A magazine focusing on all things sports in northwest Kansas
Serving it up
INK. October 2014
Being a small school hasn’t stopped Victoria from putting a tennis team on the court.
The Hays Daily News
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Under the lights Bugs swarm the lights at Lewis Field Stadium following Hays High School’s annual Maroon and Gold Kickoff Classic on Aug. 29. AUSTIN COLBERT • Hays Daily News
What’s up?
A look inside this issue
5
Who’s that? Notable
performances from northwest Kansas.
?
10
If you build it
…
The Hays Soccer Club celebrates its anniversary with its first tournament.
7
Serving it up
The Knights’ girls’ tennis team is one of the largest groups of athletes at
Victoria High School.
Sports Ink. contributors: Nick McQueen nmcqueen@dailynews.net Austin Colbert acolbert@dailynews.net Jolie Green jgreen@dailynews.net Diane Gasper-O’Brien dobrien@dailynews.net On the cover: Victoria senior Maegan Karlin prepares to serve during the HHS tennis invitational. photo illustration by Austin Colbert.
Volume 4, Issue 8 Sports Ink. is published and distributed by The Hays Daily News. Copyright © 2014 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.
The face of the Leopards T
wo years ago, La Crosse’s Jack Garcia graced the cover of this same magazine, along with Leopard coach Jon Webster. He posed for an inside photo with senior center Nate Ruff and senior running back Kip Keeley — now at Kansas State University. It was one of the first of numerous articles, honors and other mentions through the last three football seasons. Then a sophomore, Garcia was thrown into a starting role at quarterback for the La Crosse Leopard football team. After an offseason injury to Clayton Basgall, who would have been the Leopards’ starter, Garcia — albeit a year early — became the third of his family to start for the Leopards under center. Like brothers Joey and Jeremy, Jack was instantly part of a strong Leopard team that had the leaders in place to bring the youngster along, a La Crosse trend that has helped lead to a remarkable career for the three-year starter. It’s a career he Everett Royer, Sports Ink. obviously hopes will end with the elusive Jack Garcia, shown throwing a pass against Oakley in the playoffs last season, is in his third year as the starting quarterback for La Crosse. state championship trophy in November at Lewis Field Stadium, the site of the fell 61-0 last year to Centralia. 1,050 yards. Class 2-1A state championship game. Jay and Schmidt are both in new “He has really grown up, and really exThe past teammates and current senior positions, running behind Garcia in the pects a lot out of his teammates,“ Webclass is something Garcia gives a great backfield. ster said. “Sophomore year, he was just deal of credit to. When he talked during Speaking about Jay’s transition from kind of treading water, trying to keep preseason about being “the guy” in the receiver, sixth-year coach Webster spoke his head afloat. Luckily we had a bunch Leopards’ program, he spoke about all about Garcia’s leadership. of great juniors and seniors to pull him the people who have helped bring him “Having Jack back there to lead him through.” along. and correct him on That’s a Leopard tradition that has “We had some For starters the subtle things of helped bring along so many great playgreat seniors in the the game is like having ers through the years, and has helped La past that have actuanother coach back Crosse string together 11 straight playoff ally helped me,” he there,” Webster said. seasons, and compete in two out of the said. “And kind of But a coach with last three state title games. taught me that role. superior playmaking But now it’s Garcia’s team, and this “And these seniors ability. That ability senior class’s turn to make a run. on this team are just “Last year as the season went on, he as good a leaders, if not better, than me.” was on display in the Leopards season opener. In a 28-8 win in a high-profile started to take more control, but we That is very well the case with guys like Week 1 matchup against Olpe, Garcia again had great senior leadership,” WebSheldon Schmidt, probably the team’s completed 6 of 13 passes for 152 yards ster said. “Now, he’s taking the reins. It’s best overall player, and Andrew Jay and his team, and he’s really demanding a Cole Kershner. But with Schmidt missing and two touchdowns, and rushed for 171. He connected Jay twice out of the high level out of the guys as far as behavmost of last season with a knee injury, ior. and Jay and Kershner in more low-profile backfield for touchdowns. “Jack’s the type of quarterback, he can “Not just on the field, but focusing positions a season ago, Garcia is no just work with anyone and have it down during practice and meetings, and things doubt this season the face of Leopard in two or three plays,“ Jay said. like that,” the coach added. “He underfootball. After the Week 1 win, Garcia had comstands just how important the position He’s in the position now where he is pleted 178 of 321 passes for 3,626 yards is to the offense as far as keeping everyhelping guys — even in his own class — with 18 interceptions and 49 touchone on the same page, and keeping evinto new roles as the Leopards hope to downs in his career. He has rushed for erybody positive and working together.” make another run at Hays, where they
nick
McQUEEN
Page 4
October 2014
SPORTS INK.
