West Central senior Kenzie Squires scores a kill during the first set of a 3-1 loss to the North Butler Bearcats on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the first round of the Class 1A Region 5 Tournament in Greene. The Blue Devils finished the year with a 10-21 record. Chris DeBack photo

Bearcats top West Central in Regional first round

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The West Central volleyball team’s season came to an end at the hands of North Butler, 3-1, in the Class 1A Region 5 Tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Greene. 

The Blue Devils came into the matchup 10-20. It is the first time the team’s record has reached double-digit wins since it finished the 2011-2012 season 13-13. The Bearcats, who play in the Top of Iowa Conference, entered the matchup with a 15-16 record.

While on paper, the Bearcats had a decided advantage, especially in height, the Blue Devils came in relaxed, composed, and ready for action. 

West Central lost its final football game of the season Friday, 59-7, to visiting Kee High. Head coach Steve Milder has been pleased with how well his young players are learning to get into position to make a tackle this season. Here, leading tackler Decker Wirtz (78) puts the squeeze on the ball carrier in recent action as Joe Lamphere (62), Adam Michels (20) and Taylor Hepperle (30) are in perfect position to seal the deal. (Chris DeBack photo)

West Central Blue Devils close out football season

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

West Central football closed out the 2017 season with a 59-7 loss to Kee High Friday night in Maynard.

The Kee Hawks opened with a bang, scoring twice in the opening quarter and adding four TDs in the second quarter to lead, 44-0, at the half.

AS in the rest of the season, the Blue Devils did not quit; they were just outmanned.

Lacking much of a ground game (27 yards in nine rushes), the Devils went to the air early and often.

Brynn Gamm keeps ahead of a Garner-Hayfield- Victor runner Thursday at the State Qualifying Meet in Dike. Only the top 15 runners in the field of over 100 earned the right to compete at the State Meet in Fort Dodge. Gamm finished in 21:10, placing her 12^th overall. The freshman was the only NFV runner to qualify for the State Meet; she will run at 1 p.m. Saturday in the field of Class 2A runners. (Amy Cummings photo)

Gamm to run at State XC

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The NFV cross country teams ran well Thursday at the Class 2A State Qualifying Meet (SQM) at Dike.

There were 15 schools and over 90 runners per race at the meet. Only the top three teams and fastest 15 runners from each race would qualify to compete at the State Cross Country Meet Saturday in Fort Dodge.

The TigerHawk girls and boys each finished sixth. Only Brynn Gamm made the cut to run at State with her 12^th-place finish. Weller Clark was close for the boys, finishing 19^th. 

NFV senior Marin Ehler makes this save with her back to the net during the Class 3A Region 5 playoff game Tuesday (Oct. 17) in Oelwein. The TigerHawks lost in four sets to the Huskies, but Ehler had 24 assists, three kills and 12 digs in her final volleyball game for NFV. (Dick Fridley, Oelwein Daily Register photo)

TigerHawk VB falls, 3-1

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The 2017 volleyball season is over after NFV lost in the first round of the Class 3A Region 5 playoffs in Oelwein.

The TigerHawks lost to the host Huskies, 14-25, 25-20, 19-25, and 21-25.

NFV head coach Bruce Ehler said, “We just couldn’t get over the hump. We tied the match with a very strong second set, but over the next two sets, whenever we needed a stop or a kill, we just couldn’t finish.

“I was happy that we were very competitive even without playing our best match of the season, which is a very fine line this time of year,” Ehler concluded.

Lukas Olson (17) stumbles a bit after a Waukon defender almost made the tackle. Olson was able to continue for a 26-yard gain for NFV on this pass play Friday in Waukon. (Jerry Wadian photos)

NFV goes down swining, 56-21

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

NFV may have lost the final football game of the season, 56-21, on a windy night in Waukon, but the TigerHawks never stopped fighting.

The Indians hit NFV with two scores in the first 10 minutes of the game without getting a first down. 

