SOFTBALL: Late rally not enough to lift Trojans past Saydel

Saydel eliminates Atlantic in opening-round playoff game with wild 15-13 victory

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / 

July 9, 2013

ATLANTIC – More than a couple times, Saydel sophomore pitcher Annika Hofbauer was within one strike of ending a disastrous seventh inning for the Eagles in Tuesday’s opening-round playoff game in Atlantic.

Prior to the top of the seventh, reports had hit the field in Atlantic that Bondurant-Farrar had defeated ADM 6-0 about 75 miles to the east, setting up a likely Regional Semifinal between Saydel and B-F on the Lady Jays’ home field Friday.

At that moment, Saydel held a 13-5 lead, and stood just three outs from filling out the other side of that bracket.

Perhaps Saydel started looking ahead, or the Trojans simply would not agree to go quietly. Whatever the reasons, the flow of the game was about to be unsettled.

Atlantic pieced together a flurry of activity on the base paths and plated eight runs, mostly with a two-out rally, to level the game at 13-13 after seven innings. What once felt like a formality of a final three outs sprung for an extra inning.

In the eighth however, Atlantic could not answer Saydel’s two runs in the top half of the frame, and the Trojans lost 15-13 to bow out of the playoffs in the opening round.

“We made too many mistakes early and gave them opportunities in which they took advantage of,” Trojans coach Hinzmann said.

Saydel (15 runs on 16 hits) made solid contact all night long at the plate, and while the Trojans finished with 13 runs on 14 hits, it was 13 stranded base runners and five errors that might have proved to be a lethal combination.

Atlantic left the bases juiced in the first and second innings, and chased the entire way.

“I look out at the scoreboard and see that we made five errors, and they made one,” coach Hinzmann said. “That’s the difference right there. You cannot make five errors and expect to win a ballgame.”

Hofbauer pitched the entire way for Saydel, and she was matched by Atlantic’s Tori Bruck, as both hurlers went the distance. Between the two sides, 30 hits were hammered out Tuesday night.

Atlantic finishes the 2012 season with an 18-22 final record and went 8-10 in the Hawkeye 10 Conference, finishing sixth.

Saydel improves to 17-17 on the season, and will face 24-12 Bondurant-Farrar on Friday night in second-round action. Bondurant-Farrar is ranked No. 5 in Class 3A according to the final ratings released Monday by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

The Trojans, however, will turn in their uniforms and bid farewell to a pair of seniors in ReAnn Cappel and Mackenzie Holmes, the team’s top two hitters and a pair of five-year veterans.

It’s going to be an emotional process as the program turns the page.

“Softball is a strange sport in that we see each other every day,” coach Hinzmann said. “There is a certain sense of loss and camaraderie and what am I going to do tomorrow? Take care of the seniors now, but tomorrow the 2014 season begins.”

#atlantictrojans  #iowaprepsoftball

BASEBALL: Winterset tops Trojans on cold and wet matinee Saturday

Huskies outhit Trojans 7-2, Atlantic still searching for first win of season

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / June 1, 2013

ATLANTIC – A short-handed Trojans’ squad came up on the losing end of a pitcher’s dual Saturday afternoon as Winterset came to Atlantic and left town with a 4-1 victory.

Atlantic used a lineup of mostly junior varsity players that included three eighth graders, a freshman and two sophomores, as many regulars were not in uniform.

Trojans’ head coach Trace Petersen praised the effort afterwards, and said the squad he put on the field came ready to play.

“Hats off to the kids who are here, and chose to do things the right way,” he said. “This is what we have, and these guys want to play.”

Atlantic junior right-hander Zach Nelson threw all seven innings, matching Winterset junior Andy Lambert tit-for-tat for the better part of the cold and wet afternoon.

In his first start of the season on the mound, Nelson allowed seven hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out seven.

“Zach threw a nice ball game, he battled on the hill,” coach Petersen said. “He changed speeds, worked his curve ball, and worked from behind. We needed Zach to go seven innings for us today, and he did. He put us in a legit position to win a ball game.”

Lambert outdid him however, keeping Atlantic’s young lineup in check for the better part of seven innings. Lambert allowed just two hits and three walks, struck out 11, and didn’t allow an earned run.

Following back-to-back singles from Ryan Hawkins and Zach Nelson in the first inning, Lambert did not allow a hit.

“They had seven hits, we had two,” coach Petersen says. “That’s the bottom line.”

“With some of the guys swinging the sticks today, it’s going to be a cultural adjustment. We definitely have to generate some offense at the top of our order, and if we don’t get those people on base, it’s going to be difficult.”

