Sports – Page 694 – North Platte Post Archive

NPCC Lady Knights Fall to Highland

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

The North Platte Community College Lady Knights (5-1) traveled to Colby, Kan. this weekend to play in the Colby Classic. In their opening game of the Classic the Lady Knights fell to the Highland Community College Lady Scotties (25-19, 23-25, 26-28, 22-25) in four sets.

In the opening set the Lady Knights stormed out to a 25-19 victory. The Lady Scotties responded by winning a hard fought second set 23-25. The third set was another hard fought battle as the Lady Scotties again pulled it out 26-28. The Lady Scotties closed out the Lady Knights in the fourth set 22-25.

Samantha Kennedy led the Lady Knights with 18 kills and three blocks. Sabrina Hallahan was also in double figure kills with 12 kills. Joli Hopping had 23 assists and two ace serves to lead the Lady Knights. Laura Beckman had 20 assists. Shannon Liewer led the way with 28 digs.

“We started out good,” said head coach Sally Thalken “but when Highland (Community College) amped things up we got flat. We didn’t communicate and began to question ourselves. We gave up too many leads and just didn’t respond when the door was open for us. It will be another tough day tomorrow as Colby (Community College) is playing well and Trinidad State (Junior College) is a good team too.”

The Lady Knights return to the court at 10 a.m. tomorrow to face the host Colby Community College. The tournament is concluded for the Lady Knights as they take on Trinidad State Community College at 12 p.m.

Rockies RHP Betancourt to Have Tommy John surgery

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt has decided to have Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Friday that the 38-year-old Betancourt wants to pitch again, so this is probably the best course of action.

Betancourt was injured a week ago while attempting to close out a game against Philadelphia. An MRI confirmed he had torn his ulnar collateral ligament, and he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Initially, Betancourt considered undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy, followed by a rehab program. But he changed his mind, deciding he should get the damaged ligament repaired to give him the best chance to resume his career. He is likely to be sidelined for at least a year.

NU VB: Huskers Open 2013 with Sweep of Louisiana-Monroe

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

St. Louis, Mo. – The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team opened the 2013 season with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-4) sweep of Louisiana-Monroe at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic, hosted by Saint Louis University on Friday.

Amber Rolfzen led the Huskers with eight kills, while Cecilia Hall and Kelsey Robinson both chipped in seven kills. Justine Wong-Orantes guided NU defensively with 15 digs. Robinson also tallied 11 digs and five aces for the match. Mary Pollmiller and Kelly Hunter paced the Husker offense at setter, as each had 14 assists. Nebraska hit .222 for the match, while Louisiana-Monroe was held to a -.132 hitting clip.

The Huskers opened the first set with a 6-1 lead on a block, followed by a kill by Meghan Haggerty. Nebraska then took a 13-5 lead as the Warhawks committed a hitting error and were forced to call a timeout. Hall came through for the Huskers in the first set, using a kill to make it 19-7, NU. The Huskers would hold on to take the first set 25-11 over the ULM.

Amber Rolfzen led NU in the first set with four kills, while Hall had three of her own. The Huskers hit .333 as a team, while Wong-Orantes led the team defensively with six digs. Nebraska held Louisiana-Monroe to a -.143 hitting percentage.

Hall came out strong in the second set, with a huge shot to give NU an early lead. The Warhawks then came alive in the second set, taking an 11-8 lead before Nebraska called a timeout. The Huskers came back to take a 21-18 lead on an ace by Hunter. Hunter and Broekhuis then connected up to give NU a 23-20 advantage. Nebraska went on to win the second set 25-21.

Hall and Broekhuis each had three kills in the second set. Both teams struggled offensively as the Huskers hit .000 and ULM hit -.029. NU out-dug the Warhawks 18-12 for the set.

Nebraska opened the third set on an 8-0 run, aided by three aces from Robinson. Amber Rolfzen and Haggerty teamed up for a double-block to give NU an 11-2 lead that catapulted Nebraska on 10-0 run to close out the third set at 25-4.

Kelsey Robinson had five kills in the third set, while Amber Rolfzen tallied four. The Huskers hit .407 for the set, holding ULM to a -.250 clip. Nebraska out-dug the Warhawks 20-11.

The Huskers return to action tomorrow as they face Auburn at 10 a.m., and will take on Saint Louis at 7 p.m. to close out the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic.

