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Young Packers finish year undefeated with 44-12 blowout!!

The 7-8 yr old Packers capped a perfect season with a near perfect game in all aspects as they scored seemingly at will in a 44-12 victory. The Packers scored 7 TD's on the night and had 6 interceptions in an outstanding defensive performance that left the Steelers frustrated. Wayne Beard took the opening play from scrimmage the distance, 45 yds, for a 6-0 score, PAT was good on a pass from Evan Dodd to Will Greder, score 7-0. The defense stopped the Steelers on 4 straight plays and gave the ball right back to the offense. Tyler Anthony had an exciting run, reversing his field a couple of times and eluding numerous tackles to gain 15 yds, although he probably ran more like 50 yds. On the next play Evan Dodd threw a pretty pass behind the defenders to an awaiting Wayne Beard who scooted the rest of the way for a 30 yd score, 13-0, PAT failed. The Steelers next possession was cut short on the first of the 6 interceptions as Garret Tiarks picked off the pass and took it in for a TD, score 20-0, PAT failed. The defense stepped up again on the next series as Wayne Beard intercepted the 2nd pass of the night and then took the next offensive play 15 yds to paydirt and a 26-0 lead, PAT failed. The Steelers got on the board on a nice run and a score of 26-6, PAT failed. Amazingly this score seemed to set off a few of the Steelers players who began trash talking and trying to get in the heads of the Packers. Some of the comments were uncalled for and hard to fathom considering the 26-6 score. To the Packers credit and much to this coaches pleasure the players on the Packers never were drawn into the trash talking and took their satisfaction the scoreboard and from playing the game the right way, handing the flags back to the opposing team and telling them nice play on good efforts. It speaks volumes to the character of this group of athletes and to their parents. The half ended on another interception of a Steelers pass by Garret Tiarks returned to the Steelers 10 yd. line. The second half started with the Packers on defense and the Steelers possession went just as they did in the first half, with an interception, this time by Will Greder. A 15 yd run to the 2 yd line by Garret Tiarks was followed by a Bryce Niemeyer TD and a 32-6 score, PAT failed. Wayne Beard wrestled an interception away froma Steeler receiver on the next possession and took it back to the Steeler 1 yd. Garret Tiarks got the TD on a 1 yd run and a score of 38-6, PAT failed. The Steelers got on the board a second and final time on a 39 yd. run, score 38-12, PAT failed. On a 2nd down play Parker Eley connected with Garret Tiarks on a perfectly placed throw that netted a 35 yd TD and a scoreof 44-12. The defense again came up big and stopped the Steelers with the 5th interception of the night, this one by Wayne Beard. The offense got the ball back with 4 minutes to go and tried to milk the clock. A nice run by Parker Eley kept the offense on the field as he picked up the first down on a 25 yd run. The Packers turned the ball over on downs with 11 seconds remaining. After a Steelers timeout Will Greder picked off the 6th interception of the night and the game ended 44-12. My thanks to all the players and parents and special thanks to my wife, Amber for keeping stats and to Joel Niemeyer and Matt Banks, my Assistant Coaches. It was a pleasure to coach this group of athletes and I personally look forward to seeing them achieve great things for Colo/NESCO athletics.

Young Packers continue winning, move to 4-0!

The 7/8 yr old Packers continued their perfect season pulling out a tight game with the Chiefs, 25-14 to move to 4-0 on the season with a make-up game remaining. The packers started fast again with Garret Tiarks gaining 25 yds. on the first play of he game but the Chiefs recovered and forced a turnover on downs. The Packers defense stopped the Chiefs intial offensive series in 4 downs and the offense took over and Garret Tiarks this time took a handoff to the right and raced 45 yds. for the score, PAT failed, and a 6-0 lead. The defense again was stout and stopped the Chiefs on 4 straight plays, again giving the ball to the offense. Parker Eley ripped off a 15 yd run to the left side but the defense stiffened and the teams traded defensive stands until late in the first half when the Chiefs finally broke free for a 30 yd TD to tie the score, PAT was good for 6-7 lead for the Chiefs. The half ended that way. The second half didn't start well as the Packers defense allowed the Chiefs to drive down the field on them but didn't break and stopped the Chiefs before they could score. Wayne Beard exploded on the PAcks next possession with a 30 yd. scamper and score for a 12-7, PAT failed, lead. Garret Tiarks picked off a pass on the next series after the Chiefs had driven deep into Packer territory to preserve the lead. After the interception big runs by Wayne Beard for 35 yds and one for 15 yds to score a TD, made the score 19-7. PAT failed. The Chiefs answered right away on the next play racing 45 yds to the endzone, PAT good for a score 19-14. Will Greder then sealed the win for the Packers scoring from 45 yds, zig-zagging his way through defenders and a final score of 25-14, PAT failed. The Packers end the season next Monday night, Oct. 29th @6:00 with the make-up game against the Steelers.

Packers Finish Season on winning note!!

The 9-11 yr old Packers fresh off their first victory of the season continued their winning ways defeating the Colts 18-0 in the final game of the season. My regular sideline reporter (my wife Amber) was away on business this week and as I was coaching the younger Packers details are few for the game. My thanks goes to Sally Larsen for keeping track of the score and who scored the TD's for me. The Packers 3 scores occurred on a 10 yd run by Grant Tiarks for a 6-0 lead, PAT failed. A pass play to Taylor Hill for a 12-0 score, PAT failed. And a run by TJ Deahl for a final score of 18-0, PAT failed. The Packers played well in every game this year and were a break here or there from possibly being undefeated, however the breaks usually went the way of the other teams and the Pack ended up 2-3 on the year. Bob Jamison is to be commended on the great job of coaching he did as he had 15 kids to shuffle in and out of the games when only 7 play at a time. Most of the other teams in the league only had 10 kids at most.

