Sports
Half Big 12 off as everybody wonders about future
(AP) Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is willing to play wherever his school’s president and athletic director decide is best, even if it means a move by the top-ranked Sooners could trigger the nation’s first 16-team super conference. “It seems that’s the direction the world’s going,” Stoops said Monday. “So if it is, so be it.” Stoops stopped short on speculating what might happen or saying what he prefers. Oklahoma president David Boren said just...
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Undefeated Chanute volleyball team powered by the Flowers
Brian McDowell Tribune Sports Ever since Macy Flowers joined her older sister Mallory on the undefeated Chanute volleyball team, many  nicknames have been generated for the powerful pair. “The twin towers.” “Flower power.” “Welcome to the garden.” “I don’t mind when people say that stuff,” Mallory said. “I think it’s kinda’ cool.” The Flowers have been separately playing volleyball since fifth grade, but this is the first year they’ve both pla...
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Erie starts season with second half 28-point comeback
Brian McDowell Sports Editor ERIE — Things looked bleak for the Erie Red Devils at the end of the first half of their first game of the football season, against the Eureka Tornadoes. They were behind 20-0, due largely to five interceptions thrown by quarterback Justin Hartzell. The Red Devils ended up giving up eight turnovers in the first half. Eureka scored touchdowns using a variety of offensive weapons — a quarterback sneak, a 10-yard t...
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Comets power past McDonald Co. in second half
Travis Hendryx Tribune Reporter ANDERSON, Mo. — Brock Gilmore passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as visiting Chanute defeated McDonald County in a 51-27 come-from-behind victory on the road Friday evening. The Blue Comets trailed by 15 at the break before putting up 39 unanswered points in the second half. Chanute posted its second victory over the Mustangs following the Blue Comets’ 38-6 home victory in 2010. Chanute starts the s...
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Commentary: Moving on, looking on
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor When one chapter ends, another begins. My Chanute Tribune “chapter” is now over. After nearly five and a half years, my time as sports editor has ended. Friday was my last day at the Tribune. I thought I’d reflect a bit. It’s been an interesting ride. For starters, I saw a lot of changes around town during my time here. When I started in March of 2006 the community pool was located next to the baseball stadium...
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CHS FOOTBALL: Minus McComb, Blue Comets set for 2011 season
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Don Simmons got the phone call last Friday night. It wasn’t good news. Just over a week before fall practices begin, Simmons learned that standout running back and senior-to-be Jared McComb was on his way to Texas with his family. And it wasn’t a vacation. The McComb family has moved, and Chanute’s top returning football player is gone. And with that one phone call, the identity of the Chanute High School fo...
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Blue Comets, Purple Dragons picked to win SEK League
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor PITTSBURG — Chanute and Pittsburg tied for first place in the 2011 SEK Preseason Coaches Poll. The poll was released on Thursday at the seventh annual Kansas High School Coaches Media Day at WATCO Companies in Pittsburg. The Blue Comets and Purple Dragons both received 59 total points and each school received four first-place votes. Coaches cannot vote for their own team. Chanute went 8-3 last year and brings ...
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Chanute girls tennis team returns experience
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Czarina Ramos and Madison Wendt are expected to lead the way for Chanute High School girls tennis team this fall. Both were key performers on last year’s team and will once again occupy varsity spots in 2011. “They have both worked really hard over the summer,” Chanute Coach Mike De La Torre said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with them yet. I have a lot of options. They’re both good singles players and ...
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CHS football check-out, team meeting Thursday
Chanute High School Head Football Coach Don Simmons has announced that equipment check-out and a team meeting will be held on Thursday. Juniors and seniors will check-out equipment at 4 p.m. A team meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. for all players, ninth through 12th. The freshmen and sophomores will then check-out equipment at 5 p.m.
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Excitement building for CHS volleyball
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor It all starts at 6 a.m. next Monday. That’s when the Chanute High School volleyball team will officially begin fall practices. And Gail Petersen is counting down the hours. “I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it,” Petersen said. “And the girls are so excited. They’re hungry and they’re ready. I think some of them can’t contain themselves when they think about the possibilities.” The team’s lo...
