The Neligh Seniors will be heading to Crofton for their district baseball tournament next month.
The Area 1 district for Class C is scheduled for July 20-24 in Crofton. Teams assigned to that district are Neligh, Hartington, Osmond, Creighton, Plainview, Atkinson and Madison. Winning teams from each district, along with the state hosting teams, will advance to the Class C Senior Legion State Baseball Tournament in Albion, July 28-August 1. The Neligh Juniors will be heading to Pierce for their district baseball tournament next month.
The Area 1 district for Class C is scheduled for July 6-10 in Pierce. Teams assigned to that district are Neligh, Battle Creek, Creighton, Hartington and Crofton. Winning teams from each district, along with the state hosting teams, will advance to the Class C Junior Legion State Baseball Tournament in Battle Creek, July 14-18. The Neligh Legion dugout is full of the usual items — bats, balls and gloves. But this season, it likely has a broom, too.
After all, the Juniors and Seniors swept yet another opponent Tuesday night as their incredible season continues to roll forward. The Juniors defeated Hartington 13-5 before the Seniors won 7-4 in what was arguably their first competitive game of the season. The Seniors moved to 8-0 with the win as Cole Belitz threw a solid game from mound with six strikeouts. He had a no-hitter going into the third inning. Neligh found the scoreboard with a dominant five-run third inning. Austin Rice, Hunter Reestman and Beau Murray all singled to start the inning and load the bases. An RBI from Belitz started the scoring frenzy. All four, as well as Tyson Belitz, crossed home plate as Neligh’s first five batters of the inning scored. Up 5-2, Neligh continued to work all phases of the game to get Hartington playing catchup. Reestman, who went 2-for-3 added to the lead in the fourth inning as Jayden Arehart batted him home. Neligh padded its lead with another run in the fifth as Andrew Herley turned his walk into a score. With a storm approaching, the game was called after the fifth due to lightning. In the Juniors game, Murray and Reestman started Neligh off with a pair of walks and eventually scored for the early 2-1 lead after the first inning. The second inning quickly put the game out of reach for the visitors as Neligh batted around its lineup. Brock Kester and Brandon Evans crossed the plate first to start the five-run second inning. Reestman used an RBI single to keep things rolling. Reestman and Pofahl both scored, and Charf hit a two-RBI single to left field. Conor Ramold wrapped up the inning with a single and later scored. Neligh’s 10-0 run continued with a strong third inning as Reestman, Charf, Ramold and Dawson Kaup all scored. Ramold had a two-RBI double in the mix and Kaup had an RBI. The fifth inning saw Pofahl, Charf and Ramold all score with RBIs from Kaup and Garret Belitz. From the mound, Murray had eight strikeouts. The Juniors are now 4-2. Juniors Hartington 1 0 0 1 3 - 5 Neligh 2 5 3 0 3 - 13 Seniors Hartington 0 0 2 0 2 - 4 Neligh 0 0 5 1 1 - 7 Thirteen teams competed in the 8th annual Mark Mullins Memorial Fishing Tournament on Saturday.
Held at Verdel, the tournament serves as a fundraiser for mechanical scholarships in the name of Mullins, who owned a repair shop in Brunswick at the time of his death in 2010. Among those who fished in the weekend tournament were his brothers, Greg and Chad, and two young sons, Collin and Carter of Orchard. Tournament winners are as follows: Walleye: 1. Bruce Pitzer, 3 lb. 9.5 oz; 2. Jim Pfanstiel, 2 lb 14 oz; 3. Wade Pitzer, 2 lb 12.5 oz. Bass: 1. Kam and Deb Stueckrath 2 lb 9 oz; 2. Bryan Bittner 2 lb 6 oz; 3. Jim Pfanstiel 2 lb 2.5 oz. Catfish: 1. Jim Pfanstiel 2 lb 11.5 oz; 2. Jeremie Johnson 13 oz; 3. Chris Williby 12.5 oz. The 2018 Sertoma All-Star Game saw an incredible offensive showing by the West during their crushing defeat over the East on Saturday.
The top players in all of Nebraska 8-man football met at Hastings College on Saturday for the 41st annual matchup between the East and West. Clearwater-Orchard's Creston Berschinger represented Antelope County as a running back on the West Team. The first quarter saw the West Team on the board after scoring on a 6-yard run by C-W-E's Daniel Libolt with 6 minutes left in the quarter. An 85-yard pass by South Loup's Jake Rush to Amherst's Holden Eckhout brought the West's score up to 14 with 3 minutes left in the first. The East responded early on in the second with a 1-yard rush by running back Quinten Moles of Bloomfield, and a successful two-point conversion brought them up to 8 with 10 minutes left in the half. A 62 yard pass to Giltner's Josh Hinrichs and a 18 yard run by Libolt brought the West up to 27 at halftime. Third quarter saw success on both the ground and the air, as Libolt added to the West's score with a 39-yard run and East Butler's Trevor Havlovic and Dalton Bohac connected for a 62-yard pass to bring the score to 33-14 at the end of the quarter. A 25-yard pass by Rush to Twin Loup's Alex Horky in the fourth helped to secure the West's victory. The East was able to score one last time with a 22-yard field goal by Osceola's Cade Theis, finishing the game 39-17. More than 30 Antelope County student-athletes, including three six-time honorees, received Academic All-State awards this year.
