Daily Freeman-Journal
Is this the year Northeast Hamilton breaks through and gets to the Dome?
Cover story inside
Inside: All the information you need on fall teams from Webster City, South Hamilton and Northeast Hamilton
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 1
Fall Sports Preview Table of Contents
Webster City Lynx
Football –– Pages 2, 16-17
Volleyball –– Pages 6, 20
Boys Cross Country –– Pages 4, 10
Girls Cross Country –– Pages 5, 11
Cheerleaders –– Page 24
South Hamilton Hawks
Football –– Pages 3, 19
Volleyball –– Pages 9, 23
Cross Country –– Pages 8, 22
Northeast Hamilton Trojans
Trojan Cover Story –– Pages 12-14
Football (District Preview) –– Page 15
Volleyball –– Pages 7, 21
Page 2
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
LYNX FOOTBALL: Members of the 2006 Webster City football team include, front row, left to right, Cody VanBogart, Ryan Derry, Tyler Mosbach, Tyler Estlund, Josh
Larson, Paul Clausen, Ross Brown, Lance Walding, Zach Anderson, Zack McGuire, second row, Josh Laird, Nate Sego, Casey Anderson, Jacob Park, Andy Wehrhan,
John Daleske, Aaron Kliegl, Kevin Brim, Alex Barrick, Cannon Deimerly, Nate Long, Logan Hartman, manager Kellie Pruismann, third row, assistant coach Chad Hisler,
head coach Jim Duncan, assistant coach Matt Zoske, Tyler Carpenter, Kevin Kannuan, Brandon Roberts, Karl Peterson, Brent Nelson, Travis Westrum, Matt Sogard,
Ty Griffith, Greg Benda, Jake Loffredo, manager Jennie Holdgrafer, Tanner Moen, manager Brittany Louk, fourth row, Eric Greenly, Brett Hilpipre, Cole Besaw, Caleb
Kennedy, Ryan Vande Zande, Nick Brim, Isaac Reis, Jesse Anderson, assistant coach Dave Louk, fifth row, Ross Haren, Josh Evans, John Hill, H.T. Buie, Stephan
Cook, Cody Smith, Jesse Bakken, Cody Crouch John Frerichs, assistant coach Marty Sego, sixth row, Alex Davis, Nate Keenan, Kyle Hibbing, Eric Sletten, Sean
Biggins, Nick Oberender, Reggie Steig, Devan Berglund and Zach Perkovich.
Lynx motto: Forget the past, embrace the present
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
WEBSTER CITY —
Jim Duncan doesn't like to
talk about the 2005 season.
He doesn't like to be
reminded about it either. In
fact, it would be just fine
with him if those two
months — September and
October — were permanently erased from his
memory bank.
That's what happens
when you go 1-8.
Duncan, Webster City's
head football coach, wants
to forget and move on.
And he thinks his 2006
squad has the ability to do
just that.
"We're going to be
young, but we're going to
be more competitive than
we were last year,"
Duncan said as his team
prepares to open the season on Friday, Sept. 1 at
home against New
Hampton. "We want teams
to say that they had to play
hard against Webster City,
and I think we have the
kind of team that can do
that."
The Lynx have some
holes to fill due to graduation, but three important
pieces to the puzzle do
return on the offensive line
in starters Paul Clausen,
Andy Wehrhan and Josh
Larson. All three were bullied at times a year ago,
Lynx Schedule
Sept. 1 — vs. New Hampton
Sept. 8 — at Eagle Grove
Sept. 15 — at Boone
Sept. 22 — vs. Algona
Sept. 29 — vs. Nevada
Oct. 6 — at Humboldt
Oct. 13 — at Saydel
Oct. 20 — vs. DC-Grimes
Oct. 27 — at Ballard
All games begin at 7:30 p.m.
but 12 months later —
after extensive weight
training — they hope to be
the ones that are doing the
bullying this fall.
"If we just get those
three to take what they've
done in the weight room
onto the field, then they
should be able to experience some success,"
Duncan said. "All three of
those guys have put in a
great deal of time in the
weight room, and it has
definitely paid off. Plus,
their experience and leadership will help us out."
Duncan will need those
three to play like veterans,
particularly early in the
year as inexperienced
players beside and behind
them learn the ropes.
Webster City will break
in a new quarterback in
sophomore Brent Nelson.
In back of him will be junior fullback Tanner Moen
and junior tailback Jesse
Anderson. Moen was a
starter on the defensive
side of the ball last year,
and Anderson saw action
late in the season at the
tailback spot.
"We have to be able to
run the ball, we just have
to," Duncan said. "Jesse is
a naturally strong kid, and
he's ran well for us in the
past. But he's got a great
partner in Tanner Moen. If
teams focus on Jesse, I
think Tanner will eat them
up."
Webster City has gone
into each of the past two
seasons hoping to run the
ball a majority of the time,
but in each of those two
seasons has ended up
favoring a more passhappy attack by midseason. Duncan says his line
has to be up to the challenge this fall to ensure
that doesn't happen again.
"We've got to be able to
block guys and we've got
to be able to move people," Duncan said. "I think
we can do that because
we've had some of the
hardest work out of our
linemen in a long time."
Travis Westrum and
Jake Loffredo are competing for one of the other
offensive line spots, while
Sean Biggins, Lance
Walding and Zach
Perkovich are all in the
running for an end position. Duncan says Alex
Barrick will likely be at
WC FOOTBALL, See Page 16
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 3
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
HAWK FOOTBALL: Members of the 2006 South Hamilton football team include, first row, left to right, Drew Frederick, Bo Jackson, Lucas Huisman, Chris Engleby, Sam
Block, Jesse Monthei, Christian Cottingham, Brandon Crouse, Anthony Battazzi, Dillon Smith, Zach Toillion, second row, Chris Herschberger, Luke Johnson, Bryce
Rowe, Matt Ringstad, Dustin Rholl, Nate Johnson, Brett Jacobsen, Wes Crum, Brandon Pringle, Josh Pringle, Justin Head, Bryan Martin, third row, Preston Hocking,
Mark Gansen, Nick Smith, Ethan Carlson, Austin Riedemann, Alex Wilbanks, Andrew Combs, Adam Wilbanks, Trenton Klocke, Derek Kolbe, Joe Enabnit, Jake Waid,
fourth row, Bret Bell, Ben Coy, Cameron Boyd, Logan Wilhoit, Devin Neuman, Cody Greenfield, Andrew Follman, Matt Oakland, Joey Ringstad, Dwaine Hegland, Colton
Penning, Taylor Johnson, fifth row, Cory McFarland, Lee Knickerbocker, Alex Huisman, Jerred Stubben, Brent Johnson, Cameron Olson, Carlson Ness, Clint Henderson,
Austin Swenson and Isaac Hodnefield.
Hawks feature big line, but rookie backfield
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
JEWELL — Todd Coy
has been here before. It's a
new season and the South
Hamilton head football
coach has to figure out a
way to take inexperienced
running backs and transform them into bruisers.
