With the snow and sub-freezing temps, most minds aren't on football. But for those hardcore prep football fantatics, Friday was like a belated Christmas. The Nebraska School Activities Association released the districts for the 2008-09 seasons, giving teams a hint of what their schedules will look like.
In Class A, Grand Island Senior High is in the six-team District 1. They remain in the same district as Fremont, Lincoln North Star and North Platte. They are joined by previous non-district opponent Lincoln High along with Lincoln Northeast.
Class B now features eight four-team districts. Grand Island Northwest is paired with traditional area rivals Aurora and Hastings along with Class B newcomer Adams Central. That should feature some interesting matchups.
Grand Island Central Catholic was placed in the Class C-1, District 7 six-team group. They remain in the same district as Central City and St. Paul. Former non-district opponent Fillmore Central remains on the schedule. The Crusaders will also get to renew a rivalry with Hastings St. Cecilia and also take on Doniphan-Trumbull, who moves up from C-2.
Heartland Lutheran will compete in the Class D-2, District 7 field. The Red Hornets remain in the same district as Litchfield, North Loup-Scotia and Pleasanton. They are joined by former non-district opponent Hampton and Sargent, which gets shifted south and east into a new group.
In other notes, area teams Greeley-Wolbach and St. Edward are making the move to six-man, giving that group 15 teams across the state. Also, Heartland Community moves to eight-man but due to its enrollment number won't be eligible for the playoffs. Burwell also is switching from 11- to eight-man.
To see all the district assignments, go to: http://www.nsaahome.org/fbdistassign.php
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Prep Girls Basketball
With all the weather-related delays and postponements, it seems odd to think that it's already two weeks into the winter sports season. After all, with the recent streak of storms, area teams have played anywhere from one to seven games.
After Thursday's action, the list of area undefeateds is down to Giltner (5-0), Grand Island Northwest (1-0), Heartland (2-0), Loup County (3-0), North Loup-Scotia (4-0) and Twin River (1-0).
Northwest just might have some rust to knock off when it hosts Kearney on Friday. Due to consecutive Saturday games being snowed out, the Vikings haven't played since their opener, a 25-22 win over Central City on Nov. 30.
Grand Island Central Catholic, on the other hand, played its seventh game of the year on Thursday. The Crusaders' unbeaten start was snapped by Class C-1 No. 3-rated Minden 50-33. GICC now stands 6-1 overall and 5-1 against teams that received preseason ratings from the Omaha World-Herald. That's not too shabby.
After Thursday's action, the list of area undefeateds is down to Giltner (5-0), Grand Island Northwest (1-0), Heartland (2-0), Loup County (3-0), North Loup-Scotia (4-0) and Twin River (1-0).
Northwest just might have some rust to knock off when it hosts Kearney on Friday. Due to consecutive Saturday games being snowed out, the Vikings haven't played since their opener, a 25-22 win over Central City on Nov. 30.
Grand Island Central Catholic, on the other hand, played its seventh game of the year on Thursday. The Crusaders' unbeaten start was snapped by Class C-1 No. 3-rated Minden 50-33. GICC now stands 6-1 overall and 5-1 against teams that received preseason ratings from the Omaha World-Herald. That's not too shabby.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Prep season gets started
It looks like there will be some good basketball in Grand Island this season. A couple of players who returned to action Friday will give their teams a big boost.
The Grand Island CC boys got Spencer Fahey back from a knee injury and the junior promptly scored 19 points to lead the Crusaders past Columbus Scotus. GICC had been playing tough defense all season, but Bill Gavers' team needed Fahey's offensive punch.
Grand Island Senior High's Stacia Robertson made her season debut and scored 18 points in the Islanders win over Fremont. Robertson will provide the Islanders with a big boost. It should be a good season for Kelli Jeffries' team
The Grand Island CC boys got Spencer Fahey back from a knee injury and the junior promptly scored 19 points to lead the Crusaders past Columbus Scotus. GICC had been playing tough defense all season, but Bill Gavers' team needed Fahey's offensive punch.
Grand Island Senior High's Stacia Robertson made her season debut and scored 18 points in the Islanders win over Fremont. Robertson will provide the Islanders with a big boost. It should be a good season for Kelli Jeffries' team
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Kalkowski commits
After verbally committing to Nebraska 11 months ago, Grand Island Senior High senior Kash Kalkowski officially signed with the Huskers on Wednesday.