The Lincoln Journal Star selects high school students who not only stand out in athletics, but those who also excel in the classroom. More than 5,000 honorees from 260 schools across the state earned the distinction for the 2017-2018 school year. A special “Pick 6” recognition was given to 187 seniors in Nebraska who were six-time honorees. Among those were Lydia Behnk of Elgin Public, and Bailey Frey and Rachel Higgins, both of Neligh-Oakdale. Student-athletes who are juniors or seniors can be nominated by their coach or another representative of their high school. Nominees must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.6 or better on a 4.0 scale and be a varsity starter. Among non-starters, one individual who contributes significantly to his or her varsity team could also be nominated. The Journal Star staff evaluated each nomination, weighing factors relating to both their athletic and academic achievements. Clearwater: Brooklynn Chipps, senior, 3.8 GPA, 6/15 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Allison Kerkman, senior, 3.8 GPA, 3/15 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball Chris Kester, junior, 3.6 GPA, 7/14 class rank - football, boys basketball Zach King, junior, 3.6 GPA, 6/14 class rank - football, wrestling Jacob Long, junior, 3.9 GPA, 2/14 class rank - football, boys basketball, boys track and field Liam Odell, senior, 3.8 GPA, 4/15 class rank - boys basketball, boys track and field Taylor Sanne, junior, 3.9 GPA, 4/14 class rank - girls basketball, girls track and field Katie Stearns, junior, 3.7 GPA, 5/14 class rank - girls track and field Andrew Steskal, senior, 3.9 GPA, 1/15 class rank - football, wrestling Julia Thiele, junior, 4.0 GPA, 1/14 class rank - girls track and field Elgin Public: Lydia Behnk, senior, 4.0 GPA, 1/9 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Hunter Reestman, junior, 3.9 GPA, 1/11 class rank - football, boys basketball, boys golf Allyson Wemhoff, junior, 3.9 GPA, 2/11 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Elkhorn Valley: Kalen Dittrich, senior, 4.4 GPA, 1/20 class rank - boys basketball, boys track and field Brayden Effle, senior, 4.1 GPA, 3/20 class rank - boys cross country, boys basketball, boys track and field Kimberly Frey, junior, 4.1 GPA, 2/23 class rank - girls golf, girls track and field Amber Miller, junior, 4.2 GPA, 1/23 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Hannah Ollendick, junior, 3.6 GPA, 6/23 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Mitchell Petersen, junior, 4.0 GPA, 3/23 class rank - wrestling, boys track and field Delilah Sierra, senior, 4.0 GPA, 4/20 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Dalton Smutny, senior, 3.9 GPA, 6/20 class rank - boys cross country, boys basketball, boys track and field Prestin Vondra, junior, 3.8 GPA, 4/23 class rank - football, wrestling, boys track and field Neligh-Oakdale: Jayden Arehart, junior, 3.9 GPA, 3/22 class rank - football, wrestling, boys track and field Cole Belitz, junior, 4.0 GPA, 1/22 class rank - boys cross country, boys basketball, boys track and field Bailey Frey, senior, 3.7 GPA, 3/24 class rank - volleyball, girls basketball, girls track and field Madisen Grosserode, junior, 3.7 GPA, 5/22 class rank - girls cross country Courtni Heckert, senior. 3.6 GPA, 4/24 class rank - girls cross country, girls track and field Rachel Higgins, senior, 4.0 GPA, 1/24 class rank - girls cross country, girls basketball, girls track and field Logan McConnell, junior, 3.7 GPA, 4/22 class rank - boys cross country, boys basketball Austin Rice, junior, 3.6 GPA, 6/22 class rank - football, boys basketball, boys golf Cade Wilkinson, junior, 3.9 GPA, 2/22 class rank - wrestling, boys track and field Orchard: Ryan Wilhelm, junior, 3.7 GPA, 2/11 class rank - boys basketball Kirby Willats, senior, 3.9 GPA, 1/3 class rank - boys basketball Pick 6 - Six-time Honorees: Lydia Behnk - Elgin Public Bailey Frey - Neligh-Oakdale Rachel Higgins - Neligh-Oakdale Friday night marked yet another big win for the Neligh Seniors as they moved to a perfect 7-0 on a long road trip to Valentine.
The Seniors wasted little time as they went through the lineup in the first inning, connecting for five runs to put the host team in a hole before they even batted. Cole Belitz hit a single to start the run and crossed the plate soon after thanks to an RBI double from his brother, Tyson Belitz, who later scored. Austin Rice and Austin Miller each hit singles, and Andrew Herley connected for an RBI single. The trio scored to complete the five-run inning. Valentine's Lyle Cate took his lead-off batter slot seriously and hit a double. He later scored, but the run was the lone time his squad cross the plate all night as strong pitching and defense kept Valentine playing from behind. Neligh pitcher Jayden Arehart finished off the first inning with a pair of strikes before going 1-2-3 in the second inning to strikeout all three batters he faced. Neligh's hot pitching continued with 10 strikeouts for the game. With a 5-1 lead after the first inning, Neligh added three more runs in the second. Cole and Tyson Belitz both walked to first to start the inning. Rice and Miller both walked as well as Valentine struggled from the mound. The Belitz brothers and Rice both scored. Neligh added two more runs in the fourth thanks to a two-RBI single from Hunter Reestman, scoring Jayden Arehart and Rice, who score three runs in the game. In the fifth and final inning, Neligh's Tyson Belitz connected for a single and later scored. The Seniors will be back in action on Monday as they host Ord in a Juniors/Seniors doubleheader. Opening pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. in Riverside Park with the Seniors following in the nightcap. Neligh 530 21 - 11 Valentine 100 00 - 1 WP: Jayden Arehart. Neligh-Oakdale's annual Education Foundation Golf Tournament enjoyed a successful outing on Friday as they raised money for college scholarships and dual-credit grants for students. The tournament was at the Antelope Country Club.