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Willard doubles up at Humboldt Speedway
Scott L. Stewart For the Tribune  HUMBOLDT—Round two of the Humboldt Speedway “Twofer” weekend went off Saturday Night. Jeremy  Willard made it two in-a-row by winning Saturday night’s Pure Stock feature wire-to-wire. Derek Michael finished in second, ahead of Tyler Kidwell, Matthew Kay, and Michael Aiello. Jeremy Wilson came from deep in the field to win the Factory Stock main event. To do so, he had to track down all four of the rest of the...
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Post 170 has three listed on KABA all-league team
The Chanute Post 170 American Legion baseball team had three players named to the KABA all-league team. Brandon Bell was second team all-league as an outfielder. Grant McMillan was listed as honorable mention at shortstop and as a pitcher. Jack Martin was listed on the honorable mention team as a catcher.
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Commentary: It's time to move on
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor There’s no easy way to say it — I think it’s time for me to move on. After more than five years as sports editor of the Chanute Tribune, I’ve accepted a sports writing position elsewhere. I came to Chanute in late spring of 2006 when then-publisher Ann Charles hired me. At the time, I had never been to southeast Kansas and had some reservations about moving to a place where I knew no one. Plus, I was worki...
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'I WON THE FIGHT'
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor “I’m still here and I feel better than ever.” That’s the way Jeremy Gant begins the conversation. And that’s the message he wants to pass along. The Jeremy Gant Heart Classic was held on Saturday at Chanute’s Quarry Stone Country Club. While a previous event was held as a fund-raiser for his foundation, Gant said this past weekend’s tourney was about showing people how well he’s doing. “It was about them seei...
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One last football game for Bowman
Tribune staff Eric Bowman represented Chanute High School at the 38th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday at Fort Hays State University’s Lewis Field Stadium. The West team defeated the East 30-7. Playing for the East, Bowman caught one pass for nine yards. Bowman took one handoff and lost one yard. The West won the all-star game for the sixth-straight year. The East’s only score of the game came in the fourth quarter when Topeka Hayden’s Al...
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Isaac wins Tri-State Championships
Tribune staff Chanute’s Nancy Isaac took first place at the 74th Women’s Tri-State Golf Association annual stroke play championship hosted by Ledgestone Golf Club in Reed Springs, Mo. Isaac won by one stroke. “The last five holes were rather tense and left no room for error,” Isaac said. The tourney featured 119 players in the 36-hole stroke play event and was held July 25-26. Chanute golfers Cathy Cleaver, Patti Dighero, Wanda Gard, Joan Newm...
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Weide earns win at Humboldt Speedway
Scott Lee Stewart For the Tribune HUMBOLDT— Just when you think things can’t get worse, they often do. Ask Brandon Weide—his whole season has been that way. If it wasn’t right place, wrong time it was mechanical woes, flat tires, name it. Even his Factory Stock heat race Friday night went South.The strong, however, never surrender. And, when feature time came, the strength that makes a winner came forth. Faced with a three-wide mob fighting...
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Chanute High School graduate Eric Bowman poses last weekend in Salina with Andrew, a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children. Both the East and West Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star football squads visited several patients of Shriners Hospitals for Children to learn and understand the purpose of the Shrine Bowl events. The 38th Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Game will kick-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night in Hays. Bowman will play for the East. The East team is currently holding its camp at Emporia State University, while the West is holding its camp in Salina. The players and coaches travel to Hays this weekend. All net proceeds from the game go to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Tickets and more information are available at www.ksshrine.com or by calling 800-530-5524. Bowman gives CHS a player in the game for the third-straight year, following Matt Bollig and Ty Blanchard. Bowman is the 15th CHS player selected overall.
SHRINE BOWL VISIT

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Commentary: Let's have a public youth swim team
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Should the Chanute Sharks swim team be an exclusive club? I say no. Currently, it is. Don’t get me wrong. The local youth swim team currently provides a great opportunity for a lot of Chanute kids. And it has for years. But there’s a catch. For a child to be on the Chanute swim team, a parent or grandparent must be a member of the Quarry Stone Country Club. Of course, this costs money. In my opinion, it’s t...
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Sharks finish fourth at league meet
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor CHANUTE — The Chanute Sharks are small in numbers, but big in talent. The second-smallest team at the SEK League Championships, the Sharks swim team finished fourth at the eight-team meet on a scorching hot Saturday at the Maring Aquatic Center. “I was thrilled with our performance,” said Sharks Coach Eric Holmes. “We had multiple kids swim far below their personal best times for the season. We just didn’t h...
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