Jock Talk

High School sports in our Westen Nebraska smaller schools is becoming a numbers games. The numbers seem to be shrinkng. Banner County is finding it hard to field a team in six man football and has had to cancel games. Potter-Dix is struggling to put an eight man team on the field. Kimball has had to cancel all of their junior varsity games, and is having to go to their freshman and sophomore kids to fill starting spots. They started the season with around 23 players, but with injuries, and sometimes eligibility problems, they are hurting to fill the positions on their 11 man team.

It has gotten down to the junior high level as well and Coach Dane Wurdeman tells me that Kimball has “very limited athletes this year for Junior High Football.” “When we are at full force, we have 20 kids and we have all the boys out with the exception of seven or eight. Just not a lot of boys in our 7th and 8th grade classes,” he said. Because of the lack of numbers, Kimballhad to combine this year into just one junior high team and play only one game rather than both - a7th and 8th grade teams.

In their first game this season they went up against Hemingford and played the game as an eight and eleven man game. When Kimball had the ball they played 11 man and when Hemingford had the ball they went to eight man. Coach Wurdeman said it brought back old memories to be involved in an eight man game again. Hemingford won 36-6. Kimball’s lone TD came when Cole Heim picked off a pass and ran it back for a 40 yard score.

On Sept. 12 Kimball played at home with Bridgeport and lost 40-0 and Kimball was able to suit just 15 players. Kimball is scheduled to play at Mitchell this afternoon (Thursday) with a 5p.m. kickoff, but the junior high game at Bayard on Sept. 28 has already been cancelled. It’s a numbers game.

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Kimball High team is winless after four games and have been taking their lumps. With the limited numbers, and with injuries to key players, it’s a tough go for coaches and players. As I wrote a week ago, there are some talented individuals and the Horns are giving effort, but they are simply being out-manned by bigger schools. They lost on the road last Friday to Chase County 39-0, and that was the score at half time.

At Imperial they lost junior quarterback Colton Mielke early with an arm injury and he is questionable for this week. Mielke had replaced original starting quarterback Izaac Reuter who is nursing a knee injury. Sophomore Brenden Walker ran the show at Imperial and may be the man again this Friday when Hershey comes to town. Louis Portillo, big junior lineman, is apparently done for the season with an injury. Izaak Glanz, another lineman, is out with injury. A bright spot may be having running back Jake Jenkins back this week.

Hershey will bring some big linemen to town and they have a highly touted good fullback. They are fresh off a 20-0 win over Centura. Kickoff is early at 6:30 and there will be a TeamMates food offering.

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Looking at this week’s schedule, starting with today’s events (Thrusday), girls golf at Bridgeport, cross country at Ogallala, a JV and Varsity volleyball triangular at Sidney with Gering also involved, and the junior high football at Micthell, if this happens. High School football at home tomorrow night with Hershey and again, 6:30 kickoff.

Monday is junior high volleyball at Micthell and on Tuesday thereis JV volleyball at Harrisburg.

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Good news to report on the start of Jordan Greenwood’s college golf career. As a member of the Southeast Community College Men’s Golf Team in Beatrice, Jordan shot a round of 77 in the season opener at Columbus and then shot 75 at York and the Storm won the team title in both. Good start Mr. Greenwood.

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Happy to report that Madison Biesecker is doing well in her second season of college volleyball at Southeast, and this year is playing multiple positions including not only as a setter but also in hitting spots. She is capable of doing it all and doing it well. She has also been recruited to join the Southeast Women’s basketball team this year.

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Jon Withrow is in his third year of college football as a member of the Dakota Wesleyan football team. Jon has been sidelined however with a respiratory illness but was practicing this week and hopes to play this Saturday. Dakota Wesleyan is 2-2 on the year after losing Saturday 68-67 to Doane College.