the bag in question has been sent into a lab for testing. "If people see someone throw stuff out of their window, call us," said Sheddrick. He explained that the Sheriff's office takes all calls seriously and that they will get to the most serious calls first.
Due to the limited resources of the office, Sheddrick said that the department had to prioritize. For instance, if they got a call about a loud party and a call about an accident at the same time, they would have to work the accident first and then work their way down. In addition, he said that there had been a lot of cattle thefts in the region and the Sheriff's Department was patrolling a lot of rural roads; he said that increased visibility of the department would deter such crimes. He said that they check out suspicious cars in pastures. He said that most of their calls came from out of Grant City. "We have a limited amount of help and equipment, but we go with what we've got," he said.
Two ideas that have been pitched to alleviate the deputy shortage in Worth County were volunteer deputies and posses. Terry said that his office has floated around the idea of posses at community events who would keep an eye on things and contact them if there was any trouble. They would not have arrest powers, but the county would not be liable for their actions. However, Sheddrick said that he had contacted the state about that and that the state had never gotten back to him. Sheddrick and Commissioner Kevin Austin said that volunteer deputies who got the proper training would have to be commissioned by both the county and the state; the downside of that is that it would lead to more liability for the county.
Tigers Hold Off Pesky South Holt Squad 56-34
Worth County scored right off the bat. But they could not put away a pesky Knights squad until the fourth quarter, when they finally pulled away for a 56-34 win and avoided a letdown after their win over Mound City. The Knights have always put up a spirited battle against the Tigers at their place even when the fortunes of the teams have been different, and Friday night was no different as they sought to set the tone of the game by introducing themselves as a team instead of the individual starting lineups that most other teams do. With that, they showed that they had come to play.
The Tigers struck first right off the bat as they pounced on a fumbled reverse play on South Holt's second play from scrimmage and got the ball on the Knights 9. From there, Barrett Baker (22 carries, 109 yards) weaved his way up the middle for five yards. On Worth County's next play, Baker took a sweep down the right side and his final lunge got him into the end zone for their first points of the game. Eli Mullock's (18 carries, 162 yards) sweep and cutback was good for two points and the Tigers were up 8-0 with 10:28 left.
But South Holt responded with a 14 play 58 yard drive that took the next six minutes off the clock. Kylynn Sisk, a quarterback who can run and throw, jetted 12 yards to the 24 and then Donny Sipes caught a 26-yard bomb to the 32. From there, South Holt used the threat of the long pass to set up their running game as consecutive runs of 8 and 6 yards from Sisk got them another first down to the 19. Backed up third and 10 from the 19, they got a pass to Toby Prussman for 9 and a sneak from Sisk for three to the seven. Three plays later, Tyler Costello took a pitch into the end zone with four minutes left to make it 8-6. Eli Mullock broke up the extra point pass and Worth County remained ahead. The extra point game would be huge for Worth County as they were able to keep South Holt from catching up thanks to their ability to convert extra points.
Worth County got a good runback from Alex Harmening as an attempt by South Holt to keep the ball from Barrett Baker and Eli Mullock backfired. Barrett Baker then got a first down to the South Holt 29 thanks to a facemask penalty. But they stalled there as nobody blocked Bryant Kurtz, who sacked Harmening for a loss of 8 to stop the Tigers there. But South Holt could not capitalize after picking up a first down thanks to a pair of runs by Sisk up to the Tiger 35. A delay of game penalty moved them back five yards and then a fumbled handoff rolled all the way back to the Knights 30 before South Holt could fall on it. Eli Mullock broke up South Holt's third down play and then Alex Harmening flushed Sisk from the pocket and forced him to throw one off-target and the Knights were forced to punt.
The Tigers started at their own 25. Eli's first down run only netted two, but then Barrett bounced a quick hitter to the outside for nine to the 36. Three consecutive runs from Eli Mullock netted the Tigers another first down to the Knights 32, and Barrett Baker got another 17 when South Holt overran another quick hitter. Eli Mullock took a dive play eight yards behind a Wagner block and then Brian Hall's block sprung Mullock free for eight more yards with 8:01 left. Mullock dragged a defender into the end zone to convert the extra points to make it 16-6.
