March 28, 2024

Improbable run: Wolverines wowing

Nodaway Valley claims second district title in three years

LENOX — Nodaway Valley was far from a likely squad to claim a district championship with its 8-13 record entering postseason play, but little could deter the Wolverines from putting together three of their most complete games of the season as they went on to claim the Class 1A District 13 title over Lenox Saturday, 6-1.

The win boosts the Wolverines (11-13) to a Substate appearance Tuesday in Glenwood against St. Albert (30-9).

Little flashes of potential popped into view on any diamond the Wolverines have played on this year, but things began clicking over the last week.

A Senior Night home win over Lenox on July 5 helped Nodaway Valley to carry offensive momentum into the postseason, where the Wolverines defeated Southwest Valley 8-2 in Greenfield Tuesday, Stanton 5-0 in Lenox Thursday and finally jumped ahead and let Corbin Bond cut through the Tiger lineup in winning a district title.

Bond struck out 10 Tigers, allowed six hits and walked two. He located his pitches effectively on a night where the strike zone was not large and picked up his second pitching win of the week.

“These guys are insane. I’ve caught Corbin for a while. Spencer not as much. Spencer against Stanton was just outstanding. That kid could throw it in there and it was going to be there,” Nodaway Valley catcher Tyler Vandewater said. “Corbin, I’ve loved catching (Bond) for a long time and everything is coming together as a team. Our pitching, our fielding and our hitting is coming together now.”

Nodaway Valley coach Dan Jameson has been especially pleased with how his pitchers and Vandewater have communicated and approached opponents in an intelligent fashion this postseason.

“Corbin had a little bit of issues early working ahead,” Jameson said. But he started working ahead a lot better and it makes a ... difference when they’re not sitting on that 2-0 pitch and know that fastball is coming. He kept them offspeed a little bit more and he had a little bit better feel for his curve ball tonight.”

Brady Hilpipre, who posted a 3-for-5 night at the plate with a double, two RBIs and scored in the first on a passed ball.

Once again, the bottom of the Wolverine lineup came through in a big way.

Hilpipre’s bloop double to right field in the second inning scored two runs with two outs and Mason Menefee roped RBI singles in the third and fourth innings.

With a 4-0 lead on Menefee’s first single in the third, the Wolverines chased Lenox starter Aaron Schmitz from the game. Cullen Wood entered and gave up the next two runs, but pitched until the seventh.

“They jumped on us from the start. Bond was around the zone the whole night,” Lenox coach Trevor Luther said. “We can have excuses the whole night, but at the end of the night, we’ve got to tip our cap to them because they were ready to go from the start and we probably weren’t. That’s on me. I didn’t prepare them well enough evidently. I’ve got to do better.”

Hunter Ernst added a fifth NV run in the third for a 5-0 Wolverine lead on his single to left, one of three times he reached base out of the bottom of the lineup. Menefee’s single in the fourth was the last of NV’s scoring for the evening as the Wolverines held a 6-1 lead.

Menefee’s two singles were his third and fourth run-scoring hits in his last two games.

Lenox added a run in the sixth when Brenden Christensen’s deep double off the base of the fence in center scored Aaron Schmitz from first for Lenox’s lone run.

The Tigers left Colton Gordon on third base in the third and missed several scoring chances in the second and fourth innings.

After having three hits entering the postseason, Menefee has now contributed two hits in each of Nodaway Valley’s last two wins.

The Wolverines have excelled in the postseason in the field, and made one error Saturday.

“The guys on the infield did a really nice job,” Jameson said. “Kody (Paxton) at first base, (Mason) Mather’s little play there, he had a quick pick there and did a nice job.”

To keep having success, Jameson emphasized that the Wolverines will need to be aggressive in their approaches early in the count against St. Albert pitching. Near flawless glove work and more strong pitching will be needed against one of the Hawkeye 10’s best squads.

The senior contingent of Brenden Christensen, Colton Hogan, Aaron Schmitz and Derek Venteicher finished their careers on their home field Saturday, overcome with the emotion and sobering knowledge of the district final contest being their last. Each saw limited time on varsity as eighth-graders and were a part of 90 wins over those five years with the program, during which each season they were part of a Tigers team with a winning record.

Luther, a Creston native, was thanked by the seniors after finishing up his first year in Lenox after taking over from former coach Tyler Peterson after nine games.

“They’re great leaders. They were great leaders. They still are great leaders. That’s what I said afterward,” Luther said. “We’re going to have guys step up next year, especially with Jhordan (Montiel) being the only junior coming up. But if guys are willing to step up, guys like (Colton) Gordon have stepped up toward the end of the year here. Times like this, adversity and stuff brings out your true character and who you are not only as an athlete, but as a person. We have an idea of who is going to step up and we hope they do.”

Lenox finished the season 16-10, with its sixth straight winning season and seventh straight year with a .500 record or better.

Nodaway Valley 6, Lenox 1

R H E

NV 122 100 0 — 6 12 1

Len 000 001 0 — 1 6 1

NV: Corbin Bond 10K 2BB and Tyler Vandewater. Len: Aaron Schmitz 2K 2BB, Cullen Wood (3) 5K 5BB, Colton Gordon (7) 0K 0BB. W — Bond (5-4). L— Schmitz (5-2). HR — None. 3B —None. 2B — NV: Hilpipre 1, Menefee 1. Len: Brenden Christensen 2. RBI— NV: Menefee 3, Ernst Hilpipre 2, 1. Len: Christensen 1. Multiple hitters — NV: Hilpipre 3, Thompson 2, Vandewater 2, Menefee 2. Len: Christensen 3.