Ismael Rodriguez Jr.
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Articles by Ismael Rodriguez Jr.
Pickleball therapy for mind, body
Moving into a retirement community two years ago in Leesburg, Army veteran Nelson Gonzalez kindled a newfound passion for a game eight years his junior. A retired Army major, DEA supervisory special agent and investigation specialist with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Florida, Gonzalez can now add decorated competitive pickleball player to his long resume.
‘Only My Sisters in Arms Understand’
While dry-docked aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) during the initial shutdown brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Miranda Williams came across an interesting Facebook post. Williams, who spent most of the pandemic in deployments to the Indo-Pacific region with the Navy’s “Air Wing of the Future,” Carrier Air Wing 2, had created and administered a Facebook page for other women veterans seeking camaraderie.
Pittsburgh Warriors
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Rodriguez Jr.: My farewell letter to Kobe Bryant
Dear Kobe, I won’t ever forget the day — a cold, dry afternoon with temperatures grazing the low 30s in Kansas City. Accompanied by a childhood friend, I strolled the men’s department on the second floor of an H&M store tucked in Country Club Plaza in hopes of escaping the gloom. But gloom would soon morph into disbelief and then sadness, the kind of clawing pain that strikes with such force that your limber knees buckle and eyes start to flood.
Broken Bow tops Wayne 3-1 in first state tournament appearance since 2000
LINCOLN — Broken Bow snapped a 19 year state tournament drought with a convincing opening-round win on Thursday. After a slow start and opening-set loss to Wayne, the Lady Indians turned to an aggressive and efficient attack at the net to dismantle the Blue Devils in four sets (22-25, 25-20, 25-8, 25-18) at Lincoln North Star High School.
Hershey’s winningest volleyball coach retires after 32 years of leading the huddle
Amy Beyer’s retirement from the helm of Hershey volleyball didn’t just close a chapter. The Lady Panthers’ winningest coach closed a career carrying a body of work similar to a lengthy Leo Tolstoy novel with 32 seasons and 789 games. Like Tolstoy, Beyer’s coaching career didn’t happen by accident.
Sutherland falls in D1-1 District Final to top-seeded Pleasanton
GOTHENBURG — Sutherland’s state tournament aspirations came to an end against top-seeded Pleasanton on Saturday. No. 16 seed Sutherland’s hope for an upset was stifled by the Bulldogs’ offensive outpouring that paved the way for a quick sweep (25-14, 25-17, 25-13) in the D1-1 District Final. "I’m proud of how our girls played and how far they got this season," Sailors head coach Valerie Kershner said.
Maguire Bartlett (12) of Gothenburg throws a pass against Ord in the opening round of the Class C1 state playoffs on Friday in Gothenburg.
GOTHENBURG — The Swedes’ season ended on a fourth-and-six attempt Friday. Gothenburg fell short of a 16-point, second-half comeback against Ord in a 26-20 home loss that eliminated the Swedes from the Class C1 playoffs. "This was a tough draw for us, especially after playing these guys last week," Swedes head coach Craig Haake said.
D2 playoffs: Mullen defeats previously unbeaten Sandhills/Thedford with late TD
THEDFORD — Mullen morphed into a Trojan horse for Halloween. The 14th-seeded Broncos turned to trickery with less than 2 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the opening round of the D2 state playoffs to knock off third-seeded and previously undefeated Sandhills/Thedford on Thursday at Dick Hovermann Field. "We thought we could play with these guys," Mullen head coach Wade Marsh said.
Maywood/Hayes Center falls to Overton in D1-10 Subdistrict Final
BRADY — Kory Rohde stood with the media, analyzing a rare outcome following Tuesday’s district championship. For the first time in 29 games this season, Rohde and the top-seeded Lady Wolves had suffered a sweep, which came at the hands of Overton for the D1-10 subdistrict crown in a packed Brady gymnasium. "I don’t like to lose," Rohde chuckled.
Swedes advance to C1-11 title game with win over Hershey
The Swedes made quick work of Hershey in the opening round of the C1-11 subdistrict playoffs. After a sporadic first set, Gothenburg found a groove offensively to sweep the Panthers (25-21, 25-16, 25-16) and end their season at the Dawg House in North Platte on Monday. “It took a little bit for our girls to get into a rhythm, but they did a really good job after that first set in minimizing errors and controlling our side,” Gothenburg head coach Bryson Mahlberg said.