Packers get first win on miserable night, 46-0 over the Colts

Although a terrible night weather-wise, it turned out to be a great night football wise. The 9-11 yr old Packers got that elusive first win of the year scoring early and often. The weather appeared like it was going to cooperate as rain showers that had persisted all day, let up and actually stopped at 6:40 allowing the 2 teams to take the field. The field was sloppy to say the least as big puddles dotted the landscape but the Packers were not to be denied on this night. The Pack started out with a 15 yd pass from Wes Greder to Zack Jamison on the first play putting the Colts on their heels. They then countered with a Cole Ozbun 30 yd scamper around the left side for a score and a 6-0 early lead. PAT was good on a pass from Wes Greder to Peyton Larsen, score 7-0. The defense stopped the Colts on 4 straight plays and it was the offenses turn again, this time Wes Greder found Cole Ozbun behind the defensive secondary for a 45 yd. TD toss and a 13-0 lead, PAT failed. The sky then opened up and what could basically be described as a mild monsoon began, with westerly winds driving the "heavy drizzle" sideways across the field. But even the weather wasn't going to slow the offense on this night as Wes Greder dropped back and had his choice of 2 wide open receivers behind the defense on the offenses next possession, again hooking up with Cole Ozbun for a 45 yd score and a 19-0 score, PAT failed. Defense again held and a Cole Ozbun 25 yd run, a Steven Cutler 15 yd run on a sweep right, a Peyton Larsen 5 yd run up the middle, set up Aaron Middents 5 yd TD run for a score of 25-0, PAT failed. The defense stopped the Colts last drive of the first half as Wes Greder intercepted a ball over the middle and returned it 20 yds. for a TD and a 31-0, PAT failed, halftime lead. Due to the rainy conditions both teams agreed to skip halftime and just go right to the second half. In the second half some notable plays were Cole Ozbun's 25 yd run, Wes Greder's 20 yd. run and a 10 yd. catch by Zach Jamison on a pass from Grant Tiarks. Wes Greder caught a 22 yd. TD from Peyton Larsen to make the score 37-0, PAT failed. Cole Ozbun intercepted a Colts' pass and returned it 25 yds. for a 45-0 lead, PAT good on a Peyton Larsen pass to Wes Greder for 46-0 final score. Although everyone was pretty much soaked to the skin at least the temperature was relatively warm and the Packers were able to celebrate a good first win. The Packers play their final game of the year on Tuesday night, October 23rd @ 7:00 pm.

9-11 yr. old Packers fall 6 inches short in loss.

What a game! the Packers were out to avenge an earlier loss to the Redskins and came within 6 inches of accomplishing the goal. Both teams offenses moved the ball but key stops on both sides kept the score low. The Redskins, in almost an exact replay of the first play from scrimmage of the last time, reversed the ball and gained 40 yds. stopped momentarily on a saving tackle Grant Tiarks. The Redskins punched it in one play later for a 0-6 lead. Hunter Beard gained 25 yds on 2 runs on the Packers first possession but the drive stalled. The defense then came up big forcing a safety on the Redskins for a 2-6 score. The ensuing offensive set had a Grant Tiarks reverse for 10 yds, followed by Steven Cutler's 30 yd TD run around the left side for a 8-6 lead, PAT failed. The Redskins moved the ball right back down the field the next possession stopped on a nice play by Cole Ozbun on a reverse and an interception and 30 yd run back buy Grant Tiarks. The Redskins held on D and then ripped off a 40 yd. run to take back the lead 8-12. The second half saw the Redskins build on their lead on an unfortunate play as Wes Greder made a spectacular leaping deflection of a pass that nestled into the arms of a shocked Redskin player who turned and rambled 40 yds. for a 8-18 score. PAT failed. The Packer offense came right back with a Grant Tiarks sweep left for 10 yd, Grant T. sweep right for 5yd., Grant T. 15 yd pass reception from Wes Greder for 1st down. A Grant T. 19 yd catch from Wes Greder to the 1 yd line and then a Grant T. 1yd TD run for a 14-18 score. With 4:00 remaining the Packers needed a 4 and out to have a chance and that's just what they got on agreat defensive stand. The Packers offense then had a 20 yd. Cole Ozbun run, a 10 yd. Cole Ozbun run right, Coach Jamison called a quick timeout with less than a minute left. Cole O. gained 10 more on a middle run, followed by another timeout leaving about 15 seconds remaining. Cole O. then took a handoff to the left side jumping and spinning into the endzone, but had his flag pulled off at the 6 inch line. The Packers hustled to get off one last play but time expired before they could get it off. Both teams played an excellent game and both gave it their all. The Packers will be looking for that elusive first win in a make-up game Thursday night against the Colts @ 7:00

Young Packers light up the scoreboard with 51-8 win!

