Sportsink062713

A magazine focusing on all things sports in northwest Kansas

Another title

INK. July 2013

in their sights

Only a few members of last year’s Hays Senior Legion title team remain, but the goal is still the same.

The Hays Daily News

What’s up?

A look inside this issue

6 Back in it

Juan Mendez takes Western Plains back to the state track and field championshps in

Wichita.

8

New club

The Hays Senior Legion has a lot of new faces in 2013, but the goal remains the same.

12

Workin’ the dirt

RPM Speedway surface gets a load of new soil, helping cut down on the dust.

Going the distance La Crosse senior Levi Morss competes in the long jump at the Class 1A state track and field championships in May at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium.

Morss won the event, one of his four gold medals.

EVERETT ROYER, Sports Ink.

Sports Ink. contributors: Nick McQueen nmcqueen@dailynews.net Conor Nicholl cnicholl@dailynews.net Everett Royer sportsink@dailynews.net Nick Schwien nschwien@dailynews.net Chad Pilster cpilster@dailynews.net. On the cover: Hays Senior Legion player Clayton Basgall.

Volume 3, Issue 5 Sports Ink. is published and distributed by The Hays Daily News. Copyright © 2013 Harris Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Sports Ink. is a registered trademark of The Hays Daily News, 507 Main, Hays, KS 67601 (785) 628-1081.

NBC format better now?

I

n August 2010, the Hays Larks finished with a 21-17 overall record, ure, the Larks were not participating in Wichita. The other time was when several teams went to Texas for a season finale. and finished in third place at 17-15 in the Jayhawk League.

Here’s hoping the new format of the NBC, however awkward it Many years that would have been good enough to earn a berth might seem, alleviates any questions as to how teams qualify for the in the National Baseball Congress World Series, the annual end-ofseries finale. There still seems to be question. summer event at Wichita’s historic Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Normally a 32-team double-elimination bracket that spans However, due to the qualifying rules for the NBC, the Larks were through two weeks, the NBC will go to two 16-team brackets. In left out. The Jayhawk League, which traditionally had qualified at the first week, 16 teams will play for the right to compete in the least three for the season finale, still had three representatives. One following week. The second week has been deemed of those teams was Derby, which finished fifth in For starters “championship week.” The top two teams from the the league, but did place second in the Midwest first week will join a group of 14 already determined.

Regional, an automatic qualifier for the NBC. Those 14 are made up of the champions from the League champion Haysville (now Wellington) won 10 most successful leagues during the past 10 years, the regional and the league title and, like in all the including the Jayhawk League, two at-large teams years previous, was given the choice of their bid to determined by NBC officials, and the champion and accept. Had Haysville accepted the regional bid, runner-up from the previous season. the next two teams in the league, Liberal and Hays, The new format came about because of financial issues, and now it would have earned automatic bids. increases payouts for teams participating.

Instead, Haysville took the league spot, which made Liberal the It seems they might have figured out a simple way of doing it. My other qualifying team, and the regional bid went to Derby. biggest problem with the NBC is, and has been, the qualifying stanIt was no doubt a frustrating occurrence for a program that has dards never being made clear. It seemed the NBC could get whatever seen much success in the past decade at the tournament. teams it wanted (i.e. El Dorado, Derby and others just minutes from A few days later, after longtime Larks manager Frank Leo had alWichita) for financial gain. They haven’t taken that completely away. ready sent his players home, he received a call from the NBC asking What if a team finishes second in the Jayhawk League? Can they be if his team could come and play after a club from Alaska dropped left out of that first week? It could be more frustration for teams that out. Of course, with no team left in town, the Larks couldn’t comare good enough and should be participating, but were left out on a pete. technicality.

The result was for only the second time in Leo’s 30-plus-year ten-

nick

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Who’s That?

Notable performances in northwest Kansas Emily Hahn

Hahn, a junior at Ness City High School, won a surprise championship in the 800-meter run during the Class 2A state track and field championships in May at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium.

Hahn, in her first season running the event, edged teammate Jessie Rubottom as the two finished first and second.

