Sports – Page 693 – North Platte Post Archive

Big Ten Football Players of the Week

Posted on September 2, 2013

Offensive Player of the Week

Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois

Sr., QB, Kansas City, Mo./Rockhurst

· Threw for a career-high 416 yards and two touchdowns in Illinois’ season-opening win over Southern Illinois

· Completed 28 of 36 passes, a 77.8 percent clip, and climbed into fourth on Illinois’ career total offense list with 7,480 yards

· Connected with Josh Ferguson for 53 yards and Jon Davis for 11 yards for two second-quarter touchdowns

· Records his second career Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor, the first coming as a freshman on Nov. 1, 2010

· Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: A.J. Jenkins (Oct. 3, 2011)

Defensive Player of the Week

Collin Ellis, Northwestern

Jr., LB, St. Gabriel, La./The Dunham School

· Became the first player in school history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in Northwestern’s road win against California

· Recorded his first interception in the third quarter, returning it 56 yards to give Northwestern the lead

· Intercepted his second pass midway through the fourth quarter, scampering 40 yards to the end zone to increase the Wildcat lead to 10 points

· Also finished with four tackles, including one for loss

· Claims his first career Defensive Player of the Week honor

· Last Northwestern Defensive Player of the Week: Chi Chi Ariguzo (Sept. 10, 2012)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Sam Ficken, Penn State

Jr., K, Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso

· Was perfect in his kicking duties, converting all three field goals and both PAT attempts in Penn State’s 23-17 win over Syracuse

· Was successful on kicks from 36, 35 and 46 yards, the latter of which was a career long in the fourth quarter

· Has made 13 straight field-goal attempts dating back to the 2012 season

· Wins his second career Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honor after being honored on Nov. 26, 2012

· Last Penn State Special Teams Player of the Week: Sam Ficken (Nov. 26, 2012)

Freshman of the Week

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

QB, Palmyra, Va./Fork Union Military Academy

· Threw for 278 yards on 22 completions and two touchdowns in his Penn State debut, guiding the Nittany Lions to a 23-17 win over Syracuse

· The second true freshman quarterback to start a Penn State season opener since 1910, Hackenberg connected on two touchdown strikes of 50 or more yards in the second half

· Teamed with Allen Robinson for a 51-yard score in the third quarter and Eugene Lewis on a 54-yard strike in the fourth

· Wins his first career weekly award

· Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Kyle Carter (Oct. 22, 2012)

NU VB: Huskers Sweep Billikens in Marcia E. Hamilton Classic Finale

Posted on August 31, 2013August 31, 2013

St. Louis, Mo. – The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team (2-1) made quick work of Saint Louis on Saturday night, sweeping the Billikens 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-16) in front of 3,759 fans at Chaifetz Arena. Kelsey Robinson and Justine Wong-Orantes were named to the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic All-Tournament Team for their efforts over the weekend.

Amber Rolfzen and Kelsey Fien each had 10 kills for the Huskers, Fien recording just two errors for a .421 hitting percentage. Robinson had nine kills, while Cecilia Hall punched in seven hills and zero errors. Alicia Ostrander posted four kills, zero errors, a hitting percentage of .571 and six blocks to lead NU at the net.

Nebraska recorded a hitting percentage of .300 or better for the first time this season, chipping in a clip of .366. The Huskers held Saint Louis to a .139 hitting percentage. NU out-blocked the Billikens 7-5 and out-dug SLU 43-38.

The Huskers opened the first set with a 5-3 lead, aided by two quick kills from Amber Rolfzen. The two teams exchanged leads and posted 13 ties until a kill from Morgan Broekhuis gave NU a little separation at 22-20. Ostrander and Broekhuis teamed up for a block to give NU a 24-20 lead as the Huskers went on to take the first set 25-20.

Fien led NU in the first set with five kills, while Amber Rolfzen and Broekhuis all had three kills. Nebraska hit .371 for the set, while Saint Louis hit .273. Both teams had 12 blocks.

Hall and Broekhuis aided the Huskers early with two kills in the second set to give the Huskers a 9-5 lead. Hall continued to work for the Huskers, using two kills to bring Nebraska’s lead to 13-8. Hunter connected with Ostrander for a kill, making it 16-10, NU, pushing the Huskers to eventually take a 20-14 lead.

