Sports

The Vinton-Shellsburg girls basketball team opened its home season Tuesday night with a last-second loss to Dyersville Beckman, 44-42. The Vikettes had trailed most of the game but Bethany Stainbrook tied the score at 42 with less than a minute left. Both teams had chances to score, but a put-back as the buzzer sounded gave the Blazers the win.

Ending their last season just one game away from going to last year’s State Tournament, the Vinton-Shellburg boys basketball team won its first contest of 2012-13 on Saturday. The Vikings hosted Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Iowa Pride Challenge scrimmage series. The Vikings won, 69-54. The Iowa Pride Challenge raises funds for the Iowa Hall of Pride, the hall of fame for Iowa high school athletics, as well as local charities.

Coach Jim Womochil and his assistant coaches joined  the members of the Vinton-Shellsburg High School football teams and their parents for the annual season-end end banquet. Players received recognition for their efforts, and many received certificates for specific accomplishments and honors.  The dinner also included a highlight video of the 2012 season.

The Vinton-Shellsburg Wrestling Club hosted its 4th annual wrestling tournament Sunday. More than 250 wrestlers from many eastern Iowa communities came to wrestle. See complete Bracket results here. Only bracket results are available; there is no compiilation of team wrestlers.

A little known game took place here in Vinton last month, when the Ellsworth Community College baseball team played Kirkwood on Oct. 16. The Ellsworth coach is Nate Forsyth, a VS alum.   Nate Forsyth, the Ellsworth head coach, a former Vinton-Shellsurg student, is in his seventh year as the head baseball coach at Ellsworth.     Nate Forsyth, Head Coach In the last six years the Panthers have experienced some tremendous success, highlighted with a third place finish at the 2008 Region XI Tournament and a second place finish in 2010, the highest finish for ECC in 18 years.

  The Iowa Pride Challenge comes to Vinton on Saturday, as the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings boys basketball team takes on Xavier. The event is a fund-raiser for both the Iowa Hall of Pride and the Benton County Food Pantry. The JV game begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17; the varsity game at around 6:30. Admission is $3 per person and 1 food item for the Benton County Food Pantry.

To view standings, click here!

It's Pickleball tournament time!  Pictured are the winner from today!

A Snow Kickball tournament fund-raiser for the Vinton-Shellsburg 11U baseball team will take place Jan. 19. Click HERE for a flyer with sign-up information and rules. 

POWs announced for Waukon, Round 2 playoff game Players of the game: Defense: Tanner Heckt, DL, Will Crees LB, Trev Hadachek DB Offense: Trev Hadachek, WR and Josh Clark OL Spec Teams: Brian Dunkelberger LS, and Brady Petersen PK/PU Scout Team: Justin Carey, Mitchell Brandhorst, Jacob Clark   'Inside the Huddle' - Union's Repeat Hopes Dashed in Rematch with Waukon By Cheyne Reiter The Union Knights were defeated by the Waukon Indians Monday night, 21-14, in a rematch featuring two powerhouse, 2A District 3 programs.