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2016 GPAC Football Preseason Polls

GPAC LogoSioux City, Iowa – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) held their 17th annual football media day on Tuesday, August 2, at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The day featured comments from all nine of the league’s football coaches in preparation for the 2016 season.

One of the highlights of the day is the release of the preseason coaches’ poll. Morningside is the preseason pick to win the GPAC championship. The Mustangs totaled 81 points and nine (9) first place votes. Doane was picked second with 53 points and Concordia third with 50 points and one (1) first place vote. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

2016 GPAC Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll:

1. Morningside – 64 (8)

2. Doane – 53

3. Concordia – 50 (1)

4. Dakota Wesleyan – 42

5. Northwestern – 39

6. Hastings – 29

7. Midlan – 21

8. Briar Cliff – 15

9. Dordt – 11

For the fourth year a media poll was conducted among those present at the press conference. Morningside was tabbed in the media poll to win the GPAC with 81 points and all nine (9) first place votes, while Doane second with 68 points. Dakota Wesleyan was picked third by the GPAC media with 62 points.

2016 GPAC Preseason Football Media Poll:

1. Morningside – 81 (9)

2. Doane – 68

3. Dakota Wesleyan – 62

4. Northwestern – 54

5. Concordia – 45

6. Hastings – 40

7. Briar Cliff – 25

8. Midland – 18

9. Dordt – 12

Games for the 2016 season kick off on Friday, August 26, with Dakota Wesleyan hosting Dakota State at 7 PM. Also in action on opening weekend are Briar Cliff and Midland who host Waldorf and Olivet Nazarene respectively on August 27 in non-conference play. The GPAC schedule will consist of eight games in the conference. League games will being on September 17.

War Eagle Pair Selected for IHSBCA All-Star Series Teams

baseball 3Boone Iowa — Catcher Brady Harpenau of Remsen St Mary’s and Pitcher Porter Hummel of West Sioux and have been named to the Small Schools West Squad for the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association All Star Baseball Series. The games are scheduled for August 4th through the 7th at the Mason City High School Baseball Field. Named to the coaching staff for Small Schools West was Remsen St Mary’s Co-Coach Dean Harpenau. Small School East along with Large School East and West make up the rest of the four team field.

During the recently completed Class 1A State Baseball Tournament Brady Harpenau led the 1A field with 4 rbi’s and tied for the tournament lead with 2 doubles. Porter Hummel struck out 24 batters in 18 innings of work pitching to a 1.56 era while giving up just 4 earned runs.

Pheasant Survey Begins Today

pheasantNorthwest Iowa — Starting today (Monday, August 1st) you’re likely to see people driving up and down rural roads in our area, and across the state, as Iowa’s annual Pheasant Population survey is held.

Todd Bogenschutz, a wildlife research biologist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says indications show the popular game bird’s population is at least stable and is likely growing.

He says the roadside survey is done every year during the first two weeks of August, or sometimes a little longer, depending on the weather.

Bogenschutz said the survey records the numbers of other animals the spotters see, as well, including: quail, Hungarian partridges, cottontails and jackrabbits. The results of the survey will be released in early September. Iowa’s pheasant hunting season begins October 29th.

Remsen St Mary’s Wins Historic 1A Title Game

War Eagle Conference LogoDes Moines Iowa — A five run  fourth inning by Remsen St. Mary’s put them on top for good as the Hawks won the Class 1A Baseball title with an 8-5 win over the West Sioux Falcons. It’s the fourth state championship for St. Mary’s, adding to titles won in 1983, 84 and 85. It marked the first time two teams from the same conference had met in the 1A title game and only the second time it had happened in the history of the summer tournament. The only other time it had happened was in a 4A Championship Game.

West Sioux held a 4-2 advantage after three, but an error put the first batter on for the Remsen St Mary’s. Brady Portz followed with a single and both runners later scored on two more errors in the inning. The Hawks proceeded to load the bases for R.J. Staab who drove a single into right field that plated three more.

The Falcons fought back in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with no outs to force a pitching change. Connor Clark took over and struck out two before walking in a run to make it a two-run ball game.

Another comeback attempt by West Sioux in the fifth was cut short when Clark sat down the final two batters of the inning on strikes to leave two runners stranded.