Bob Devaney Immortalized in East Stadium Statue

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

LINCOLN – Two days before Nebraska hosts Wyoming in the season opener for both football teams, Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst announced Thursday that he has commissioned a statue of Hall-of-Fame Football Coach and former Husker Athletic Director Bob Devaney. The statue will be installed in the new East Stadium Plaza which serves as the doorstep to a 52,000 square-foot research facility, 38 new suites, 6,000 new seats and a graphic-rich tribute to Nebraska football tradition inside the historic gate 20 entrance.

The life-sized bronze statue of Devaney, sculpted by Omaha artist Joe Putjenter, will be unveiled Friday at 4 p.m. in a brief ceremony open to the public. Mike Devaney and Rob Devaney, Bob’s respective son and grandson, will attend Friday’s dedication and share their thoughts, along with Eichorst, Tom Osborne, Nebraska’s former head coach and athletic director, and UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman.

“This is Memorial Stadium’s 90th anniversary season, and we wanted to recognize the man who’s widely considered the one who really built this stadium from the 36,000-seat facility it was when he arrived in Lincoln in 1962,” Eichorst said. “With the stadium’s anniversary, the dedication of the expanded East Stadium and the fact that Wyoming and Nebraska were the only two schools that Bob Devaney ever served as head football coach, we thought this was the perfect time to honor his tremendous legacy.”

Having Devaney’s statue in front of what is believed to be the only joint on-campus academic and athletic research facility in intercollegiate athletics is appropriate in another meaningful way. The North entrance to Memorial Stadium’s Athletic Complex features a Tom Osborne/Brook Berringer statue and the stadium’s actual playing surface was recently reintroduced as “Tom Osborne Field” on both the East and the West sidelines.

“Coach Devaney added Coach Osborne to his staff as a graduate assistant the first year he was here and later hand-picked him to be his successor as head coach,” Eichorst said. “Our Athletic Department has gone to great lengths to make the Devaney Center, named in Bob’s honor, a world-class, modern-day facility. But we also wanted something visible to honor Coach Devaney at Memorial Stadium, which has been sold out since the first year he arrived in Lincoln.”

Nebraska had only three winning teams in the 21 seasons before Devaney arrived. His first team went 9-2 and won Nebraska’s first-ever bowl game, 36-34 over Miami. Devaney’s teams won back-to-back national championships in 1970 and ’71 and captured eight conference championships in his 11 years as head coach. His overall 101-20-2 record in 11 years at Nebraska included a 32-game unbeaten streak. Devaney’s 1971 team that beat Alabama, 38-6, in the Orange Bowl, was recently voted by The Sporting News the No. 1 college football team of all time. Devaney coached 14 years at four Michigan high schools before becoming an assistant coach under Duffy Daugherty at Michigan State from 1953 to 1956. He served five years as head coach at Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 with a record of 35-10-5. His career head coaching record at both schools was 136-30-7 for winning percentage of .806. While he was head coach at Nebraska, Memorial Stadium attendance more than doubled to 72,700.

Devaney and Osborne became the third coaching duo to post back-to-back 100-win careers at the same institutions, but the first pair to accomplish that feat in just 22 years. Devaney served as Nebraska’s Athletic Director for 26 years from 1967 to 1993.

Bob Devaney at a Glance

Position: Head Football Coach

Schools: Wyoming, Nebraska

Years: 1957-1972

Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame: 1981

Born: April 13, 1915, Saginaw, Michigan

Died: May 8, 1997, Lincoln, Nebraska

Bob Devaney Through the Years

Year	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct.	Bowl	Highlights
At Wyoming
1957	4	3	3	.550
1958	8	3	0	.727	Sun	Skyline Conf. Champs
1959	9	1	0	.900		Skyline Conf. Champs
1960	8	2	0	.800		Skyline Conf. Champs
1961	6	1	2	.778		Skyline Conf. Champs
Totals	35	10	5	.750		Four league titles
At Nebraska
1962	9	2	0	.818	Gotham
1963	10	1	0	.909	Orange	Big Eight Champions
1964	9	2	0	.818	Cotton	Big Eight Champions
1965	10	1	0	.909	Orange	Big Eight Champions
1966	9	2	0	.818	Sugar	Big Eight Champions
1967	6	4	0	.600
1968	6	4	0	.600
1969	9	2	0	.818	Sun	Big Eight co-Champions
1970	11	0	1	.958	Orange	National Champions
1971	13	0	0	1.000	Orange	National Champions
1972	9	2	1	.792	Orange	Big Eight Champions
Totals	101	20	2	.829		Eight league titles
Overall Total	136	30	7	.806		12 league titles
Bowl Record	7	3	0	.700		Two national titles