NP, St. Pat’s among area teams with good showings at state cross country
Jake Hasenauer and this year’s North Platte cross country team made a statement at Friday’s Class A state meet at Kearney Country Club. After becoming the first Bulldog team to finish runner-up at districts since 2010, the boys checked off more boxes in joining just two other North Platte squads since 1988 to finish in the top 10 at state. "I give a lot of credit to each of our guys because they rose to the challenge this year and kept working hard to exceed expectations," Hasenauer said.
North Platte closes out season with hard-fought loss to Kearney
The Dawgs inched close to snapping an 11-year drought against Kearney on Friday. Backed by a hard-nosed approach that stunned one of the state’s top defenses at times, North Platte ended their season hanging with the Class A No. 8 Bearcats in a 31-14 loss at Bauer Field. "We know they’re a good football team, but we thought we could beat them," North Platte head coach Todd Rice said.
Brady defeats rival Maxwell 42-34 in regular season finale
MAXWELL — Brady soared over the Wildcats for the second consecutive year in a barn burner on Friday. The Eagles punctuated their season finale with a 42-34 win over Maxwell at Brittenham Field to solidify a return to the state playoffs. "We really played a great game today," Brady head coach Andy Seamann said.
Dawgs hang on for 5-set victory
OGALLALA — North Platte wrapped up their regular season with a win at Prairie View Gymnasium on Tuesday. The Lady Dawgs outlasted Ogallala in the pair’s second five-set thriller of the season, snapping a two-game losing streak against the Indians and spoiling their senior night in the process.
Kam Jordan silences the doubters, wins MCF bantamweight title
Just before the clock struck midnight on Saturday at the D&N Event Center, Los Lobos & Gipsy Kings’ La Bamba entwined with cheers as Kam Jordan climbed to the top of the cage during MCF 18. He sat there with arms wide open, welcoming an abundance of applause from hometown fans in North Platte moments after a rear-naked choke hold over an undefeated Kyle Egolf made him the new MCF bantamweight champion. “It meant a lot winning my first one here in North Platte,” Jordan said.
Jayson Scott delights hometown fans at MCF 18
Jayson Scott’s performance at MCF 18 played to the tune of over a thousand cheers from hometown fans. The North Platte fighter wasted no time on Saturday at the D&N Event Center in snapping a two-fight losing skid since bumping up to the 135-pound amateur division. Scott pummeled TJ Evans of Scottsbluff through every spin and turn, finishing him off with a rear-naked choke hold in the second round to tally his eighth win at the amateur level. "I went good," Scott said.
Swedes rout Indians 44-6
OGALLALA — Two of the state’s top C-1 teams with ideologies on opposite sides of the spectrum clashed on Friday. Gothenburg’s pounding ground game and stingy defense stuffed Ogallala’s high-scoring aerial attack in a 44-6 win at Ogallala High School.
Cozad's Lynzi Becker wins Class C state title; Lincoln Lutheran
Cozad’s Lynzi Becker cemented her name in Haymaker lore on Tuesday. Two strokes back of the lead heading into the final round, the Cozad sophomore carded a four-over-par 76 that helped edge Boone Central’s Abbigail Brodersen by four strokes to claim the first individual title by a Haymaker since Kendra Marshall in 1987. "It was a good day today," Becker said.
Lincoln Litheran in lead after first round, Cozad’s Lynzi Becker third individually
Lincoln Lutheran sits atop the leaderboard following a shuffle among teams for the lead during Monday’s opening round of the Class C Girls Golf Championships. The Warriors, who finished sixth a year ago, carded a 378 to take a six-stroke lead over Lincoln Christian heading into the final round at Lake Maloney Golf Club’s par-72 course in North Platte Tuesday. "Our girls really came together today and played their best golf of the year so far," Lincoln Lutheran head coach Mark Clanton said.
North Platte wins Class A-2 district title; Steele and Morrison battle for gold
North Platte conquered familiar ground on Monday. After a short frost delay set tee time back an hour, the Lady Dawgs wasted no time in taming the links around Lake Maloney Golf Course en route to a consecutive Class A-2 district title. “I know the girls were anxious to get out and compete on their home course,” North Platte head coach Matt Kaminski said.
