GASCONADE COUNTY REPUBLICAN

Page 17Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012 Sports

‘Will’ful thinking

Will Johnson

A tough stretch for volleyball

Tournament action has not been kind to Dutchgirl volleyball so far during the 2012 season.

Coming off a tough three-set loss to Pacific, Dwayne Clingman’s Dutchgirls looked to right their ship in the Camdenton Volleyball Tournament last Saturday.

In pool play, Owensville was grouped with Marshfield, Parkview (Springfield) and Jefferson City.

Losing both sets to Marshfield and splitting with both Parkview

See Tough on Page 26

OHS harriers medal seven at HancockBY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

Any other year, the Hancock Invita-tional at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis would be a chance for OHS harriers to run on the same course that will also host the district meet.

With a new two-year cycle in place, Hancock just marked the end of the September portion of Owensville’s cross country slate.

Three JV Dutchmen harriers in the top 20 at Hancock led to a fourth-place finish in the team standings out of 20 scoring teams.

Blaine McKinney showed the way for Candrl’s JV Dutchmen finishing seventh and earning a medal. The freshman pair of Danny Herrera (14th) and Wyatt Harrell (19th) also earned medals for finishing within the top 20 of the JV boys race.

“Danny (Herrera) and Wyatt (Harrell) came back from a tough race at Belle two days prior to earn medals at Hancock,” said OHS cross country coach Matt Candrl.

JV Dutchmen also cracking the top 100 out of nearly 270 runners in their race included Destin Gooch (47th), Landon

OHS Sports This Week

Varsity Dutchmen Football10/5 OHS vs. Union 7 p.m.(2012 Senior Night)

JV Dutchmen Football10/8 OHS at Union 5:30 p.m.

Dutchgirl Softball10/3 OHS vs. St. Clair 4:30 p.m.(1st Round Class 3, District 9 Softball Tourney at Sullivan)

OHS/OMS Cross Country10/9 Owensville Invitational at Owensville Golf Course 4 p.m.

Dutchgirl Volleyball10/4 OHS at Union 5:30 p.m.10/8 OHS at Blair Oaks 5:30 p.m.10/9 OHS vs. Sullivan 5:30 p.m.

OMS Dutchgirl Basketball10/4 OMS vs. Pacific 5:30 p.m.10/8-10/11 St. James 7th Grade Girls Basketball Tourn. TBA10/8-10/11 Owensville 8th Grade Girls Basketball Tourn. (TBA)

OYFA Football10/6 5th vs. Wash. Blue 10 a.m.6th vs. St. Clair 1 11:30 a.m.7th vs. Union 1 p.m.8th vs. Lonedell 2:30 p.m.

Bold indicates home games

Pacific thwarts Dutchmen third quarter comeback

Dutchgirl softball splits senior night doubleheader

McKinney (67th), Austin Brocato (90th), Justin Isom (91st), Keith Wehmeyer (92nd) and Andy Gerth (96th).

“Destin (Gooch) stepped up with an awesome race to be our fourth runner,” said Candrl.

Registering a team total of 112 points, Owensville finished behind Festus (27), Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) (59) and Priory (St. Louis) (110) in the JV boys team standings.

BY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

Thanks to more rain from Mother Na-ture, Dutchgirl softball had to play a varsity doubleheader last Thursday against Lady Tiger teams from St. James and Belle.

Starting the Lions Field twinbill Thurs-day were Owensville and St. James in Four Rivers Conference (FRC) action.

Scoring in every inning but one, Tim Nagel’s Dutchgirls picked up their third conference win opening the doubleheader with a 10-3 victory.

Pitching around a one-out error in the top of the first, senior hurler Claire Smith gave her team a chance to break the score-less tie in the bottom of the first.

BY WILL JOHNSONRepublican Sports Editor

PACIFIC — Closing within seven points to end the third quarter, Dale Long’s Dutchmen appeared ready to break the win column in 2012.

Pacific’s Indians had other ideas with 28 unanswered fourth-quarter points for a 49-14 victory in a battle of winless teams Friday night at Pacific High School.

“Little mistakes late in the game cost us tonight,” said Dutchmen head coach Dale Long. “We’ve seen a lot of good stuff happen and we’re really close to turning this around for the better.”

A punt return leading to a short field nearly gave the Indians an early lead.

Pacific quarterback Eain Roberts ini-tially had a 15-yard touchdown run at the 5:07 mark of the first quarter. That score was nullified by a holding penalty.

Four plays later on fourth-and-six, a Chris Dolles interception stopped the drive and kept the game scoreless with 3:38 remaining in the first period.

Nick Plocinski led the OHS defense in tackles with 10 and was followed closely by Ryan Escalante (9), Kiowa Wright (8), Luke Jahnsen (8), Matt Jones (7), Matt Pohlmann (7) and Cody Dolles (7).

Morgan Belloir led off with a walk and moved to third when Katie Havelka bunted her way on and moved to second on a throwing error. Smith walked to load

A Gage Tayloe 11-yard run accounted for the remaining first down of the first quarter as it ended in a scoreless tie.

Pacific’s first drive of the second quar-ter went backwards thanks to a sack by Dutchmen senior Paul Guffey and another Indian penalty.

Slowed down by a holding penalty on their next drive, Owensville had to punt the ball away after quarterback Terrick Ellis converted a fourth-and-one at the 8:33 mark of the second quarter. Ellis’ night through the air ended up 1-13 with the lone completion to Dalton Vaughn for six yards on the last play of the game.

Mixing the run and the pass, Pacific broke the scoreless tie on a 8-yard TD run from Roberts with 3:36 left in the half.

Tristan Moore’s extra point gave the host Indians a 7-0 late in the first half.

Owensville’s ensuing drive started with a Tayloe 1-yard run that had 15 yards added to it via a face mask penalty on

HAYLEE REID (right, left) cuts off Bourbon harrier Jessica Christian at the final turn before the finish line at the Belle Invitational back on Thursday, Sept. 20. OHS and OMS harriers competed yesterday (Tuesday) in the Hermann Invitational at Loutre Shores Country Club. Those results will be in next weeks Republican.

PHOTO BY WILL JOHNSON

See Harriers on Page 26

CLAIRE SMITH (below) intently watches a softball at her eyes go by for a ball during senior night twinbill action against St. James. JAELYN GAUER (right, bottom) slides safely into home plate as the throw missed the Dutchgirl junior at the plate.

See Splits on Page 26

See Pacific on Page 18

PHOTOS BY WILL JOHNSON

JESSE LOWDER (above, right) fights for extra yardage even with Pacific’s Scott Roberts (65) trying to strip the football. JOSH GREGOR (right, left) begins a kickoff return with Matt Pohlmann (11) to provide blocking support on special teams.

PHOTOS BY WILL JOHNSON