Sports – Page 523 – North Platte Post Archive

Tickets on Sale for West Nebraska All-Star Games

Posted on June 9, 2014

SCOTTSBLUFF—Tickets are now on sale for the West Nebraska All-Star Games that will be played Saturday, June 14, 2014 in Scottsbluff.

A single game ticket to the volleyball or football game is $6 for adults, and $4 for children 12 and under if purchased in advance. A money saving two-game ticket admitting the buyer to both games at one low price is also available. The price is $9 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Ticket prices increase $1 if purchased at the gate.

Tickets for the West Nebraska All-Star Games can be purchased in advance at the following locations: Sports Village and the Athlete’s Edge at the Monument Mall, the Sports Racquet, 1711 Broadway, The Zone at Scottsbluff Screen Printing, 1813 Broadway and both locations of Elite Physical Therapy, 214 West 27^th Street in Scottsbluff, and at 1270 10^th Street, Suite 101 in Gering.

The 30^th annual volleyball game will be played at 2 p.m. MDT at WNCC’s Cougar Palace. The 36th annual football game will be played that evening at 7 p.m. MDT at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff.

A portion of the proceeds from the West Nebraska All-Star Games benefits the Scotts Bluff County Volunteer Center.

The rosters for the football teams can be seen by clicking here and the volleyball teams can be seen here.

North Platte’s Steele Named to the NCA All-State Boys Golf Team, Girls Tennis Team also Announced

Posted on June 9, 2014

For the sixteenth year, the Nebraska Coaches Association is pleased to recognize All-State athletes in Boys’ Golf. High Schools have asked us to provide this service to their athletes so they can recognize them for Hall/Wall of Honor recognition. The selection procedure included the consideration of state championship scores and input from the NCA Golf Sports Advisory Committee. The following individuals have been named All State Boys’ Golf for the 2014 season and each student‑athlete will receive a certificate indicating their selection.

2014 ALL-STATE BOYS’ GOLF

Mackenzie Alspaugh	McCook
Jay Cottam	Thayer Central
David Hansen	Creighton Preparatory School
Trevor Kosch	Humphrey St. Francis
Benjamin Maschka	Creighton Preparatory School
Nolan Maschka	Creighton Preparatory School
Sam Meuret	Plainview
Samuel Morse	Columbus Lakeview
Kyle Murray	Beatrice
Clayton Peterson	Lincoln Southeast
Rylee Reinertson	Gibbon
Alex Schaake	Creighton Preparatory School
Kort Steele	North Platte
Cole Stenger	Bellevue West
Alexander Strom	Norfolk
Tyler Wagner	Beatrice

This is the sixteenth year the Nebraska Coaches Association will be recognizing All-State athletes in Girls’ Tennis. High Schools have asked us to provide this service to their athletes so they can recognize them for Hall/Wall of Honor recognition. The selection procedure included the consideration of state tournament performances and correspondence with high school coaches in each class. The following individuals have been named All State Girls’ Tennis for the 2014 season. First & Second Team student‑athletes will receive a certificate from the Nebraska Coaches Association.

First Team All-State – Girls Tennis, Class A

Sydney Harlow, Omaha Westside – CAPTAIN

McKinney Harwood, Omaha Westside

Elizabeth Harwood, Omaha Westside

Kaley Clark, Lincoln East

Claire Neil, Papillion-La Vista

Courtney Warren, Omaha Marian

Second Team All-State – Girls Tennis, Class A

Emma Neil, Papillion-La Vista

Olivia Faulk, Millard North

Spencer Roach, Papillion-La Vista

Madelyn Willett, Papillion-La Vista

Jaydn Trimble, Kearney

Madison Eckstrom, Lincoln Southeast

Honorable Mention:

Columbus – Elizabeth Preister, Shawna Staack, Amy Price;

Fremont – Sarah Young, Madison Carlson;

Grand Island – Josie Scarborough, Megan Scheuler;