It worked last year. The
Hawks entered the 2005
campaign without a legitimate stud in the backfield.
But by the time the season
was over fullback Tyler
Wilson had rushed for over
1,500 yards. The three
backs — Wilson, Jeremy
Cottingham and Nick
Dewitt — combined for
close to 2,500 yards.
Coy wants a repeat.
With two of the areas
finest offensive linemen in
Brent Johnson and
Cameron Olson returning,
Coy has the confidence
that his vaunted wing-t
offense — which features
an array of running plays
— will be strong once
again.
"I'm confident in the athletic ability that the kids
have, especially on the
offensive line," Coy said.
"I think we will be as
Hawks’ Schedule
Sept. 1 — vs. Roland-Story
Sept. 8 — at Ogden
Sept. 15 — vs. St. Edmond
Sept. 22 — at AGWSR, Ackley
Sept. 29 — at Pocahontas Area
Oct. 6 — vs. Woodward-Granger
Oct. 13 — vs. Prairie Valley
Oct. 20 — at West Marshall
Oct. 27 — at Southern Cal
All games begin at 7:30 p.m.
physical as we were last
year, and I think we'll be
quicker this year. If we
have a problem right now
offensively, it's consistency. But that will come with
reps."
South Hamilton's corner-
stone — the backfield —
is still undecided. Jerred
Stubben and Cameron
Boyd are fighting it out for
the fullback spot, while
Devin Neuman and Ben
Coy are both getting repetitions at halfback. Lee
Knickerbocker has cemented himself in at wingback.
Whoever gets the ball,
he will have big bodies
blocking for him. The 6foot 5-inch, 265-pound
Johnson — the Hawks'
right tackle — already has
one scholarship offer from
the University of South
Dakota. Several Division I
colleges are also taking an
interest in his progress.
"We want to run behind
Brent, but it will be interesting to see how teams
plays us knowing that
Brent and Cameron are our
most experienced linemen
back," Coy said. "I'm confident in our ability to run
to the other side as well."
Cory McFarland,
Carlton Ness and Clint
Henderson are in competition for the remaining
offensive line spots.
Coy says his crew will
have to be able to throw
the ball more this season
simply because teams are
going to line seven, eight
and sometimes nine guys
on the line of scrimmage
to try to stuff the run.
That's where quarterback
Alex Huisman — another
varsity rookie — figures
into the mix.
"Alex has got great senior leadership, and he's
worked hard in the offseason," Coy said. "Now it's
just spending time throwing the football and getting
pass routes down."
As good as South
SH FOOTBALL, See Page 19
Page 4
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
LYNX BOYS XC: Members of the 2006 Webster City boys' cross country team include, front row, left to right, managers Melissa Hanson, Arrin Balsley, Samantha
Bartly and Chelsea Tolle, second row, Dylan Ryder, Zach Turner, Mac McCollough, Nate Treibel, Matt Severe, Jesse Ogg, Tyler Kunz, Adam Klein, back row, assistant
coach Joe Lambert, Sung Lak-Choi, Grant Ryherd, Ethan Barnes, Jared Wilaby, assistant coach Gary Moenck, Ben Lambert, Jon Richardson, Devin Linn, Brandon
Hicok and head coach Tony Bussan. Note pictured are team members Aaron Bieker and Brad Smith.
Lynx on prowl for 12th straight trip to state
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
WEBSTER CITY —
The No. 12 is held in high
regard by the Webster City
boys' cross country team
as it prepares for the 2006
season. The Lynx will
shoot for their 12th
straight trip to the state
meet and 12th North
Central Conference title in
the last 13 years over the
next two months.
Those goals rest in the
capable hands of three veteran runners, spearheaded
by senior Aaron Bieker, as
well as junior Jesse Ogg
— arguably one of the top
distance runners in central
Iowa. Also returning to the
course is sophomore Ben
Lambert, who spent his
entire rookie campaign on
the varsity circuit.
But can they be consistent? That's one thing the
threesome wasn't a year
ago, and Lynx head coach
Tony Bussan says it's the
No. 1 question that haunts
his crew.
"Consistency is going to
be a key thing for all of
Lynx Schedule
Aug. 29 — Lynx Invite (at WC)
Sept. 5 — at Waverly Invite
Sept. 11 — at Ballard Invite
Sept. 16 — at Kuemper Invite (9 a.m.)
Sept. 25 — at Algona Invite
Sept. 30 — at E-NP Invite (9:30 a.m.)
Oct. 5 — at Fort Dodge Invite
Oct. 10 — at Iowa Falls (NCC)
Oct. 19 — District Meet (at TBA)
Oct. 28 — State at Fort Dodge
(Noon)
All meets at 5 p.m. unless
otherwise noted
those guys," Bussan said.
"None of those guys had
to carry the load up front
last year. They were kind
of interchangeable parts,
but this year they're not
going to have that luxury.
This year all three will
have to perform well every
meet for us to be successful."
The inconsistency reared
its ugly head towards the
end of last season. Ogg
struggled to a 22nd-place
showing at conference, yet
was an all-district runner
after placing 10th.
Ogg could be the guy
the Lynx look to to take
charge at the front of the
pack. He thrived on the
track last spring, culminating with a fourth-place finish in the 3A 3,200-meter
run and an eighth-place
result in the 1,600.
"Once Jesse gets into
shape we would expect
him to be our performance
leader," Bussan said. "But
he's got a lot of work to do
conditioning wise to perform where we think he
can. Track is by far his
favorite of the two sports,
and the shorter the race the
more he likes it. So he's
going to have to accept the
fact that there's a pretty
high level of practice time
and conditioning that is
needed to get to the level
he wants to get to."
But even if Webster
City's three veterans flourish, Bussan knows he will
still need several newcomers to step in to the fray.
He estimates that a total of
eight guys are competing
for those seven varsity
BOYS XC, See Page 10
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 5
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
LYNX GIRLS XC: Members of the 2006 Webster City girls' cross country team include, front row, left to right, managers Melissa Hanson, Arrin Balsley, Samantha Bartly
and Chelsea Tolle, second row, Sarah Perin, Erin Hunt, Breane Wagner, Ashley Mallinger, Mikaela Pruismann, Bailey Anderson, Ashley Stephens, Bailey Bergman, back
row, assistant coach Joe Lambert, Claire Corrow, Emily Long, Paige Bonjour, assistant coach Gary Moenck, Becky Perin, Amanda Hicok, Elizabeth Johnson and head
coach Tony Bussan.
Lynx girls hope to take Long way to state
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
WEBSTER CITY —
Emily Long has spent her
entire prep cross country
career in the shadows. Yes,
she's earned multiple allNorth Central Conference
honors, and she's even
competed in the Class 3A
state meet, but she's never
been called upon to lead
the Webster City girls'
squad where it wants to
go.
That all changes this
fall.
