JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Almost any coach will tell you that success is measured in various ways. By wins and losses, for sure, but also by an ability to overcome adversity, or by being a cohesive unit, or by doing a community proud.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Scott Dent tells a story.

Freeman Academy scored a win in its opening match of the 2023 soccer season, taking down Groton Area 6-0 Saturday afternoon, Aug. 12 at Freeman Academy. The Bobcats got four goals from eighth grader Lesther Rocha and one each from seniors Liam Ortman and Yonathan Lopez in the shutout victory.

As a way to drum up excitement for the upcoming season, head coach Scott Dent and the Freeman Academy soccer program is hosting a pep rally and new jersey reveal this Friday, Aug. 11. Events will begin inside the Sterling Hall gym at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a light meal and activities outdoors. Dent, who is in his third year as head soccer coach at Freeman Academy, said the program is also introducing a Bobcat Booster Club and Little Bobcat Club aimed at youth who play in various area clubs “so we can keep the sport growing.”

The public is invited to come to the Freeman High School practice football field west of the main complex Thursday evening, Aug. 10 to watch a Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy scrimmage. Phoenix head coach Dustin Tschetter said it will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. F/M/FA opens its second season as football cooperative at home against Burke Friday, Aug. 18.

Menno's postseason mojo ran out Monday night in Mitchell as South Central League foe Lesterville toppled the Mad Frogs 14-1 in the second round of the State Amateur Baseball Tournament at Cadwell Park. Menno had advanced through the postseason by winning twice in District 6 play and then taking down Northville in the first round of the state tournament last week, but the Broncs were too tough on Monday.

After beating Elton 7-4 in its opening game of the VFW 16U State Baseball Tournament in Parkston on Friday, Scotland/Menno fell to Alexandria 6-2 in the semifinals and then dropped a nail-biter to Tyndall in the 3rd/4th-place game. The Trappers trailed Tyndall 5-2 going into the sixth inning but tied the game with three runs to ultimately forced extra innings. Tyndall ended up scoring in the bottom of the 10th to come away with a 6-5 win.

The Menno Mad Frogs and the Scotland/Menno Trappers both won in the opening round of their respective state tournaments on Friday, with the Frogs taking down Northville 8-3 in the State Amateur Baseball Tournament in Mitchell and the Trappers beating Elkton 7-4 in the VFW 16U State Tournament in Parkston. The Menno amateur team will face Lesterville in the quarterfinals Monday at 7:30 p.m. while the Scotland/Menno teeners will play Alexandria in the semifinals Saturday at 4 p.m.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER Win when it matters. That’s the old sports adage that the amateur baseball team from Menno is wearing on their collective jersey sleeves — figurately, of course — following a memorable District 6B tournament in Crofton late last month. After losing their first 11 games of the regular season and going into the playoffs with just a single victory, the Mad Frogs won two of three in Crofton to punch their ticket to the State Amateur Baseball Tournament in Mitchell.

For the second year in a row, Menno overcame a last-place seeding in the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament to advance to the state tournament. The Mad Frogs got the job done with a 5-3 win over Wynot in an elimination game in Crofton, Neb., Thursday night, July 27.