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Pressure Increasing Again for Michigan State

Sports

November 9th, 2011 by Jim Field

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Mark Dantonio admits the pressure is on.  The Michigan State coach is three wins from leading his team to a Legends Division title and a berth in the inaugural Big Ten championship game.  The 13th-ranked Spartans play at Iowa on Saturday in what could be their toughest remaining game of the regular season.  Michigan State is not allowing the media to talk to players this week – a move Dantonio says is designed to help his team’s concentration. The Spartans also made players off limits before their Big Ten opener at Ohio State.  Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan are tied for second in the division, one game behind Michigan State.

Iowa’s Coker Explodes After Slow Start

Sports

November 9th, 2011 by Jim Field

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa running back Marcus Coker is a double major in physics and astronomy. He might have been too smart for his own good early this season.  Coach Kirk Ferentz says he thought the sophomore was over-analyzing the game and last month told him to stop thinking and start running.  Since then, Coker’s been as good as anyone in the country.  Coker has rushed for 647 yards and eight touchdowns in his last four games. He now leads the Big Ten with 1,101 yards rushing heading into Saturday’s divisional showdown between Iowa (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten) and No. 13 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1) in Iowa City.  Ferentz says going back to basics has really helped Coker break out of his early slump.

AP Source: Cardinals Interview Francona…Maddux Next Up in Chicago

Sports

November 9th, 2011 by Jim Field

UNDATED (AP) – A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona has interviewed for the St. Louis Cardinals’ managerial vacancy.  The interview took place in Cincinnati, where Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. lives.  The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.  Francona managed the Red Sox for eight seasons and left after they wasted a nine-game September lead in the AL wild-card race.  St. Louis is seeking a replacement for Tony La Russa, who retired two days after winning his second World Series in 16 seasons with the Cardinals.

In other baseball news:
— Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux is next up as the Chicago Cubs search for a new manager. Maddux is slated to interview today. Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum and Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin have already been interviewed to replace Mike Quade.

Shenandoah man cited for driving while suspended

News

November 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a Shenandoah man was cited into court Tuesday, after a deputy familiar with the man’s record observed him driving a vehicle while suspended, on the streets of Clarinda. Brian Heath Davis was cited for Driving Under Suspension, and Failure to Prove Security Against Liability (failure to show proof of insurance). The incident took place at around 9:50-a.m., Tuesday.

Injury accidents reported in Page County

News

November 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports three people suffered possible/unknown injuries during two separate accidents earlier this week. On Tuesday, 57-year old Gae Poole, of Clearmont, MO., was transported to the Clarinda Regional Hospital by private vehicle, following an accident on Highway 71. Poole was traveling north on the highway just north of 240th Street at around 5:30-p.m., when a deer appeared on the road. When the SUV Poole was driving collided with the animal, it sustained $6,000 damage. Poole, who was wearing her seatbelt, went to the hospital to be checked for any possible injuries.

And, on Sunday, 16-year old Sarah Gruhn, of Manning, suffered minor, possible injuries, after she lost control of the car she was driving, causing the vehicle to enter a ditch and roll once before coming to rest on its wheels. The accident happened as the car was rounding a curve near 140th Street and Avenue C, just before 1-p.m., Sunday. A passenger in the car, 16-year old Jamie Stribling, of Shenandoah, also suffered possible/unknown injuries. Both girls were wearing their seatbelts. The teens were transported by ambulance to the Shenandoah Hospital to be checked-out. Sheriff Palmer says Gruhn was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The vehicle was totalled in the crash.

Backyard and Beyond 11-09-2011

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

November 9th, 2011 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks with Norma Reed and Julia McNees with the CCMH Auxillary about the Harvest sale and involvemnet i

Play

8AM Sportscast 11-09-2011

Podcasts, Sports

November 9th, 2011 by admin

w/ Jim Field

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Players, Coaches Hall of Fame Awards Set for Class 4A Halftime

Sports

November 9th, 2011 by Jim Field

Six of Iowa’s all-time great players and four coaches will be honored at the halftime of the Class 4A State Championship game, Friday, November 18 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s 32nd annual inductions include the late Paul (Tiny) Engebretsen from Chariton;  Perry Sibenaller of  Harlan Community; Judd Sather from Spencer; Chad Guthrie of Newton; Michael Roan from Iowa City, City High; and Ben Bruns who played for Denver.
Coaches who will be inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame are New Hampton’s Scott Frerichs; David Sturm from Greene; and the late Gary Stamp of Lisbon.  The Association will also honor retired coach Bill Kibby with the Walt Fiegel Coaching with Character Award.
Profiles of the honorees follow.