For the first time in tournament history, all of the winning teams donated a portion, if not all, of their cash payout directly back to the fundraiser. Black Hills Energy won the first flight with a 61 while Blackburn Manufacturing #2 was runner-up with a 66. In the second flight, Blackburn Manufacturing #1 earned the top prize while Pinnacle Bank was second with a 68. The Neligh Seniors were simply unstoppable Thursday night as they pounded Ainsworth 17-0 to keep their perfect season intact.
“We got told to come out here and hit the ball hard and jump on them early, so that’s what we did,” said Jayden Arehart, who was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate and nearly hit for the cycle. “We wanted to get our work done and get out of here quick.” Arehart had two singles, a double and a triple, along with five RBIs to lead the Neligh squad. Neligh leaped out to a 3-0 lead after the first as lead-off batter Beau Murray started things off on the right foot with a single on his first at-bat. Cole Belitz followed it up with an RBI double. Belitz and Arehart both added to the early lead thanks to an RBI single from Austin Rice. The second inning quickly put the game out of reach for Ainsworth thanks to six Neligh runs. Andrew Herley started off the inning with a single, Austin Miller advanced on an error and Kaleb Pofahl was hit by a pitch. Murray, who was also a perfect 4-for-4, loaded the bases with a single. Herley and Pofahl both crossed the plate after an RBI sigle to center from Cole Belitz, who also finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs. The second inning power continued as Tyson Belitz connected on an RBI single and Arehart followed it up with a two-RBI triple. Arehart then scored to make it 9-0 after two. “It was a fast ball to the inside, so I went for it,” Arehart said about his triple. “I knew it was hard, but I thought it was going to be a single. The told me to keep going, so I did.” Belitz tossed a no-hitter for two innings, and Murray duplicated the no-hitter for the next two. Belitz had six strikeouts from the mound while Murray added another four strikeouts. That consistency, coach Dan Murray said, is tough for their opponents. “Tyson comes out and throws hard, and Beau then throws just as hard. Nobody could hit them, so they were way behind in the pitches,” Murray said. “That was a great time to get these younger kids in to throw, which will help us out at district time.” Murray said the two teams hadn’t played a similar opponent yet, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. That’s why we wanted to jump out early. “We got the momentum right away in the first inning. They took that same mentality into the second inning, and it was pretty much all over after that,” he said. The third inning was more of the same for Neligh with five more runs, highlighted by RBIs from Cole Belitz, Tyson Belitz, Rice and Miller. The fourth inning added three more Neligh runs. Miller singled and was sent home via Beau Murray, who added another run before Cole Belitz wrapped up the scoring frenzy. Neligh will be back in action Friday night with its longest road trip to date as they travel to Valentine with their undefeated record. While Arehart said the team is happy with its perfect start, they aren’t looking too far ahead at the season. “We’re playing good ball right now, and I hope we can keep it up,” Arehart said. “I didn’t expect to be 6-0, but we don’t talk about it. We’re focused on our next game.” Ainsworth 000 00 - 0 Neligh 365 3x - 17 WP: Tyson Belitz. ,It’s been a perfect start to the season for the Neligh Legion Seniors — literally thanks to a 5-0 start.
Monday night’s 11-1 win on the road at Ord kept the undefeated season well in check, leaving coach Dan Murray nothing but proud of his team. Murray said the biggest contribution for their success comes from their mental state. “They show up, they are ready to lay, they are up beat, they are mentally in the game. Baseball is a huge mental game,” Murray said. While still impressive for any team to start with that record, what stands out the most is how young the team is. All but two of his team are first-year Seniors, which means all but those two will be back next year. Tyson Belitz and Dawson Miller are the only returning players on the team. The Seniors have used strong pitching and hot bats to roll past every opponent this season, and Monday night was no different. Pitcher Cole Belitz started a bit shaky, throwing 23 pitches in the first inning. But Murray said his starter settled down and ended the entire game with just 56 pitches. “It was just lights out,” Murray said. “Our pitching is really deep. I haven’t seen another team around that has pitching this deep.” Between brothers Cole and Tyson Belitz, Jayden Arehart and Beau Murray, the Seniors have four solid aces. But what’s more is that they have plenty of other ammunition from the mound, too. Murray said Andrew Herley, Kaleb Pofahl, Hunter Charf, Connor Ramold and others will see time pitching, as well. The batting order of the Seniors is also a marvel in its own. With four left-handed batters and many skilled players, Murray said that he is comfortable with anyone up at bat. “Even the bottom of our lineup, we don’t go downhill. We are comfortable with whomever is up there,” he said. Against Ord Down a run early on Monday night, Neligh used an 11-1 run to dominate Ord and extend its win streak to five straight. Miller started things off in the fourth inning with a single and spent little time on base as Hunter Charf batted him in to collect the RBI. Charf and Beau Murray both crossed home plate as Cole Belitz hit a two-RBI single to center field. Tyson Belitz, Austin Rice, Hunter Reestman, Andrew Herley and Austin Miller all scored to blow the game open in the fourth inning. The fifth inning was more of the same as Charf, Murray and Cole Belitz all added runs. Ord 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 Neligh 0 0 1 7 3 - 11 WP: Cole Belitz Against Plainview The bats continued their hot streak in Plainview last Tuesday with a 10-2 victory. Down 2-1 after two innings, Neligh went on a 9-0 run, including a huge five-run fourth inning to take home the win. Neligh pulled ahead 3-2 in the third inning after Hunter Charf hit an RBI double to center field, scoring Kaleb Pofahl. Charf also crossed the plate when Andrew Herley hit a double to center. With the momentum shifting to Neligh, the Seniors exploded in the fourth inning. Connor Ramold kicked off the scoring run as five straight batters crossed the plate. Ramold walked to first, then Beau Murray singled to center and Austin Miller singled to left field to score Ramold. Tyson Belitz added an RBI of his own with a double to center. Winning pitcher Jayden Arehart then walked onto base and found his way across the plate as Herley smacked another double — this time for two RBIs to score both Arehart and Belitz. With a 7-2 advantage, Neligh wasn't done for the night. Leadoff batter Murray singled to get on base and Miller hit a double to right field. Belitz hit an RBI single to second to finish off the scoring. Arehart had three strikeouts from the mound on his way to the win. He gave up just three hits on the night. Neligh 1 0 2 5 2 0- 10 Plainview 1 1 0 0 0 0 -2 WP: Jayden Arehart Dillon Stewart went out on top Saturday night as the Elkhorn Valley graduate went head-to-head with a fellow state champion and won.
