Scottsbluff's Tower signs with WNCC soccer

Scottsbluff’s Shayne Tower has always enjoyed kicking a ball, whether it was an oblong-shaped one for the Bearcat football team, or a round, multi-colored one for the soccer team.

Late Monday afternoon, Tower made that ultimate decision of what sport to pursue in college. And, after thinking about playing football at the University of Wyoming or Nebraska Wesleyan University as a placekicker, he decided to attend Western Nebraska Community College and participate in soccer.

As it turned out, Tower said it was a pretty easy choice.

“I played football this year so I was contemplating going someplace to continue to kick,” Tower said. “I was thinking I am not mature to handle all that kicking and soccer was my best sport, so I decided to pursue a career in that.”

Tower is satisfied with the decision to attend WNCC on a soccer scholarship.

“Coming here will be a great start for me to get all my basics out of the way, and it is a good start to get a feel for college soccer,” Tower said. “It will give me a feel for college athletics and get to know everybody. I am happy with the decision.”

WNCC coach Todd Rasnic is excited to get an athlete of Tower’s talent, who has played soccer since he was six years old, and has played in the competitive youth program the last eight years.

“Shayne brings some experience in the game,” the second year men’s head coach said. “He will bring some help to the defense. We lost a couple good center defenders this year and we are in the process of replacing those players. Just watching him play, he brings the sure element of the team atmosphere I am looking for and the attitude I am looking for in players.

“We are pleased to have him come on and I think he will be a very useful part of the team in 2007.”

Tower, who was one of the best placekickers in the state in football this past season helping the Bearcats to a 7-3 record and a playoff berth, is a standout center defenseman for the soccer team. Two seasons ago, the Bearcats qualified for the state championships, and last season they just missed out. Tower is expecting the same results this year as two seasons ago.

“We should be pretty good. We have a lot of returning starters and we have been playing together since we were eight years old,” he said. “Hopefully we will be able to go to state again and have a good season.”

Scottsbluff coach Pedro Sulu said Tower will be a positive addition to the Cougar soccer program.

“He has always been fun to be around and he is a player that tries his best,” Sulu said. “There is a lot of things that he can contribute to the college and he is willing to learn. He is willing to try and he is a team player. Knowing coach Rasnic, he will like Shayne on his team, and Shayne will be able to learn a lot from the system at the college and hopefully he will be able to play at a higher division later.”

Tower said that his athletic success at Scottsbluff, though, wouldn’t be possible without the support from his parents and friends. And, the biggest thing he will miss from high school after this year is the fun times the team had on trips and in practice.

“I will miss all the fun we had playing for coach Sulu and all the bus trips and watching bull fights like that,” he said. “Practices were also pretty fun.”

Cougar men down McCook men

MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s basketball team
remained unbeaten in the East Sub-region with a hard-fought 62-60 win over McCook Community College Wednesday night.

The win pushes the Cougars to 4-0 in the sub-region and 8-11 overall. The winner of the East Sub-region will host the Region IX tournament in March.

WNCC coach John Jungers said his team showed character in playing in a tough environment.

“It is tough to beat anybody on the road, especially against a team that I thought played pretty well when they played at our place,” he said. “Then, to go down there two weeks later and have to play them again, that can be a trap game very easily.”

The Cougars held a 30-21 lead at halftime only to see McCook tie the game with nine minutes to play. Jungers said that his team played well when they needed to.

“I thought we played O.K. in stretches,” he said. “The thing I am most pleased about is that we showed some character on the road. Playing in a tough environment and playing a sub-region game, we showed some character and we hung in there.”

Jungers said that Doradji Wilson was the one of the reasons for the team’s win Wednesday night. The freshman from Chad scored eight points, all in the second half.

“Doradji Wilson did a great job,” he said. “He was patient, he rebounded and he was very good for us down the stretch. He stepped up big time.”

McCook’s second half comeback was due to timely 3-point shooting. The Indians were 6 of 13 from the arc in the second half. WNCC was just 3 of 17 for the game from the 3-point area.

