Sports Ink. - September 2012

A magazine focusing on all things sports in northwest Kansas

INK.

September 2012

Taking the New QBs, like La Crosse’s Jack Garcia, are a trend among area high school teams this season.

The Hays Daily News

Reins

What’s up?

A look inside this issue

Tiger time

6 Common man’s game.

Disc golf enthusiasts warm up for tournament action

happening at Frontier Park in Hays.

8

Taking the reins

Dozens of football programs in the area will be under the direction of new quarterbacks.

14

All the way to

‘The Big Easy’

The Hays Legion baseball team caps a strong summer.

Fort Hays State University’s Aaron Burton, right, and Kyle Perry, left, are pictured during the first practice for the FHSU football team earlier this month. The Tigers are set to open the season today at Emporia State.

STEVEN HAUSLER, Sports Ink.

Cover illustration by Everett Royer sportsink@dailynews.net Sports Ink. contributors: Nick McQueen nmcqueen@dailynews.net Conor Nicholl cnicholl@dailynews.net Raymond Hillegas rhillegas@dailynews.net Steven Hausler shausler@dailynews.net Klint Spiller kspiller@dailynews.net Everett Royer sportsink@dailynews.net

Volume 2, Issue 7 Sports Ink. is published and distributed by The Hays Daily News. Copyright © 2012 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.

All about atmosphere O

ne of the greatest things about covering the National Baseball Congress World Series is the opportunity to meet and speak with a wide variety of people.

Media from throughout the state, team owners and managers from across the country, tournament organizers and even the occasional pro scout will grace the press box high above the turf field at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita.

Of course, if any questions arose about the Hays Larks during one of their games, the proverbial microphone is handed to me for expert reporting.

Often times, though, what I had to say was a bit of a surprise. It’s yet another sign of how Frank Leo, Keith Harper, their families and anyone involved in Larks’ baseball is doing things right.

First, no one seemed to be able to fathom Larks’ shortstop Elvin Rodriguez was completing his third summer in Hays STEVEN HAUSLER Sports Ink. — a practice not all that uncommon in Larks players play a game of trash can ball during a lightning delay during a game in Hays baseball.

July at Larks Park in Hays.

But, it was as if some saw other programs run; the guys never gave up.”

To hear Aaron Cornell, a second-year as more of a revolving door, like it was It’s a good reporter’s job to remain objecLark from Oklahoma State University, totally unbelievable to have such a thing tive about the game and the teams they speak about how much the town of Hays as loyalty and true camaraderie in summer cover, but as a fan it’s not unimaginable and the Larks meant to him the past two amateur baseball. to be a little disheartsummers was about as eye opening as you That is absolutely For starters ened after watching can get. the atmosphere that this team battle back That’s something in which the commuhas been shaped by in the season finale nity should have a great deal of pride. everyone involved the way it did.

So, maybe the Larks are different from with the Hays orgaAs a professional other summer teams throughout the nization. From the who prides himself on country.

It certainly seemed that way in volunteers with the being emotionally unthe press box in early August. If that is Hays Baseball Assoattached from teams, coaches and players, the case and Hays is that much different, ciation all the way to Leo, who wrapped it was difficult to not feel the same disapI’ll consider myself fortunate I’ve had the up his 34th season at the helm, everyone pointment while speaking with Leo and opportunity year in and year out to follow does their part to make playing in Hays an various Larks players following the loss. the Larks. enjoyable experience.

Secondly, there was one person who didn’t seem to understand why it was takSMOKY HILLS PUBLIC TELEVISION ing so long for Leo to make his way out of PRESENTS the crowd following his squad’s 6-2 loss in the semifinals — a loss that ended yet another remarkable Larks’ comeback after an early loss in the double-elimation bracket.

Ok, guy — are you kidding me?

If that weren’t enough, the same guy wondered why Leo was visibly upset during postgame interviews.

However, a teary-eyed, always-classy Leo wasn’t focusing on the loss. encore_saturdays_10:00am “We’re not going to reflect on this one, we are going to reflect on the six that got 10th Season Kicks Off Friday, August 31 Find us on us to this point,” Leo said. “It was a great

nick

McQUEEN

FRIDAYS AT 10:30PM

ScoreboardShow.tv

Who’s That?

Notable performances in northwest Kansas Colin Foos

Foos, a key player on last year’s statequalifying Ness City High School basketball team, recently competed with the NW Kansas Mustangs in the Mr. Basketball Invitational in Kearney, Neb. Foos was among the leaders in several statistical categories, starting with two-pointers made in a single game.

Foos made nine vs. the Alaska Ice, which tied him for second.

He also made six twice in a game against the Legends Silver and the Lincoln Supreme.

He was third on the list for most free throws made in a single game, sinking eight against the Silver.

His 23 points in that game were fifth most in a game at the tourney. The 22 against the Ice was sixth.

He had the most two-point field goals made with 27 through five games, and scored 71 points to lead his team in the tourney.

Casey Sedbrook

Hays Senior Legion outfielder Casey Sedbrook injured his hamstring during the state tournament, but he refused to sit out.