At Saturday's 2018 Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Dual at Grand Island High School, Stewart — the Class D 120-pound state champ — took on Andy Rojas of Lexington — the Class B 120-pound state champion. Representing the Blue team, Stewart defeated Rojas 4-1. The Blue team went on to defeat the red team 16-9. BLUE 16, RED 9: Jacob Johnson (Fairbury, Blue) dec. Julio Sanchez (Wakefield-Allen, Red) 10-4; Dorian Franklin (Omaha Northwest, Blue) pinned Jared Atkeson (O’Neill St. Mary’s, Red); Connor Donscheski (Palmer, Blue) dec. Jacob Mackley (Hershey, Red) 10-4; Kaden Vowers (Sidney, Red) pinned Dylan Swenson (Oakland-Craig, Blue); Derrell Zagurski (Winnebago, Blue) dec. Zachary Wioskowski (Adams Central, Red) 1-0; Logan MacDonald (Bennington, Blue) pinned Cody Yawn (Pierce, Red); Dillon Stewart (Elkhorn Valley, Blue) dec. Andy Rojas (Lexington, Red) 4-1; Zach Reikofski (Fairbury, Blue), def. Max Hansen (Tekamah-Herman, Red) 10-4; Zach Orton (Blair, Red) dec. Ben Garland (Beatrice, Blue) 3-2; Derek Robb (Sidney, Red) dec. Teontae Wilson (Kearney, Blue) 6-0; Bryan McGahan (Hershey, Red) dec. Noah Carlson (Central City, Blue) 4-0; Logan Slater (Fairbury, Blue) def. Cody Fielder (Fremont, Red) 7-1; Ryley Spatz (East Butler, Blue) def. Walker Moore (Blair, Red) 8-2; Dalton Quandt (Northwest, Red) dec. Devin DeLancey (Bennington, Blue) 4-2; Scott Fulsos (York, Blue) dec. Max Hughes (Syracuse, Red) 6-0; Lee Herrington (Kearney, Blue) def. Caleb Lefferdink (Syracuse, Red) 6-3. Four Wolfpack recent graduates wrapped up their high school volleyball careers at the Northeast Nebraska All-Star game today in Norfolk on June 9 at 3 p.m. The game took place at the Cox Activities Center at Northeast Community College.
Grace Henn, Calli Krebs, Paige Meis and Nickol Payne all represented the dark team, which was coached by EPPJ's Tina Thiele-Blecher. The other six players consisted of Kylie Hammer from Wayne, Hannah Heppner from Stanton, Bailey Kraus from West Holt, Katie Pilakowski from West Point-Beemer, Bailey Schindler from Ewing and Logan Wemhoff from Humphrey St. Francis. According to Thiele-Blecher, the team did the best it could for only having practices on Thursday and Friday for two hours each day. “Some of them haven’t touched a ball since November,” Thiele-Blecher said. “And only after two days and four hours of practice, I thought they all came in and did really well.” Thiele-Blecher said the Elgin girls played well in the positions she put them in that were different from what they were used to. During the game, there was a point when all four were on the court at the same time, and Thiele-Blecher said she didn’t even realize it until later when she saw a video on Antelope County News. She also said how excited she was at another time when she saw three of them serve receiving. “At one time, I looked up and I’m like, ‘Oh boy, all three Elgin girls are serve receiving, here we go!’” Thiele-Blecher said. Even though the dark team lost to the light team in all three sets and a fourth for fun, 25-21, 25-21, 25-16, 27-25, Thiele-Blecher said it was still great a great day of volleyball. “Yeah we lost, but it was still a lot of fun just to put the best players in northeast Nebraska on the court,” Thiele-Blecher said. “It was some good volleyball and a lot of fun.” Thiele-Blecher said she will still be coaching in the fall, but she will miss the Wolfpack players she worked with. “It was great just to get them on the court one more time,” Thiele-Blecher said. “I don’t think the girls realized just how much they mean to coach and how they become your family.” Two area athletes represented Antelope County in the 2018 Northeast Nebraska All-Star Classic football game on Saturday.
