With a handful of its younger players competing, some in their first varsity competition, the Halifax County High School golf team placed third Tuesday in a four-team nine-hole match at The Briery Country Club in Keysville.

Randolph-Henry High School won the match by a wide margin, topping runner-up Central High School by 10 strokes at 158-168. Halifax County High School placed third with a team total of 181 and William Campbell High School rounded out the field with a team total of 197.

Khalil Richardson led the Comets with a round of 44. Will Abdi was next in line with a round of 45 and Ashley Day and Ashton Hinshaw both turned in a round of 46.

Gabriel Brankley and Jaxon Lloyd also competed, with both turning in a round of 56. Their scores did not count toward the Comets team total as the four best scores from among the six players are counted toward the team total.

We took some players to get them experience in matches, said Comets Head Coach David Graham.

It was a great effort by this team that played today. The kids played much better than their scores indicate.

The focus, Graham said, is getting the players to eliminate the big numbers when they have a bad hole.

We must eliminate the big numbers, noted Graham.

That is what is hurting our scores now. Gabriel and Jaxon are freshman, and this was their first time out. I know they were a little nervous, but they did a good job hanging in there. Khalil, Will, Ashley, and Ashton held their own. Once we can stop the big numbers on a few holes, we should be fine.

We are working on a few swing changes, so that will take some time, Graham added.

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Comets golfers finish third in match - YourGV.com

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Space boffins used data from Nasa's WISE spacecraft to determine the nucleus sizes of comets, and estimate the number out there.

Some comets in the distant parts of the solar system, between 186 billion miles (300 billionkms) away from the sun, known as the Oort Cloud, can be up to 60 miles across.

However, they may only pass the sun every 200 years or so, making them harder to study.

Comets are made up of materials, including rock and ice, left over from the formation of the universe, and it was previously thought there were less than there actually are.

If anything of a few miles or more across hit the Earth, it could destroy the entire planet, wiping out all life.

The findings published in the Astronomical Journal, also found more comets than thought are leaving the Oort Cloud and passing the sun.

A Nasa spokesman said: "NASA's WISE spacecraft, scanning the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, has delivered new insights about these distant wanderers.

"Scientists found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 0.6 miles (1km) across than had been predicted previously.

"Researchers also observed that in eight months, three to five times as many long-period comets passed by the Sun than had been predicted."

James Bauer, lead author of the study and now a research professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, said: "The number of comets speaks to the amount of material left over from the solar system's formation.

"We now know that there are more relatively large chunks of ancient material coming from the Oort Cloud than we thought."

The Oort Cloud is too distant to be seen by current telescopes, but is thought to be a spherical distribution of small icy bodies at the outermost edge of the solar system.

The density of comets within it is low, so the odds of comets colliding within it are rare.

Long-period comets that WISE observed probably got kicked out of the Oort Cloud millions of years ago.

Amy Mainzer, study co-author based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, said: "Our study is a rare look at objects perturbed out of the Oort Cloud.

Caters News Agency

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A meteor captured above the erupting Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano

"They are the most pristine examples of what the solar system was like when it formed."

Astronomers already had broader estimates of how many long-period and Jupiter family comets are in our solar system, but had no good way of measuring the sizes of long-period comets.

That is because a comet has a "coma," a cloud of gas and dust that appears hazy in images and obscures the cometary nucleus.

But by using the WISE data showing the infrared glow of this coma, scientists were able to "subtract" the coma from the overall comet and estimate the nucleus sizes of these comets.

The spokesman added: "The existence of so many more long-period comets than predicted suggests that more of them have likely impacted planets, delivering icy materials from the outer reaches of the solar system.

"Researchers also found clustering in the orbits of the long-period comets they studied, suggesting there could have been larger bodies that broke apart to form these groups.

"The results will be important for assessing the likelihood of comets impacting our solar system's planets, including Earth."

Ms Mainzer added: "Comets travel much faster than asteroids, and some of them are very big.

Scientists found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 0.6 miles (1km) across than had been predicted previously.

NASA spokesman

"Studies like this will help us define what kind of hazard long-period comets may pose."

Last year research published in the Royal Astronomical Society journal of Astronomy and Geophysics warned there were hundreds of comets in the far reaches of the solar system measuring 60 miles plus and even as long as 160 miles, known as centaurs.

Scientists behind the study said much had taken place into locating as many near-earth asteroids, which vary from tens of metres to many miles wide, as possible.

However, little has been done to plan for the threat of the centaurs the research team claimed.

Professor Bill Napier, co-author of the report from the University of Buckingham, said: "In the last three decades we have invested a lot of effort in tracking and analysing the risk of a collision between the Earth and an asteroid.

"Our work suggests we need to look beyond our immediate neighbourhood too, and look out beyond the orbit of Jupiter to find Centaurs.

If a Centaur deviated towards the Earth's atmosphere, it would be expected to break up, showering the planet with huge chunks of rock and ice that could each devastate a continent and send tsunamis across the seas.

A 10-mile comet or asteroid which struck the Yukon peninsula in Mexico 65million years ago is thought to have wiped out most of the dinosaurs, so if a 60-mile comet hit is it is unlikely anything could survive.

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A meteor streaked across the sky of Russias Ural Mountains

In September 2015 former journalist turned pseudo scientist Graham Hancock published book Magicians of the Gods which warned a 20-mile long fragment of a larger comet was still in the solar system and could strike Earth in just 15 years.

His book claimed that it was part of a bigger comet that struck between 11,600 and 12,800 years ago, wiping out civilisations.

Then, this April, a study by the University of Edinburghs School of Engineering published in the University of the Aegean's International Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, appeared to have vindicated his claims of the comet strike 13,000 years ago that caused a mini ice age.

Much of Mr Hancock's claims stemmed from evidence found during a dig at an ancient site in Turkey known as Gobekli Tepe, near the border with Syria.

It is more than two times older than Stonehenge, but was a much more skilled construction with astronomical carvings, which Mr Hancock said also told of the ancient comet strike.

The University of Edinburgh's study said the carvings at Gobekli Tepe do show a comet strike, in 10,950BC.

