GASCONADE COUNTY REPUBLICAN

Page 15Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 Sports

‘Will’ful thinking

Will Johnson

Run the hills for Grandpa

Throughout the entire cross country season, Dutchgirl sopho-more Hannah Baehr has had a lot more to run for than a normal high school cross country athlete.

“The whole time I was running Saturday, I was telling myself to do this for Jesus, do this for God and do this for grandpa (Ron Jost),” said OHS sophomore Hannah Baehr.

Before the season even started Labor Day weekend at New Haven, Baehr was already running with a heavy heart upon finding out her grandfather’s battle with cancer of the gall bladder took a turn for the worst.

“Throughout the season, I had to keep telling myself I was doing this for God and my grandpa,” said Baehr.

Just one day after Jost was laid to rest in the Owensville City Cem-etery, the Dutchgirl sophomore competed in the annual Four Rivers Conference (FRC) Cross Country meet at Owensville Golf Course.

Running in unseasonably warm temperatures for the middle of October, Baehr was able to grind out a second-place finish behind St. Clair’s Lyndsay Hardin during the varsity girls race at OGC.

Thanks to her second-place See Run on Page 17

12th man helps 7th grade DutchmenBY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

Home-field advantage can be beneficial no matter what sport is being played.

Owensville’s seventh-grade football Dutchmen found this out Saturday after-noon at Dutchmen Field.

Playing against Cuba, Owensville broke a 6-6 halftime tie in the third quarter going on to a 22-14 victory capping an undefeated 10-0 season in the Four Rivers Junior Football League (FRJFL) with nine of their wins coming at home.

Getting the ball to start the game, Owensville wasted no time getting on the scoreboard at Dutchmen Field.

With 7:26 left in the first quarter, running back Tanner Rector found the end zone on a 38-yard touchdown run for a 6-0 lead after the failed extra point.

Later in the quarter, Cuba cashed an interception in for a touchdown at the 2:14 mark of the first quarter tying the game.

Able to block the ensuing extra point, Owensville kept the game tied at 6-6.

Playing to a stalemate in the second quarter, both teams entered halftime at Dutchmen Field tied at 6-6 with medals and trophies on the line.

Nearing the end of the third quarter, the Dutchmen got a big play from the offense.

A screen pass from quarterback Wy-att Ellis to Sean Irwin eventually set up Owensville with a first-and-goal from the Cuba 10-yard line with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.

That play led to a 10-yard TD run from Dustin Faragher at the 1:23 mark of the

Baehr, Uzzle, McKinney qualify for state cross country

OHS Sports This Week

Varsity Dutchmen FootballSeason Complete

OHS Cross Country11/3 Hannah Baehr, Shaylyn Uzzle and Blaine McKinney will compete in the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City.Class 3 Girls 9 a.m.Class 3 Boys 10:05 a.m.

OYFA Football PlayoffsWith their 22-14 victory over Cuba Saturday afternoon, the 7th Grade Dutchmen coached by Bryon Baker, Josh Schaning, Zeb Dintelman, Ken Steever and Travis Mistler completed an undefeated 10-0 season winning the Four Rivers Junior Football League Championship.

Volleyball Dutchgirls reach district championship match

BY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

ST. LOUIS — Following an unsea-sonably warm Four Rivers Conference (FRC) meet earlier this month, Dutchmen sophomore Blaine McKinney entered the MSHSAA Class 3, District 2 meet at St. Louis’ Parkway Central High School Saturday morning looking to bounce back from a tough FRC race.

“I came into today after not having a good (Four Rivers) conference meet looking to give my all, said Dutchmen sophomore Blaine McKinney. “We had a good summer as a team and I feel fortunate

BY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

UNION — Needing three sets to elimi-nate a scrappy Union Lady Wildcat team, Dwayne Clingman’s Dutchgirl volleyball squad advanced to the Class 3, District 8 championship game against Borgia.

“Even though we struggled at times, we made it back to the district championship and I could not be any more prouder of my kids,” said Dutchgirl volleyball coach Dwayne Clingman. “My seniors fought threw a lot this season and I’m proud of them for leading us this year.”

Throwing everything they had at the Lady Knights during a 25-22 loss in game one, Borgia took the momentum and ran sweeping the match with a 25-9 victory in game two ending Owensville’s season with an overall record of 18-13-2.

“Owensville fought us tooth and nail for every point in that first game,” said Borgia volleyball coach Brad Bruns. “We were fortunate to carry the momentum from win-ning the first set into the second set.” Bruns took over the Borgia volleyball program after a successful stint as head women’s volleyball coach at East Central College.

Starting the championship match with

to be able to end my season at state next weekend.”

Systematically picking off runners after the halfway point of the race, the OHS sophomore crossed the finish line in a ninth-place time of 18:03 to earn a spot in the Class 3 Boys race of the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships on Satur-day, Nov. 3 at Jefferson City’s Oak Hills Golf Course.

“Blaine (McKinney) was an awesome surprise today,” said OHS head cross country coach Matt Candrl. “Blaine did his homework during the summer and

a Hailey Diestelkamp kill, the Dutchgi-rls took an early 2-0 lead on a Brittany Jahnsen ace.

After Borgia battled back to tie the match at 2-2, Owensville scored five of the next six points for a 7-3 lead behind two Clara Wehmeyer aces.

Clinging to the lead throughout the early stages of game one, the Lady Knights took a 22-16 lead before four Dutchgirl points trimmed the deficit to 22-20.

Unable to get any closer, Owensville dropped a hard-fought first set to Borgia by a score of 25-21.

Tying game two at 1-1, the Dutchgirls simply were not able to carry their game-one momentum any further.

Scoring 15 of the next 16 points, the

SHAYLYN UZZLE (left, far left) stays ahead of a John Burroughs runner Saturday morning during the MSHSAA Class 3, District 2 varsity girls race at St. Louis’ Parkway Central High School. BLAINE MCKINNEY (above, center) holds off harriers from John Burroughs and Union during a portion of his race in the woods surrounding Parkway Central High School. Uzzle, McKinney and Hannah Baehr will compete in the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships Saturday, Nov. 3 in Jefferson City.

PHOTOS BY WILL JOHNSON

DUSTIN FARAGHER (right) fights for extra yardage after a reception during his 7th grade team’s 22-14 victory over Cuba in the league championship game Saturday afternoon at Dutchmen Field.

HAILEY DIESTELKAMP (right) watches the ball as Dutchgirl teammate Clara Wehmeyer (center) sends the ball back over to Borgia’s side of the net during the district championship match last Tuesday.

See 12th on Page 17

See Baehr on Page 17

See Volleyball on Page 22