Amber Rolfzen, Hall and Ostrander each tallied four kills in the second set. Nebraska hit .452 for the set and held the Billikens to a hitting clip of .154.

The Huskers came out to a 5-4 lead in the third set with the help of a block from Ostrander. Robinson tallied back-to-back kills to spark NU and Amber Rolfzen punched in a kill to make it 12-8, Huskers. Ostrander kept coming with the block, giving Nebraska a 16-9 lead. The Huskers gained all the momentum and went ahead 20-13, going on to finish the third set with a 25-16 third-set win.

Nebraska returns home next weekend and will host Villanova on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. and Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.

NPCC Lady Knights Win Two at Colby Classic

Posted on August 31, 2013August 31, 2013

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (7-1) volleyball team bounced back Saturday with two wins in the Colby Classic. In the first game of the day the Lady Knights defeated the host Colby Community College Lady Trojans in four sets 3-1 (15-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-19). The Lady Knights then continued their strong play to defeat the Trinidad State Junior College Lady Trojans 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-15).

The Lady Knights started out slow Saturday morning as they could never get any momentum against the Lady Trojans as they dropped the first set 15-25. The Lady Knights stormed back to win a tightly contested second set 26-24 and third set 25-23 before winning the fourth set 25-19 to defeat Colby.

Joli Hopping paced the Lady Knights with 16 assists and two ace serves. Sabrina Hallahan led the Knights with 13 kills while Samantha Kennedy was also in double figure kills with 11 and led the team with three blocks. Shannon Liewer led the Lady Knights with 25 digs. Laura Beckman contributed double-digit assists with 12.

“We got off to an incredibly slow start against Colby (Community College),” said head coach Sally Thalken “with only five kills in the first set!” We fought back to win the second set which gave us momentum into the third. It was another dog fight. We showed some character to win the third in a tight set. We worked hard to get a lead and keep momentum to win the fourth. Colby is a really good team and our girls played really scrappy defense and stayed aggressive to earn the victory.”

In the second game of the day the Lady Knights again started out slow as they dropped the first set to Trinidad State 21-25. As they had earlier in the day the Lady Knights responded by winning the second set 25-18. The Lady Knights held onto the momentum as they cruised to identical wins in the third and fourth sets at a score of 25-15.

Samantha Byrn led the way against the Lady Trojans with 14 kills as the only Lady Knight in double figures. Sabrina Hallahan had 22 digs to pace the Lady Knights while Shannon Liewer was right behind with 21 digs. Laura Beckman led the Lady Knights with 16 assists while Joli Hopping had 13.

“Trinidad State is another big team with good volleyball players,” said coach Thalken. “We once again came out a little flat and lost the first set; frustrating that we can’t start faster. I am pleased that we came back. Our aggressive serves, really scrappy defense, hustle plays that keyed momentum and controlling the net brought home the win.”

“Overall I was pleased with the weekend. We all will enjoy the extended weekend as it will bring some needed rest for the legs and some girls that are not playing at 100 percent.”

The Lady Knights return to action on Thursday September 5 as they travel to Sterling, Colo. to take on the Northeastern Junior College Lady Plainsmen at 7 p.m. CST. The Lady Knights then return home on Wednesday September 11 to face Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference foe McCook Community College at 7 p.m.

NU VB: Huskers Drop 3-1 Decision to Auburn

Posted on August 31, 2013August 31, 2013

St. Louis, Mo. – The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team (1-1) dropped a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25) decision to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday morning. One day after a dominating performance over Louisiana-Monroe, the Huskers faced a challenge in a feisty Tiger squad.

Kelsey Robinson led Nebraska on the day with a double-double, including 18 kills and 18 digs. Kelsey Fien recorded 13 kills, while Justine Wong-Orantes also chipped in 18 digs. Mary Pollmiller paced the offense with 27 assists, while Kelly Hunter added 19 assists.