Dr Martin Sweatman of Edinburgh University said: "One of the pillars at Gobekli Tepe seems to have served as a memorial to this devastating event probably the worst day in history since the end of the Ice Age."

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The deadly comets that NASA says could one day hit Earth with devastating effects - Express.co.uk

St. Paul Indians picked to win TRL 8-Man Division

ANDREW TOWNE

Sports editor

PITTSBURG The common theme around the SEK Football Coaches and Media Luncheon was excitement and that preseason polls dont mean a thing.

Just ask the Fort Scott Tigers.

They were picked to win the SEK League in 2016 but ended up third, and this year, the Tigers are once again favored to win the league. However, Fort Scott Head Coach Bob Campbell was quick to remind everyone that in the Pittsburg State Universitys Plaster Center about 2016.

Meanwhile, for the Chanute Blue Comets, they were picked third behind Fort Scott and Labette County High School.

Like Coach Campbell said, at the end of the day, its just words on a piece of paper, Chanute Coach Chris Shields said. Its not going to matter because you have to go out and play the game.

Independence, Coffeyville and Parsons rounded out the six-team SEK League.

The Comets return 10 players who started at least a game for the Blue Comets a year ago on offense alone, and the coaches around the league recognized the improvement and rewarded Chanute with the high pre-season ranking.

It is a testament to the kids we have coming back and the amount of work they put in, Shields said. We still have to go out and perform on Friday nights.

Shields credits the hard work the student-athletes put in over the summer, and has him extremely excited about the upcoming season.

We had a great summer. We were pleased with the percentage of turn out-wise. Our kids were pretty consistent over the course of the summer, Shields said. We asked a lot more of kids this summer. We hosted a 7-on-7 league at our place on Wednesday nights. We traveled to a couple tournaments and went to several team camps.

Shields hopes that pays off once the season kicks off at 7 pm on Sept. 1 in Iola.

Last year we were a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. This year we are going to be juniors and sophomores, he concluded. I know everyone says this, but Im extremely excited about the upcoming season. We cant wait for Monday to get here.

Practice starts around the league on Monday, Aug. 14 with Chanute hitting the field at 3:30 pm before moving to two-a-day practices on Tuesday.

St. Paul favorites in Three Rivers Leagues 8-man division

Despite the loss of five seniors off a team that finished 9-2 and reached the second round of the 8-Man Division I playoffs, the St. Paul Indians are right back as favorites to win the 8-man division of the Three Rivers League.

Pleasanton was second, and Chetopa was picked third. Colony-Crest, Marmaton Vally and the Altoona-Midway Jets rounded out the six-team division.

SEK League (First place votes)

1. Fort Scott (4) 24

2. Labette County (2) 19

3. Chanute 18

4. Independence 13

5. Coffeyville 10

6. Parsons 6

TRL 8-Man Division

1. St. Paul (4) 20

2. Pleasanton (1) 17

3. Chetopa 12

4. Colony-Crest 11

5. Marmaton Valley 10

6. Altoona-Midway 5

Continued here:

Comets tabbed third in SEK preseason poll - Chanute Tribune

IF Coffs Harbour is to reach next week's major semi final against the Grafton Ghosts, look for the Comets forwards to be scrapping for every possible yard through the middle of the field.

Both Coffs Harbour and South Grafton boast imposing forward packs and Comets coach Kerrod Selmes said winning the battle of the big men will go a long way to securing victory.

"I think we've just got to do our job and if we can win in that middle section of the ground it will be important," Selmes said.

"They (South Grafton) like to play off the back of their big forwards and so do we.

"Whoever wins that battle will go a long way toward winning the game."

The last time the two teams met, South Grafton led Coffs Harbour by 22 points with only 20 minutes of the contest remaining.

The Comets piled on four quick tries to take the lead only for South Grafton to escape with a draw after grabbing two points from a last minute penalty.

Letting go such a big lead that day is the reason why South Grafton has to travel tomorrow rather than play at home.

South Grafton hooker Rhys Walters, who played his 200th first grade game last week, said his Rebels teammates prefer to look at the first hour of that match rather than the Comets' late flurry of tries.

"That game we played against them at McKittrick Park where they came back with 20 minutes to go to draw with us proved costly in the long run but at the end of the day we still think we can go down there and beat them," Walters said.

"The last time we played them we were the better team for 60 minutes but we switched off at the end and it cost us.

"The past three weeks we've been putting it together and really been building some momentum at the right time of the year."

The fact that the match is at Coffs Harbour rather than at the Rebels' McKittrick Park fortress could be vital.

"It's a big advantage to us. It's hard playing at the Rebels' ground," Selmes said.

"It definitely plays in our favour having it at home."

While the nuggety hooker said his Comets boys have plenty of belief and have built up plenty of confidence based on losing only one of their past 11 matches, Selmes admitted the opposition's halves pairing of Kayan Davis and Nick McGrady can cause plenty of damage if given only half an opportunity.

"If you give them an inch they can take you a mile," the coach said.

"You can never underestimate the Rebels, never take them lightly because they're the sort of team that can 30 points on you in a blink of an eye."

QUALIFYING SEMI Sunday at Geoff King Motors Park. 2.30pm - First grade: Coffs Harbour v South Grafton 1pm - Reserve grade: Grafton Ghosts v Nambucca Heads 11.45am - Under-18s: Sawtell v Nambucca Heads 10.30am - Ladies League Tag: Coffs Harbour v South Grafton

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Forward thinking the key for the Comets - Coffs Coast Advocate

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Orbital Elements: Comets - IAU Minor Planet Center

Caroline Lovett is coming back home. The Penn Manor school board earlier this week approved Lovett, a 2011 alum, as the Comets new girls lacrosse head coach. This comes on the heels of Lovett being hired as a fourth grade teacher for the coming school year at Penn Manors Pequea Elementary. She returns to the area after spending the last two years as a fourth grade teacher in Caroline County, Maryland.

I knew I wanted to come back to Lancaster, Lovett said. Then a teaching position opened up. I got the job. I knew I wanted to coach at Penn Manor if Jenn Forney needed any help.

Forney resigned as the Penn Manor girls lacrosse coach in May after four years at the helm.