Kalkowski proved to be one of the top pitchers, hitters and shortstops in the state earlier this year while playing for the Islanders in the spring and Home Federal in the summer.
It's always nice to see the top players stay in state, and Kalkowski should be the lastest in a steady pipeline of players from G.I. who make an impact for the Big Red.
Kalkowski proved to be one of the top pitchers, hitters and shortstops in the state earlier this year while playing for the Islanders in the spring and Home Federal in the summer.
It's always nice to see the top players stay in state, and Kalkowski should be the lastest in a steady pipeline of players from G.I. who make an impact for the Big Red.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Ord advances to C-1 final
LINCOLN - - Ord defeated Kearney Catholic 25-21, 25-17, 25-22 in a Class C-1 state semifinal match Friday night at Lincoln Southwest High School.
The Chants improved to 26-2 with the win. They will play in the C-2 final at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pershing Auditorium against the winner of the Centennnial Minden match.
The Chants improved to 26-2 with the win. They will play in the C-2 final at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pershing Auditorium against the winner of the Centennnial Minden match.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Prep Football Quarterfinals
Five area teams are in action today hoping to advance to Saturday's semifinal round. In Class B, Hastings travels to McCook and Aurora is at Cozad. In Class C-1, Adams Central is at Pierce and Boone Central goes to Norfolk Catholic. In Class C-2, Burwell plays at Cambridge.
Four of those teams have to be considered underdogs, with the Aurora-Cozad matchup a toss-up on paper. Some upsets will have to be pulled off to avoid the area having no team qualify for the finals in Lincoln for a second consecutive year.
But the area is guaranteed to have a six-man state champion for the third straight year. Arcadia plays Elba for the title in Kearney on Thursday. Wheeler Central won the previous two titles.
Four of those teams have to be considered underdogs, with the Aurora-Cozad matchup a toss-up on paper. Some upsets will have to be pulled off to avoid the area having no team qualify for the finals in Lincoln for a second consecutive year.
But the area is guaranteed to have a six-man state champion for the third straight year. Arcadia plays Elba for the title in Kearney on Thursday. Wheeler Central won the previous two titles.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Pats vs. Colts
The stage has been set for the biggest regular season NFL football game since ... well ... maybe forever. The unbeaten and thus far unchallenged New England Patriots play at the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts Sunday in Indianapolis.
The Patriots have been unstoppable so far this season on offense, but they haven't played a defense as good as Indianapolis. The Colts are much better this year than last year when they won the Super Bowl. They've made some personnel adjustments that have enabled them to play a tougher, more physical brand of football.
Everyone knows about the Patriots bringing in controversial receiver Randy Moss. The thought was that Moss would tear apart the team if things started to go bad. That certainly hasn't been a problem. The Pats' offense has been spectacular despite not having a consistent running game. Tom Brady is having a year like we have never seen before.
That being said, I'm picking the Colts. I like their physical style of football and their home-field advantage. Colts 28, Patriots 24.
The Patriots have been unstoppable so far this season on offense, but they haven't played a defense as good as Indianapolis. The Colts are much better this year than last year when they won the Super Bowl. They've made some personnel adjustments that have enabled them to play a tougher, more physical brand of football.
Everyone knows about the Patriots bringing in controversial receiver Randy Moss. The thought was that Moss would tear apart the team if things started to go bad. That certainly hasn't been a problem. The Pats' offense has been spectacular despite not having a consistent running game. Tom Brady is having a year like we have never seen before.
That being said, I'm picking the Colts. I like their physical style of football and their home-field advantage. Colts 28, Patriots 24.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Prep Football Playoffs
Except for Class A and six-man tonight and Class B next week, the first round of the playoffs are complete. It was a typical opening round. There were some upsets, some not-so-upsets and plenty of blowouts. That's expected when over half the teams in the state qualify for the postseason.
Burwell's win over Heartland in Class C-2 was a thouroughly enjoyable game. Some trick plays by both teams and a game that went down to the wire before the Longhorns prevailed 15-12. Sometimes teams seem to have luck on their side, and sometimes they make their own luck. Seemed to be a little of both for Burwell, which now hosts Superior.
The loaded West bracket in Class C-1 brings us a pair of great second round match-ups just 14 miles apart on Wednesday. No. 1 Hastings St. Cecilia travels to Pierce and GICC goes to Norfolk Catholic. Also, after traveling to Mitchell to post a 58-0 blanking, Adams Central gets rewarded by hosting Chadron.