Now a senior, Long will
take on the role of team
leader for the Lynx in
2006 as they try to reclaim
the top spot in the NCC
after having their threeyear run of championships
halted by Iowa Falls-Alden
last fall.
Is Long ready for such a
responsibility? Webster
City head coach Tony
Bussan has no doubts.
"Emily is a very quiet
person until you get to
know her real well, so as a
coach I was real curious
because she hasn't had to
come forward and be outspoken yet," Bussan said.
"But she really took control of the summer running
program and took over that
leadership role. She's
doing all of the little
things behind the scenes
that you hope a leader will
do."
And what about on the
competitive course? Can
Long improve upon her
seventh-place finish at the
2005 NCC meet and her
13th-place result at the
2005 3A district meet? If
last spring's track season is
any indication — Long
qualified for the state meet
in both the 3,000- and
1,500-meter runs — the
answer is yes.
"I certainly think Emily
can shoot for high goals in
the conference," Bussan
said. "Top five in the conference is a definite goal
as is all-district and qualifying for state. She's going
to help us get everything
we can out of this team
this year."
Long is one of three
GIRLS XC, See Page 11
Lynx Schedule
Aug. 29 — Lynx Invite (at WC)
Sept. 5 — at Waverly Invite
Sept. 11 — at Ballard Invite
Sept. 16 — at Kuemper Invite (9 a.m.)
Sept. 25 — at Algona Invite
Sept. 30 — at E-NP Invite (9:30 a.m.)
Oct. 5 — at Fort Dodge Invite
Oct. 10 — at Iowa Falls (NCC)
Oct. 19 — District Meet (at TBA)
Oct. 28 — State at Fort Dodge
(Noon)
All meets at 5 p.m. unless
otherwise noted
Page 6
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
LYNX VOLLEYBALL: Members of the 2006 Webster City volleyball team include, front row, left to right, Lydia Miller, Heather Brock, Ronni Epps, Brittany Smith, middle,
Hilary Williams, Kelsey Nelson, Breanna Gourley, Kirbie Totten, Caity Johnson, Megan Wood, back, Britney Roberts, Jessie Fevold, Megan Brandt and Samantha Kantak.
Is this the year the Lynx make their move?
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
WEBSTER CITY — A
seventh-place finish in the
North Central conference
wasn't exactly what the
Webster City volleyball
team had in mind when
the nets were put in place
a season ago. And it's certainly not what the Lynx
would consider a success-
ful season this fall.
With a slew of letter
winners returning to the
court in 2006, Webster
City head coach Joni
Smith thinks she has the
pieces in place to be a
highly competitive team in
the league. Now her players just have to go out and
prove her right.
"We've got a lot of kids
back, and we've got a lot
of girls out for volleyball,
which is super," Smith,
who takes the Lynx sideline for the third year, said.
"If we get it all together
this year I think we'll do
pretty well.
"I'm looking for us to be
very competitive."
Smith's optimism is due
in large part to her senior
class. The four team leaders — Heather Brock,
Ronni Epps, Brittany
Smith and Lydia Miller —
all got extensive court time
a year ago. Also returning
are letter winners Hilary
Williams and Megan
Brandt — both juniors —
as well as sophomores
Breanna Gourley, Kelsey
Nelson and Kirbie Totten.
"I see a lot of leadership
out of these seniors, and
that's something that is
great to see," Joni Smith
said. "And our sophomores played a lot of AAU
ball throughout the year,
so they've improved quite
a bit as well."
Brock, one of the Lynx
leaders in kills in 2005,
will be looked to for a
powerful attack in the middle. Miller and Brittany
Smith will work the outside. Gourley and Nelson
both have the ability to
play a number of positions, including with their
noses pressed firmly
against the net.
"We're hitting the ball
LYNX VBALL, See Page 20
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 7
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
TROJET VOLLEYBALL: Members of the 2006 Northeast Hamilton volleyball team include, front row, left to right, Jessica Nickerson, Megan Horn, second row, Kassie
Quick, Ashley Hanson, Amanda Rapp, Jamie Willems, Heather Sprecher, third row, Michelle Hoversten, Ashley Schutt, Sarah Fonken, Kara Hassebrock, Brittney Olson,
Elizabeth Roe, Carrie Greenfield, fourth row, Rachel Knickerbocker, Brooke Schutt, Koreen Willems, Holly Heiden, Allison Heiden, Adessa Jass, Summer Anderson,
Jackie Burkle, Abby Rapp and Heather Sweet.
Trojets fate partially in hands of rookie class
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
BLAIRSBURG — A
blend of experience and
youth will take the court
for the Northeast Hamilton
volleyball team this fall, as
the Trojets embark on a
journey that will hopefully
lead to the upper tier of the
Iowa Star Conference.
Trojets' head coach
Jennifer Cross welcomes
back four seniors, all of
whom saw plenty of court
time a season ago. But she
will also rely on a talented
crop of freshmen that
gained valuable experience
at last year's state AAU
tournament.
"The strength of our
senior group is their leadership skills," Cross said.
"The freshman class is
very athletic and they're all
hard workers who have a
winning mentality. They'll
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be nicely balanced by our
senior group."
A lot will be expected of
senior middle blocker
Amanda Rapp, who earned
honorable mention all-ISC
honors a season ago. Rapp
stands just 5 feet 7 inches
tall — not typical of most
middle blockers — but
Cross says her athleticism
more than makes up for
her lack of height.
TROJETS, See Page 21
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
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HAWK CROSS COUNTRY: Members of the 2006 South Hamilton cross country team include, front row, left to right, Laura Sigmund, Bryce Tuttle, April Peterson, Erin
Hanson, Adam Fisher, James Clavin, Nathan Johnston, Cody Voga, second row, Ellyn Houdeshell, Kassy Gruver, Celina Hackmann, Kieler Bottorff, Kendra Carlson,
Jessica Hanson, Alyssa Henderson, Sierra Weltha, April Sigmund, Katharine Groehn, Mary Carlson, third row, Melody Rueger, Chelsea Heeren, Katelyn Tjaden, Miranda
Burroughs, Becca Lutter, Caryn McCoskey, Kristina Haugland, Hannah Lutter, Zach Rueger, Benson Kuhfus, fourth row, Marian Hayes, Sarah Staples, Lisa Hayes,
Brittney Harriman, Logan Koster, Josh Mechaelsen, Steven Burks, Logan Hassebrock, Ryan Fisher, fifth row, Luke Hodnefield, Reggie Clavin, Reece Penning and Tyler
Guard.
Pieces in place for SH girls to make HOIC, state runs
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
JEWELL — Jim
Klein is optimistically
confident in his South
Hamilton girls' cross coun-
try team as it gets set to
open the 2006 season, and
why wouldn't he be? With
six runners back from last
year's Class 1A state qualifying squad, the Hawks
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will be considered one of
the elite squads in the
Heart of Iowa Conference
again this fall.
"I think we have a real
good core of kids back,"
Klein said. "Our biggest
concern right now is depth
because it's really fragile.