I saw she (Forney) had resigned, Lovett said. Im like Well, its a lot but Ill go for it.

A standout hoopster and laxer at Penn Manor, Lovett played lacrosse for four years at NCAA Division III Washington (Md.) College. She was a full-time starter and one of the leading attacks in her final two years with the Shorewomen in 2014 and 2015, finishing her collegiate career with 67 goals and 44 assists in 48 games played.

So I did camps and clinics when I was at Washington and fell in love with it (coaching), Lovett said. And after I graduated from there I was missing the sport and wanted to get back involved.

Lovett did just that the last two years with a club lacrosse program along the eastern shore in the lacrosse hotbed of Maryland, coaching seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders.

The girls, she said. Live and breath lacrosse down there.

Lovett is aiming to instill a similar passion back at her alma mater in hopes to return the Comets to the glory days she experienced not too long ago when Penn Manor went a combined 75-16 in her four years there from 2008 through 2011, the last three of those seasons reaching the District 3 semifinals, including a runner-up finish in 2009. Penn Manor went a combined 32-37 the last four seasons, including a 4-13 mark in 2017.

I think its all gonna start with having a coach who is dedicated to the sport and holds the girls accountable, Lovett said. Instead of jumping into strategy and things we work on in practice its important to build a relationships with the girls and make them understand they need to be dedicated to the sport...once we have that established in the fall I hope to incorporate the skills and practices I learned to get the team back on the right track. But I know its a journey. Im not expecting us to win every game right away.

Lovett also admittedly understands coaching club lacrosse and a high school program are two different animals. After all, 20 of the 25 L-L boys and girls lacrosse programs have changed head coaches at least once since 2016. And Lovett will be one of eight new head coaches on the L-L lacrosse landscape in 2018.

I thought about it a lot actually, she said. Because of my experience playing in high school I know there a lot of politics that goes into high school sports...thats one reservation I had is its gonna be different from where Im coaching club with how involved the parents get...I think being a teacher will help me in that regard. Thats why I didnt let that aspect weigh too heavily on my decision because Im dealing with parents everyday in a professional manner as a teacher.

It is kinda crazy being 24. I do feel like Im kinda young. I dont know this many people this young who go into coaching shortly after graduating (college). I think itll be an adventure.

By the way, Lovett is the older sister to brother Cameron Lovett, who just graduated from Penn Manor and is soon headed to play basketball at NCAA D-III Union (NY) College.

Other searches: Searches for new head lacrosse coaches are still ongoing at Cocalico (boys), Garden Spot (boys), Hempfield (boys) and Lampeter-Strasburg (boys and girls).

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Penn Manor alum Caroline Lovett returning home as Comets' new girls lacrosse coach - LancasterOnline

photo courtesy of Utica Comets

Utica Comets fans will be able to drink specialty-themed cans of Labatt and Labatt Blue Light this fall while showing their support for the team.

The 16-ounce cans, packaged in six packs, will be shipped to Labatt Blue and Blue Light retailers in six counties including, Oneida, Herkimer and Madison as early as October.

The blue and green cans will feature the Comets logo on both the front and back with the slogan #cheerstohockey.

An official release party, in conjunction with McCraith Beverages, the local Labatt USA distributor, is planned for early October.

The reveal of the Labatt Blue Comets cans is a great way to kick off the fifth anniversary season, said Comets President Robert Esche. McCraith has always been a valuable sponsor to the Comets brand, and this can design takes the partnership to another level. Im extremely excited to enjoy these cans with the rest of Comets fans throughout the Mohawk Valley this October.

New Addition To Utica Aud Will Be Suite For Comets Fans

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Comets Themed Labatt And Labatt Blue Light Cans Available This Fall - WIBX AM 950

MASON, Ohio -- Mason football coach BrianCastneris not sure if he will coach another player like Matt Sora.

Castner, who begins his eighth season with the Comets and25thyear coaching high school football, cant say enough about the senior running back.

Matt and I have grown to be close,Castnersaid at practice last week. Hes a two-year captain. I think he wants to do a lot of things here because this is where he grew up. He wants to give back to this community when he plays on Friday nights. Its never about him.

Sora, an Indiana State commit, rushed for 1,262 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2016 for the Comets (7-5). He was also first-teamAll-Greater Miami Conference.

But its the way he carries himself in practice, with teammates and off the field that makes his leadership important to Mason as it prepares for the season opener Aug. 25 atSpringboro(7 p.m. kickoff).

Mason is trying to build off back-to-back postseason appearances including a first-round win over Elder in 2016. Sora had 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers in that playoff game. But this year is a new team.

For us as a team, we want to write our own story, said senior linebacker JakeBracher, one of the teams four captains. Its going to have a storybook ending -- its going to be awesome.

WCPO Insiders can learn where Matt Sorapracticed sprints in the offseason last year to prepare for the season and why his leadership is so important to the Comets this fall.

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Mason running back Matt Sora is all about the Comets and the community - WCPO

Aug 9th, 2017 | By South Platte Sentinel | Category: Sports

Monday, July 31, the Sterling Comets Special Olympics team took on members of the Sterling Police Department and other city officials in a friendly round of the Italian lawn-bowling game at Propst Park. Here, players watch the results while waiting for their turn to throw in bocce ball.

By Lisa Broaddus Special to the South Platte Sentinel

The Sterling Comets Special Olympians hosted their year end barbecue and bocce tournament at Propst Park on July 31.

The tournament was played against the fire department, law enforcement and city officials.

It was a fierce tournament that ended up with a narrow win by the Sterling Comets. A great time was had by all.

We all would like to give a huge thank you to the fire department, law enforcement and city officials for their support and participation of the Sterling Comets Special Olympian program.

City officials who attended were Don Saling, Bob Brown and also Chief Tyson Kerr.

Originally posted here:

Sterling Comets win bocce tournament - South Platte Sentinel

All year long as Earth revolves around the sun, it passes through streams of cosmic debris. The resulting meteor showers can light up night skies from dawn to dusk, and if youre lucky you might be able to catch one.