Palmer made a statment in Class D-1 by blasting defending state champion Overton. Anybody not think the Tigers are for real? That's a mistake.
Burwell's win over Heartland in Class C-2 was a thouroughly enjoyable game. Some trick plays by both teams and a game that went down to the wire before the Longhorns prevailed 15-12. Sometimes teams seem to have luck on their side, and sometimes they make their own luck. Seemed to be a little of both for Burwell, which now hosts Superior.
The loaded West bracket in Class C-1 brings us a pair of great second round match-ups just 14 miles apart on Wednesday. No. 1 Hastings St. Cecilia travels to Pierce and GICC goes to Norfolk Catholic. Also, after traveling to Mitchell to post a 58-0 blanking, Adams Central gets rewarded by hosting Chadron.
Palmer made a statment in Class D-1 by blasting defending state champion Overton. Anybody not think the Tigers are for real? That's a mistake.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Big 12 not so bad
There was a lot of talk early in the season about how bad the Big 12 was. There were some struggles early, but now it's obvious the Big 12 isn't as bad as advertised. In fact, it's pretty darn good.
There may not be any great teams in the conference, but their are several that could pull in a BCS berth - including a couple from the previously horrid Big 12 North. Missouri and Kansas both have that look about them. The Tigers and Jayhawks are the class of the North, and will play Nov. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium. That will be a battle and will probably decide who plays Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.
This year, unlike the last few, that North champion won't be a huge underdog in the conferencee title game. Missouri is good. So is Kansas. If you go deeper into the North, you see Colorado is a dangerous team. So is Oklahoma State. Nebraska and Iowa State? We won't go there.
Then you look at the South. Oklahoma is the class of the South. Texas is solid. So is Oklahoma State. Texas A&M and Texas Tech can do some good things at times. Baylor? We won't go there either.
There may not be any great teams in the conference, but their are several that could pull in a BCS berth - including a couple from the previously horrid Big 12 North. Missouri and Kansas both have that look about them. The Tigers and Jayhawks are the class of the North, and will play Nov. 24 at Arrowhead Stadium. That will be a battle and will probably decide who plays Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.
This year, unlike the last few, that North champion won't be a huge underdog in the conferencee title game. Missouri is good. So is Kansas. If you go deeper into the North, you see Colorado is a dangerous team. So is Oklahoma State. Nebraska and Iowa State? We won't go there.
Then you look at the South. Oklahoma is the class of the South. Texas is solid. So is Oklahoma State. Texas A&M and Texas Tech can do some good things at times. Baylor? We won't go there either.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Prep Football Week 8
In some rare positive football news this week in the state, it is Day 2 of the annual two-day end of regular season football festival. If Thursday was any indication, tonight should be a fun night.
Teams are fighting for playoff berths, home games and district titles. Grand Island Senior High hosts Kearney trying to bring an end to the Bearcats' winning ways in a battle for a district title.
Although the Class B season extends one more week, Aurora has its bye next week so it ends its regular season by hosting Seward with a playoff reservation on the line.
On Thursday, Ord earned its way into the C-1 field with a double OT win over Central City, also playoff bound.
Osceola snuck into the picture in Class C-2 by upsetting East Butler.
The game of the night saw C-1 No. 1 Hastings St. Cecilia best No. 5 Adams Central 7-0 on Riley Nikkila's 71-yard punt return for a TD near the end of the third quarter. This game could be taken several ways. Both teams showed they have defenses to get deep into the playoffs. But there's questions about the offenses now, even while playing on a windy and wet night.
Teams are fighting for playoff berths, home games and district titles. Grand Island Senior High hosts Kearney trying to bring an end to the Bearcats' winning ways in a battle for a district title.
Although the Class B season extends one more week, Aurora has its bye next week so it ends its regular season by hosting Seward with a playoff reservation on the line.
On Thursday, Ord earned its way into the C-1 field with a double OT win over Central City, also playoff bound.
Osceola snuck into the picture in Class C-2 by upsetting East Butler.
The game of the night saw C-1 No. 1 Hastings St. Cecilia best No. 5 Adams Central 7-0 on Riley Nikkila's 71-yard punt return for a TD near the end of the third quarter. This game could be taken several ways. Both teams showed they have defenses to get deep into the playoffs. But there's questions about the offenses now, even while playing on a windy and wet night.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Volleyball thriving in G.I.