Kearney – Faith Kowalski, Hayley Limbach, Paige Bachkora, Josie Kratzenstein, Vanessa Bamesberger;

Lincoln North Star – Katie Horan;

Lincoln Southeast – Olivia Miller, Hannah Everett, Nicole Legler, Sofia Ciotti;

Lincoln Southwest – Anna Tussing, Ashlynn Saeger, Tiffany Truong;

Millard North – Christina Ternent, Priya Kukreja, Tushita Shrivistav, Anjali Renukunta;

Millard West – Caysee Ashton, Alyssa Cohen, Marissa Calabro, Sierra Foley;

Norfolk – Emma Kwapnioski;

Omaha Marian – Julia Tatten, Clare Crockett, Morgan Crockett, Sara Flaxbeard, Anna Slezak;

Omaha North – Michaela Daugherty, Alexis Sharkey;

Omaha Westside – Elizabeth Kutilek, Phoebe Placzek;

Papillion-La Vista – Emma Dargy, Shelby Bonnemier;

Roncalli Catholic/Omaha Mercy – Claire Gaeta

First Team All-State – Girls Tennis, Class B

Teresa Kaiser, Skutt Catholic – CAPTAIN

Sadie Goering, Grand Island Central Catholic

Bianca Lowe, Skutt Catholic

Johnna Lowe, Skutt Catholic

Alexandra Rieke, Skutt Catholic

Michelle Messbarger, Kearney Catholic

Second Team All-State – Girls Tennis, Class B

Jamie Healy, Skutt Catholic

Lauren Bruning, Lincoln Pius X

Elia Healy, Skutt Catholic

Bridget McKeegan, Lincoln Pius X

Madison Lockhorn, Lincoln Pius X

Emily Sullivan, Lincoln Pius X

Honorable Mention:

Blair – Marissa O’Grady, Makenzie Lee;

Elkhorn –Sarah Brand, Olivia Neth, Katy Brummel;

Elkhorn South – Leah Cates, Jeanne Le, Tatem Miller, Tyranny Miller, Alexandra McCashland, Paige Piatkowski;

Grand Island Central Catholic – Kelsey Flaherty, Katherine Golka;

Gretna – Maddie Hubka, Jamie Zeeck;

Hastings – Kathleen Barunek, Sydney Landell;

Hastings St. Cecilia – Claire Hamburger, Morgan Nikkila

Kearney Catholic – Shayla Conner, Morgan Stute;

Lexington – Hannah Ostrom, Kelby O’Meara;

Lincoln Pius X –Emily Pfeifer, Taylor Shreve;

McCook – Bailee Stang, Kacee Samway;

Nebraska City – Kendra McGinnis;

Norris – Christina Stai, Janelle Adams;

Omaha Duchesne – Anna Rouw;

Scottsbluff – Zoe Holscher;

York – Emily Meisinger, Hayley Nienhaeser, Taylor Peterson

O’Bannon Takes Stand in Landmark NCAA Lawsuit

Posted on June 9, 2014

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The battle to give top football and basketball players a cut of the billions of dollars flowing into college athletics began in earnest Monday with former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon taking the stand in federal court to describe how he spent long hours working on his game and as few as possible on his grades.

The lead plaintiff in a landmark antitrust suit against the NCAA said his goal at UCLA wasn’t to get a degree, but to get two years of college experience before being drafted into the NBA.

O’Bannon portrayed himself as a dedicated athlete who would stay after games to work on his shot if he played poorly.

The testimony came as a trial that could upend the way college sports are regulated opened, five years after the suit was filed.

First Nationals Split Four Games over the Weekend

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

The North Platte First Nationals hosted Canon City, Colo. and JC Brager during a rainy weekend and went 2-2.

North Platte (10-8) and Canon City were supposed to meet on Friday night at Bill Wood Field, but because of the rain the game was postponed until Sunday morning. The First Nationals and Canon City also played on Saturday. North Platte played JC Brager on both Saturday and Sunday as well.

