Sports
Starting positions up for grabs at CHS
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor As the 2009 high school football season officially arrived at Chanute High School on Monday, some familiar faces were absent. The Blue Comets lost 18 senior starters from last year’s team that went 7-3, won a district title and once again advanced to the playoffs. What that means is there are numerous starting positions up for grabs this year. And with all of the spots open, Chanute Coach Don Simmons sa...
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MAKING THE SWITCH
Tribune Staff Bollig ready to lead Chanute Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Matt Bollig spent last season hauling in passes. Now he’ll be throwing them. The Chanute High School senior is making the switch from receiver to quarterback this season for the Blue Comets football team. If you ask Bollig, he’ll tell you he expects the transition to be an easy one. “I’m pumped,” Bollig said. “I played quarterback my sophomore year and I’ve ...
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Comets picked fourth in preseason poll
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor PITTSBURG— Despite losing almost every starter on both sides of the ball, the Chanute High School football team was still picked fourth in the 2009 Southeast Kansas League Preseason Coaches Poll. The poll was released on Thursday at the Fifth Annual SEK Preseason Coaches and Media Luncheon at WATCO in Pittsburg. Chanute Coach Don Simmons said the poll came out pretty much as he predicted. “I thought we’d...
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Erie hopes for an injury free season in '09
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor The Erie Red Devils appeared cursed at times during the 2008 football season. The team was hit by injury after injury—all season long. Entering his second season as head coach of the Devils, Don Barcus hopes the 2009 season goes a little better. On Thursday, Barcus reflected on last season and all of the team’s injuries. “This will be my 38th year of coaching and I have never seen anything even close t...
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A PASSION FOR GOLF
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Nancy Isaac discovered the game of golf at an early age and fell in love with it right away. And while golf has always been a part of her life, the Chanute resident has rediscovered a true passion for the game in recent years. That’s been evident this summer. With tourney win after tourney win, Isaac has established herself as one of the best women’s golfers in Southeast Kansas, if not the state. “I set some...
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Gant finishes junior career in style
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Jeremy Gant ended his junior golf career on a positive note by helping Team Kansas defeat Team Nebraska for the Virgil Parker Cup. The Kansas Junior Cup team beat Team Nebraska 11-5 in the 24th annual event. This year’s competition was held at Arbor Links Golf Course in Nebraska City, Neb. on August 4-5. “It was an honor to represent Kansas and to be on the team,” Gant said. “It was a lot of fun, too. Ou...
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AN AGELESS WONDER
Tribune Staff Reinhardt can still play ball at 68 Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Gene Reinhardt has considered taking up golf for decades now. But year after year, he’s put it off. The sport of basketball still has a hold on him. At 68 years young, Reinhardt still plays basketball three times a week at Neosho County Community College with the “noon ball” crew. And week after week, the Chanute resident leaves his fellow players amaz...
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Quick Rick wins at Humboldt Speedway
Tribune Staff Scott Lee Stewart For the Tribune¬† HUMBOLDT—“Quick Rick” Aielo has a goal. He wants to be the Humboldt Speedway 2009 B-Mod¬†points champion. His mantra to himself: “Be smooth, be consistent, stay out of trouble, finish.” He did a good job of doing just that this week, winning both heat and feature at The Hummer, and padding his points lead. Jerry Kustanborter gave it all he could muster, but had to settle for second. Paden ...
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Isaac wins Tri-State Golf Championship
Nancy Isaac of Chanute put back-to-back rounds together to win the gross champion spot at the 72nd annual Tri-State Golf Championship July 28-29 in Pittsburg. Isaac shot a 75 the first day and was medalist. She followed that with a 76 for a 151 in the two-day, 36-hole stroke play event. “These are my best two-day totals ever,” Isaac said. “It was pretty exciting. I shot the 75 with one triple bogey!” Four shots back was Heidi Rice from ...
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NCCC track teams earn national academic recognition
Darin Schmitz, head coach of the Neosho County Community College track and cross country teams, was notified this week that both the men’s and women’s track teams at Neosho County have been named the NJCAA Coach’s Association National Academic Teams of the Year. Schmitz said this award is given to the top 5 team GPAs for the year. “We also have had many Coach’s Association individual Academic All-Americans,” he said. “One of these awards woul...