We can't afford any
injuries or sickness."
South Hamilton has
qualified for the 1A state
meet five years in a row
and seven times in the last
10 years. The Hawks were
sixth at state a year ago,
their highest finish since a
sixth-place showing in
1998.
The No. 6 was big for
South Hamilton a year
ago. That's the spot that
HAWK XC, See Page 22
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
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Page 9
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HAWK VOLLEYBALL: Members of the 2006 South Hamilton volleyball team include, front row, left to right, Logan Story, Amanda McGonigle, Brittany Wicks, Leigh Nelson, middle, Abigail Swalla, Abby Northrup, Steph Jacobson, Ashley Anderson, Sara Samuelson, Jaimee Norem, back, Jess Stakey, Caitlin Cook, Bethany Olson and Vanessa Reed.
New faces blanket South Hamilton volleyball squad
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
JEWELL — If you don't
recognize the 2006 South
Hamilton volleyball team,
don't worry. You won't be
alone.
The graduated class of
2005 left a lasting impression on the Hawk program. So good was the
class that it very rarely
allowed any of the
younger girls a chance to
step onto the court.
But that class — which
featured the likes of allHeart of Iowa Conference
selections Kelsey Hake,
Becca Swalla, Laura Read
and Tarin Bell — is long
gone. It's not coming back.
South Hamilton now has
to look forward, even if it
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did lose a class that went a
combined 60-5 in its last
two seasons on the court.
"So far the girls have
come in and worked hard,"
second-year South
Hamilton head coach Jana
Happe said. "Their work
ethic is great, and you just
can't coach that."
But Happe points out
SH VBALL, See Page 23
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Page 10
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
WEBSTER CITY BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY
Lynx looking for newcomers to shine on 3.1-mile course
BOYS XC, From Page 4
spots, and the fight could
very well continue
throughout the season.
"It's going to be some of
those newcomers that will
have to step forward for
us," Bussan said.
Bussan thinks that junior
Brandon Hicok is ready to
step into one of those varsity roles. Hicok was 16th
in the league junior varsity
meet last October, and
then had a very good
spring track season.
"We're really counting
on Brandon to help out
this year," Bussan said.
Several cross country
novices could also figure
into the mix. Junior Ethan
Barnes joined the Lynx
squad for the first time,
senior Jon Richardson is
on the team for the first
time since he won the
NCC middle school title as
an eighth grader, and senior Devin Linn is part of
the program as well.
Matt Severe, a freshman,
also figures into the mix.
He was the NCC middle
school runner-up in 2005.
Even with the mountain
of questions, Webster City
still enters the season as
one of the favorites — if
not the favorite — to lead
the chase towards the conference championship.
Eagle Grove is the only
squad besides the Lynx to
capture the NCC's highest
honor in the last 12 years.
The Eagles took the title in
2004, only to finish second
to Webster City last fall.
"(Webster City and
Eagle Grove) both return
some key kids, but it all
comes down to how well
you fill in the gaps,"
Bussan said. "We are such
an unknown, and I know
Eagle Grove has some
very good freshman talent
coming in."
The Eagles return four
runners from last year's 2A
sixth-place squad, including senior Jarred Burres,
who was 12th at the state
meet.
Still, Bussan likes his
team.
"The talent is there to be
a pretty good cross country team," he said. "We've
got the potential to challenge for a conference title
and take another run at the
state meet."
TOUGH TANDEM: Jesse Ogg, left, and Ben Lambert, right, will run in search of
the top 10 each time they take to the cross country course in 2006.
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Page 11
WEBSTER CITY GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY
Defending NCC champion Cadets still the team to beat
GIRLS XC, From Page 5
returning runners that
logged heavy varsity miles
for Webster City last fall.
Bussan also welcomes
back senior Becky Perin
— who along with Long
helped the Lynx place 10th
at the 2004 3A state meet
— and sophomore Paige
Bonjour.
Bonjour earned all-conference honors as well in
her rookie campaign after
finishing eighth at the
NCC meet. Perin placed
22nd.
"Paige is a real solid distance runner, and she
seems to be a little bit
stronger this year," Bussan
said.
Bussan also likes what
he has seen out of senior
Elizabeth Johnson in the
preseason. Johnson took
third in the junior varsity
race at last fall's league
meet.
But while Bussan is fairly comfortable with the
front of his pack, he says
the back end is where
Webster City's success will
lie. A total of 10 freshmen
are on the team, and several of them will be called
upon to step into varsity
slots right away.
"I'm a little reluctant to
REDEMPTION TIME: Paige Bonjour, left, and Emily Long will try to help the Webster City girls’ cross country team
reclaim the NCC crown in 2006. The Lynx run of three straight titles was stopped by Iowa Falls-Alden last fall.
start naming freshmen that
I think we'll be counting
on, but certainly we have
some talented kids coming
into the mix," Bussan said.
"But this will be their first
taste of high school competition, so it's hard to say
how they will do.
"We've got the leadership we need, but we'll
need some of these
younger kids to be
unafraid and step forward.
If they progress like we
think they will then we
think we'll have a team
that will be up there chal-
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lenging for a conference
title and spot in the state
meet."
Bussan didn't want to
name names, but freshman
Mikaela Pruismann has
showcased her talent in
front of a large NCC audience before. She was the
conference middle school
champion in 2005, while
classmate Ashley
Mallinger was third. Sarah
Perin, another rookie on
the Lynx squad, finished
seventh in last year's
league middle school race.
And it's not like
Pruismann will be daunted
by the varsity challenge
either. She spent the summer months in and out of
the Webster City varsity
softball team's starting
lineup, and ended the year
as one of the squad's
hottest hitters out of the
lead-off spot.
The Lynx will certainly
be pushed as they attempt
to once again become conference royalty. Iowa
Falls-Alden returns five
runners from last year's
title team, which also went
on to place 13th at the 3A
state meet. And Bishop
Garrigan brings back four
girls from the team that
was third behind the
Cadets and Lynx at the
2005 NCC meet.
The Golden Bears were
eighth in 1A at last
November's state meet.
Senior Tami Lallier placed
a very respectable 14th in
the field of over 100 runners.
"Iowa Falls-Alden's program has certainly been up
and coming, and I have a
feeling that Garrigan will
be good as well," Bussan
said. "But we're not going
to back down from that
because we think we're in
that mix, too."
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Page 14
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
NORTHEAST HAMILTON FOOTBALL
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
TROJAN FOOTBALL: Members of the 2006 Northeast Hamilton football team, include, sitting, left to right, managers Rachel Hanson and Kelanie Claude, front row,
assistant coaches Mark Rusch and Brian Van Langen, Alex Renaud, Jake Hoversten, Caleb Schwieger, Travis Schutt, Dan Schaa, Harm Jass, Craig Pruismann, assistant coach Al Anderson, second row, assistant coach Jeff Hatcher, head coach John Seiser, Lucas Mechaelsen, Tyler Fellows, David Greenfield, Noah Rapp, Tyler
Blair, Dirk Timm, Michael Tapper, Darren Holtkamp, Pierce Draper, third row, Blayne Thompson, Justin Hanson, Seth McGowan, Joey Koop, Dustin Flatebo, Jamison
Bradley, Kyle Klaver, Trey Seiser, assistant coach James Koop, assistant coach Josh Vanderloop, fourth row, Tyler Blair, Jesse Krieger, Chad Fonken, Jon Weigmann,
Jordan Anderson, fifth row, Zac Seaman, Sean Inks and Houston Harreld.