The First Nationals began Saturday with a 4-0 shutout win over Canon City. North Platte led 1-0 in a pitchers dual until they scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull away. Darian Allberry led the way at the plate by going 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Ty Brockmoller was dominant on the mound by throwing a complete game shutout. Brockmoller gave up just five hits and struck out seven batters without walking anyone.

The second game of the day for North Platte was the opposite as they got shutout by JC Brager 7-0. The game was shaping up to be a pitchers dual before JC Brager scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The First Nationals were only able to muster one hit against JC Brager’s Noah Kulhanek, who pitched a complete game shutout. Levi Nekuda took the loss on the mound for North Platte after giving up seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in three plus innings pitched. Devan Hovden came in, in relief for the final four innings and gave up five hits, but no runs.

The First Nationals returned to winning Sunday morning against Canon City, 9-1. Jack Kenny led the way at the plate for North Platte going 2-2 with a double and two runs scored. Brockmoller and Alex Harms each had two runs batted in during the game. Allberry was the overall star as he three a five-inning complete game from the mound. Allberry gave up one run on six hits and struck out five batters. He also went 1-2 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.

The final game of the weekend for North Platte was another loss to JC Brager, 10-8. The First Nationals had an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh inning before JC Brager scored three runs to take the lead and get the win. Drew Callaghan and Marcos Silos both had a big game at the plate for North Platte. Callaghan went 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Silos was 3-4 with three RBI. Riley Vierya pitched a complete game for the First Nationals. He gave up 10 runs, seven earned, on 12 hits.

North Platte’s next game is Tuesday, June 10 at Hastings. The First Nationals will play a Cornhusker League doubleheader against Hastings with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:30 pm.

The North Platte Juniors team also had a 2-2 weekend. The Juniors played in Kearney and started 2-0 with wins over Lincoln Southeast, 7-2, and Elkhorn South, 10-0. North Platte lost the final games of the weekend to Creighton Prep, 7-4, and Omaha Gross, 6-4. The First Nationals Juniors are now 12-3 on the season and next play Tuesday, June 10 at home against Hastings in a doubleheader that starts at 5:30 pm.

Oklahoma Rodeo Clown to Entertain at Buffalo Bill Rodeo

Posted on June 9, 2014

Justin Rumford will clown at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21. The Ponca City, Okla. cowboy is a two-time PRCA Clown of the Year, and his newly born triplets are providing plenty of comic material.

North Platte, Neb. (June 9, 2014) – The only difference between a stand-up comedian and Justin Rumford, is that he does his “schtick” in the middle of a rodeo arena.

Rumford, who lives in Ponca City, Okla., will be the rodeo clown and barrelman for the 2014 Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte June 18-21.

The 34 year old cowboy grew up in the rodeo business, the third generation of Rumfords in the family’s stock contracting company. He competed in junior high, high school, and college rodeo and became a full time steer wrestler. But after blowing out his knee, he had other ideas. He coached a college rodeo team and worked for Bennie Beutler, the stock contractor for North Platte, driving truck, and loading, sorting and feeding livestock.

He was a natural at making people laugh, but being a clown never occurred to him. It was only after he worked as clown at a couple of events that he changed his mind. “I worked a bull riding in Pretty Prairie (Kan.), and they gave me a thousand bucks. And I thought, why the heck am I working so hard for $800 a week, when I can make $1000 a weekend? So I jumped ship. I love rodeo,” he cracks, “but the one thing I love more than that is making money.”

And lucky for rodeo fans, Rumford became a full time rodeo clown.

Now he entertains at rodeos across the nation, from the East Coast to the West Coast, Texas to the Canada border. He’s even been selected –twice – as the Clown of the Year for the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association. The humble man was honored. “I don’t know if I deserve it, but I’m fortunate to accept it.”

