Topham toils Saturday for a pair of medals at Drake Relays

Topham places sixth in the 1500M and 400M hurdles after taking fourth in 800M Friday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 27, 2013

DES MOINES -  A nagging viral infection has slowed Griswold super sophomore Rebekah Topham for the better part of three weeks.

The illness has afflicted the defending three-time state champion in a number of ways, namely fatigue, swollen glands, and a low hemoglobin count in her blood. All of which limits her ability to breath, and reigns in her boundless energy.

But with Drake Relays happening for the 104^th time this past weekend, Topham refused to be just a spectator, even after scratching from Thursday’s 3000M.

Nope, Topham was going to take a shot at the blue oval.

“I really wanted to run this…it’s the Drake Relays,” she said Saturday. “It was very difficult to sit there and watch the 3000M. I don’t feel a whole lot better (now), but I really wanted to run.”

Topham ran the 800-meter Friday, and competed in both the 1500M and 400M hurdles Saturday to medal in three events. She did not win championships like she did last year, but the experience might have given her a new perspective.

After placing fourth in the 800M Friday (2:13.29), Topham finished out the weekend Saturday by medaling sixth in the 1500M (4:42.27), and sixth in the 400M hurdles (1:05.56) to take something away from Drake.

“It was an ok experience,” she said. “Today didn’t really go as well as I wanted, but (Friday) was good, and I got to run here. That was important to me.”

In the 1500M, Topham’s favorite race, things did not go as well as she had hoped for Saturday.

“Almost immediately, I felt tired, and it felt like I had no energy,” she said. “As I went along, it got worse.”

After one lap, Topham was at the back of the pack as is her custom. But when lap 2 became lap 3, then lap 4, she found she didn’t have the gear that would normally have driven her to the front of the pack.

Still, Topham picked off nine runners ahead of her to finish sixth, and less than an hour later, she was back on the track for the 400M hurdles.

The shortest of her four races (3000M, 1500M, 800M and 400M hurdles), the hurdles provided a little bit of diversion from the pressure that comes with winning championships and carrying a target on your back.

Despite her second place finish at State last year in Class 1A, the 400M hurdles was a race that Topham was not expected to win this year at Drake, and that made competing in it all the more attractive under the circumstances.

“With the 400 hurdles, I figured I might as well run it,” she said. “It’s a short race, and I don’t have anything to lose. It’s not like I am supposed to win that.”

Before State arrives, Topham hopes to get back to 100 percent as she goes about defending State titles in the 3000M, the 1500M, and the 800M, as well as a runner-up finish in the 400M hurdles.

Griswold does not have a regular season meet remaining on their schedule, making for a short season with five meets cancelled on account of the weather. In the time left, Topham is hoping to get back to top form.

“I just want to get healthy and get over this,” she said. “I want to finish this season strong.”

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BOYS SOCCER: Trojans tame Harlan with 1-0 victory

Cody Kirchhoff scores on PK in final two minutes, keeper JT Baker notches 18 saves

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 26, 2013

ATLANTIC – For the better part of 60 minutes of game clock Friday night, Harlan had Atlantic back on its heels.

The Cyclones had put 11 shots on target to Atlantic’s three in the first half, and their kick-and-chase strategy generated multiple scoring opportunities that left the Trojans’ defense ill at ease. 

But midway through the second half, the Trojans flipped a switch and spent most of the remaining 20 minutes on the attack. Their reward…a 1-0 victory over rival Harlan that serves as the biggest win yet this season, and one of the most important victories in recent history of the program.

“We told them at halftime, unleash it and get the job done,” Atlantic coach Justin Williams said afterwards. “We became the aggressor in the final 20 minutes.”

A tight and nervous approach from Atlantic lifted in the second half, and crisper passing continually brought the ball to Harlan’s side of the pitch as the Trojans began to work effectively as a unit.

As Atlantic’s scoring opportunities began to grow and Harlan’s chances ebbed, it set up a frantic final five minutes where neither side seemed willing to back down an inch.

“As the game went on, our guys started to loosen up and we started to believe that we could beat these guys,” coach Williams says. “Defensively, it was a fine job by all four of our guys.”