Lady Dawgs win GNAC title
North Platte ascended from second best a year ago to GNAC Tournament champions. The Lady Dawgs fended off opponents with three victories to clinch the GNAC title at Dowhower Softball Complex on Saturday, pushing their current hot-streak to 15 straight wins in the process. "We were runner-up last year, so it’s nice to finally get the title," North Platte head coach Jeff Barner said.
After several close calls, North Platte cracks win column with 27-10 victory over Lincoln High
North Platte did it. The Dawgs snapped a season-long losing streak with a 27-10 win against Lincoln High on Friday at Bauer Field. North Platte (1-5), coming off a heartbreaking 41-34 overtime loss at Lincoln Southwest in which the Dawgs couldn’t hold onto a late lead in regulation, refused to subdue to a similar fate against the winless Lincoln High Links.
North Platte sweeps G.I. Northwest, extends winning streak to 12 games
The marathon continued for North Platte on Thursday at Dowhower Softball Complex. The Lady Dawgs celebrated senior night by mounting a pair of (4-2, 14-4) wins over Grand Island Northwest that extended their current win streak to 12 games spanning back to Sept. 12. "There have been some really hard-fought games like the first one today in there," North Platte head coach Jeff Barner said. "The girls just continue to pull through and get better every game.
Dawgs make noise
KEARNEY — Head coach Jake Hasenauer and North Platte wanted the best in Class A, and Monday’s UNK High School Invitational provided that challenge and more. The Bulldogs weathered the dogged heat and a slew of loops and hills at Kearney Country Club to finish eighth on the boys side and 12th on the girls against some of the top ranked teams in Class A. “We’ve talked all week that if we wanted to be competitive in Class A, then we had to do it against Class A schools,” Hasenauer said.
Rodriguez: Trusting the process
Ever heard the song that goes — “Cause you’re hot then you’re cold… you’re yes then you’re no… you’re in then you’re out… you’re up then you’re down…” This iconic Katy Perry pop song summed up my thoughts on NPCC’s women’s basketball team last season, but things can change. Right?
St. Pat’s, Sutherland reign supreme at NPCC tourney
Only two teams escaped McDonald-Belton Gymnasium unscathed on Saturday. St. Pat’s and Sutherland completed this year’s North Platte Community College high school volleyball tournament undefeated against a slew of area teams that included Maxwell, Paxton, Hi-Line and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller. Instead of a traditional bracket-style tournament, the schedule was pre-determined with each team playing three matches.
Adams Central tops Gothenburg 32-14 in battle of undefeated teams
GOTHENBURG — Adams Central outlasted the Swedes in a battle of undefeated C1 juggernauts on Friday. Class C1 No. 8 Gothenburg clung to a 14-12 lead heading into the final period and looked in control, but No. 3 Adams Central found footing late after a sporadic second half to score three consecutive touchdowns and solidify a 32-14 win on the road. "I’m just happy to come out of here with a win," Adams Central head coach Shawn Mulligan said.
Irish hold off Swedes for 3-2 win
GOTHENBURG — From being up two sets to playing the comeback kids in the final set, the St. Pat’s Lady Irish weathered all the tight turns and steep slopes of a roller coaster ride on Tuesday. In the end, St. Pat’s managed to outlast the scrappy Gothenburg Swedes in five sets, finding their footing despite trailing by as many as four in the final set to claim the road win. "A game like this one really shows you how much heart these girls have," St. Pat’s head coach Janet Victory said.
Irish finish 2nd at Lexington Invitational
LEXINGTON — Janet Victory rung true to her name on Saturday. The St. Pat’s first-year head coach rallied the Lady Irish to the Lexington Invitational title game, a stepping stone towards the winning culture she hopes to instill for years to come. "I’m really proud of the girls coming here and playing with a lot of heart today," Victory said. "They never won a set (last year), and today we won four sets, two games and got into the championship.
South Loup shuts out Hemingford 35-0
ARNOLD — South Loup won the battle of the Bobcats with a shutout victory over Hemingford on Friday. South Loup’s blend on both sides of the football overwhelmed Hemingford in a 35-0 win to earn head coach Matt Jagler’s first at the helm. "We played a lot better than we did last week," Jagler said of a 38-34 season-opening loss to Sutherland.
