The past week has been a tale of two seasons for the Neligh Juniors and Seniors. While one team has found their stride at the plate, the other has struggled to find the win column.
Its been the Juniors that have been strong over the past few games at the plate, winning another high-scoring game with a 13-7 victory over Hartington. The scoring got started right away when Cole Belitz scored after a leadoff single. However, the Neligh bats calmed down for the next three innings while Hartington posted three runs. Once the fifth inning came around, the scoring explosion started. The Juniors posted six runs, starting with a Kaleb Pofahl score. Jayden Arehart, Belitz, Beau Murray, Andrew Herley and Hunter Reestman all followed suit. The scoring continued in a big way in the sixth as Belitz, Murray, Herley, Reestman all scored again and Hunter Charf added his first score of the night. Reestman added one more score in the seventh to seal the win for Neligh. Neligh scored their 13 runs on 15 hits. Only four Junior batters were sat down on strikes. On the mound, Beau Murray had an impressive night, throwing 103 pitches before giving way to Conor Ramold for the save. The two combined for eight strikeouts on the night while allowing 10 hits. In the late game, the Seniors continued their rough week, falling in a close one to Hartington 3-2. Tyson Belitz scored both of the Neligh runs from his leadoff spot. As a team, Neligh recorded just two hits off the Hartington pitching staff. Despite the struggles at the plate, Neligh was still in position to take the win for much of the night thanks to strong work on the mound from Belitz. He, along with relief man Tyson Zegers, recorded an incredible 14 strikeouts on the night, including all three batters in the opening frame. A triple to start the second led to the only Hartington run until the final inning. However, Neligh was unable to hold on to their 2-1 lead in the final frame as Hartington pulled out two runs to take the walk-off win. Two Neligh residents have joined the bodybuilding world after a good showing this past weekend in Norfolk.
Logan and Lianne Lawson, both of Neligh, competed at the Max Classic in Norfolk on Saturday. The show was a first for the couple, who prepped for 14 weeks before stepping on stage. “It was certainly quite an experience,” Logan said. “We had our sights set high on our first show after putting in so much hard work, so to come home with some hardware was very nice. I’m very proud of Lianne and myself because it was a long process to get to show day.” The couple combined for three awards on the day. Competing in the figure division, Lianne took second place in the novice class while taking fourth overall in the Natural Nebraska competition. Logan entered himself into the physique division, taking fourth in the Natural Nebraska competition as well. “It was a whirlwind of a day,” Lianne said. “It was really fun. I know there’s great improvements we both can make to do even better next time.” The couple now plan to take the rest of the year off to train and reset their bodies. They will hit the gym looking to get bigger and leaner before next year’s shows with the goal of earning their pro qualification in just their second year of competition. A trip to Albion proved to be big for the Neligh Juniors as they kept their high-scoring streak alive with a big win over Albion.
They Juniors completed the shutout, winning 11-0. In their last four games, they have scored a total of 38 runs, an average of nine and a half runs a game. The scoring got started quick for Neligh when leadoff man Andrew Herley took a bag after being hit by a pitch. After a stolen base put him into scoring position, Beau Murray hit an RBI single to center to bring him in. The Neligh bats went quiet for a couple innings before Hunter Charf and Conor Ramold were able to score in the third. In the fourth, Herley, Austin Rice, Brock Kester and Charf all came around once again. The scoring continued in the fifth when Hunter Reestman, Kester, Kaleb Pofahl and Charf gave Neligh the 10-run-rule win. Neligh racked up eight hits on the night, including doubles from Reestman and Charf. On the mound, it was Cole Belitz leading a masterful defensive effort. He kept the Albion hitters on their heels all night, recording four strikeouts and only allowing five hits. Unfortunately, the Seniors were unable to duplicate the hot streak. Albion jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the first inning before eventually shutting down Neligh 9-4. Tyson Belitz scored Neligh's run in the first from his leadoff spot. After being hit by a pitch, he was brought in two batters later with a Chris Bentley RBI. Luke Jacobsen added a run in the second, Belitz scored again in the fifth and Bentley scored in the seventh to round out the Senior scoring. Jayden Arehart got the start on the mound before Clayton Anderson came in for the relief. The duo allowed nine runs on 13 hits. They recorded three strikeouts on the night. For four years, Grant White has dominated athletics in Northeast Nebraska. Whether on the gridiron, basketball court or the track, few athletes have represented Neligh-Oakdale at such a high level as White. Now, at the end of his high school career, he has been honored for all his accomplishments with one of the biggest awards yet.