Hahn finished the race in 2 minutes, 25.40 seconds for her first state title. Rubottom finished second in 2:26.69. The event scored 18 of the Eagles’ 28 points at the state meet.

Taylor Petersen

Petersen, a first-year Hays Lark from the University of North Dakota, had a hot start during the first two weeks of the Larks’ season. Hays went 8-1 and Petersen’s hitting was a big part of that. Petersen started the season hitting .364 with a team-leading 13 RBI and three doubles. Petersen batted in the clean-up role early on for the Larks, which jumped out to an early lead in the Jayhawk League with one loss. Petersen, from Atlantic, Iowa, just wrapped up his junior season in North Dakota this spring.

Garrett Flax

Flax, a Garden City Community College football signee from Ness City, was key in the West’s win in the annual Eight-Man Division I All-star game in Beloit on June 8. Flax rushed for three first-half touchdowns from 43, 7 and 2 yards, helping the West to a 54-8 victory, the fifth straight in the series. Flax finished the game with 76 yards on 10 carries, and had one catch for 22 yards. Flax was a member of the Eagles’ 13-0 Eight-Man Division I state championship team, and is one of three Eagles who will play at Garden City this fall.

Lexie Schaben

Schaben, who will be a sophomore at Hays High School in the fall, won the first girls’ meet of the summer for the west section of the Kansas Junior Golf Association. Schaben shot a 99 at Smoky Hill Country Club, the first of four tournaments this summer for the KJGA. Got an idea of someone who you think should be included in Who’s That?

Send it to sportsink@dailynews.net with Who’s that? in the subject line, or call (800) 657-6017.

Ranson-Western Plains’ Juan Mendez triple jumps at the Class 1A state track and field championships in May at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium.

Everett Royer, Sports Ink.

Page 6

July 2013

SPORTS INK.

Mendez helps put Western Plains

Back

in the fold

R

ansom-Western Plains junior Juan Mendez clutched his seventh-place medal in his hand after the Class 1A triple jump competition on the first day of the state track and field meet in late May. He glanced down at the medal and then up at the stands full of thousands of people at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium. Mendez wore a big smile and gestured to the crowd.

“Look at this!,” Mendez said.

Mendez’s state medal and reaction completed the first state medal for any Bobcat athlete since Riley Klitzke in 2009. As well, it punctuated an improving school year for Western Plains, one of Kansas’ smallest schools. In the last four years, the Bobcats had trouble competing in any sport and didn’t field a varsity football team for most of one fall and all of another. The basketball teams went through several winless seasons. However, Western Plains improved in 2012-13 — and returns many of its key athletes, including Mendez.

Plus, the Bobcats benefited from switching to the smaller Western Kansas Liberty League from the larger Central Prairie League.

Head football coach/athletic director Mike Jenner said he doesn’t expect the Bobcats to be “megastars” in ’13-14, but said Western Plains is experiencing a “domino effect.”

Last fall, volleyball saw improvement, which carried over to other sports seasons. The football team went 2-7 and was competitive in two other contests in its first full season of varsity football since 2010. This year, Jenner believes the team can be at least .500.

“Our goal is to get to the playoffs,” Jenner said. “Once you get to the playoffs, everything else is gravy. That’s our goal, to have a winning record and to get to the playoffs.”

The 5-foot-4, 120-pound Mendez was born in Mexico, but came to the United States about 12 years ago. Mendez, who also has an older and younger sister, was grateful his family could have a better life.

“We were having family problems down in Mexico,” Mendez said. “We weren’t making very much money. We were actually kind of poor at the time. I was struggling with my legs at the time. I was 6 years old. I had to miss a year of school, and we just came up here. My dad got a job, and life just got better.”

When he was little, Mendez’s family lived across the street from the Jenner family. Trevor Jenner is the oldest of Mike’s four kids, played some college football at Bethel and is argu-

Sports Ink.

ably the best Western Plains athlete in the last seven years.

“He idolized my son Trevor and he was always talking about how he was going to beat Trevor’s track records and this and that,” Jenner said. “He has gotten to the point where he can jump like Trevor, too.”