Brady Harpeanau opened the sixth inning with a double to left field. Marcus Konopasek, in as a pinch-runner, moved to third on a wild pitch before Clark drilled a single to bring in the run and give St. Mary’s some insurance.

Clark held West Sioux scoreless for the next two innings to help St. Mary’s claim the State Title.

Staab helped his team with a 3-for-4 game with three RBI and a run scored. Clark also contributed two hits, a run and an RBI.

The unranked and fourth-seeded Hawks finish at 33-5. West Sioux ranked third and seeded second, end the year at 27-3.

The two War Eagle Conference members met twice during the regular season. West Sioux had won both regular season meetings, including the season opener for both teams.

Remsen St Mary’s and West Sioux to Make History Saturday

ihsaa_officeDes Moines Iowa — For just the second time in the history of the Iowa summer baseball tournament two teams from the same conference will play for a title as two War Eagle foes Remsen St Mary’s and West Sioux meet for the 1A title on Saturday morning at 11am. It will mark the first time in Class 1A. The only other time was in a 4A title game.

ST. MARY’S UPSETS #1 NEWMAN 5-3

There will be a new champion in class 1A. Un-ranked Remsen St. Mary’s scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning and stunned top ranked and defending champion Mason City Newman 5-3 in the opening semifinal round game. R. J. Staab’s two out triple to right center gave the Hawks the lead.

Remsen St. Mary’s scored a run in the top of the first and then were held scoreless until the final inning.

Mason City Newman scored twice in the fourth inning to take the lead and added another run in the fifth.

That’s Remsen St. Mary’s coach Dean Harpenau said there is no quit in his team.

Leading 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Newman failed to complete a double play that would have ended the game. The top-seeded Knights ended at 33-6. Newman was making a record 20th straight state tournament appearance and a record ninth straight.

St. Mary’s will play in the 1A finals at 11 a.m. Saturday at Principal Park. The fourth-seeded Hawks are 32-5 and hope to add to state titles won in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

 

WEST SIOUX SQUEEZES PAST BON BOSCO

The West Sioux Falcons executed a perfect squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh to capture a 2-1, walk-off victory over the Don Bosco Dons, advancing them to the 1A championship match against fellow War Eagle Conference member Remsen St. Mary’s.

Trever Brown and Porter Hummel locked into a pitcher’s duel from the start. Brown allowed just two baserunners through the first five innings off a walk and a hit batter, but held the Falcons hitless going into the sixth.

Jett Boyer’s squeeze bunt brought home the winning run to cap a two-run bottom of the seventh inning as third ranked West Sioux edged second rated Don Bosco in the 1A semifinals.

That’s West Sioux coach Brian Engleman. It was the Falcons’ fourth straight one run victory in the post season.

West Sioux will play War Eagle Conference rival Remsen St. Mary’s in the 1A championship.

It will be the first time in 1A that two teams from the same conference meet in the title game.

Don Bosco closes out the season with a record of 35-5.

Second-seeded West Sioux (27-2) squares off against fellow War Eagle Conference member Remsen St Mary’s the four seed in the 1A finals at 11 a.m. Saturday at Principal Park.

Third-seeded Don Bosco ended the year at 35-5.

Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State Softball Teams Released

softballDes Moines Iowa — The IGCA All-State Softball Teams are out. In Class 1A War Eagle Conference Champion Akron Westfield had two players named to the first team. Katie Johnson and Ann Hedlund both earned spots. Payton Ahrenstorff of Harris-Lake Park was named to the third team.

In Class 2A Micayla Ter Wee of West Lyon earned a spot on the first team. Abbie Klatt of Okoboji was named to the second team. Named to the third team were Emily Wintz of Okoboji along with Anna Christians of Unity and Kylie Vant Hul of Western Christian.

In Class 3A Cassie Van Beek was named to the first team All-State. Jessica Harald of Sioux Center was named to the third team.

For complete teams click on the links below

2016_Class_1A_All_State_Teams (1)

2A__All___State_Teams.docx (2)

2016_Class_3A_All_State_Teams

2016_Class_4A_All_State_Teams_1__copy_2

2016_Class5A_All_State_Teams