Once again, the Grand Island high schools are producing some outstanding volleyball teams. Grand Island coach Bill Root, GINW coach Diane Rouzee and GICC coach Sharon Zavala are among the top coaches in the state.
The Islanders are following up last year's state runner-up finish with another fine season. They may not be quite as talented as last year's team, but they play hard and get the job done. The Islanders are hosting the first two rounds of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament on Tuesday.
Northwest is now 26-3 after winning the Central Conference Tournament on Saturday. The Vikings absolutely hammered a good Aurora team and a good Holdrege team. They beat Class B No. 1 Lincoln Pius X early this season and get another shot Tuesday, Oct. 23 when they host the Thunderbolts at GINW.
Central Catholic played what Zavala called their best volleyball of the season Saturday in winning the Utica Centennial Tournament. That included a surprisingly easy victory over Class C-1 No. 2 Centennial in the championship match. The Crusaders host Aurora on Tuesday.
If you're a volleyball fan, get out there and watch some of the best volleyball the state has to offer.
The Islanders are following up last year's state runner-up finish with another fine season. They may not be quite as talented as last year's team, but they play hard and get the job done. The Islanders are hosting the first two rounds of the Heartland Athletic Conference Tournament on Tuesday.
Northwest is now 26-3 after winning the Central Conference Tournament on Saturday. The Vikings absolutely hammered a good Aurora team and a good Holdrege team. They beat Class B No. 1 Lincoln Pius X early this season and get another shot Tuesday, Oct. 23 when they host the Thunderbolts at GINW.
Central Catholic played what Zavala called their best volleyball of the season Saturday in winning the Utica Centennial Tournament. That included a surprisingly easy victory over Class C-1 No. 2 Centennial in the championship match. The Crusaders host Aurora on Tuesday.
If you're a volleyball fan, get out there and watch some of the best volleyball the state has to offer.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
State softball tournament
Day one of the state softball tournament is almost in the books, and it was a rough one for Grand Island Senior High. The Islanders fell to Papillion-LaVista South 10-2 in five innings and Omaha Westside 10-0 in four innings. Still, the Islanders generated some highlights while taking a 2-1 lead against PLVS in the second inning. They had four hits in the inning against a team that hasn't given up more than two runs in a game this season and against ace Alexa Mackevicius, who came into state with a 23-0 record and a 0.45 ERA.
Things seemed to run pretty smoothly at Hastings' Bill Smith Softball Complex in its state hosting debut. Officials were keeping a close eye on last week's district tournament and using it as a trial run. Even though the facility has hosted a handful of national tournaments, everyone involved seems to be treating the state tournament as the most important event the complex has hosted.
One disappointing thing is the hostility some Omaha fans seem to have about having to come clear out here west of Lincoln to attend. A "Seymour Smith" chant even broke out during the Papillion-LaVista vs. Millard South first-round game in support of the Omaha facility that used to host state.
Why? The Smith Complex is a top-notch facility. Sure, it isn't fair that Omaha teams have to travel two-plus hours when teams like Grand Island, Hastings and McCook never pile up miles traveling to play games or attend state competitions. Yes, Hastings is 10 miles away from Cheyenne. But if your priority is to complain about everything instead of enjoying a well-run event, maybe you should make sure your daughter plays only sports that won't require any trip west of Lincoln...volleyball, swimming, basketball, tennis, soccer and track all make great options.
Things seemed to run pretty smoothly at Hastings' Bill Smith Softball Complex in its state hosting debut. Officials were keeping a close eye on last week's district tournament and using it as a trial run. Even though the facility has hosted a handful of national tournaments, everyone involved seems to be treating the state tournament as the most important event the complex has hosted.
One disappointing thing is the hostility some Omaha fans seem to have about having to come clear out here west of Lincoln to attend. A "Seymour Smith" chant even broke out during the Papillion-LaVista vs. Millard South first-round game in support of the Omaha facility that used to host state.
Why? The Smith Complex is a top-notch facility. Sure, it isn't fair that Omaha teams have to travel two-plus hours when teams like Grand Island, Hastings and McCook never pile up miles traveling to play games or attend state competitions. Yes, Hastings is 10 miles away from Cheyenne. But if your priority is to complain about everything instead of enjoying a well-run event, maybe you should make sure your daughter plays only sports that won't require any trip west of Lincoln...volleyball, swimming, basketball, tennis, soccer and track all make great options.
Friday, October 5, 2007
High School Football Week 6
With only three games left in the regular season, district races are really heating up.
