Sports
by Coach Judy Gillespie
The Titan volleyball season came to an abrupt end as they lost to the fifth seeded Underwood Rockets in Sub-section tournament action. Scores were 22-25, 22-25 and 16-25. After a week of practice and a much anticipated volleyball match, the girls were ready to get on the court and play volleyball. However, the outcome was not what the girls wanted. After a slow start in game one, the girls had to battle back from a 5-11 deficit. They fought back to tie the score at 18-18. They played the rest of the game point for point, but the Rockets prevailed in the end.
Game two was very similar to game one. The girls battled from a 12-18 deficit and slowly chipped away at the lead. With the score at 18-24, the Titans rattled off four points to cut the lead to 22-24, but the Rockets finished out the game on a hard-hit spike. We just couldn’t put things together defensively in game three and Underwood cruised to the win.
Underwood is a very well coached team with a lot of weapons. We played defense more than we wanted to. Their height and blocking ability forced us to make adjustments with our hitting and we had a hard time generating any offense. It was very hard to find their holes in their defense. Their middle hitter, Aann Bjorklund, was a powerhouse and we couldn’t stop her. The girls played their hearts out but the win was not meant to be. I was proud of the way the girls fought right to the end. It is always tough to lose but when it is tournament time, it makes the loss even harder.
We ended our season with an overall record of 17-9-1 and a second place finish in the conference with a record of 6-2. I am extremely proud of the accomplishments that this group of girls has made this season. They have been a great group of girls to work with and one of the hardest working. They have exceeded the expectations of many and it is because of the hard work, that they can be very proud of their season. They created great memories for themselves and gave their fans a lot to cheer about.
It is always hard to say goodbye to the seniors and this year we had four: Nicole Gillespie, Bobbie Johnson, Angie Gausman, and Erika Ritter. They were a positive force on the team and they brought a lot of energy on the floor. They will truly be missed and I am glad that I had the pleasure of coaching them.
I extend my appreciation to the following for their assistance during the year: Ronda for being my assistant again this year. She has been a vital part to our success with her knowledge and advice; also, Lorna for keeping book and driving us to our matches; Milford and Bev for driving bus; the line judges, libero trackers, clock keepers and stat keepers; our photographers, Mark Ellison and Joe Blom, for the great snapshots in the paper; and to the parents for their support and finally, to the players for a terrific season and great memories!
Playoff win over Hills/Beaver Creek
Spartans lose to strong CGB
team in semi-finals
by Coach Dave Hofland
CAHN 14 Hills/Beaver Creek 8 The Spartans held off an aggressive Hills/Beaver Creek team in the first round of the Section tournament last Tuesday to earn the right to take on the state-ranked No. 2 CGB Wolverines in the semifinals. CAHN did a lot of nice things on both offense and defense but had trouble finishing off drives. Moving the ball wasn't a problem, but penalties and missed assignments were costly in the red zone.
The teams exchanged punts until late in the second quarter when Alex took off on a QB draw for paydirt from 54 yards out. This was a one-play drive and gave CAHN a 14-0 lead at halftime.
The third quarter was scoreless as the defense forced three quick punts, but the offense couldn't take advantage, driving 70 yards but losing the ball on an interception inside the Patriot 20-yard line.
Midway though the fourth quarter the defense forced a punting situation. With the regular defense still on the field the Patriots were able to execute a fake punt for a 62-yard TD. The successful two-point conversion pass closed the gap to 14-8 and put pressure on the Spartans to regain momentum. The Patriots took over with about 3 minutes left, but the Spartans’ defense was up to the task as they held HBC to four quick downs to give the ball back to the offense.
CAHN 0, CGB 54
The semi-finals of the Section 3, Nine-Man football tournament were not pleasant for the CAHN Spartans as they traveled to Graceville to take on the Wolverines and were sent home with a decisive 54-0 loss.
The second quarter proved to be a problem for the Spartans as CGB tallied four touchdowns and two 2-point conversions for 28 points and a 34-0 lead at the half.
A muddy field made footing a problem for both teams but the Wolverines seemed to overcome it and use it to their advantage. CAHN never sustained a drive or threatened to score as the CGB defense swarmed and made plays whenever they needed one. The under-manned, and undersized Spartans fought hard all afternoon but it just wasn't quite enough.
This ended a season full of ups and downs. The Spartans finished with a 3-2 Pheasant Conference record, which was good for third place, and 6-4 overall. Even though we didn't quite reach all of our goals this was a very good season and everyone should be proud of themselves.
Our seniors, Nate Gibson, Cody Picht, Michael Backman, Kevin Stier and Sean Lien will be missed next year. The underclassman will have to step up and fill their shoes.
Titans end season with first round loss to Underwood