If you spot a meteor shower, what youre really seeing is the leftovers of icy comets crashing into Earths atmosphere. Comets are sort of like dirty snowballs:As they travel through the solar system, they leave behind a dusty trail of rocks and ice that lingers in space long after they leave. When Earth passes through these cascades of comet waste, the bits of debris which can be as small as grains of sand pierce the sky at such speeds that they burst, creating a celestial fireworks display.

A general rule of thumb with meteor showers:You are never watching the Earth cross into remnants from a comets most recent orbit. Instead, the burning bits come from the previous pass. For example, during the Perseid meteor shower you are seeing meteors ejected from when its parent comet, Comet Swift-Tuttle, visited in 1862 or earlier, not from its most recent pass in 1992.

Thats because it takes time for debris from a comets orbit to drift into a position where it intersects with Earths orbit, according toBill Cooke, an astronomer with NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office, who spoke toThe New YorkTimeslast year.

The name attached to a meteor shower is usually tied to the constellation in the sky from which they seem to originate, known as their radiant. For instance, the Orionid meteor shower can be found in the sky when stargazers have a good view of the Orion constellation.

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Meteor Showers in 2017 That Will Light Up Night Skies - New York Times

The Halifax County High School varsity and junior varsity football teams have completed the first step and will begin the second step in pre-season preparations today.

After having spent three days practicing in helmets, Comets players will add shoulder pads today, taking another step in the process of getting ready for the start of the new season.

Later this week, likely on Thursday, Comets players will don full pads and move into full-contact drills.

That will mean a little more added weight, a little more heat, and getting adjusted and acclimated to the weather, said Comets Head Coach Grayson Throckmorton.

We will be adding conditioning in small steps with that.

Throckmorton Friday night said his players finished the three days of practice clad in helmets on a good note.

The first three days Ive been pleased with the intensity the players have shown, and Im happy to be coaching these fellows, he remarked.

I see a lot of good things. I see some athletes that are going to win some ballgames.

In terms of the number of players on the practice field, Throckmorton said the number is holding right around 65 players.

Right now, its not bad for the first year, Throckmorton pointed out.

Its about what I had at the other established programs I have been at, with the exception of a couple of the bigger schools. Its not bad for the first year. If we can keep 60 or 65 this year, and next year add about 10 players, and the next year add 10 more, then we will have the numbers at the level we want for two teams. If we could get to 80 players, I think that would be optimum.

Throckmorton reiterated, as he had throughout last week, that his players are in the process of learning and executing very basic fundamental things on the practice field.

As far as how our listening and learning the Xs and Os, we are still progressing forward as planned, Throckmorton explained.

Were very happy with that. Were still very basic in taking care of the basic fundamentals. The core-group of kids that we have are really working hard together and are buying in, and Im pleased with that. Next week there will be more as far as branching out and adding on to that base tree trunk that we have.

Throckmorton noted that one area that he is pleased with is the defense.

Youve got to remember were only three days in, very fledgling, he pointed out.

Were taking care of the base things right now, our (pass) coverages, the areas that were supposed to cover. Weve got a solid background that we can now start building on.

The Comets coach said players are responding well to the new terminology being used on offense and defense. The process of teaching players the offensive system that will be used this season is also going well.

On offense, when I teach a certain type of block, I dont necessarily teach the play to the point where I break it down with each kid, Throckmorton explained.

I will teach the kid the types of blocks first, and when we put the play in, I merely look at the player and say okay, here you need to use this type of block. When I say that kind of block, say a reach block or a down block, it triggers exactly what theyre supposed to do. I tie it together that way, and a lot of other coaches do it that way.

That method is not a new method, but it is a different one.

Im not re-inventing the wheel, Throckmorton said, but it is kind of a different way of looking at things. The bottom line is this is an old-school way. Sometimes old school is outdated and things are done in another, different way. So, now, when you go back to the old school stuff, which I am, its new.

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Comets take next step today in football prep - YourGV.com

The Scorpions showed how dangerous they could be at Derwent Park when they snatched a point earlier this season, but Comets failed to heed that warning and found themselves 10 points down at home after seven heats for the second week in a row.

Even 13 points from returning skipper Craig Cook, back at Derwent Park for the first time since his British Grand Prix appearance, was not enough to give Comets a chance. The hosts were given a helping hand as Michael Palm Toft was excluded for missing the two minutes and replaced by Tero Aarnio in the opening heat.

Aarnio gated superbly to lead out of the first bend but Cook ducked inside him on the fourth turn, while Mason Campton got into trouble and slipped to the back in a shared first race.

The visiting No.6 got out in front again in the second heat, winning comfortably ahead of James Sarjeant as Josh Bailey capitalised when home guest Tom Woolley drifted wide for a Scunthorpe 4-2.

Ryan Douglas and Lewis Kerr blasted away from the tapes in heat three but Ty Proctor lined both up and picked them off by the end of the second lap, with Matt Williamson a distant last for another draw.

The visitors stretched their lead to four points as Josh Auty kept Thomas Jorgensen at arms length in heat four and Woolley struggled to keep pace with Bailey.

The away duo left Proctor and Williamson behind in heat five for a 5-1 which put Scunthorpe eight points up and piled the pressure on Cook and Campton to turn the meeting around in heat six.

The race was marred by disruption as Campton was disqualified for not being under power, with Sarjeant drafted in, then it was pulled back for an unsatisfactory start. Cook did the business with an easy win but it was Aarnio and Auty who followed him in second and third to keep the heat on the hosts.

It got worse in heat seven as Kerr battled to the front and Jorgensen couldnt close the gap, with Douglas fourth as Comets trailed by 10.

In a carbon copy of the Glasgow meeting, Campton took a tactical ride as one last throw of the dice for Workington, and he had his work cut out when Sarjeant was excluded for moving at the start and elected not to ride from 15 metres to keep Campton away from gate two.

The Australian got the start of his life and never looked back to wipe three points off the deficit, before Proctor raced to a win ahead of Aarnio and Auty for a draw which didnt really help Comets.

Cook was last to enter the first bend of heat 10 but led after the fourth to win, while Campton capitalised on Douglas falling as Comets pulled back another two points.