The matchup took place at Memorial Field on Saturday in Norfolk. Playing for the White team were Creston Bertschinger of Clearwater/Orchard and Nate Buck of Neligh. The game pitted the Red team against the White team in a matchup of the area’s best football players. The White’s prevailed over the Red’s in a 40-35 thriller. Bertschinger, who played defensive back in the contest, said he was thrilled to have another chance to play football. “I’m excited to play again. I’m not going to play in college, so to be able to play again, I’m just excited,” Bertschinger said. He said that the hardest part of preparation for the event was learning and adapting to play 11-man football. Bertschinger, who played all four years at Clearwater-Orchard, spent his time in high school playing 8-man football. “The hardest part was learning the whole new scheme. We had to learn, as 8 man, how 11 man works. You have three more guys, three more responsibilities. More guys to work together with,” Bertschinger said. Buck, who played football for Neligh-Oakdale, said the change, at least for him, wasn’t very drastic. “It was not very difficult. I mean, adding three more people is a little different, but everyone has their role, and my role wasn’t much different from when I was in high school,” Buck said. During the matchup, Bertschinger had an impressive interception from a deep pass and return to set up the White team for their next score. He said that when opportunity presented himself, the practices paid off. “I just kept my eye on it like we practiced...the ball was right there, and I reached out and grabbed it.” He said that after the play, he felt like he had made a statement to his fellow players and coaches. “I think that kind of proved that I deserved to be there,” he said. Bertschinger, who leaves in a month for training for the Army National Guard, said that the preparation for this game and the Sertoma All-Star Football Game next weekend has helped show where he is at physically before leaving for training. “It really helped show me where I was at physically. I started preparing for the All-Star game, and I found out I was more in shape than I thought I would be, so it definitely helped.” Bertschinger will play in the 2018 Sertoma All-Star Football Game on Saturday, June 16, in Hastings. One of the Neligh boys t-ball team consists of (from left) Emmet Booth, Colter Wiebelhaus, Jaxon Vetter, Peyton Todd, benson Metschke, Carson King, Hunter Maly, Juan Luna, Micah Hughes, (back) head coach Kelsey Blakeman and assistant coach Aaron King. Not pictured are Owen Kinnan and Kellan Charf. The second Neligh boys t-ball team consists of (from left) Cason Hoefer, Wyatt Koinzan, Emmett Blakeman, Owen Strom, Logan Lichtenberg, Tyler Furstenau, Brody Peterson, Talan Beckmann, Bode Koinzan, Wyatt Reinke, (back) head coach Roger Blakeman, assistant coaches Kelsey Blakeman and Nick Strom. The Neligh peewee team consists of (from back left) Haiden Wilkinson, Trysten Coover, Jacob Henery, Calib McKirdy, Jaydrian Parra, Christian Rodgers, (from front left) Dylan Furstenau, Chase Thomas, Corbin Hoefer, Kegan Payne, Colson Krebs and Dane Schmoldt. The Neligh pony team consists of (from back left) Jesse Green, Landon Schrader, Carson Jones, Aiden Hoefer, Ty Rix, (from front left) Trinity Graham, Talon Krebs, Ashton Higgins, Gavin Longsdorf, Cameron Schindler and Austin Rudolf.
The Clearwater girls t-ball team consists of (from left) head coach Wendy Flenniken, Sloane Flenniken, Lily Nolze, Gabby Ahlers, Katie Bolling, Lilly Kester, Ruby Ahlers, Aurelia Mlnarik, Grace Ahlers and head coach Sarah Ahlers. Not pictured is Emorie Bearinger. The Clearwater boys t-ball team consists of (from back left) head coach Kierra Bearinger, Parker McKillip, Damien Hupp, Alvie Bearinger, Hayden Leisy and assistant coaches Maryssa Long and Cassidy Bearinger; (from middle left) Tony Ahlers, Gave Kester, Jaxson Kerkman and Wyatt Bolling; (from front left) Trigg Kester and Mason McKillip. The Clearwater boys junior peewee team consists of (from back left) head coach Paul Kester, Trey Rittscher, Beau Ahlers, Bennet Flenniken, Ayden Bazelman, Ethan Kester and Jacob Pierzina; (from front left) Lane Sanne, Luke Kester, Bryce Rudloff and Jacob Schlecht. The Clearwater/Elgin peewee team consists of (from back left) coach Curt Thiele, Nick Anderson, Blake Henn, Dylon Lueking, Camyrn Pelster, Corbin Kinney, Kendrick Schroeder and coach Jarod Bearinger; (from front left) Kellen Hoefer, Taylor Beckman, Keaton Thiele, Logan Kester, Colby Nielsen, Daley Bearinger and Ethan Drury; not pictured are Gage Thiessen, Colby Hupp and Collin Lindgren. The Clearwater/Elgin pony baseball team consists of (back) Coach Curt Thiele, Colton Wright, Norman Grothe, Colton Thiele, Linus Borer, Rafe Grebin, Tyler Bellar, Coach Dave Borer, Coach Ted Mlnarik, (front) Jordan Lindgren, Blake Ofe, Paiton Hoefer, Cale Kinney, Jack Wemhoff and Kellan Mlnarik.
Going into the 1961 Cornhusker Conference Championship, Neligh’s football team knew what to do.