With 1:16 remaining, Atlantic was on the attack inside the box when a Harlan defender needlessly fouled on a play where the ball and the scoring chance was nearly already in the keeper’s hands.

No matter, thought the officiating crew, as they deemed the contact too flagrant to ignore.

A moment later, Trojans’ senior Cody Kirchhoff lined up for a penalty kick with the game on the line, and he did not disappoint the Trojans’ faithful.

Harlan goalkeeper Josh Brelje guessed left and leapt that direction, as Kirchhoff struck a well-placed ball to Brelje’s right and into the back of the net for the game’s only score.

A minute and 16 seconds later, it would hold up for a Trojans’ victory.

Harlan would outshoot Atlantic 18-8 on the night, and Trojans’ coach Williams heaped praise on senior goalkeeper JT Baker for his effort in net as Baker recorded a career-high 18 saves in the victory.

Especially in the first half, Baker kept Atlantic in the game.

“That was the best our goalkeeper JT Baker has ever played in his life,” coach Williams says. “He gave us a chance.”

The victory reverses course on a series of narrow losses the Trojans have suffered at the hands of Harlan.

Last year, Atlantic faced the Cyclones twice, falling by one goal both times in a 2-1 loss in April and a 1-0 loss in May.

Friday night’s victory could serve as a watershed for a team looking to break new ground this spring.

“These boys deserve this, they’ve gone through four years of hell with me,” coach Williams says. “I work them hard, and my rules are strict. For these young men to develop as they are, it’s a proud moment for me as a coach. Win, lose or draw, these guys are starting to bring an element of respect to Atlantic Soccer.”

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BOYS SOCCER: Delayed spring cramping Trojans’ style, team falls to 2-3 after narrow loss to Riverside

Atlantic will host No. 9 ranked Glenwood Monday 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 13, 2013

ATLANTIC – Mother Nature and this dawdling spring weather is starting to become a thorn in the side of the Trojans’ Soccer team.

Following a 5-4 home loss to Oakland Riverside Friday night in which temperatures at AHS dipped into the low 30s, the winds howled and the field proved a soggy mess, Atlantic coach Justin Williams held a simple solution towards helping improve his team’s scoring touch and ability to finish.

“We just need to get outside,” he said. “We are not outside enough, and we need to get real shots on a real-sized net. That will help us finish…I feel it’s there.”

Atlantic dropped to 2-3 on the season with the one-goal loss to Riverside

Friday. The Trojans also lost a 5-1 match earlier in the week to a very talented St. Albert squad that’s ranked No. 6 in Class 1A.

In between, outdoor practice sessions have been limited and matches juggled, inhibiting the Trojans’ projected growth as they field a mix of veterans and newcomers on a squad that is currently without the services of eight players and three probable starters.

Scoring in general has not been a problem for the Trojans, as sophomore Matt Smith (7 goals) and senior Harrison Hoegh (5 goals) have been more than productive, and account for all but two of the team’s 14 goals through five matches.

However, the defense in general is less seasoned, and is expected to come into its own as the season moves along.

Coach Williams says defensive tact and familiarity are two of the many checkpoints the Trojans will work through as they head into mid-April.

“Some teams are already good, and some teams are going to become good (as the season progresses),” coach Williams says. “We still have a long ways to go, but we are working to fix things as we see them.”

On Friday evening, four goals were not enough for Atlantic as lulls in momentum and physicality where marking was tight but officiating calls loose, proved costly.

Riverside broke through with the first goal of the match when junior forward Michael Bertacini, finishing off a 2-on-1, knocked home a well-placed ball 7:07 into the first half to put the Dawgs out front early.

Atlantic would answer to take a 2-1 lead heading into the halftime break when senior striker Harrison Hoegh netted a score at 23:24, and again at 36:29 when he broke loose in space and floated a second goal up and over the reach of an extended Riverside goalkeeper to stake a Trojans’ lead.

However, the second half did not start well for the Trojans, as Riverside would score thrice in the opening 10 minutes to reclaim the lead at 4-2, and force Atlantic to chase to level the score.