White was named the recipient of Norfolk Daily News’s Most Valuable Area Athlete. The award acknowledges the best athlete in Northeast Nebraska that is outstanding both on the field and off. “I was just kind of surprised, I didn’t know what was going on,” White said. “I just felt really honored to be the one person that got it.” In his four years at Neligh-Oakdale, White has accomplished quite a bit. On the football field, White was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Warriors, setting numerous game, season and career records, culminating in a perfect 8-0 season his senior year. On the basketball court, White was a sharpshooter in his time for Neligh-Oakdale. He finished his career as the school’s all-time scoring leader as well as record holder in many scoring categories, particularly three pointers. He led the Warriors to the best finish in school history, finishing as runner-up in the 2017 state basketball tournament. As a trackster, White made his mark in a variety of events, particularly the triple jump, an event he competed in at state twice. In an offensive-heavy night on the diamond, Neligh and Atkinson battled back and forth to a split on Monday night.
The night started off well for Neligh, with the Juniors pulling out a 15-10 victory. Things got off to a quick start for Neligh as they scored seven of their 15 runs in the first inning alone. Benefitting from a walk and two hit batters, Neligh was able to jump out to a big lead with three two-RBI singles, one from Hunter Reestman, one from Austin Rice and one from Andrew Herley Meanwhile, Jayden Arehart and the Junior pitching staff were able to hold Atkinson at bay long enough to secure the lead. Atkinson was held scoreless until the third inning. In that third inning, they exploded for six runs, but by that time Neligh had a 9-6 lead in their pocket. Both teams scored often in the fourth, combining for 10 runs, but Neligh was able to hold on as the game came to an early end due to time restraints. In the night cap, the Seniors weren't able to pull out the same result as they fell 10-7. Unlike game one, game two started out as a defensive battle, with neither team able to crack the scoreboard until the third inning. That's when Atkinson plated the first four runs of the game to jump out to a strong lead. They added two more runs in the top of the fourth before Tyson Zegers was able to give Neligh their first run of the game in the bottom of the frame. They went on to add four more runs in the fourth to bring the game to 6-5, Atkinson. Unfortunately, Neligh was unable to overtake the Atkinson Seniors. Each team added a run in the fifth with Neligh eventually tying it up in the sixth. However, a three-run seventh inning gave Atkinson the win. Luke Jacobsen and crew started strong on the mound, striking out two and allowing just three hits before Atkinson cracked the code in the third. The 2017 Sertoma 8-Man All-Star Game was a steady affair through three quarters before a scoring explosion, partially fueled by Antelope County's own, finished the game out with fireworks.
The best players in all of Nebraska 8-man football met at Hastings College on Saturday for the 40th annual showdown between the East and West. Neligh-Oakdale's Chris Bentley and Elgin Public/Pope John's Chad Bode took the field for the East, coached on offense by Warrior head man Ron Beacom. Bentley served as one of the captains for the East in the game. The East struck first, putting them up 8-0 after one quarter of play. However, the West then answered with 26 unanswered points over the next two and a half quarters, taking a 26-6 lead early in the fourth. Both offenses really got on a roll in the final frame. After the West's quarter-opening score, the East finally got back on the board, scoring twice in the final frame. However, the West continued to match that as the two teams combined for 30 points on five touchdowns in the final quarter of play en route to the West's 38-20 win. Much of the scoring for the East came once Bentley took the field on offense. After starting and playing much of the game at defensive end, Bentley came in at tight end and gave the East offense a big boost. He pulled in two catches, nearly scoring on his second one. He finished the game with two catches for 29 yards and three tackles. Bode got the start at running back, opening the game with an eight-yard run. He went on to finish with three carries for 12 yards and a catch for seven yards. After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Neligh Seniors couldn't hold on and fell to Creighton at the Berry Pepper Tournament championship on Sunday.
Neligh held a 3-0 advantage after 2 1/2 innings, but Creighton fought back to score twice in both the third and fourth to pull ahead 4-3. The runs continued to trickle in for Creighton while Neligh struggled from the mound. Neligh tried to rally with a run in the top of the sixth but couldn't silence the Creighton bats, losing 6-4. Injuries took its toll on the Neligh Junior over the weekend, but several Pony players stepped up to help the field a full team over the weekend at the Berry Pepper Days tournament.
