Sports – Page 331 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers Arrive in San Diego

Posted on December 23, 2014

Chula Vista, Calif. – Following an early-morning flight from Lincoln to San Diego, the Nebraska football team practiced at DeVore Stadium for the first time on Tuesdayafternoon. The Huskers will hold three more practices in at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif., in preparation of Saturday’s Holiday Bowl against USC at 7 p.m. (CT)on ESPN.

The Huskers practiced in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts for roughly two hours under clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton met with the media and was happy with the Huskers first practice on the West Coast.

“It was a long day for these guys,” Cotton said. “I think it was good though, we worked out some kinks.”

Cotton said he hopes the team enjoys the trip to San Diego, but stays focused on Saturday’s game.

“We just talked about it just now,” Cotton said. “This trip is a reward, but it’s also a business trip.

Saturday’s game will be the final game for 13 seniors, including I-back Ameer Abdullah, who was bothered earlier this season by an injury.

“I think Ameer is pretty close,” Cotton said. “He’s moving around like his old self, much better than he was towards the end of the (regular) season.”

The Huskers will return to DeVore Stadium tomorrow morning for practice before heading to the San Diego Zoo.

Broncos Have League-High 9 Players Selected for Pro Bowl

Posted on December 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The AFC West champion Denver Broncos led the NFL with nine players selected for the Pro Bowl on Tuesday.

Quarterback Peyton Manning was picked for the 14th time. Joining Manning from the Broncos will be Ryan Clady, Chris Harris, Von Miller, Aqib Talib, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, T.J. Ward and DeMarcus Ware.

The NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys were second with six selections for the Jan. 25 game in Glendale, Arizona, site of the Super Bowl.

Tony Romo will be going for the fourth time. Dez Bryant, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, DeMarco Murray and Tyron Smith were also honored.

For the second consecutive season, players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players.

Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin will serve as alumni team captains for their Pro Bowl teams.

Lions’ Raiola Loses Appeal, 1-Game Suspension Upheld

Posted on December 23, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — Lions center Dominic Raiola lost his appeal of a one-game suspension for stepping on Chicago Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson.

Appeals officer Derrick Brooks, the Hall of Fame linebacker appointed by the NFL and the players’ union, upheld the suspension Tuesday.

The punishment was handed down Monday by Merton Hanks, the NFL’s vice president of football operations. The league said this was Raiola’s sixth rules violation related to player safety since 2010.

Raiola stepped on Ferguson’s right ankle Sunday while the Chicago lineman was on the ground early in the third quarter. Raiola said after the game it was not intentional, and that he talked to Ferguson and apologized.

Raiola has been with the Lions for his entire 14-year career, playing every game of every season except 2008.

Detroit plays at Green Bay on Sunday for the NFC North title.

Maxwell Leaves SPVA for RPAC

Posted on December 23, 2014

At the December Executive Committee meeting, it was unanimously approved to admit Maxwell Public Schools as the fifteenth member of the Republican Plains Activity Conference for the 2015-2016 school year. Maxwell will be participating in all activities, with the exception of Boys Golf, offered by the organization. Maxwell has been a member of the South Platte Valley Association (SPVA) for the past eight years.

Additionally, it was announced that the conference will be holding the Volleyball and Girls & Boys Basketball Tournament finals at the Graff Events Center on the campus of McCook Community College in McCook, NE during the 2015-2016 school year. The Volleyball semifinal, consolation and championship matches will be held on Tuesday, 10/20/2015. The Girls and Boys Basketball consolation and championship games will be held on Saturday, 01/30/2016. Earlier rounds of all of the tournaments will still be held at member sites.

Storm Resume Schedule With 1 vs. 2 Matchup Saturday

Posted on December 23, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Currently at the USHL’s holiday break, the Tri-City Storm have an overall record of 13-7-4 with 30 points and sit in second place in the league’s Western Conference through 24 games.

When the team returns to Kearney to resume its schedule this weekend, Tri-City will welcome in the No. 1 team in the West, the Sioux City Musketeerson Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m., before traveling to Omaha to face the Lancers on Sunday afternoon.

The Musketeers (16-8-1, 33 points) are third best in the USHL, despite losing their final two games to both Fargo and Lincoln before the holiday break.Saturday’s game at the Viaero Event Center will be the second of six matchups between Tri-City and Sioux City this season.

In the clubs’ first meeting back on Nov. 22 at the Tyson Events Center, the Musketeers skated away with a 7-5 win behind a hat trick from forward Joel Janatuinen. Sioux City scored four times on the power play in the contest, while Tri-City had three man-advantage goals.

With 13 wins in their first 24 games, the Storm are off to their best start since the 2006-07 season, when they had 15 wins in the team’s first 24 contests. During the team’s Anderson Cup winning 2003-04 season, Tri-City also had 15 wins in their first 24 games.