Atlantic would score twice more in the second half, but trailed Riverside the rest of the way. Senior Stuart Hoegh scored his first varsity goal after putting home his own rebound off the post following a throw-in (52:03), and sophomore forward Matt Smith scored the Trojans’ fourth goal on a penalty kick with 8:49 left to draw within one goal late at 5-4.

“We gave up that all-important first goal, and that was something we know we can’t do,” coach Williams says.

Riverside kept pounding with a number of well-placed crosses, and pounced on Atlantic’s defensive lapses to move through-balls up field to create scoring opportunities.

Moreover, the frigid temperatures, wind and soggy field made the conditions ripe for a physically themed game, and both sides were happy to bring it.

“We are used to physical,” coach Williams says. “At times we matched it, and other times we didn’t. One thing we talked about after the St. Albert game, was making sure we were going to take it as far as the officials will let us. Controlled physicality.”

“We will keep building through this adversity, we just need to get outside.”

Atlantic will return to action Monday evening at AHS when they play host to Glenwood, ranked No. 9 in Class 2A. The Rams are 4-2, with losses to Johnston and Lewis Central.

Up Next: Mon. April 15 – 6:30PM

Glenwood (4-2) at Atlantic (2-3)

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GIRLS TENNIS: Kuemper too strong for Trojans, Knights take season opener

Trojans fall 7-2, will travel to face Creston Thursday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor/April 3, 2013

ATLANTIC – A year ago, the Atlantic girls tennis squad opened up against Carroll Kuemper with pretty much the same lineup as they put on the courts Tuesday evening at Washington Elementary.

Last year, Kuemper rolled to a 9-0 victory that Atlantic Tennis coach Shawn Petersen felt could have been even more lopsided.

So when the Trojans put up a more cogent fight against Kuemper on Tuesday, coach Petersen saw plenty of silver linings despite the 7-2 defeat.

“I was pleased with the effort of the girls and of the performance, particularly in singles,” he said. “We had a chance to win at No. 2 and No. 3 as both matches were very close late. Kuemper did a better job of closing those matches, which ultimately swung the duel in their favor.”

In singles play, Atlantic picked up victories at No. 4 and No. 5 where seniors Hope Bowker and Libby Gifford worked their way to individual wins.

Bowker handled Kuemper’s Karla Knobbe 8-4 to win at No. 4, and Gifford edged CK’s Corynn Steinkamp 9-8 on a 7-4 tiebreak to provide Atlantic’s two team points.

“Hope got off to a 5-0 lead and really played well from the baseline and with her serve in getting us our first point,” coach Petersen says. “Libby had to hold serve twice to stay in the match, before prevailing in the tiebreaker. It was terrific win for her.”

In doubles play, Kuemper flexed its muscle to pick up one-sided victories 8-4, 8-1 and 8-4.

“I thought we played hard in doubles but not particularly well,” coach Petersen says. “It definitely will be a point of emphasis the rest of the week in practice…doubles positioning and closing out points that should be put-aways. We played volleyball too many times at the net, rather than tennis.”  

“Overall I was encouraged, although we obviously have lots to work on.”  

The Trojan girls fall to 0-1, and will travel to Creston to play on Thursday.

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BOYS SOCCER: Trojans drop opener to Lewis Central

Atlantic falls to 0-1, heads out on the road for three-game stretch

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / April 3, 2013

ATLANTIC – Lewis Central scored two early goals in the first half to set the tone, then held the upper hand the rest of the match to pick up a 4-0 shutout victory over Atlantic Tuesday night at AHS.

LC scored again late in the first half, and then put a fourth goal in the net less than seven minutes into the second half to put the Titans on a victory footing.

The Titans used their speed and ball possession game to move the ball effectively up the passing lanes, and won the majority of the one-on-one battles on the pitch. In the second half, LC tightened things up a bit defensively; further limiting Atlantic’s ability to attack.

Trojans’ senior goalkeeper J.T. Baker finished with 13 saves on 17 shots on goal. Sophomore forward Matt Smith led the team with two shots, one of them on goal.

This year’s Trojans team features five senior starters and three starters that are either sophomores or freshman.