IHSAA PLAYERS’ HALL OF FAME

PAUL (TINY) ENGEBRETSEN, Chariton: Earning 15 athletic letters in four sports, he was one of Iowa’s most gifted athletes in his era. The 1927 Chariton graduate was a four-year starter and was hailed by legendary writer Jack North as “a great blocker and the toughest center in the state.”  A multiple all-state player, he also anchored a stalwart defense that did not yield a touchdown en route to an undefeated season his senior year.  He played his prep career standing 5-9 and at varying weights before growing into a 6-1, 240-pound collegiate and NFL player.  He graduated from Northwestern University in 1931 after lettering three years, his line skills helping the Wildcats to a co-Big Ten title his senior year, when he was named second team all-conference and chosen for the East-West All-Star game. He added placekicking to his resume in the NFL and had a storied career with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Playing mainly in the offensive line, he started for Coach Georg
e Halas’ Chicago team that won the 1932 World Championship. He signed with Green Bay and Coach Curly Lambeau in 1934 and played in three more World Championship games, including victories in 1936 and 1939. In 1939, he was named All-Pro as a placekicker, booting 18 of 19 PATs and four field goals. He ended a 10-year professional career in 1941. He scouted for the Packers before returning to Chariton to operate a game farm with his family. In 1970, Northwestern University honored him as one of its all-time greats. He was enshrined in the Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame 1978. He passed away in 1979.

PERRY SIBENALLER, Harlan Community: One of the trademarks of Harlan Community football has been fundamentals and mental toughness. Within that team scheme is a heavy reliance on the offensive line and the defensive corps – the no-name guys who get the job done. Sibenaller was the prototype of the player Coach Curt Bladt built his program around. He was a hard-hitting linebacker and tight end who earned all-conference honors twice and was named to the Elite All-State Defensive team as a senior, when he captained the Cyclones. In HCHS’s patented hand-it-off scheme, tight ends are an extension of the offensive line and critical blockers, before being a receiver and he more than filled the bill. During his prep career, Harlan Community took second in the state playoffs in 1981 and recorded back-to-back undefeated championship seasons in 1982 and 1983. All told, he played on teams that posted a 34-2 mark, recording 11 shutouts and allowing just a single touchdown in 15 other games. The 1983 team did not allow a point in the playoffs. He also starred in the 1984 Shrine Bowl. His success and hard-nosed reputation did not stop in high school. He played four seasons and was a three-year starter at the University of South Dakota, where he earned his B.S. degree. Shaking off injuries, he helped lead USD to NCAA Division II playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986, when Coach Dave Triplett’s team was the national runner-up. He began working in the transportation industry after graduating and is currently Vice President of Risk Management for Trans Am Trucking. He and his family live in Overland Park, KS.

JUDD SATHER, Spencer: Mr. Versatility likely was Sather’s middle name on the gridiron. The all-around athlete was the epitome of a triple-threat player as a quarterback, placekicker and punter on offense and a tough defensive back. He started on Coach Gary Swenson’s Spencer teams from 1987 through 1989, when the Tigers lost only once in the regular season and were 27-4 with three playoff appearances. In 1988 and 1989, they advanced to the semifinals. He won all-state honors his junior and senior seasons, including Elite All-State recognition as a defensive back in 1989, when he also was an honorable mention All-American and was picked for the Shrine Bowl. He was his team’s MVP that year and earned Academic All-State honors from the Iowa Football Coaches Association. He totaled over 1,000 yards of offense and was one of the state’s top placekickers as a senior, when he also pilfered seven passes and recovered two fumbles. He attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where
he was a four-year starter. A two-time all-conference selection, he was one of the top punters and tacklers in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for three seasons. As a senior, he ranked fifth nationally in NCAA Division III punting (40.6) and was a top tackler, earning Special Mention All-America recognition as a linebacker, free safety and punter. Following his graduation, he played semi-pro football in Minnesota and professional baseball in Europe. From 1994-2011, he taught mathematics and coached football and baseball at St. Paul North High School.  He currently owns and operates a photography studio in Stillwater, MN, where he and his family make their home.