Offense was hitting on all cylinders Tuesday night for the 7/8 yr. old Packers as the put up an incredible 51 points on the night. Defense also played well giving the ball back to the offense for many chances to score. The night started off right with Wayne Beard taking the opening play from scrimmage 45 yds for the score and a quick 6-0 lead. PAT failed. The defense then stopped the Bengals on 4 downs and gave the ball back to the offense. Devin Simpson for the second time this year tore up the middle of the field for a 25 yd run that was only stopped by an inadvertant whistle, the second and only 2 times it has happened this year and both to Devin on plays where he was going to score. Wayne Beard finished it off for the offense though on the next play scooting 2o yds for the TD and a 12-o Packer lead. PAT failed. On the next series Mattthew Hill made a stop behind the line of scrimmage pinning the Bengals on their own 1 yd. line and on the next play a dropped hand-off in the endzone resulted in a safety for the Pack and a 14-0 lead. On the ensuing offensive series Will Greder took a sweep left and weaved his way to a 45 yd. TD and a 20-0 lead. PAT failed. Wayne Beard scored next for the Packers on a nother 45 rd run, streaking down the left side for a TD and 26-6 lead. PAT failed. The Bengals had a nice defensive play the next offensive series for the Pack and scored a safety for a 26-8 score. The ensuing drive by the Bengals was squashed on 2 great plays by Tyler Anthony one on a reverse and one on a handoff up the middle. Garret Packer then stopped the last play of the half with a flag pull behind the line. The second half was more of the same for the Packers as they held the Bengals on 4 straight downs and the offense took off with Parker Eley gaining 20 yds. around the left end and Garret Tiarks gaining 20 yds around the right end. Bengas defense held., but on the next offensive series Mason Lytle outraced the defense around right end for 25 yds. and a TD for a 32-8 lead. Bryce Niemeyer converted the PAT on a nifty run between 2 defenders for a 33-8 score. Defense again stepped up with a nice play by Ryan Banks to hold the Bengals to no gain and 2 plays by Trenton Erickson in the middle to force 4th down. Evan Dodd intercepted a pass the next time on defense and ran it back 30 yds. Bengals held. Packers held on back to back stops on reverses by Will Greder and Bryce Niemeyer giving the ball to the Pack offense again. Matthew Hill ripped off a 25 yd run to the right side for a TD, score 39-0, PAT failed. Good defense again this time on a stop by Ryan Banks on a reverse put the ball back in the offenses hands and they capitalized again with a 45 yd. TD pass from Parker Eley to Garret Tiarks, score 45-0, PAT failed. On the next offensive series for the Bengals Mason Lytle intercepted the ball and took it to the house, 15yd. for a 51-8 final score. The young Packers play 2 games next week to finish up the season, Tuesday night against the Chiefs and Thursday in a make-up game against the Steelers.

Packers lose heartbreaker 7 to 8

The 9-11 year old Packers lost in a heartbreaker Tuesday night to the Bears. It was a defensive struggle from the start as both teams were determined to keep the other out of the end zone. Good defense by the Packers held the Bears first offensive series to little more than a yard in four plays. The Bears returned the defensive pressure and also stopped the Packers. On the next series the Bears were thwarted on an interception by Cole Ozbun. The turnover lead to a good drive and finished with a TD by Peyton Larsen, giving the Packers a 6-0 lead. PAT was good on a catch by Grant Tiarks, Packers 7-0. The second quarter continued with stellar defense on both sides. Unfortunately for the Packers one of those defensive plays resulted in a safety for the Bears, as Wes Greder, scrambling for his life, apparently touched his heel on the endline. Packers still lead 7-2 at half. The second half looked promising as TJ Deahl made a great catch that resulted in a first down for the Packers, however, the Bears defense stiffened and stopped the Packers, intercepting a pass. The Packers defense continued playing well with a key play coming from Dylan Gill. He knocked the ball loose from a Bears runner on an attempted reverse play on 4th down to give the ball back to the Packers. The 4th quarter continued back and forth, and it looked like the Packers would hold off the Bears. A late pass attempt to seal the game by the Packers was intercepted and run back the distance by the Bears, score 7-8. The PAT was foiled as Wes Greder tipped away the extra point try. Time expired before the Packers were able to score again. Final score: a heartbreaking 7-8 loss for the Packers. The Packers played a great game in the face of some unexpected adversity as one of their top players, QB Taylor Hill, was injured earlier in the week. The Packers had to adjust on the fly having no practices before their game to work in another QB. The Packers play again Tuesday October 16th @ 7:00 on Field 3.

Young Packers win close one 7-6

On a cool and windy autumn evening in Nevada the Colo/Nesco 7-8 year old Packers had an exciting football game come down to the wire. In what was a game of 2 evenly matched teams the young Packers scored a late touchdown and converted on the extra point to post their second victory of the season, improving to 2-o. Both team's defenses played extremely well allowing only series' of short gains and movement of the ball rarely across mid-field. Many defensive plays were made by the Packers stopping drives and plays before they got a chance to get going. A couple notable defensive plays on the night were Matthew Hill, playing defensive end, staying home on 2 consecutive reverses and stuffing them both. Garret Packer also made a diving flag pull on a reverse. Bryce Niemeyer, Wayne Beard, Ryan Banks, Tyler Anthony & Mason Lytle put intense pressure on the QB's of the Rams disrupting many plays before they could develop. The Rams scored in the first half on a nicely disguised inside handoff and subsequent run through many missed flag pulls to go up 0-6, PAT failed on a nice stop by Evan Dodd. The Packers scored their touchdown with 3 minutes remaining in the game on a nifty run and cutback by Wayne Beard dashing through the Rams defense 35 yards to the endzone. On the PAT Will Greder took the handoff and split 2 defenders to cross the endzone and give the Packers a 7-6 lead. With time still remaining the defense was called upon to make one last stand and they did just that. Parker Eley ran down a Ram runner behind the line of scrimmage on a reverse to seal the victory for the Packers. The Packer offense although held in check most of the night did manage a few other 20 + yd. runs. Garret Tiarks had a nice 25 yd. run weaving through numerous defenders only to be stopped by the last man on a good flag pull. Garret Packer had a 20 yd. run racing around the right end and up the sideline. Parker Eley had a 25 yd run to the left side splitting numerous defenders and making many miss. The young Packers play next Tuesday @ 6:00 on field 3 versus the Bengals.

Young Packers beat Bears 25 - 6

The 7 - 8 yr. old Packers opened the Flag Football season with a big win Tuesday night. The Packers seized control right from the start and didn't let up until the final whistle. The Packers won the toss and elected to be on offense first, on the first snap of the game Wayne Beard ran a pitch left and outraced all the Bear defenders 45 yds. to the end zone. PAT failed for a score of 6-0. The Packer defense held the Bears on 4 straight plays, with Parker Eley knocking down a key pass play, giving the ball back to the offense. On the third play after regaining possession, Will Greder burst up the right side and went 45 yds. for the Packers 2nd score of the night, PAT failed, score 12-0. After a set of possessions by each team yielded nothing the Bears mounted a good drive into Packer territory only to have the drive end on an interception by Garret Tiarks. On the offenses next drive Devin Simpson ran right up the gut and appeared to be stopped but broke free and tore down the field for an apparent score. Unfortunately the play was called back due to an inadvertent whistle from the ref. In the second half Garret Tiarks took a short pass from Bryce Niemeyer to the right and weaved through the Bear defenders and finally broke into the open and outraced the safety 45 yds. for a 18-0 Packer lead. The PAT was good on a nice throw from Will Greder to Matthew Hill. Score 19-0.
The Bears found the end zone on the next drive to make the score 19-6, PAT failed. The Packers answered right back after losing 4 yards when Wayne Beard seeing no room to run on the right side quickly reversed his field, narrowly avoiding a safety, and sprinted down the left side for the final score of the game, PAT failed making it 25-6. The Bears mounted one last charge and drove the ball down the field but were held out of the end zone by a good effort from the Packers as time expired. The young Packers play next, Oct. 2nd @7:00 on Field 2.