Tuesday night’s opener at AHS drops the Trojans to 0-1 on the season, and the team now faces a string of three straight road matches. On Thursday, Atlantic will head to Tri-Center, followed the next night with a trip to Missouri Valley, who is in its first season as a program. Next Monday sends the Trojans to Council Bluffs where they will face St. Albert, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A.

Atlantic’s next home match is on Friday, April 12, when they play host to Oakland Riverside.

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Four Trojans earn All-Hawkeye 10 recognition, Franken and Markham named All-State INA

Program bids farewell to senior class of seven that went 41-6 over last two seasons

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / March 14, 2013

ATLANTIC – The season did not end the way anyone involved had hoped for, nor expected.

The bitter pill of a sub-state loss to Harlan (the Trojans’ first defeat in nearly three calendar months) lingered for a while. And after seeing how things played out at last week’s State Tournament, it did little to ease the frustration for the Atlantic faithful pondering what might have been, had it not been struck with a case of poor shooting at a most costly time.

But eventually, we accept our fate, and move on to recognize all that was indeed accomplished. 

Atlantic wrapped up its stellar 2012-13 season Monday night with a team banquet at the AHS commons, celebrating the feats of a fantastic winter of basketball, and honoring a once-in-a-generation senior class that is simply impossible to replace.

“These guys aren’t just the face of Atlantic Basketball,” coach Steve Blazek said Monday. “They’re the face of Atlantic athletics, and they have been for some time.”

This winter, the Trojans finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press’ Class 3A poll, capped off their second straight Hawkeye 10 Conference championship, and brought a lengthy winning streak into the playoffs that eventually reached 19 games.

Atlantic eased through the first two rounds of the playoffs, handling ADM and Creston before Harlan caught the Trojans on an off night that had nothing to do with lack of effort. The Trojans took nearly twice as many shots as Harlan (59-31), out-performed them on the offensive glass (14-2), turned them over more often, and won the majority of the 50-50 balls.

Had the Trojans shot just slightly better than the 29 percent they did, and Harlan had not gone perfect from the free throw line in the fourth quarter (14 of 14), than things might have turned out differently.

But they didn’t, and no team, no matter how great, is immune to a poor shooting night when even lay-ups don’t fall. So there the season came to rest, with a 22-2 final record and the “honor” of perhaps being the best team in any class excluded from the dance.

With the conclusion of the season come the postseason awards, and Atlantic has cleaned up on those.

Two unanimous First Team All-Hawkeye 10 Conference selections, another on the Second Team and a fourth on Honorable Mention.

On the All-State stage, Dalton Franken was named First Team All-State by the Des Moines Register, and Second Team All-State by the Iowa Newspaper Association, where he was joined by teammate Sam Markham who finished as Third Team selection by the INA.

Moreover, longtime coach Steve Blazek, who has 36 years and 541 wins to his credit, was named 3A Substate 8 coach of the year by the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association.

Here is a rundown of Atlantic individual honors and seniors…

Dalton Franken – Sr.

As mentioned above, Franken was a First Team All-State pick by the Register, and Second Team-er by the INA, as well as a unanimous All-Hawkeye 10 Conference selection.

A four-year starter, Franken ends a decorated career for the Trojans in which he amassed 1,404 career points, 643 rebounds, 139 assists, 85 steals, and knocked down 100 3-pointers over a career for Atlantic.

This season, he led the team in scoring with 16 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

A nominee for the prestigious McDonalds’ All-American Game, Franken will take his talents to Dordt College next season.

“Dalton is probably a kid that I have taken for granted,” coach Blazek says. “He was so dog gone consistent, that you just expect it. He was the leader of this group, and he’s been that way ever since I’ve known him.”

Sam Markham – Sr.

Atlantic’s M.O. this winter was an especially nasty brand of man-to-man full court defense, and nobody embodied that more perfectly than Sam Markham.

Couple that with his offensive tact, and on certain nights Markham was clearly the best player on the floor, and the game bent to his will.

“I’ve been doing this 36 years, and I’ve seen some kids who can jump, and I’ve seen some kids who had some outstanding quickness,” coach Blazek says. “But without a doubt, Sam is the most explosive player I have ever had the opportunity to coach.”