Knowing his team lacked depth with Clayton Basgall and Chandler Rule injured prior to the tournament, Sedbrook battled through his injury and stayed in the order at the Class AAA American Legion State Tournament in Manhattan and at the Mid-South Regional in New Orleans.

Sedbrook lacked speed, but he still hobbled around the bases. In seven games at state and the regional, Sedbrook was 7 of 22 and had two steals, seven runs scored, a double and three RBIs. He also led the team in batting average for the season, hitting .375. Sedbrook will be a redshirt freshman at FHSU.

Shane Zimmerman

Hays Monarchs infielder/pitcher Shane Zimmerman had a solid Class AA American Legion State Baseball Tournament in early August.

Zimmerman threw a complete game against Pratt, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six. He had four 1-2-3 innings.

The next day against Iola, Zimmerman relieved Cameron Brin in the seventh.

With the bases loaded and one out, Zimmerman struck out the final two batters to save the game.

The Monarchs lost the rematch against Iola and finished second at the state tournament.

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.

Designed for the…

‘Common man’

ABOVE: Scott Haynes putts from long distance on Hole 2 at Frontier Park.

RIGHT: AJ Carl, left, congratulates doubles teammate Kevin Rorabaugh after Rorabaugh made a difficult putt through foliage on Hole 9 of the disc golf course at Frontier Park.

Klint Spiller, Sports Ink.

Page 6

T

he golfers stood on the fairway with cigarettes in hand and open beers in their bags. The dress code is casual. No collared shirts are required here.

These players are disc golf players, and they take part in a game one player said was “the sport for the common man.”

Unlike traditional golf, most disc golf courses are free, and there’s no need to reserve a tee time. While normal golf clubs can cost

September 2012

hundreds of dollars, golf discs usually run from $8 to $20.

Colton Mills described disc golf as “the cheapest sport in the world.”

Mills admits he has coworkers who quip about his pastime, but for some, it’s a serious sport.

“People at work kind of make fun of me, saying ‘Frisbee golf, whatever,’ but there are people who make up to $50,000 in tournament winnings playing,” Mills said.

SPORTS INK.

While the idea of adults throwing Frisbees around could sound childish to some, the disc golf players assured the sport is just as complex and frustrating as “ball golf.” “(Disc golf’s) about risk-reward,” said disc golf player Tracy Ruder. “Should I go for this where it might go in the water?

Once you get that down, you just play the game of golf, which is why it’s so frustratingly fun.”

Golf discs come in three basic varieties — putters, mid-range discs and drivers, but each disc has different characteristics that will allow it to travel farther, straight or bend one direction or another. Disc golf players typically carry 12-20 discs, and many of the discs have their own purpose.

“The rims have different shapes, so they’ll drag the wind,” Ruder said. “Some drivers will just hook really hard. Some will slice to the right.”

But ultimately, it comes down to the players’ skill and decision-making with the disc, and getting the disc close to the hole and putting is just as important in disc golf as it is in ball golf.

To do that, players have different throwing motions that cause the disc to have different motions, such as overhand (arcs disc upward), sidearm (bends the disc right) and backhand (bends the disc left).

“It’s exactly the same (as golf) except we throw Frisbees and pull them out of a chain basket,” Ruder said.

The Flying Bison Disc Golf Club is Hays’ local club, and its members meet every Sunday evening to play a round together.

The club hosts an annual tournament that has attracted world-class disc golf players in the past, such as world champions Eric McCabe and Jay Reading.

This year’s tournament will be Sept.

8-9 and will include two 18-hole rounds Saturday and a 24-hole round Sunday at Frontier Park.

Tournaments can be set up into multiple divisions, such as recreational, intermediate, advanced, amateur and pro, but it depends on who plays.

The pro division winners receive cash

Tracy Ruder putts around a tree on Hole 9 of the disc golf course at Frontier Park.

Rorabaugh throws his disc through foliage toward the basket on Hole 9 at Frontier Park.

prizes, while the other divisions receive merchandise.

Ruder said the main reason why Hays’ tournament is such an attraction in the world of disc golf is its Frontier Park course, which was designed and built by Ron Rice and the Hays Parks Department in 1983.

The tournament has been conducted annually since then and typically draws more than a hundred players.

“The back nine was revered as one of the best courses you could play,” Ruder said. “It’s got some history to it.”

Rice, who is regarded as a local hero of sorts in the disc golf community, still

helps maintain the course today.

“Anytime I need anything done down here, with him working at the parks department, I talk to him and he gets it done,” said Flying Bison president Scott Haynes.

The Flying Bison sweeten the pot in different ways. For instance, when the club meets up to play a round, each player donates $5 to the club. Some of which helps fund course improvement while the rest goes into an ace fund.

If a player hits a hole in one, then they receive half of the ace fund.

If players go long enough without hitting a hole in one, the winnings can turn into hundreds of dollars.

Players also wager discs. For instance, they might wager a disc on who wins an 18-hole round.

“I’ve got a gambling problem,” Haynes joked.

Ellis resident Ward Wickizer said he started playing disc golf in high school when the course was first created and would even skip school to play.