Moreover, Atlantic plugged in a catcher that has not caught live pitching since he was in little league, but coach Petersen was proud of how eighth grader Kolton Carey handled the challenge.

“Kolton did a darn good job,” coach Petersen said. “We literally didn’t know who we’d have back there until we showed up for (batting practice) today, and Kolton handled himself very well.”

Winterset leadoff man Alex Forgy started the game with a single, and came around to score the game’s first run two batters latter on a sacrifice fly from Lambert. Forgy would score two runs, and Lambert would drive in two for the Huskies.

Atlantic’s lone run came in the sixth, when Zach Nelson reached on an error to start the inning. He quickly stole second base, and worked his way home on an error to plate the Trojans’ only run.

With the loss, the Trojans drop to 0-5 on the season, and will turn around and face Harlan Monday, and Shenandoah Tuesday.

GIRLS SOCCER: Trojans shutout at Harlan 3-0, eliminated from playoffs

Harlan advances to face Bondurant-Farrar in 1A Regional Final

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 31, 2013

HARLAN – Following bouts of high-pressure but an ultimately unproductive first half Friday, Harlan broke loose with three second-half scores that would lift them past Atlantic and into a Regional final.

HCHS’ junior Sidney Mills broke the ice off a free kick at the 46-minute mark for the first of her two goals on the night, and senior Cheryl Kleffman would tack on another goal off a penalty kick as the Cyclones defeated the Trojans 3-0 in second-round playoff action.

“We came in tonight with nothing to lose, and everything to win, we were the underdog,” Atlantic coach Joanne Sandage said afterwards. “It was not the result we had hoped for, but I felt we played pretty well, and I am proud of the way our girls competed.”

Harlan’s 3-0 win marks the second victory over Atlantic in five weeks, having defeated them 1-0 on the same field during Hawkeye 10 Conference play on April 26.

On Friday night, with a shot at the Class 1A Region 3 Final in tow, Harlan simply proved to have more horsepower.

The Cyclones spent the majority of the first half on the attack, hammering away with 24 shots, though just six of those went on target as Atlantic’s defensive tact forced Harlan into rushing things.

Atlantic paid special attention to Harlan’s top two goal scorers, Ana Petersen and Cheryl Kleffman, who have combined for 16 goals in 17 matches. The Trojans stuck ReAnn Cappel on Petersen and Diana Perkins on Kleffman as the senior defenders effectively shadowed HCHS’ top two offensive threats.

“The plan was ReAnn would mark up on (Petersen) and Diana would mark up on (Kleffman), and then our middle mids would cover the remaining girls. It worked well at times, we kept them frustrated.”

With Petersen and Kleffman kept at arm’s length, Harlan had to find other ways to hurt Atlantic.

“They stuck one girl on them at all times, and everybody else fills,” HCHS coach Jared Boysen said of the Trojans’ defensive effort. “Whenever they dribbled, there is somebody else right on them. (Petersen and Kleffman) had a tough time.”

Harlan held Atlantic without a shot in the first half, and left half a dozen scoring opportunities on the table through the first 40 minutes, leaving the heavily-favored Cyclones frustrated at the break.

“It kind of felt like the last time we played (Atlantic),” coach Boysen said. “They play good defense, and we were getting our shots, they just weren’t getting on goal. There was a little bit of anxiety in the first half.”

In the second 40 minutes, Harlan turned around and went against a stiff wind, but it proved not to matter much.

Mills scored 7:29 into the second half after knocking a free kick past Atlantic goalkeeper Maren McNees, and Harlan would go ahead by two scores four minutes later when Kleffman converted on a penalty kick.

Coach Boysen says his squad just kept their cool and kept sawing wood despite the frustrations of the first half.

“We started crossing it a little better and getting it on the backside,” he said.

With 2:17 remaining, Harlan would add a third score when Mills buried a goal off a centering pass from Petersen as Petersen collected her own rebound off a PK.

HCHS would finish with 37 shots, 14 of them on target, and 19 shots handled by McNees.

The Cyclones (11-7) will advance to play No. 10-ranked Bondurant-Farrar (9-7) on Monday in Bondurant for a shot at a State Tournament berth.

Atlantic hangs it up with a 4-13 record, and bids farewell to three senior captains, who have made up the defensive corps of the team for several years now. The program will look to rebuild after the loss of Cappel, Perkins, and Ali Hosfelt.

