Sports

Cherokee senior Kassidy Pingel recently signed a letter of intend and announced her plans to attend Upper Iowa and play basketball for the Peacocks. Pingel, a four-year starter for the Braves, is one of the team’s leaders going into this season ranked fourth in pre-season polls. (Photo Contributed)...

Rich and Peggy Hinkhouse, owners of the Brightside Lounge here, will be host a benefit on Saturday to raise money for the planned renovation of Cherokee’s high school baseball field. The ongoing project, dubbed “Kenny Bern Field Project” involves renovation of the current high school diamond and renaming the facility after longtime Cherokee supporter Kenny Bern...

The late Frank Buckingham, who wrote on these pages for decades and later became the voice of sports on KCHE Radio here, was always a friend and inspiration for me in days gone by. I admired his work ethic and his flare for the written word. “Buck” wrote his column “Sports Mirror” on these pages for over two decades and again was all over the air waves later as Sports Director at KCHE...

South O’Brien’s football team placed seven players on the Class A District 1 All-District football teams announced recently, while MMCRU had four players receive postseason honors. Junior running back talent Tristan Wilson highlighted SOS all-district list, leading the Wolverines and the district in rushing with 1,485 yards on 262 carries and 11 touchdowns. ...

River Valley Wolverine junior Tristan Mammen earned 8-Man District 1 All-District First Team honors as the lone River Valley representative on the first team elite squad. Mammen’s teammate, sophomore Tyler Towne and senior Dom Schirmer also were honored, making the second team all-district listing...

Earlier this week yours truly was fortunate to experience an uplifting and moving activity at our high school here. It was a gathering of some 60 students who joined together for fun, some pizza, a couple games of dodgeball and more importantly, a positive, inspirational message by Northwestern College and Cherokee baseball Coach Jared Kirkeby. They came together as the Cherokee chapter of the “Fellowship of Christian Athletes.”...

Alta-Aurelia’s Warriors, co-champions of Class A District 2 football and playoff qualifier this season, placed a total of 14 players on the all-district teams announced Monday. In addition, AA Co-Head Coaches Grant Peckenschneider and Chris Reinhart were named Coaches of the Year by the district...

The Cherokee Braves cross country runners,coaches, and chaperones were raring to go on an early Saturday morning before embarking on their trip to Fort Dodge for the State Cross Country Championships. The WHS girls qualified as a team after placing third in Districts. The teams are coached by Matt Hoskinson and Dave Ellis...

Thanks to cohort Rhonda Fassler’s generosity, I wolfed a couple Krispy Kreme donuts the other day, the first of the incredible delicacies I’ve had in 17 years. In fact, I have an interesting story about Krispy Kremes. The last one I had was in 2001 with CBS Sports Icon Greg Gumbel at Eppley Airport in Omaha. ...

Last week when we published a story listing the Class 1A, All-District 9 grid honors, we failed to include the All-District Academic football players and cheerleaders. We apologize to all and will try to do better. Cherokee had a total of 13 students make the all-district elite list. ...

Alta-Aurelia’s talented volleyball Warriors placed three players on Twin Lakes All-Conference teams announced this week. For the Warriors, it was senior Annika Patton on first team, while junior Sydney Stanton was named second team and freshman Shea Lockin earned third team honors...

Alta-Aurelia’s talented volleyball Warriors placed three players on Twin Lakes All-Conference teams announced this week. For the Warriors, it was senior Annika Patton on first team, while junior Sydney Stanton was named second team and freshman Shea Lockin earned third team honors...

Cherokee junior cross country runner Bryce Kremer (with headband) was also in the thick of his races this season. Kremer earned a 46th place finish at the state meet in Ford Dodge on Saturday. Kremer clocked a 17:49.5 in the 5K distance. Reece Smith of Garner-Hayfield won the race in 16:00.7...

A warm, summer like day welcomed cross country runners from across the state to Fort Dodge Saturday with several area runners clocking respectable individual performances. In Class 1A, Ridge View’s Katlyn Wiese turned in our area’s top finish, a 19th place slot in 20:38.1. The junior Raptor’s effort helped place her squad at 13th in the 15-team field. Right behind Wiese was Alta-Aurelia’s Alexa Fredericksen in 36th place (21:15.2) and MMCRU’s Kaitlyn Goth in 37th (21:15.6)...

FORT DODGE - Cherokee swimmers, seniors Brooklyn Wissbaum and Megan Brown, turned in respectable performances here competing for the Storm Lake swim team. The two Cherokee seniors turned in some of their best times of the season, Brown in the 200-yard medley and Wissbaum and Brown in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Brown also placed 15th in the 50-yard freestyle...

For the first time since 1995, Alta-Aurelia Warriors made the playoffs and were rewarded with a trip south of I-80 to take on the AHSTW Vikings of Avoca last Friday night. The game was a tale of two halves as the Warriors dominated the first half, and the Vikings charged back in the second half. Not one or two overtimes would decide the game, but in the third overtime the Vikings sealed a 30-28 victory on their home field...