Packers lose in hard fought battle 14 - 27

The flag football season got off to a rough start for the 9-11 yr old Packers on Tuesday night both figuratively and literally. On the first play of the game, the Redskins fooled the entire defense of the Packers with a reverse that went the length of the field and would have scored had Grant Tiarks not run the ball carrier down at the one yard line. The Redskins scored and converted the 2 point conversion for a 0-8 lead. The Packers first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception that had the Packers back on their heels. The Redskins punched another score across, PAT failed on a nice defensive play by TJ Deahl and the score was an early 0 - 14 deficit for the Packers. The offense went to work and Cole Ozbun scooted 44 yds. to the 1 yd. line. On the next play Wes Greder hit Hunter Beard with a one-yard pass for the Packers first points. PAT for one point on a pass from Greder to Beard again was good and the score was 7 - 14. The Redskins scored one more time before the break and again failed on the PAT on another play by TJ Deahl to stop it. Score 7-20 . The third quarter saw several nice passes and runs by the Packers but none resulted in points. The Packers found the end zone again in the fourth on a nice long throw by Taylor Hill and catch in the end zone by Grant Tiarks. They hooked up again for the PAT on a pass to the corner of the end zone. Score 14 - 20. The Redskins scored one more time and converted the PAT for a final score of 14 - 27. The Packers play again next Tuesday, Oct. 2nd at 7:00 on Field 3.

Flag Football Schedules for Colo/NESCO

September 25th - 7:00 - Field 1 - 7-8 yr olds vs. Bears
7:00 - Field 3 - 9-11 yr olds vs. Redskins
October 2nd - 7:00 - Field 2 - 7-8 yr olds vs. Steelers
7:00 - Field 3 - 9-11 yr olds vs. Colts
October 9th - 6:00 - Field 2 - 7-8 yr olds vs. Bengals
6:00 - Field 4 - 9-11 yr olds vs. Bears
October 16th - 6:00 - Field 3 - 7-8 yr olds vs. Rams
7:00 - Field 3 - 9-11 yr olds vs. Redskins
October 23rd - 7:00 - Field 2 - 7-8 yr olds vs. Chiefs
7:00 - Field 3 - 9-11 yr olds vs. Colts
Players should arrive 15 minutes prior to the game!!

3rd & 4th Year End Awards

Following are the year-end awards for 3rd & 4th Baseball



Step In/Step Up Award: Katie Price for stepping in to help the 2007 3rd & 4th baseball team and stepping up with a gutsy performance and not backing down after being brushed back on an inside pitch in her first at-bat. (Katie, in her first at-bat versus live pitching, got an inside fastball that brushed her jersey as it went by, Katie stepped right back in the box and made several good swings in her at-bat facing boys 2 years older than her)

Step In/Step Up Award: Jared Roberts for stepping in to help the 2007 3rd & 4th baseball team and stepping up with a hit in his first at-bat versus live pitching. (Jared hit the 2nd live pitch he had seen at this level for a solid single up the middle)

Gutsiest Player of the Year: Parker Eley for never backing down after being hit in his first 2 at-bats of the year but getting right back in there and getting good at-bats and hits all year. (Parker finished the final 2 games putting the ball in play all 4 at-bats and getting 2 hits)

Defensive player of the Year: Garret Tiarks for always seeming to be in the right place at the right time and getting us key outs when we needed them. (Garret finished with 8 putouts and 4 assists).

Most improved Defensive Player of the Year: Austin Britten for starting the year not knowing where to throw the ball or when to cover a base to finishing the year by making the right decisions. (Austin started being a little unsure of himself and where to go but continued to work and made several nice plays knocking the ball down and holding runners to singles by throwing to the right base. He also had an unassisted putout at 2nd, knocking the ball down and without hestation forcing the runner at 2nd)

Most Improved Offensive Player of the Year: Nic Price for starting the year with an awkward swing but working hard and ending the year with a good stroke and putting the bat on the ball consistently. (Nic was consistently putting the ball in play and getting quality hits for us)

Most Determined Player of the Year: Ben Pepper for always being determined to get us a key hit or make the play to get us out of an inning all year. (Ben always had a determined look on his face but if he swung and missed he would dig his feet in and really concentrate and it usually resulted in a ball in play or base hit for us, the same occurred on defense as it seemed when we really needed an out Ben seemed to be in the right place to get it for us)

Utility Player of the Year: Grant Tiarks for playing every position we put him in well and getting us the big hit when we needed it. (Grant led the team with 11 putouts and 3 assists on defense and lead the team in slugging % at .588 with 2 triples and a double on the year)

Triple Threat Player of the Year: Jared Johnson for being a triple threat in every game with his hitting and base-running, his catching prowess, and his pitching performances. (Jared led-off for us and used his speed and bat to pressure the opposing teams to make plays. Jared caught in every game he played and when not catching usually took the mound for us. Jared finished with a 2.00 ERA, striking out 19 batters)

Single Game Performance of the Year: Jeff Haskin for his game against Colo where he got his first hit of the year and fouled off 4 consecutive pitches against Colo's top pitcher to stay alive, he pitched against 4 batters, striking out 2 of them, he had an unassisted putout and an assist for the game. (Jeff hit well all year but just couldn't catch a break getting one to fall in, against Colo Jeff had the best all-around performance of the year for the team)

