Sports

With their backs to the goaline for most of the first half, Union's football team found itself looking for answers to unbeaten, top-ranked District 4 Champion Cascade, as the Knight defense fought to keep the game within reach. They did. After spending most of the first 24 minutes in their own territory, and their backs to the goal line on several occasions, the Knights held the Cougars to just one touchdown in the first half.

John Frazier speaks to members of the VS boys CC team before the home meet in September. Hundreds of VS runners have heard the encouraging words of John Frazier as they completed their cross country courses. The only cross country head coach that Vinton-Shellsburg has ever had has announced his retirement. John Frazier told his runners of his plan to step aside as the year-end banquet Thursday evening.

VSU swimmer Arabella Shepard will compete at State, Saturday in Marshalltown. Coach Ashley Hesson with the VSU swim team, which ends its season with one member competing at State and Hesson sharing conference Coach of the Year honors. "She's amazing. She totally deserves it." The words that Ashley Hesson said about Margaret Trumphold, the Williamsburg girls swimming coach, are also being said about Hesson, the Vinton-Shellsburg/Union girls swimming coach.

Kaleb Roach led Union with 230 rushing yards and two TDs. Three of the eight remaining playoff teams in Class 2A are from District 4, after Union, Cascade and Waukon all won their first-round contests. The Knights travel to Cascade on Friday, hoping to avenge a last-minute loss to the Cougars in the last week of the regular season. Union defeated Aplington-Parkersburg, 42-0, behind a strong defense that held the Falcons to just 16 yards in the first half.

Cole Tharp (3rd from right, runs with his teammates to take the Homecoming game ball to the football field. He will end his CC career at the State meet Saturday. Vinton-Shellsburg senior Cole Tharp is his school's lone representative in the Class 3A State Cross Country meet. His race begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Tharp earned the right to run at State with a 13th place finish and a time of 17 minutes, 13 seconds at the qualifying meet hosted in Manchester by West Delaware High School.

Quinten Kinsel (36) blocks for Kaleb Roach (35) in Union's loss to unbeaten Cascade. By virtue of a tie-breaker, the Union Knights earned their 10th straight consecutive playoff berth -- the longest active streak among Class 2A teams -- despite losing its third game of the season on Friday and finishing third in Class 2A, District 4. Ironies abound for the 2017 Union team.

VS seniors pose for one more photo with Coach Frazier and Coach Mangold after their last race of the season. Photo from VS mom Tammy Karr. Senior Cole Tharp and Junior Libbie Timmerman led the Vinton-Shellsburg Cross Country teams at the Oct. 19 state qualifying cross country meet hosted by West Delaware in Manchester. Tharp finished 13th with a time of 17:13 to lead the Vikings.

Kaitlyn Goodell swimming her 500 Freestyle at Williamsburg. Geordyn Webster swimming her 100 Butterfly. By Ashley Hesson, VSU swim coach Last night was a great night for VSU swimming!!! 1st out of 5 teams at the Williamsburg Invite... --won every event --also took second in 2 events --5 different girls took home individual 1st place finishes, all 8 girls contributed to winning theirrelay events --every VSU swimmer score points in every event they swam --won the team totals by 50 points Senior swimmer Kaitlyn Goodell had great night: dropped 5 seconds off her personal best to win the 200 Freestyle, and cut over a second off her personal best in the 500 Freestyle to bring home the points for 4th place.

Seth Lazenby races to the end zone at the end of this long TD pass play Friday vs. Charles City. For most of three quarters during Friday's varsity Homecoming Game, the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings had victory within reach. A long TD pass from QB Blake Bohnsack to Seth Lazenby and kickoff return for a TD by Jose Wilson kept the Vikings close. They were down to Charles City by just two, 15-13, with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Clarissa Carolan Natalie Tecklenburg The VSU swimmers lost in a double dual last week against Grinnell & Boone. Final team scores were: VSU 88 vs Grinnell 93; and VSU 76 vs Boone 93. "It was our numbers (or lack thereof) that did us in last night," says Coach Ashley Hesson. "The girls all swam really well, but when we only have 1 or 2 entries in each event, where the other team has 3, it's nearly impossible to keep up with them.