He got so hooked he still plays regularly today.

“The whole thing is to have fun,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

“The whole thing is to have fun. That’s what it’s all about.”

Ward Wickizer, Ellis resident

Sports Ink.

September 2012

Page 7

La Crosse’s Nate Ruff, front, Jack Garcia, center, and Kip Keeley lead a La Crosse team into 2012 following a runnerup finish in Class 2-1A last season.

EVERETT ROYER, Sports Ink

Taking theReins First-year quarterbacks are a common trend among area teams this season.

Page 8

L

a Crosse High School head football coach Jon Webster was an assistant coach for the West squad during the Shrine Bowl in late July. As the all-star team was getting on the bus to drive from Salina to the game’s site in Emporia, Webster’s phone rang. Senior defensive back Will Storie told Webster, “Coach, I have some bad news.”

Webster could tell Storie didn’t really want to talk. All Storie said was senior Clayton Basgall, a starting defensive back and wide receiver in 2011 and expected to be the starting quarterback this fall, had hurt his

knee.

Webster thought it was a joke. The coach estimated he asked Storie “Are you messing with me?” probably 15 times. Storie responded “No” each occasion.

Then Webster called Basgall.

Once he started talking to the senior, Webster knew it was serious. Basgall had suffered a severe knee injury during team workouts, similar to an injury he had earlier in his career.

Webster called the trainer, who examined Basgall’s knee. The trainer was “99-percent positive” it was a tear and an MRI scan con-

story by conor

nicholl

September 2012

SPORTS INK.

firmed it. Basgall, the backup quarterback for the last three years behind Tayler Stull, was done. Basgall finished his Leopard tenure completing 25-of-58 passes for 427 yards with three TDs and three interceptions.

“Just a bad break,” Webster, 29-5 in three seasons as the Leopards’ coach, said. “Clayton has worked hard to overcome injuries and he has bid his time very well and did a lot of stuff for the team. He could have played just as easily as Tayler the last couple of years, but Clayton never made an issue with it, and he took his role, and he played it because he knew what was best for the team.”

Instead, La Crosse will have sophomore Plainville’s Hadley Gillum, far right, is pictured on the sidelines with the team during Jack Garcia under center. Last year’s starta game against La Crosse last season. Gillum will be under center this season for the ing junior varsity signal caller, Garcia Cardinals, in his first season at quarterback. completed 7-of-18 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown and one intercephave,” Garcia said. “They take the presMan, Division II state champion Thunder tion in 2011 in mop-up duty with the sure off.”

Ridge, Downs-Lakeside, La Crosse, Otisvarsity. He is the third Garcia brother to Bison, Osborne and Plainville, had quarplay quarterback in the last eight years, • • • terbacks who started at least two years. following Joey and Jeremy, both all-state La Crosse’s position is similar to nearly All six quarterbacks received at least selections who played college football. all area football teams this season, espeall-league/all-district honors, while Like his brothcially 2011 playoff La Crosse’s Stull and Osborne’s Ethan ers, Jack is soft squads. Only nine Slothower were all state. All six have spoken, hard area teams are ex- graduated, but the teams still expected to working, conpected to have the contend for titles. Thunder Ridge coach fident and well same quarterback Jerry Voorhees said goals “remain high” schooled in the they used last for his Longhorns. Otis-Bison coach game by his fall. That means Travis Starr, 31-4 in the last three seasons dad, Mario, a deep playoff runs with the Cougars, expects his 2012 starter former collegiate and possible state (likely junior Kole Urban) to fully replace football player championships former starter Trevor Keller. Keller comand high school will have to fall pleted 62.9 percent of his passes for 39 coach. on the shoulders touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the Webster underof young and last two falls. stands there will inexperienced “Now, if we were slinging it around 50 be growing pains, players. times a game, we would have different but, like other Quarterbacks expectations, but he has just got to be a - Sophomore Jack Garcia who have started heady player, he has just got to be a good area coaches, expects his quarterNew La Crosse quarterback for multiple leader,” Starr, entering his eighth season, back to lead the seasons often lead said. “We don’t have to have the best offense, have a presence and make plays their teams deep in the playoffs. From athlete playing quarterback. Keller was when needed. Webster believes Garcia 2007-11, 20 area teams either reached a not the best athlete, but he could throw it will improve every week. sub-state championship game or, in the and run it. He could do our offense fine.

“I expect him to be a very tough player,” case of the 2008 La Crosse team, finished As long as these guys have some leaderWebster said. “He is going to make misNo. 2 in the final statewide media poll. ship about him and do the things we ask, takes, but they are going to be aggressive Of those 20 squads, 15 had a quarterthey will be fine.” mistakes.” back who started multiple years. Webster Perennial playoff teams Oakley, Smith Garcia, along with senior preseason allsaid veteran leadership under center Center, Norton, Victoria and Hays High state running backs Kip Keeley and Levi helps in a variety of ways, including read- School will have new QBs. Victoria has Morss, look to lead the Leopards back to ing defenses, calling plays at the line of reached the playoffs 10 straight seasons, the state championship game. Last year, scrimmage and the ability to open up the the longest current streak in eight-man La Crosse finished 12-1, but lost in heart- playbook. football, and will start its fifth QB in as breaking fashion to Centralia in overtime “As a coach, you have a little more faith many years. in the Class 2-1A state game. in what you are calling,” Webster said.