Offensive Player of the Year: Dylan Gill for leading the team in batting average, and being near the top in all offensive catergories. (Dylan hit .385 on the year as well as having a slugging % of .538, He had 2 RBI's, scored 2 runs, and netted 2 doubles on the year)

Ace Pitcher of the Year: Alex Good for being our dominant pitcher all year and for being the one we could count on to get the out. (Alex faced 47 batters, allowed only 7 hits, only 1 earned run allowed, 33 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.730)

Most Valuable Player of the Year: Peyton Larsen for his all-around performance all year. (Peyton faced 50 batters while pitching and allowed only 2 earned runs fininshing with a 1.543 ERA, he had 2 assists on defense, made good relay throws on cutoffs, and batted .368 with a slugging % of .579, leading the team in hits with 7 and having 4 doubles, 3 runs and 2 RBI's on the year)

The Royals finished the year with 5 wins and 5 losses but showed great improvement as the year progressed finishing with 4 wins in a row.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable rest of the summer!!!

4 in a row!! Royals win again 4-0

Well it's actually technically early evening before I got this blog post started but at least I did get to it today. What a finish to the year for the 3rd & 4th grade baseball team. Starting the year 1 and 5 surely would have left most teams just going through the motions for the rest of the year but to this group of kids credit, they never gave up. They finished with a flurry, winning their last 4 games in a row and winning 5 of the last 7. Thursday's game showed just how good of baseball they are playing as the Royals took control early and never let Colo have any sustained rallies. The Royals got on the board in the top of the 1st with Dylan Gill hitting a one-out double to left, Alex Good followed with a RBI double of his own scoring Dylan from second and getting the Royals on the board. Peyton Larsen was then hit by a pitch and Grant Tiarks grounded a sharp single to short that forced Alex at third. Garret Tiarks then was hit by a pitch loading the bases for Ben Pepper. Ben hit the second pitch offered by the Colo pitcher for a sharp, 2-RBI single to left center scoring Peyton and Grant and giving the Royals a 3 run lead to start the game. That was all Alex Good needed as he pitched 3 masterful innings, striking out 7 of the 11 batters and only allowing 2 hits. Dylan Gill again provided the spark for the Royals as he led off the 3rd inning with a single and advanced on an Alex Good sacrifice. That set the table for Grant Tiarks' RBI double that scored Dylan. Parker Eley continued his new-found confidence at the plate hitting several foul balls to stay alive in the count and getting a solid single past the first baseman. The player of the game though had to be Jeff Haskin who missed 3 early games due to illness and injury. Jeff has been able to foul off several balls in the games he has played but just couldn't catch the break to get one to fall in. Thursday night things went right for Jeff as he got his first hit of the year, a solid single to Right-center and had a great at-bat against Colo's ace, Wes Greeder, where after 2 initial strikes he fouled off 4 consecutive pitches, battling the whole time. Jeff also made his pitching debut in the 4th inning, talking his coach into the chance and proving that he could do it. Jeff faced 4 batters and struck out 2. Jeff also had an unassisted putout and an assist in the field for the night. The Royals won't be participating in the tourney this year as only 7 players could be there. 4 talented 4th graders move on to the next level next year: Alex Good, Peyton Larsen, Dylan Gill, and Jeff Haskin. The entire team should be proud of the way they stuck together and turned things around. This group along with Colo's players should make for some very good baseball teams for Colo/Nesco High.

Boy's T-Ball play 2 in Nevada

The boy's T-Ball squads took on 2 Nevada teams on a miserably hot and sticky night in Nevada Tuesday. Hitting was in great form for the Nesco T-Ballers as almost all on both Nesco teams hit the ball off a coach pitched at-bat instead of just of the Tee. There has been a vast improvement from the beginning of the year in hitting the ball off the coach which is the ultimate goal of the T-Ball league, to get the kids an understanding of the game and prepare them to hit in the Pee-wee level where they will face an opposing pitcher who is trying to get them out. Defensively the Royals made several nice plays and are showing an understanding of where to go with the ball and when. Garret Tiarks made a nice unassisted double play on a catch at his shoestrings on a ball hit to Right-center and then running to second to double off the runner. The T-Ballers play 2 again Thursday night in Zearing.

Royals Offense clicks in 3-0 win over Colo

The Royals offense which has at times been non-existant showed up for Wednesday nights game with Colo in Zearing. The Royals had 7 hits in the game and other balls put in play only to be denied hits on good plays by the Colo players. Playing Colo is always fun for the kids on both sides as a lot of them know each other and coaches and fans comments on both sides are always on a positive note as everyone realizes that these kids will be meddled together in the future for Colo/Nesco high school. Facing probably the best pitcher and hardest thrower they have seen this year in Colo's Wes Greeder the Royals did a nice job of getting the bat on the ball. Wes kept the Royals at bay until the third inning when Parker Eley smacked a double down the right field line and slid safely into second. Jeff Haskin then hit a line drive to the right side that the Colo Right-Center fielder made a nice catch on and sent Parker scambling back to second ahead of the throw. Austin Britten then drove a double down the right field line that scored Parker from second to give the Royals the lead. Colo came right back in the top of the 4th getting a one out hit and then a triple by Wes Greeder but a sensational play cut the run down at home as Grant Tiarks chased the ball down in Right-center and hit his cut-off, Peyton Larsen, perfectly. Peyton had a picture-perfect cut , spin and throw to the plate that Jared Johnson caught on the fly, with the plate blocked and tagged out the advancing runner a step short of home. Alex Good then closed the door on the Colo threat getting the final batter out and stranding the runner on third. The Royals got 2 more runs in the bottom of the 4th on a base hit by Peyton Larsen, followed by a deep triple to Right-center by Grant Tiarks scoring Peyton. Dylan Gill then followed with an RBI single to plate Grant. Other hits on the night went to Alex Good on a solid single to the left side and Nic Price who hit a solid rap up the middle that the Colo pitcher flagged down and threw off-line to first causing a violent collision between Nic and the Colo first baseman. Both players were ok and play continued. Jared Johnson kept the Colo batters at bay all night in a strong performance for 2 1/3 innings. Peyton Larsen and Alex Good pitched strong again for the Royals in relief. This was the 3rd win in a row for the Royals and 4th on the year. The Royals will try and end the season with their 4th win in a row Thursday night.