Because we’re in the thick of prep football playoff play, let’s turn back the page to 1972, the first Cherokee team ever to qualify or the prestigious playoffs. It was also the year longtime Cherokee football coach Leo Hupke was named “Siouxland Coach of the Year” by the Sioux City Journal...

ORANGE CITY - Unity Christian’s highly touted volleyball team proved to be too much and too tall at the net for Ridge View here Thursday, posting a 3-0 Class 2A regional final victory. The win send Unity Christian against Cherokee on Tuesday in LeMars for a regional final and a trip to the state tournament on the line. The contest will begin at 7p.m...

Although it was a 3-0 win, it was too close for comfort. “I’m still trying to catch my breath,” said Cherokee Coach Charity Anderson, shortly after the win. “This was a tough one.” And tough it was. South Central Calhoun’s Titans put up a gallant effort here Thursday night, but a focused, never quit Cherokee contingent won In three close sets and advanced to Tuesday’s Class 2A Regional Final against Unity Christian at LeMars...

A big shout out to our area runners who will compete in this Saturday’s State Cross Country Meet in Fort Dodge. We will have some 30 area harriers participating in the meet representing Cherokee, Alta-Aurelia, Ridge View, South O’Brien and MMCRU. These young folks have earned and deserve our full support. Make no mistake, this is a tough sport. It reminds me a lot of wrestling. In cross country, it’s you vs. the clock, and in wrestling it’s one on one competition...

An energized Cherokee volleyball team rolled into Thursday’s regional semifinals with a decisive 3-0 win over Manson-NW Webster here Monday night. The Braves will host South Central Calhoun Titans here at 7p.m. Thursday. South Central is 30-11 on the season. Thursday’s winner will advance to regional finals on Tuesday at LeMars with a state tourney berth on the line...

Cherokee hosted district champion Treynor last week in a game that would be the last for 10 seniors. Although the Braves led at the half, Treynor’s Cardinals made the necessary halftime adjustments to take down the Braves 35-20. The Cardinals got points on the board early when Kyle Christensen scored on a two yard run with 7:18 left in the quarter. A failed point after made it 6-0...

ORANGE CITY - What a pleasant surprise. Nobody expected Cherokee’s youthful girls’ cross country contingent to qualify for the state meet here on a warm, sunshine graced Thursday afternoon. Nobody except Cherokee Coach Matt Hoskinsen. “I knew the potential was there,” said a happy Hoskinsen of his Braves, the first girls’ team to qualify for the state meet since 2004, a team coach by Deb Hankens...

Cherokee’s Class 2A volleyball Braves are ranked 14th in the final Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union final prep rankings released this week. The Braves, will compete in regional volleyball tournament action here on Monday against Manson NW-Webster, a 3-0 first round winner over Eagle Grove. The match at Washington High will begin at 7p.m...

ALGONA - Storm Lake swim team Coach Jodi Mongan said she was pleased with her team’s 103-57 dual meet win against host Algona here recently. “We were short four team members, but still managed to win 9 of 11 varsity events, including all three relays,” said Mongan...

IDA GROVE - Ridge View, led by a third place finish of Katlyn Wiese (20:52), finished runner-up to team champs WC/KP last weekend at the Western Valley Conference Cross Country Meet. Along with Wiese, Ridge View featured medal winners Rachel Kenny (21:51) in seventh place, while Raptor teammate Paige Padavich was 13th (22:52)...

Cherokee Middle School seventh and eighth grade teams wrapped up their respective season recently, with both “A” teams losing to LeMars and bouncing back with wins over Spencer. In the wins over Spencer, Cherokee’s eighth grade “A” squad won on sets of 25-18, 25-19 and 15-10, while the seventh grade Braves went 25-9, 25-10 and 15-5 over Spencer...

STORM LAKE - Cherokee’s varsity volleyball Braves went 4-0 here Saturday to pocket the Storm Lake Invitational team championship. “I was happy with our play to end our regular season schedule,” said Charity Anderson, Cherokee coach. “ I thought our defense picked up a lot of balls and we were able to get quite a few transition swings that our hitters put down. I also thought we served tough and passed well,” she added...

Cherokee’s regular football season schedule is quickly nearing its end as the Braves host Underwood tonight and then finish out the season at home against Treynor on October 19. Underwood, 4-3 on the season, opened the campaign with two losses to AHSTW 47-14 and IKM-Manning 28-26. Then came three straight wins defeating Tri-Center 41-7, Council Bluffs St. Albert 32-14 and MVAOCOU 37-0. A loss to Treynor 28-26 followed before last week’s 27-12 win over East Sac...

Ridge View Middle School cross country runners this season are, seated, from left, Madison Stowater and Sara Schroder. Second row, from left, Daniel Mendoz, Jaycee Bohs and Drew Blum. Third row, from left, Kyler Wunschel, Jade Jochims and Noah Schroder. (Not pictured, Matthew Forristal)...

