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Business News
PITTSBURG —
Just a few weeks after the New Hope Bulldogs returned from the Special Olympics Softball National Championship as the fourth ranked team in the country, the team is headed to Lincoln, Neb., today to prove themselves against seven of the best Special Olympics flag football teams in the country.
The team, which has been playing organized flag football for only four years and was the first in Kansas to do so, is one of only eight teams selected to participate in the tournament. If the Bulldogs make it Saturday unscathed, they get to play in the championship game on Sunday in the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium.
“The guys worked really hard this year and put a lot of effort into it,” New Hope director and head coach John Lair said. “We’ve been practicing since July.”
Lair said he first approached the leaders of Special Olympics Kansas about playing flag football four years ago, but they weren’t keen on the idea.
“I talked to Missouri and they said ‘Come on over, we can play with them,” Lair said. “We definitely learned our lesson in that first tournament we played. It was an eye-opening experience.”
After four years of competition, though, the team has the game down.
“We really worked on our conditioning,” Lair said. “It’s different for football than for softball. With football you’re going all the time. There’s also a lot of classroom work, too.”
That New Hope has been chosen as one of the teams to compete in the national championships is significant because they’re playing against all-star statewide teams with much bigger talent pools to draw from — they’re currently ranked No. 7 in the country.
“Those teams have a lot bigger pool to draw from than we do,” Lair said.
Bulldog quarterback Cody Pierce said he’d like to win but that the experience would be enough itself was most important.
“I’m looking forward to just getting to go play with athletes from around the country,” said Pierce, who said football is his favorite sport. “But I enjoy participating in all sports and going out and having a good time.”
Wide receiver Paul McHenry said he likes football because it’s more intricate than softball.
“There’s a lot of running and focusing on what you’re doing,” he said. “With softball you always know where you’re going, but with football there’s a lot of patterns to learn.”
The Bulldogs lost in the regionals to the Nebraska state team by two points. Pierce said he knows the team stands a fighting chance.
“We’re hoping to do better this time,” Pierce said. “We know we can. We just have to prove ourselves.”
The New Hope Bulldogs are:
• Cody Pierce — quarterback
• Chevi Peters — running back
• Steve Egge — wide receiver
• Paul McHenry — wide receiver
• Larry Williams — center
• Nathail Korth — pass rusher
• Jim Rodabaugh — pass rusher
• Ashley Spriggs — defensive line
• Mike Steffey — cornerback/center
Just a few weeks after the New Hope Bulldogs returned from the Special Olympics Softball National Championship as the fourth ranked team in the country, the team is headed to Lincoln, Neb., today to prove themselves against seven of the best Special Olympics flag football teams in the country.
The team, which has been playing organized flag football for only four years and was the first in Kansas to do so, is one of only eight teams selected to participate in the tournament. If the Bulldogs make it Saturday unscathed, they get to play in the championship game on Sunday in the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium.
“The guys worked really hard this year and put a lot of effort into it,” New Hope director and head coach John Lair said. “We’ve been practicing since July.”
Lair said he first approached the leaders of Special Olympics Kansas about playing flag football four years ago, but they weren’t keen on the idea.
“I talked to Missouri and they said ‘Come on over, we can play with them,” Lair said. “We definitely learned our lesson in that first tournament we played. It was an eye-opening experience.”
After four years of competition, though, the team has the game down.
“We really worked on our conditioning,” Lair said. “It’s different for football than for softball. With football you’re going all the time. There’s also a lot of classroom work, too.”
That New Hope has been chosen as one of the teams to compete in the national championships is significant because they’re playing against all-star statewide teams with much bigger talent pools to draw from — they’re currently ranked No. 7 in the country.
“Those teams have a lot bigger pool to draw from than we do,” Lair said.
Bulldog quarterback Cody Pierce said he’d like to win but that the experience would be enough itself was most important.
“I’m looking forward to just getting to go play with athletes from around the country,” said Pierce, who said football is his favorite sport. “But I enjoy participating in all sports and going out and having a good time.”
Wide receiver Paul McHenry said he likes football because it’s more intricate than softball.
“There’s a lot of running and focusing on what you’re doing,” he said. “With softball you always know where you’re going, but with football there’s a lot of patterns to learn.”
The Bulldogs lost in the regionals to the Nebraska state team by two points. Pierce said he knows the team stands a fighting chance.
“We’re hoping to do better this time,” Pierce said. “We know we can. We just have to prove ourselves.”
The New Hope Bulldogs are:
• Cody Pierce — quarterback
• Chevi Peters — running back
• Steve Egge — wide receiver
• Paul McHenry — wide receiver
• Larry Williams — center
• Nathail Korth — pass rusher
• Jim Rodabaugh — pass rusher
• Ashley Spriggs — defensive line
• Mike Steffey — cornerback/center