WNCC, though, hung tough and collected the win behind balanced scoring. Only Matthew Akins finished with double-digit scoring, netting 14 for the game. Akins also pulled down eight rebounds.

Five other Cougars were on the brink of double-digits. CJ Hampton finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while Wilson, Ricardo De Bem, Erik Smith and Chance Wallesen all finished with eight points each.

Hampton contributed seven rebounds, while Beno Jaekel had six rebounds and five points.

WNCC will next be in action Saturday when they travel to Casper College for an 8 p.m. tip-off during the T-Birds Homecoming festivities. After that, the Cougars will host Eastern Wyoming College next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

WNCC (8-11) 30 32 – 62
McCook (9-13) 21 29 – 60
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Chance Wallesen 8, Erik Smith 8, Beno Jaekel 5, Matthew Akins 14, Carl Buck 2, CJ Hampton 9, Doradji Wilson 8, Ricardo De Bem 8.


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Cougar men, women split with NJC

The WNCC men's and women's basketball teams split with Northeastern Junior College Thursday night at Sterling, Colo.

The women, who put three players in double figures, fought off a determined comeback from the Plainswomen to win 77-63.

The men, on the other hand, spotted the No. 8 Plainsmen a 21-9 lead to open the game and never could cut the deficit to single digits the rest of the way in falling 94-82.

The Cougar men did, however, outscore the quick and athletic Plainsmen 47-44 in the second half. The WNCC men put three players in double figures, led by CJ Hampton's 23 points followed by Matthew Akins with 20 and Ricardo De Bem's 15.

On the women's side, the Cougars had three players in double figures. Tiara Scott led all scorers with 15 points followed by Kiki Taylor and Emma Beddome with 12 apiece. Beddome also knocked home four the the team's five 3-pointers.

Next up for the Cougar men and women will be a home contest Saturday, Jan. 20, when they host Otero Junior College. Tip-off for the first game is set for 5:30 p.m.

WNCC set to tangle with NJC Thursday night

The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s basketball teams will venture in hostile territory tonight when the Cougars invade Sterling, Colo., to face the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen and Plainswomen.

The Cougar women, who are still No. 9 in the latest NJCAA national poll with an unblemished record, will be looking to remain unbeaten against a talented Plainswomen squad. Tip-off for the women’s game is slated for 5:30 p.m. with the men’s game to follow.

“It will be a very intense game [tonight],” sophomore Victoria Martin said. “We usually have a hard time playing there because there fans are really wild and loud. Mentally, I think it will be a tough game. Physically, we are ready.”

What matters most for the Cougar women is to continue to play tough and try to get more respect in the national polls. Martin said they are semi-satisfied of being ranked No. 9 in the latest poll.

“We always think we should be better ranked of course, but that will come with time,” she said. “I think we just need to keep playing hard like we are. It is like we have to keep proving ourselves and keep on winning games.”

To get that respect, the team needs to keep playing well, and one of the strengths of this year’s team is defense. The Cougars are the fourth best team in the nation in defense with an average of 46.625. They only trail Brevard Community College (43.556), Hutchinson Community College (45.882) and Southeastern Illinois (46.375).

Saturday night, the Cougar women held Western Wyoming Community College, a team that came in with a 14-3 record, to just 30 points. Martin said they pride themselves in playing hard-nosed defense.

“I think our defense is getting a lot better then it was at the beginning of the year,” she said. “Saturday, we really didn’t realize we did that [holding Western Wyoming to 30 points]. After game was over and we were looking at the score, it felt pretty cool knowing that you could hold a team to low of a score.”

While the Cougar women are probably the favorites to win tonight against a 13-4 NJC team who lost 64-47 to Casper on Saturday night, the Cougar men will be facing a NJC team that has sparkled this season. The Plainsmen are ranked No. 9 in the latest NJCAA national poll with a 15-1 mark, moving up four spots from a week ago.

WNCC head coach John Jungers said this is a talented team.

“They are 15-1 right now and they are very talented,” he said. “Coach [Eddie] Trenkle has done an excellent job in his first year. They are playing at home, which makes them a very dangerous team.”