Who’s That? Notable performances in northwest Kansas DeVontae Goldsby
Goldsby, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound defensive end and running back for the Quinter High School football team, got off to a big start for the Bulldogs for the 2014 season. Goldsby had 23 carries for 237 yards and four touchdowns, helping Quinter to a 62-40 win against Dighton, an EightMan Division II playoff team from last season. Goldsby’s longest run was 73 yards. He also recorded three tackles and had one sack for the Bulldog defense.
Brooke Forinash
Forinash, a junior on the Hays High School girls’ tennis team, helped the Indians to a great start to the 2014 season. A returning state qualifier in Class 5A, Forinash swept the competition in singles action in the Aug. 28 opener at Cimarron, winning 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. Then in the Indians’ first home action, she swept the competition to remain undefeated, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, helping the Indians to its second tournament win in as many tries on Sept. 4.
Sheldon Schmidt
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior for the La Crosse High School football team recorded four sacks in the Leopards’ season opener against Olpe, played on a neutral field in Newton. Schmidt’s four sacks were part of his team-best six tackles, as the Leopards held the Olpe offense out of the end zone. The only score came on a kickoff return. Schmidt, in his first game as a running back, had 13 carries for 63 yards, and scored two touchdowns. The senior was coming off a season-ending knee injury from last year.
Jordan Hester
Hester, a junior on the Fort Hays State University women’s soccer team, was named the MIAA Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week in the first week of the season. Hester, from Olathe, scored three goals in 126 minutes as the Tigers started the 2014 season 2-0 on the road. 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.
Vic
Victoria junior Bailey Hobbs competes at the Hays High School Invitational on Sept. 4 in Hays.
ctoria’s full court V
ictoria High School girls’ tennis coach Rhoda Urban is proud of the team’s tennis courts, located behind the St. Fidelis Catholic Church on 10th street in Victoria, down the road from the junior high and high school. The only downside is the courts — all two of them — get awfully crowded when the Knights can field a team of more than eight girls. “Would I brag if I said we had the best tennis courts in Ellis County right now?” Urban said. “They are beautiful courts. Unfortunately, we only have two. Now that we have 12 girls we really have to work and rotate and think through our practices a little differently. But that’s a wonderful problem to have, too.” Having a dozen players is a rarity for Class 1A Victoria, one of the few schools below the Class 3A level to have a tennis team in the state of Kansas. As populations continue to struggle with numbers, so do athletic teams. And with cross country and Knights’ tennis coach Rhoda Urban instructs players during practice on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, at the tennis courts in Victoria. volleyball being the most popular sports for girls in the fall, tennis is often the first Gerhardt. “It really did break my heart with the numbers it has this season. sent to the chopping block. because I know that I never thought In fact, as recently as 2010 the Knights Of the smaller schools in western about playing tennis when I only had three players on the team, a Kansas, only a small handful still was younger. I always wanted decline they always find a way to bounce field tennis teams, among them to play volleyball. Then once I back from. Class 2A WaKeeney-Trego Comgot introduced to it that’s what “Every year at the end of the year we munity High School and Class Austin I wanted to do. And I try to inkind of have a meeting and get people 1A Osborne High School, which troduce younger girls because it excited to hopefully come and join our Colbert is struggling with numbers this is a great experience. I think it’s team,” senior singles player Maegan season. a lifelong sport. You can play it competiKarlin said. “It’s worked so far. We do A few larger area schools have even retively or non-competitively. It’s somedifferent things. Like we have a Sadie cently dropped their tennis programs, inthing you can do for a long time.” Hawkins meet where we ask guys in our cluding Class 2A Ness City and Plainville. While Victoria — which doesn’t have school to come play with us. Or like a “I definitely feel lucky. I just talked to a boys’ tennis team and instead fields a father-daughter meet. So a guy that used to play at Ness City and cooperative baseball team with Russell in we are trying to get more PAGE 8 he said they cancelled their program,” the spring — hasn’t always been blessed people involved.” said sophomore doubles player Madisyn
story and photos by
Sports Ink.
