SPORTS ROUND-UP: DHS Wresters Take Top Spot Again

• Wrestlers Win Another Invite: The DHS wrestling team took top honors again Thursday night, this time at the Turkey Creek Invitational in Friend. Dorchester's grapplers combined for a team score of 169, easily running away with the gold. Second-place Friend managed to score 110, followed by Hastings St. Cecilia with 95, Freeman 92, Meridian 74, McCool Junction 34, Bruning-Davenport 0. Taking first in their respective weight class were DHS' Jeremy Inderlied at 119 lbs., Adam Kahle at 145 lbs., Josh Inderlied at 152 lbs., and Russel Barak at 189 lbs. Thursday's invitational concluded DHS' regular season action.
  

• Lady 'Horns Roll Up Two More Wins: Dorchester's Lady Longhorns basketball team, now 14-3 on the year, breezed past Nebraska Lutheran Thursday evening at home, 50-12. Leading the way for DHS in scoring was Wendy Boller with 17. Other DHS scorers included: Pracheil 9, Springer 6, A. Havlet 5, Lawver 4, M. Havlet 4, Behrens 3, Carroll 2. On Tuesday night, the Lady 'Horns had no problem handling Shickley, outscoring SHS 50-30. Scoring for DHS in the victory over Shickley were: Boller 14, Lawver 9, Springer 7, A. Havlat 5, M. Havlat 5, Wells 2, Carroll 2, Pracheil 2. The girls will battle Clay Center tonight in a home contest.
  

• Boys Snag Ninth Win: The boys basketball team got their revenge Tuesday night by beating Shickley, 57-43. Shickley was responsible for knocking DHS out of the CRC Tourney earlier than expected last week with a one-point upset. In Tuesday's game, DHS scored 21 in the final period to ensure a solid victory, which was produced by the following scorers: Bruha 19, Walton 12, Kotas 8, Zoubek 8, Morris 8, Palky 2. The boys (9-4 on the season) will take on Clay Center tonight at home.

DHS Alumni Basketball Tourney Set For March 20-22

As announced in the Dorchester Public School's newsletter, the annual DHS Alumni Basketball Tournament will be held this year on March 20, 21 and 22.

DHS Activities Director Scott Pohl is requesting that team captains submit team information by March 6.

Information that should be submitted includes: player's name; shirt number; shirt size; and year of graduation. Cost is $25 per player.

As in past years, there will be a D-Club sponsored concession stand available serving snacks and drinks, we are told. For more information, call AD Pohl at (402) 946-2781.

Account Set Up To Help Mason June

Mason June, son of Dorchester natives Josh and Becky June, was recently born premature weighing in at 3.5 pounds, according to the Farmers' Cooperative newsletter.

Mason is currently in Children’s Hospital in Omaha where he has undergone a surgery to repair his colon and small intestine. Mason is working very hard to grow big and strong. The medical bills continue to pile up, and the June family could use our help.

An account on behalf of Mason has been set up at the Jones National Bank, P.O. Box 707, Milford, Neb. 68405.

Prayers and emotional support would also be appreciated.

Village Board Discusses Sewer; Recycling Trailer On Its Way Out

The Dorchester Village Board discussed the community's sewer system at the board's monthly meeting held last month.

According to minutes published in the Jan. 28 issue of The Crete News, after hearing from lawyer Scott Gropp, village board members voted to go into closed session at their Jan. 5 meeting to discuss the sewer project. All five board members were present. No other details on the sewer project were made available.

When the board came out of the closed session 15 minutes later, members heard a report from the fire department, but the sheriff's department was absent.

The board minutes note that "the recycling trailer from Ron's Refuse was discussed and will no longer be of service in Dorchester upon pick-up."

The board members went into closed session again after approving claims and payroll, this time to discuss employee evaluation procedure

The Village Board will meet again Monday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall. As always, the meeting is open to the public.

Make That West Side Saloon, Incorporated

We were somewhat surprised to see a public notice regarding the incorporation of Dorchester's West Side Saloon.

Make that West Side Saloon, Inc.

According to a public notice dated Jan. 28, Sheryll Mead has formed a corporation of her West Side Saloon through the law firm of Hanson, Hroch & Kuntz in Crete. The general nature of the business will remain a "restaurant and liquor establishment."

The notice also mentions the business officially incorporated Jan. 8.