Jungers said for WNCC to knock off the No. 9 team, they need to play at their tempo.

“We can’t let them dedicate to us how we are going to play. That involves taking quick shots or allowing runs,” he said. “I also have been very pleased with how we shot the ball [from the free throw line]. We have done a good job lately and something that early on I didn’t think we were good at. We worked at it and I think it is an area that we really have improved. A lot of times that will help win games.”

But, don’t rule anything out for this year’s Cougar men’s team. The men are on a 3-game winning streak and have won five of their last seven ball games, and are playing well all around the court.

“I think we just continued to get better,” he said. “We have guarded better, we have rebounded better, and I think our motion offense is getting better. We just need to make sure we continue to play.”

The WNCC men, who are 6-10 on the season (12-4 without the forfeits from earlier in the season), are 3-0 start in the east sub-region. The Cougars have won some impressive games in their last three contests, downing McCook Community College 72-53, Northeast Community College 81-47 and then Tuesday night disposing of Laramie County Community College 84-73.

“These last few games has been a good preparation. Northeast, Laramie County and NJC are all very athletic and they are long. But, as far as being able to score from the perimeter, I think NJC has the ability to do that.”

NJC is fourth in Region IX in 3-point shooting, canning 40 percent of the long balls. The Cougars is not far behind, sitting sixth in the region at 38.1 percent. WNCC, though, has already canned 117 treys compared to Northeastern’s 88.

While both teams are deadly from the outside, it is the inside game for both squads that have stood out as of late. In WNCC’s 81-47 win over Northeast on Saturday, the Cougars three inside players Ricardo De Bem, Beno Jaekel and Matthew Akins combined for 57 points. De Bem had 28 only.

Jungers is pleased with the team’s inside game and the unselfishness of the team collecting assists.

“It doesn’t mean those inside guys need to take every shot because our perimeter players are very good scorers and shooters,” he said. “We always talk about sharing the ball and creating a scoring opportunity for your teammate. The other night Matthew Akins gave up the ball for one else for a dunk and Matt was more excited.“

Tonight’s contests will not be available on the air or the Internet, because of the switchover of KPNY owners on Monday. The new owners elected to drop sports on the station.

Hoops for Hunger Night Tuesday night

It will be Hoops for Hunger night at the Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball game Tuesday night against Laramie County Community College at Cougar Palace. Tip-off for the men's only game is set for 7 p.m.

Individuals who bring in a non-perishable food item to the game will receive $1 off the cost of an adult ticket. Season ticket holders or Cougar pass holders will receive one free media guide with donated food items. All food items will be donated to the local food pantry.

Former Cougar Hanavan goes out a winner

Not many collegiate athletes can say they are the top player in their division.

Former Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer player Kylee Hanavan can lay claim to that title after being selected the Division II national player of the year, Daktronics Midwest Region player of the year and the RMAC Player of the year. She was also an 8-time RMAC player of the week during her 3-year career.

Hanavan, who played for the Cougar women’s soccer program in 2003, finished her collegiate career as the top Division II women’s soccer player in the nation after leading Metro State University to the national title with a 1-0 win over Grand Valley State 1-0. It was the second national championship Hanavan and Metro State has won in the past three years.

“This year’s national championship was something we seniors had talked about and wanted all year long,” Hanavan said. “We were such a young team not knowing if we could accomplish a national championship, but as a senior I, and the whole team, was going to try our hardest to get there. When we actually won it, it was so unreal because it seemed impossible to get one let alone two. It is an indescribable feeling.”

The 5-foot-6 forward also set many Roadrunner records. She leaves Metro State as the all-time career leader in points (206), goals (80) and assists (46). This past season, she led the conference with 66 points, 23 goals and 20 assists. The 20 assists is a Metro State single-season assist record.

“I don’t think someone could have asked for more to have achieved so much,” she said. “I went in with the mentality to play as hard as I could as an individual and as a team and all the [honors] that come along don’t hurt. It is a great honor. I owe a lot to all who have made me a better player, especially Danny Sanchez (Metro State Head Coach).