Trojans return beef that led way for over 3,000 rushing yards in 2005
TROJANS, From Page 13
offseason working. He
went to the Nike Camp in
Columbus, Oh., and to the
Elite 11 tryouts in Las
Vegas, all with the goal of
bringing back what he
learned and utilizing it on
the field this fall.
"I learned a lot," Renaud
said. "I learned that anyone
can throw a football, but
it's the footwork and
mechanics that separate the
good from the best."
Renaud will work behind
an offensive line that
comes back intact. One of
the largest lines in the state,
it is spearheaded by Schutt,
a 6-foot 4-inch, 307-pound
senior guard. Beside him
will be 6-foot, 200-pound
center Jake Hoversten and
6-4, 275-pound guard
Caleb Schwieger. Junior
Jordan Anderson, who has
bulked up to 215, will be at
tight end.
"Our big guys all worked
tremendously hard in the
offseason," Seiser said.
"Travis trimmed down a
little bit, and Caleb was in
the weight room every day.
He's looking better than he
ever has before."
That line helped
Northeast Hamilton rush
for 3,297 yards a year ago,
an average of 6.8 yards per
carry. But 1,523 of those
yards and 32 of the
Trojans' 51 rushing touchdowns were lost due to the
Trojans’ Schedule
Sept. 1 — vs. Sentral of Fenton
Sept. 8 — at Pomeroy-Palmer
Sept. 15 — at Rockwell-Swaledale
Sept. 22 — vs. Janesville
Sept. 29 — vs. Twin River Valley
Oct. 6 — at CAL, Latimer
Oct. 13 — vs. Clarksville
Oct. 20 — vs. NS-Rock Falls
Oct. 27 — at Ventura
All games begin at 7 p.m.
graduation of Josh
Hassebrock — the only
starter that doesn't return
on both sides of the ball.
Craig Pruismann, a senior who gained 576 yards
and ran for seven scores,
will be back at halfback.
Northeast Hamilton will
turn to junior Lucas
Mechaelsen and senior Dan
Schaa to pick up where
Hassebrock left off.
"Josh was a great athlete,
but we also like to think it's
the system we run," Seiser
said. "It might not be one
guy picking up that slack,
but it might be two or three
guys."
Even with all the offensive artillery that Northeast
Hamilton possesses, Seiser
thinks his defensive unit
will be even better. With
the beef of Schutt,
Hoversten and Schwieger
up front, and linebackers
Schaa and Harm Jass filling the gaps and racking up
tackles, the coach thinks
his squad will be very
tough to score on.
"I think the defense is
the strength of our team,"
Seiser said. "We're going to
be able to do a lot of things
because we've got guys
like Danny Schaa that just
went nuts lifting weights
and adding muscle in the
offseason."
Schaa (linebacker),
Schutt (line), Anderson
(end) and David Greenfield
(safety) were all first-team
all-district defensive picks
a year ago.
But even with all of the
pieces in place to make a
serious run at the UNIDome in Cedar Falls — the
site of the state semifinals
and finals — Seiser has
cautioned his players and
anyone who will listen. His
message: It won't be easy.
"Hopefully people will
realize there still are a lot
of good teams out there,"
he said. "We know we still
have to go out and play the
games, and we've got a hell
of a tough schedule. But
this all started back last
November when nobody
wanted to pick up that
(state semifinal) trophy
(after losing to GliddenRalston). The kids have
worked their butts off to
get there, and they're ready
to go."
Northeast Hamilton's
season will open with a
bang at home on Sept. 1
against Sentral of Fenton,
another school many are
tagging as a state title contender.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 15
NORTHEAST HAMILTON FOOTBALL — 8-MAN DISTRICT 1 PREVIEW
Perfecto! Trojans yet to lose in district play
NEH again the
overwhelming favorite
to take District 1 title,
punch playoff ticket
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
BLAIRSBURG —
Eight-man football has
finally caught up to the
competition.
After years of sending
just eight teams to the
playoffs, a total of 16
teams — the top two from
each of the eight districts
— will now qualify for the
8-man postseason in 2006.
Iowa's other five classes
— A, 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A
— all send 16 teams to the
playoffs as well.
"I think it's great that
we're on equal footing
now," Northeast Hamilton
head coach John Seiser
said. "I think the kids
deserve the same consideration as the 4A schools
because they work just as
hard to try to get to the
playoffs."
The addition comes in
large part to the eight new
teams that joined the 8man ranks, bringing the
total up to 55 schools
across the state.
Northeast Hamilton will
go in search of its third
straight trip to the playoffs
this fall. The Trojans are
back in District 1 after
winning that district's
championship in 2004 and
2005.
Joining the Trojans back
in District 1 will be CAL,
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
and Ventura. New to the
district are Clarksville,
Janesville and RockwellSwaledale — three schools
that played 11-man in
Class A last season.
Even with the new additions, Northeast Hamilton
enters the season as the
predominant favorite to
clutch the district crown
once again. The Trojans
haven't lost a district contest since they joined the
8-man ranks in 2004.
"On paper we're probably a huge favorite to win
our district," Seiser said.
“But three or four weeks
into the season we'll just
see how it plays out."
Seiser expects Janesville
— a squad that was 4-5 in
Class A in 2005 — to push
his squad to the limit. The
two will lock horns on
Sept. 22 in Blairsburg.
"I think Janesville will
surprise a lot of people,"
Seiser said. "They've got
the type of athletes to be a
very good team that will
challenge us."
Outside of the district,
Northeast Hamilton will
face three squads —
Sentral of Fenton, Twin
River Valley and PomeroyPalmer — that combined
to go 18-9 in 2005. Sentral
and TRV were both 7-2,
just missing the playoffs
via a tiebreaker with eventual District 2 champion
North Kossuth.
"We've got some tough
games, that's for sure,"
Seiser said. "But we like to
play good teams, especially outside of our district.
We think that will get us
ready for what we may see
down the line."
832-1150
DFJ File Photo
TOP RATED PASSER: Northeast Hamilton senior
quarterback Alex Renaud (7) is a two-time first-team
all-District 1 quarterback in 8-man football.
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Page 16
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
WEBSTER CITY FOOTBALL
Lynx put offense in the hands
of a sophomore quarterback
WC FOOTBALL, From Page 2
the other end, with Aron
Kliegl and Karl Peterson
fighting it out for the starting wingback role.
But if the Lynx are
forced into a passing
attack, Duncan has confidence in his young signal
caller.