The Knights converted a third and five when Prussman caught a third down pass to the Tiger 38. But a fumbled snap cost the Knights and Alex Harmening hurried Sisk again to force third and long. Harmening's shoestring tackle stopped a trick play from becoming a long gain as the Knights tried a direct snap to Donny Sipes. On fourth down, as Sisk was standing off to the side trying to fix some equipment, Sipes took the snap and aired it out to Prussman, but he overthrew him and was leveled on the play as the Knights gave the ball back to the Tigers on downs.
Worth County only needed one play to score as Alex Harmening caught a short pass from the 39, got a block from Barrett Baker, and outran everyone for the score with 5:47 left. Eli Mullock's sweep play made it 24-6. But South Holt struck right back as the Knights aired it out to Toby Prussman for a 55-yarder with 4:32 left. Tyler Costello took the option pitch in for the extra points to make it 24-14.
The Tigers got a long drive going, but ran out of time before they could score before the half. Barrett Baker followed a big hole to the Tiger 30. Eli Mullock caught a long pass, but a block in the back moved it back to the 38. Runs by Barrett Baker down to the Knights 30 and a one-yard pitch to Mullock got another first down. The Tigers penetrated to the 23, but that was as far as they could get thanks to a delay of game penalty and a false start.
South Holt kicked the ball into the end zone to start the second half thanks to a strong wind, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 15. But this time, they were able to capitalize. A seven-yarder from Eli Mullock and a quarterback sneak from Zach Harmening gave the Tigers a first down at their own 25. Two plays later, the Tigers were into Knight territory as Eli Mullock outran the ends on a pitch play for 31 yards and the ref tacked on yardage down to the 11 thanks to a facemask. Two plays later, Barrett Baker dove into the end zone for a score and Eli Mullock ran in the extra points to make it 32-14 with 9:39 left in the third.
Sisk ran a long way for no gain on South Holt's next series as he took a keeper to the left, ran back to the right side when he saw nothing was there, and then tried to reverse his field again before being met by a host of white shirts led by Barrett Baker. The Knights were forced to punt and the Tigers got the ball on their own 26. But Worth County couldn't move the ball either and their gamble on fourth and four backfired as Barrett Baker's reverse play was stopped for a loss of 1. An incomplete pass and consecutive losses on the next two plays made it fourth and 17 at the 38, but the Knights aired it out from Donny Sipes to Toby Prussman for 29 yards to set up first and goal at the 9. Three plays later, Tyler Costello caught a three-yard pass for the score to make it 32-20 with 3:18 left.
Worth County nearly stalled again as they were faced with fourth and three from their own 33. But Eli Mullock took a sweep and the South Holt defense overreached trying to collar him and he escaped for an 11-yarder to the Knights 36 as this time, Worth County's fourth-down gamble paid off. Barrett Baker got another carry for six yards and a horsecollar penalty moved it to the 15. Two plays later, Eli Mullock juked one defender and ran over another as he got into the end zone with 1:03 left in the third quarter. But again, South Holt struck back using some trickery to do so. The Knights hiked to Sipes who hiked it to Sisk. The Tigers lost focus on the play as one of their players turned to argue with an official over a non-call while the play was still going on and Sisk proceeded to weave his way through traffic for a 44-yard touchdown. He then ran in the extra points to make it 38-28 with 40 seconds left.
But Worth County reestablished control in the fourth quarter and converted another fourth down to do so. Eli Mullock ran back the kickoff to the 40, but then the Tigers seemingly stalled on fourth and four from the Knights 34. But this time, Zach Harmening took matters into his own hands as he took a draw play down the left side. A South Holt player tried to collar him but grabbed his facemask instead and drew the penalty as Harmening broke the tackle. Harmening then broke free down the left side and got into the end zone to make it 44-28 with 11:04 left in the game.
South Holt could still tie with a pair of scores and two-point conversions and Tyler Costello's sweep took it to the 39. But the Knights stalled there. First, Sisk was met by Cody Green and Alex Harmening for two yards. Then, he tried the option, but got nowhere as Dylan Kinsella stopped him for no gain. Toby Prussman's pass only went for two yards and South Holt's fourth-down pass was incomplete and the Tigers took over on downs at their own 37. They only needed one play to get into the end zone as Eli Mullock took a sweep down the right side. Cody Green held his block perfectly and Mullock was able to jump to the sidelines and outrace everyone to the end zone to make it 50-28 with 8:35 left.