Jorgensen produced a performance out of the top drawer to foil Palm Toft at every turn in heat 11, although Sarjeant was last to keep Workington five points down.

A 4-2 thanks to Proctor and Sarjeant gave hope that another remarkable comeback could be on the cards, then heat 13 served up a classic as Cook and Palm Toft were virtually glued together for all four laps but the Comets captain eventually pipped his opposite number, with Jorgensen flying in third to put just one point between the two sides.

Douglas and Aaarnio combined for a 4-2 in heat 14, with Sarjeant splitting the pair, to leave Comets in need of a 5-1 in the final heat but it was the away side who gated on one.

Cook got by Kerr on the second lap but the Scorpion quickly took the place back and that was that as Comets suffered their second home loss in three meetings.

HEAT BY HEAT

Workington Comets 43

1. Craig Cook 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 = 13

2. Mason Campton 0, 6^, 1 = 7

3. Ty Proctor 3, 1, 3, 3, 0 = 10

4. Matt Williamson 0, 0, 0, 0 = 0

5. Thomas Jorgensen 2, 2, 3, 1 = 8

6. James Sarjeant 2, 0, X, 0, 1, 2 = 5

7. Tom Woolley 0, 0, 0 = 0

Scunthorpe Scorpions 50

1. Michael Palm Toft EF, 3, 2, 2, 3 = 10

2. Jake Allen 1*, 2*, 1*, 1* = 5+4

3. Lewis Kerr 1*, 3, 2, 2, 2* = 10+2

4. Ryan Douglas 2, 1, F, 3 = 6

5. Josh Auty 3, 1*, 1*, 0 = 5+2

6. Tero Aarnio 2, 3, 2, 2, 0, 1 = 10

7. Josh Bailey 1, 1, 2 = 4

HEAT BY HEAT

HEAT 1 Cook, Aarnio, Allen, Campton 63.2, 3-3

HEAT 2 Aarnio, Sarjeant, Bailey, Woolley 64.1, 2-4, 5-7

HEAT 3 Proctor, Douglas, Kerr, Williamson 64.1, 3-3, 8-10

HEAT 4 Auty, Jorgensen, Bailey, Woolley 63.6, 2-4, 10-14

HEAT 5 Palm Toft, Allen, Proctor, Williamson 64.5, 1-5, 11-19

HEAT 6 (RERUN X2) Cook, Aarnio, Auty, Sarjeant 63.3, 3-3, 14-22

HEAT 7 Kerr, Jorgensen, Douglas, Woolley 64.4, 2-4, 16-26

HEAT 8 (RERUN) Campton (tactical ride), Bailey, Allen, Sarjeant (excluded) 64.8, 6-3, 22-29

HEAT 9 Proctor, Aarnio, Auty, Williamson 64, 3-3, 25-32

HEAT 10 Cook, Kerr, Campton, Douglas (fell) 64, 4-2, 29-34

HEAT 11 Jorgensen, Palm Toft, Allen, Sarjeant 64.6, 3-3, 32-37

HEAT 12 (RERUN) Proctor, Kerr, Sarjeant, Aarnio 64.8, 4-2, 36-39

HEAT 13 Cook, Palm Toft, Jorgensen, Auty 64.6, 4-2, 40-41

HEAT 14 Douglas, Sarjeant, Aarnio, Williamson 65.8, 2-4, 42-45

HEAT 15 (RERUN) Palm Toft, Kerr, Cook, Proctor 64.5, 1-5, 43-50

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Comets unable to mount another comeback in defeat to Scunthorpe Scorpions - Times & Star

By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Marionville Volleyball will have a new look with first-year head coach Taylor Aurentz taking over in 2017.

Aurentz, an Oklahoma native, is a Missouri State graduate and looking forward to implementing her own philosophy and standards on the Lady Comets program.

The biggest thing that can be expected from me is a set of high expectations and the kind of program girls can really begin to buy into starting at a young age, said Aurentz. I am here to build a lasting program that players and fans can look forward to every year.

And, the cupboard isnt bare for the Lady Comets.

Marionville went 25-7-1 last year and return three starters from that team. However, Aurentzs first challenge will be replacing departed seniors Kymra Kirby and Tori Brown; both players were All-Mid-Lakes selections in 2016.

Kirby will continue her career collegiately at Jefferson County CC.

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The class of 2017 had an incredible offense with three big hitters graduating, however this year they are being followed by a great class of defense, said Aurentz. Two senior defensive specialists will be picking up everything thrown our way and the sophomore and junior class is stepping up offensively to fill Kymbra and Toris shoes.

One of those looking to fill the leadership void is senior setter Tori LaSalle.

LaSalle is Marionvilles returning leader in assists and was an all-conference pick last year.

Tori LaSalle has hard work and leadership in her blood, and it shows on the court, said Aurentz. Working with a young, building team takes the right kind of leader and Toris consistency and level head is just that.

Junior Madylon Davis is the teams returning leader in kills and will likely shoulder a large amount of the offensive load for the Lady Comets.

Madylon will be alongside Tori as a team leader as a well-rounded player with consistent hits outside and team-leading serve receive, said Aurentz.

Morgan Barrickman will also return to start this season.

LaSalle and Davis will be counted on to help lead an inexperienced, but talented group of newcomers. Marionville could see several sophomores, in addition to juniors and seniors, playing major roles this year.

A trio of newcomers, Kaylee Neveln, Madysen Barber and Katie Stafford, will be the new front row representing the Comets, said Aurentz. The young powerhouses will be incredibly important in rebuilding the loss of the 2017 class. Alexus Buckert and Kelsie Grimm will also be important in consistent serve receive for this young team.

The Mid-Lakes wont do Marionville any favors.

For the Lady Comets to earn a conference championship theyll likely have to knock off Strafford and/or Fair Grove, who return two of the best players in all of Class 2 in Chloe Rear and Alana Findley, respectively.

With the powerhouse hitters in the Mid-Lakes conference, the team is going to have to continue to excel defensively, but more importantly have lower classman step up to assist with big swings, said Aurentz.

Marionville will open the 2017 season on Aug. 22 at home vs. Clever. The Lady Jays topped the Lady Comets in last years Class 2 District 10 championship.