"Brent has a lot of leadership ability," he said. "If
he can funnel that in where
it needs to go, he could be
a quarterback with a very
good future."
Webster City will rely
on Ross Brown and Moen
to anchor the defense from
two of the linebacker
spots. Both started a year
ago and were among the
team leaders in tackles.
"(Brown and Moen) will
be our playmakers, the
core of our defense,"
Duncan said. "Right now
they're looking pretty
good.
"We might bend a couple of times like any
defense might, but guys
that go head-to-head with
those (two) guys are going
to know they're in a bat-
tle."
Jesse Bakken and Nate
Sego are in competition
for the other linebacker
spot. Tyler Estlund,
Peterson and Kliegl will
make up the secondary.
Up front, Webster City
will look to Wehrhan,
Jacob Park, John Galeske,
Loffredo and Zack
McGuire to keep opposing
offensive lines off the linebackers.
BACK IN BACK: Jesse Anderson (46), a junior, will be the most experienced Lynx
player in the backfield this fall.
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 17
WEBSTER CITY FOOTBALL — CLASS 3A DISTRICT 2 PREVIEW
Wildcats have loftier goals than district crown
Two future Hawkeyes
give Humboldt a leg up
in the new District 2
BY TROY BANNING
DFJ Sports Editor
WEBSTER CITY —
After the latest round of
district reshuffling,
Webster City still finds
itself housed in Class 3A
District 2.
Gone, however, are the
likes of perennial power
Clear Lake, Forest City,
Iowa Falls-Alden and
Hampton-Dumont.
Replacing them will be
Humboldt, Algona, Dallas
Center-Grimes and Saydel.
Also back for another
stint in District 2 will be
Ballard of Huxley, Boone
and Nevada.
So what does all of this
mean? Can Boone repeat
at the top of the district, or
will the Toreadors be
knocked off?
"Our district will be
tough once again,"
Webster City head coach
Jim Duncan says. "Boone
will be tough again, but
without question the team
to beat has got to be
Humboldt."
That may be the understatement of the year.
Fresh off an 8-2 record
and trip to the 3A playoffs
LYNX ON THE MOVE: Tyler Estlund, above with ball, hopes to help Webster City
improve upon its seventh-place finish from last year in Class 3A District 2.
in 2005, Humboldt will
not only be the favorite to
capture the District 2
crown, but also a viable
contender to win the state
title in November.
The Wildcats bring back
a solid nucleus of players,
not to mention a pair of
Division I recruits. Senior
linebacker Tyler Nielsen
and senior defensive tackle
Cody Hundertmark have
already committed to the
University of Iowa and
head coach Kirk Ferentz.
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Nielsen was a first-team
all-state linebacker as a
junior, while Hundertmark
earned second-team honors.
"Humboldt will be a
force to be reckoned with,
that's for sure," Duncan
said. "Nielsen and
Hundertmark are the big
studs, and from what I've
seen and heard, they
deserve what they're getting."
Nielsen, who is also a
standout on the basketball
floor and on the track, was
rated as the No. 7 prep
prospect in the Midwest
by SI.com. He was the
only player from Iowa to
crack the top 10.
Humboldt also returns
its quarterback in junior
Nick Nielsen.
The Wildcats will take
the field with a chip on
their shoulders following
an embarrassing 31-7 loss
to LeMars in the firstround of the 2005 playoffs.
"They have a lot of seniors and a lot of talent up
there this year," Duncan
said. "And I'm sure they'll
have a little fire in their
bellies after what happened last year."
Five of the eight District
2 teams — Ballard,
Boone, Humboldt, Nevada
and Dallas Center-Grimes
— all finished the 2005
season with winning
records. Only Boone and
Humboldt were playoff
qualifiers.
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off a 1-8 season in 2005,
1-6 in district play, which
slotted them in seventh in
the standings. But Duncan
thinks his group can make
the jump up a few rungs
on the ladder this fall.
"Obviously we want to
improve on our record
from last year," he said.
"And, yeah, we want to be
in the top half of the district."
One positive for Webster
City is that it will no
longer have to face Harlan
in the non-district portion
of the schedule. Duncan
says facing the three-time
defending state champion
in each of the last two seasons put a strain on his
program leading up to the
district campaign.
"It's good to have them
off the schedule," Duncan
said of Harlan. "You get
better by playing better
teams, but you don't get
better by being punished,
and that's what happened
to us for two straight
years."
Webster City will open
up with non-district games
against New Hampton and
Eagle Grove before it
begins the district schedule
at Boone on Sept. 15.
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The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 19
SOUTH HAMILTON FOOTBALL
Hawks’ coach confident in his defense
SH FOOTBALL, From Page 3
Hamilton hopes to be
offensively by the time
district play rolls around in
Week 3, Coy thinks his
defensive unit will be
strong from opening night
on.
Just like on offense,
Johnson and Olson will be
the cornerstones as the
only returning starters. But
Johnson is known as a runstuffer up front, and Olson
is quick to the ball and
unrelenting when it comes
to bringing down the ball
carrier.
"I think defensively
we'll be very strong," Coy
said. "But once again
we've got nine guys that
have never stepped on a
varsity field in crucial situations."
Logan Wilhoit, Isaac
Hodnefield and Stubben
will join Johnson up front,
while Henderson and
Olson will be at the middle linebacker spots. Ben
Coy, Bret Bell and possibly Huisman will help
shore up a secondary that
was vulnerable at times a
year ago.
"We had trouble with
our pass defense last year,
but I think athletically we
might be better in our secondary this year, and the
height is also better," Coy
said. "Our success will
depend on how well we
can come together as a
team. It may take longer
than three games, but I
hope not."
South Hamilton, which
was 5-4 as a member of
Class 1A District 7 last
year, will be part of 1A
District 2 in 2006. Joining
the Hawks will be
Pocahontas Area, Prairie
Valley, Southern Cal, Fort
Dodge St. Edmond, West
Marshall and WoodwardGranger.
South Hamilton will
open up district play on
Sept. 15 at home against
St. Edmond and Hall of
Fame coach Dick Tighe.
"That will be a big challenge, and it will definitely
tell us where we're at,"
Coy said of the date with
the Gaels. "But if we come
together I think we can
compete for a district title
and shot at the playoffs. A
lot of it depends on how
quickly we mature."
Coy points to
Pocahontas Area and
Southern Cal as possible
front runners. St. Edmond
— a playoff quarterfinalist
last year — will be stout
as well.
"It's a highly competitive district," Coy said. "I
think you'll see a lot of
good football."
MAN IN CHARGE: South
Hamilton’s offensive and
defensive lines will be
anchored by Brent
Johnson, facing on right.
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Page 20
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
WEBSTER CITY VOLLEYBALL
Champion Bulldogs get the early nod in NCC
LYNX VBALL, From Page 6
Lynx Schedule
very well in practice, and
hopefully blocking will be
a strength because we've
got some height," Joni
Smith said. "We've got
several girls that can all do
the same thing. At certain
times one girl hits it pretty
hard, but then the next
time someone else is on."