Sutherland improves to 2-0 with 50-8 victory over Paxton
PAXTON — Sutherland sunk all aspirations the Tigers had in winning their home opener on Thursday. The Sailors relied on a stout ground game to rout Paxton 50-8 for their second win of the season in as many games. "I know Paxton is a little low on numbers this year, but I thought they really played hard for four quarters," Sutherland head coach Brendan Geier said.
Abby Orr hits 2 homers, has six RBIs in NP’s doubleheader split with Lex
The North Platte Lady Dawgs role-played different acts in Tuesday’s doubleheader against Lexington at Dowhower Softball Complex. North Platte (5-6) showcased an overpowering blend of offense and defense in their opening act with a 12-0 win, but playing the role of comeback kids in the second game backfired in a 5-4 extra-innings loss against the Minutemaids. "It’s disappointing," North Platte head coach Jeff Barner said.
Eagles soar past Paxton 56-0
BRADY — The Eagles soared often and without restraint against Paxton in Friday’s season opener at home. Brady’s 476 yards of total offense and a stout defensive stand responsible for six fumbles and two interceptions highlighted a 56-0 victory over the Tigers to kickoff the season. "I thought we controlled the things we could control," Brady head coach Andy Seamann said. "Our effort and attitude was there all night, and they flew around often.
Med. Valley wins 5-set battle over Maxwell
Medicine Valley spoiled Maxwell’s home opener on Thursday. The Raiders weathered a relentless Wildcats attack and their loud, orange-draped sea of fans, outlasting Maxwell in a five-set thriller on the road to start the season with a win. "This was one of the best atmospheres I have been in," Raiders head coach Diana Klein said.
NPCC wins marathon 1st set 31-29, but drops next three in loss to Northeastern Junior College
The North Platte Community College Knights teased the home fans with a gutsy first set, but couldn’t overcome Northeastern Junior College in the end. NPCC (2-3) stunned the Plainswomen (4-1) early, snapping their nine-set win streak over the past three games, a short-lived triumph that transitioned into NJC snagging consecutive (18-25, 15-25, 22-25) sets to win the game Wednesday at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. "We held back a little bit too long today," McCall said.
Gifting valuable lessons
Nebraska wrestling head coach Mark Manning bestowed a few hundred North Platte High School students, parents, coaches and teachers with wisdom on what it takes to excel at sports, which he claimed is a reflection of life itself. Manning spoke following first-year Bulldog athletic director Jordan Cudney’s opening speech in Tuesday’s NPHS Fall Sports Kickoff at North Platte High School’s Auditorium. By ISMAEL RODRIGUEZ JR.
Rally for Rusty
He entered the McDaid Activities Center in North Platte on Feb. 22 with his wife in hand, sitting amongst a crowd of watery eyes belonging to the same tight-knit community as the group of young men in gold and black playing for the D2-11 subdistrict title. It had been several weeks since that group of young men had seen their head coach, several weeks since Mullen’s hometown hero had returned to the family ranch, where he and his wife Jennifer live with their four children.
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Haneborg packs a scoring punch for Lady Dawgs
The arrival of North Platte’s Gracie Haneborg rocked the cradle that is Class A girls soccer. Before this year’s Telegraph Player of the Year laced her spikes for the Lady Dawgs, nine years had passed since their last district title and six since their last state tournament appearance. But this season was different. It began with Haneborg’s debut for the Bulldogs in a convincing 6-0 shutout against Grand Island in March, where the freshman scored one goal and assisted on two.
Overcoming hurdles: Dundy County-Stratton standout Phalen Sanford is the Telegraph Boys Track Athlete of the Year
It took some serious consideration to get Phalen Sanford on the track this season. Carrying the burden of a torn labrum throughout the year snatched most options off the table entering the spring for the Dundy County-Stratton senior. "I had the option to have surgery whenever, but I didn’t want to have it before basketball season because of the team aspect and not wanting to let anybody down," Sanford said.