“We improved quite a bit, so it makes it hard when the girls have practiced and worked as they did…they wanted this so badly,” coach Sandage says. “It’s a difficult loss.”

Game Scoring (05/31)

HCHS (46:31) – Sidney Mills, 1-0

HCHS (50:55) – Cheryl Kleffman, 2-0

HCHS (77:43) – Sidney Mills, 3-0

GIRLS SOCCER: Atlantic gets past Creston 1-0, advances to face Harlan

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 29, 2013

ATLANTIC – Trojans’ junior forward Emily Mitchell placed a well struck ball off a free kick above a wall of Creston defenders and into the top left corner of the Panthers’ net a little more than three minutes into the second half Tuesday night at AHS.

That goal would prove decisive, as Atlantic would hold on for a 1-0 win over Creston, and advance along the IGHSAU Regional Tournament playoffs to face Harlan Friday night at Merrill Field.

Atlantic held the upper hand the majority of the 80 minutes against the winless Panthers, and afterwards Trojans’ coach Joanne Sandage praised the effort as the team pocketed its most important win yet this season.

“Our girls played hard and we controlled the ball,” coach Sandage said. “They came out like they really wanted to win this game, and it showed. I really liked the effort…the girls want to push this, because now it’s a whole new season.”

Mitchell’s goal at the 44-minute mark broke a scoreless deadlock, and injected a bit of energy into Atlantic as the team worked to notch another score.

“Emily’s shot was perfect,” coach Sandage says. “That’s exactly how you want to do it. But I’m happy with the way we didn’t just sit back and rest with the lead. We kept working to get another (goal).”

The Trojans displayed better ball control than did Creston, and was able to control the middle of the pitch as Atlantic’s defense proved stout and fed the transition.

Senior captain Diana Perkins led the team with four steals and eight interceptions while Creston managed just two shots on target for the entire match.

The victory is the second over Creston this season for Atlantic, both of them coming via a 1-0 final score.

“We talked about the need to win the 50-50 balls,” coach Sandage said. “Last time we faced Creston, we won, but I feel we didn’t win those 50-50s. We did that tonight.”

Atlantic dictated the attack by moving the ball to the outside corner, and crossing it back to the center as Creston neglected to cover the outside. Atlantic threaded the ball through those open lanes to create scoring chances.

Advancing to face Harlan Friday night, the Trojans will need to step things up another notch if they want a serious shot of downing the 10-7 Cyclones. In their only previous meeting this season, Harlan at home edged Atlantic 1-0 on April 26.

Coach Sandage says the team will need to work on its ball control, and find ways to generate more offense, certainly more than the six shots they put up in defeating Creston.

“Harlan has a good team, and (Ana) Petersen is a fine player,” coach Sandage says. “They are fast, and we are going to have to figure out some ways to slow them down. We are going to have to regroup and come up with a game plan. Our girls want a second chance at Harlan.”

BASEBALL: Miscues prove costly for Atlantic in season-opening loss to CBAL

Atlantic commits six errors and surrenders four unearned runs in 7-4 defeat

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 22, 2013

ATLANTIC – Six errors and nine stranded base runners spoiled the 2013 opener for the Trojans Tuesday night, as a stack of missteps allowed Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln to pack up and leave town with a 7-4 victory.

As the Trojans took the field for the first time after losing seven of its nine starters from a season ago, the new group of varsity starters simply left too much on the table and didn’t take advantage of the opportunities afforded them.

“It’s inexperience,” Trojans coach Trace Petersen said afterwards. “We are replacing seven starters, and a lot of these guys need to learn to get caught up to the speed of the game. Both in practice and in games, we need to see steady improvement.” 

AL plated one unearned run in the first inning, then added three more in the third as Trojan errors allowed the Lynx to rally.

Sophomore right-hander Tristen Benn made the start, and pitched effectively for the most part. But the defense behind him was shaky, and let him down on several occasions.

He threw four innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, walked one, and struck out four.

“Tristen threw strikes, changed speeds and kept the ball down,” coach Petersen says. “But he didn’t get any help behind him.”

Benn was relieved by senior Chad Christensen in the fifth inning. Christensen threw two innings, allowed one earned run on two hits, walked one and struck out one. In the seventh inning, Zach Nelson closed out the game and didn’t allow a hit, but two errors yielded an unearned run, keeping in theme the defensive letdowns for all three hurlers.

“The pitchers did their part, they threw strikes and they didn’t get hurt by (AL) hitting the baseball,” coach Petersen says. “But our defense was bad, six errors and you are never going to win any ballgames.”