Markham finished the season as a unanimous All-Hawkeye 10 selection and a Third Team All-State INA after scoring 12.5 points per game. Defensively, he led the team with 22 blocks, and finished three steals off the team lead with 71.

A three-year starter, Markham finished with 761 points, 164 assists, 303 rebounds, and 170 steals.

Listed at 6-foot-1, Markham threw down more than a couple of slam-dunks this season.

Chad Christensen – Sr.

Christensen earns Second Team All-Conference honors in closing out a very solid career as the team’s point guard and floor general.

The team leader in assists (132) and steals (74), Christensen finished the season with a scoring average at 11.1 PPG, and he was the team’s most effective 3-point shooter at 34.4 percent.

For a career, Christensen had 676 points, 114 3-pointers, 176 rebounds, 327 assists and 165 steals.

Stuart Hoegh – Sr.

Perhaps no player on the team grew and expanded his game greater from last season to this season than did Stuart Hoegh. Hoegh saw minutes last year off the bench, but was plugged into the starting lineup as a senior, where he thrived. In particular in the second half of the season when he became a greater scoring option, and solidifying his all around game.

Hoegh was rewarded with Honorable Mention this winter, missing Second Team All-Hawkeye 10 by one vote.

Considered perhaps a late bloomer, Blazek thinks Hoegh can continue to develop at the next level, should he choose to play college ball somewhere next season.

“I believe Stuart’s best days of basketball are ahead of him, if he chooses to pursue it.”

Hoegh finished the season scoring 8.8 PPG and was the team’s best free throw shooter at 80.3 percent.

Harrison Hoegh – Sr.

Harrison Hoegh proved to be an undersized post (6-foot-2) who played bigger than his frame, and is deserving of a spot on the All-Hawkeye 10 team would it not be for a conference by-law prohibiting a team from placing more than four players in nomination.

A two-year starter and three-year contributor, Harrison finished his senior season scoring 6.2 PPG and shot 46 percent from the field. Moreover, his greatest asset to the team was his defensive tenacity, where stats don’t always display his value.

Hoegh finished his career with 446 points, 260 boards, 35 assists and 69 steals.

Ben Nelson - Sr. / Jared Fulk – Sr.

Every good team needs good role players, and this winter Atlantic got that from Ben Nelson and Jared Fulk. Neither player did much scoring, but their value came in providing quality minutes with flashes of brilliance. Fulk iced two free throws at the end of the final regular season game to knock off CBAL by one point, and Nelson’s aggressive rebounding was on display in the substate game where he hauled in three offensive boards on a single possession.

“They gave us important minutes,” coach Blazek says of Fulk and Nelson. “They put in the time and the effort to make us a better basketball team.”

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IOWA PREP BB: Perennial power Harlan halts Atlantic’s run, Cyclones advance to State

IOWA PREP BB: Perennial power Harlan halts Atlantic’s run, Cyclones advance to State

Trojans finish season with 22-2 record, one step short of Des Moines

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Feb. 26, 2013

COUNCIL BLUFFS – It feels as though late every February, tradition seems to take hold of Harlan’s fortunes.

Little does it matter how the Cyclones’ fare throughout the season, or how they finish their schedule, so long as they are playing apex basketball when they hit the tournament trail.

That lesson was delivered again to Atlantic Monday night, as unranked Harlan knocked off the No. 2-ranked Trojans 52-43 in their Class 3A Substate 8 final to clinch a spot at the State Tournament set to start next week.

It was the first time in three attempts Harlan has defeated Atlantic this season, but it is by far the most important.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to peak at the right time of the year, most generally,” Harlan coach Mitch Osborn says of his team. “You might lose some along the way, but you never give away everything during the regular season. There are always more important things ahead.”

Osborn is headed to State for the 17^th time in his 29-year career, and improves his Substate record to 17-6 all time in his collective work at EHK, Pomeroy-Palmer, and Harlan.

Monday night, Atlantic struggled with its offense, and never was able to find their shooting rhythm. Countless high-percentage shots rimmed out, and the Trojans struggled to make up the difference in a defensive grind.

The Trojans fell behind midway through the first quarter, and tried to chase Harlan down over the next two. Buzzer-beating shots fell for Harlan at the close of the first and second quarters, and the Cyclones took a modest 23-18 lead into the break.