Junior Sam Ottley, a “I feel pretty comfortable with the backLast year, six area teams made at least tight end in 2011, will be PAGE 10 field that we have and that line that we a sub-state championship. All six, Eightunder center this fall.

“I feel pretty

comfortable with the

backfield that we have and that line that we have. They take the pressure off.”

Sports Ink.

September 2012

Page 9

Thomas More Prep-Marian graduated all-state QB Nick Hammeke, the school’s record holder in many statistics after he led the Monarchs to a 5-4 record in 2011, the program’s best season since 2003.

Many area coaches worry less about a quarterback’s statistics than about running the offense and leading the team.

In 2009, Oakley senior quarterback Lex Parsons threw only 59 passes on an 11-1 team, but completed a state-best 76.3 percent of his throws for 916 yards with 11 touchdowns against six interceptions.

He tallied 895 rushing yards and seven scores.

Oakley coach Randall Rath said Parsons “did a good job” of leading the team, carrying out fakes and not having negative plays.

When Oakley does pass, it’s normally play action and the coaches ask the quarterback “to make a catchable throw,” usually in 1-on-1 coverage.

“This may sound funny, but our No. 1 responsibility is our summer expectations out of our quarterback,” said Rath, who is 110-48 in 15 years, said. “We feel that he is the leader. He is the person that has to be the most verbal of getting our kids in the weight room in the summer. He has got to be the most verbal kid during our summer practices.”

In Smith Center’s wishbone/belly series, the quarterback rarely even runs the ball.

Last year, senior Alex Hobelmann had 31 pass attempts and 33 rushes.

“Our quarterback, execution is what we really emphasize,” Smith Center coach Roger Barta said. “They have to be able to execute, fake the ball and handle the ball.

Northern Valley’s quarterback Hunter Chandler is one of few quarterbacks in the area who return to the position this season.

(Hobelmann) was a pretty good athlete.

He could do a lot of things.”

• • • Several teams return starting quarterbacks, but those players have different levels of success. Sharon Springs, ranked No. 2 in Eight-Man, Division II, is considered a state favorite mainly because of four-year starter Gavin Mote.

Phillipsburg, receiving votes in the Class

3A preseason poll, brings back senior Sean Newlan, a three-year starter and one of Kansas’ top athletes. Almena-Northern Valley, 6-3 in 2011 and an expected playoff contender this fall, returns junior quarterback Hunter Chandler. Last year, Chandler wasn’t expected to start, but quarterback Austin Herman left for Thunder Ridge shortly before camp started.

Chandler stepped in and rushed for 892 yards and 15 scores. He completed 15 of

Camaro Enough said.

41 passes for 127 yards with three touchdowns against one interception.

“We thought he played pretty well,” Northern Valley coach Chuck Fessenden said. “We would like to see him throw the ball a little bit better than he did, but he ran real well, he ran real hard. He was a pretty strong runner, doesn’t have super speed.”

This fall, Fessenden expects Chandler to improve in several areas, including changing plays at the line of scrimmage more often and passing more frequently. Having the year of experience in 2011 should help Northern Valley in the long run.

“It’s going to work out for us for the next two years probably,” Fessenden said.

Weskan, 4-5 last fall, is a team on the rise because of veteran quarterback Sam McKinney.

Bird City-Cheylin, 18-3 in the last two seasons, will start its second quarterback in the last six years. Caleb Keltz started for four seasons and earned all-state honors, while Kenan Reeh started for the first time last fall.

Reeh, now a senior, completed 39 percent of 52 passes with eight touchdowns against three interceptions and rushed for 196 yards and three TDs on 59 carries.

“Smart kid, good athlete,” Cheylin coach Max Keltz said. “Able to step in and do what Caleb had been doing. … Obviously, the longer you have them, the more they are able to interpret what you really mean.”

Logan and Stockton, two long struggling programs, will return their quarterbacks.

Logan, with three wins in three seasons, looks to improve behind senior Brett Pinkerton.

He struggled last season when he completed

29 percent of his passes with a 9/13 TD/INT ratio. In Year 2, Pinkerton is expected to cut down on his turnovers — and lead the team.

“I put a lot on his shoulders,” Logan coach Brandon Gehring said. “He knows that he is kind of a leader on our team has far as out there controlling the huddle, controlling the tempo. … He knows those interceptions are costly, and that’s the thing that he is working on this summer.”

“But he is just a hard worker,” Gehring added. “Having him back there as our quarterback, he knows that a lot of our offense is going to be dependent upon him. I expect a lot from him this year.”

First-year Stockton coach Bill Germaine understands how inexperienced quarterbacks can shine. His cousin is Joe Germaine, a former Ohio State University standout, NFL player and now a high school coach in Arizona. Joe Germaine was a solid backup for two seasons with the Buckeyes.

As a senior, he was a co-captain, set 11 school records and was Big 10 Most Valuable Player.