What Webster City is
still looking for, however,
is someone to step in and
take command of the team
from the setter position.
Breanne Kastler filled that
role a season ago, but she
was one of the few players
the Lynx lost to graduation.
"The setter position is
going to be a question
mark, and we might just
run two setters out there
because many of these
girls haven't had a lot of
experience there," Joni
Smith said. "Hopefully
someone will step up."
Gourley filled in for
Aug. 29 — at North Polk
Sept. 2 — at Algona Invite (9 a.m.)
Sept. 7 — at Humboldt
Sept. 9 — Lynx Invite (9 a.m.)
Sept. 12 — vs. Hampton-Dumont
Sept. 16 — at Forest City Invite (TBA)
Sept. 21 — at Clear Lake
Sept. 26 — vs. St. Edmond
Sept. 28 — at Bishop Garrigan
Oct. 3 — vs. Clarion-Goldfield
Oct. 5 — vs. Iowa Falls-Alden
Oct. 12 — at Eagle Grove
Oct. 14 — at Johnston Invite (TBA)
Oct. 19 — vs. Algona
All varsity matches will begin at approximately 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Kastler at various times
last season. Epps — who
was the Lynx libero in
2005 — as well as
Brittany Smith and Katie
Johnson could also find
themselves setting up their
teammates from time to
time.
Joni Smith is not shy
about her aspirations. She
thinks this could be the
year that Webster City
breaks away from the pack
and into the upper echelon
of the NCC standings. But
it won't be easy.
Algona won the conference championship a season ago, and took a perfect
record into the Class 3A
state championship match
before losing to six-time
defending champ Dubuque
Wahlert in four games.
The Bulldogs were hit
hard by graduation, losing
a pair of first-team all-state
talents in Melanie
Hackbarth and Hanna
Simonson. They do return
outside hitter Whitney
Mills and middle Stephany
Bjustrom, and head coach
Shelly Terhark — the 2005
3A Co-Head Coach of the
Year — seems to always
find a way to put a highly
competitive squad on the
floor.
"Algona is always good,
and I'm sure they'll have a
strong team once again,"
Joni Smith said. "I think
St. Edmond will be good
as well because their girls
played a lot of AAU ball,
so I'd say they will look
good as far as gelling as a
team. But hopefully we
can be one of the top contenders this year because
we've got this great core
group coming back."
Iowa Falls-Alden returns
the conference's only allstate talent in senior Sami
Smith. She was a 3A honorable mention pick by the
Iowa Girls Coaches
Association in 2005.
WHO WILL SET: The
Lynx may use multiple
setters in 2005. Ronni
Epps, top photo coming
up with a dig, and
Breanna Gourley, pictured right, are two of the
options at the disposal
of Webster City head
coach Joni Smith.
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 21
NORTHEAST HAMILTON VOLLEYBALL
Rapp brings speed, athleticism to net
Trojets’ Schedule
TROJETS, From Page 7
"Amanda is a serious volleyball player, and she
wants to go on and play at
the next level somewhere,"
Cross said. "We expect big
things from her, and she's
going to need to have a big
season for us to be successful."
Cross says Rapp has
improved offensively since
last fall, but it's her blocking ability that will surprise
teams.
"One of her biggest
strengths will be her ability
to block," Cross said. "She's
not tall, but she is able to
jump high and she has long
arms. She's not normally
what you're looking for in a
blocker, but she makes up
for it with her athleticism."
Joining Rapp up front
Aug. 29 — vs. Hubbard-Radcliffe
Sept. 5 — at CAL, Latimer
Sept. 7 — at GMG, Garwin
Sept. 9 — at Webster City (9 a.m.)
Sept. 12 — vs. Clarksville
Sept. 14 — vs. Janesville
Sept. 19 — at Dunkerton
Sept. 21 — vs. North Tama
Sept. 26 — at Tripoli
Sept. 28 — vs. Walnut Ridge
Oct. 3 — vs. Don Bosco
Oct. 7 — ISC Tournament
Oct. 9 — at TRV, Bode
All varsity matches will begin at approximately 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted
will be senior outside hitter
Ashley Hanson and freshman outside hitters Summer
Anderson and Holly
Heiden. Jamie Willems,
another senior, will see time
at a middle spot.
Freshman Adessa Jass
will take over the setting
duties for Northeast
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Hamilton. It was her older
sister, Ashley, who took on
the role of floor leader for
the Trojets in each of the
past two seasons, and Cross
hopes the younger Jass
learned the ropes from her
family member.
"One of the biggest holes
is the loss of our setter,"
Cross said. "Ashley was our
floor captain and ran our
offense. But Adessa has
those same tools and abilities. Her weakness will be
her lack of experience, but
she has the tools to be the
same type of player that
Ashley was."
Cross wants to be realistic. With a young group of
players in her rotation, she
knows the Trojets may take
their lumps at times, specifically in a conference that
features three-time defend-
ing Class 1A state champion Tripoli. Cross also sees
North Tama as a powerful
force in the race for the
league crown.
"I would hope we could
finish in the top half (of the
conference)," Cross said.
"With this group of freshmen, by the time they are
juniors and seniors, I expect
them to be contenders for
the conference title. But this
year I'd like to see us right
up there behind Tripoli and
North Tama, that would be
a good year."
Tripoli lost three-time
first-team all-state and twotime 1A Player of the Year
Alicia Johnson to graduation. However, the Panthers
do return first-team all-state
middle blocker Tiffany
Nilges, who is only a junior.
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defender at net during the 2006 season.
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Page 22
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
SOUTH HAMILTON CROSS COUNTRY
Sigmund all-state as a sophomore
HAWK XC, From Page 8
Laura Sigmund, now a
junior, placed in the individual field of 134 runners
at the state meet.
In addition to
Sigmund, the Hawks also
return senior April
Peterson, junior Caryn
McCoskey, and sophomores Marian Hayes,
Alyssa Henderson and
Sierra Weltha.
Hayes was 32nd last
year at state, while
Henderson also cracked
the top 50.
Sigmund will once
again be the catalyst for
South Hamilton. The allstate runner will be
expected to set the pace as
all of her teammates try to
chase her down.
"Laura is a good kid
and a hard worker, but she
puts a lot of pressure on
herself," Klein said. "We
want Laura to run out
front, and then the rest of
the girls will try to run as
close to her as they can.
So if she runs well, hopefully that will drag the
other girls up."
Because the HOIC
will crown two champions
this season — a large
school and small school
champion — the Hawks
will be the overwhelming
favorite to take back the
small school crown.
CMB, the defending
league champion in the
one division system,
returns six runners from
last season's 2A thirdplace crew. But the
Raiders will be a member
of the HOIC large school
division.
Klein was one of the
coaches that was in favor
of the two division confer-
ence.