October 2014
Page 7
“We are not a team, we are a
family. ” Anna Schmidtberger, Victoria senior
Victoria senior Maegan Karlin competes at the Hays High School Invitational on Sept. 4.
What is more surprising than their ability to keep numbers high enough to have a team is the Knights’ ability to compete at a high level. A problem with being one of the few schools this size is Victoria often has to play up to competition, meaning it will face numerous Class 5A, 4A and 3A schools throughout the season. Just last season, Victoria took first place at Hays High School’s meet, and took second place this season. Under coach Urban, who is in her 11th season leading the Knights, two players have qualified for the Class 3-21A state tournament. The first, Desirae Karlin (a second cousin to Maegan Karlin), qualified in 2010 as part of Victoria’s three-player team. The second was Brooke Schmidt, who qualified in 2013. Urban, who survived a bout with breast cancer in 2011 and missed six months of work (she teaches science and social studies at the junior high), is a 1976 graduate of Victoria and even played tennis for the Knights. Since taking over the program in 2003, Urban has seen Victoria tennis reach
many highs and lows, but with her cancer battle behind her and numbers higher than they have been in years, it’s difficult not to be optimistic about this season and for the future. “Everything is more fun after (cancer). I think I’ve always appreciated it, but you do really reflect on how fortunate you are. Maybe more so, I realize how blessed I am in the community,” Urban said. “I’m really excited about this season for our team. First of all, we have depth like I have never had in the years that I’ve coached. And they are all the kinds of kids that came all summer and played.” Karlin and junior Bailey Hobbs share time as the team’s No. 1 singles players this season. Senior Anna Schmidtberger is the veteran of the doubles teams, which is also a revolving door this season as far as who plays No. 1 and No. 2. Gerhardt and junior Brianna Leiker will likely see the most time
Knights’ sophomore Madisyn Gerhardt competes at the HHS Invitational on Sept. 4 in Hays.
with the No. 1 group, although junior Marie Schluchtmann and sophomore Sienna Hockersmith could compete for time as well. The remaining four players are all freshmen in Aryan Karlin, Megan Karst, Morgan Leiker and Hannah Radke. “I think a lot of the girls that are on the tennis team now have been around tennis for a long time, and what few haven’t been it’s because they’ve had family in it in the past,” said Schmidtberger, whose sister Caitlyn once played for the Knights. “It’s not really one of the big sports in Victoria, but it’s definitely one of the community sports where even after high school people start to come out and play. They just start to bring a sense of community to the courts.” “And that’s a big part of Victoria tennis,” Schmidtberger added. “We are not a team, we are a family.”
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of dreams Hays complex helps turn vision into reality for local club Page 10
D
yersville, Iowa, has nothing on Hays, Kansas. Dyersville, the site of the “Field of Dreams” baseball movie that is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, features a meticulously manicured baseball field with tall rows of corn flanking the outfield. Hays, 650 miles from Dyersville and halfway across the country from Hollywood, is home to a sprawling three-year-old sports complex with a backdrop of wind turbines and a field of cane, where in September longtime dreams of many became reality. The Hays Soccer Club celebrated its 15th anniversary in style by hosting its first ever full-sided youth soccer tournament, “Fields of Dreams,” something soccer enthusiasts in Hays have been dreaming about for a long, long time. “It’s more than just having a soccer tournament,” said Randy Clinkscales, one of the tournament organizers and one of the founding fathers of the HSC. “It’s about making soccer a very viable sport in Hays.” One of the catch phrases in “Field of Dreams” is “if you build it, they will come.” October 2014
SPORTS INK.