“Individually, I have set goals, assists, game winning goals, and total points records, but I must say I could not have done it without my team and my coaching staff.”

Hanavan possessed those same soccer skills while at WNCC, where she scored 22 goals to help the Cougar women to a 19-1 record in its first year of competition. That Cougar team won 19 straight games and came within one win of making the national tournament.

In fact, her 22 goals stood as the most scored until this year when Bre Perkes broke the record with 26 goals this season.

“I remember what a great team we had, and I think Rick Carpenter and Tom Townsend pushed us to the limit which made us so great,” she said. “WNCC has taught me, no matter what you think might happen, to play to your full potential because in the end something great might happen.”

With all the accomplishments and accolades Hanavan has earned in her soccer playing days, she listed five that she will carry with her for years to come.

“Number one is winning two national championships and I think those are self explanatory,” she said. “It is the best because I had two of the best teams and teammates behind me in both victories.”

The rest of the Hanavan’s top five soccer moments include playing with her sister, Megan, two different times because “I look up to her and think she has made me as strong and dedicated as I am now.”

Three through five memories include WNCC and high school highlights. “Number three is force marking with Rick Carpenter at WNCC because you can really see how mean and aggressive girls can get. Plus we loved just taking people out and that gave us the chance,” she said. “Number four was in my first high school soccer game and we got to run out when our names were called and half way to the middle of the field, I fell straight on my butt in front of everyone. This is in my top five because I think along the way people need to learn and know they can have fun.”

Number five, Hanavan said, is for all the doubters who thought she wasn’t talented. “In all my years of soccer, my fifth memory is being able to prove everyone wrong who had ever doubted or looked down upon me,” she said. “I can say I have made something of myself and my high school and two college programs I have played for.”

From what Hanavan has all accomplished in her many years of playing soccer, younger girls now have someone to look up to. She said that attending a junior college first was probably the best thing that she ever did.

“I think in order to be successful, especially in a sport like soccer, you have to be willing to give your heart out to the program,” she said. “That is what I have done for both programs and I would not change anything for the world. Some people say junior college is not a place to go, but I think it is a place to start and grow as an individual until something else great comes along.”

Two WNCC events among KNEB's top 10 of 2006

Just checking out the websites and KNEB Radio, and sports director Rob Barney, has listed their top 10 sports stories for 2006. Rob Barney has selected to WNCC events in his top 10. Here is the entire list, and for other sports news dealing with the region (high school and college), switch to www.kneb.com.

WNCC events appeared at No. 2 with the WNCC volleyball team's runner-up finish and No. 5 with the passing of WNCC men's basketball coach Ron Brillhart.

Here is KNEB's top stories for 2006 and how they were all ranked.

It was an outstanding year for sports in the area. Here is the list of KNEB's top ten stories.
1. Gering's Dean Gorsuch winning the National Finals Rodeo steer wrestling title and finishing the season number one ranked in the world.
2. The WNCC Cougar volleyball team's run to the national championship match, while being ranked number one most of the season and finishing 56-2 on the year.
3. The Scottsbluff High School girls basketball team qaulifying for its first ever trip to the state tournament.
4. The Scottsbluff girls golf team winning the Class B state title. The Gering girls cross country team winning the Class B state championship. And Brock Smith of Gering and Jacob Gonzales of Morrill capping unbeaten seasons with state wrestling titles.
5. The leave of absence and death of longtime WNCC men's basketball coach Ron Brillhart.
6. The high school football campaign featuring Gary Hartman's final season as Scottsbluff High football coach and the team's run to the state playoffs, and Minatare capturing its first postseason win ever in the first round of the six-man playoffs.
7. The Twin Cities Zephyrs legion baseball team qaulifying for and hosting the State Class A Tournament.
8. The near deaths of Scottsbluff High School activities director Lee Dick, his wife Bonnie and SHS girls cross country and track coach Tayna Ball in an automobile accident in Mexico.
9. Scottsbluff High School's Jordan Wilberger being a recruited walk-on for the National Champion Nebraska Cornhusker volleyball team.
10. Mitchell High School grad Nathan Lashley playing on the Nationwide golf tour.