Mendez has always been small, but has plenty of natural strength and a strong work ethic. Helped by a friend’s weightlifting program, Mendez has added several inches to his vertical jump in the last year.

Mendez played football last fall. Jenner said Mendez, despite learning a lot about the game, put together a strong year.

Depending on personnel, Mendez could play end or possibly quarterback in 2013.

“He is very athletic, probably pound for pound, he is probably one of the strongest kids in our school,” Jenner said. “He jumps out of the house.”

Mendez had a strong year in basketball and might play point guard this winter.

“Phenomenal kid,” Jenner said. “Real good kid. He will work as hard as he can for you. Everything that he does. He had a real good year of basketball this year for the team.

Stepped up and played real well.”

In track, Mendez appeared on the area leader board for triple jump early in the spring, but then missed some time because of sickness. At one meet, Mendez didn’t even place.

He entered the Fort Hays regional with a season-best mark of 40 feet, 7 inches. Mendez was seeded fifth, but eight jumpers in the field had jumped at least 39-11. Mendez uncorked a career-best 41.8.25 to finish second. The junior was the lone Bobcat to qualify for state, the first one from the school since ’09.

“I started eating more healthy, a lot of pasta and a lot of fruit,” Mendez said.

At state, Mendez was extremely nervous and hadn’t qualified for finals entering his third and final prelim jump. Then, he went 41-0.5 and moved into seventh. He never cleared more than 38-6 in his first three attempts, but remained in seventh.

“It’s just nice to get a medal, it’s real nice,” Mendez said, flashing his big smile. “I was really nervous, really nervous coming in. During prelims, I was really nervous on my first jump and my second jump was the same, and then my last jump, I didn’t have anything to lose, and I just pulled a 41 and the nerves went away.”

Conor Nicholl, Sports Ink.

July 2013

Page 7

Fresh group for Hays Senior Legion looks to repeat success from last season

S

ome of their fans might have already done so, but his year’s Eagles aren’t about to compare themselves to any other team.

After all, if each summer’s club compared itself to the 2012 version of the Hays Senior American Legion baseball team, it would be setting itself up for a good chance at disappointment.

Instead, the 2013 version of the Legion — the highest level of high school summer baseball — is more concerned with meeting the expectations put in place by its 2012 predecessor, the second winninggest team by percentage in Hays Legion history.

“Like the high school season (at Hays High School), we’re playing with a new team,” said Eagles pitcher/shortstop Hayden Hutchison, one of few members of the 2012 team that won the club’s first state championship in 31 summers. “I’m not really trying to look down the road.

“We just need to go day-by-day, getting one guy on base at a time, one play at at a time, and one game at a time,” he added.

“See where it takes us.”

Hutchison was the starting third baseman last summer on a team loaded with seniors.

That club went 46-10 with two losses coming in the regional tournament in New Orleans. The Eagles won nine straight, before they suffered back-to-back

Page 8

losses in “The Big Easy.”

The success in 2012 set the bar for what second-year coach Brad Kelly expects the Eagles to be. Those expectations have not changed in 2013. The Eagles, with four college signees and a couple younger prospects, believe they have the talent needed to claim another state championship.

They’ll just have to build to that point.

“Totally different team,” Kelly said.

“Some of the same pieces are there, but the majority of the guys have gone and moved on to the next stage in life, college baseball or otherwise.”

Only four players returned this summer who saw considerable time with that team: Hutchison, outfielder Daniel Bittel, catcher Jake Sedbrook and pitcher/second baseman Clayton Basgall, although Basgall missed the state tournament and the regional after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a weightlifting session at football camp.

In addition, Chandler Rule, who would have likely played a bigger role in 2012, missed the summer after suffering a leg break and ankle tear in the Eagles’ seasonopening tournament.

“We still have the expectations of the program, and that’s a good thing,” Kelly said.

“It’s the standard you want to set, even for the guys next year and the year after. Last season kind PAGE 10 of set the bar for us.”

July 2013

SPORTS INK.

same mission

Hays Senior Legion baseball player Chandler Rule, a Fort Hays State University signee, fields a ground ball to first base during the season opener earlier this month at Larks Park.