“Just got up to them and said, ‘Let’s get it done, no big deal,’” said former Neligh High School football coach Roger Barry. “They were up for it. We didn’t need to get on them about anything.” Neligh played against West Point High School in the final game and came away with its first championship victory under the leadership of Barry, the line coach and defensive coordinator, and head coach Don Downs. Barry was filled with joy after the final seconds dwindled down and the game to a close. He said the players “yelled and screamed and everything else.” “I was pretty happy,” Barry said. “We all had a get-together down at the Old Mill for a steak dinner that the City Chamber of Commerce provided for the guys.” That was the first year Barry helped coach the high school team, and in addition to winning the championship, it landed a season record of 8-1. The following year, the Warriors went for a polished, undefeated season of 9-0, but lost to a familiar foe in the championship game. “We played West Point for the championship again and got beat,” said former nose guard and offensive left guard Sid Charf. “But, we were the last undefeated football team, 11 man, in the history of the school.” Neligh was one of 16 teams in the conference and was placed in Class B, but it is now considered Class D. Prior to 1961 and the arrival of Barry and Downs, the Warriors had a losing record. However, the coaches were able to transform a lot of the same players into a winning bunch. “The talent was there, they just had to get the desire,” Barry said. According to Charf, while Barry was stern and strict, he had a good relationship with his players and showed a lot of care for them. “He’s a very caring person,” Charf said. “I mean, if you, not that he didn’t care for anybody, but if you were one of his athletes, he watched over you.” One of Charf’s favorite memories of Roger is when he called him out over a game. “He said, ‘Charf, you go over there and you sit in the front row of the bleachers. You’re playing like crap,’” Charf said. “And, I looked over and I said, ‘Coach, that’s where the cheerleaders are.’ And he said, ‘Well that’s where you belong.’ So, needless to say, I got a little more aggressive.” The trophy and signed football from 1961 recently resurfaced these and many more memories at Neligh-Oakdale’s alumni banquet on May 26. During the event, Barry presented the championship trophy and ball back to the school and received a plaque recognizing his contributions to the school’s sports. However, Barry first knew about plans to return the trophy and ball 10 years ago when he was back for a team reunion. “I was surprised,” Barry said. “I didn’t know what happened to them after that, and they found them again.” Barb and Ralph Tichota, Bill Lyons, Jeanne Werkmeister and Sid Charf were the masterminds behind the idea to return the trophy and ball and to award Barry the plaque. “That was the deal to get me up there. I was supposed to make that presentation,” Barry said. “Barb Tichota was the instigator of that.” Charf said he was a little upset when he first found the trophy thrown away and broken. “I went to get them one time for one of our football reunions and I was told, ‘We don’t have those anymore; they were too old, we threw them away,’” Charf said. “Well, they said, ‘You might look down in the custodian’s cage in the basement of the old gym. Something might be down there.’” After some digging, Charf located the trophy and glued the figure back on. Charf said he received a phone call a couple years later from a woman who found a football in her garage with his name on it, asking if he wanted it. Since the school didn’t want them, Charf kept the ball and trophy in his possession for a while until he handed them off to former Neligh running back Ralph Tichota. Tichota held onto those for a while, but Charf said they both were growing old and the pieces needed to return to their proper home – the school. “It deserves a spot in school history up there. That’s what alumni is for. That’s why you come back for alumni banquets is to talk about that stuff no matter what class you’re from,” Charf said. “That’s the meaning of it in my mind.” After the football and trophy were presented at the banquet, Barry was awarded with a plaque in which Charf designed what was written. “It was just an appreciation from Neligh athletes for all that he had done as a football coach,” Charf said. “He started a wrestling program and he also started a girls track program in Neligh. It was just an appreciation plaque.” Barry said he is proud of the plaque and has it stored with other awards he has received from Neligh. “It’s in a place of pride at my den here, along with a couple others from there,” Barry said. “And, I’ve got a trophy from the junior high basketball team, so it can go right along with that.” Before coming to Neligh, Barry graduated from Washington High School in Kansas in 1952, where he competed in football, basketball and track. From there, he studied education at Nebraska Wesleyan University for two years, took time out for the Marine Corps, came back and then graduated in 1959. Right after college, he went to Neligh in 1959, taught history and physical education and began with coaching junior high football and basketball in his first two years. He also started the wrestling program in 1960 and the girls track program in 1961. In his PE class, Barry had been teaching wrestling and ended up training the football players how to wrestle during a study hall period after the superintendent asked him to. “After football season, all of the football players were in study hall seventh period, and they were giving the study hall teacher a bunch of trouble all the time,” Barry said. “They were ornery guys kind of.” What started as a study hall energy burner soon became a new addition to the school’s sports teams. Barry said players bought their own uniforms, registered with the NSAA and had their first district meet in Omaha. According to Charf, who wrestled his sophomore and beginning of his senior year before getting injured, they had five state medalists and the team placed fourth at state in Hastings, Nebraska, in 1961. In the same year, Barry started up the girls track team after seeing potential during the girls PE class. He coached the team from 1961 to 1963. “In PE classes, they gave me the girls PE because one of the teachers was no longer available,” Barry said. “So, I was doing a physical fitness program with them and I found out we had some potential athletes in that class.” When he left Neligh after his final year in 1963, Barry moved on to Schuyler High School, where he dedicated 32 years to teaching and coaching. He continued to teach history and PE and coached cross-country, freshman football, wrestling and girls track. Similar to Neligh, Barry started Schuyler’s wrestling and girls track programs. With his success introducing and coaching wrestling teams, Barry was inducted into the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association. Later in 2009, he was inducted into the High School Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to sports and pioneering wrestling and girls track. Now, Barry is completely retired but is still on the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame board of directors. He said he is happy to have a piece of his past returned to Neligh-Oakdale High School, where it belongs to serve as a reminder for students to show pride in past and present accomplishments. “It makes me feel good; they should have never left. That’s the way I feel about it,” Barry said. “And, that’s something the kids in the future can learn – that one time they had an outstanding team, they’ve had more since then, but it was there and they should always be proud of it.” The Neligh Seniors picked up their fourth straight win to continue their perfect season. The bats continued their hot streak in Plainview on Tuesday with a 10-2 victory.