There are plenty of interesting games in the area this week with district ramifications. Grand Island Senior High hosts North Platte in a meeting of teams that are 2-0 in the Class A, District 1 standings. The winner gets a likely district championship showdown against No. 1 Kearney.
The only 2-o teams in Class C-1, District 7 meet up when Grand Island Central Catholic goes to Boone Central. This should be a strong test for both teams with the Cardinals' varied and dangerous offense going against a Crusader defense that refuses to give up points.
In Class D-2, Spalding/Spalding Academy is at Chambers and Giltner travels to Pleasanton. Those are also all 2-0 teams in their respective districts.
There are plenty of interesting games in the area this week with district ramifications. Grand Island Senior High hosts North Platte in a meeting of teams that are 2-0 in the Class A, District 1 standings. The winner gets a likely district championship showdown against No. 1 Kearney.
The only 2-o teams in Class C-1, District 7 meet up when Grand Island Central Catholic goes to Boone Central. This should be a strong test for both teams with the Cardinals' varied and dangerous offense going against a Crusader defense that refuses to give up points.
In Class D-2, Spalding/Spalding Academy is at Chambers and Giltner travels to Pleasanton. Those are also all 2-0 teams in their respective districts.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
CU's Dan Hawkins on booing
Asked this week about his reaction to home fans at Nebraska and Arkansas booing their teams, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins had a interesting take.
While Hawkins said he could certainly understand the argument that if someone pays for a ticket, they can say or do about anything they want inside the stadium, he doesn't neccessarily agree with that.
"At some point, we have to have a little poise," Hawkins said during Monday's Big 12 Conference coaches' media call. "At some point, we have to have a little class and remember what the whole thing's about,” Hawkins said. “It's probably part of the nature of the whole beast, but shoot, if you're not happy with what's going on, don't come to the game or leave.
“I understand that sometimes that those values are a little old-fashioned and people don't take those to the ballpark anymore."
While Hawkins said he could certainly understand the argument that if someone pays for a ticket, they can say or do about anything they want inside the stadium, he doesn't neccessarily agree with that.
"At some point, we have to have a little poise," Hawkins said during Monday's Big 12 Conference coaches' media call. "At some point, we have to have a little class and remember what the whole thing's about,” Hawkins said. “It's probably part of the nature of the whole beast, but shoot, if you're not happy with what's going on, don't come to the game or leave.
“I understand that sometimes that those values are a little old-fashioned and people don't take those to the ballpark anymore."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Around Big 12 volleyball
Around the Big 12
@Senior Emily Brown recorded her third career triple-double to help the
@ Lauren Cummings had a career-high 18 kills and sophomore Kaylee Manns had 63 set assists as
@ WACO, Texas - For the third time this season the Oklahoma volleyball team rallied from a 0-1 deficit as the Sooners topped Baylor, 3-1 (27-30, 30-26, 30-22, 30-23), in Waco Saturday night.
@ Alex Buth tied her career high in kills with 21 and hit .486, but
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Around Big 12 volleyball
&
&
& Baylor overcame a 10-4 deficit in the fifth game to down
& Sarah Ammerman and Mary Batis tallied 21 kills apiece and Kelly Stanton and Jillian Phillips added 10 kills each to help Texas A&M hold off Texas Tech, 30-27, 30-21, 21-30, 27-30, 15-10 in front of 1,897at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
The Aggies (11-2, 1-2 Big 12) earn their first Big 12 victory and snap a two-match losing skid, which included a conference-opening five-game home loss to Oklahoma after taking a two-game lead.
& For the second straight week the Oklahoma volleyball team knocked off a top-25 team on the road as the Sooners edged No. 16 Kansas State, 3-2 (16-30, 30-28, 30-26, 16-30, 15-13) behind Anna Stadel’s 15 kills.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Mangino's outburst
If you haven't seen Kansas coach Mark Mangino's outburst, it's available on YouTube. Mangino was upset after a Kansas player dove into the end zone head first drawing a 15-yard unsportsman like conduct penalty.
Mangino has taken a lot of heat for this incident. I say good for him. If it was my son who had drawn the penalty, I would expect the coach to set him straight. Some are concerned with his language. Mangino dropped several F-bombs during the tirade. He could have omitted those and it wouldn't have been so bad, but Bobby Knight didn't seem to get criticized too much for doing the same thing. I think it's great that Mangino sent a message to not only this player but his whole team that hotdogging won't be tolerated. I wish more coaches would do the same thing.