CHELSY LEUTH, Sports Ink.

Sports Ink.

July 2013

Page 9

“We still

have the expectations for the program, and that’s a good thing.”

Brad Kelly, Legion coach

One step closer The youthful 2013 club already has one leg up on the competition, but not having to qualify for the state tournament. Shortly after the regional run, Hays was selected to host this summer’s AAA state tournament at Larks Park. With the host bid, the Eagles automatically earn a berth in the state tourney, something that normally has to be done through the Zone 7 tournament (sub-state).

“Last year might have had a little to do with it, but it’s not supposed to,” Kelly said.

Nevertheless, Hays will host the tournament July 31 to Aug. 4, providing a home field advantage on the new turf installed this past winter at Larks Park. “(Winning state) should be every team’s goal,” said Hutchison, who was selected to the second team in Class 5A after setting numerous offensive records for Hays High in the spring. “Win every game you can, especially in postseason, if you can go out there and get it done.”

Plus, if finances and travel plans were a concern, that’s one less thing the club needs to worry about.

“There’s not that pressure you have to win your zone to get there,” Kelly said.

“It still doesn’t change the way you play every night. It just has to be about continuing to get better so when the state tournament does come around, we’re playing our best baseball at the beginning of August.”

Rough start, loaded schedule If there was a time to be struggling as a team, it’s early on in the summer. The Eagles started this summer 5-6 in their first 11 games, but played at home just one time in that span. Then Hays blew out Great Bend 20-0, and 8-0 in a combined eight innings June 11. The Eagles started the summer with a doubleheader sweep of the Hays Monarchs, then competed in back-to-back weekend tournaments, a frequent occurrence by design the last two summers.

By season’s end, this Eagles team will have played in six weekend tournaments, travelling to Manhattan, North Platte, Neb., Kansas City, Mo., Omaha, Neb., and Canon City, Colo. Sandwiched in between are a handful of doubleheaders.

“This is a passion they have. Baseball is a priority for them,” Kelly said of his team. “You get to play a lot, and as a kid you like playing. You don’t necessarily like practicing all the time.

“It’s a chance for them to come out, play feel comfortable.” a lot of games, and get a lot of reps at a lot Basgall’s ride to a college offer was a of different positions,” he added. “Hopebumpy one, but his time spent in Hays, fully that prepares them for next fall.” especially last summer, was a big help.

Plus, it helps get the younger guys who “It was really difficult,” Basgall said. make the Senior Legion club, experience “Coach Kelly really helped me out a lot, for their high school seasons the followand it’s something I’ve always wanted to ing spring. do.”

“There’s no substitute for play,” Kelly Rule’s road was equally tough. He broke said. “We try to put them in game situahis tibia and fibula, plus tore ligaments in tions. It’s hard to replicate sometimes, so his ankle while attempting a slide in June we want our guys playing as much as we 2012. As quick as the injury happened, it possibly can.” seemed Rule’s comeback was just as fast.

The tournament schedule

By October, Rule was back on continues this weekend the field for the Hays High “You can’t really with the annual Wild West football team. compare (last Fest Tournament at Larks This spring, Rule batted year’s) team to Park and Indian Field. .379 for the HHS baseball The tournament runs in team with a team-high 27 much.” conjunction with Hays’ RBI to go along with eight Clayton Basgall annual Wild West Festival doubles.

Hays Legion infielder at Frontier Park.

“Especially with Chandler ending up playing football in Back on the field the fall,” Kelly said. “Amazing what took When Basgall tore his ACL last summer, place with him. Baseball is a passion for it didn’t only affect his time playing Eagles those guys ad they’re both going to go baseball. It also affected the football seaon and play.” son for the La Crosse Leopards, one of the Also heading to college for baseball affavorites in 2012 to play in Hays for the ter this summer are Hutchison (Neosho Class 2-1A state championship. But, along Community College) and Bittel (Wilwith Chandler Rule, Hays has two great liam Jewell College). comeback stories in 2013. Both were solid in the early going this summer and both Depth a concern came off injuries to sign baseball letters.

