Willard Bridge Video

KSNT news has an article and video about the bridge opening.
http://ksnt.com/2017/08/28/willard-bridge-opening-leaves-neighbors-thrilled/

KC Star Preseason Football Rankings

CLASS 3A

1. Nemaha Central

2. Phillipsburg

3. Silver Lake

4. Conway Springs

5. Rossville

Rossville Faces First Big Test

From the Capital-Journal:

In the grand scheme of Rossville’s run to its third straight Class 3A state champion, the season-opening win over Marysville was just the first step on the journey.

But when it comes down to it, that victory might have been the most important one the Bulldawgs had until pulling out the overtime win over Hesston in the title game. Starting life without two-time All-Stater Tucker Horak and several other key components from its two previous title teams, Rossville went into last year’s opener with something to prove.

In many ways, the Bulldawgs did. Down 20-14 in the second half, Rossville rallied for a 27-20 win that showed it had championship-caliber mettle.

“That game was big last year,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “It provided a big challenge for us and it was a good win for us. As you saw the results as we both went throughout the year, it turned out to be a really big win for us.”

As big as the win was for Rossville, the performance in the loss might have been even bigger for Marysville. One year removed from a lengthy losing skid, the Bulldogs went into the game looking to prove they were headed in the right direction and back to being among the top programs in Class 3A.

Pushing the eventual 3A champions suggested as much and Marysville rode the confidence gained in the game to a 7-3 season — one in which all three losses were by a touchdown or less.

“We really took away from it that our kids had come a long way,” Marysville coach Dustin Heuer said. “I was really proud with how our kids handled it and after the games our kids walked away convinced they should have won that game. We had our chance at beating the team that ended up being the best in 3A and we really took it as a challenge to continue to grow and as a sign of what we were capable of.”

When both programs open the 2017 Friday night in Rossville, the feeling will be somewhat the same as it was a year ago. Once again, Rossville must prove it can fill key voids left by graduation capably enough to make a run at a fourth straight state crown. The graduation hits have been big in the past, but never as hard as this season with tailback Perry Foster the lone returning starter on offense and linebacker Sheldon Hulbert and lineman Nathan Dohrman the lone returning starters on defense.

Gone are All-State quarterback Jacob Bradshaw, two-time All-Class 3A linebacker Dawson Hammes, All-3A receiver Cole Schumacher and all five starting offensive lineman.

“It’s going to be a great gauge for both programs,” Hammes said. “You could say they are the most experienced team coming into this game, so maybe it’s a role reversal a little bit. Maybe we’re the challenger and we’re the team that has something to prove. That’s kind of where they were last year. They wanted to prove they were a good football team and in the long run I think we saw that they were.”

Marysville also lost some key pieces to graduation, namely All-3A lineman Greg Martin and two-way standout Hunter Warnick. But quarterback Jack Blumer flourished in his first year as starter, throwing for nearly 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, and has a few key playmakers back around him.

While Marysville has an edge in experience, Heuer knows Rossville will still carry plenty of confidence gained from its championship seasons. At the same time, he sees more confidence from his team, gained in no small part by last year’s showing.

“Our kids knew the year before we had taken some big steps forward,” Heuer said. “That was a good opportunity to show how close we’d come and take and build on that. It was a really fun year last year and the guys this year are excited about doing their own thing as well.

“They’re fired up about playing a great team and Rossville might have lost a lot of kids, but they’ve done this before and been just fine. I’m sure everybody on their team has been working hard to write their own chapter for the Rossville program as well. And for us, the last four or five years have been a step forward and these kids want to take another step forward — whether that’s winning eight games, an NCKL title or a playoff game. They want to continue the process.”

Volleyball Team Gets Two Wins Tue.

    The RHS Varsity volleyball team won against the Olathe Metro Academy on Aug. 29 by scores of 25-21, 25-9 and 25-19, 25-21.
    The team is 5-2 for the season.    The two losses were to Burlington in their tournament where the Dawgs finished second to Burlington.

Cross Country Team At Mission Valley

The Rossville Cross Country competed in their first meet at Mission Valley on Aug. 31.  There were solid performances from all runners to start the season.  Amelia Foster (7th Grade) brought home the only medal of the day for Rossville, placing 4th out of 76 7th & 8th grade boys AND girls in the 2-mile, with a time of 13:43.