What a game! 3rd and 4th baseball win close a one!

On a very sticky night in Zearing the 3rd and 4th grade baseball team won their second game in a row and third on the season. The Royals won 2-0 against a good Nevada 1 team that had beaten them earlier in the year. What was a well played game by both teams swung in favor of the Royals in the bottom of the 4th inning with the score still knoted at 0-0. Jared Johnson got things started with a one out single that was overthrown to first and Jared sped and slid safely into second. Alex Good then came through with a clutch 2 out single and advanced to second trying to draw a throw to allow Jared to score. Nevada 1 players showed great understanding of the situation and held the throw, not risking letting the runner on third to advance with the go ahead run knowing they only needed one more out to get out of the jam. Step up Peyton Larsen, who has been the Royals most consistent hitter on the year, who promptly delivered a 2 RBI double to get the Royals out in front. Alex Good then struck out the side in the top of the 5th to end the game. Pitching and defense were in fine form on both sides of the ball as several hard hits were stopped from becoming problems or they were turned into outs by both squads. The Royals used 4 pitchers on the night not out of necessity but rather in an effort to get all 4 pitchers valuable pitches but not to wear any of them out with 2 more games remaining this week. The four pitchers, Grant Tiarks, Jared Johnson, Peyton Larsen and Alex Good combined for 11 strikeouts on the night with Peyton and Alex recording 4 each. Nevada 1 did a nice job placing the ball in play getting 6 hits on the night however several defensive plays stopped rallys and stole base hits. Garret Tiarks seemed to be involved in a lot of the defense for some reason as he had an putout on an assist from Dylan Gill on a nice pick-up by Dylan, he had a putout on a nice assist at short by Jeff Haskin and had an unassissted putout on a good pick-up and tag of a runner headed to second. Grant Tiarks recorded another putout on a sharpely hit ball to first. Peyton Larsen and Alex Good both made great plays in Right Center on 2 balls hit very well by Nevada players. Peyton stopped a screamer hit to his left slightly and kept the runner to only a single while Alex made a diving effort on a sharply hit ball to dead center, laying full out to knock the ball down and keep the runner at first. It was a wonderful team effort in the victory as the Royals are really starting to gel and play good baseball. The Royals look to keep on their win streak with games Wednesday and Thursday this week.

You can put it on the board.....Yes!

A little Chicago White Sox tribute there, even though I'm not a White Sox fan. The Royals notched their 2nd win of the year Wednesday 1-0. It was a very well pitched game on both sides as the Nevada pitchers and Royal pitchers battled all night. Things started off great for the Royals as Alex Good retired Nevada's first 3 batters, 2 on strikeouts and one on a pop up back to him, then in the Royals half of the 1st inning Jared Johnson led off with a double and scored on Ben Peppers base hit. Alex Good then followed with a single and things looked like it would be an offensive explosion for the Royals. But to the Nevada pitchers credit, he really buckled down and got the next batter to fly out to right and then struck the next 2 batters out to get out of the jam. That run proved to be the only one needed but not without a couple of anxious moments for Royal fans. Alex Good and Jared Johnson combined for 13 strikeouts on the night and allowed only 2 hits to the Nevada batters. Alex Good in a dominant performance allowed only one runner on a bobbled come-backer that the runner beat out to first. Other than that Alex struck out 8 of the 10 batters he faced. Jared Johnson came in in the 4th inning and struck out 5 of the 8 batters he pitched to. Defensively the Royals quelched the 2 Nevada threats during the game one on a triple that was hit sharply down the line just inside the 3rd base bag in which Garret Tiarks chased down the ball and quickly got it in to hold the runner there and the other being a double hit to right that Parker Eley chased down and threw to Garret Tiarks who relayed it to 3rd to hold the runner at 2nd. After both, Royal pitchers shut down the next batters to strand the runners on base. Offensively the Royals had four hits on the night, 3 of which came in the first and the only other actual hit being Grant Tiarks' triple to right center field in the 4th. Additional balls were put in play by the Royal batters as Nic Price, Dillion Gill, and Grant Tiarks all hit the ball and were robbed of hits by nice plays made by the Nevada team. The Royals hope to build on the success when they play again Monday night in Zearing.

Royals Boy's T-Ball play 2 in Nevada

The 2 Nesco Rec boys' T-Ball teams played on an ideal night for baseball in Nevada. Both teams did a great job and you can really see the improvement as the season has gone along. Players who may have not known where to throw a ball or what base to run are now understanding the basics which is really fun to see. The Royals had several good hits again in both games and a marked improvement over the last game I watched in hitting the ball off the coach-pitched ball instead of always off the tee. The Royal batters sent many hits into the outfield on the night. Fielding has also improved greatly as many quality plays were made in both games. I did want to make special mention of one play as it is a rare occurrance at any level of play. In the second game of the evening Ryan Banks, playing the pitcher position, made a nice overhead grab of a line drive up the middle and then threw to Jared Roberts at 1st to double off the runner. Jared then noticing the runner on second also had not tagged up, ran to second for a TRIPLE PLAY!!! With all the parents, coaches from both sides and kids in the field yelling where to throw and who to tag and what base to run back to, I thought the umpire did a nice job after the play of explaining to runners and fielders alike what had just happened and why they were out. Because to be honest, the looks on some of the faces on both teams showed not quite a full understanding of what had went on. The Royals play again on Thursday in Colo.