While the 2012 team was loaded up Basgall signed with Independence Comwith pitchers and talent, this year’s team munity College, and Rule signed with Fort likely will have to rely more on playing Hays State University. behind the pitchers and putting up some “Feeling good — body’s feeling good,” better offensive numbers. The Eagles said Basgall. “Glad to be back out here. I had five pitchers last season with at least love my time on the diamond — where I seven wins. Only Hutchison remains.

Basgall made seven appearances on the mound, but Kelly said the busy schedule this summer will likely take its toll on the number of experienced arms.

“It’s going to be more relying on our pitching and our defense to keep us in games,” Kelly said. “Offensively, we’re going to be a little bit behind where we were last year.

“I think we’ll still be able to find ways to score runs, but the main thing is making sure our guys throw strikes and we play solid defense behind them.”

One aspect defensively Kelly doesn’t worry about is behind the plate. Sedbrook, who graduated from HHS this spring, saw time in about half of the Eagles’ games in 2012. He is the team’s primary catcher. While hitting was a struggle this spring and the early part of this summer for Sedbrook, “there’s a lot of different ways to win ball games and a lot of different facets,” Kelly said.

“Jake is excellent defensively behind the plate, whether it be throwing guys out or blocking balls in the dirt.

“He’s improved the last couple years, and it’s a luxury having him behind the plate.”

Kelly can find something positive in each one of his guys in the lineup, even if by summer’s end, it might not repeat the same amount of success on paper.

That, however, remains to be seen, because it’s not about the start, but about the finish.

“You can’t really compare that team to much,” Basgall said. “That was a pretty powerful group. We just want to get back to that level.”

Dirt I

RPM Speedway surface gets new mixture of soil

t was as if the wind knew what day races were.

It never failed. As soon as cars would start to pull into the pit area at RPM Speedway in Hays, the wind would shift to blowing right over the grandstand area — that is, if it wasn’t blowing from that direction to begin with.

Fans would leave a night of racing covered in a thin layer of dust, courtesy of the lightning-fast cars that would travel around and around the 3/8-mile dirt oval.

But similar to each off season since the track opened, officials worked during the offseason to get the surface

in racing shape. This time, they might have found the perfect formula to keep the blowing dust to a minimum.

“There is either an east wind or a southeast wind,” said track promoter Rod Bencken. “Unless somebody goes off the race track now, the powder doesn’t come up. That’s helped.”

A total of 60 loads of pond clay were mixed with the surface already at the track during the first part of March.

It took a few races for the dirt to get mixed in well with the other surface, but Bencken and crew are working hard to get a handle on the mixture.

“I’ve never had a surface like that,” Bencken said. “I called the other stuff

badger dirt, because it dried out so fast. This stuff, it’s like putty. It holds moisture.

“This stuff doesn’t dust at all. As soon as a driver goes off the track, that’s when that badger dirt blows again.

That’s where the dust comes from now.”

Sometimes, officials have had too much water when prepping the surface and it’s taken until the feature races to have an ideal racing platform.

“It’s made a difference on controlling the dust,” said Glenn Unrein, track president. “And it’s helped bring the moisPAGE 14 ture level up, too.”

Rod Bencken, promoter at RPM Speedway, farms the track June 1 during a weekly night of racing at the 3/8-mile dirt track in Hays.

Nick Schwien, Sports ink.

Page 12

July 2013

SPORTS INK.

tWorkin’ “It’s

made a difference

on controlling the dust.”

Glenn Unrein, RPM

Sports Ink.

July 2013

track president

Page 13

A packer is used to help smooth the surface after farming.

The new surface is something track officials haven’t dealt with before. In the past, they’ve tried adding wood chips to keep in moisture, as well as dirt and grass clippings from the compost pile in Hays.

Different types of soil from areas in Ellis County also were brought in.

None of it worked like the new soil has this year to keep the dust down and moisture in the track.

“This is the best stuff we’ve found so far around here,” Bencken said.

Track officials begin preparing the track the week prior to Saturday night’s races.

And when race day rolls around, they are busy watering more and using a Case tractor with a specially designed implement with two rows of pickers to turn up the surface and get water mixed in.

