Rossville Wins Fifth State FB Title

From CJ Online

The Rossville Dawgs (13-0) hadn’t lost since Nov. 8, 2019 and that would not change on Saturday as they beat the Beloit Trojans (9-4) in the 2A state title game, 35-12. 

The Trojans were undermanned with their top two rushers, juniors Benson Berndt (274-1832, 25 touchdowns) and Branson Hiserote (86-452, 4 touchdowns), on the sideline on crutches. 

Dawgs head coach Derick Hammes said earlier in the week that they had to take the opportunities given to them offensively with the possession-based game the Trojans have with their run game. 

On the defensive side, he likened a three and out to a turnover for either side with the limited possessions coming into play. 

The Dawgs would win both of those battles.

Offensively, the Dawgs scored on five of their seven possessions.

Of the Trojans eight possessions, two ended in punts, two ended in turnovers on downs and another ended with a fumble. 

The Dawgs had 373 yards to 229 for the Trojans and although the Trojans rushed for 35 more yards (174-139), the Dawgs passed for 234 yards compared to the Trojans 55.

There are 14 photos and many videos showing the big plays at:

2A Championship 2021

Catherine (Jacobson) Wild Passes Away

Catherine Ann “Kay” Wild, 85, passed away Monday, November 22, 2021, at the St. Marys Manor.

Kay was born July 28, 1936, at home in rural Jackson County Kansas, the daughter of John T. and Catherine V. O’Connor Jacobson.  She grew up in Delia where she attended grade school and moved to Topeka where she attended Sacred Heart Catholic School.  Kay and her family moved to the Rossville community, where she attended high school.

Kay worked in food services for Kaw Valley USD No. 321 for 50 years before retiring.  She was a member of Immaculate Conception Church in St. Marys.

She was preceded in death by her son, William C. “Billy” Wild on Nov 27, 1989; her parents; three brothers, Billy, John Jr., and Robert; and her sister, Rosemary Pauly.

Kay was united in marriage to William S. Wild on October 31, 1959, in Topeka.  He survives at the home.

Other survivors include a son, Lonnie (Angie) Wild, Topeka; her daughter Connie (Chris) Royer, Manhattan; a brother Donald (Genevieve) Jacobson, Rossville; two sisters, Betty Lambotte, and Dorothy (Jim) Lloyd, all of Rossville; and six grandchildren, Becky (Kris) Logsdon, Lindsay Royer, Gavin Royer, Lauren, Joe and Brock Wild.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A M Saturday, November 27, 2021, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.  Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys.  Mrs. Wild will lie in state on Friday, November 26, 2021, after 2:00 PM at the funeral home where there will be a family visitation from 5:00 until 7:00 PM followed by a rosary at 7 PM.  Memorial contributions may be made to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church or Food for the Poor and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536.  Online condolences may be sent to www.piperfuneralhome.com.

Emma Yocum Passes Away

Emma L. (Pageler) Yocum went to be with her Lord and Heavenly family on Thanksgiving night, November 25, 2021, at the St. Marys Manor.

Emma was born on January 5, 1934, on a farm north of Belvue, KS and spent her entire life in the St. Marys, KS area.  She was the only daughter of Reinhardt and Vaneta (Cox) Pageler.  She attended a one-room school north of Belvue, Belvue Grade School, and graduated from St. Marys High School in 1952.  After graduation, she married her high school sweetheart. 

She worked as a clerk for Blue Cross and Blue Shield until she became a stay-at-home mother to raise their 4 boys.  She later worked for the Standard Gas Station in St. Marys.  She worked as a para-professional for USD 321 from where she retired in 1996.

Emma filled her life with many activities in the community, including teaching Sunday School at St. Marys United Methodist Church.  She also enjoyed dancing with the Swinging Squares.  She and her husband, Nick were active in their children’s and grandchildren’s activities.

She is survived by her loving husband of 68 years, Clarence “Nick” Yocum.  They were married on September 13, 1953, at the Evangelical & Reformed Church-Wells Creek.  

Together they raised 4 sons.  Steve Yocum, Lawrence, KS; John Yocum (Jennifer) Lawrence, KS; David Yocum (Kristi) St. George KS; James Yocum (Kerri) St. Marys KS.

Emma and Nick are blessed with 9 Grandchildren.  Travis Yocum (Lori), Nichol Gallegos (Zack), Eva Parkin (Levi), Ethan Yocum (Faith), Brandon Yocum (Becca), Jenna Yocum (Matthew Klotz), Ryan Yocum (Karlee), Hayley Smith (John), and Trevor Yocum.

They also have 12 Great-Grandchildren: Alex, Noah, Anna Beth, Zackary, and Thaddeus Gallegos; Aubrey Carrier & Olivia Klotz; Pierce Yocum; Avah & Cale Yocum; Weiss Parkin, and one on the way.

Her life will be celebrated on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at the St. Marys United Methodist Church. Interment will be at Valley View Cemetery in St. Marys.   Family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, December 3, 2021, at Piper Funeral Home.