MAPLETON - The Cherokee Braves traveled to Mapleton last Friday to take on the Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto/Charter Oak-Ute Rams in a wet match-up in which both teams were looking for their second victory overall and first district win this season. The Braves were able to better the rain and Rams with a 38-12 victory...

Cherokee seniors Payton Slaughter, Kassidy Pingel, Alexus Jones, Lily Anderson and Emily Robinson were recognized on “Senior Night” here Thursday and responded with a 3-0 volleyball win over LeMars. It was an emotional night for senior volleyball players and their Coach Charity Anderson as is always the case on “Senior Night.”...

For reasons unknown, many past individual and team statistics of Cherokee Washington High School athletic accomplishments were never officially tabulated. Surprisingly, nobody in charge thought to keep a running score on our athletes. And, if somebody did, no one can find them...

A huge crowd cheered loudly and encouraged 482 determined runners on a cool and misty Tuesday afternoon here for the annual running of the Cherokee Cross Country Invitational Meet. Runners representing 12 schools in middle school, junior varsity and varsity competition tackled the fog covered hiilly Cherokee Golf Course in a late afternoon full of races...

SPENCER - Cherokee volleyball Braves improved to 22-5 on the season with a decisive 3-0 win over Spencer here Tuesday. Cherokee notched set wins of 25-15, 15-16 and 25-13. Leading the way for the Braves in kills were JeMae Nichols with 10, while teammates Teagan Slaughter and Alexus Jones had seven each. Also turning in a tough game at the net was Kassidy Pingel with six kills...

KINGSLEY - MVAOCOU won the boys’ team title and Woodbury Central-Kingsley-Pierson snagged the girls’ team crown in the Woodbury Central-Kingsley-Pierson Cross Country Invitational Tuesday afternoon. LeMars Gehlen’s Will order won the boys 5K in 16:55.37, while Erika Kuntz of host WC-KP won in 21:05.96...

I’m not sure when it started, but it’s been going on for some time now. We hope it changes soon. It’s the fast growing accepted “culture of criticism” directed toward our under-paid, under-appreciated and under-staffed sports officials at the high school level and beyond...

The Cherokee Braves opened district play last Friday against the Big Reds of Missouri Valley. The Braves led 22-6 going into halftime but smash mouth football by the Big Reds in the second half was able to overcome the Brave's lead and hand them a 35-29 Homecoming loss...

STORM LAKE - JaMae Nichols, Grace Anderson and Teagn Slaughter hammered home seven kills each to lead a balanced attack and a 3-0 win over Storm Lake’s Tornadoes here last week. Lily Anderson added 23 assists, while Lexi Pingel (14-14m 3 aces) and big sister Kassidy (13-14, 1 ace) led in serves...

Senior netters Payton Slaughter and Lily Anderson highlighted Cherokee’s 3-0 win over Estherville-Lincoln Central here Tuesday by receiving special recognition for career digs and assists, respectively. In the match, Cherokee recorded victories of 25-15, 25-20 and 25-16 with Anderson notching 43 assists, and Slaughter collecting 32 digs. ...

The connection between quarterback Kaden Ladwig and receiver Cooper Dejean proved to be too much for the Braves to handle as Dejean caught two touchdowns on five receptions and 120 yards as the OABCIG Falcons took down the Braves 32-18 on Friday night in Cherokee...

PAULLINA - The lights went out, but when they came back on so did Alta-Aurelia’s Warriors here Friday on their way to a 22-9 victory over the host South O’Brien Wolverines. After nearly a 45 minute power outage here, the two local grid teams were deadlocked in a scoreless defensive battle with over 9:00 to play in the second quarter. Defense continued to dominate this contest as the half ended with no scoring...

It’s Deja Vu all over again. “The more things change, the more they are the same.” That famous quote fits today. I’m at a desk in a building I worked in 35 years ago. A lot has changed, but much remains the same. The presses are gone but the strong smell of newspaper ink lingers. Gone are the sounds of old Royal manual typewriters replaced by the softer click clack of computer keys. It’s no longer the Cherokee Daily Times, it’s now the Chronicle Times...

MARCUS - The Cherokee Braves football team pick up their first victory of the young season on Friday as they put up 545 yards of offense in a 57-0 rout on the road in Marcus against the MMCRU Royals. The Braves did not wait long to get on the score board as they received the opening kickoff and scored on their first drive of the game as quarterback Alex Paulsrud hooked up with receiver Kobe Grell on a fourth down play for a 42 yard touchdown. ...

It was a busy weekend for Cherokee’s volleyball Braves, winning a 3-0 match at Emmetsburg on Thursday and finishing 3-1 on Saturday at the Sheldon Invitational Tournament. At Emmetsburg, set scores for the Braves were 25-17, 25-16 and 25-16. The Braves, coached by Charity Anderson, were led in kills with Kassidy Pingel, Teagan Slaughter and Grace Anderson hammering home eight each. ...

ALTA - The Alta-Aurelia volleyball team opened its season here Tuesday night against Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove and the Warriors fell to the Falcons, 3 games to 1. A-A Coach Jeannie Henningsen commented, "We started off the match slow and out- of- sync. ...