Dawson Kaup, Brock Kester, Garret Belitz and Andrew Jacobsen all moved up from Ponys to help the Juniors, who went 0-2 over the weekend. In Sunday's consolations game, the Juniors dropped an 11-6 decision to host Creighton. Damon Arehart may have been the unluckiest batter of the day for Neligh, but he managed a smile all three times as he jogged to first base after being hit by a pitch.
Arehart helped lead the Neligh Senior baseball team to an 11-6 win over Crofton on Saturday afternoon at the Berry Pepper Tournament. Neligh advances to a 6:30 pm. championship game on Sunday. Arehart was hit by a pitch in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. He score in the fifth inning, which turned out to the last run of the game for Neligh. Neligh dominated Crofton and held a 7-0 lead after four innings as it rained off an on. Jordan Murray scored first for Neligh after walking onto first in the top of the second inning. Conor Ramold singled to score Murray, and Ramold then crossed homeplate after a double from Tyson Belitz at the top of the order. Belitz rounded out the scoring thanks to an RBI single from his brother, Cole. The third inning was more of the same as Neligh kept the momentum rolling. Jordan Murray took a base after being hit and later scored thanks to an RBI from Conor Ramold. Crofton's pitching woes continued as Belitz walked to load the bases. Andrew Herley was then hit by a pitch, which scored Jacobsen to put Neligh up 5-0. Arehart was again hit by a pitch in the fourth. Jordan Murray was the lone player to score in the inning thanks to an RBI single from Jacobsen. The fifth inning had more hot bats for Neligh as Belitz kicked off the inning with a triple. Herley brought him home with an RBI single. Cole Belitz then walked to keep the pressure on Crofton. Herley and Belitz both scored in the inning, and Arehart was hit with yet another pitch. He was batted home after a single by Jacobsen to close out Neligh's scoring. Neligh's bats were hot early against Crofton during the Legion Juniors portion of the Berry Pepper Tournament in Creighton on Saturday, but they cooled off late in the game.
Neligh lost 11-6 to Crofton and moved into the 11 a.m. consolation game on Sunday. After a five-run second inning, Neligh looked unstoppable against Crofton. Andrew Herley started off the inning with a single and crossed homeplate after an RBI single from Hunter Charf. Garret Belitz walked in between the two and later scored. Also earning singles in the second inning were Dawson Kaup, Conor Ramold, Cole Belitz and Brock Kester. All but Kester scored in the inning. Herley scored his second run of the game after a walk in the third inning. It was Charf again bringing him in with an RBI single, wrapping up Neligh's scoring for the game. Baylee Wemhoff took to the court one last time Friday night as part of the Light Team at the Northeast Nebraska All Star Women's Basketball game in Norfolk.
The Light Team started out a bit slow, bringing in 7 points at the end of the first quarter. The girls kicked it into gear in the second quarter, putting 18 points on the board before halftime. The start of the second half saw a continuation of what the crowd saw before. The Light Team racked up another 15 points on the board before the end of the third quarter. They found a struggle in the fourth quarter, though, only racking up 6 more points before the end of the game. The Light Team fell to the Dark Team 73-46. Wemhoff finished the night with one 3 point shot and one 2 point shot. She racked up only one foul throughout the night. Check out the gallery below for our favorite pictures from the night! Tyson Belitz and Grant White finished their high school career’s alongside Coach Frank Gade at the Northeast Nebraska All Star Men’s Basketball game on Friday.
Belitz and White were both members of the Dark Team with Gade serving as one of the team’s coaches. The night started slow for the dark team, racking up only nine points by the end of the first quarter. They managed to fight back in the second quarter, bringing the total to 26 points going into halftime to trail 60-26. The second half is where the Dark Team shined. The third quarter found 35 points added to the board, and the fourth quarter brought another 27 points to end the game. However, it wasn’t enough as the Dark Team fell to the Light Team 130-89. Belitz found himself as one of the leaders for the Dark all night. He finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor to finish with 11 points to go along with his eight rebounds. White added seven points of his own on the night, proving once again to be more than capable of playing with the best of the best. The Neligh and Orchard Peewees met up for a midweek showdown early last week in Orchard.