On their very first play from scrimmage, Sisk fumbled the ball and Mitch Andrews recovered it for the Tigers, which seemed to take all the fight out of the Knights and both coaches began subbing in their JV people. Barrett Baker got a 15-yard sweep to the Knights 18, but Worth County couldn't score thanks to a sack on third and 5 at the 13. But the Knights could not move the ball with Sipes at the quarterback spot and the JV offense took over on downs at the South Holt 18. They stalled for three plays, but then JV quarterback Adam Summers, under pressure on fourth and 9, underhanded a short pass to Jordan Harding that he converted into a 12-yard gain to the 5. Summers ran in the touchdown to make it 56-28 with 2:07 left. Tyler Costello ran for a meaningless 72-yard touchdown as time expired to account for the final score.
The Tigers struck first right off the bat as they pounced on a fumbled reverse play on South Holt's second play from scrimmage and got the ball on the Knights 9. From there, Barrett Baker (22 carries, 109 yards) weaved his way up the middle for five yards. On Worth County's next play, Baker took a sweep down the right side and his final lunge got him into the end zone for their first points of the game. Eli Mullock's (18 carries, 162 yards) sweep and cutback was good for two points and the Tigers were up 8-0 with 10:28 left.
But South Holt responded with a 14 play 58 yard drive that took the next six minutes off the clock. Kylynn Sisk, a quarterback who can run and throw, jetted 12 yards to the 24 and then Donny Sipes caught a 26-yard bomb to the 32. From there, South Holt used the threat of the long pass to set up their running game as consecutive runs of 8 and 6 yards from Sisk got them another first down to the 19. Backed up third and 10 from the 19, they got a pass to Toby Prussman for 9 and a sneak from Sisk for three to the seven. Three plays later, Tyler Costello took a pitch into the end zone with four minutes left to make it 8-6. Eli Mullock broke up the extra point pass and Worth County remained ahead. The extra point game would be huge for Worth County as they were able to keep South Holt from catching up thanks to their ability to convert extra points.
Worth County got a good runback from Alex Harmening as an attempt by South Holt to keep the ball from Barrett Baker and Eli Mullock backfired. Barrett Baker then got a first down to the South Holt 29 thanks to a facemask penalty. But they stalled there as nobody blocked Bryant Kurtz, who sacked Harmening for a loss of 8 to stop the Tigers there. But South Holt could not capitalize after picking up a first down thanks to a pair of runs by Sisk up to the Tiger 35. A delay of game penalty moved them back five yards and then a fumbled handoff rolled all the way back to the Knights 30 before South Holt could fall on it. Eli Mullock broke up South Holt's third down play and then Alex Harmening flushed Sisk from the pocket and forced him to throw one off-target and the Knights were forced to punt.
The Tigers started at their own 25. Eli's first down run only netted two, but then Barrett bounced a quick hitter to the outside for nine to the 36. Three consecutive runs from Eli Mullock netted the Tigers another first down to the Knights 32, and Barrett Baker got another 17 when South Holt overran another quick hitter. Eli Mullock took a dive play eight yards behind a Wagner block and then Brian Hall's block sprung Mullock free for eight more yards with 8:01 left. Mullock dragged a defender into the end zone to convert the extra points to make it 16-6.
The Knights converted a third and five when Prussman caught a third down pass to the Tiger 38. But a fumbled snap cost the Knights and Alex Harmening hurried Sisk again to force third and long. Harmening's shoestring tackle stopped a trick play from becoming a long gain as the Knights tried a direct snap to Donny Sipes. On fourth down, as Sisk was standing off to the side trying to fix some equipment, Sipes took the snap and aired it out to Prussman, but he overthrew him and was leveled on the play as the Knights gave the ball back to the Tigers on downs.
Worth County only needed one play to score as Alex Harmening caught a short pass from the 39, got a block from Barrett Baker, and outran everyone for the score with 5:47 left. Eli Mullock's sweep play made it 24-6. But South Holt struck right back as the Knights aired it out to Toby Prussman for a 55-yarder with 4:32 left. Tyler Costello took the option pitch in for the extra points to make it 24-14.