Bob Devaney’s Honors and Accomplishments

University of Nebraska Head Football Coach (1962-72)

University of Nebraska Athletic Director (1967-93)

National Championship Teams (1970, 1971)

College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (1981)

NCAA Suspends Nebraska-Kearney Wrestler

Posted on August 30, 2013

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The NCAA has punished a University of Nebraska at Kearney wrestler for an incident at the Division II championships in March.

The Division II wrestling committee reprimanded Patrick Martinez and suspended him for eight matches. The university appealed to the appeals subcommittee, which also ruled against Martinez.

The NCAA says Martinez used profane language and had a physical altercation with the opposition’s coach follow the match in Birmingham, Ala.

Nebraska-Kearney athletics department spokesman Peter Yazvak (YAZ’-vak) said Friday that Martinez finished fifth in the tournament, in the 174-pound weight class.

Yazvak says Martinez is a senior who hails from Hemet, (HEH’-muht) Calif. Yazvak says Martinez is expected to practice with the team and be eligible for match or tournament action by mid-January.

The school didn’t immediately issue a statement.

Bulldogs Softball Splits a Double Header in Hastings

Posted on August 30, 2013August 30, 2013

Bulldogs Pitcher Katie Franzen Delivers a Pitch Against Omaha Gross

Hastings- The North Platte Bulldogs softball team started the 2013 season with a split against Omaha Gross and Omaha Skutt at the double header played in Hastings on Thursday. North Platte beat Omaha Gross 12-3 before losing to Omaha Skutt 6-1.

The Bulldogs and the Bison from McCook met Omaha Gross and Omaha Skutt in Hastings for a double header against the two Omaha schools.

North Platte played Omaha Gross in its first game of the day. The Bulldogs took the lead early before the Cougars of Omaha Gross scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning. The Bulldogs quickly responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the third to go on top 5-3. The inning was headlined by Mikenzi Wiseman’s inside the park three-run home run. Once the Dawgs jumped on top they didn’t look back en route to a 12-3 run-rule win over Omaha Gross Catholic in six innings.

Katie Franzen started inside the circle for the Bulldogs against Omaha Gross and threw six innings, giving up just three runs with two of them earned. Franzen set the Cougars down in order the final three innings and finished with two strikeouts.

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the sixth inning to go along with the four scored in the third. Marisa Ramos had an RBI triple for the Dawgs and freshman Willow Chitty reached base four times with three singles and scored three runs to go along with two stolen bases. Bulldogs coach BJ Songster liked what she saw out of her freshman second baseman, Chitty.

“I’m very proud of her and excited to see her growth and what else she can bring to our team,” Songster said. “And I hope that it challenges the rest of our team to see what their capable of doing and create that inter squad competition.”

Omaha Skutt Catholic pitched future Nebraska Cornhusker Kaylan Jablonski against the Bulldogs in the night cap on Thursday. Jablonski was dominant for five innings, taking a no hitter in to the sixth before giving up back-to-back singles to Hannah Hays and Chitty with one out in the inning. North Platte broke up the no-hitter and the shutout in the same inning as Hays came around to score on a first and third situation when Chitty stole second base. That run was the lone run for the Bulldogs in the game and they only had three hits. Jenny Keck had the third hit with a single in the seventh inning.

The Skyhawks from Omaha Skutt Catholic did most of their damage in the second inning. They scored five runs on five hits and received some help from North Platte as the Bulldogs committed four errors in the inning. Jablonski helped her own cause with a two-RBI single in the inning then added an inside the park solo home run later in the game.

Marisa Ramos pitched the first four innings for North Platte and gave up five runs with four of them earned. All of the runs came in the second inning and Ramos showed great mental toughness by coming back out and shutting down the Skyhawks the next two innings. Keck pitched the final three innings and gave up just the solo home run to Jablonski and had one strikeout. Coach Songster was pleased with the fight the Bulldogs showed after falling down 5-0.

“I think it says a lot about our team,” Songster said. “That’s the biggest thing, to persevere; of course we want to play errorless ball, but it’s how you can bounce back and keep persevering through things.”