“It was a physical basketball game, and we got out-physical-ed,” Atlantic coach Steve Blazek said afterwards. “It seemed like we were rushing our shots a little bit, and didn’t continually run our stuff.

“But hats off to Harlan, they played well. They made free throws down the stretch and didn’t turn the ball over too much.”

Atlantic shot just 24 percent (7-of-29) from the field in the first half, but their tenacity on the glass gave them a chance as the Trojans hauled in 15 boards over the first two quarters, nine of them on the offensive end.

“They killed us on the offensive boards in the first half,” coach Osborn says. “They had nine second-chance shots, and we were lucky just to be ahead at halftime.”

On one single trip up the floor in the second quarter, Trojans’ senior Ben Nelson collected three offensive rebounds, only for it to be an eventual empty possession for the Trojans. But, for all that went wrong for Atlantic in the first 16 minutes, the Trojans were not about to panic at the break.

“At halftime, we felt like if we could shoot the ball a little bit, then we had a chance,” coach Blazek says. “But we didn’t get to the free throw line as much as we would have liked, and we missed too many bunnies.”

Atlantic made a move in the third quarter and knotted the game at 27-27 when Sam Markham scored on a put back with 3:48 left in the frame. It marked a 7-0 run for the Trojans, and AHS would regain the lead with 2:22 left when Stuart Hoegh dished an assist to his twin Harrison Hoegh to push Atlantic back on top 29-28. It was the first lead for Atlantic since they were up 4-2, but it would not last long as Harlan would take a 30-29 lead into the fourth.

In the final frame, Harlan steadily pulled ahead while Atlantic struggled to hit.

With about four minutes left, Harlan went to their “Carolina” ball control keep away game, and it could not have worked out better for the Cyclones.

HCHS connected from the free throw line a perfect 14 of 14 tries in the fourth alone, and the Cyclones iced the victory. On the night, Harlan converted 17-of-18 free throws.

Osborn says Monday night was the earliest his team had gone to “Carolina” this season, and the Cyclones were committed to rolling the dice with half a quarter of clock remaining.

“We were either going to make a lay-up, free throw, or we are going to lose the game,” coach Osborn says. “We made our free throws down the stretch, and that was huge. You’ve got to hit your free throws, if you don’t, you take the chance of losing.”

Fouling didn’t allow the Trojans’ to make up ground as Harlan continued to convert from the line.

Four different players finished in double digits for Harlan, led by junior Trey Lansman’s 16 points. Nate Cave added 12, and Adam Juhl and Gabe Ferry each finished with 10 points apiece.

Atlantic had three players in double figures, as Markham, Chad Christensen and Dalton Franken all finished with 10 points.

Having already been beaten twice by Atlantic this season, Harlan entered the sub-state in an unfamiliar underdog role. It was something they thrived on, as Atlantic shouldered the pressure while HCHS seemed to be playing with house money at this stage of the playoffs.

“That’s one thing we felt we had an advantage in, the pressure was all on them,” coach Osborn says of Atlantic. “They’re a senior-laden team, and this is their last go-round. We are a team of juniors, and we were more loosey-goosy. But there is no guarantee you are going to get a chance next year, so we encouraged the guys to take advantage, and seize the opportunity before them.”

Atlantic finishes the season with a 22-2 record, and won the Hawkeye 10 Conference for the second straight season.

Monday night offered a bitter pill to swallow for a group with big aspirations.

“I told them afterwards that there is nothing I can say that is going to make them feel any better,” coach Blazek says. “But this group has won a lot of basketball games in the last three years, and they’ve done a lot for Atlantic Basketball without a doubt. They are a class act…a great group of kids.”

Game Scoring (02/25)

ATLANTIC (22-2): Sam Markham 10, Dalton Franken 10, Chad Christensen 10, Harrison Hoegh 8, Stuart Hoegh 5     Free Throws: 5/8

HARLAN (18-6): Trey Lansman 16, Nate Cave 12, Adam Juhl 10, Gabe Ferry 10, Jake Daeges 2, Hunter Kloewer 2     Free Throws: 17/18

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