Down 2-1 after two innings, Neligh went on a 9-0 run, including a huge five-run fourth inning to take home the win. Neligh pulled ahead 3-2 in the third inning after Hunter Charf hit an RBI double to center field, scoring Kaleb Pofahl. Charf also crossed the plate when Andrew Herley hit a double to center. With the momentum shifting to Neligh, the Seniors exploded in the fourth inning. Connor Ramold kicked off the scoring run as five straight batters crossed the plate. Ramold walked to first, then Beau Murray singled to center and Austin Miller singled to left field to score Ramold. Tyson Belitz added an RBI of his own with a double to center. Winning pitcher Jayden Arehart then walked onto base and found his way across the plate as Herley smacked another double — this time for two RBIs to score both Arehart and Belitz. With a 7-2 advantage, Neligh wasn't done for the night. Leadoff batter Murray singled to get on base and Miller hit a double to right field. Belitz hit an RBI single to second to finish off the scoring. Arehart had three strikeouts from the mound on his way to the win. He gave up just three hits on the night. Neligh 102 520- 10 Plainview 110 000 -2 WP: Jayden Arehart The bats were hot for Neligh on Thursday night as both Legion teams claimed wins over O'Neill in a doubleheader at Harold Cole Field in Riverside Park.
In the night cap, the Seniors outscored O'Neill 12-1 to overcome an early 3-0 deficit and turn the night into a dominating sweep. Neligh scored seven runs in the eye-popping fifth inning to win the Seniors game 12-4. O'Neill jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as the top of the order made it look easy. Justin Appleby, Alex Thramer an Francisco Perez all reached base and scored for the advantage. But Neligh wasted little time matching the runs and knotting the score at 3-all after one. Leadoff batter Beau Murray kicked things off with a single to open the first inning and started the momentum swing. Pitcher Tyson Belitz walked to put a pair of Neligh runners on the bases, giving Austin Rice a perfect opportunity for 2 RBIs before he added the third run of the inning to tie the game. Neligh took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kaleb Pofahl hit a stand-up double to score Belitz while Andrew Herley scored Jayden Arehart to make it 5-3 after four innings. But it was the fifth inning that proved to put the game out of reach as Neligh batted around its lineup. Hunter Charf started things off with a walk before Pofahl singled. Andrew Herley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Austin Miller walked on base, scoring Charf to begin the string of runs. A two-RBI single to right field from Cole Belitz kept the runs coming in. Tyson Belitz walked and Jayden Arehart singled into left field to load the bases for Neligh. With just one out, Rice singled again to left field, scoring Cole Belitz. Hunter Charf made his way to bat for the second time of the inning and hit a 2-RBI single to right center, scoring Tyson Belitz and Jayden Arehart. For the Juniors, it was similar domination thanks to an eight-run fourth inning. Murray started off the inning with a walk. Garret Belitz singled and Connor Ramold was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dawson Kaup walked to bring home the first run of the inning. Pofahl then walked to again load the bases. Charf tripled to center field to send two runners home. Brock Kester popped one out to center for an RBI single. Kester and Brandon Evans finished out the scoring for the inning to give Neligh a 13-1 lead after just four innings. Seniors O'Neill 300 010 - 4 Neligh 302 07x - 12 Juniors O'Neill 001 01 - 2 Neligh 401 8x - 13 The Orchard 6 & Under girls softball team consists of (back) Coaches Jessica Shaver and Kris Tabbert, Ali Sonnerfelt, Avery Jackson, Raeley Meyer, Breeya Bergman, MaKenna Bergman, Coach Shayna Cleveland, (front) Journey Shaver, Adalynn Williby, Elizabeth Schrock, Zoey Heiss, Lydia Twibell and Hadley Bergman. The Orchard 8 & Under girls softball team consists of (back) Coaches Jessica Shaver and Kris Tabbert, (middle) Jaelyn Shaver, Ava Cleveland, Autumn Jackson, Breckyn Bergman, Jocie Anson, Coach Shayna Cleveland, (front) Braelyn Bergman, Abbi Miller, Ellie Heiss, Scarlett Verdin and Taylon Bertschinger. The Orchard Pee-Wee baseball team, consisting of (front, left to right) Connor Thomson, Sam Cheatum, Preston Hoke, Joshua Clemens, Dane Miller, (back, left to right) Coach Jeff Shabram, Cody Wickersham, Carter Bergman, Jeremiah Murberger, Ruger Switzer, Wyatt Shabram and Coach Stephanie Cleveland, has played four games so far this season. "[We're] off to a rough start, but we are young with a lot of talented players who are improving each game!" said Coach Shabram. Scores for the Pee-Wee team so far are as follows: Monday, May 14: Orchard 8, Clearwater/Elgin 13 Thursday, May 17: Orchard 1, Atkinson 2 Monday, May 21: Orchard 4, Tilden 10 Thursday, May 24: Orchard 3, Albion 6. The Orchard Pony baseball team consists of (front, left to right) Keegan Smith, Cody Wickersham, Connor Thomson, Anthony Ferris, Jaykwon Petite, (back, left to right) Coach Stephanie Cleveland, Jeremiah Murberger, Andrew Pearson, Trevor Thomson, David Arroyo, Gaven Gilsdorf and Coach Brenden Cleveland.
51 kids, ranging from first through ninth grade, could be seen practicing their golf techniques every morning this week at the Antelope Country Club.
The 2018 Antelope Country Club Golf Camp started Tuesday morning and is running every morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. through Friday, June 2. The campers are learning fundamentals of the golf swing, club selection, course etiquette and course management. EPPJ's Trent Ostransky is the coach this year along with his father. Assisting Trent and his father are Randy Eisenhauer, Austin Rice, Liam Heithoff and Garret Belitz. Seven seems to be the Neligh Seniors' lucky number this year as the wins keep piling in with seven runs. Neligh topped Plainview 7-2 on Thursday after a 7-3 win earlier in the week against Crofton.