“It’s more than just having a soccer
tournament. It’s about making soccer a very viable sport in Hays.” - Randy Clinkscales, one of the founding fathers of HSC That was never more evident for the HSC, which has for years seen its teams travel the state to participate in leagues as far as Manhattan and Overland Park, as well as tournaments all across the state and even in other states. The Bickle/Schmidt Sports Complex — with eight baseball/softball diamonds and eight full-sized soccer/football fields — was completed in 2011. And Clinkscales and other HSC officials began making plans to host a tournament of their own. For years, the club has hosted a 3v3 tournament at the Wild West Festival in Hays over the Fourth of July weekend. But when it came to full-sided soccer, it was “on the road again” for Hays teams. Until this year. “Not having to travel (out of town) was awesome,” said Sher Maska, whose husband, Jim, has coached teams since the early days of the club. In fact, their youngest son, Jacob, a member of the U14 Galaxy, grew up with the club — literally. His older brother, Jordan, joined the club in the spring of 2000, months before Jacob was born in August of that year. So the Maskas, along with a host of other families, have put in a lot of time at soccer fields in other cities. “We didn’t have to pack,” Sher Maska added, “and we were able to sleep in our own beds. Plus, more family and friends were able to enjoy watching the games. (For once), we could enjoy all the conveniences of home.” Clinkscales was instrumental in starting the club back in 1999 after coaching travel teams that included two of his three sons for several years before that. He has been a member of the club’s board of directors the entire time, serving as president three different times. Clinkscales is the one who came up with the catchy name for the tournament but credits current board members and parents for PAGE 14 the success of Hays’ first tournament. Sports Ink.
ABOVE: Ethan Brummer, right, a member of the Hays Soccer Club’s U14 boys’ team, the Galaxy, battles a McPherson player for the ball during the third-place game in their division. TOP LEFT: Wind turbines and a field of cane serve as a backdrop of the Inaugural Fields of Dreams soccer tournament at the Bickle/ Schmidt Sports Complex in Hays in early September. LEFT: Brantlee Staab of the Hays Soccer Club’s U9 boys’ team, the Tornadoes, clings tightly to the second-place trophy he and his teammates won at the Inaugural Fields of Dreams. RIGHT: The Hays Soccer Club officially began in the fall of 1999.
October 2014
Page 11
Picture this Focused on the area’s early fall sports action Runners make their way through the north end of the course at the seasonopening TMP Invitational on the TMP-Marian campus. Hays High School senior Lexie Schaben watches her putt on hole No. 1 during the HHS Invitational at Smoky Hill Country Club.
Hays High School senior quarterback Alex Delton celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter against Olathe Northwest in the season opener.
Phillipsburg junior Brock Means, left, celebrates with sophomore Seth Jacobs after Means scored on a kickoff return against TMP.
Hays High senior Nathan Romme, left, chases after the ball in front of McPherson junior Kyle Taliaferro during the teams’ match at HHS Field on Sept. 4
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continued from page 11 “Jeff put in a lot of hours making this happen,” Clinkscales said of Jeff Dinkel, current HSC president. “When there weren’t enough teams for a certain age division, they were creative in combining divisions and getting enough games for teams.” “We just wanted to do some special things for the teams,” Dinkel said. The tournament committee held a reception Friday night for the coaches and gave them free tickets to a Fort Hays State University soccer game and commemorative Fields of Dreams coins. Winning teams got to take home the game ball. Clinkscales also credited the Hays Recreation Commission for helping pull off the tournament. “The HRC has so much knowledge about running tournaments,” Clinkscales said, “and getting sponsors. I felt it was a really good marriage between the club and the HRC.” Teams from Kearney, Neb., had good things to say both about the tournament and the facility on its club’s Facebook page. Some of the comments included: “It’s close, and the people were friendly. It was an awesome tournament ... well organized, great complex and recommend it for future tournaments.” “I would go here 10 times over again instead of Omaha.” “Very well run tournament. Beautiful facilities.” Clinkscales chuckled when talking about a comment he heard at the tourney. “One of the complaints was that our grass was too thick,” Clinkscales said of the plush fescue grass fields. “Who would have ever thought that we would have too thick of grass in Hays, Kansas?” Claudio Sanchez II from Great Bend thought the fields were “perfect.” “The grass is very well taken care of, and I really like the pitch of the fields,” said Sanchez, an all-regional player as a senior at Great Bend High School last year who was watching his younger brother, Jesus Sanchez, at the Fields of Dreams tourney. “I think the grass is the perfect height, not too tall, not too short — just right.” “Just right” was Clinkscales’ opinion of the entire weekend. “I thought it was an excellent tournament,” he said of the 25-team field that included teams from Kearney, Neb., and Denver. “This was a good way to get our feet wet so next year when we have twice as many teams, we’ll know what to do.” Story, photos by Diane Gasper-O’Brien
TOP: Awards for the inaugural Fields of Dreams soccer tournament await the winners and runners-up in the different age divisions. ABOVE: A long-time Hays Soccer Club tradition of support at the end of games, win or lose, is for fans to form a tunnel through which the players run through.
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