Justin and his wife Ashley were blessed with triplet children, born in September of last year. Daughters Livi and Lola and son Bandy were born prematurely but are healthy and well now, and Justin already has plans for his kids in his clown acts. He’s planning on building a horse racing starting gate for three, and when the babies are three or four, they’ll ride into the arena on Shetland ponies, dressed in jockey outfits, and they’ll have a pony race.

And they’re providing him material for writing a book for expectant fathers of multiple children. When he and Ashley were waiting for their babies to be born, Justin read up on having multiples. “I went on Amazon and bought all these books, and they’re a bunch of lies,” he joked. “I’m writing a book: The Truth About Triplets – A Rodeo Clown’s Confession. I’m writing about everything from four years of infertility treatments to bed rest, to me rodeoing when Ashley was in the hospital. I think it’ll be a great book, and I hope it helps fathers of multiples. I put real life experiences about what it’s like, and I didn’t sugar coat anything. I guarantee, I didn’t sleep the whole month of December,” (when the babies came home from the neonatal ICU.)

And he’s planning on bringing the babies to North Platte with him. His wife and kids were with him for rodeos in March and April, and he misses them when he’s gone and they’re at home. “I have a 44 foot (travel) trailer, and I can bring the whole family with me. I’d rather be miserable on the road (with them) than happy by myself.”

Justin will entertain with his comedy and acts during each night of the Buffalo Bill Rodeo June 18-21. General admission tickets are $7 for children and $13 for adults. Reserved seats are $20. For more information, visit NebraskaLandDays.com or call the NebraskalandDays office at 308.532.7939.

Former Bulldog Leads Gold Team to Victory in the Mid-Plains Area All-Star Game

Posted on June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

North Platte Community College hosted the eighth annual Mid-Plains Area All-Star Games on Friday at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium and former North Platte High athlete Kade Erickson led the way for Team Gold in the boys game.

Erickson was part of the second unit for the Gold Team, but that didn’t stop him from stealing the show in Friday’s boys All-Star game. Erickson led all scorers with 20 points as he led his team to a 95-91 win over Team Black. Erickson knocked down four three-pointers in the game and also hit two clutch free throws late to help secure the win. He didn’t start the game but his coach Dave Jacobs, from Brady High School, went with the five players who had the hot hand for the final five minutes and Erickson’s 12 second-half points led the way.

The North Platte Bulldogs were well represented in the game for the Black Team as well. Drew Callaghan led Black with 18 points and was the second-highest scoring player in the game. Callaghan also won the three-point contest that took place at halftime. He beat out his teammate Hayden Cahoy, from Overton High School, for the three-point title.

There were multiple players from area schools that competed in the game. For the Gold Team Landon Swedberg from Wallace High School scored six points and Mark Mayfield from North Platte St. Patrick’s added four points to go along with Erickson’s 20. The Black Team was led by Callaghan’s 18 and followed up by Tyler Fear from Sutherland High School, who had nine points. Hershey High School’s Landan Maassen scored five points and Alex Harms from North Platte St. Patrick’s added two points.

The girls All-Star game was the first game of the night and Team Black won it going away, 67-43. The score was much closer at halftime as Black led the Gold Team 36-29 before pulling away early in the second half.

Tailor Lee from Wauneta-Palisade led all scorers with 12 points for Team Black. The Black Team had four players in double-figures. Former North Platte Lady Bulldog Allison Sawyer scored 11 points, future North Platte Lady Knight from Hershey High School Maddie Seamann scored 11 points and Creek Valley’s Summer Mueller scored 10. The Gold team was led by another future Lady Knight, Sarah Mahr from Sydney High School scored 11 points.

The girls game featured even more players from area schools. For Team Gold Brady High School’s Madison Elliott scored eight points, her high school teammate and future Lady Knight volleyball player Valerie Most scored seven points, Hershey’s Maegan Hiatt scored four points, Madalynn Doughty from North Platte High scored two points and her high school teammate Sally Hengen also played for Team Gold.