This fall, Koby Beougher will start for the Tigers, a team that hasn’t beaten a KSHSAA school since Week PAGE 12 2 of the 2010 season.

A tight end in 2011, Victoria’s Sam Ottley goes under center for the Knights in 2012.

2917 Vine, Hays (785) 625-4830

Beougher threw for 149 yards and rushed for 61 yards for a team that averaged just 119 yards of total offense a game.

“If you know anything about Joe Germaine, his team follows him by his demeanor, by how he acts on the field, and if they trust in their quarterback, they will bust their butts for him,” Germaine said.

“That’s kind of how I feel about Koby. He has got his own leadership skills. He is going to be a senior. I want to be able to let him flourish, so to speak, and let him shine and do the things that a quarterback needs to do, so his team can kind of jump on the bandwagon and take off and see if he can give you something special.”

A few teams, notably Hill City, will move its quarterback to a different position. The Ringnecks are well known for having an offense built around a running quarterback, especially with Reggie Jordan from 200810.

Jordan led the nation’s eight-man players in total offense, according to maxpreps. com, and paced Hill City to an Eight-Man Division I runner-up finish in 2010.

Last year, Dylan Anderson and Solomon Wilson were Hill City’s quarterbacks. Anderson led the team with 809 rushing yards before he had a late-season injury, and Wilson rushed for 150 yards in two games for a 4-5 team. This fall, first-year coach Scott Schulz takes over and has changed the offense.

“It’s not going to be like the quarterback has the ball 70 percent of the time like Hill City has used to be known,” Schulz said.

Hill City is expected to run more power football with counters, misdirections and two running backs. Wilson and senior Gus Nickelson will be in the backfield.

“We all talked about it and we really don’t want to move Solomon back,” Schulz said.

Sophomore Deric McKeever, who didn’t play football as a freshman, could be the starting quarterback. Schulz wants a game manager and someone who can orchestrate the offense effectively at QB. “What we are looking for in our quarterback is good footwork, who is going to be able to carry out a fake,” Schulz said. “If we run a lead to the right side, we want him to also have the ability to also peel out and run left in case everybody starts gearing up toward that right side lead.”

••• Midway through the 2010 season, Plainville coach Joe Simon made a change that helped reverse the Cardinal program. He moved Andrew Casey from quarterback to tight end and switched Kyle Becker to quarterback. The team finished 3-6, but Becker

completed 37 of 89 passes for 378 yards and a 2/4 TD/INT ratio with 135 rushing yards and two scores. Last year, Becker guided the run-heavy offense effectively.

He completed 35 of 70 passes for 448 yards with a 7/8 TD/INT ratio (three interceptions came in the season’s final game when he played hurt). He also rushed for 472 yards and nine scores on a 10-2 team, Plainville’s best squad in two decades.

Hadley Gillum, a transfer from Palco, was Becker’s backup. Gillum played quarterback in junior high and started for the Roosters as a freshman at cornerback.

His family has a business in Plainville and Gillum transferred to alleviate travel.

Last year, Gillum threw just one pass and had three rushing attempts, but played a key role in a huge Week 4 victory at Smith Center. Late in the game, Becker took a big hit and had the wind knocked out of him.

He went to the sideline for a few plays and Gillum had to come in. When he entered the huddle, the upperclassmen reassured Gillum.

Gillum never ran or passed the ball in the drive, but executed the offense, moved the chains and set up the game-winning score.

“I was surprisingly a lot more chill than I thought I would be,” Gillum said.

This season, Gillum, a junior, is expected

to have a similar role in a run-heavy offense that averaged 312 rushing yards a contest in 2011. Plainville returns its top three rushers and preseason all-state senior center Bradey Chard.

“First and foremost, he has got to step up as a leader in our offense and run our offense, get our footwork down,” Simon said.

“Footwork is huge in our offense, making sure you know the fakes and being in the right place in the backfield.”

The quarterback passes little in Plainville’s offense but is still expected to make plays.

“In our offense, you throw a lot on the run,” Simon said. “He has done a good job with it. That was one thing I was really pleased about in the games that he did come in. He was calm and led and didn’t look caught up in the moment, didn’t scare Financial Services www.kfbs.com

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or anything on the field.� • • •  La Crosse was trying to seal a victory against Plainville in the Class 2-1A substate championship game last year. Stull, making his 33rd of 34 starts at quarterback in his career, had carried the team offensively the week before in a playoff victory against Meade and then again versus Plainville. Late in the game, La Crosse faced 4th-and-short. Stull ran a bootleg out of the pocket. The defense came up, Stull lofted a pass and found Basgall for the first down.

La Crosse won 13-6. “Several friends of mine told me, ‘That was the dumbest call I have ever heard of,’�

Webster said.

Webster explained his viewpoint. The play put Stull on the edge. If the pass isn’t there, then he can run it. “They were like, ‘Well, we didn’t think of that,’� Webster said. “I said, ‘I have all the faith in Tayler to make the right decision.�

Decision making is one area Garcia still needs improvement.