Atlantic got on the board in the fourth inning when Dalton Franken led off with a single, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The Trojans scored one more run in the fifth when Franken drove in Zach Nelson on a groundout, and Atlantic plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Nelson, hitting in the No. 2 spot, finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a pair of walks and two stolen bases. Franken, Brody Peterson and Benn also collected hits for the Trojans in the loss.

Atlantic left nine men stranded on the base paths, and left them loaded in the first and the fourth innings, as missed opportunities proved costly.

“We need to get hits when we need them,” coach Petersen says. “We probably only hit two or three balls hard all night.”

With so many positions to fill, Atlantic’s lineup will very much be a work in progress, as coach Petersen expects to experiment heavily and move pieces in-and-out, especially early on.

“We need to find guys who are able to make basic, routine plays, and also get them at-bats,” coach Petersen says. “We’ve got 12 or 13 guys who need to get at-bats. It’s going to be something we are going to look at. We’ve got enough depth, that if plan A doesn’t work out one night, we can go to plan B.”

Atlantic (0-1) returns to action Thursday with a trip to Adel to face ADM, then returns home Friday to face Carroll to close out the first week.

BOYS SOCCER: Seeing-eye goal lifts Des Moines Christian past Atlantic, 1-0

DM Christian advances to face WCV-Stuart; Trojans hang it up at 7-8

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 22, 2013

ATLANTIC – Whether it comes on the heels of blind luck or some incredibly skillful precision, Des Moines Christian is advancing along the tournament trail.
The Lions broke a scoreless stalemate with 13 minutes left in regulation Wednesday night when senior midfielder Travis Manderfield lofted a perfectly placed ball into the top left corner of the Trojans’ net, scoring the eventual game-winner and driving DMC along to a 1-0 playoff victory at AHS.
Manderfield moved along the edge of the 18-yard box before heaving a cross towards the crowd in front of the Trojans’ goal. Somehow, it found its way into the net, over the reach of Atlantic’s defenders and goalkeeper JT Baker, marking the game’s only score on a seemingly unstoppable ball.
“It hit just right, it was one of those things you can’t really defend against,” Atlantic coach Justin Williams said afterwards. “It was a lofted-up cross, and it landed just perfectly for them.”
Manderfield’s goal was the decisive factor in a physical match filled with pressure on both sides of the pitch.
Atlantic was slow to warm and was out-played for a good part of the first half before nerves started to subside and the Trojans starting playing their team game.
“You could tell the kids were anxious, and they were over-thinking everything,” coach Williams says of his team. “By about the 25th minute, we were in a better spot after we settled down.”
Scoreless at the break, Atlantic started taking the attack to DMC in the second half, though scoring chances weren’t completed as shots flew high and wide.
The misty rain that began to fall at the start of the match lifted in the second 40 minutes, but pitch proved soggy, and the physical style the Trojans brought began to take effect.
DMC displayed a capable first touch on the ball, but the Trojans collapsed on the passing lanes and played the body as the match grew tighter and tighter.
With 13:46 remaining, DMC midfielder Peprah Danquah was issued a yellow card after a hard foul on Atlantic’s Harrison Hoegh, and Danquah was sent to the bench for 10 minutes.
It appeared the Trojans’ might seize upon that hole in the lineup and start to build momentum. However, 29 seconds later, Manderfield’s goal struck from the outside, and Atlantic was left to chase to notch the equalizer.
The Trojans turned up the pressure in the final moments, but could not set up a quality scoring chance.
It proved a bitter pill to swallow for the first Trojans Soccer team to finish the regular season without a losing record.  Atlantic finishes 7-8 overall with the playoff loss.
“It’s tough, because in my opinion, I don’t feel the better team won tonight,” coach Williams says. “It came down to one small mistake, but then again, not really. It was just a freak thing.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see these seniors go out like this.”
Atlantic sophomore Matt Smith tallied four shots and one on goal, and both Harrison Hoegh and Ryan Hawkins also put shots on net.
In net, Baker finished with 16 saves.
Des Moines Christian advances to face West Central Valley on Saturday in the Class 1A Substate 7 final.
Wednesday marks the end of the most successful Trojans Soccer season to date, an improvement from the 6-9 record from last year, and 5-12 mark in 2011.
Coach Williams says the foundation has been laid for the program to continue its upward trend.
“We have some guys coming back who I expect will take this seriously over the summer, and put in the time and make themselves better,” he said. “Some of these guys, you can tell soccer is their sport, and they will be up here playing soccer all summer long. They are making a decision to make us more competitive.”