Nebraska hit .218 as a team in the match, as the Tigers hit .208. The Huskers were out-blocked 9-7 and out-dug 86-71. NU recorded six service aces, but could not overcome the errors from the service line as NU tallied 14 by the end of the match. Auburn had just two service errors.

The Huskers started the match with a 5-3 lead after a long rally and a kill by Robinson. The two teams exchanged leads, with nine ties until the Tigers went up 18-15. Freshman Melanie Keil came in for NU at middle blocker and the Huskers capitalized on a kill by Robinson as Nebraska strung together a 3-0 run to cut Auburn’s lead to 20-19. The Tigers responded, but a block by Hall and Robinson pushed Nebraska to a 3-0 run, tying the match at 22-22. Auburn would roll off three more points on the Huskers to close out the set 25-23.

The two teams hit an identical .213 clip for the first set and each had two team blocks. Nebraska was out-dug 28-19 as four Auburn players had at least five digs in the set. Robinson led the Huskers with seven kills.

The Huskers found their rhythm and responded in the second set, taking a 5-1 lead with the help of two kills from Fien. The lead was stretched to 9-3 as Auburn called a timeout. The Huskers came out of the timeout to take a 15-5 lead, aided by a kill from Broekhuis and a double-block from Hall and Robinson. Back-to-back kills from Fien made it 20-6, Huskers, but the Tigers strung together a run of their own to make it 20-10, NU, and force Nebraska to use a timeout. Haggerty ended an 11-1 run for the Tigers with a kill to make it 22-18, but Auburn would not back down until Nebraska finished off the second set with a 25-22 win.

Fien led NU in the second set with six kills on 13 attacks, while the Huskers hit at a clip of .220. Wong-Orantes guided the Huskers defensively with seven digs, as NU out-dug the Tigers 16-12. Auburn was held to a hitting percentage of .091.

Back-to-back aces from Kelly Hunter helped the Huskers to an 8-6 lead early in the third set. Hall made her presence known with two kills to make it 14-10, NU. Auburn came back to take the lead at 17-16, as a kill from Robinson would tie the set at 21-21. A double-block by Hall and Robinson would bring the Huskers within 24-23, but Auburn held on to take the third set 25-23.

Fien once again led NU in the set with four kills, while Hall and Broekhuis each had three. Nebraska hit .178 for the set, while Auburn hit at a clip of .257. Both teams recorded three team blocks, while NU was out-dug 23-13.

The intensity did not let up in the fourth set as the Tigers and Huskers battled point-for-point. Nebraska went up 7-6 on a kill by Amber Rolfzen, but Auburn responded to take the lead, eventually taking a 12-9 advantage and forcing NU to call a timeout. Haggerty and Broekhuis connected for a double-block to tie the set at 15-15, as Nebraska then used a spirited rally to tie the set again at 17-17. Auburn took a 20-19 lead late in the set, but the Huskers would not be able to gain enough momentum and dropped the set 25-23.

Robinson had five kills in the fourth set, while Amber Rolfzen posted four kills. The Huskers hit .261 and Auburn hit .250. Both teams tallied 23 digs.

Nebraska returns to action this evening as the Huskers will take on Saint Louis at 7 p.m.

AP Source: Tim Tebow Cut by Patriots

Posted on August 31, 2013August 31, 2013

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Tim Tebow has been cut by the New England Patriots.

After being let go by his third team in 18 months — and with the regular season just five days away — the quarterback’s chances of immediately catching on with another team seem slim. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Patriots had not announced the move. It was first reported by ESPN.

Tebow’s stay with the Patriots lasted just under 12 weeks and could signal the end of his NFL career. The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback played in just three of New England’s four preseason games, and was sacked four times in the finale, a 28-20 win over the New York Giants on Thursday night.

Nebraska Holding Lottery for Deer Hunters

Posted on August 31, 2013August 31, 2013

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A lottery is being held for deer hunting access to Platte River Recreation Access lands in the central Platte River Valley.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says 38 hunters will be chosen from a drawing in early October. They’ll be allowed to hunt deer on designated lands Nov. 16-24.

Applications, limited to one per person, will be accepted by mail or in person at the Game and Parks service center in Kearney from Sunday through 5 p.m. on Sept. 30. Hunters can apply to hunt three areas but will receive permission on only one area if their names are drawn.