Rossville Results:

Boys 5k (94 Runners) - Zach Archer (33rd) - 21:35; Ben Price (39th) - 21:55; Marvin Cummings (82nd) - 26:13; Justin Jordan (85th) - 27:18

Girls 5k (54 Runners) - Meagan Huston (20th) - 25:03; Emma Streit (38th) - 28:04

7th/8th Boys & Girls 2-mile (76 Runners) - Amelia Foster (4th) - 13:43; Bronc Reser (22nd) - 15:33; Tres Faith (32nd) - 16:21; Cassie Fund (47th) - 18:02; Wade Twombly (55th) - 18:48; Hayden Sanders (62nd) - 19:56

Garrett Jones

Rossville Jr/Sr High School

Band & Choir Director

Head Cross Country Coach

Assistant HS Track Coach

Blossers Have A Boy

Kayla and Robert Blosser of  Rossville are the proud parents of a baby boy born Aug. 30.

Article On Marysville Game

From the MARYSVILLE ADVOCATE:

Marysville showed athleticism and a variety of options on the field Friday night for its Gatorade scrimmage, which was more like a series of offensive executions from the 40-yard line than a mock game.

“I thought our effort was great and we think we can have a very athletic team this season,” said Bulldog coach Dustin Heuer. “We just need to clean up some little things.”

The little things that cause penalties. There were a handful of times plays came back, yardage was lost, but in the end senior quarterback Jack Blumer was good with keepers, scoring on a run or passing to senior wide receiver Gabe Pieschl for other touchdowns.

The backfield was primarily a rotation of junior running backs Derek Roever and Raudy Latta.

“I thought the scrimmage went pretty well,” Heuer said. “We were a little sloppy from a penalty standpoint but I thought from an assignment perspective we were relatively solid. Offensively we are always striving to be more consistent and to not force ourselves backwards into difficult situations. It was a great learning opportunity to be on the field with officials to get a better simulation of a game.”

Heuer said he loved the pursuit he saw on defense and he thinks this group will be athletic.

“We need to make sure to trust each other and make sure all 11 bodies are where they need to be,” he said.

Marysville kicks off the season at 7 p.m. Friday at No. 4 Rossville. It’s a confrontation between the MHS Bulldogs and the Rossville Bulldawgs that kpreps.com considered a top 3A game. Last year’s game was a 28-21 win late for Rossville. The Bulldawgs didn’t string together an undefeated season, but it was a third straight state championship run.

“Rossville will have an almost entirely new cast of players, but coming off their success the past few seasons, I am sure we will get nothing but the best effort from their kids,” Heuer said. “They aren’t overly complicated but they are good at what they do. I think this is a great measuring stick going forward for our team. I feel like playing a great team right out of the gate helps us prepare for our North Central Kansas League schedule.”

The Dogs open league at 7 p.m. Sept. 8 against visiting Abilene, the only team Marysville lost to last fall. That 14-12 outcome is very much remembered. The loss kept Marysville from winning the league title, which the Bulldogs haven’t done since the 2008 season.

“We’re all ready to play Friday but being excited doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot of things to continue to work on this week,” Heuer said. “These guys have worked extremely hard this offseason and I think they really want to continue to move the program forward and accomplish more than last year. This game is big for our program going forward. Even last year, despite the outcome, I thought that opening game really showed our kids we belong with the top teams. These guys really want to take the next step.”

Dawgs Open FB Season At Home

    The Dawgs start the football season at home against the Marysville Bulldogs on Friday night,  Sept. 1.  With the Dawgs ranked #4 by the Capital,  and Marysville ranked among the "others" it should be a good game and good test to see if the Dawgs can repeat what they have done the last 3 years.
    At half-time,  the 1992 football team will be honored.
    There will be Indian Tacos for sale from 6:00 on with proceeds going to Cody Lambotte who is fighting ALS..

Sheldon Hulbert Player To Watch

 RHS QB/LB Sheldon Hulbert has been selected by the Capital-Journal 

as one of the 25 players to watch in 3A-1A football this year.  

http://cjonline.com/slideshow/sports/prepkickoff2017/highschools/2017-08-30/25-area-prep-football-players-know-2017-0#slide-29

Jeff West Golf Scramble

The results of the girls golf four team scramble on Aug 29 at the Village Greens in Meridan is as follows:

Silver Lake    175
Rossville        177
Jeff West        179
Tonganoxie    185

Indian Taco Benefit

Burlington VB Tournament (Updated)

Prairie View Central Heights Burlington Wellsville Burlington * 2nd  Place

25-10, 25-13 25-12, 25-21 17-25, 19-25 26-24, 15-25, 25-21 25-22, 20-25, 23-25

New Willard Bridge Opens

Commissioner Shelley Buhler Speaking at bridge opening

Public Works director Tom Vlach speaking

Ribbon cutting

New bridge looking south

From the Capital Journal:

Shawnee County Commissioner Shelly Buhler recalled Monday how uncomfortable she felt driving over the old Willard Bridge.