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K-State’s quarterback’s time arrives along with Snyder
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The six-win mark means more than bowl eligibility for Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman. It means matching the number of victories his father, tight end Paul Coffman, had in three years with the Wildcats in the 1970s. “We’ll definitely surpass that total,” said Coffman, also the younger brother of former standout Missouri tight end Chase Coffman. “In one year, yes.” Coffman’s declaration during Big 12 media days...
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8 & under team fourth in Pittsburg tourney
PITTSBURG — The Chanute Blues 8 & under baseball team took fourth out of 12 teams in tournament play July 11-12 in Pittsburg. Chanute won its pool by beating Frontenac 12-11, and Olathe 12-8. The Blues went on to beat Fort Scott 11-4 to enter the semi-finals, but were defeated by Galena and Girard in the finals. They still ended with a fourth for their first tournament. At Girard July 17-19, the Blues finished in the top seven out of ...
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NCCC basketball lands five frosh, four transfers
Neosho County men’s basketball coach Jeremy Coombs announced the signing on five freshmen and four transfers who will join the seven returning players from last year’s team. “I am very excited about this year’s group of incoming student athletes,” Coombs said, “We’ve added guys that are hard working, dedicated players, that compete at a high level.” The incoming freshmen are Kyle Bilby, Humboldt - Chanute Christian Academy; Deante Dubose...
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Babe Ruth 14-year-olds to State
Some times second place isn’t half bad. The Chanute Babe Ruth 14-year-olds fell to Parsons last weekend, but got the good news that they were selected as a wild card team for the state championship tournament in Osawatomie. Chanute will begin play 5 p.m. on Friday vs. Wellington. The players will stay with host families during the tournament. The state championship game is scheduled for Tuesday. “We’ve got an all-around salty team,” said Gene...
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Swimmers second in SEK League Meet
For the SEK League Swim Meet season, Chanute had three individuals achieve high point award for their age division — a Drake Gilmore, 11-12 boys, and Brock Gilmore 13-14 boys. Other top finishers: Ali Aylward was 2nd highest in 15-18 girls with 113 points (15 behind first); Katie Martin was 2nd highest in 11-12 girls with 95 points (25 behind first); Kaitlyn Newton was 4th highest in 9-10 girls (but was the highest 9-year-old girl) with 88....
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Blanchard finishes prep career with state’s best
Chanute grad plays in Shrine Bowl Jason Peake Sports editor WICHITA — After a historic senior season, it was only fitting that Ty Blanchard ended his high school career alongside the state’s best. A recent graduate of Chanute High School, Blanchard put on his Blue Comets helmet one last time on Saturday night at the 2009 Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Game at Cessna Stadium. Playing for the East All-Stars, Blanchard carried the ball seven ...
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Iola ends Post 170’s season
IOLA — The season came to an abrupt end for the American Legion Post 170 Friday night. Chanute was eliminated by Iola 16-1 in four innings in the American Legion AA Zone Tournament at Allen County Community College. Chanute scored its lone tally in the bottom of the fourth. Craig Gilmore reached on an error, David Martin singled to move him to third and John-Michael Wallace drove home Gilmore with a single to center. “That’s baseball,” Coa...
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‘And the late model feature winner is ... Brian Bolin?’
Scott Lee Stewart Special to the Tribune If you left Humboldt Speedway thinking Shane Essary won Friday night’s Late Model show at Humboldt Speedway, boy have I got a surprise for you! I mean, yes, Essary did track down Brian Bolin in what was one of the best Late Model races you could ever ask to see. And, yes, as you filed out into the parking lot, Shane was being awarded a nice trophy. However, shortly after that, tech inspectors found...
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Drillers end season on winning note
The Chanute Drillers 10 and under baseball team finished their season under the sun at Girard last Sunday with an 11-2 victory over Neodesha in the consolation bracket. Grant McMillen pitched all four innings allowing only two runs on two hits and striking out eight. The Drillers sent all 10 players to the plate in the first and scored five runs on five hits. After RBI singles from McMillen and Hunter Friederich, Josh Miller drove in two run...
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Gilmore’s blast lifts Chanute past Garnett
Tribune Staff Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor IOLA—Craig Gilmore turned on a fastball and made it disappear into the night sky. The line drive easily cleared the right field fence and the Chanute center fielder rounded the bases with a jog. But this was no meaningless solo home run. With his team down two runs late in an elimination game, Gilmore hit a grand slam for the Chanute Post 170 American Legion baseball team. And Gilmore’s b...
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