August 2016 – Page 40 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Promising KCKCC soccer team to open on road Monday

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Short on experience but long on potential, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s men’s soccer kicks off the fall season Monday, Aug. 22.

The Blue Devils will open at Blue River in Independence at 8 p.m. Monday before returning home Tuesday for an exhibition against Ottawa University at 6 p.m. The official home opener won’t come until Thursday, Sept. 8, when KCKCC entertains Cowley County.

With the early start to the season, the biggest job facing head coach Ruben Rodriguez and assistant Burke Slusher will be putting the best 11 players on the field.

“It’s a very competitive team, competitive at every position,” said Rodriguez, who is in his fifth season as head coach.

“We want to go farther than last year when we made it to the playoffs and have brought in players that we feel will make us stronger than a year ago,” added Slusher, who is in his third year as assistant. Fifteen members of the 24-man squad are Kansas graduates including seven from Harmon High School, five from Wichita and one each from Turner, Derby and Shawnee Mission North.

Just seven sophomores return from a year ago – midfielders Jesus Galvan and Mario Sandoval, both of Harmon; Tanner Helms of Ashland, Mo.; and Thiago Elias of Sao Paulo, Brazil; defenders Jake Salmons of Ashland, Mo. and David Jones of Turner and goalkeeper Kenneth Herron of Shawnee Mission North. In addition, Harmon midfielder Giovanni Calderon returns after a redshirt season while forward Connell Silmon is a transfer from Wichita South.

The battle for starting berths starts at goalkeeper where Herron is being challenged by a pair of freshmen, Alec Lakin and Cade Brown, both of Wichita Maize. There’s also a four-way battle at the forward position between Silmon and freshmen Alejandro Madrigal of Harmon, Connor Holmes of Wichita Maize and Hiago Gaspar of Sao Paulo.

Midfield will be solid with the return of veterans Galvan, Helms and Sandoval along with promising freshman newcomers Juan Zavala of Harmon, Brajan Huyke of Barran Quilla, Columbia,and Guilherma Grave of San Paulo.

“That’s our strength because of our returning experience and the incoming freshmen, most of who have played club ball,” Rodriguez said. More midfield help could come from freshmen Luke Matson of Harmon and Pa Ousman Jobe of Woonsocket, R.I.

Freshmen Ricardo Angelo and Fernando Garella of San Paulo, and Emmanuel Hernandez of Harmon; Ricardo Grimaldo of Monett, Mo.; will join Salmons and Jones in the critical roles of defender.

Teams in the Jayhawk Conference have adopted a new schedule for 2016 with each team playing a home-and-home slate. The other five members of the conference are Johnson County, Allen County, Cowley, Coffeyville and Neosho County

While in his fifth season as head men’s coach, Rodriguez has been an instrumental part of the KCKCC soccer program since 2007, starting the KCKCC women’s program in 2012. A 20-year officer with the KCK Police Department, Rodriguez has nearly 40 years of experience as a player and coach, working with club, men’s and college teams.

A former assistant coach at William Jewell College, Slusher had more than 20 years of coaching and playing experience. A graduate of North Kansas City High School and Missouri State University, Slusher has coached at several levels of youth soccer and served as talent evaluator for Sporting KC and FC Kansas City open tryouts.

Kansas City Kansas Community College
2016 Men’s Soccer Schedule

Aug. 17 – BAKER, Home (Exhibition), 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 22 – Blue River, Away, 8 p.m.
Aug. 23 – OTTAWA, Home (Exhibition), 6 p.m.
Aug. 27 – William Jewell, Away (Exhibition), 6 p.m.
Sept. 1 – East Central, Away, 4 p.m.
Sept. 6 – Johnson County*, Away, 4 p.m.
Sept. 8 – COWLEY*, Home, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 – Coffeyville*, Away, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 – JOHNSON COUNTY*, Home, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27 – Cowley*, Away, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 – COFFEYVILLE*, Home, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 – SOUTH SUBURBAN, Home, 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 – NEOSHO COUNTY*, Home, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 – ALLEN COUNTY*, Home, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 – Neosho County*, Away, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 – Allen County*, Away, 4 p.m.
• – Region VI

T-Bones drop series to Wingnuts

The Kansas City T-Bones gave up a late run to Wichita on Thursday night, resulting in a 5-4 loss to the Wingnuts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita.

In the eighth, with the game tied at 4-4, Wichita scored what would be the winning run. Josh Tols struck out lead-off batter Brent Clevlen, but Clevelen reached on a dropped third strike by catcher Tyler Moore.

Tols (5-4) then walked former Kansas City teammate T.J. Mittelstaedt and gave up a single to Matt Chavez, loading the bases. Martin Medina sent a fly to left field that was deep enough to score Clevlen and give the Wingnuts a 5-4 lead. Tols limited the damage by striking out the next two Wingnuts.

Kansas City, which tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh, was retired in order by Wichita closer Frankie Reed. The 18th save of the season for Reed, who’s now tied for second-most saves in the league, didn’t start off easily, as Dalton Wheat battled for a 10-pitch at-bat before grounding out for the first out.

The Wingnuts jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first against T-Bones starter Sean Furney, when Christian Stringer led off the inning with a single and the next batter, Zack Cox, hit his 11th home run of the season. The T-Bones tied it over the next two innings, though, when Starlin Rodriguez led off the second with a home run, and Brett Wiley knocked in Tyler Massey with a base hit in the third.

Kansas City took a 3-2 lead in the fourth after Rodriguez led off with a base hit and went to third on a single by Moore, Sergio Leon gave the T-Bones the lead with a sacrifice fly to left that brought in Rodriguez.

Wichita took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Stringer doubled with two outs and then Furney issued back-to-back walks to Cox and Clevelen. Mittelstaedt then singled to right, bringing home Stringer and Cox, and giving the Wingnuts a 4-3 lead. Furney allowed four runs on six hits with four walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Kansas City answered in the seventh, tying the game at 4-4. Wheat and Wiley led off the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out, Anthony Gallas drove Wheat home with an RBI double, but the T-Bones stranded two after Rodriguez struck out and Vladimir Frias flied out. The T-Bones left nine runners on base in the game.

Kansas City (38-45), which lost three of four to Wichita, returns to CommunityAmerica Ballpark for a six-game home stand that starts Friday evening at 7:05 against the Texas AirHogs (28-55). Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

Strong storms could move in Friday evening

Thunderstorms could move into the area later this evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Strong to severe storms will be possible with gusty winds, frequent lightning and heavy rain being the primary concerns as these storms move southeast, the weather service said.

More showers and thunderstorms will be possible mid-week, according to the weather service. Severe weather is not anticipated with this activity.

Today, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in Wyandotte County, mainly after 4 p.m., the weather service said. It will be partly sunny with a high near 89, and a south wind of 6 to 9 mph.

Tonight, the chance of showers and storms is 90 percent, according to the weather service. The low is around 67 and a south wind of 8 to 10 mph will become west after midnight. Between a half and three-quarters of an inch is possible.

On Saturday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 76 with a north northwest wind of 10 to 14 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph.

Saturday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 56, according to the weather service. A north northwest wind of 5 to 10 mph will become light after midnight.

On Sunday, expect sunny skies with a high near 80, the weather service said. A northwest wind will be around 6 mph.

Sunday night, the low will be about 60 with mostly clear skies, according to the weather service.