The Tigers got a long drive going, but ran out of time before they could score before the half. Barrett Baker followed a big hole to the Tiger 30. Eli Mullock caught a long pass, but a block in the back moved it back to the 38. Runs by Barrett Baker down to the Knights 30 and a one-yard pitch to Mullock got another first down. The Tigers penetrated to the 23, but that was as far as they could get thanks to a delay of game penalty and a false start.
South Holt kicked the ball into the end zone to start the second half thanks to a strong wind, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 15. But this time, they were able to capitalize. A seven-yarder from Eli Mullock and a quarterback sneak from Zach Harmening gave the Tigers a first down at their own 25. Two plays later, the Tigers were into Knight territory as Eli Mullock outran the ends on a pitch play for 31 yards and the ref tacked on yardage down to the 11 thanks to a facemask. Two plays later, Barrett Baker dove into the end zone for a score and Eli Mullock ran in the extra points to make it 32-14 with 9:39 left in the third.
Sisk ran a long way for no gain on South Holt's next series as he took a keeper to the left, ran back to the right side when he saw nothing was there, and then tried to reverse his field again before being met by a host of white shirts led by Barrett Baker. The Knights were forced to punt and the Tigers got the ball on their own 26. But Worth County couldn't move the ball either and their gamble on fourth and four backfired as Barrett Baker's reverse play was stopped for a loss of 1. An incomplete pass and consecutive losses on the next two plays made it fourth and 17 at the 38, but the Knights aired it out from Donny Sipes to Toby Prussman for 29 yards to set up first and goal at the 9. Three plays later, Tyler Costello caught a three-yard pass for the score to make it 32-20 with 3:18 left.
Worth County nearly stalled again as they were faced with fourth and three from their own 33. But Eli Mullock took a sweep and the South Holt defense overreached trying to collar him and he escaped for an 11-yarder to the Knights 36 as this time, Worth County's fourth-down gamble paid off. Barrett Baker got another carry for six yards and a horsecollar penalty moved it to the 15. Two plays later, Eli Mullock juked one defender and ran over another as he got into the end zone with 1:03 left in the third quarter. But again, South Holt struck back using some trickery to do so. The Knights hiked to Sipes who hiked it to Sisk. The Tigers lost focus on the play as one of their players turned to argue with an official over a non-call while the play was still going on and Sisk proceeded to weave his way through traffic for a 44-yard touchdown. He then ran in the extra points to make it 38-28 with 40 seconds left.
But Worth County reestablished control in the fourth quarter and converted another fourth down to do so. Eli Mullock ran back the kickoff to the 40, but then the Tigers seemingly stalled on fourth and four from the Knights 34. But this time, Zach Harmening took matters into his own hands as he took a draw play down the left side. A South Holt player tried to collar him but grabbed his facemask instead and drew the penalty as Harmening broke the tackle. Harmening then broke free down the left side and got into the end zone to make it 44-28 with 11:04 left in the game.
South Holt could still tie with a pair of scores and two-point conversions and Tyler Costello's sweep took it to the 39. But the Knights stalled there. First, Sisk was met by Cody Green and Alex Harmening for two yards. Then, he tried the option, but got nowhere as Dylan Kinsella stopped him for no gain. Toby Prussman's pass only went for two yards and South Holt's fourth-down pass was incomplete and the Tigers took over on downs at their own 37. They only needed one play to get into the end zone as Eli Mullock took a sweep down the right side. Cody Green held his block perfectly and Mullock was able to jump to the sidelines and outrace everyone to the end zone to make it 50-28 with 8:35 left.