The Storm have been led offensively by Chris Wilkie, who has 14 goals and seven assists this season. Forward Jake Wahlin is second on the team in scoring, with four goals and 13 assists, while earning a plus-9 rating.

Goaltender Alec Dillon has shouldered most of the load between the pipes, posting a record of 11-4-3 with a goals against average of 2.23 and a save percentage at .919.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

MLB Average Salary Exceeds $3.8 Million

Posted on December 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s average salary has shot up to more than $3.8 million following the steepest rise since 2001.

According to final figures from the players’ association, the increase put big leaguers on track to top the $4 million barrier for the first time next year.

The union said Tuesday the 910 players on big league rosters and disabled lists as of Aug. 31 averaged $3,818,923. The 12.78 percent hike was the biggest since a 12.83 percent rise from 2000 to 2001.

Player salaries are increasing after several years of more modest increases. The gain is fueled by record revenue in the $9 billion range, much of it from national TV contracts and regional sports networks.

The average topped $1 million for the first time in 1992, crossed the $2 million barrier in 2001 and the $3 million mark in 2010.

NFL Moves 2 Games to Late Sunday Afternoon

Posted on December 23, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The division-deciding games at Green Bay and Atlanta will be played late Sunday afternoon.

The NFL moved the Lions-Packers game for the NFC North to 4:25 p.m. EST. It also put the Panthers-Falcons game in that time slot, but switched networks for that showdown for the NFC South crown to CBS. Detroit-Green Bay will be on Fox.

The prime-time game is Cincinnati at Pittsburgh to decide the AFC North.

Jacksonville at Houston has been moved from late afternoon to 1 p.m. EST for the final day of the regular season.

MPCC Rodeo Hits the Halfway Mark

Posted on December 23, 2014

The Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo team has completed the fall portion of their schedule. The rodeo team placed in three of the five rodeos which they participated in and finished seventh overall for the fall seasons.

As a team, Mid-Plains placed third in the University of Wisconsin – River Falls rodeo with 470 points; seventh in the Iowa State University rodeo with 130 points; and fifth in the North Dakota State University rodeo with 260 points

The Mid-Plains rodeo team has five individuals ranked in the top 15 in the Great Plains Region. Keali’i’aukai Kaai is in third place in the Bull Riding with 290.0 points followed by teammate Colter Glendy with 230.0 points. Tyler Wriedt is in ninth place with 80.0 points, Tyler Viers and Dakota Rice are tied for tenth with 70.0 points.

Tyler Murray is tenth in Steer Wrestling with 140.0 points and fifteenth in Team Roping Header with 70.0 points.

Duell Puttergill is currently fifth place in the Great Plains Region in Saddle Bronc riding with 230.0 points.

The team will begin their spring season when they travel to Brookings, South Dakota to participate in the South Dakota State University rodeo on April 9-10, 2015.

They will also compete in the University of Nebraska – Lincoln rodeo, the Black Hills State University rodeo, the Hastings College rodeo, and the Dickinson State University rodeo.

Further updates and information will follow as the season progresses.

Oregon’s Marcus Mariota: AP Player of Year

Posted on December 23, 2014

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is The Associated Press college football player of the year.

Mariota won the AP vote in the same landslide fashion he won the Heisman Trophy. He received 49 of the 54 votes submitted by the AP Top 25 media panel. Alabama receiver Amari Cooper received three votes.

Wisconsin running back and Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston each received one vote.

Mariota is the first Oregon player to win AP player of the year, which was first awarded in 1998, and the eighth quarterback to win it in the last nine years.

Oregon will face Florida State and last year’s Heisman winner and AP player of the years, Jameis Winston, in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl.

Valdes, Fleming lead Hawaii past Nebraska, 66-58

Posted on December 23, 2014

HONOLULU (AP) — Aaron Valdes scored 15 points and Isaac Fleming 10 as Hawaii held off Nebraska, 66-58, in a quarterfinal game of the Diamond Head Classic Monday night.

The Rainbow Warriors (9-3) captured their second consecutive victory and fifth in their last six games to advance to Saturday’s semifinal round, where they will play No. 11 Wichita State.

Hawaii opened on an 8-0 run, but Nebraska stormed back, tying it at 11 on a 3-pointer by Walter Pitchford, and taking a brief lead on Terran Petteway’s layup. Quincy Smith converted a three-point play to ignite a 6-0 Hawaii run for a 17-13 lead.

The Rainbow Warriors closed out the first half on an 11-4 run to take a 34-23 lead at halftime.

The Cornhuskers’ offensive struggles in the first half were evident by the numbers: 30 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent from the free-throw line and 11 turnovers.