"I like it for one reason, and that's because
we'll run against teams our
size," Klein said. 'Our kids
deserve that chance. But
there are good teams in the
small division too. It's not
like we're running against
the sisters of the poor."
West Marshall,
Grandview Park Baptist,
Colo-NESCO, ColfaxMingo, WoodwardGranger and Madrid will
be the other small school
division entries. North
Polk, CMB, Roland-Story,
Gilbert, Bondurant-Farrar,
Ogden and PCM will be in
the large school class.
Hawks’ Schedule
Sept. 5 — at Belmond Invite (5:00)
Sept. 7 — at Jefferson Invite
Sept. 11 — at Ballard Invite
Sept. 18 — at Humboldt Invite
Sept. 21 — at Roland-Story Invite
Sept. 25 — at Nevada Invite
Oct. 3 — at Eagle Grove Invite
Oct. 5 — Hawk Invite (at Jewell)
Oct. 9 — HOIC at Ames
Oct. 12 — at Gilbert Invite (4:15)
All meets at 4:30 p.m. unless
otherwise noted
MOVING UP? Laura
Sigmund, right, has been
the HOIC runner-up in
each of her two prep
cross country seasons.
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Hawk boys get bigger
JEWELL — Filling
an entire varsity lineup has
been problematic for the
South Hamilton boys'
cross country team in
recent years. But the
Hawks will have a full varsity and a full junior varsity in 2006.
The numbers leaves
Klein thinking about bigger and better things for
his boys' squad.
"I'm really kind of
excited about our boys'
team this year," Klein said.
"It's nice to have some
kids to choose from. We'll
maybe have 10 to 12 boys
to pick our varsity from
this year, as opposed to
having just five to put on
varsity like in the past."
South Hamilton will
be top-heavy with senior
leaders James Clavin and
Adam Fisher. Clavin was a
1A state qualifier in 2004,
and Fisher was the Hawks'
No. 1 runner a season ago.
"I think those two will
be pretty good leaders,"
Klein said. "They have all
kinds of potential, and the
good thing is they feed off
each other; neither one of
them likes to get beat."
Also returning for the
Hawks are letter winners
Nathan Johnston, a sophomore, and Logan Koster, a
junior. Klein also expects
SENIOR IN CHARGE:
Adam Fisher, above, will
once again try to take his
spot among the elite runners in the Heart of Iowa
Conference this fall as a
senior on the South
Hamilton boys’ cross
country team.
freshmen Logan
Hassebrock and Ryan
Fisher, as well as sophomore Steven Burks to push
for varsity spots.
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Thursday, August 31, 2006
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Page 23
SOUTH HAMILTON VOLLEYBALL
Competition for spots on floor helps Hawks, Happe says
SH VBALL, From Page 9
that her inexperienced
squad still has a long ways
to go.
"The girls that we had
last year had all played a
lot of varsity matches, so
they were ready to play
right away," Happe said.
"This year we've got a lot
of girls that haven't played
varsity before, so it's really
a challenge to figure out
where they need to play."
Junior Abigail Swalla, an
outside hitter, is the only
player back with any real
experience. But even she
had her role on the floor a
year ago. She stepped in
and got a kill here and a
kill there, but was not
asked to carry the load.
Her role will change this
fall.
"Abigail is going to have
to really step up this year,"
Happe said. "Last year she
kind of had to take a backseat to all of the older girls.
She's a good athlete and a
good player, and I think
she'll have the attitude to
step up and take the reigns.
I would hope she would be
able to guide these girls a
little bit."
Swalla averaged nearly
four kills per match as a
sophomore. The other 30
kills per match that South
Hamilton averaged were
lost to graduation.
The Hawks could go
with a hitter-by-committee
mentality this spring.
Happe says players like
senior Leigh Nelson, junior
Ashley Anderson, junior
Jaimee Norem, junior
Steph Jacobson and sophomore Bethany Olson will
all get their shots at provid-
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Hawks’ Schedule
Sept. 5 — vs. P. Valley/E. Grove
Sept. 7 — at West Marshall
Sept. 9 — at Webster City Invite
Sept. 12 — at CMB
Sept. 14 — vs. Roland-Story
Sept. 16 — at Ballard Invite
Sept. 19 — at Bondurant-Farrar
Sept. 21 — at Colo-NESCO
Sept. 26 — vs. Gilbert
Sept. 28 — at Madrid
Oct. 3 — vs. Ogden
Oct. 5 — vs. Woodward-Granger
Oct. 10 — vs. Colfax-Mingo
Oct. 12 — at Grandview Park Baptist
All varsity matches will begin at
approximately 7 p.m.
ing offense for the team.
"The competition among
the girls definitely helps,"
Happe said. "None of these
girls know that they have a
spot. Nothing is guaranteed
to these girls; they've got to
work hard to get on the
floor, and they know that."
Two other sophomores
— Jessica Stakey and
Caitlin Cook — as well as
junior Sara Samuelson will
share the setting duties.
Happe says one of the
early-season bright spots
has been the improvement
of her sophomore class.
"The sophomore class
has a really good group of
kids," she said. "Seeing
how far they've come from
their freshman year, I'm
more confident than I was
at the end of last year."
South Hamilton will look
to senior Amanda
McGonigle to anchor the
squad from the back row.
Happe says it will be up to
her to take on a leadership
role as well.
"I'm going to look for a
lot of senior leadership out
of Amanda," Happe said.
"She's going to come in
and play a lot of back row,
and it's so important to
have good passes back
there."
Even with the revamped
squad, Happe would like to
think her team will be able
to compete in the newly
formed HOIC Small
School Division. Because
of the change in league format — there will be Large
School and Small School
division champions this fall
— she hopes her team will
be on equal footing with
some of its fellow competitors.
"I would hope we could
finish in the middle or
towards the top of the conference," she said. "There's
a lot of work we have to do
and a lot of mistakes will
be made along the way, but
that's how you learn."
CHAMPION SEED
Brett Hodnefield
District Manager/Research
Box 425
Ellsworth, IA 50075
Office 888-417-2004
Mobile 515-708-3011
Home 515-836-4168
Jeff Arends
Pioneer Seed
404 Second St., PO Box 300
Blairsburg, IA 50034-0300
Office: 515-325-6084
Fax: 515-325-6028
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Page 24
The Daily Freeman-Journal
Thursday, August 31, 2006
LYNX CHEER SQUAD:
Members of the 2006
Webster City varsity football cheerleading squad
include, front row, left to
right, Kelsey Doolittle,
Danielle Pagel, Jessi Hill,
Monica Trujillo, back,
Lisa Maubach, Caitlin
Weaver, Mady Malek and
Jordan Kane.
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
Special Thanks
A big thank you must be
given to all of the fall
coaches from Webster
City, South Hamilton and
Northeast Hamilton that
helped in the production of
the Fall Sports Preview.
Without all of your help
this wouldn’t have been
possible.
The Daily FreemanJournal would like to wish
all of the local teams good
luck throughout the 2006
season.
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