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Fall 2017 Preview: Marionville Volleyball - Ozarks Sports Zone

Steve King TheSuburbanite.com correspondent

The great Dave Riggs gets a whole lot of credit and rightfully so for helping jump-start Coventry High Schools wrestling dynasty by winning the Comets first individual state championship as a senior in 1973.

Riggs, who would go on to become an outstanding coach at Perry High School, was first in the 105-pound weight class a little more than 44 years ago, showing everyone in the program that yes, a kid from Coventry could all the way to the top. It helped put the Comets on the map, as they finished tied for 21st place as a team in the Class A-AA competition with 15 points.

The Comets had not scored a single point in the 1972 tournament.

But what gets lost in the shuffle is that another senior, a young man by the name of Charles "Chuck" Kallai, kept that momentum going the following year in 1974 by placing second at 145. That vaulted the Comets all the way up to seventh place with 25 points. It was well, a meteoric rise.

The only downer was that Ohio High School Athletic Association records still recognize his last name as "Kallay." In addition, a few years later, the last name of Dale Huston, who was a co-head coach of the Comets along with Dick Miller, was spelled on the official records as Houston.

Oh, well. Thats not really a big deal. Those mistakes were corrected when those last names appeared again a few years on Coventrys return visits to the state tournament.

Much more important is the fact that what Chuck did was so critical, so essential in the grand scheme of things, proving that Riggs accomplishment wasnt a fluke. Neither Riggs nor those 1973 Comets were, as it were, shooting stars, blazing brightly for a few brief moments, and then, just as quickly, fading away, never to be seen again.

No, the Comets both individually and as a team were here to stay, a bright light that wouldnt be extinguished quickly. Actually, Coventry was just getting started.

If Chucks near-championship performance had come four years later, three years later even two years later the interruption of that one year would have choked off the buzz that Riggs title had created. It would have been a real blow.

Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.

But that Chucks runner-up finish came literally on the heels of Riggs crown just 12 months later in the very next state tournament, with no void in between stoked Coventrys flame and kept it going.

Sadly, Chuck Kallai passed away on July 22 at the way, way too young age of 61.

The celebration of his life is a joyful and key reminder of all that. It is an opportunity to tell that long-ago story of one of the greatest times not just in Coventry sports history, but in the history of the entire school system.

Actually, it is one of the most impressive feats ever by any program at any school in Northeast Ohio.

After a step back in the 1975 state tournament, with the Comets finishing in a 15-way tie for 61st place with one point, they went back to work in 1976, placing a lofty third with 61.5 points in the first year of the Class AA event. A separate tourney had started for the Class AA and A schools as wrestling continued to grow by leaps and bounds.

To show that the Comets could stay near the top, they were third again in 1977, increasing their point total by nearly 30 from the year before by getting 90.5.

What happened next the next three seasons, actually was something to behold. The Comets won the AA title in each of those seasons.

Coventry rolled to the 1978 crown it wasnt even close by accumulating 156.5 points, or 35 more than defending state champion Columbus St. Francis DeSales, which had to settle for second this time with 121.5 Highland, the Comets arch rival in the Suburban League, was fourth.

Fittingly so, Gus Kallai, Chucks younger brother, led off Coventrys parade of four state champions by winning at 126 pounds. Right after him was Randy Glover with a title at 132. Keith Foxx (155) and Bill Potts (167) also triumphed.

Four titlists. Its no wonder Coventry had so many points.

Mike Potts (175) chipped in with a second-place finish, while Mike Spurr (112) was third and Mike Scott (185) fourth.

The Comets were even more dominating in 1979, winning the state title by 51.5 points. They had 131.5 to runner-up Columbus Wattersons 81. Highland was third with 80, setting up a real showdown between the w o schools the following year.

Coventry had four individual state champions in Ralph Glover (132), Gus Kallai (138), Mike Potts (175) and Mike Scott (185).

Ray Hughes (104) was fourth.

It was a Suburban League dogfight in 1980, with the Comets finishing first with 106 points, just nine in front of runner-up Highland (97). No one else was close. Oregon Cardinal Stritch was a distant third with 63.5 points.

Jim Florian, who coached those Highland squads, once told me that the Suburban League dual matches between the Comets and Hornets during that period of time was like "a 1927 New York Yankees intrasquad game (that Yankees team is considered the best in baseball history). There were heavy hitters in every weight class on both teams. It was a Murderers Row for both us and Coventry."

The Comets had two state champions the same number as Highland -- in the Potts brothers, John (167) and Mike (185).

Coventry won the team title by getting four other placers in Rick Klemp (second at 155), Ted Roth (third in unlimited), Keith Harpster (fifth at 119) and Frank Parvin (fifth at 175).

The three-time defending state champions made a good run again in 1991, placing ninth, while Highland finally won the title, giving the Suburban League four team titles in a row.

Coventry would go on to win two more state championships in 1993 (Division III) and 96 (II) under the guidance of Randy Glover.

The Comets from 1978-80 were a machine from top to bottom. It started with the fact that the kids arrived at the high school well-trained. Bob Kutz, an extremely dedicated and knowledgeable coach at what was then known as Erwine Junior High School, was way ahead of his time with his ability to teach the inner nuances of the sport. Kutz was one of a kind in a lot of ways. He was a classroom teacher, coached wrestling and worked full-time at Firestone overnight building tires.

How did he do all that?

Similarly, how did those long-ago Comets do all that?

The answer to the latter question is directly tied not just to the great Dave Riggs, but also to the great Chuck Kallai.

Read this article:

Chuck Kallai helped launch Coventry's meotoric rise in wrestling - Suburbanite

The Kansas City Comets finished last season atop the Major Arena Soccer Leagues Central Division, boasting a squad that included the indoor-soccer leagues Rookie of the Year (Stephen Paterson) and a First-Team All-League Defender (John Sosa).

Off the field, though, things havent been so rosy.