Neligh held a slim 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning against Plainview when they went lights out with five runs to put the game away. Tyson Belitz was the first at bat and first to score as Neligh put its first three hitters of the inning on base and across the plate as Jayden Arehart and Austin Rice also scored. Plainview then brought in a new pitcher and managed their first out of the game. Andrew Herley responded with a double and RBI. He later scored as did Austin Miller to make it 7-2. Neligh came out swinging against Crofton and dominated the 7-3 win on Tuesday. Arehart started the scoring off with an RBI double to send Belitz across the plate. Arehart then scored for the early 2-0 lead. The line-up batted around the second inning as Miller and Hunter Charf started the scoring and Beau Murray and Kaleb Pofahl added two more. Charf scored again in the third inning thanks to Murray Crofton tried to rally in the fourth inning when Ethan Poppe and Jared Hornbeck crossed the plate, but Neligh's defense was tight and never let the momentum switch. In the Juniors game, Crofton took an early 1-0 lead, but Neligh responded with a two-run fourth inning. Pofahl scored off of a Connor Ramold RBI. Ramold then was hit home thanks to Brock Kester. Crofton wasted little time pulling ahead again in the top of the fifth, but Neligh tried to rally as Pofahl scored Charf in the sixth inning. Seniors Plainview 101 000 0 - 2 Neligh 011 005 x - 7 WP: Jayden Arehart Crofton 000 210 0 - 3 Neligh 241 000 x - 7 WP: Tyson Belitz Juniors Crofton 001 022 0 - 5 Neligh 000 201 0 - 3 Clearwater -Orchard brought home four medals from the state track meet in Omaha after an impressive showing on Friday and Saturday.
JoCee Johnston represented the Cyclone girls in the high jump. This was her third time qualifying for the state meet, qualifying her freshman year in the high jump and her sophomore year in the 4x400. This year, she cleared 5-1, placing 3rd overall in the state. Jacob Long brought home two medals for the Cyclones after being declared the state champion in high jump and state runner-up in the triple jump. Long, a two-time state qualifier, also qualified for the state meet in the long jump. He placed 12th overall. Brooklyn Chipps was another multi-qualifier for the Cyclones, qualifying for the state meet in the shot put and discus throw. Chipps threw for a 4th place finish in shot put with a distance of 37-05. Houston Marino was the last qualifier for the O-C Cyclones, competing in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the state meet in Omaha. He finished with a time of 11.76 in the 100 and 24.39 in the 200, placing him 7th in both of his preliminary rounds. Coach Shannon Schumacher said that the athletes went above and beyond his expectations. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them.” O'Neill was a hot spot for All-Star basketball action on Friday night.
The sweltering St. Mary's gym was packed with fans clamoring to see their recent graduates back on the court one more time. Four Antelope County athletes were selected to play in the NVC All-Star basketball games: Paige Meis, Lydia Behnk and Ashton Evans, all of Elgin Public/Pope John, and Kalen Dittrich of Elkhorn Valley. The Niobrara Valley Conference All-Stars won both of the matchups over the Mid Nebraska Athletic Conference (MNAC). The NVC girls won 56-43 and the NVC boys edged out their opponent 89-84. The girls game got off to a slow start with a halftime score of 19-15, but the NVC girls started to click in the third quarter, putting up 22 points to MNAC's 11. NVC finished out a solid fourth quarter for the 13-point win. Behnk put up 8 points and Meis added 2 in the victory. Girls scores by quarter: NVC 10 9 22 15 56 MNAC 7 8 11 17 43 In the boys game, the players came out firing and playing aggressively. An 18-14 first quarter gave the NVC boys the early lead; however, the MNAC drained 26 points in the second to secure a 7-point advantage at the half. The teams were even in the third, but NVC lit up the scoreboard in the final quarter, scoring 34 points to claim the win. Dittrich tallied 3 points for the NVC. Boys scores by quarter: NVC 18 15 22 34 89 MNAC 14 26 22 22 84 A 2016 Neligh-Oakdale graduate was recently honored for his academic and athletic accomplishments at the collegiate level.
Dylan Kaup, a sophomore member of the Wayne State College track team, was named to the 2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Spring All-Academic Team and medaled in the conference meet. A member of the varsity traveling team, Kaup was required to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or better for selection to the All-Academic Team. In addition to his academic success, he also earned fifth place in the hammer throw with an NCAA provisional mark of 181-1, which was his personal best. Kaup finished 10th in the discus as well. Four Neligh-Oakdale athletes competed in the Nebraska State Track and Field Championships at Omaha Burke Stadium on Friday.
Senior Bailey Frey made her third state track appearance, while junior Cade Wilkinson, sophomore Emma Bixler and freshman Julien Hearn qualified for the first time. Frey was fifth to cross the finish line in her heat with a time of 50.25 seconds in the 300 hurdles. Wilkinson sprinted to 7th place in his heat in the 200 meter dash a with time of 23.73 seconds. Bixler broke a 34-year-old school record in the 3200 meter run with a 12:31.71 and finished 14th overall in Class C. Hearn was one of only three freshman in Class C to qualify for the boys state high jump. He went out at 5-10. Coach Rick Eickholt said each of the athletes continued to improve throughout the season. All four of them peaked at the right time with everyone turning in top performances at the district meet. By setting a school record at districts, the coach said Frey “probably ran the race of her life,” and ended her high school track career on a high note. As for the others, they are all underclassmen, and he has hopes for them all to make a return trip to state. “We always say that the first time you go down and qualify that you experience it, and when you come back the next time, you’re ready to compete for a medal,” he said. |
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