Sports

The Oconto Falls American Legion baseball team came up one game short of making the Class AA state tournament, losing a regional semifinal 3-2 at Sturgeon Bay on Monday.

Because Kewaunee County, which is hosting the state tournament and has an automatic bid, made the regional final, the semifinal winner was guaranteed a spot in the state tournament.

Sturgeon Bay’s Lucas Stephenson ended Oconto Falls’ hopes, scoring the game-winning run on an Oconto Falls error in the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie.

John Thompson brought home Colton Giese on an RBI single in the top of the third inning for Oconto Falls to start the scoring. Sturgeon Bay answered with a RBI single from David Vandreese in the bottom half of the inning.

Oconto Falls scored another run on Tyler Magnin’s single in the fifth inning.

Sturgeon Bay once again had an answer, scoring Jason Lindemann on an RBI single by Casey Giesseman in the sixth.

A new race car business has roared to life out of Kozak’s CARQUEST in Oconto Falls, and owner Jim Kozak said he is ready to expand the business.

“It’s the challenge of trying to make it grow,” Kozak said. “It’s fun to start a business.”

Kozak started his first automotive business in 1985 with Kozak’s NAPA Auto Supply on Main Street in Oconto Falls. The business was then sold in 1998 to corporate CARQUEST, which owned it until 2009 when Kozak bought the business back and moved to the current location on East Highland Drive.

In addition to selling auto supplies, Kozak said the shop developed into a dealership for racing parts as his son Derek found an interest in racing at an early age.

“He started racing go -carts when he was 8,” Kozak said. “He won three national championships. We were competing against the top guys in the nation, and it was fast.”

Pro angler Gary Parsons and Chris Hansen earned the $20,000 payout at last week’s AIM Pro Walleye Series tournament in Oconto.

The boat caught a total weight of 137.13 pounds over the three-day tournament. The first-day catch of 55.31 pounds put Parsons and Hansen in the lead, but a 31.82-pound catch on Day 2 left the duo needing a big day Saturday. Saturday’s catch of 50 pounds was enough to clinch the top prize.

John Schneider and Nicholas Schertz took second place with a total weight of 134.85 pounds. Third place went to Tom Gatzke and Chad Schilling, who had a total weight 132.49 pounds. The second place payout was $8,500 and third place took home $6,300.

Other anglers in the top 25 received lesser payouts from the $120,000 total purse.

As the Oconto Falls American Legion baseball team prepares for the Class AA regional tournament, coach Chris Hillberg is embracing the underdog role for his squad.

  “I think everyone on the team knows we’re the underdog going into that tournament,” Hillberg said. “As such, I don’t think anyone is going to throw their No. 1 pitcher against us. … We’re OK with that.”

  Oconto Falls (7-5) opens the tournament Friday against Sturgeon Bay (8-4) at 8 p.m. in Sturgeon Bay. Pulaski (8-4) and Kewaunee County (6-4) face each other at 5 p.m.

The Oconto Falls American Legion baseball team made a tough task more difficult with a rough start Sunday against Northern Division-leading Marinette.

Oconto Falls lost 12-2 in five innings after giving up six runs in the first inning at Memorial Field.

“We’re a team, especially when we’re playing a team as good as Marinette, we can’t afford to give up any mistakes,” Oconto Falls coach Chris Hillberg said. “We started a little slow on the mound, and then the fielding behind that followed through with it.”

Marinette (10-1) tacked on two more runs in the second inning, before Oconto Falls pulled pitcher Ethan Berth for Derek Zahn. Zahn allowed two runs before getting out of the inning.

“We need to be making plays to help our pitcher out a little bit,” Hillberg said. “I don’t think we should have given up 10 in the first two innings. But we didn’t come ready to play, apparently.”

The third annual Kelly Lake Triathlon took place on July 6 with 140 participants completing in the 1/2- mile swim, 15.5-mile bike ride and 3.4-mile run.

There were five division winners: male open and overall male winner, Ryne Scopp, of Kenosha; female open and overall female winner, Elizabeth Bovin, of Fitchburg; male masters winner, Mike Jovanavich, of Neenah (repeat champion); female masters winner, Lori Wenzel, of Greenville (three-time champion); and relay winner, Team Fondy Elite (Amy and Bengie Belongia and Jamie Ludovic).

The race included more than 55 first-time triathletes, a paratriathlete and participants from 11 states, as far away as Washington and Florida, and two countries.

All proceeds benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, which serve families in the Green Bay and surrounding areas by providing world-leading medical care for children, regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

There wasn’t much more Mike Maass could have accomplished last season as coach of the Appleton North High School boys volleyball team.

The Lightning finished 34-0 and captured the program’s first state title. For his efforts, Maass was named coach of the year by Volleyball Magazine.

Maass, who is a 1989 Oconto Falls High School graduate, was a little surprised when he found out he had won the award.

“It’s a great honor,” Maass said. “It’s great to have recognition for the North program and the Fox Valley in general. For us to be recognized by a national magazine is a pretty big deal.”

The Appleton North volleyball team wrapped up its season in November, but Volleyball Magazine did not announce its yearly awards until one month ago since states such as California and Illinois do not play their boys volleyball season until the spring.

Oconto Falls had De Pe re on the ropes early, however, a knockout punch wasn’t in store.

The Oconto Falls Legion baseball team jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the De Pere 17U squad got its hitters going and scored 10 unanswered runs to tally a 10-6 victory in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

“The one thing you can’t do is walk guys, give them free bases, and we started doing that,” Oconto Falls coach Chris Hillberg said.

Oconto Falls (5-3) won the opening game 5-2 as Hunter Magnin threw a complete game five-hitter to pick up the victory.

Alex Johnson went two for two at the plate for Oconto Falls in the first game and Jacob Mogged had two RBIs.

In the second game, Oconto Falls had a tough time cashing in with big hits. The team stranded 14 runners and left the bases loaded in the first, fifth and sixth innings.

Jake Morrissey accomplished a lot during his high school wrestling career. However, he’s got one more thing to cross off his list.

After falling just one round short of placing in freestyle and Greco at the USA Wrestling freestyle and Greco national championships last year, Morrissey — a 2013 Oconto Falls High School graduate — will have a shot at redemption when he competes in the national tournament in Fargo, N.D., later this month.

“You’re going to be wrestling against the best kids in the nation,” Morrissey said. “It’s the toughest tournament you can go to as far as being a high school tournament.”

Morrissey, who will wrestle at Purdue University in the fall, will compete in both freestyle and Greco. The Greco wrestling will be two days, followed by one-day break and then freestyle starts.

What does Morrissey prefer to wrestle, freestyle or Greco?

The old adage that pitching and defense win championships couldn’t ring more true for the 1973 Oconto Falls High School baseball team.

The Panthers (16-1) used their defensive prowess to run off eight straight postseason victories while allowing just 10 runs en route to the program’s first state baseball championship.

Forty years after the team’s remarkable run, players and coaches still recall many memories quite fondly. However, some details have faded over the years.

“Memory-wise it feels like yesterday, but body-wise it feels like 40 years ago,” said Doug Meyer, who was the team’s ace pitcher as a senior.

“I can look at their pictures and it was just like it was yesterday,” then-assistant coach Mike Kaczmarek Sr. said.

The players grew up together, Meyer said, and became a close-knit group that became accustomed to success.