The TigerHawks’ Brinna Ehler is about to power this slam by West Central’s Isabel Eitl Thursday during the opening night of the volleyball season for NFV. (Jerry Wadian photo)

Volleyball opens season

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

NFV opened the 2018 volleyball season last week.

Game one came against visiting West Central on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils won all three 25-16, 25-21, and 25-20.

According to co-head coach Jared Tilleraas, “It was nice to finally get out and play a real game. 

“West Central had already played two matches this season, and you could tell. We had a lot of girls playing their first meaningful varsity minutes, and we had way too many unforced errors and missed serves,” stated the coach after his first game as a varsity coach.

NFV’s Carson Ward looks pretty determined as he takes on one of the many hills the Tri-City Golf Course in Luana on Thursday. With his time of 20:49.43, the TigerHawk senior finished 23^rd in a field of 55 runners. (Dick Fridley photo)

TigerHawk thinclads run at MFL/MM

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

With the storms that swept through the area on Tuesday, Aug. 28, NFV’s cross country race at Oelwein was cancelled. However, the TigerHawks were able to get into the nine-team meet hosted by MFL/MM on Thursday in Luana.

“We’re very grateful the Bulldogs were willing to let us into the meet at the last minute,” stated TigerHawk head coach Neal Bentley.

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams placed fourth in the meet. Waukon won the girls’ meet, and Maquoketa beat South Winn by two points in the boys’ race. 

Brooks Hovden (10) slips in front of a Union receiver and skies high in the air to pick off this pass Friday night. The TigerHawk senior later used the same athletic ability to jump high enough to block a field goal attempt. (Jerry Wadian photo)

Special teams sink TigerHawks, 22-15

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

NFV battled Union, the third-ranked team in Class 2A right down to the wire, but two big plays by Knight special teams were the difference in a 22-15 ballgame.

Union started the game by running the opening  kickoff back 81 yards for a TD and a 6-0 lead just 17 seconds into the contest. 

“The returner dropped the ball a couple of times in trying to pick  it up and we fell out of our lanes,” explained NFV head coach Bob Lape.

After the teams combined for three consecutive three-and-outs, Brooks Hovden ended the next Union possession by leaping high in the air to snare his second interception of the season. However, three plays later the TigerHawks gave it right back on an interception.

NFV Football will be broadcast

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

Fans unable to make Thursday’s Sixth Annual Channel Seed Ag Bowl football game in Waverly, which features the TigerHawks at the Go-Hawks, now have two other options to enjoy the game live.

Option one is to access the TigerHawks Sportscast. This will provide a live play-by-play broadcast. Chris DeBack will provide the play-by-play coverage and will be joined in the broadcast booth by a student intern from Upper Iowa University. 

FOF golf tourney Saturday

The annual Friends of Football (FOF) Golf Tournament has a few slots left for its Saturday tourney at Pleasant Valley Sports Club in Clermont. 

The tourney will be a three-person, best-shot format with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. 

The cost is $120 per team, which includes lunch, mulligans, and entry to all of the door prizes and field events.  Carts are available but are not part of the tournament fee; those needing carts should contact Pleasant Valley Sports Club.

Anyone wishing to enter should call Pleasant Valley Sports Club at (563) 423-7396 or Chris Bemiss at Bemiss Distributing (563) 422-6095.

FOF’s prime objective is to help defray expenses for parents of children competing in the fifth- and sixth-grade football programs. Funds from the golf tournament also feed the students who are part of the NFV football team, including its managers and cheerleaders. 

Paul Hageman gets a lead from second base during the Warriors’ dominant 13-3 win over Turkey Valley last week. (Zakary Kriener photo)

Warriors win two but fall short in District final

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The South Winneshiek baseball team got its 2018 postseason started with a bang. The Warriors hosted Postville on Tuesday, July 10, in a District quarterfinal matchup between a pair of familiar Upper Iowa Conference foes.