According to several legal sites, the single most important reason people use the corporate form of doing business is to safeguard the personal assets of the owners -- the shareholders (or stockholders) of the corporation. However, there are other benefits to incorporating, including protection of corporate identity; raising capital; and ensuring continuous life -- so that a business can survive its founders. On top of the federal corporate tax rate, Nebraska corporations must pay an additional 5.58 percent on their first $100,000 of taxable income and 7.81 percent on income over $100,000.

We have no additional details regarding the incorporation. But we realize the challenges that face small community business owners in current conditions, and we are are glad to see the West Side Saloon -- Incorporated -- has taken steps to remain a part of Dorchester's Main Street.

DHS Grapplers Take First At Freeman

Good things are happening on the mat. The Longhorn wrestling team on Thursday beat 11 other squads to win the Freeman Invitational.

Three gold medal winners helped the DHS grapplers accumulate 135 team points, outpacing second-place Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer-Pawnee City (HTRSPC) by 23. Other well-respected wrestling schools finishing behind DHS included Freeman, Meridian and Southern.

In the 140 lb. class, DHS' Jared Jensen defeated Curtis Rexroth of HTRSPC, 7-4. In the 145 lb. class, DHS junior Adam Kahle defeated Kody Allgood of Auburn, 11-0. And in the 189 lb. bracket, the Longhorns' Russel Barak continued his winning ways by pinning Trevor Howe of Yutan in 4:18.

Earlier in the week, the DHS grapplers finished fifth at the Thayer Central Invite, which featured 11 teams. Adam Kahle and Russel Barack both collected gold metal in their respective weight classes.

The Times salutes the members of the Longhorn wrestling team for their efforts. The DHS wrestling team will next be in action Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Turkey Creek Invitational at Friend.

Experts Confirm Mountain Lion Near Columbus

In our continuing series on mountain lion sightings in or near Saline County, we note an Associated Press report this evening regarding the presence of a mountain lion near Columbus, only 60 miles from our community.

Over the past two years, we have received several e-mails from readers claiming to have seen mountain lions or cougar tracks in our area. The reader comments left on our Nov. 26 post indicate other area residents also have spotted the big cats.

Now those readers have more ammunition to validate their claims. This afternoon, the Game and Parks Commission confirmed the presence of a mountain lion near Columbus, according to the AP wire. The cougar was confirmed by its tracks found near the Loup River in Platte County west of Columbus. The Commission also confirmed the presence of a mountain lion through a photograph taken near the Loup River on Jan. 12 in Nance County.

We remain on the lookout.

DHS Girls Take Third At CRC

The Lady Longhorns and DHS coach Steve Fusco claimed the bronze this afternoon at the Crossroads Tourney in York, beating Hampton 50-41.

The Lady Hawks made DHS work hard for their third place finish. The game was tied 20-20 at halftime. And Dorchester did not help its cause, turning the ball over 28 times in four periods.

After a back-and-forth contest, the Lady 'Horns finally pulled away at the fourth period's 3:30 mark, when the aggressive play of Amy Havlat put DHS ahead by eight points, which marked the largest lead in the contest for either team at the time. Dorchester scored 18 points total in the final period, led by Charity Springer with 16 points on the day.

DHS improves to an impressive 12-3 on the season. Both boys and girls team will be in action again this Tuesday, Feb. 3, in a home contest against Shickley.

Exeter-Milligan Exacts Revenge On Lady 'Horns

Momentum is a powerful thing, as the Dorchester girls' basketball team discovered in York yesterday.

Despite beating the Timberwolves handily earlier this season, the top-seeded Lady Longhorns could not break Exeter-Milligan's streak at the Crossroads Conference Tournament in York, losing to the Timberwolves on Thursday, 42-29. DHS will play at 3 p.m. today in the CRC consolation, while Exeter-Milligan will battle for its seventh straight CRC championship.

Coming into the game, both teams were in the Nebraska School Activities Association's top 20 in Class D1, with DHS at No. 12 and E-M at No. 19. The first half of the contest was low-scoring and sloppy by both teams' standards, and was tied at only 15-15 at halftime.

But in the second half, the Longhorns' defense could not stop two Timberwolves, Pribyl and Kassik , who combined accounted for two-thirds of E-M's points. The biggest stumbling block for the Lady 'Horns was the third period, when DHS managed only three points.