It's also unfortunate that some people criticize Mangino because of his weight. Yes, I'm sure he'd be better off health-wise if he wasn't so heavy, but that in no way diminishes his ability as a coach or of course as a human being.
Mangino has taken a lot of heat for this incident. I say good for him. If it was my son who had drawn the penalty, I would expect the coach to set him straight. Some are concerned with his language. Mangino dropped several F-bombs during the tirade. He could have omitted those and it wouldn't have been so bad, but Bobby Knight didn't seem to get criticized too much for doing the same thing. I think it's great that Mangino sent a message to not only this player but his whole team that hotdogging won't be tolerated. I wish more coaches would do the same thing.
It's also unfortunate that some people criticize Mangino because of his weight. Yes, I'm sure he'd be better off health-wise if he wasn't so heavy, but that in no way diminishes his ability as a coach or of course as a human being.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
High School Football Week 3
The regular season is one quarter of the way through, and of the 44 teams in The Independent's coverage area, only 14 remain undefeated. Twelve remain in search of their first win. I guess that's what you call parity.
Of the undefeated teams, only three are paired up against other perfect teams this week. In Class C-2, Ravenna is at Heartland. In Class D-1, High Plains is at Humphrey.
The battle of area undefeateds in C-2 is an interesting one. Both Ravenna and Heartland could have been excused for slow starts. Both had talent back from playoff teams last year but had some key positions to fill with new faces. Ravenna responded by beating Amherst and Centura by a combined 90-6, while Heartland scored 24 points in wins over Doniphan-Trumbull and Osceola. This should be a good battle that tells more about how good each team really is, and I'm looking forward to it.
Of the undefeated teams, only three are paired up against other perfect teams this week. In Class C-2, Ravenna is at Heartland. In Class D-1, High Plains is at Humphrey.
The battle of area undefeateds in C-2 is an interesting one. Both Ravenna and Heartland could have been excused for slow starts. Both had talent back from playoff teams last year but had some key positions to fill with new faces. Ravenna responded by beating Amherst and Centura by a combined 90-6, while Heartland scored 24 points in wins over Doniphan-Trumbull and Osceola. This should be a good battle that tells more about how good each team really is, and I'm looking forward to it.
Friday, September 7, 2007
GICC spikers get big win
It's always a big win for Grand Island Central Catholic when the Crusaders can beat rival Columbus Scotus. GICC got the job done Thursday night, but it wasn't a typical GICC/Scotus match as we've seen in recent years.
This one wasn't a classic by any means. Both teams struggled somewhat, but that shouldn't be too surprising. Both teams are very young. The Crusaders start two freshmen and had a couple others who saw varsity action. The Shamrocks started several sophomores, including a setter who had never set a match before Thursday in her entire career.
Both teams are talented and will be extremely tough down the road. At this point, it would seem though that the Shamrocks have further to go than the Crusaders. It will be interesting to see what happens if these two teams meet again in the Centennial Conference Tournament in October.
This one wasn't a classic by any means. Both teams struggled somewhat, but that shouldn't be too surprising. Both teams are very young. The Crusaders start two freshmen and had a couple others who saw varsity action. The Shamrocks started several sophomores, including a setter who had never set a match before Thursday in her entire career.
Both teams are talented and will be extremely tough down the road. At this point, it would seem though that the Shamrocks have further to go than the Crusaders. It will be interesting to see what happens if these two teams meet again in the Centennial Conference Tournament in October.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Cubs in first
It's Sept. 3 and the Cubs are still in first place. Jason Stark was on ESPN Radio today saying he thinks the Cubs have what it takes to make it to the World Series - but then again, they are the Cubs.
The Cubs have no huge weaknesses. The starting pitching is solid as is the relief corp, including closer Ryan Dempster. The offense has been productive even without hitting a lot of home runs. The manager is a proven winner, and everybody in Chicago loves Lou. You add it all up and wonder, why is this team only five games above .500? Well, they are the Cubs.
The Cubs have no huge weaknesses. The starting pitching is solid as is the relief corp, including closer Ryan Dempster. The offense has been productive even without hitting a lot of home runs. The manager is a proven winner, and everybody in Chicago loves Lou. You add it all up and wonder, why is this team only five games above .500? Well, they are the Cubs.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Prep ratings
The Omaha-World Herald's first prep volleyball ratings are out. Omaha Marian is rated No. 1 in Class A while Grand Island Senior High checks in at No. 8
Defending champ Lincoln Pius X is tops in Class B. Grand Island Northwest is fourth and Aurora fifth.