Memorial Contributions can be made to St. Marys United Methodist Church in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St Marys KS 66536.

 

Rossville & Beloit Comparison

CJOnline has a good article comparing the Dawgs to the Beloit team which has an 8-3 record,  the losses being against bigger teams.

 cjonline.com/story/football-state-championship-game

Rossville Ready For Final Game

Below is article from WIBW On-line: 

ROSSVILLE, Kan. (WIBW) - Rossville enters Saturday’s 2A state football championship game riding a 25-game win streak — but the road to get there started much earlier.

“I can remember a few years back watching them as Junior Dawgs and I knew that they were a special group,” head coach Derick Hammes said. “They’ve really grown up and they’ve matured, and they’ve had success for us already. For me, this would be the icing on the cake if they were able to complete their goal.”

The Dawgs went 13-0 en route to a championship last season. One year later, they’re in the same spot: 12-0 with just one team, Beloit (9-3), standing in the way of a repeat state title.

“Beloit’s good,” Hammes said. “The first thing I told the players is they deserve to be here. They stand out to me because they’re a physical football team and they really are intent on establishing the run.”

“We know they’ll be ready,” senior quarterback Torrey Horak said. .They’ve got some athletes, we’ve got some athletes, and we’re hoping this is gonna be a really, really fun football game.”

For this tight-knit senior class, Saturday marks one last chance to take the field together.

“Last year was fun, but this year it’s a little more special since it’s our senior year,” senior Corey Catron said. “It’d mean the world if we could do this again.”

“To go out with a bang like this, we really can’t ask for anything better,” Horak said. “We’re looking to go finish this thing right and send these seniors home how we’ve always wanted to go out, how we’ve always dreamed about it.”

A nice video accompanied the above article which can be viewed at:

https://www.wibw.com/2021/11/25/rossville-aims-second-straight-2a-state-football-title/

Amanda and Caila Hill At KWU Basketball

 Kansas Wesleyan lost to Oklahoma Wesleyan on Nov. 23 69-60.  Amanda Hill had 10 pts, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in the losing effort.   Caila Hill had 7 pts, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

Cody Lambotte Award Established By KWCA

In the Summer of 2021, the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association’s Executive Board voted unanimously to establish the Cody Lambotte “Courage in Coaching” Award.  The focus of this award is to recognize wrestling coaches who, in the face of adversity and challenges, continue to find a way to serve their programs and, more importantly, their wrestlers through the difficult challenges that life can bring.  Their courage and determination teach all of us about resilience, grit, dedication, and the unwillingness to surrender, which are all essential traits that we hope the sport of wrestling can teach young men and women.

In addition to creating the award, the KWCA Board also voted to present the Inaugural "Courage in Coaching" Award to Rossville Head Coach Cody Lambotte.  The award presentation tookplace at the KWCA "Fritz Knorr" Fall Clinic and Awards Banquet on Saturday, October 9, at the Hilton Homewood Suites in Salina.    

Lambotte was a graduate of Rossville High School, where he accumulated a 136-17 overall record.  He was a 4-time state qualifier, and he finished as state runner-up as a junior and third as a Senior.  From there, Lambotte attended Labette Community College and was part of the 2005 National Championship Team there.  He then went on to the University of Nebraska Kearney.  While at Kearney, Lambotte was part of 2 National Runner-Up Teams, and in 2008 he was a Team Captain on their National Championship Team. 

Lambotte started his coaching career as an Assistant Coach at Rossville from 2010 through 2016.  He was the KWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014.  Since 2017 he has served as the Co-Head Coach and continues to this present day.  He has coached 35 state placers and 13 state champions in his 12 years. This run includes 4 Team State Trophies.  In addition to his High School coaching, he has been a coaching staff member for Tteam Kansas for the Junior Dual Teams, Southern Plains, Folkstyle Nationalss, and Fargo. 

In April 2017, Cody was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Cody has battled ALS head-on just like he battled opponents for years on the mat.  He has never quit following wrestling, coaching wrestling, or developing his wrestlers to be great young men on and off the mat.  In addition, Cody focuses on his family, including his 7-year old son Lincoln, and his friends. 

According to co-head coach Courtney Horgan, “One of the few good things to come from COVID-19 is everything is live-streamed now. Instead of having to wait for Hudl, Cody could watch live and give immediate feedback. This man has been a huge part of shaping our program and continues to do so despite his disease. Without a doubt, Coach Lambotte is the toughest son of a gun I know.” 

For additional info about Cody, go to SEARCH and type in "Cody Lambotte"  to see previous articles in recent years.

All Area Volleyball Team

 The Capital-Journal has selected their All-Area Volleyball Teams which is based on game statistics,

1st team 

Brinley Dyche, Junior, Rossville.
Caylee Douglass, Senior, Rossville.
Drew Baxter, Senior, Seaman.
Brooklyn DeLeye, Junior, Washburn Rural.
Makinsey Jones, Junior, Topeka West.
Taylor Russell, Junior, Washburn Rural.
Taylin Stallbaumer, Sophomore, Seaman.