Dorchester's scorers were: Boller 15, Lawver 5, Wells 2, Havlat 2, Spanyers 2, Springer 2, Pracheil 1.

The Lady Longhorns are now 11-3 on the season, with six big games remaining, including a Feb. 3 home contest against Shickley.

For more on yesterday's game, click here.

Bill Would Help Towns Tear Down Abandoned Buildings

Know of an abandoned building you would like to see torn down?

We read in the Omaha World-Herald that the Nebraska Legislature on Thursday gave second-round approval to a proposal that would provide state environmental grants to help small communities like Dorchester tear down abandoned buildings.

One more vote is needed, along with the governor’s signature, for LB180 to become law. It would allow the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to provide state grants to towns and counties smaller than 5,000 to tear down abandoned buildings and recycle the materials.

We make note of this as just another tool that will likely soon be available. For more information on LB180, click here.

DHS Boys Come Up Just Short -- Again

In another nail biter, the DHS boys basketball team fell to Shickley Tuesday night, 55-54, in their first round of CRC Tournament action. (See the York News-Times story by clicking here.)

The Longhorns, now 8-4 on the season, have lost three of four games by a combined total of nine points.

Throughout the game, No. 4 seed DHS led fifth seeded Shickley only twice -- once right before halftime and again following a Brandon Bruha three-pointer with only about 30 seconds remaining in the contest.

With just over 20 seconds remaining in the game, DHS gave up a basket to a Shickley player who made his only basket of the night. Dorchester could not convert after getting the ball with 2.9 seconds on the clock.

Scoring for DHS were: Zoubek 13, Bruha 27, Morris 2, Walton 8, and Kotas 4.

The DHS boys will have an opportunity to settle the score soon. Their next contest comes Feb. 3 in a home contest that will again pit Dorchester against Shickley.

CRC Tourney Games To Be Broadcast On York Station

(UPDATE, 1/27 -- What a difference a few days and some adjustments can make. The NSAA's No. 12 Lady Longhorns cruised to an easy victory this afternoon, beating Rising City 64-29 in DHS' first round of action in the CRC Tourney. To see the York News-Times coverage of the DHS win, click here. The DHS girls will next play at the CRC Tourney at 3 p.m. Thursday, facing the winner of today's Meridian vs. Exeter-Milligan contest.) Both Dorchester basketball teams are ready for this week's Crossroads Conference Tournament at York.

Fortunately for Longhorn fans who are not able to make it to the York City Auditorium, the CRC Tourney will be broadcast on York's KTMX 104.9 FM, according to a spokesperson from the radio station.

The tournament's top-seeded Lady Longhorns take to the hardwood today, Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. at the York City Auditorium, where they will battle Rising City, which beat Shickley 43-39 Saturday. Should DHS win, they would next play Thursday at 3 p.m.

The No. 4 seeded DHS boys will begin CRC action tomorrow, Jan. 27, at 8:15 p.m., when they'll play fifth seeded Shickley. If DHS wins, they would next play Thursday at 4:15 p.m., most likely against No. 1 seeded Hampton.

No. 8 DHS Girls Corral Mustangs; No. 17 Boys Fall By Five

DHS fans who traveled to McCool Junction Friday night saw both Longhorn basketball teams play well, representing their school and community proudly. When the dust settled, the DHS girls had garnered their tenth win of the season, while the boys lost a heart breaker.

The Lady Longhorns took out some frustration on McCool after Tuesday's loss to Giltner. In a balanced scoring attack and solid game plan by Dorchester coaches, DHS more than doubled the score on McCool, 54-26.

Before tonight's contest, DHS -- now 10-2 on the season -- was No. 8 in the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) point standings. DHS trailed both Giltner and Deshler, the only two teams to defeat DHS this year.

The boys' match-up pitted the NSAA's No. 17 DHS against No. 15 McCool.

The Longhorns took an early commanding lead, leading McCool 23-17 after the first period. But McCool stymied the Longhorns in the second period, holding DHS to only two points and taking a 34-25 lead at the half. DHS could not recover, despite making the contest close. Final score was 59-54.

Scoring for DHS were: Zoubek 17, Bruha 18, Morris 7, Walton 2, Kotas 10. The Longhorns are now 8-3 on the season.