Last year, Garcia made several nice throws, including a couple big plays with Marshall Jay against Ellis in a junior varsity game. “One thing Jack doesn’t lack is confidence, and he thinks he can make any throw,�

Webster said. “Sometimes he gets himself in bad situations and that’s something that he has just got to learn, an incomplete pass is not necessarily the worst thing that could happen.�

Webster sees several positives in the sophomore, saying the quarterback is “not a guy to play scared.� After the Shrine Bowl, Garcia texted his coach and told Webster he would be the team’s hardest worker for the next four months.

Basgall talked with Garcia and told him not to worry and the sophomore “needed to step up.�

Playing quarterback is a position Garcia is long comfortable with. The family moved to La Crosse from Kinsley when Joey was in seventh grade.

The brothers and father came up to the field every Sunday to work on steps and pass patterns. Garcia has talked with brothers about playing quarterback. Joey and Jeremy each led the Leopards to multiple playoff berths and at least one double-digit win season. This season, that’s the goal for Jack — and dozens of other inexperienced and first-year signal callers. “I know the guys aren’t going to let Jack fail,� Webster said. “They are going to be there and they are going to rally around him.�

Eagles chill all the way

to ‘The Big Easy’

Klint Spiller, Sports Ink. Hays Senior Legion catcher Jarrett Sanders stares out a rain-covered window of his team’s bus on the way to an American Legion banquet Aug. 8 in New Orleans.

A

s far as high school baseball players go, the group that went through Hays High School was a special one.

This 2012 senior class finished 41-6 in their last two seasons as Indians and won the Western Athletics Conference championship three of their four years in high school.

The only accolade that alluded them was a state championship, but that changed this summer.

The Hays Senior Legion, which had six seniors off the Hays High squad, won its first state championship since 1981.

The team played 56 games this summer — more than their past two spring seasons combined — but the Hays Eagles never seemed to complain.

As coach Brad Kelly kept saying, “We are going to keep playing until they tell us we Page 14

can’t play anymore,” and the team banded around the concept.

They just kept winning and winning until they found themselves at the American Legion Mid-South Regional Tournament in New Orleans.

The Eagles’ 82.1 winning percentage (4610) was the second best of Hays’ 10 state championship Senior Legion teams.

Players repeatedly said the relaxed atmosphere of summer baseball boded well for their play.

Josh Heifner, who transferred from Texas to Hays for his senior year, struggled during the spring season but flourished during the summer.

Heifner’s 4.32 earned-run average was the worst on the team, but he saw limited action (16.2 innings).

This summer, he got into the five-man September 2012

rotation and pitched more innings than anyone.

He finished 12-2 — just one win short of tying the Hays Senior Legion all-time wins record.

“I always thrive when it’s more relaxed,” Heifner said.

This summer, the team maintained that mood throughout the season.

Prior to most games, players seemed to throw a football around more than a baseball.

The mood was light in the dugout as well.

Players cracked jokes and goofed around on the field, but Clayton Basgall, who center fielder Dan Bittel described as the team’s biggest comedian, said they never let it get out of control.

“I’m always goofing around out there, but we stay focused at the same time,” Basgall SPORTS INK.

said. “We don’t overdo it.”

The team created funny nicknames for fellow players and coaches.

They nicknamed Kelly “Bruce,” because they said he looked like the shark by the same name on finding Nemo.

Shortstop Austin Unrein was called “Squid” because he resembled Squidward off Spongebob Squarepants. Outfielder Zack Legleiter went by the name “Paco,” which he inherited from spring baseball when he wore a shirt with the name Paco on the back of it.

Trevor Henningsen and Basgall bare a striking resemblance to the main characters from the 1990s comedy Dumb and Dumber, so they were called “Harry” and “Lloyd,” respectively.

The fun helped develop their team chemistry, and it paid dividends at the ballpark.

Even in New Orleans, when the team faced its worst adversity of the season playing without Chandler Rule and Clayton Basgall (torn ACLs) and with a hobbled Casey Sedbrook (hamstring), the team banded together and helped uplift each other.

The Eagles finished 1-2 at the tournament, defeating the state champion from Tennessee and falling to the host team from New Orleans and state champion from Okla-

The Hays Eagles ride back to their hotel in New Orleans after a 3-0 loss in the MidSouth Regional on Aug. 12.

homa.

However, third baseman Hayden Hutchison said he was just proud to make it to that point and have one of the best seasons in Hays Senior Legion history.

“If someone would have told me before the year that we would have ended up 4610, won the state championship and made the trip to New Orleans for the Mid-South Regional Tournament, I would have been completely satisfied with that,” Hutchison said.

ACIDIZING

Athletes get hungry.

You need a place to store food.

While in New Orleans, players would point at pools of water and claim they saw an alligator, but none was ever there.

So on the bus ride back from their final game together, the Eagles had just lost 3-0 to Oklahoma’s state champion, Sandlot Baseball, and the atmosphere was somber.

The bus was silent, and out of nowhere, one of the team members yelled out, “All I want to see is a damned alligator.”

The bus soon was filled with laughter again.