A year ago, Comets co-owner Brian Budzinski filed suit against fellow Comets co-owners Chris, Brad, and Greg Likens, alleging they breached the Comets operating agreement by excluding him from decision making. What followed was a rather public dispute in which emails were leaked to the press that appeared to show the Likens making sexually demeaning remarks about female players on FC Kansas City, the local womens soccer team (which is owned by the same group as the Comets). The Likens responded by saying the emails were faked and merely a tactic Budzinski was using to wrest control of the Comets.

The lawsuit was settled out of court in June. According to Jeff Husted, who handles communications for both the Comets and the MASL, Budzinski emerged from the suit as owner of the Comets brand, and the Likens are no longer affiliated with the team. But due to what Husted calls increased league standards for ownership, Budzinski must now find partners who can help shoulder the load of owning a MASL team if the Comets are to continue on in the league.

In the past, there wasnt much in the way of standards as far as owner stability, Husted tells The Pitch. We even had a few situations where a team dropped out of the league mid-season because they couldnt make it work financially. But over the last few years, weve brought in a new commissioner who has tightened those standards and helped develop the game.

Husted declined to comment in specifics about what those standards entail, saying only that they were financial in nature.

You have to be able to prove you can run a team financially and keep it viable for years, Husted says.

Because Budzinski and the Comets have been as yet unable to find capital investors who can meet those standards, Comets players under contract with the team were recently told they are essentially free agents meaning they can negotiate new contracts with any other team in the MASL, or hold out and negotiate if/when the Comets find new ownership.

The MASL season historically starts in October, and the schedule is set in September, meaning there isnt much time for a Comets ownership group to coalesce. Husted says hes confident that will happen soon, though.

The process is moving along well, and at this point I would bet on there being a Comets season in 2017, he says. We have a couple of potential investors were currently in talks with, but I cant say any more than that right now.

Local investors, or out-of-town investors?

Some are local, some are not, Husted says.

Todd Mitchell, general manager at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, where the Comets have been playing home games, says all he knows is the league is working with a couple of prospects and were just waiting to hear what comes of it. He adds: We certainly want to have the team back for this upcoming season.

The Comets have a great history in Kansas City and great community involvement, Husted says. We just want to make sure we have investors who want to be a part of that and help grow the brand and keep this piece of KC history here for the long haul.

Continued here:

The future of the Kansas City Comets is up in the air - Pitch Weekly (blog)

Halifax County High School golfer Willoughby Gasperini earned medalist honors and the Comets finished as the runner-up in Wednesdays season-opening Piedmont District match at Tuscarora Country Club in Danville.

Gasperini carded a one-under-par round of 71 to earn medalist honors and lead the Comets effort. Kassidy Irby was next in line for the Comets with a round of 76.

Franklin County High School, posting four scores in the 70s, won the match with a 298 team total, with the Comets following in second place with a 334 total. Patrick County High School (342), host Tunstall High School (343), Magna Vista High School (353) and Bassett High School (417) followed in order.

GW-Danville had only two players participating and did not count a team score. Martinsville High School did not enter a team.

In addition to the two scores in the 70s posted by Gasperini and Irby, the Comets counted a round of 93 from senior Lance Chappell and senior Khalil Richardson posted around of 94.

Sophomore Will Abdi (95) and junior Jacob Day (96) also competed for the Comets, but their scores did not count toward the team total as the four best scores among six players are counted.

Richardson, Abdi and Day were competing in their first career varsity district match.

For the Comets, Wednesdays Piedmont District opener featured an almost entirely new lineup of players as four of the teams top players from the past two to three seasons, Chandler Bridgers, Matt Ratliff, Jamey Binner and Kaleb Cole, have graduated.

We have two solid players with Willoughby and Kassidy, noted Comets Head Coach David Graham.

Both of them are solid, experienced players and we are expecting them to lead us this season. For Khalil, Will and Jacob, this was their first varsity district match and youre looking at nerves and playing a course they have never played before.

Lance has some experience, Graham added, and he is a little rusty. He knows what to do and what to expect in these matches. I think with some more playing time he will come around. With Khalil, Will and Jacob, theyve got to learn how to grind out a better round. That will come with more playing time and experience.

Graham said Wednesdays district opener was in no way a disappointment.

It was a learning experience, Graham pointed out.

Some of our players were very nervous, and its intimidating playing your first varsity district match against better players. I saw things we need to work on.

Weve got talent, Graham added,

I hope our scores will start coming down a little bit each match, and if that happens we could have a solid team by the time the (post-season) playoffs come around.

Graham has 19 players on this seasons Comets golf team, with 11 varsity players and eight junior varsity players. The junior varsity players, he said, are a pleasant surprise.

Weve got eight kids on the JV team, Graham noted, and three or four of them are new kids that didnt play golf on the middle school team last year, but are playing golf. Thats a good thing. You never know what hidden talent you might have there that could end up shining for you.

The Comets coach added that among the 11 players on the varsity team there are couple of players that could play either varsity or JV.

The Comets golf team is getting a quick baptism under fire. Halifax County High School had a match scheduled with Bluestone High School and Park View High School yesterday at Kinderton Country Club at Clarksville.

On Monday, the Comets will compete in the annual Heritage Invitational Tournament hosted by Heritage High School of Lynchburg, which tees off at 9 a.m. That tournament always draws the top high school golf teams across the state. After that, the Comets will have a match on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., facing Randolph-Henry High School at The Briery Country Club.

Read the original post:

Gasperini tops field; golfers runner-up in district opender - YourGV.com

A lot of work has been accomplished over the spring and summer months by players and coaches alike preparing for the start of the upcoming high school football season.

First-year Comets Head Coach Grayson Throckmorton and his staff have worked with players with weightlifting, conditioning and have installed the base offensive and defensive play packages the Comets will use this season.

Today, the real work and the stretch drive toward the start of the new season begins.

Throckmorton starts what he is calling football camp today, with players being in-house from 3:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. for what will essentially be a pair of practices. Camp will be held with those same hours Monday through Friday each week through the teams first pre-season test, the annual VHSL Benefit Game against Buckingham County High School on Aug. 18 here at Tuck Dillard Memorial Stadium.

While there will be plenty of work ahead, Throckmorton says he is glad to reach this point.