Short-handed Royals play one of their better games but end up on short end of stick in 0-1 loss

A short-handed Royals squad played one of its better games of the year in a vailant effort but came up just short in a 0-1 loss to Nevada 4. The team was depleted by 2 players playing in another league and one on vacation, leaving coaches to scramble to find enough players to field a team. Step in Jared Roberts and Katie Price (younger sister of Nic) who willingly offered to help the team out. The already young squad then had the adversity of only having 9 players instead of the normal 10 in the field as 1 player did not show, leaving only two 4th graders on the squad and the rest to be made up by 3rd graders, three 2nd graders and one first grader. A scenario that could have lead to a complete collapse turned out to be a joining force as the young team decided to give it their all and almost pulled out a victory. Pitching and defense returned in full force for the Royals as Peyton Larsen pitched 2 1/3 innings and Grant Tiarks came in in relief. They two allowed only 2 hits and struck out 5 in great pitching performances. Unfortunately 1 of the 2 hits was a HR that plated the only run of the night. The HR was a very sharply hit ball that Garret Tiarks made a diving effort to stop on the infield, but made it through and due to only having 3 outfielders because of missing players it went deep into the outfield. Nic Price and Katie Price sprinted to retrieve the ball and a good cut off and throw by Garret to home plate just missed getting the sliding runner at home. Defensively several nice plays were made with Garret Tiarks having 2 assists and 1 putout, Peyton Larsen getting an assist and Grant Tiarks having 3 putouts and an assist for the game. Offensively Peyton Larsen had a double on a good hit to center, Garret Tiarks and Ben Pepper had solid singles and Parker Eley had a solid rap that the 2nd baseman made a good stop on, and was able to get Parker by a step at first. Jared Roberts playing in his first game at the 3rd & 4th level and seeing his first live pitching, hit a solid base hit off a ballthrown by the Nevada pitcher and Katie Price showed great determination and grit in her first action versus live pitching as she stayed in on a inside-pitched ball that brushed her jersey as it went by. The ump awarded her first base but Katie told him it hadn't hit her and she showed her mental toughness and stepped right back in and took her cuts. The Royals out-hit Nevada 4 to 2 and had half of their at-bats ended up with the ball in play but the lone home run was the difference and likely would have been kept to a single had we had all 10 positions filled. I personally would like to thank Katie Price and Jared Roberts and their parents for stepping up for the 3rd and 4th baseball team. With out them playing we would have had to forfeit the game and no one would have gotten to play. Also Garret Tiarks and Parker Eley and their parents deserve a special thank you for stepping up a level all year and foregoing a lot of their games in T-Ball so that 3rd & 4th baseball could field a team this year. The Royals return to action Wednesday in Zearing at 6:00.

Not much goes right for 3rd & 4th baseball in 6-0 loss

Playing the same team, Nevada 3, that they faced Monday, the Royals had a tough night all around. The usually sound defense was nowhere to be seen on this night as the young Royals committed 7 errors. Pitching although shaky at times did seem to come up with the big pitches when needed as Grant Tiarks in relief in the first inning after being hit in the arm by a liner back up the middle, struck the next batter out on 4 pitches. The next three batters for Nevada all reached on errors, compounded by more throwing errors that allowed 5 runs to end up crossing the plate, only one of which was an earned run. On the offensive side, confidence that had been growing seemed non-existant on the night as 9 of 13 at-bats ended in strikeouts for the Royals. The 2 bright spots being Dylan Gill's leadoff double in the 4th and Nic Price's solid single to the right side that he outraced the first baseman to the bag for. Jeffery Haskin hit a nice ball to deep in the hole at short that the shortstop made a nice play on to field in the air. Defensively Grant Tiarks made a couple of nice grabs up the middle while pitching, Garret Tiarks stopped 3 sharp grounders hit at him at 2nd and the play of the night went to Dylan Gill who made a great grab on a foul ball hit down the first base line and then dove head first to tag the base and double off the runner on first. The Royals hope to get back on the winning side next Monday in Nevada.

T-Ballers rule the day in Zearing!

NESCO T-Ball teams (2 boys teams and 2 girls teams) took over Veteran's Memorial fields in Zearing Tuesday night for games against 4 teams from Nevada. Official scores are not kept in T-Ball games as teams bat every player each inning so one team may have 14 players while the team they are playing can have 10 players. NESCO boys teams had impressive nights at the plate with multi-base hits coming in abundance. Also several nice catches and fielding plays were made on the night. Th NESCO girls teams also had several impressive hard hits and some stellar fielding plays that gave coaches and parents alike great satisfaction and optimism in the athletic talents for the future of C/N Royals softball. T-Ball games continue on Thursday for both the boys and girls teams. If you get a chance to come to a game and want to see good plays and hits as well as kids and fans enjoying the sport as it was intended, you will be glad you came!

Royals Win First of the Year!!

The NESCO Royals 3rd & 4th baseball team broke into the win column with a 1-0 win over Nevada 3. Hitting has really started to come around as up and down the order the Royals are getting more confident with each game. Against Nevada 3 the young Royals had 9 of 14 at-bats where they put the ball in play. The Royals still aren't seeing the results as actual hits in the scorebook but are definitely putting pressure on opposing teams to make plays. The Royals scored the lone run of the night in an almost perfectly scripted baseball scenario. Peyton Larsen led-off with a double, then next batter Grant Tiarks pushed a ball to the right side to sacrifice and move Peyton to 3rd with one out, next Garret Tiarks hit a solid single to the right side allowing Peyton to score, an overthrow to home advanced Garret to 2nd. Some very nice defensive plays and some timely pitching helped preserve the victory for the Royals. Garret Tiarks fielded a sharp grounder up the middle and forced the runner at second for an unassisted putout and the very next play and nice pick up by Grant Tiarks at short and throw to Garret at second ended a rally attempt by Nevada in the 3rd. Dylan Gill in his first outing of the year at pitcher did a nice job and fielded his position on a sharply hit ball back up the middle for a 1-3 putout. Jared Johnson pitched well in relief getting the Royals out of a couple of sticky situations leaving Nevada runners stranded on 2nd and 3rd. Alex Good then came in to close out the game's final 2 innings shutting down Nevada's bats and making a nice play on a come-backer to get the final out at first with the tying run in scoring position. The Royals next game is Thursday at 6:00.

