Tennis

The 2010 LS-H tennis team will open their regular season this Thursday against St. Peter at Le Sueur. Top row, left to right; Briana Williams, Elizabeth Tressler, Elizabeth Weiers, Sara Mueller, Sammy Krammer and Sara Mootz. Kneeling; Sherene Mostaghimi, Callie Boelter, Victoria Sinell, Elle Hammes and Libby McCoy. Sitting; Yolanda Puente, Alyssa Miller, Jacqueline Tousley and Cecilia Hernandez. Missing from photo is Kirsten Shaughnessy. (Photo by James Brenno) 



Season starts Thursday

By James Brenno, Editor

     The LS-H tennis team graduated 10 seniors from last year’s squad, a squad that won a piece of the Minnesota River Conference title for the first time in a number of years after defeating Sibley East in the final match of the season.
     So, needless to say, the 2010 Giants will have some big tennis shoes to fill.
     LS-H does return a couple of key players this season including seniors Jacqueline Tousley and Elizabeth Weiers. Both are this year’s captains.
     But the Giants will also return Kirsten Shaughnessy and  Sherene Mostaghimi, both with varsity experience.
     The Giants will open their regular season this Thursday against nonconference rival St. Peter in Le Sueur. 

 
Football

The 2010 Giants football team opens its regular season on Friday, Sept. 3 at St. Peter. The team consists of, in no particular order;      Chase Boehne,  Drew Dawson, Zach Steuck, Joe Barron, Matt Thune,  Brent O’Connell, Jack Swanberg, Travis Trimbo, Brian Amundson, Jeff Leary, Andrew Erickson, Christian Dwyer, Joe Hank, Ty O’Brien, Alex Klockman, Pablo Torres, Nate Blair, Ben Hahn, Ryan Moriarty,  Josh Grant, Brendan Kroehler,  Breck Solomon, Cody Koening, Mario Aguilar, Josh Willaert,  Jarek Connolly, Seth Doebbling, Dustin Gill, Jack Simota, Kohen Stark, Isaac Arnst, Jacob Dolezal, Angel Lopez, Jacob Rischmiller, Richard Keech, Matt House,  Seth Hynes-Marquette, Jordan Wiest, Jake Nelson, Joey Braun, Austin Holland, Aaron Bruihler, Bobby Rose, Tyler Kamps, Abram Adamzak, Luke Pfarr, Levi Steuck, Trey Fitzke, Brian Johnson and Andy Williams. (Photo by James Brenno)

LS-H opens at St. Peter

     In terms of the success that Le Sueur-Henderson football usually enjoys season after season, last year was a tough year.
     The Giants finished the regular season with a 5-4 record and tied for third in the Minnesota River Conference at 4-3. LS-H also made a quick exit in the section playoffs falling in the first round for the first time in recent memory.
     If this was a different program, that might have been a normal year, but not for LS-H. However, with a number of key players returning, the 2010 Giants may be a team with another conference title on its mind.
     On offense, LS-H will be strong. The Giants return QB Jack Swanberg and power running back Josh Willaert, who was also strong on the defensive side of the ball last season.
     In addition, look for the Giants to be tough on both lines as a number of robust linemen return. The captains for the 2010 squad are Willaert, Kohen Stark and Seth Doebbling.
     LS-H will open their season against nonconference rival St. Peter next Friday, Sept. 3 in St. Peter. Over the last three years, the Giants are 3-0 against the Saints and have outscored them 108 to 27.     
 

35+ Baseball
Octopus Bar team scores victories at state tourney

     HENDERSON - The Henderson Octopus Bar men’s senior baseball team scored victories in its first ever games last weekend, beating New Hope 15-0 on Saturday in Shakopee and Urbank 10-3 on Sunday in Veseli in the Over-35 Men’s Amateur State Baseball Tournament.
The team was formed when officials from the Minnesota Senior Men’s Amatuer Baseball Association indicated that they might be short teams for their 2010 state tournament.
     The team was seeded 15th in the B-C division and scored victory over No. 2 seed New Hope.   However, because they are an at-large the Octopus Bar was moved into the “C” tournament and New Hope advanced. Sunday’s victory over Urbank means the O’ Bar will play the Minneapolis Bombers at 3 p.m. Saturday in Union Hill in the Class “C” Semifinals.
     The squad will play one final game on Sunday either for a championship or third place against Belle Plaine or Faribault.
     Members of the team include, front row bat boy Dylan Hoen. Second row, from left, Bryce Eggert, Kirk Anderson, Troy Koester, Tom Hoen, Tony “Skeddy” Nagel and Tony O’Brien. Second row, from left, Derek Roberts, Bill Heimkes, Troy Breyer, Mark Foley, Ray Austin, Al Hentges, Brian Toenges and Mike Feeney. (Submitted photo)

Amateur Baseball
BP, Shakopee advance in state tournament

By Troy Koester, Staff Writer

     The Belle Plaine Tigers survived the first round of the Minnesota State Class “C” amateur baseball tournament last Saturday in Spicer, beating the Mankato Mets, 4-0.
     Belle Plaine (31-8) will now play another elimination game, this time against Sacred Heart (27-13) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Willmar.
     If Belle Plaine wins they will play Lastup or Buffalo at 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Bird Island.
     The tournament moves to double-elimination format starting Sunday. Henderson Tigers pitcher-catcher Luke Frauendienst was drafted by Belle Plaine.
     He did not see any action last week.
     The St. Peter Saints, also of the River Valley League, lost in its first state tournament appearance since 1980, 15-1 to the Blue Earth Pirates.
     The RVL’s Class “B” teams went 1-1. Chaska was defeated by the Rochester Royals 6-3, and the defending Class “B” Champion Shakopee Indians made only one hit, but it scored a run in a 1-0 victory over the Austin Blue Sox. Shakopee moves on to the double elimination portion of the Class “B” tournament and will play Hastings at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night in Bird Island.

 
Modern Woodmen matches funds
 

Modern Woodmen agent, Chuck Frauendienst, presented a check for $5,189.61 to the Henderson Baseball Association. The money was raised from food and concession stand sales during the 2010 Division II Central Plains American Legion Tournament in Henderson. The net amount raised by the project was $2,689.61 and Modern Woodmen matched $2,500 of that amount through their matching funds program. The money will be used for field improvements at the Hilltop Baseball Park Grounds. Pictured with Chuck is Henderson Baseball Association members Lon Berberich and Denny Graham. (Photo by James Brenno)