Sports

The 2013 high school football season is just over three weeks away. The Vikings begin their season by hosting Benton Community on Friday, Aug. 30. The Fall Blow-Out takes place Aug. 23. The Vikings play the same teams they played last year, and in the same order, although the location is reversed for this season. This year's nine regular-season contest dates and sites are: 8/30 -- Benton Community (non-district) 9/6 -- @ South Tama (non-district) 9/13 -- @ Oelwein 9/20 -- Western Dubuque, Epworth 9/27 -- @ Independence 10/4 -- Decorah 10/11 -- West Delaware 10/118 --@ Williamsburg (non-district) 10/25 -- @ Crestwood, Cresco.

On Monday July 29, the VSHS Cross Country team ventured to Lake Belva Deer for a team camp out.  Coach Frazier along with chaperones; Carolyn Frazier, Jeff Mangold, Heather Kalous, NIcole Guenther, Nancy Jorgensen, Pat Jorgensen, Kyle Schminke, Rich MIracle and Nathaniel Brandt made the trek with 36 athletes to the newly renovated camp outside of Sigourney, Iowa.

Dozens of area wrestlers met a few All-American wrestlers, including James Locke, during this week's wrestling camp. New VSHS wrestling coach Joel Neve organized the camp. Locke, who wrestled in high school in Minnesota before enrolling in Coe College, is the new coach of the Viking Wrestling Club.  Other instructors during the 3-day camp were Northwestern assistant wrestling coach and former Iowa Hawkeye and NCAA Champion Jay Borschel and Wartburg assistant coach Chris Ortner.

The audience at the annual Jerry Stanley Demolition Derby on Saturday night cheered and ooohed at the collisions and the way drivers kept their vehicles going despite the continually increasing damage and in many cases, clouds of steam or smoke rolling from under their hoods. Among the audience favorites on Saturday was the driver of the pink car with the number 1x: Vinton native Jess Ender.

Two race cars that are nearly 80 years old were among the cars seen during Thursday night a the races during the Benton County Fair. Two Iowa racers, Wayde Russell and Rod Foster, did several laps in their 1934 and 1936 Chevy race cars, then spent some time talking about why they prefer the antiques.  Russell said the old cars are more challenging to steer, and he prefers the higher level of difficulty.

Vinton-Shellsburg football players and coaches traveled to Pella Wednesday, as they began what Head Coach Jim Womochil says he wants to make an annual tradition: Participating in the Team Camp at Central Colllege in Pella. "It's an intense camp, led by colleges coaches and includes some strong varsity teams from around the state," said Womochil.

Tom Radcliffe, a member of the Vinton Country Club shot a hole in one at the Belle Plaine Country Club on Tue. July 23rd, 2013.  Tom was in a 50 and over tournament and shot his hole in one from the forward tees on the 7th hole - 245 yards. Par 4.   He was with a group of golfers from Vinton: Carlton Root, Bill Guider and Okie Walker Sr.

Benton Community senior Jonny Frese improved his record to 6-2 with a complete game, one-hit shutout of the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings in the District final Tueday night. Benton advances to the Sub-State game; the Vikings end their season with a record of 17-25. Benton scored one run in the first, four runs in the third and two in the fourth while playing strong defense behind Frese.

When Vinton Modified racer Scott Hoganon the March 29 Spring Extravaganza feature at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, he qualified for the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star race in Boone on Sept. 6.   Votes by racing fans will determine if Hogan has the opportunity to compete in this race.    "This is the 10th annual event; Hogan was runner-up in 2005, the only other time he was elected to the field.

Senior Daniel Ervin pitched his second consecutive complete game, giving up just one run to the Grinnell Tigers, as the Vinton-Shellsburg Vikings extended their season and came one game closer to going to the State Tournament. The Vikings defeated Grinnell, 3-1 on Friday.  Playing on the Benton Community field -- where both district games and the Sub-State game are scheduled -- the Viking offense relied on small ball, getting batters on base and advancing them with bunts and sacrifice flies.