The Black Team had Seamann’s and Sawyer’s 11 points apiece along with nine points from Sam Staggs from Sutherland High School. Staggs’ high school teammate, Jalyne Schuster scored three points and from North Platte St. Patrick’s Bree Saner also played in the game.

The girls game featured a trick play from the Gold Team. Hengen went down on all fours underneath the basket as Hiatt drove, jumped off of Hengen’s back and very nearly dunked it. The ball went in the hoop as her hand touched the rim.

Staggs won the three-point contest during halftime of the girls game. She beat Hiatt in the finals.

A list of area players for both the boys and girls teams that competed and will be playing a sport in college next season are listed below.

Boys

Drew Callaghan, North Platte High School – Basketball at Hastings College
Alex Harms, North Platte St. Patrick’s High School – Football at University of Nebraska Kearney

Girls

Maddie Seamann, Hershey High School – Basketball at North Platte Community College
Madalynn Doughty, North Platte High School – Soccer at University of Nebraska Kearney
Valerie Most, Brady High School – Volleyball at North Platte Community College

James Carries Heat past Spurs to Tie NBA Finals

Posted on June 8, 2014

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — LeBron James had 35 points and 10 rebounds in a powerful bounce back from cramps in the opener, and the Miami Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Chris Bosh made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 remaining for the Heat, who have won 13 straight following a loss in the postseason. Just like last year, they rebounded from a loss to the Spurs in the opener.

Bosh had 18 points for the Heat, who host Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker scored 21 points and Tim Duncan had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Spurs, who had won eight straight at home by 15 more points.

Dodgers Beat Rockies in Rain-Shortened Game

Posted on June 8, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Hanley Ramirez homered, Clayton Kershaw struck out nine and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 Sunday in a game cut short by rain in the sixth inning.

The Dodgers broke open the game with four runs in the top of the sixth. The game was then delayed 1 hour, 35 minutes before it was called.

Matt Kemp had a triple and two RBIs for the Dodgers, who played without outfielder Yasiel Puig and second baseman Dee Gordon, both of whom sustained hip injuries Saturday.

Chone Figgins singled and also scored a run filling in for Gordon at the top of the lineup.

Rain started falling in the second inning and was steady for the rest of the afternoon. The moisture appeared to affect Kershaw (5-2) when he faced Brandon Barnes in the bottom of the third. He threw one pitch high to the backstop and then bounced the next one in front of the plate.

Shields Pitches Royals to 2-1 Win over Yankees

Posted on June 8, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — James Shields kept making critical pitches to escape trouble, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas drove in runs and the Kansas City Royals squeaked out a 2-1 win over the Yankees on Sunday.

The Royals have won the last seven games that Shields (7-3) has started, and he’s earned the win in four of those. The veteran right-hander lasted six innings in his latest effort, giving up six hits to the punchless Yankees but only allowing only one unearned run.

The Royals scored both of their runs off Hiroki Kuroda (4-4) in the second inning. That was enough for Shields, who turned the 2-1 lead over to his stingy bullpen and watched it hold up.

Aaron Crow escaped a jam in the seventh inning, and Wade Davis recorded the 500th strikeout of his career during a perfect eighth before Greg Holland survived a shaky ninth for his 18th save.

Taylor Martinez’s Brother Leaving Nebraska Team

Posted on June 8, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Former Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez’s brother is leaving the team after just one year in the program.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini confirmed that Drake Martinez has left the team.

Drake Martinez was recruited as a safety, but didn’t get a chance to play last fall because of health issues, including having his tonsils removed.

Martinez’ father, Casey, says Drake lost quite a bit of weight and strength because of the health issues.

Casey Martinez says Drake recovered most of his strength but wanted a fresh start at a new school.

Nebraska also currently has several players competing for playing time at safety.