CHAD GUTHRIE, Newton: In the Cardinals’ vaunted ground-and-pound ball possession offense, Guthrie was an important cog. Coach John Jenkins’ program was demanding and competitive, with three-year starters a rarity. The fleet-footed, elusive and powerful Guthrie transformed two years in the starting backfield into a solid prep career that included playoff trips in 1987 and 1988, when the Cardinals were the Class 4A runner-up to Bettendorf in a game that matched two 12-0 teams. In that title contest, he tallied two second quarter touchdowns in a five-minute span to give the Cardinals a 12-7 halftime lead. One was an 82-yard scoring burst that is still a Class 4A championship record. He was an Elite All-State running back and was named Iowa Player of the Year by Street and Smith magazine, which accorded him prep All-America status. He rang up state 4A bests of 1,965 rushing yards, 38 touchdowns and 222 points as a senior. He rushed for more than 100 yards in 12 of the 13 games and had six TDs in a single game. His career totals of nearly 2,400 rushing yards and 53 scoring trips still are school records. He decided to play at Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, MO where he became a 1991 NCAA Division II All-American. He was an all-conference selection for three seasons. His 4,146 rushing yards ranks third best in school history, while his single-season total of 1,649 yards in 1991 ranks second, as does his 19 touchdowns in 1992. Today, he is director of sales and marketing for Pegasus Lectures, Inc., which provides continuing medical education in ultrasound.  He lives in Allen, TX.

MICHAEL ROAN, Iowa City, City High: Larry Brown, his high school coach, called him “one of the smartest players he every coached and so unselfish he could be moved anywhere to help the team and did everything we asked of him.”  As a result, sometimes statistics miss the value of the individual. He played all four years in high school and lived up to Brown’s observations, starting on both sides of the ball as a junior and senior at fullback, tight end and the defensive line. Those years launched the Little Hawks’ playoff run, which missed only two subsequent seasons. He was all-conference his final two years and was named first-team All-State as a defensive lineman his senior campaign. He also started in basketball and was the leading rebounder on the 1989 state championship team and the 1990 runner-up. Wisconsin football emerged from the recruiting process. He was a four-year starter for the Badgers at tight end and part of a class that turned around the program under Barry A
lvarez, including victories in the 1994 Rose Bowl and the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl. At tight end, he enhanced the offensive line and could stretch defenses with key possession receptions. He was taken in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft by Houston and played six seasons for the Oilers/Tennessee Titans, including the 1999 AFC Championship and Super Bowl XXXIV. For the last nine years, he has been an athletic director, teacher and leadership adviser at El Molino High School in Northern California, a school he served seven years as the head football coach. He and his reside in Sebastopol, CA.

BEN BRUNS, Denver: “His work ethic allowed him to improve virtually each day, knowing that it would help his teammates become better.” Those are the words of his high school coach, Mark Guenther. A three-year letter winner in Denver’s offensive and defensive lines, his senior season was golden as he helped the 11-2 Cyclones to their first state title. A strong blocker, he was a consensus First-Team All-State player and member of the all-class Elite Defensive Team. He was the Class 1A Player of the Year, an honor often reserved for a running back. He also was chosen for the Shrine Bowl. In addition, he was in band and chorus; was a four-time academic letter winner; lettered in track and was a four- time letter winner in wrestling, qualifying for the 1996 state tournament. At Iowa State, he became one of the most decorated and successful players in Cyclone history. As a senior in 2000, he led an O-line that allowed only seven sacks and helped the Cyclones generate over 400 yard
s a game. A victory in the Insight.com Bowl capped that 9-3 season. He was chosen first-team All-Big 12, third-team All-America was named to the Big 12 All-Academic team. His degree in construction engineering led to a position as a project engineer for Weitz Company in Des Moines. Among his many projects were the renovations at Jack Trice Stadium and the new ISU football facility that broke ground this fall. He is a sideline analyst for Iowa State football broadcasts and is a volunteer coach with the offensive line at Valley, WDM, where he has helped the Tigers to four state titles. He is active in several youth and charity groups in Central Iowa. He and his family live in Des Moines.

IOWA FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME

SCOTT FRERICHS, New Hampton: With a 27 year career in coaching football he recently completed his 19th as a head coach (all at New Hampton). He has orchestrated a 127-60 record with his teams winning six District titles and qualifying for the state playoffs 12 times.  His 1999 team won the Class 3A Championship and his 1994 team went through the regular season undefeated. A three-time district coach-of-the-year he was named the State Coach of the Year in 2009. Active in the IFCA, he has served as an assistant coach at the All Star Shrine Bowl. He teaches high school mathematics in addition to his head football and track duties, along with supervising the weight room. A graduate of Le Mars High School, he earned his degree at the University of Northern Iowa.

GARY STAMP, Lisbon: After graduating from Iowa State University he coached football 35 years – 22 as a head coach with stops at Midland, Wyoming; Lincoln, Stanwood; Olin; Lisbon; and Tipton. His teams won 112 games, including a 51-23 mark at Lisbon. He produced three conference and two district title teams while taking Lisbon to the playoffs in 1995 and returning with Tipton in 2002 and 2003, when the Tigers won all nine regular season games. A winner of numerous coach-of-the-year awards, he was active in the IFCA, serving on the board of directors and the membership committee. He retired from football in 2003. He also coached softball for 27 years, most recently at Mount Vernon, and posted 550 career wins. He was a head baseball coach for 14 seasons, winning a state title at Lisbon in 1994. He was a wrestling official for 42 years and frequently worked the State Tournament. He passed away in October following a battle with cancer.

