Month: April 2022

Midwest Wolfpac brings a new brand of football to KCK

The Wolfpac runner kept pushing for extra yards after contact against the Nebraska Lawdawgs defense. The Wolfpac won the game 36-6. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Saturday afternoon, the Midwest Wolfpac defeated the Nebraska Lawdawgs 36-6 in the second game of their Central Plains Football League season.

The Wolfpac’s home base is Kansas City, and their home games are played at the Soccer Nation facility at K-32 and 55th Street in the Turner area.

The CPFL is a semi-professional league, funded by a combination of attendance, player fees, and fundraising. Players range from recent high school graduates still working to improve to veteran players who still want a taste of competitive football.

Pat Harris, Wyandotte High School graduate, long-time area coach, and now assistant football coach at Turner, is the head coach and part-owner of the Wolfpac. He sees the team as a way to give back to the community, “to reach others that did not make it to the professional level or college” and to “bring some excitement.”

David Jones, quarterback and part-owner of the Wolfpac, led the team on the field. Jones made the most of the eight-man, arena-style format, with quick hits to receivers mixed with enough running plays to create defensive confusion in the Lawdawgs’ secondary.

After the game, Jones gathered both teams around him at midfield, and he re-emphasized the theme of community. No matter how competitive the athletes are before and during the game, he said, after the game they remain a community, “a brotherhood,” of mutual respect and a shared commitment.

The Wolfpac’s next home game will be on April 16 against the Topeka Twisters, starting at 4 p.m.

Quarterback David Jones found a receiver down field. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Some Wolfpac players and fans gathered at the concession stand during halftime. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
The Lawdawgs quarterback released the ball as the pass rush closed in. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
A Wolfpac receiver was upended on a pass play. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
The Wolfpac runner found some open field running room. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
The Wolfpac offensive line provided pass protection. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
After the game, David Jones addressed the players from both teams. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Three young Wolfpac fans congregated in the end zone after the game. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

KC Current drops Challenge Cup home match 3-0

Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta made a run from the left along the Louisville end line in the first half of the Kansas City Current’s Challenge Cup match. Louisville was the 3-0 winner. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

Hopes were high for the Kansas City Current to deliver a show to their fans in Children’s Mercy Park after starting Challenge Cup play with a three-game win streak on the road. The fans and the team were both disappointed with the 3-0 result given to Racing Louisville FC.

Kansas City generated several chances in the first half, mostly through forward Kristen Hamilton finding space up the middle or along the left side. Hamilton had recorded two goals in the past three games, but her early chances against Louisville, including a one-on-one against the goalkeeper, went off target or were snuffed out by the defense.

Louisville got on the board in the 9th minute, forcing a Kansas City own goal when a cross into the box glanced off defender Hailie Mace and into the goal.

Louisville scored its second and third goals in quick succession in the second half. Lauren Milliet knocked in the rebound of an attempted clearance in the 60th minute, followed five minutes later by a very well played Louisville corner kick that was curled in front of goal by Emina Ekic and headed home by defender Gemma Bonner.

After the match, head coach Matt Potter described a narrow miss, not a catastrophe.

“We carved out some chances,” said the coach, “especially in the first half. [There were] limited opportunities in the second. I felt we did enough, and on a different day it goes our way.”

Potter and team captain Desiree Scott were both quick to express appreciation for the enthusiastic home crowd.

“We’re just looking forward to righting the wrongs from today,” said Scott, “working on what little improvements we can make and being back out there and putting it right for our fans.”

Despite the loss, Kansas City remains in contention for the Challenge Cup, leading the tournament’s Central Division and on pace to get through to the knockout stage, starting May 4.

The Current’s next home match will be the fifth of six scheduled Challenge Cup games, played against the Houston Dash on April 15, starting at 7 p.m. Kansas City will open its regular season on April 30 in Portland.

Midfielder Addie McCain won a ball in the air near the edge of the 18-yard box. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Joseph Straws III, also known as DJ Joe, repped KCKCC while he played music for the crowd entering Children’s Mercy Park. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Louisville defender Emily Fox gave forward Kristen Hamilton a nudge off course. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Forward Kristen Hamilton faced off with Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Rookie midfielder Chardonnay Curran crossed the ball near the Louisville end line. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Louisville defender Gemma Bonner made a sliding tackle on defender Hailie Mace. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

 

Forward Elyse Bennett contested a ball near the Louisville goal. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Faith news

Note: Please contact the church or check its social media pages to see if it is having services or making schedule changes in the event of inclement weather or high COVID numbers.

Blessed Sacrament and Christ the King Catholic churches have information about Masses at the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579 and www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck. Masses at Christ the King are at 4 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. Masses at Blessed Sacrament are at 6 p.m. Saturday, and at 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday.

Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, has regularly scheduled Sunday services at 11 a.m. See more details for this Sunday at www.facebook.com/casadealabanzaKCKS. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.

The “Gospel of Nonviolence” will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 759 Vermont Ave., Suite 100B, Kansas City, Kansas. Peg Burns will lead the group. The meeting is planned for in-person or Zoom. Registration for the free program is required to 913-689-9375 or visit www.keelerwomenscenter.org.

Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will have information about services, and registration at https://www.facebook.com/ORMBCKC or http://ormbc.org/church-online/.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 3, and livestreamed at https://www.opendoorkc.com/livestream. For more information see https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.

Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic Church, 2300 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 3. The Knights of St. Peter Claver of the church will sponsor a fried catfish curbside dinner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 8, at 3024 N. 53rd St. Fish dinners are $12 each, and should be ordered by April 6 at ourladyandsaintrose.org/fishfry. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have a worship service at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, April 3. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. Stony Point is planning an Easter pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 17, in the church coffee shop. See more information at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, has information about Masses, and livestreamed Masses, at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK. St. Patrick’s Mass times are at 5 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The 12:45 p.m. Mass is in Spanish, and the 2:30 p.m. Mass is in Burmese. St. Patrick Church will hold a fish fry starting at 4:30 p.m. Fridays during Lent, in the parish center. Drive-up service will be available. Adult meals are $12 and kids meals are $6. The family meal is $35 and will serve two adults and two or more children under 12. Each meal comes with mac and cheese or French fries, green beans, cole slaw, a roll, a drink and dessert.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have services at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 3. See more information at https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsKCK/ or https://www.stpaulskck.org/.

Sunset Hills Christian Church, 6347 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, has regularly scheduled Sunday services at 9:30 a.m., with Sunday School following service at 10:45 a.m. The Wednesday Night Bible Study will be held at 7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Livestream services here at https://www.facebook.com/sunsethills.christianchurch/. For more information visit [email protected] or email [email protected].

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, has regularly scheduled services at 10 a.m. Sunday, with Sunday School at 9 a.m. A Lenten study group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter egg hunt, plus a craft and story, is planned at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, with registration by 2:30 p.m. For more information, including information about livestreamed services, see https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc.


Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
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