Relieved is not quite the right word, Throckmorton said, but I am at the point now where I am at my normal. Before, this, it has been work putting in very brand new things. Now, it is where I was in my other programs from year to year because I have gotten the new things installed and I have gotten the working area straight. Were at a point now where its starting to be a normal process.

Comets players will be exposed to a variety of things during todays opening day of camp and the days of camp that will follow.

There will be a whole gamut of things that we will do, Throckmorton pointed out. There will be a little bit of weight room, there is going to be some board work, some character lessons, field work on the field, conditioning, learning and reviewing the Xs and Os, the whole nine yards.

Comets players will be in helmets when workouts start today. On Monday, players will don helmets and shoulder pads. Next Wednesday or Thursday, players will go to full pads.

Throckmorton says he feels good about the players heading into todays opening day of camp.

I feel really good with our core kids, the 38 to 45 kids that have been here three days a week all summer long, he pointed out.

On the flip side, I know were going to get a handful of guys that havent been here all summer, and we are going to have to adjust and get them caught up to speed in a short amount of time. The good thing is the guys that have been here will be able to kind of coach them and help them along because they have already learned some of the things and can relay those things as were putting them in for them.

The first-year Comets head coach says he feels good about what the knowledge the players have picked up with regard to the offensive and defensive play packages that will be used.

Overall, I feel very good about where we are, particularly with the offense, Throckmorton remarked.

We have all of the base packages in, and we will be able to go in with the defense kind of on an even keel. Then, its growing and polishing from there, conditioning, getting into shape and fine-tuning things with the drills and things were going to do to try to make the overall program better.

Throckmorton noted that there will be continued focus on conditioning.

Im still going to wean in some of the conditioning, he explained.

Im not nave enough to think they (the players) are coming in here in tip-top shape. They are coming in with a base. We are going to be doing some things, and things will intensify greatly.

I will give them two days to get acclimated a little bit, and then I will add my five corners finishing drill the third day, he added.

Its pretty common for a lot of programs to do some type of finishing drill like that.

Original post:

Comets football training kicks off | Prep Sports | yourgv.com - YourGV.com

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Aug. 3, 2017

Sixty-one UT Dallas student-athletes were recognized by the American Southwest Conference when it released its Academic All-ASC teams for winter and spring.

The Cometsbaseball team led the pack with 19 selections. For the other sports, the softball team had 13, women's basketball had eight; men's basketball and men's tennis both had six, women's tennis had five, men's golf had three and women's golf had one.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified academically as a sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student during the competition season, and have been in attendance and completed at least one academic year (two consecutive semesters). In addition, he or she must have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average and must be a letter winner in the season to be honored.

Also, the conference honored UT Dallas softball player Stefanie Polderman as one of its 10 Distingushed Scholar Athletes for winter/spring sports.

Below is a complete list of UT Dallas Academic All-ASC selections for the 2017 spring semester.

Media Contact: Bruce Unrue, UT Dallas, (972) 883-6308, [emailprotected] or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [emailprotected]

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61 Comets Make ASC Winter, Spring Academic All-Conference Teams - University of Texas at Dallas (press release)

Ty Proctor is sure that Workington Comets will make the SGB Championship play-offs despite facing a huge fixture backlog.

Comets have struggled for consistency this season due to regular rain-offs but the Australian racer is confident that the team will eventually reach the top four.

Proctor said: "I still think we can push for the play-offs and if we keep picking up points and a couple of wins away we will be in the mix; it's realistic.

"The amount of meetings we have had, we're in the teens while other teams are in the mid-20s.

"If we can find consistency there's no reason we can't make the play-offs.

"It's just whether all seven of us keep clicking like we have been.

"We're going to have pick up some big wins away from home.

"My form's increasing and you get what you get from Cookie.

"The jump for Matt Williamson has been hard but he's been working really hard at it and I think he's doing his job.

"If we all just do our jobs we will be up there.

"For sure we want to keep winning at home, that's important.

"Scunthorpe on Saturday, no meeting is easy but hopefully we can get a good start and bang in some points."

The 30-year-old originally signed to ride for Comets last season but dropped out before the start of the campaign.

He was handed a second bite at the cherry by the club and has repaid that faith by rediscovering the form which made him one of the league's leading riders before a lengthy enforced break due to injuries and visa issues.

Double-figure scores in four of his last five meetings show Proctor is settling back into his groove and he admitted it has come as a relief to be back on track after so long watching from a distance.

"The two years that I had out were obviously hard but I told the club when I signed that it was going to take me a bit of time to find my feet again," he said.

"We're really talking about four years where I hadn't really ridden because I was injured before that.

"Things are slowly starting to work out.

"I'm really happy, I'm enjoying my time at Workington."

Comets came agonisingly close to a fifth Premier League Fours title last season when they were edged out by Plymouth in the final heat.

And although Proctor acknowledged it will be tough in this year's competition on Sunday, he will be targeting another good finish with Craig Cook, Thomas Jorgensen and Mason Campton at Peterborough.

"Obviously I don't know much about last year but I think the Fours is going to be hard," he said.

"There are some really good teams in it but we'll go and have a crack."

Continued here:

Workington Comets racer Ty Proctor confident of reaching play-offs - News & Star

Tuesday was the first day of August. That means it's only a month or so from the start of the 2017 high school football season.

Watch the video for a preview of two area teams doing battle in the ever-tough Section 3 Class A National Division: the Carthage Comets and the Watertown Cyclones.

Coach Kyle LaLonde's Cyclones put up a 2-6 overall mark, just 1-4 in their division, but managed to make the playoffs. They lost to East Syracuse-Minoa on the road 35-28.

Watertown has key weapons back at the skill positions -- including quarterback -- and that veteran presence has the coach feeling good heading into the season.

It was an up-and-down season for the Carthage Comets in 2016.

After opening the season 2-0, the Comets went .500 the rest of the way, posting a 5-4 overall record and 2-3 in the division.

The Comets made the playoffs again, but lost big to Whitesboro in the opening round 38-0.

Previews of area high school football teams continue this week as they prepare for the 2017 season.

Read more here:

HS Gridiron Preview: Cyclones & Comets - WWNY TV 7