More information and a map showing the available areas can be obtained at platteaccess.org, by calling 308-865-5338 or emailing [email protected].

Dawgs Lose Big to Norfolk in Season Opener

Posted on August 30, 2013

Norfolk– The North Platte Bulldogs began the 2013 season with a 63-14 loss to the Norfolk Panthers in Norfolk Friday night.

The Panthers (1-0) wasted no time jumping out to an early lead with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Reedy to Blake Bauer on the seventh play of the game. Norfolk scored six touchdowns in the first quarter, including a pick six to take a commanding 42-0 lead. North Platte (0-1) scored its first touchdown late in the second quarter with a 10-yard pass from Shane Mauch to Alec Wesslund. The pass was intended for Drew Callaghan but was knocked down by the Norfolk defensive backs. Wesslund made a great play by sliding in on his knees to make the catch in the end zone. The play was set up by a 29-yard pass from Mauch to Callaghan. The Panthers led 56-6 at the half after the PAT by the Bulldogs failed due to a low snap.

The 35-point rule came in to effect to start the second half, meaning the clock ran continuously except for during timeouts, between quarters and after scores. With the time running down quickly the Panthers only had one possession in the third quarter and used it to add to their lead to make the score 63-6 after the third quarter. The Bulldogs responded by scoring seven seconds in to the fourth quarter with a 13-yard pass from Mauch to Callaghan. Mauch then connected with Dustin Horton to convert on the two-point conversion to make the final tally 63-14. The drive by North Platte was their best of the night as they marched 80 yards down the field in 12 plays.

The Bulldogs next game is Friday, September 6 against Lincoln Pius X. The game will be played at Bauer Field in Memorial Stadium at North Platte High School. It’s Parents Night for the Bulldogs and the game can be heard on ESPN Radio 1410 AM and online at northplattepost.com with Robert Lovell and Scott Carlson on the call.

Helton Hits 2 HRs, Drives in 6 as Rockies top Reds

Posted on August 30, 2013August 31, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Todd Helton homered twice and matched a career high with six RBIs to power the Colorado Rockies past the Cincinnati Reds 9-6 on Friday night.

Jorge De La Rosa pitched six effective innings for his 15th win. Helton’s 28th career multihomer game and first since 2011 left him one hit shy of 2,500.

The first of his two three-run homers came in the fourth off Bronson Arroyo (13-10) roughed up for six runs and nine hits over 3 1-3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. He issued a one-out walk in the first, ending a 30-inning string without one, and had his four-game winning streak snapped.

Helton homered again in the seventh off reliever Logan Ondrusek, his 11th of the season.

North Dakota State Stuns Kansas State 24-21

Posted on August 30, 2013August 31, 2013

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Brock Jensen backed into the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown with 28 seconds left, and North Dakota State upset defending Big 12 champion Kansas State 24-21 Friday night.

The senior quarterback led the Bison on an 18-play, 80-yard march that ate up 8½ minutes, helping them convert four third downs along the way, and left the Wildcats with virtually no time left to set up a tying field-goal try.

Jensen threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns for Bison, the two-time defending FCS national champions who have beaten Colorado State, Minnesota and Kansas in the last three years.

Jake Waters threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who built a 21-7 lead by the third quarter before everything fell apart. Waters was picked off twice, including a desperation heave after the Bison had taken the lead to wrap up the biggest win in North Dakota State history.

Buehrle Sharp as Blue Jays Beat Royals 3-2

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

TORONTO (AP) — Mark Buehrle pitched seven shutout innings to win his sixth straight decision and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Kansas City 3-2 on Friday night, ending the Royals’ winning streak at five games.

Adam Lind drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of 14 meetings with Kansas City dating to 2011.

The Royals, who came in six games behind Oakland for the second AL wild-card berth, lost for the first time since Aug. 24 against Washington, the final defeat in a seven-game skid.

Buehrle (11-7) allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five to match his longest winning streak since 2005, when he won a career-best nine consecutive decisions. The left-hander is 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his past eight outings. He’s gone 8-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 14 home starts this season.