Tough loss but a game a firsts for 3rd and 4th baseball

3rd & 4th baseball suffered another tough loss Thursday night to a well coached Nevada 1 team. The Nevada 1 team was a solid group that hit the ball as good as any team the Royals have faced this year. Along with some outstanding pitching from Nevada 1's lead pitcher for the first 3 innings, the Royals were hard pressed in all areas of the game. As many parents and fans can attest the wind was definitely a big factor as howling winds made it difficult to see at times let alone catch a pop up or throw a ball that would stay over the plate. Side Note here: As a coach I have been concerned that our lack of offense would start to frustrate the kids and cause them to start pressing but I have been very impressed by the attitude of the kids as they continue to make contact during their at bats and even put the ball in play but are just not getting the breaks that get them hits. What impresses me is that when they head back to the bench they are still managing to crack a smile or feel a sense of confidence that they made contact and are getting better. I'm glad the kids are taking the game for what it is, that it is just a game and that you are supposed to have fun. Back to the game, we had some definite firsts - Austin Britten, playing second base, made a nice play on a ball hit up the middle as he stopped the ball behind second and stepped on the bag for his first putout of the year, Grant Tiarks, in pitching relief, recorded his first strikeout ever, Garret Tiarks put his first ball in play at the 3rd & 4th grade level and although Parker Eley probably doesn't really want to consider this a first of note, this was Parker's first game at 3rd & 4th baseball where he hasn't been hit by the opposing pitcher. Parker as one of the youngest members of the team has really showed his older teammates how not to be intimidated by the ball and how to stay aggressive at the plate. Peyton Larsen continued his hot hitting going 1 for 2 for the third game this season and Ben Pepper also went 1 for 2 hitting the ball sharply both times. The Royals will, on Monday in Zearing, look for another first, that elusive first win.

3rd & 4th Baseball offense struggles in loss

Pitching and defense were the theme of the night, NESCO also was playing with a 9-man roster for the game(with two of the nine being 2nd graders Garret Tiarks and Parker Eley playing full time with the squad, up a level from T-Ball) as outside conflicts dwindled the Royals normal 11-man roster. The young Royals again couldn't muster the timely hits to put together any scoring rallys. But the Royals are making strides as they become much more aggressive at the plate. They had several good at bats that ended in good plays made by Nevada or fouling out on Coach-pitched balls. Of note were Grant Tiarks' rocketed foul ball into the Nevada dugout and Austin Britten's line drive that the Nevada pitcher somehow got his glove up in self defense and managed to catch. Peyton Larsen recorded the only hit of the game for the Royals, a single in the 4th inning. Pitching was a plus for the Royals as Jared Johnson in his first pitching performance pitched 2 very strong innings allowing only 3 runners (on Coach-pitched hits and hit batsman) and striking out 5. Peyton Larsen again pitched a solid 2 innings for NESCO in relief, striking out 3 and allowing only 3 coach-pitched hitters to reach base. NESCO's defense was again a bright spot with several very nice plays made. Grant Tiarks, Peyton Larsen, and Dylan Gill turned in some of the nicest defensive plays. With another game Thursday the Royals will again be looking for that first win. Hitting is coming along as the Royals have only three 4th graders that played last year with live pitching. The remaining 8 players are witnessing their first at-bats in "real" baseball. Of special note was the condition of the field at Nevada's Score complex, Rhonda M. of Nevada Parks and Rec. has done a wonderful job with these ballfields as they are some of the finest in the area. With the perfectly groomed infields, scoreboards, and lights, the fans and players are made to feel that they are playing in the big time. My congratulations to Rhonda and her staff on an excellent facility.

Boy's T-Ball

Parents,
Please have your child to the games 30 minutes before each game. If you can't make it to a game please let Matt or Joel know ahead of time. Please check the schedule and call with any questions.

Matt Banks (515) 434-2343
Joel Niemeyer (515) 434-2007

Team 1
Ethan Wilson
Dillon Coree
Mason Lytle
Bryce Niemeyer
Tyler Anthony
Parker Eley
Gavin Fredrigill
Conner Clark
Alex Dunahoo

Team 2
Logan Soe
Ryan Banks
Garret Tiarks
Matthew Hill
Wyatt Origer
Gabe Thompson
Jared Roberts
Devin Simpson
Etienn Bouchard

3rd & 4th Baseball lose heartbreaker 1-0

The rainy weather finally broke and allowed the first game of the year to be played for 3rd & 4th Grade Baseball. Nesco Royals played Collins Maxwell 1 in Maxwell on Thursday Night, unfortunately the Royals fell with a disheartening 1-0 loss. Pitching set the tone for the night as Peyton Larsen pitched 2 very strong innings to start the game allowing just 4 batters in the first and 3 in second striking out 5 of them. The Royals made a 2-out rally in the top of the 1st and loaded the bases only to just miss on getting the big hit they needed to plate the runs. CM1 brought in their ace pitcher for the remaining 3 innings and held the Royal batters in check scattering hits to avoid any real threat. The lone run came for CM1 in the third when a coach-pitched batter hit a single to plate a runner from second with 2 outs. Grant Tiarks and Ben Pepper in their first-ever pitching experiences pitched well and got the first 2 outs in the 3rd before the run was scored. Alex Good was brought in after the run had scored to keep the game at that score and struck out the only batter he faced on 3 pitches. Alex stayed in the game for the final innings and struck out 3 of the next 4 batters he faced. While the Royals were not happy with the loss they are encouraged by their pitching and defense and just need some timely hitting to make for a better outcome next time.

3rd & 4th Grade Baseball

Game with Collins Maxwell 1 for tonight is rained out