Sports for the week of August 25, 2004

Opening grid foe is highly regarded

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, the Panthers opening football opponent, is favored to win the Little Sioux Conference Championship this season.

“They have some very good athletes as we know from their state basketball championship last season,” said Panther Coach Randy McIntire. “We had a chance to scout them in their playoff game last fall. They run an offense that is very similar to ours.”

The Panthers have virtually the same line as last year and are deeper in the backfield than usual. Senior Donald Strand will start his third season as the starting quarterback and looks to have a good season. Anthony Rasmussen, Seth Swan and Brett Jackson give Tracy/Milroy/Balaton strength at the tailback position. Andy Nelson, Matt Engesser and Travis Cambronne do the same at the fullback position. Matt Bauer is a new player and has been playing one of the tackles plus backing up the line on defense. Sean Kirk, a veteran player who has been doing the punting in previous season, has had an operation on his foot and will be out for four weeks.

Returning lettermen from last year are Kong Her, David Schiller, Matt Engesser, Tim Miller, Erik Frisvold, Andy Nelson, Sean Fox, Dan Malmberg, Jason Heern, Adam Snyder, Mike Schreier, Paul Johnson, Trevor Morin, Josh Ruppert, Sean Kirk, Donald Strand, Brett Jackson, Paul Carlson and Derrick Vandromme.

TMB opens at R-T-R on Thursday, Sept. 2. The first home game is against St. James Friday, Sept. 10. Game time is 7 p.m.

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This is the final season for the 212 Conference. Yellow Medicine East, BOLD and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City will join the West Central Conference next year, while TMB and MACCRAY will join the Little Sioux. Other conference teams will be looking for a new conference home. Next season the Little Sioux will be made up of Adrian, Fulda, MCC, Minneota, Canby, R-T-R, Ortonville, Dawson-Boyd, MACCRAY and TMB. The Little Sioux is a football only conference. TMB will join the Camden Conference in all other sports next year.

Next season's football schedule will have no non-conference foes. TMB will play all Little Sioux members except Minneota next year.

Nine seniors lead volleyball
Rule change allows defensive specialist

“Our number one goal this season is to play as well as we can, to play with more consistency,” said a group of Panther senior volleyball players. “Our next goal is to beat Marshall and then win the 212 Conference Championship.”

The Panthers have been working on ball control in their early season workouts.

“We have an experienced setter and good hitters,” said Coach Katie Gervais. “But the name of the game is ball control, the best setter in the world and excellent hitters can't help you if you can't get them the ball. We also have been working on serving aggressively.”

The Panthers can't look past the opening game against Minneota. Minneota has been to the state tournament the last three years and has beaten Tracy/Milroy/Balaton the last two years.

This season Minnesota is one of nine states introducing the “Libero” (defensive specialist) to the game.

The libero must wear a different colored shirt (white in the case of the Panthers) and can come in and play the back row at any time. The libero can substitute for the server, but the server must serve at least once.

“This rule change and the rally scoring brings the game closer to the college and Olympic game rules,” said Gervais.

For the first time in many seasons the Panthers have nine seniors on the roster. However, the program has fewer athletes in the lower grades.

TMB opens against Minneota, at Minneota on Tuesday, August 31. Their first home match is with the Marshall Tigers at Tracy on Friday, Sept. 3.

Diane Deming takes women's tourney

Diane Deming won the Ladies Club Championship at the Tracy Country Club Tuesday. Deming outlasted Mary Munson for the championship by shooting a 39-44=83 over 18 holes. Munson carded a 46-44=90 for her second place finish.

In the first flight, Joyce Osland finished first with a 41-47=88 while Lisa Sell shot a 46-51=97 for second place.

Ann Baker fired a 56-53=109 to take first place in the second flight and Joyce Robbins shot a 59-52=11 to finish 2 strokes back for second place.

Dave Engesser defends club title

Fifty golfers competed in the annual Tracy Country Club men's tournament.

David Engesser repeated as the club champion by shooting a score of 185 over 18 holes Saturday and 27 holes on Sunday. On Saturday Engesser shot two 37s for a total of 74. On Sunday he came back with a 38, 37, 36 for a total of 111 or a total of 185 for the tournament.

Engesser held an eight-stroke lead over Bruce Lerohl, who finished second, going into Sunday's competition. In the first two rounds Sunday Engesser registered a 75 and Lerohl came up with a 33 on his second nine to give him a total of 70 to cut five strokes off the lead. However in the final nine holes Engesser shot a 36 and Lerohl slipped to a 41 to finish eight strokes back.

Lerohl's 33 on Sunday was the best round of the tournament with Brett Marlette shooting a 35 for second and Ron Radke posting a 36 for the third best nine holes of the tournament.

Engesser won the Championship Flight with a score of 185 with Bruce Lerohl second with a 193 and Ron Radke and Eric Peterson tied for third with 194's.

Marc Turner and Brett Marlette tied for first in the President's Flight with scores of 209 and Dave Sogge was third with a 210.

Dale Pacholl won the First Flight with a score of 166 for 36 holes, Jeff Knuth was second with a 167, Mike Schmidt third with a 168 and Brian Ludeman fourth with a score of 173.

Gay Stone won the Second Flight with a score of 169, Larry Retzlaff and Barry Shaw tied for second with 172's and Ron Borchert was fourth with a 176.

Les Onken won the Third Flight with a 176, Dave Sammons was second at 183 and Ric Sell and Greg Marron tied for third at 184.

Trevor Brau won the Fourth Flight with a score of 180, Glen Bernardy was second at 182 and Todd Johnson third at 190.