Columbus Scotus leads C-1 with Central City seventh.
Grand Island Central Catholic and Ravenna are 1-2 in Class C-2. That is a reflection of the strength of the GICC program, because the Crusaders lost a bunch of players to graduation.
Fremont Bergan leads D-1 with Ansley rated sixth.
Falls City leads D-2. A strong Hampton team is second with Elba ninth.
Defending champ Lincoln Pius X is tops in Class B. Grand Island Northwest is fourth and Aurora fifth.
Columbus Scotus leads C-1 with Central City seventh.
Grand Island Central Catholic and Ravenna are 1-2 in Class C-2. That is a reflection of the strength of the GICC program, because the Crusaders lost a bunch of players to graduation.
Fremont Bergan leads D-1 with Ansley rated sixth.
Falls City leads D-2. A strong Hampton team is second with Elba ninth.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Prince of a guy
You have to give K-State coach Ron Prince this: He is always interesting.
Last week when the offense didn't perform well in practice, he made the players run stairs. But Prince not only made the players run stairs, he made the offensive assistants run as well. Maybe it will all work out for Prince and the Wildcats, but I have to wonder about this latest development.
Assistant coaches need to be respected by the players just as the head coach does. They don't have to always like the coaches, but they need to respect them. Making the assistants run the stairs puts them on the same level as the players. That might make the players like the assistants, but it doesn't help any in the respect area.
In any event, it will be interesting to see how the K-State season shakes out. If things go south, Prince may give us a lot more to talk about.
Last week when the offense didn't perform well in practice, he made the players run stairs. But Prince not only made the players run stairs, he made the offensive assistants run as well. Maybe it will all work out for Prince and the Wildcats, but I have to wonder about this latest development.
Assistant coaches need to be respected by the players just as the head coach does. They don't have to always like the coaches, but they need to respect them. Making the assistants run the stairs puts them on the same level as the players. That might make the players like the assistants, but it doesn't help any in the respect area.
In any event, it will be interesting to see how the K-State season shakes out. If things go south, Prince may give us a lot more to talk about.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
State basketball changes
The NSAA voted Friday to make some changes in the start times for the state basketball tournaments. The first- and second-round games will start at 9 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. The championship games on Saturday will again begin at 9:30 a.m.
For the first two days of the tournaments, games will start at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. The time changes may lead into a switch in 2009 to where each class has its own venue for the first two rounds of the tournament.
The board also approved adding a Class B state baseball tournament next year. The top 26 teams in enrollment will be in Class A and the remainder in Class B. This year, the Class B field will be 16 teams. There will be six districts in Class A with two wildcard teams and four districts in Class B with four wildcards.
Also, soccer districts will start the earliest ever on April 28. The state tournament will start on a Wednesday with six matches the first four days of the tournament. The girls state championship will be on the following Monday with the boys on Tuesday.
For the first two days of the tournaments, games will start at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. The time changes may lead into a switch in 2009 to where each class has its own venue for the first two rounds of the tournament.
The board also approved adding a Class B state baseball tournament next year. The top 26 teams in enrollment will be in Class A and the remainder in Class B. This year, the Class B field will be 16 teams. There will be six districts in Class A with two wildcard teams and four districts in Class B with four wildcards.
Also, soccer districts will start the earliest ever on April 28. The state tournament will start on a Wednesday with six matches the first four days of the tournament. The girls state championship will be on the following Monday with the boys on Tuesday.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Prep volleyball around the corner
The prep volleyball season is less than a week away. All four Grand Island schools are now making their final preparations for their opening matches.
The Islanders, coming off a 31-3 season that saw them advance all the way to the Class A championship match before falling to power house Bellevue West. Coach Bill Root won't have the same power up front with the loss of Ann Armes, Jeri Walkowiak and Kelsey Werner, but he says he thinks he will have a faster team that can dig a lot of balls.
GINW has qualified for six straight Class B state tournaments and is looking to make it seven in a row. The Vikings suffered significant losses to graduation with seven seniors leaving the program, but there shouldn't be a big drop off this year. Senior Brittany Asche is a dynamic player despite being just 5-7. Junior Jenna Rouzee will play setter in the back and middle in the front. Why not? She's 6-1 now.
