NFV used pursuit and gang tackling Friday against eighth-ranked Cascade. Here, Gunner Rodgers (7), Mac Whelan (23), and Ty Stee (85) combine on a stop in the TigerHawks’ 13-6 loss Friday in West Union. (Jerry Wadian photo)

TigerHawks just miss upset, 13-6

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The football game Friday night in West Union against visiting Cascade became a battle of heavyweights as NFV almost upset the eighth-ranked Cougars. 

However, the visitors eventually prevailed, 13-6, with all of the points scored in the final 12 minutes of play. 

South Winn senior Paxten DeVilbiss placed 10^th overall with a time of 18:39.6 at Thursday’s Trent Smith Cross Country Invitational, held at Charles City. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Warrior XC strong at CC

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek girls’ and boys’ cross country team traveled to Charles City Thursday to participate in the Trent Smith Cross Country Invitational.

The Warrior girls had a solid showing in their second meet of the season as senior Felicity Taylor grabbed fifth overall with a time of 20:25.2.

South Winn senior Jaden Schweinefus goes up for a spike during Thursday’s volleyball meet against West Central. The Warriors came out strong, earning their second-straight win of the season over the Blue Devils. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Warrior VB notches pair of wins

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek volleyball team was busy last week, picking up a pair of wins at home before participating in a tough Saturday tournament in New Hampton.

The South Winneshiek defense teams up for a stop of the St. Ansgar ball carrier as Jackson Lukes (65), Braxton Smith (1), and Steven Moore (right) combine for a big stop in Friday night’s game against the Saints. (Zakary Kriener photo)

'We will get better'

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

Kicker – Warriors fall, 35-12

‘We will get better’

By Zakary Kriener

The Warrior football team hosted its first home game of the season Friday night as the St. Ansgar Saints came to town.

Having won three straight matchups against the Warriors, St. Ansgar was determined to make it four. The Warriors, however, sent a different message early on.

In the first quarter, junior quarterback connected with fellow junior Cole Klimesh for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Warrior an early 6-0 lead.

West Central’s Taylor Hepperle is unsuccessful in trying to break two Turkey Valley Trojan tackles during a 62-12 loss on Friday night, Sept. 1, in Jackson Junction.  Chris DeBack photo

Turnovers plague WC football

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

Turnovers continued to be the story for the West Central football team as it turned the ball over five times in a 62-12 loss to the Turkey Valley Trojans on Friday, Sept 1, in Jackson Junction. 

The Blue Devils played the Trojans, the eighth-ranked team in Eight-Man Football, tough in the first quarter. West Central possessed the ball first, and starting from its own 26-yard line it marched down the field highlighted by a 32-yard reception by freshman Aidan Nelson. 

West Central freshman Bryliegh Rouse attempts to keep the ball form hitting the floor after junior Kenadie Betz made a diving stop in the third set against South Winneshiek Thursday, Aug. 31.

West Central VB off to competitive start

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

While the West Central volleyball team’s record of 3-5 may not show it, the girls are off to a competitive start this season.

The Blue Devils launched their season with a triangular against Wapsie Valley and Oelwein on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Warriors’ home near Fairbank. 

Caleb O’Hare (front, 580) and Weller Clark (565) run for the NFV cross country team in recent action. The duo finished 51^st and 48^th, respectively, but both TigerHawks improved greatly from the race the week before. Clark dropped 39 seconds in time, and O’Hare fished almost 1½ minutes better than the week before. (Jerry Wadian photo)

XC runners improve times

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

“We ran really well with the majority of our runners from both teams cutting significant time from last week; some even took minutes off of their times,” was the way first-year head cross country coach Neal Bentley described NFV’s efforts at the Oelwein Invitational Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Hickory Grove Golf Course in Oelwein.

There were 20 schools at the meet, and many were highly rated in various classes.

The TigerHawks celebrate an ace in their usual style Thursday against Postville. NFV served 21 aces in the three-game sweep. Jumping for joy are (l-r) Macy Halverson (9), Julie Mackey (11), Marrah Burrack (6), Ryin Lehmann (2), Marin Ehler (17) and Claire Halverson (22). (Jerry Wadian photo)

NFV sweeps Postville volleyball

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

NFV volleyball atoned for its weak showing last week by dominating visiting Postville Thursday in West Union. The TigerHawks swept all three sets, 25-14, 25-12, and 25-12.

Game one started on a 9-0 run behind the strong serve of Allie Lau, and the TigerHawks never allowed the Pirates to get back into the game.

Jordan Baumler (58) made the initial hit on this Waverly runner Friday night, knocking the Go-Hawk off his feet. Helping stuff the ball carrier are Jace Burrow (16) and Garrett Lauer (70). Each of the three TigerHawk defenders was in on 11 tackles.  (Jerry Wadian photo)

Real season starts Friday

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The two-game nondistrict part of the season (sometimes thought of as preseason) is over as 7^th-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock beat NFV, 27-7, Friday in Waverly.

Next are the Class 2A District 4 games that will decide which two squads from the district will qualify for the postseason. Only district games count toward the playoffs.

Friday’s game against the Go-Hawks was a typical smash-mouth affair between two football powerhouse programs.

South Winneshiek junior runner Melissa Ward closes in on the finish line during the Warriors’ first cross country meet of the season. Ward went on to place 21^st (23:49) and helped her team to a runner-up finish at Edgewood-Colesburg. (Jerry Wadian photo)

SW XC strong in season debut

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek girls’ and boys’ cross country teams got their seasons started in a positive way last week as they traveled to Edgewood to compete at Woods Edge Golf Course.

Up first was the girls’ event, which saw South Winn senior Felicity Taylor finish first overall with a time of 20:42.

The next Warrior finisher was junior Ashley Kriener, who finished 11^th with a time of 22:35. She was followed by Olivia Massman (14^th, 23:03), Melissa Ward (21^st, 23:49), Sami Bohr (24^th, 24:08), and Jenna Knutson (27^th, 24:51).

As a result of several strong individual finishes, the Warriors placed second overall as a team, only five points behind 2017 Class 1A state champion Central.

Girls’ Team Results

1. Central, 65; 2. South Winn, 70; 3. Kee, 82; 4. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 101; 5. Jesup, 107; 6. Dyersville Beckman, 118; 7. NFV, 140; 8. Starmont, 173.

For the Warrior boys, it was senior Derek Dietzenbach who led the war among South Winn runners as he placed fourth overall with a time of 18:00. Directly behind Dietzenbach was junior Paul Hageman, who finished fifth with a time of 18:09.

Sophomore Emmett Schwartzhoff and senior Paxten DeVilbiss finished eighth and ninth, respectively, each with a time of 18:47.