South Winn was firing on all cylinders throughout the contest as it cruised to a dominant 15-0 win over the Pirates in four innings.

“This was a great way to start District play as several guys hit it well, and we were able to minimize our pitch count to allow all of our arms to be eligible to pitch on Thursday,” said coach Alex Smith after the win.

Jaron Todd was credited with the win on the mound as he tossed two innings, giving up only two hits and striking out three batters.

On offense, senior Hunter Todd went 1-3 with a double and three RBI, while Seth Greve (2-2, a double, two RBI), Noah Tieskoetter (2-2, a triple, two RBI), and Kody Kleve (3-4, four RBI) also had solid outings for South Winn.

On Thursday, the Warriors hosted Turkey Valley in a District semifinal game in Calmar.

Independence native Curt Martin is no stranger to area racing fans. Shown in recent action, Martin will be one of many Late Model drivers competing for the $2000 winner’s purse as the Deery Brothers Summer Series returns to the Fayette County Speedway in West Union on    Wednesday, July 25. The Deery Late Model race will be one of many highlights for the Fayette County Fair that will be running that week. (IMC photo by Barry Johnson)

IMCA Deery Series to return to FCS

 The IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models is returning to the Fayette County Speedway (FCS) for the first time in nine years.

The Deery Series is the longest-running tour for Late Models in the Midwest and will make a much-anticipated return to West Union during the Fayette County Fair on Wednesday, July 25.

The Deery Brothers Summer Series comes to town with IMCA Late Models racing for $2,000 to win and a minimum of $300 to start. 

Over the past few seasons, Maeley Nefzger has been a standout performer for the West Union swim team. Shown in action against Waukon on Tuesday, July 10, Nefzger won a bronze medal in the 50 freestyle at the Conference Swim-Off on Saturday in Sumner. (Jerry Wadian photo)

Swim team ends season

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The West Union swim team ended its 2018 season Saturday at the Conference Swim-Off in Sumner, where it finished fifth in the nine-team conference.

Earlier in the week, the team lost its final home meet of the season to Waukon on Tuesday, July 10. No results from that meet were available at press time. 

The New Hampton first baseman is about to make a bare-handed grab of this flip, but Ty Stee has already crossed the bag as his little “nubber” couldn’t be handled by the Chick defense. Stee’s infield single was one of three hits for NFV in its 2-1 playoff loss Saturday in New Hampton. (Kris Van Sickle photo) 

Baseball loses pitching duel

By Jerry Wadian
jwadian@thefayettecountyunion.com

The Class 2A District 5 baseball playoff game between NFV and New Hampton was a classic pitching duel. 

The two teams combined for just seven hits and no earned runs as the Chicks outdueled the TigerHawks, 2-1, Tuesday, July 10, in New Hampton.

NFV’s Brooks Hovden deserved a better fate, throwing 78 pitches over five innings, allowing four hits and the two unearned runs while fanning five and walking one. Dylan Muggler came on in 

the sixth to strike out the side on three pitches.

However, NH ace Aden Zwanziger was just as good, allowing three hits and a walk with one K.

NH pushed across a run in the bottom of the first. The TigerHawks responded as Gunner Rodgers scored in the top of the third.

However, the Chicks would score the only other run of the game in the bottom of the inning on a hard-hit ball to the infield. NFV made the great stop, but trying to still get the runner, overthrew the bag at first. 

Warrior pitcher Taylor Buchheit had a strong week on the mound last week as she notched career strikeout number 1,000 on Monday, July 2, against Hudson. South Winn went on to win the game, 7-6. (Zakary Kriener photo)

SW SB goes 1-1 in postseason play

Zakary Kriener

News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com

The Warrior softball team began its 2018 postseason on a high note with a  Monday night, July 2, win but saw its season end the following night with a loss to North Linn.

In a contest that saw senior pitcher Taylor Buchheit notch her 1,000th career strikeout in the second inning, the Warriors pulled out a 7-6 win over Hudson to start postseason play.