Both Dorchester basketball teams now head into the final stretch of the season, as the Crossroads Conference tournament in York begins tomorrow, Jan. 24.

The top-seeded Lady 'Horns won't play until this Monday, Jan. 26, at 3 p.m. at the York City Auditorium, where they will battle the winner of the Rising City-Shickley contest. Should DHS win, they would next play Thursday at 3 p.m.

The No. 4 seeded DHS boys will start CRC action Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 8:15 p.m., when they'll play fifth seeded Shickley. If DHS wins, they would next play Thursday at 4:15 p.m., most likely against No. 1 seeded Hampton.

For the York News-Times' tournament predictions, click here.

DHS Girls Gouged By Giltner

In a game that was billed a "key game" by the Lincoln Journal Star, the Lady Longhorns were sent home more than disappointed by the girls of Giltner, listed this week as contenders in the LJS Class D1 ratings. The Hornets handed DHS their second painful loss of the year, 67-35.

The Longhorns this week (9-2) are rated No. 3 in Class D1 by the Omaha World-Herald and No. 9 by the Journal-Star. However, tonight's loss will undoubted drop DHS from the Top 10, as the team must now reorganize.

According to the Grand Island Independent's coverage of the game, "Giltner raced to a 29-10 halftime lead and exploded for a 67-35 win over Class D-1 No. 3-rated Dorchester. The Hornets completly dominated the game as they expanded their 19-point halftime lead in the second half. Stasia Ott led Giltner with 17 points and nine rebounds." Dorchester's scorers were M. Havlat 6, Boller 7, A. Havlet 4, Spanyers 5, Pracheil 11, Springer 2.

The girls will try to get back on track Friday when both Dorchester teams will travel to McCool Junction where the No. 17 DHS boys (8-2) will take on the No. 10 Mustangs (8-2). The Lady Mustangs are 4-7 on the year.

ALERT: Dorchester School To Dismiss Tomorrow At 1 p.m.

Dorchester Public School will dismiss school tomorrow, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. for John Vernon's funeral.

The school will run from periods 1-5. Lunch will also be served. Buses will run accordingly.

"We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause, and we pass our condolences on to Mr. Vernon's family, most especially Deb and Nixon," said Brian Redinger, superintendent of Dorchester Public Schools.

DHS Boys Win 87-22; Lady 'Horns Nearly Fall

One game was a rout; the other was nearly an upset in Class D1.

The DHS boys basketball team on Friday night had no problem handling a young, shorthanded Rising City team. The Longhorns (8-2) simply overpowered the Terriers in an 87-22 victory at DHS. Dorchester led 47-6 at the half, ensuring plenty of quality minutes for every substitute player. Dorchester scorers were: Zoubek 23, Bruha 20, Walton 10, Lee 7, Palky 7, Kotas 7, Kalkwarf 4, Morris 6, Kliment 3.

On a side note, the Lincoln Journal Star this week gave "extra credit" recognition to DHS' big man Alex Walton for his 54 blocked shots in eight games (6.75 per game). Walton added to those totals Friday night.

Before the game, the DHS boys had slipped to No. 17 in the Nebraska School Activities Association point standings for Class D1. Friday's win will likely not move the Longhorns too far in the standings, considering Rising City's 0-9 record.

Class D1's No. 3 Lady Longhorns, on the other hand, had to work for their victory against a 1-8 Rising City squad, squeaking by with a 54-52 victory. DHS was hesitant throughout much of the game and led by only one point at both halftime and the start of the final period.

Rising City was powered primarily by one player, Kovar, who accounted for 33 Terrier points. Still, DHS held off the feisty Terriers to garner their ninth victory of the season. Dorchester scorers were: Wells 10, Boller 4, Havlat 8, Pracheil 11, Springer 7, Lawver 14.

Before the game, the Lady Longhorns had advanced to No. 3 in the NSAA point standings, trailing only Deshler and top-seeded Bancroft-Rosalie.

(CORRECTION: Thanks to numerous readers who corrected this post. Only the Lady Longhors will travel to Giltner Tuesday, Jan. 20 to battle the No. 10 Hornets (8-2), who walloped High Plains by 29 points Friday night. Both DHS teams will travel to McCool Junction on Friday, Jan. 23, where the boys will take on the No. 8 Mustangs (8-2). The Lady Mustangs are 4-7 on the year.)