Cameron Riggs reflects on setting consecutive wins mark
Cameron Riggs of Maxwell approached his 169th wrestling match with the same air of normality and poised energy that has become costumary for him. He faced Jackson Koller of Arapahoe at the Dundy County Stratton Invite on Friday, shaking his hand in an act of sportsmanship before engaging in a grapple and pinning him at the 1 minute and 18 seconds mark. Riggs’ hand was held high by the referee as the cheers began getting louder and louder around that particular mat.
Mission accomplished
OMAHA — Cameron Riggs exited the floor on championship Saturday with a standing ovation from a sold out crowd after closing the books on one of the greatest all-class prep careers in state history. The Maxwell wrestler captured his fourth state title and carved himself into the Mount Rushmore of wrestling in Nebraska, becoming just the fourth to remain undefeated in NSAA regulated matches — finishing with 201 victories and no defeats.
All he does is win: Maxwell's Cameron Riggs ends high school career with prestigious distinction of undefeated, 4-time state champion
It’s 5 a.m. on a March weekday with temperatures grazing the mid-20s, wrestling season has been over for a few weeks now, but Cameron Riggs enters Fire House Gym in North Platte ready to get his morning lift before driving to Maxwell for class. The chest and back workout is the first of the day for Riggs, who will resume after school with a strenuous wrestling workout sprinkled with cardio.
Dedicated to her craft: North Platte senior Sami Mauch is the Telegraph Volleyball Player of the Year
For six months last year, Sami Mauch and her father commuted religiously between North Platte and Lincoln on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. The journey was sprinkled with coffee stops and lots of sunflower seeds to stay awake after a tiresome two hours of volleyball practice with the Nebraska Juniors.
Elevating his game: Hard work pays off for Broken Bow senior point guard Padyn Borders
In the winding minutes of the consolation game against Lincoln Christian, Padyn Borders walked off the floor to a standing ovation from the dedicated fans that followed Broken Bow to the state tournament and stayed long after they were eliminated in the semifinals.
Getting ahead: Area golfers gain ground after the first day of the Jr. Ambassador Classic
Drew Phillips, Baylee Steele and others ended the first of two days on the 2019 Junior Ambassador Classic Golf Tournament atop the leaderboards at Lake Maloney Golf Course on Monday. Phillips and Steele had their way around the par-72 course in the opening day of the tournament, carding a tournament best 67 and 69, respectively. Phillips’ 67 strokes led the 16-and-older boys group, while fellow North Platte High School teammates Tanner Ruda and Finn Lucas followed in second and third place.
Rope 'em up and go
Wade Speck, left, of Cox & Fear Cattle Co. ropes a calf in Friday's 2019 Lincoln County Ranch Rodeo at the Great Western Bank Arena in North Platte. Speck's team included Jared Cox, Tyler Fear, Dawson Fraass and Kent Snider per the Ranch Rodeo program. By Ismael Rodriguez Jr. ismael.rodriguez@nptelegraph.com Contests & Events Do you have a question for our local law enforcement? Submit your question today and keep a look out for our new column Ask A Coop.
Hastings wins A7 championship for first time since 1992, snaps Kearney’s 14-year title streak
History shifted for both teams in Tuesday’s A7 District championship at Bill Wood Field in North Platte. For top-seeded Hastings Five Points Bank, a string of late-game heroics led to a 6-5 victory, which not only ended Kearney’s 14-year reign as district champs, but allowed Hastings to hoist the district title trophy for the first time since 1992. Facing elimination after losing to Hastings 8-0 on Monday, Kearney Runza put Seth Stroh on the mound in hopes of forcing a second game.
NP seniors defeat Lexington 11-3 in first round of district tourney, advance to face top-seeded Hastings
The little doubt that circled the North Platte seniors after a first inning slump quickly turned into a marathon of runs on Friday. From cold to scorching hot, the First Nationals began the A7 District Tournament on their home turf with a convincing 11-3 opening round victory over Lexington at Bill Wood Field. "That’s exactly how we wanted to start off tournament," North Platte head coach Ty Brockmoller said.
Local high school fishing duo qualifies for national tourney
It takes two to make a thing go right, and that’s nothing short of what the newly-appointed duo of Jaron Cooper and Keegan Oettinger expect at this year’s B.A.S.S. High School nationals in August. After only briefly sharing a boat before last weekend, the dynamic pair quickly showcased their merits by winning The Bass Federation’s Nebraska High School Fishing Championship at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area by 9.57 pounds.
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