DAVID STURM, Greene: A native of Clearfield and a 1970 graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, his football coaching career spanned 36 years. He spent 30 years as a head coach and authored a career record of 167-106. He started with a three season stint at Keota and from 1977 until his retirement in 2003 he coached Greene to an impressive 165-81 mark that included three conference titles and two district championships. Known for being a strong fundamentalist, he took the Rams to seven playoff appearances from 1981 to 2002. Six times his teams were eliminated by an opponent that eventually made the semifinals with two moving into the championship game. He continues to live in Greene.

WALT FIEGEL COACHING WITH CHARACTER AWARD

BILL KIBBY: A colleague described him as “the type of coach every parent would want their kid to play for.”  A fine athlete at Lohrville, he played on Iowa State’s Dirty 30 team in 1959 and later played at Central College where he earned his degree in 1962.  He retired after the 2010 season with a career mark of 240-177-2. He spent nearly a half a century in football with 47 years as a head coach. Only four other men coached more years and his victories place him in the top 20 all time. He started in 1962 as a teacher and assistant football coach at Bayard, before moving in 1964 to Johnston as a teacher, athletic director and football coach. From 1967 to 1988 he was the head coach at St. Edmond, Fort Dodge and from 1988 through 2010 he coached and was an athletic administrator at Jefferson-Scranton. He directed three St. Edmond teams and 10 Jefferson-Scranton clubs into the playoffs. He is in the Iowa Football Coaches Association and Iowa Association of Athletic Directors’ Ha
lls of Fame. A multiple coach-of-the-year winner in football and track, he remains active in the IFBCA’s work. A Bernie Saggau Award of Merit winner he has also been active in IHSAA committee work.  Moreover throughout his career he has been cited for his community service efforts on behalf of youth and his efforts with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Auto theft arrest in Pottawattamie County

News

November 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A Red Oak man who authorities say lived at the Residential Corrections Facility (RCF) in Pottawattamie County, was arrested Tuesday morning on a theft charge for allegedly stealing a pickup truck.  Lt. John Reynolds with the Pott County Sheriff’s Department, told KJAN News 27-year Thomas Curtis allegedly stole a vehicle from the Clausen Brothers Trucking Company, in Treynor at around 9:30-a.m., Tuesday. The owner of the truck saw the theft and followed Curtis in another vehicle. Reynolds says deputies caught up with Curtis near Macedonia at about County Road M-16 and G-66 — or Pioneer Trail. The man ditched the vehicle and took off on foot through a corn field, but. With the assistance of the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol, Curtis was captured and charged with Theft in the 2nd degree.

Lt. Reynolds said Curtis was basically, a transient trying to make his way back to Red Oak. Following his arrest, Curtis was booked into the Pott County Jail.

First-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System is at 1 PM today (Wednesday)

News

November 9th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Iowans will hear something unusual on their radios and TVs at one o’clock this afternoon (Wednesday), the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. John Benson, with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, says most folks won’t even realize the scope of the test, which will involve many thousands of broadcast outlets.

“It’s going to sound and behave real similar to what you see happen either on a weekly or monthly basis with the radio stations in terms of them activating the tones and reading a brief message,” Benson says. “It’s going to be the first time they’ve done it on a nationwide basis but for most people, it’s going to appear just like that local or regional one they’re used to hearing.” 

The test will just run 30-seconds but it’ll be heard from coast to coast, and not just on the radio.”It will go into the TV stations and also onto cable TV,” Benson says. “The only place you won’t hear it will be on the National Weather Service radio system because those two systems aren’t tied together yet but that’s something they’re looking at in the future.” 

This test will -not- involve sounding the tornado sirens as it’s only for broadcasters on the radio and TV. Benson says it’s the largest-ever test of the Emergency Alert System. “As they built the system, they want to see if it works on a nationwide basis,” Benson says. “We know it works locally, we know it works regionally, so the next big step is, let’s see if the thing works on a nationwide basis and I would expect that it would.” 

Federal officials say the main goal of the test is to: “assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system and identify improvements to better serve communities in the preservation of life and property.” Benson says Iowans need to be aware. “It’s another good reminder as we’re moving into the winter weather season, to pay attention to those alerts on your TV or radio,” Benson says. “That’s important information. If there was something happening on a nationwide basis, can we make the system work? Obviously, pay attention to it and understand what’s going on.” 

(Radio Iowa)