As one player said early in the season, “We do a lot of things well; we just have to string them together.” That has remained an elusive element all season.

Warriors runners-up at UIC

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

With the regular season officially in the books, the South Winn boys’ and girls’ cross country teams competed at the 2017 Upper Iowa Conference Meet Thursday in Luana.

The Class 1A No. 3-ranked Warrior boys continued to live up to the hype as they took home a conference championship by a narrow two-point advantage over No. 6-ranked Starmont.

Derek Dietzenbach led the way for South Winn, finishing first overall with a time of 17:08.47, while Paul Hageman brought home runner-up honors with a time of 17:25.17.

Joining Dietzenbach and Hageman in bringing home all-conference honors was Paxten DeVilbiss (7^th, 18:00.17), Emmett Schwartzhoff (10^th, 18:16.50), and Austin Tieskoetter (12^th, 19:27.23).

In the girls’ race, the Class 1A No. 4-ranked Warrior girls took runner-up honors with 49 points, behind only No. 2-ranked Kee (38) and ahead of No. 5-ranked Central (61).

Leading the way for South Winn was senior Felicity Taylor who took first with a time of 20:05.34.

Warrior senior Alyssa Hertges digs an opponent’s serve attempt during recent South Winneshiek volleyball action. The Warriors wrapped up the regular season with a 3-0 win over Kee, before going on to place second at Saturday’s Upper Iowa Conference Tournament in West Union. (Zakary Kriener photo)

SW VB perfect in UIC play

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winn volleyball squad completed one of its biggest goals of the season as it closed out the 2017 regular season with a 3-0 win over Kee. The win, SW’s 16^th of the season, improved its Upper Iowa Conference record to 8-0 as the team gears up for postseason play.

“This was a big match for us because we had a big goal of going undefeated in conference play and beating the Kee Hawks was the last step,” said coach Glenna Munuswamy following the big win. “It was a great battle with the first two sets both going 26-24 in our favor.”

South Winn offensive lineman Brody Kohrs provides sound pass protection for his quarterback during Friday’s 44-0 win over Lake Mills. The senior tackle, along with the rest of the stout Warrior line, allowed quarterback Hunter Todd to complete over 61 percent of his pass attempts for 116 yards and three touchdowns in the district win. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Warriors silence Bulldogs, now 5-1 in district

The South Winn football team just keeps rolling. After starting the season 0-3 against teams that have since assembled a combined record of 23-1 (only loss came between two of the same teams), the Warriors have rattled off five straight wins of their own to remain alive in the race at the top of the district.

The multi-faceted South Winn offense got going early and often Friday night as the Lake Mills Bulldogs came to town.

West Central freshman Kylie Lickliss with an attack attempt during the second set of the Blue Devils’ match with Postville on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Upper Iowa Conference Tournament. WC won the match, 2-0, for its 10th victory of the regular season.  Chris DeBack photo

Blue Devils earn 10th win on Saturday

The West Central volleyball team secured its 10th win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Postville on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Upper Iowa Conference Tournament at North Fayette Valley High School in West Union. 

With the victory over the Pirates, the Blue Devils met a preseason goal of winning double-digit matches in the regular season. The girls then lost their next three matches to North Fayette Valley, South Winneshiek, and Clayton Ridge, 2-1. 

West Central’s Dalton Vick and Tyler Buzynski combined to tackle Brent Scherf of Central Elkader. The Blue Devils fell at home, 40-30, to the Central Elkader Warriors.  Chris DeBack photo

Turnovers costly in West Central loss to Central Elkader

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Turnovers doomed a great team effort by the West Central Blue Devil football team in a home loss to the Central Elkader Warriors, 40-30, on Friday, Oct. 13. 

Elkader entered the evening with just one victory on the year, and West Central was still looking to notch its first win of the season. The Blue Devils turned the ball over five times with four interceptions and one fumble en route to the loss.