B+ Hockey tourney resumes Sunday
The seventh annual Hutch Cup B+ Hockey League tournament continues Sunday, March 30 with three games at Sun Valley Skating Center.
The second round of playoff games begins Sunday when the Sharks face off against the Aardvarks at 6:30 p.m. in a loser-out game.
Also Sunday, the Vipers meet Lampl’s at 7:45 p.m. for a berth opposite Flounders in the April 6 title game. At 9 p.m. Sunday, Hutch’s Bad Dogs clash with the winner of the Sharks-Aardvarks game earlier in the night, in another loser-out match-up.
Three opening-round games were played Sunday, March 16.
Upset of the night was No. 6-seeded Sun Valley Auto Club/Vipers (5-9-2) beating No. 1-seeded Hutch’s Bad Dogs (10-4-2) by a 4-3 score.
Devan Annan scored twice for the Vipers. Others were Mark Bucknall (1 goal/1 assist) and Travis Kilmer (1/1) with assists to Greg Townley and Dan Gralenski. Hutch’s scorers were Alex Baron (1/1), Dave McCormack (1/1) and Richard Boullon, with Ed Grimes assisting.
No. 2-seeded Flounders (9-6-1) raced past No. 5 Sharks (5-9-2) and made it into the April 6 championship game by a 6-3 score.
Will Hemmings (2/1) and Gunnar Whitehead (2/1) led Flounders, helped by Pete Prekeges (2 goals) plus assists to Jim Slanetz (2), Jeff Ballou, Josh Green and Merri Whitehead. Alan Dupuis notched a three-goal Sharks hat trick, assists to Jay Hedrick and Sean Murphy.
No. 4 Lampl’s Garage (7-9-0) slipped past No. 3 Aardvarks (8-7-1) by a 5-3 score. Lampl’s scorers were Todd Avison (2/1), Chris Peterson (1/1), Lacie Hernandez (1/0) and Clark Shafer (1/0), with Georgia Hutchinson assisting twice. Nic Thomas (2/0) and Rod Watson (1/1) lit the Aardvarks lights, with Dan Gorham picking up an assist.
Ultimate Fighter winner is coming to Bellevue
Julianna Pena, the first female Ultimate Fighter winner, is coming to USA Grappling Academy in Bellevue for a Jiu-Jitsu and MMA seminar Friday, March 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the 713 N. Main St. location. The seminar is open to men, women and teens. Contact Lee Anderson at 720-3519.
WRHS wrestling coach Huntington steps down
Wood River High School athletic director John Rade announced March 20 that WRHS head wrestling coach Shawn Huntington resigned his position as of March 17.
Rade said, “Shawn was a tremendous asset to WRHS. His passion and devotion to the WRHS wrestling program will be missed by all.
“Shawn coached WRHS wrestlers for six seasons, five as head coach. During his tenure as head coach, Shawn qualified 36 wrestlers to the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) state wrestling tournament with eight of those wrestlers placing sixth or higher at state.”
Rade added that a search for the next head wrestling coach will begin in the next couple of weeks.
School board approves middle school baseball/softball
Wood River High School teacher Lars Hovey, co-founder of the high school baseball program, expressed delight Friday with the news that the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees approved baseball and softball as official middle school sports during its March 20 meeting.
Hovey has been overseeing the development of middle school baseball and softball in recent years through his position as Babe Ruth League director of the Wood River Baseball and Softball Association.
Hovey said, “To my knowledge this is the one and only district to do so in Idaho. Thank you to Mr. Torseth (Wood River Middle School athletic director) and all those who’ve been so supportive of this over the last three years. We can feel at ease knowing that Babe Ruth Baseball/Softball programs are on solid ground for years to come.”
This year’s WRMS baseball (boys ages 13-15, grades 7-8) and softball (girls 12-14, grades 6-8) programs begin after Spring Break, with games from the third week of April through the end of May. The baseball league plays in cooperation with Northside Baseball of Jerome and Twin Falls Babe Ruth.
Road to Hershey track starts in April
After-school training for May’s Blaine County/Hershey track and field meet begins in mid-April for kids participating in the Blaine County Recreation District’s three-week track and field program.
Registration is underway at the BCRD offices at the Community Campus in Hailey or through the Web site bcrd.org. Eligible are boys are girls in grades 1-5 at local elementary schools as well as those in grades 6-8 at Blaine County middle schools.
Cost is $35 ($25 at Carey School) for three weeks of twice-weekly after-school supervised instruction plus the Blaine County/Hershey track meet on Saturday, May 3 at Derrick Parke Memorial Field in Carey. You also get a t-shirt.
After-school practices are Mondays and Wednesdays starting April 14 at Hailey Elementary, Hemingway Elementary in Ketchum, Carey School and Woodside Elementary in Hailey, and Tuesdays and Thursdays starting April 15 at Bellevue Elementary and Wood River Middle School.