Then, a packer is taken onto the track to smooth it out, as well as push jeeps, the water truck, the race cars and sometimes buses.

“Clay is what you want,” Bencken said.

“I’ve been doing a little bit of reading, and you don’t want 100 percent clay. You have to mix it up. Maybe we’ve got it too Page 14

soft right now. We might have to find something to mix it with.”

The track still is a work in progress. Take for instance June 1, when too much water might have been added and the surface became rough in spots.

“We had high hopes,” Unrein said. “Up at (the IMCA Super Nationals in) Boone (Iowa), we’ve watched how they do the track, and you start planning your strategy to put it to use then. We don’t have the same type of soil like they have in Iowa, but we’re going to keep working on it to try to please everyone — racers and fans.”

The track has been fast with the new surface, and Bencken believes that might play a factor in drivers’ thinking the track is rougher at times since they are carrying higher speeds and getting better bite than a slicked-off surface.

Many of the races so far this season have featured cars going three- and four-wide in the features of the different classes.

That’s something that hasn’t happened much at RPM in the past, unless the track blackened up during the two-day Fall NaJuly 2013

tionals at the end of the season, according to Bencken.

“Hays is trying their hardest to put on the best show they can,” stock car driver Jason Rogers said following a race earlier this season. “They seem to improve every year, and I hope we can keep going forward.”

Rogers comments came a night when he didn’t even win. Instead, he finished second to defending IMCA stock car national champion Mike Nichols of Harlan, Iowa.

“We could have gone to North Platte (Neb.) or Hays, and North Platte would have been a shorter drive and then a shorter drive from there to Lexington (Neb.),” Nichols said following his win May 4. “But we opted for the track surface here at RPM Speedway, and we know when we come down the track is always good and racy. And they always have a good field of cars. And we come down here, and everybody takes care of you.”

That’s what track officials are hoping to do, take care of everyone — fans included.

SPORTS INK.

“We’re going to continue to work with it, make it better. We’re not going to get complacent.”

-Rod Bencken, RPM promotor

Nate Moore (7L), Jerry Teel (6T) and Milo Lippelman (383) battle three-wide through turns one and two during a modified heat race June 1 at RPM Speedway.

“We’ve tried every season since we’ve opened to improve the dust control and the track,” Unrein said. “It always seems there’s something we’re working on. We’ll know more in July when the races come around.”

The telling factor on the surface will come later this summer, when temperatures hit the triple digits and the sun beats down on the new dirt. That will give track officials a good idea if the new pond soil truly has helped after an unseasonably cool early part of the racing season.

No matter what happens, though, don’t expect RPM to sit on its haunches and watch as the dust swirls — if that even happens.

“We’re going to continue to work with it, make it better,” Bencken said. “We’re not going to get complacent.”

• NICK SCHWIEN, Sports Ink. Sports Ink.

Dirt flies off the track as the pickers turn up the new clay surface.

July 2013

Page 15

Ink. BLOTS

A spattering from NW Kansas

Stockton senior Koby Beougher, the defending Class 1A golf champion, believes state golf should be a two-day, 36-hole event. I agree. Missouri, where I grew up, played 36 holes for state golf. However, the biggest reason is that’s easy to get on a streak during one round of golf. It’s much more difficult for two rounds. Two rounds allows the best to rise to the top. In a PGA major, it’s often the first-round leader is an unknown and then falls back. Make state golf two days.

C.N. As well, I would make baseball and softball double-elimination. Same tactic applies here. Sometimes, teams can ride one pitcher deep into the postseason. However, double-elimination allows the best team to win. Start the first day of games early in the morning and play the entire first round plus the two loser’s bracket games on the first day to save time. The next day, eliminate the field down to the final three. Play the loser’s bracket final and championship on the third day.

C.N.

They’re off ACIDIZING

Runners take off from the starting line June 8 during the sixth annual Waldo McBurney Races in Quinter.

GAYLE WEBER, Sports Ink.