The two teams went head-to-head on Thursday night. Neligh came away with the win on the night. A midweek trip to Stanton proved fruitful for the Neligh Senior Legion ballers as they got back on the winning track with a 7-5 victory.
It took a sixth-inning comeback, but the Seniors were able to edge out the win. After a Cole Belitz single in the top of the first resulted in him coming around for the first run of the game, Stanton matched Neligh in the bottom of the frame. The offenses for both teams went quiet for the next two innings before Neligh added two more runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a triple by Tyson Zegers, a single by Austin Rice and a double by Luke Jacobsen. Once again, however, Stanton was able to match Neligh in the bottom of the frame, bringing around three runs of their own to take a 4-3 lead. Neligh then left two runners on base in the fifth before the bats came alive in the sixth. Damon Arehart got started with a lead-off single with Clayton Anderson following suit two batters later. Cole Belitz added a two-out single as well before Andrew Herley and Zegers drew back-to-back walks. A Jordon Murray single rounded out the scoring for Neligh in the inning as they brought around four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Stanton added one run in the bottom of the seventh, allowing Neligh to hang on for the win. The pitching of Anderson, Belitz and Zegers combined to strikeout 11 Stanton batters while allowing eight hits on the night. The Neligh-Oakdale ladies hit the court this week in preparation for the upcoming volleyball season.
The high school girls were joined by some younger competitors throughout the week as they worked on fine-tuning their talents for the next season. Coach Hannah Hoefer and crew brought in help from Gold Medal Squared for the second-straight year. This year, Mark Lau and Carl Aquino came in to run the players through drills as well as work on basic points of the game. And just like that, we are drawing to a close for the all-star season. This weekend marks the final weekend of all-star games for Antelope County's best seniors, headlined by the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Basketball Game in Norfolk. The game will be full of plenty of familiar faces, which should have fans excited.
1. The who and when The game will tip off at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 16 at the Cox Activities Center in Norfolk. A number of familiar faces will take part in the game, both on the court and the sidelines. Neligh-Oakdale will yet again be represented by standouts Tyson Belitz and Grant White while coach Frank Grade roams the sideline. In the girls game, Elgin Public/Pope John's Baylee Wemhoff will lead the charge in her fourth all-star game in the past month. 2. Crowded area Last week, the Cox Activity Center was packed on both sides for the Volleyball Classic. It was a very impressive turnout and you could tell the athletes enjoyed the support. Expect much of the same this week. This is the last chance for friends and family to see a majority of the athletes in action and they won't miss their chance. 3. Can the Warriors shine yet again? So far through their various all-star games, Belitz and White have made their presence known in a big way. That includes the NVC vs MNAC game a few weeks ago in which both were lights out from the floor to lead the scoring for NVC. It'll be interesting to see if that is the case again this week. With high-scoring studs like Boyd County's Caleb Rihanek along with Norfolk's Logan Strom and Christian Eisenhauer on the team, it could be tough to keep everyone happy. However, its a safe bet Belitz and White will get the ball often, especially outside. Let's say they each finish in the top three of scoring. 4. Wemhoff has been busy You almost have to feel bad for the Wemhoff family. It seems like they haven't had a single weekend without travel since school got out thanks to the incredible career Baylee had. Not that they probably mind. Baylee Wemhoff will have taken part in three all-star basketball and one volleyball game since the school year ended by the time the weekend is done. That's a lot of postseason honors and something she - and her family - should be incredibly proud of. 5. Both games should be battles to the end The teams in both the boys and girls games are incredibly stacked. The girls coaches certainly will have no trouble lighting up the scoreboard with players such as Wemhoff, Bloomfield's Sarah Castaneda, Crofton's Kelsey Sanger and Monica Arens, St. Mary's Hattie Blumenstock and Taylor Colman, CWC's Jacie Laetsch and Stuart's Harlee Fischer, just to name a few. Likewise, the boys feature players such as Belitz, White, Strom, Eisenhauer, Rihanek, O'Neill's Tyler Regan and Jake Young, Winnebago's David Wingett, Randolph's Logan Nordhues and St. Mary's Josh Cuddy, some of the more incredible basketballers in recent memory in Northeast Nebraska. Both games will be worth the price of admission. The Neligh Ponies have been working toward a successful season on the diamond this summer.