On their very first play from scrimmage, Sisk fumbled the ball and Mitch Andrews recovered it for the Tigers, which seemed to take all the fight out of the Knights and both coaches began subbing in their JV people. Barrett Baker got a 15-yard sweep to the Knights 18, but Worth County couldn't score thanks to a sack on third and 5 at the 13. But the Knights could not move the ball with Sipes at the quarterback spot and the JV offense took over on downs at the South Holt 18. They stalled for three plays, but then JV quarterback Adam Summers, under pressure on fourth and 9, underhanded a short pass to Jordan Harding that he converted into a 12-yard gain to the 5. Summers ran in the touchdown to make it 56-28 with 2:07 left. Tyler Costello ran for a meaningless 72-yard touchdown as time expired to account for the final score.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Bluejay Girls Do Everything But Win vs. Redbirds
Northeast Nodaway's tailspin stopped for one game -- a 5-4 come from behind win against Stewartsville in which the Bluejays scored three in the top of the seventh and then held on to win. Tuesday was a Chiefs/Raiders redux -- the Bluejays did everything during their Senior Night but win as second baseman Hallie Oelze was honored. Two Sundays before, the Chiefs had done everything but win against the Raiders, outgaining them by 2-1 in yardage before the Raiders came back to win. Northeast pitcher Taylor Dougan struck out 12 batters, her most since the first game of the year when she struck out 14, yet Winston was able to get runs across the plate when they needed to. Northeast struck out only five times, yet they hit the ball right at people all night.
Dougan started off in dominant form as she would strike out six Redbird batters, allowing only two walks during the frame. Northeast hit the ball at will, yet they could not cross the plate. In the first inning, Emily Bryant hit a solid shot up the middle for a single with one out, but was out stealing second after a rundown. That play loomed up strongly as Rachel Runde would single to left and go to second as the ball went off the left fielder's foot.
In the second, Northeast loaded the bases with nobody out, but ran their way out of a big inning. Taylor Dougan reached on an error as the second baseman dropped a pop fly; Mallorie Peters reached safely as the second baseman was obviously thinking about the last play and dropped a simple force. Sarah Fox hit a slow roller past the shortstop that advanced everyone. But Kristan Judd popped out to the pitcher and then Dougan wandered too far off third and was doubled off.
In the top of the third, Winston finally got a run without need of a hit; Taylor Becerra reached on an error by third baseman Rachel Runde, who muffed a grounder. She stole second and third. Amber Mullen and Chandler Newman struck out, but like the South Nodaway game, Northeast could not get the final out of the inning -- Kristan Judd could not find a ball that had rolled under her on a wild pitch and Becerra came home for Winston's first run.
After Northeast went down in order in their half of the third, Rachel Brice walked for Winston and came around on wild pitches to score and make it 2-0 -- again with two outs. Again, Northeast could not close the deal and get the third out. And Winston was threatening to go one-up on Stewartsville. The Cardinals had beaten Worth County earlier in the year with one lone hit; the Redbirds were threatening to win the game without benefit of a hit.
That seemed to wake up Northeast's bats as Blair Schmitz led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to the wall in left center field to lead off. Mallorie Peters hit a pop fly single between shortstop and left field to score Schmitz, Sarah Fox singled to left, Katrina Freemeyer hit a slow roller up the middle that there was no play on, and Hallie Oelze hit a pop fly single to right to score Peters and tie it at 2-2.
But the fielding went to sleep in the top of the fifth as Winston took the lead for good. With one out, Newman hit a scratch hit into no-man's land between the mound and third for Winston's first hit of the game. Baylea Martin hit a hard grounder to second that Hallie Oelze misplayed on the shorthop and it rolled into right for a two-base error; Martin went to third on the throw home as Newman scored to make it 3-2. Rachel Runde made a nice running catch of Nichole Gregornik's pop fly between third and home in foul territory, but then she dropped Tabitha Pitburn's pop fly for what would have been the third out as Baylea Martin scored on the play to make it 4-2. Four runs for Winston, three of them scored with two outs.
Northeast wasted Blair Schmitz's second triple of the game, a carbon copy of her first, with one out. Taylor Dougan popped out to catcher. Mallorie Peters battled from 0-2 and had a long at-bat as she fouled off a bunch of pitches before walking; she stole second. But Sarah Fox struck out to end the fifth.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but in the seventh, Newman scored again for Winston as she singled to left, stole second, and took third and home on wild pitches. Winston tried for another run but was thwarted as catcher Kristan Judd made a diving tag of Martin trying to score on a wild pitch to keep it at 5-2.