CEMENT

TOOL RENTAL

Josh Heifner,

Hays Sr. Legion Baseball Team Heifner (12-2) capped his solid summer by nearly tying the all-time wins record at the Mid-South Regional Tournament in New Orleans.

Heifner threw eight innings against Oklahoma's state champion, Sandlot Baseball, and struck out eight batters. He scattered 11 hits and two walks and ended up surrendering three runs.

Statistically, Heifner was the team's best pitcher this summer. He pitched 90.2 innings and finished with a 1.47 earned-run average. Out of his 13 starts, Heifner threw 11 complete Games.

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Office: 785.798.2300 Cell: 785-798-5341

Just a Minute with Nick McQueen

Bailey

Hensley Ellis Railroader senior

Candace Bollig Friend

Shelly Hensley Mother

Baylee Werth Friend

If there were a movie about here, who would play her?

Jennifer Lawrence

Jessica Alba

Amanda Bynes

If she could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?

Channing Tatum

Jenny Finch

Miranda Lambert

Which career would she be perfect for? Doctor? Lawyer? Singer?

Doctor

Singer

Doctor

What TV show would she be a good guest star for?

“The Crush with Tiffany and Lee Lakosky”

“True Blood”

Q: What are you looking forward to most about your senior year?

A: Really looking forward to all sports. We are going to be very good in everything. I’m kind of sad, though, because it’s my last year.

I have enjoyed it so much. I am going to miss everyone.

Q: How do you feel about Railer girls’ athletics in your senior year?

A: We’ve worked hard throughout the summer. In volleyball, we’ve had open gym three days a week and six of our girls played elite volleyball throughout the summer. They’ve become very good. We have open gym for basketball three nights a week as well, so we’ve been practicing really hard throughout the summer. We only lost one senior, so we have a lot of people coming back. We don’t have many seniors out this year, but there are a lot of young kids that are going to be great athletes.

Q: In terms of sports, what did you work on most this summer?

A: Softball. I played for the Hays Lady Larks.

We traveled to Colorado a couple weekends and went to Kansas City two weekends. I plan on doing softball in college. I have no idea where yet, but that’s what I plan on doing.

Q: Did the trip to state in softball motivate you to want to work harder in other areas?

A: I’ve played softball since I was very little. I’ve

Page 16

played competitively since I was in fifth grade — every single weekend throughout the summer.

Playing like that since I was little has motivated me to keep getting better and better each year.

Q: What will be key for you girls to have a successful volleyball season?

A: Working hard in practice. In two-a-days (mid-August), we’ve been working so hard.

We’re so out of breath, and going as hard as we can. We think if we go this hard in practice, we’ll be fine in games. We’re just going as hard as we can.

What kind of animal best describes her?

Cat (She “loves” cats)

Panther (she’s sleek A Koala bear and powerful)

Where do you see her being in 10 years?

Catcher for the USA softball team and a nurse.

Q: Do you see yourself as a leader for girls’ sports in Ellis? What does that entail?

A: I do see myself as a leader. I try to keep everyone motivated and upbeat, and helping everyone keep a smile on their face. I love when everyone is having a good time. You play much better.

Q: What is the most memorable moment so far for you in high school sports?

A: Making it to state in softball was a big one, for sure. Then playing for the league title at the MCL tournament. That was pretty cool.

Q: When you’re not going to school or athletics, what kinds of things do you enjoy?

A: I really like to hunt and go out to the lake, then spending time with my friends and family.

September 2012

SPORTS INK.

“Buck Commander”

ON

Nurse and coaching sports

Being a coach, having a family. Maybe nursing, too.

Ink. BLOTS

A spattering from NW Kansas

In my experience, the Fort Hays State University football team has not had the best of luck when it does get high school players from this area to come and play for the Tigers.

Players have either not played up to their potential or had other circumstances which led to either a transfer or leaving football altogether.

Entering 2012, though, one hopes there is an exception. The Tigers’ roster has 11 players, all of whom the Hays Daily News covered during their high school days. Some are in their second year in the TIgers’ program, while others are just getting started.

The most noteable of the newbies are Zach Binder (Hays High School) and Jared Herl (Ellis High School). Both were highly sought out recruits, and both chose Fort Hays to remain close to home.

Both could also see time on the field this season.

The Tigers have taken the right approach

Where It All Begins

in the past two seasons to alleviate some of the complaints in the past that Fort Hays never recruited western Kansas kids.

Now, it’s up to the hometown guys to make it worthwhile. They certainly can, and probably will.

- N.M. If you are reading this edition of Sports Ink., odds are you have seen the HDN’s annual high school football preview edition, which was also insterted into today’s HDN. The past two weeks are among the busiest of the year for the HDN and Sports Ink. staff, gathering as much information as we can pack into something we’ve grown extremely proud of. As a staff, we make it our business to know more than anyone else when it comes to high school sports in the area. With that being said, I’ll lay out a couple of bold predictions you might not see in the HDN football preview. The first prediction:

Ness City will be playing for, and probably hoisting, the Eight-Man Division I State Championship trophy in Newton.