CEMENT

TOOL RENTAL

PAUL BARRIENTES Sylvan-Lucas senior

Barrientes, Sylvan-Lucas’ lone state qualifier the past two seasons, struck gold in May at the Class 1A state championships at Cessna Stadium in WIchita. Barrientes won the discus title with a throw of 154 feet, 9 inches. It was the first state champion for either Sylvan Unified or Lucas-Luray since Dustin Feil won for Lucas-Luray in 1999 in the same event. It also was Barrientes’ first state medal.

swiftinc@gbta.net P.O. Box 466, Ness City, KS 67560

Office: 785.798.2300 Cell: 785-798-5341

Just a Minute with Nick McQueen

Larry

Jantz

KSHSAA official/diehard KU fan Q: How long were you/have you been an official with KSHSAA? A: Still do volleyball, but did 33 years of basketball. Had 17 state tournaments, and still do volleyball, so now 44 years.

the kids for the effort they’ve made. We’ve done basketball games, eight-man all-star games, eight-man state championship games — 11 years now. Not it’s getting to be old hat. Just rewarding the kids for all the effort they gave.

Q: In all those years, what is the best basketball team you ever saw play?

A: There were a lot of them. Team-wise, with absolute incredible chemisty would probably be some of the Northern Valley Husky teams when both Keith and Kevin (Sides) were twins on that team, and earlier Doug Reusink coached them before he went to Norton. Their chemistry was as good as anyone. There have been some good individual players, like the Herl kid from Wheatland had 46 points in a game at Quinter. That was an incredible individual performance. He could nail 3 after 3 after 3 almost like Frankamp at Wichita North. … The Schmidt kid from Ingalls at Hanston gymnasium he put up a monster game. The best coach as far as the best mannerism, discipline and never bugged the referees was Johnny Locke Senior. He was the cat’s meow of coaching — perfect gentleman at all times. In the MCL, you would have to say Keith Riley is one of the best at getting all he could out of his players. Girls’ basketball in that league, recently Nick Linn has done a great job, (Darrel) Wolters did a great job at Osborne — year in, year out Kevin Jilka up at Norton might have been the best girls’ coach.

Q: During the last five years of eight-man football, who is the greatest eight-man player?

A: Been several. … I like the tenacity of Trevor Lowe from Thunder Ridge. His junior year, he got stopped at the 2-yard line, but bounced back second effort, third effort, fourth effort, then finally scored. Incredible determination on that play. He’s been a good all-around athlete. … Then, there’s Joel Struckhoff at Thunder Ridge, fast and deceptive. Then, Joshua Burdine from Solomon is fresh in the mind. … Overall team chemistry the last five years, the best team the last five years, without a doubt, was the Ness City 2012 state title team. Eight-man team, they hit on all eight cylinders. They had the whole package — running backs, blocking backs.

They stayed at home, played position defense and did what they needed to do — and they dominated. They streamrolled everone. Chris Bamberger and the athletes did an incredible job.

Q: Who is the greatest high school football coach Kansas has ever had?

A: Truthfully for getting the most out of any of his players it has to be my old high school coach, Larry Friend. He got more out of his players than most people did.

He’s the only guy who has a winning record against coach Roger Barta (at Smith Center). Roger Barta’s idol was coach of his hometown (Larry Friend).

He surpassed what Larry Friend did. …I always said I was very fortunate to get to play for Larry Friend. If I had the choice to play for any other coach in this area over the years, Dan Lankas up at Atwood would be one, and Roger Barta would be the other one. They both respected coach Friend as well.

Q: If you had to count how many pieces of KU memorabilia you have in your man cave, what would that number be?

A: It might not be in the thousands but it’s several hundred. I was the first one to have the KU Toaster, and we made some “Texas Toast” I’ve got pictures of Bill Self with it and Danny Manning with it.

Q: Which was the better season: “Danny and the Miracles” or the 2008 KU title team?

A: That’s a tough one. Oklahoma had already beat them in 1988. It was 50-50 at halftime, and it was incredible how he did it. But, with Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson, and all those guys, they might be better. The 2008 team was more remarkable because of the way they finished. As soon as they got in overtime, I knew it was over. How they came back and Chalmers nailing that 3.