2nd team

Laynee Brown, Junior, Seaman.
Jaya Miller, Sophomore, Topeka West.
Katelynn Brogan, Senior, Washburn Rural.
Camilla Ossola, Senior, Silver Lake.
Kinsey Perine, Sophomore, Rossville.
Emily Loy, Junior, Shawnee Heights.
Briar Gillum, Senior, Rossville.

Honorable Mention 

Reagan Huscher, Junior, Hayden.
Anna Brown, Senior, Hayden.
CC Hammes, Senior, Hayden.
Kinley Porter, Sophomore, Rossville. 
Brooklyn Gormley, Sophomore, Seaman.
Maegan Mills, Freshman, Seaman.
Taylor Rottinghaus, Junior, Shawnee Heights.
Kali Henry, Senior, Shawnee Heights.
Taryn Burkhard, Senior, Silver Lake.
Sarah Wehrli, Sophomore, Silver Lake.
McKinley Kruger, Sophomore, Silver Lake.
Leah Cook, Junior, Silver Lake.
Jo’Mhara Benning, Freshman, Topeka High.
Cierra Carranza, Senior, Topeka High.
Quincy Smith, Senior, Topeka High.
Siani Sanchez, Sophomore, Topeka West.
May Henderson, Junior, Topeka West.
Addison Brooks, Sophomore, Topeka West.
Jada Ingram, Sophomore, Washburn Rural.
Zoe Canfield, Sophomore, Washburn Rural.

 

2A Champion Game and Bracket

2021 Class 2A Football Championship Game

Rossville Vs Beloit

Salina-USD #305 District Stadium

650 E. Crawford, Salina, 67401

When: November 27, 2021, 1:00 PM

Host: Salina Area Chamber of Commerce

Manager: Tiffany Benien

The complete 2A Football Bracket and Results Can be read at:

https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Football/2A.cfm?Activity=1

TopsInSports Article on Semi-Final Game

TopsInSports has a nice article and pictures about the Silver Lake-Rossville football game on Nov. 19 which Rossville won 36-8: 

 https://www.topsports.news/1369-horak-catron-lead-the-way-as-rossville-earns-return-trip-to-2a-final

3A State Cheer Champions!!!!!!

TOPEKA, Kan. - Back in-person after a virtual event last year due to COVID-19, the 2nd annual Gameday Cheer Showcase brought the excitement to Stormont Vail Events Center on Saturday, crowning champions in all six classes. Blue Valley schools swept the top-two classes with Blue Valley Northwest winning the Class 6A championship and Blue Valley Southwest capturing the Class 5A crown. Paola won the Class 4A championship, Rossville took the Class 3A title, Oskaloosa was the Class 2A champion and Cair Paravel took home the Class 1A title.

 Class 3A Cheer Champions

1st - Rossville
2nd - Norton
3rd - Wichita Trinity Academy
4th - Osawatomie
5th - Cheney
6th - Olathe Heritage Christian
 

Donald Sears Passes Away

                                                          

Donald "Don" Sears  --  July 5, 1929 - November 13, 2021
Raymore, Missouri - Donald F. Sears (Jr.), born 7/5/1929 in Williamsport, PA died Saturday evening 11/13/2021 near his home in Raymore, MO.

Survived by his wife, Janet W. Sears and 5 children; Christopher (Nashville, TN), Andrew (Betsy) (Overland Park, KS), Kathryn Roberts (Mike) (Lake Lotawana, MO), Rebecca Drumheller (Jay) (Danville, PA), and William (Angie)(Frisco, TX); 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, 3 step-children, 9 step-grandchildren, and 7 step great-grandchildren. His first wife, Joan Waters Sears, his parents, and his sister died previously. 

Don was educated in public schools, Haverford College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the Menninger Foundation. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1954 in PA, served as USN chaplain with USMC air units, with Japanese young men and women ministering with G.I.'s in Japan, then with Presbyterian Churches in Rossville and Delia, KS as well as Blue Springs and Grandview, MO. Johnson County Sr. Nutrition Program employed Don over 10 years. Volunteering at American Stroke Foundation and Heartland Presbyterian Center were enduring joys. Collegial ministry in the local Heartland Presbytery led to appreciation for stimulating friendships. A relative warned him not to be a "man of measured merriment". 

Plans for his memorial service are forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are welcomed for Heartland Presbyterian Center at webpage: https://www.heartlandcenter.org/donate/

Amanda Hill Leads KWU to Win

     The Kansas Wesleyan women defeated McPherson College 69-57 on Nov. 20
     Amanda Hill has played a significant role for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes over the last few games was again huge for the Coyotes on Saturday, Nov. 19, scoring 15 and pulling down a career high 16 rebounds along the way. She also added a pair of blocked shots.

        
Amanda Hill #34

Eleven Game Photos

Here re eleven game  photos taken by CJ photographer

 Eleven Fooball Game Photos