Central Catholic moved back to Class C-2 this year and should be able to make a run at another state title. The Crusaders have Tali Fredrickson, one of the top players in the area and state, back to anchor both the offense and defense. They also have what coach Sharon Zavala says is her most talented freshman class in her 30-plus years of coaching.
Heartland Lutheran won eight matches last year and would like to improve upon that if possible. The Red Hornets have a new head coach in Jamie Burmeister. The big news for Heartland Lutheran is that Ezarah Williams returns after a long battle with a knee injury and appears to be ready to go. Williams, if healthy, could be a dynamic type of player at the Class D-1 level.
The Islanders, coming off a 31-3 season that saw them advance all the way to the Class A championship match before falling to power house Bellevue West. Coach Bill Root won't have the same power up front with the loss of Ann Armes, Jeri Walkowiak and Kelsey Werner, but he says he thinks he will have a faster team that can dig a lot of balls.
GINW has qualified for six straight Class B state tournaments and is looking to make it seven in a row. The Vikings suffered significant losses to graduation with seven seniors leaving the program, but there shouldn't be a big drop off this year. Senior Brittany Asche is a dynamic player despite being just 5-7. Junior Jenna Rouzee will play setter in the back and middle in the front. Why not? She's 6-1 now.
Central Catholic moved back to Class C-2 this year and should be able to make a run at another state title. The Crusaders have Tali Fredrickson, one of the top players in the area and state, back to anchor both the offense and defense. They also have what coach Sharon Zavala says is her most talented freshman class in her 30-plus years of coaching.
Heartland Lutheran won eight matches last year and would like to improve upon that if possible. The Red Hornets have a new head coach in Jamie Burmeister. The big news for Heartland Lutheran is that Ezarah Williams returns after a long battle with a knee injury and appears to be ready to go. Williams, if healthy, could be a dynamic type of player at the Class D-1 level.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Tinkering with the CWS
Word came today that the NCAA is once again tinkering with the format of the College World Series in Omaha. The plan now is to start one day later on a Saturday and not begin the best-of-three championship series until the second Monday of the tournament.
While I suppose it's always natural to dislike change, you have to wonder why the NCAA would want to mess with something that has been as popular and successful as the CWS has been in Omaha. It would seem that the possibility of having no games the second weekend of the tournament could potentially kill the momentum of the event.
I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons why the changes are being made (besides ESPN told them to do it), but when the NCAA is involved, you almost always know that it's more about dollars than sense.
While I suppose it's always natural to dislike change, you have to wonder why the NCAA would want to mess with something that has been as popular and successful as the CWS has been in Omaha. It would seem that the possibility of having no games the second weekend of the tournament could potentially kill the momentum of the event.
I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons why the changes are being made (besides ESPN told them to do it), but when the NCAA is involved, you almost always know that it's more about dollars than sense.
Monday, August 6, 2007
NSAA enrollment
The NSAA enrollment figures for the 2007-08 school hear are interesting. Grand Island (1,473) is the 11th largest school in the state. The top 10 are all from the Omaha area: Omaha Central (2087), Millard North (1844), Omaha Northwest (1644), Millard South (1596), Creighton Prep (1582), Omaha North (1579), Omaha South (1565), Omaha Westside (1549), Omaha Burke (1529), Millard West (1506).
Kearney, the defending Class A state football champion, is 21st (1098). Bellevue West, the defending volleyball champion is 18th (1153).
With two relatively new schools in Lincoln (North Star and Southwest), the athletic talent in Lincoln has been split up. Lincoln Southwest is the largest school in the city (1431) and it stands 12th overall.
The smallest school in the state? That would be Arthur County with an NSAA enrollment of 23. McPherson County is next smallest (26) while Keya Paha County has 30. Loup County is fourth from the smallest with 31.
Kearney, the defending Class A state football champion, is 21st (1098). Bellevue West, the defending volleyball champion is 18th (1153).
With two relatively new schools in Lincoln (North Star and Southwest), the athletic talent in Lincoln has been split up. Lincoln Southwest is the largest school in the city (1431) and it stands 12th overall.
The smallest school in the state? That would be Arthur County with an NSAA enrollment of 23. McPherson County is next smallest (26) while Keya Paha County has 30. Loup County is fourth from the smallest with 31.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Welcome to the Independent Sports Team blog
This blog will feature posts from the dynamite sports team of Terry Douglass, Bob Hamar and Dale Miller. We'll be posting our thoughts on local sports - everything from high school football to bowling so thank you for stopping by and please feel free to comment!
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