Jablonski finished the game with 14 strikeouts for Omaha Skutt Catholic.

The Bulldogs are now 1-1 and will next play in the LPS Invite in Lincoln on Saturday. North Platte is scheduled to play Omaha Skutt once again along with Milford and Lincoln East.

Songster said they will likely face Jablonski again for the Skyhawks and she looks forward to seeing how her players adjust.

“We know what we need to prepare for [Friday] at practice,” Songster said. “The biggest thing is making adjustments early on and I think we started doing that towards the end of [today’s] game. Hopefully they know what to expect now and we can work on those things we need to work on and we can take it to them on Saturday.”

Broncos Lose to Cards 32-24 in Final Preseason Game

Posted on August 29, 2013August 30, 2013

DENVER (AP) — Ryan Lindley threw for two touchdowns for Arizona in a 32-24 victory over Denver on Thursday night that capped a wild offseason for the Broncos.

Now, this summer’s trendy Super Bowl pick heads into next week’s NFL Kickoff against defending champion Baltimore after losing both of its “Doom & Gloom” pass-rush partners. Elvis Dumervil went to the Ravens in free agency after a fax foul-up, and Von Miller will begin serving a six-game suspension.

Together, they accounted for 29½ of Denver’s league-leading 52 sacks last season.

How the Broncos make up for their absences will go a long way in determining if Miller’s Super Bowl guarantee he made back in February was bold or blather.

Indy Expected to Bid on 2018 Super Bowl

Posted on August 29, 2013August 30, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis sports and civic leaders are expected to announce they will seek to host the Super Bowl in 2018.

Gov. Mike Pence, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Colts owner Jim Irsay plan to join other civic leaders in announcing their bid decision Friday morning at Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the 2012 Super Bowl.

Indianapolis was praised for its hosting of the Super Bowl last year and drew hundreds of thousands of football fans to the city. But the amount of business generated did not meet expectations in some areas of the city.

Indianapolis also will face new competition from other cities. Denver and Minneapolis leaders have both announced bids to host the 2018 game.

Broncos Linebacker Phillips Reports Vehicle Stolen

Posted on August 29, 2013August 30, 2013

DENVER (AP) — A police report shows Broncos linebacker Shaun Phillips reported his vehicle was stolen from downtown Denver over the weekend.

The Denver Post reports (http://bit.ly/14cc6Ww ) that according to the police report, Phillips said his $120,000 Range Rover was taken sometime between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday from Larimer Square.

Phillps previously played for the San Diego Chargers and signed with Denver in April.

Huskers Two Days Away From Opener

Posted on August 29, 2013August 30, 2013

Lincoln – The Nebraska football team practiced for two hours on Thursday inside the Hawks Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields as the Huskers approach Saturday’s season opener against Wyoming.

Head Coach Bo Pelini addressed the media following the team’s workout and summed up his thoughts on the week’s preparation.

“I thought we had good tempo today and I thought we had a pretty good week of practice,” Pelini said. “We had some things we needed to clean up today and I thought we were sharp today. We’re looking forward to the game.”

Pelini also talked about why he chose the seven players that received Blackshirts on Wednesday.

“I liked where certain guys were,” Pelini said. “I thought it was the right thing for this football team and for that group of guys. I thought there were certain guys that earned it and solidified starting jobs.”

Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis will be starting his second season in that position and Pelini said he was happy with where the defense has come in that time.

“J.P. has been with me for eight years now so he knows me very well and I think we communicate really well,” Pelini said. “He’s a detail-oriented guy, he’s very organized and I think he’s really gone in and done a heck of a job. I’m really happy with what he’s doing with this defense.”

Pelini added that he thinks the team will be ready no matter how hot it gets on Saturday night.

“It’s going to be pretty warm, even at night,” Pelini said. “It’s been humid the last few nights. We’ve been preparing for it and guys are fresh right now going into the game. There’s going to be some heat issues I’m sure but we’re going to use a lot of our depth and play a lot of guys and try to wear the other football team out.”

Additionally, the Nebraska Athletic Department announced on Thursday that a statue of former NU Head Coach and Athletic Director Bob Devaney will be unveiled on Friday. The statue of Devaney, who also coached for Wyoming in his career, will be located in the new East Stadium Plaza. Saturday’s game between the Huskers and Cowboys is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Big Ten Network.