Not taking anything away from Danny and the Miracles, but the 2008 season was just better.

Q: What’s the best thing about doing color commentary for Smoky Hills Public Television?

A: When the coaches help you out with all the stats and stuff about their kids, you have the opportunity to highlight them and rewward

Payton Ruder Grandson

Chet Look Jeremy McGuire Friend, official Friend, Co-broadcaster

Make a movie about his life, what would it be called?

“Born to Be Wild”

“Old School”

If he could be anyone else for one day, who would he be?

Larry Friend

Bill Self

July 2013

SPORTS INK.

Sheahon Zenger, KU AD

If there was a song that played every time he walked in the room, what would it be?

Jeopardy, always waiting

“Here I go The Jeopardy again” theme song

by Whitesnake

What’s the one thing that people will always remember about him?

Gotta be the talking

He is every- His heart — he one’s friend. puts so much Not afraid to into everything talk to anyone he does. about anything.

If he had a golf course named after him, what would it be?

Short and straight

Snoozin’ Susan Country Club.

Fore!

Name an NFL football coach he most resembles.

When he gets Not a clue, going, he’s he’s one of a as Intense as kind Mike Ditka

ON

Page 17

“The Life and Times of High School Sports”

Bill Parcells

The narrowest of wins S

tockton High School senior Koby Beougher played his entire round at the Class 1A state golf tournament with a single ball, a Callaway 1 with a green dot.

The ball provided a memorable finish and, statistically, the best showing by area boys’ golf ever.

Beougher tied Tribune-Greeley County’s A.J. Govert with a 75 after the first 18 holes at Emporia Municipal Golf Course.

However, Beougher sunk a par putt on the first playoff hole and then delivered a par on the second hole when Govert’s putt rimmed out.

“It was pretty exciting,” Beougher said.

WaKeeney-Trego Community won the Class 1A team title with a 330.

As well, Phillipsburg’s knew Ryan Hoover collected had the Class 3A title with a 74 at the Seneca-Spring to make Golf Course. Thomas More Prep-Marian finit and ished as runner-up. At 2A, Oberlin won kept Class its first golf crown with a telling 330. Ellis took third and Skyler Tebo earned his myself third top-five finish of his career. was In 1994, the Kansas State High Activities Asgoing to sociation expanded to make it six golf classifications.

In 2006, it bumped to seven.

Koby This spring marked the Beougher first time since the ’94 Stockton expansion the area had golfer two team and two individual champions.

The area has never had more than two of either in any year. 2012 is the only other time the area has had two individuals. 2003 and 2006 yielded two team champions. Beougher plays against nearly all of the top golfers throughout the spring and summer circuits.

“It was kind of nice to see all of those guys play good,” he said.

Beougher, a Barton Community College signee, is the second Stockton

“I I I

,

I

.”

medalist and first since 1956. He was one down going into his last hole, No. 14.

However, Beougher hit a great tee shot — his most memorable shot in regulation — and forced the playoff.

On the first playoff hole, Govert hit his drive right down the middle. Beougher pulled his to the left, kind of behind a tree.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, that’s not the greatest start to the playoff,’” Beougher said.

Govert put his approach shot on the middle of the green.

Beougher’s only option was to hook it around the tree. His shot come just short of the green.

Then Beougher chipped long and had around a 10-foot putt to save par.

Govert had already tapped in for his par, so Beougher had to make his putt to save par and force another playoff hole.

Beougher snuck it in the right edge and it just dropped.

“I knew I had to make it, and I kept telling myself I was going to make it,” Beougher said. “I had that putt on the front. On the first hole, I had almost that identical putt. It was going to go maybe a cup left, so I just lined up, put it where I wanted it to, and I just gave it a shot. I didn’t want to leave it short, that was for sure. It was a right to left breaker.”

On the second hole, Beougher hit his drive down the left side. He left the approach shot a little short on the right and chipped up to about two feet.

Govert putted first and had his putt right on line.

However, it rolled a quarter turn around the rim and didn’t drop.

Beougher made his par to win the championship, part of a memorable day for the Tigers and the area.

THE CLOSER

conor

NICHOLL