Emily Bryant tripled over the left fielder's head to start the seventh; Rachel Runde flied out to bring her home to make it 5-3. Blair Schmitz restarted Northeast with her third straight hit, a line drive between third and short for a single. But Taylor Dougan flied out and Mallorie Peters struck out to end the game.
"We can't blame one individual for this loss," said coach Rex Wallace, who said that his team had not practiced in a while and that it showed on the field. "We had nobody on base to capitalize on Blair's two triples. We're a young team with only one senior. Right now, they know what they're supposed to do, but when they get the situation on the field, they forget what they're supposed to do."
Dougan started off in dominant form as she would strike out six Redbird batters, allowing only two walks during the frame. Northeast hit the ball at will, yet they could not cross the plate. In the first inning, Emily Bryant hit a solid shot up the middle for a single with one out, but was out stealing second after a rundown. That play loomed up strongly as Rachel Runde would single to left and go to second as the ball went off the left fielder's foot.
In the second, Northeast loaded the bases with nobody out, but ran their way out of a big inning. Taylor Dougan reached on an error as the second baseman dropped a pop fly; Mallorie Peters reached safely as the second baseman was obviously thinking about the last play and dropped a simple force. Sarah Fox hit a slow roller past the shortstop that advanced everyone. But Kristan Judd popped out to the pitcher and then Dougan wandered too far off third and was doubled off.
In the top of the third, Winston finally got a run without need of a hit; Taylor Becerra reached on an error by third baseman Rachel Runde, who muffed a grounder. She stole second and third. Amber Mullen and Chandler Newman struck out, but like the South Nodaway game, Northeast could not get the final out of the inning -- Kristan Judd could not find a ball that had rolled under her on a wild pitch and Becerra came home for Winston's first run.
After Northeast went down in order in their half of the third, Rachel Brice walked for Winston and came around on wild pitches to score and make it 2-0 -- again with two outs. Again, Northeast could not close the deal and get the third out. And Winston was threatening to go one-up on Stewartsville. The Cardinals had beaten Worth County earlier in the year with one lone hit; the Redbirds were threatening to win the game without benefit of a hit.
That seemed to wake up Northeast's bats as Blair Schmitz led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to the wall in left center field to lead off. Mallorie Peters hit a pop fly single between shortstop and left field to score Schmitz, Sarah Fox singled to left, Katrina Freemeyer hit a slow roller up the middle that there was no play on, and Hallie Oelze hit a pop fly single to right to score Peters and tie it at 2-2.
But the fielding went to sleep in the top of the fifth as Winston took the lead for good. With one out, Newman hit a scratch hit into no-man's land between the mound and third for Winston's first hit of the game. Baylea Martin hit a hard grounder to second that Hallie Oelze misplayed on the shorthop and it rolled into right for a two-base error; Martin went to third on the throw home as Newman scored to make it 3-2. Rachel Runde made a nice running catch of Nichole Gregornik's pop fly between third and home in foul territory, but then she dropped Tabitha Pitburn's pop fly for what would have been the third out as Baylea Martin scored on the play to make it 4-2. Four runs for Winston, three of them scored with two outs.
Northeast wasted Blair Schmitz's second triple of the game, a carbon copy of her first, with one out. Taylor Dougan popped out to catcher. Mallorie Peters battled from 0-2 and had a long at-bat as she fouled off a bunch of pitches before walking; she stole second. But Sarah Fox struck out to end the fifth.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but in the seventh, Newman scored again for Winston as she singled to left, stole second, and took third and home on wild pitches. Winston tried for another run but was thwarted as catcher Kristan Judd made a diving tag of Martin trying to score on a wild pitch to keep it at 5-2.
Emily Bryant tripled over the left fielder's head to start the seventh; Rachel Runde flied out to bring her home to make it 5-3. Blair Schmitz restarted Northeast with her third straight hit, a line drive between third and short for a single. But Taylor Dougan flied out and Mallorie Peters struck out to end the game.
"We can't blame one individual for this loss," said coach Rex Wallace, who said that his team had not practiced in a while and that it showed on the field. "We had nobody on base to capitalize on Blair's two triples. We're a young team with only one senior. Right now, they know what they're supposed to do, but when they get the situation on the field, they forget what they're supposed to do."
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