No. 2: Given the opportunity again this season, Sharon Springs will take out the defending state champion Thunder Ridge Longhorns in the postseason. It will be a classic Eight-Man Division II battle. In the 11-man ranks, look for Hays High, Phillipsburg, Plainville and La Crosse to make strong postseason runs.

- N.M. If you only get to one football game this fall, you might not want to miss Friday’s game between Plainville and Phillipsburg in Phillipsburg. These are two teams looking to make a ton of noise in 2012 and start the season with a bang — Plainville coming off a sub-state championship game appearance and Phillipsburg with one of the more experienced teams in the area.

- N.M.

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Home field advantage alive A

couple of years ago, I heard from a tion. I have long believed that Norton’s knowledgeable source who believed Travis Field is one of the best places to home field advantage didn’t exist in Kansas watch a game and play because of the big high school football. Sure, home field adhill that homeside fans can sit on. Former vantage existed in professional sports, such all-state Bluejay running back Terrell Lane as the National Football League and major agreed. college football.

“We never like to lose period, but when But, the prevailing thought was home we wear our (home) blue uniform, that field wasn’t an advantage in the high school is when the blue swarm comes out,” Lane ranks because of several factors, includsaid in 2010. “We couldn’t do it without ing smaller fan bases, the fans, that’s for THE CLOSER shorter travel and less sure. Personally attention paid to most (Travis Field) is like NFL and college cona gladiator stadium tests. because you got all That line of thinking the people watchstuck with me for several ing, and we are years. This summer, I down there fighting. decided to find out if I like it. It makes me area teams had a home field advantage. want to go into battle.”

The answer: Yes — and it’s virtually the Plainville coach Joe Simon said his 10-2 same as the home field advantage in NFL team last year “looked meaner” in their and FBS college football. The main answer home black uniforms. Smith Center’s to why, though, could surprise some people. Hubbard Stadium is known for its tradiI looked at 2008-10 (before then, some tion, Victoria for the Harleys that rev schedules are missing or incomplete from when the Knights enter the field. St. Franthe archives). In that time span, the area cis fans shout “Everybody hit somebody” played more than 520 home games. The when the Indians kickoff. home team won 58 percent of the time.

Hays High School and Thomas More Visiting teams won 52 percent of the time Prep-Marian play in the confines of (some games occurred between area/nonFHSU’s Lewis Field Stadium, normally area teams, which is why the percentages the biggest stadium HHS’ and TMP’s opdon’t equal 100). ponents see all year. La Crosse has small That’s in line with home field advantage visitor locker rooms. Some other teams statistics from NFL, FBS college football and have subpar facilities. a study done on Wyoming high school foot“There’s some places that you get put in ball by a University of Wyoming graduate a dungeon as a visitor,” La Crosse coach student. NFL home teams have won 57 per- Jon Webster said. “You’re lucky to have cent of their games from 2002-11, according warm water by the time everybody showto well-known statistician Phil Steele. ers. You may have a half-mile walk to the Steele found FBS home teams won at a 64- field.” percent clip from 2002-11.

The best teams at home are Otis-Bison, FBS home field advantage is higher mainly because of the amount of games between FBS and lower-division FCS teams, and several big rivalries, such as OklahomaTexas, are played at neutral sites each year.

The Wyoming high school football research studied nearly 19,000 games from 1930-10 and showed teams home teams win 56.2 percent of the time.

The home field advantage for other sports: Major League Soccer (69 percent), NBA (61 percent), NHL (56 percent) and Major League Baseball (54 percent).

Prevailing opinion suggests home field advantage is mainly due to factors such as travel, uniforms, stadium quirks or tradi-

conor

NICHOLL

La Crosse, Smith Center, Thunder Ridge, Quinter and Oakley. Those six teams have all won games at least an 87-percent rate in the last three years, led by OtisBison with a 17-1 record (94.4 percent).

The biggest differences in home/away percentage comes from Oakley, Sharon Springs, Logan and Quinter, all teams that have a home winning percentage at least 20-percent higher than its road winning percentage. Oakley is 13-2 (87 percent) at home, 10-6 (63 percent) on the road the last three seasons, for a 24 percent difference.

However, according to an exhaustive study done in a recent book called Scorecasting , co-written by Sports Illustrated’s L. Jon Wertheim, none of those stadium/crowd/tradition factors are the biggest home field advantage factor.

The biggest difference is referee bias.

The book shows psychologically, “humans conform to group opinion because of social pressure and seeking information from the group. Referees see things the way the crowd does.” This is not a trait done purposefully.

Rather, it happens because of natural human emotion. In baseball, the referee bias shows in ball/strike calls, in soccer on fouls and stoppage time, in basketball fouls and free throws, and in football, flags and penalties.

Penalty yards are difficult to track on an area-wide scale, but I could examine all the games the HDN covered last year.

In those 37 contests, officials called visiting teams for 49.9 penalty yards per game; home teams for 48.8 yards per contest. It’s a small difference, but it’s a big factor when it comes to home field advantage.

More glam than an 80’s hair band

The

NICK & NICK NICHOLL show Find SPORTS INK. on Facebook (AND YOU’LL FIND THEM)

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moment 19

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(High school is only 4 years of their life)

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