“I know I, for one, will not miss the hum of tires on those steel grates, nor the uneasiness while driving across during slick conditions,” the Shawnee County commissioner said at opening ceremonies for the bridge built to replace it.

Buhler, who represents the commission district involved, became the first person following Monday’s ceremony to drive over the new bridge across the Kansas River. She described it afterward as “sturdy and smooth.”

Buhler joined Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer and county public works and solid waste department director Tom Vlach in speaking at Monday’s event, which began just after noon. She then drove over the two-lane bridge, which includes a walkway, at 12:29 p.m.

Colyer was among about 40 people who walked across.

Between 250 and 300 people attended Monday’s ceremony, estimated Betty Greiner, the county’s administrative services director.

Skies were partly cloudy and temperatures in the middle 70s as participants gathered at the north end of the new bridge for a ceremony in which Buhler joined fellow commissioners Bob Archer and Kevin Cook in cutting the ribbon.

The project was completed three months early and about $6.6 million under budget, Vlach said.

“I could not imagine this project having gone any better,” he said.

The replacement bridge is roughly the same length as its predecessor, which is about 2,300 feet. The old bridge was built in 1955 and widened in 1983.

The new bridge has been constructed at a lower elevation. It is about 13 feet lower than the old bridge on its north end, about 5 feet lower toward the middle and roughly the same height at the south end.

The replacement bridge and its predecessor both stand almost 3 miles north of Interstate 70 on N.W. Carlson Road, the boundary between Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties. Wabaunsee County contributed several hundred thousand dollars to the replacement project, Vlach said.

Those present Monday also included Kansas Secretary of Transportation Richard Carlson; former Shawnee County commissioners Vic Miller and Mary Thomas; Wabaunsee County commissioners Jim Suber, Rodney Allen and Ervan Stueve; and staff members representing Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran and Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins.

Vlach went to the lectern first. He recalled the various steps toward replacing the old bridge that had been taken since 2007, when he became public works director and learned its safety was a “large, looming issue.”

After the bridge’s condition was found to have worsened in 2015, Vlach said he thought it was a “complete longshot” when he asked former KDOT transportation engineer Jerry Younger — who was also present Monday — if the state could provide Shawnee County a low-interest loan for the project.

But the state came through, loaning the county more than $8 million. Without the loan, Vlach said, “we would at least be a year behind where we are.”

Colyer said the project’s completion “shows the power of all of us working together here in Kansas.”

He joked about potential uses for the old bridge, including it being the site of a “great Fourth of July explosion” or being used as a launching pad for Topeka’s new Evel Knievel Museum.

Workers have begun to dismantle the old bridge, which will be imploded on a date that’s yet to be determined, Vlach told commissioners at their morning meeting Monday. The new bridge will be closed for roughly 30 minutes when the implosion takes place, he said.

Those in the audience Monday included Melvin Sage, mayor of the city of Willard, located just south of the bridge. The bridge is the only direct route between Willard and Rossville.

Sage said the bridge’s opening would greatly benefit his city’s residents because now they’ll be able to use it to go to Rossville to buy needed items rather than having to drive all the way to Topeka.

Also present was Bill Wagnon, professor of history emeritus at Washburn University, who said the place where the Willard Bridge crosses the Kansas River was a critical crossing for users of the Oregon Trail.

An estimated 300,000 immigrants, traders, gold hunters and missionaries used the 2,170-mile trail to travel between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean between 1840 and 1869.

Shorty (59) and Carol (Adams)(63) Celebrate 50th

     Shorty "Leroy" Dick and Carol Sue (Adams) Dick are celebrating the 50th Wedding Anniversary.  They were married September 8, 1957 in Rossville, KS and to this union they welcomed three children:  April Dick, Lee's Summitt, MO., Heath Dick  and Susan, Blaine, KS, and Alan Dick and Kim, Blaine, KS and four grandchildren.
    Please join in honoring them with a card shower.  Cards may be send to Shorty and Carol Dickm, 11095 Highway 16, Blaine, KS 66549