Members of the team include Brock Kester, Ashton Shabram, Dawson Kaup, Garret Belitz, Carson Jones, Andrew Jacobsen, Jesse Green, Griffin Claussen, Caleb Payne, Talon Krebs, Ashton Higgins, Coach Ron Beacom, Coach Ross Shabram and Haiden Sleister. The Clearwater Ponies have been putting in work this year on the diamond.
Members of the team include Coach Jared Bearinger, Dylon Lueking, Tyler Bellar, Kellen Mlnarik, Rafe Basselman, Kindrik Schroeder, Dayley Bearinger, Gage Thiessen and Kobe Hupp. The Clearwater Peewee baseballers have been strong so far this year on the field.
Members of the team include Coach Jared Bearinger, Dylon Lueking, Joe Ahlers, Kellen Mlnarik, Kobe Hupp, Coach Andy Ahlers, Kindrik Schroeder, Keaten Thiele, Dayley Berringer, Logan Kester, and Gage Thiessen. The boys of the Clearwater Junior Peewee team have been putting in the work on the diamond so far this summer.
Members of the team include Coach Darin Ternus, Logan Kester, Keaton Thiele, Daley Bearinger, Trey Rittscher, Matt Umphress, Connor Hemenway, Ethan Drury, Coach Taryl Bazelman, Jacob Pierzina, Beau Ahlers, Ayden Bazelman, Bryce Rudloff, Ethan Kester and Bennet Flenniken. The young ladies of Clearwater's 6U Softball Team have been hard at work working on their skills on the diamond this summer.
The team includes Coach Wendy Flenniken, Claire Kester, Jayde Bazelman, Grace Ahlers, Katie Bolling, Sloane Flenniken, Lilly Kester, Bella Kester, Coach Sarah Ahlers, Lilly Nolze, Gabby Ahlers and Ruby Ahlers. Clearwater's 10U softball team has been hard at work on the field so far this summer.
The team includes Coach Shelly Mlnarik, Audrey Jackson, Kelsey Schlecht, Reana Krebs, Addy Mlnarik, Cadence Schumacher, Coach Shannon Schumacher, Hayley Parks, Julie Olivan, Ava Ritcher, Aislyn Kester and Halle Lueking. The 2017 Neligh Girls T-Ball have been working hard this summer, learning the basics of the game.
The team consists of Claire Pickrel, Kyah Allemang, Raquel Schmoldt, Gennadee Kallhoff, Savannah Schindler, Kendyll Allemang, Lillian Mortensen, Collins Hamilton, Cambree Kimes, Evelyn Wingate, Emmy Tillema, Evelyn Johnson, Kinslee Bossard. The 2017 Neligh Boys T-Ball have been working hard this summer, learning the basics of the game.
The team consists of Skylar Thomas, Kayne Potter, Braxton Boggs, Ian McGowen, Carson King, Tyson Jessen, Asher Kurpgeweit, Owen Kinnan and Chase Pickrel, Brenden Wieneke, Logan Bossard, Aiden Wilde, Micah Hughes, Treyvonne Dredge, Aiden Boggs and Benson Metschke. The Neligh Juniors dodged area storms on Tuesday night and traveled to Bloomfield for a juniors-only contest.
With the help of some talented Pony-league call ups, the Juniors went head-to-head with a stubborn Bloomfield squad. They struggled to get much going at the plate and, despite good defense, fell 3-2. Beau Murray got the start on the mound and put in a strong performance. He fanned five Bloomfield batters, keeping Neligh in a strong position throughout the game. At the plate, neither team started off very strong. Murray didn't allow a Bloomfield hit until the bottom of the third inning while Neligh only had two hits, a Kaleb Pofahl double and a Garret Belitz double, in the first four innings. In the fifth inning, things got going as Neligh notched two runs. Pofahl and Conor Ramold each came in thanks to RBIs from Dawson Kaup and Cole Belitz, giving the Juniors a 2-0 lead. However, in the bottom of the sixth, Bloomfield countered with two runs of their own thanks to a triple, single and sacrifice RBI, knotting the game at two each. In the top of the seventh, Neligh threatened to take the lead with Garret Belitz, Murray and Cole Belitz all getting into scoring position. However, they were unable to capitalize, leading to the bottom of the frame. In the bottom of the frame, Bloomfield was able to take the win in walk-off fashion to take the 3-2 win. As a team, the Neligh Juniors racked up just six hits, including the two doubles and singles from Murray, Cole Belitz, Brock Kester and Kaup. |
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