SPORTS

VARSITY TENNIS
Elks ready for tennis regionals 

Edison Pike rears back to send a crushing serve over the net. Photo by Kim Eardley Photography

The Elks faced Harbor Springs in the season home finale last Thursday in a make-up meet originally rescheduled to be played on Tuesday but was postponed due to rainy weather.

The Elks had a two-game win streak snapped as they fell in a close 5-3 battle with the visiting Rams. In singles play, wins came from first seed Landon Johnstone by default (2-0,2-0) along with second seed Brigg Vollmer (7-5, 6-4) and third seed Edison Pike (6-4,7-5) in a pair of thrilling matches. The Elks were forced to forfeit in fourth seed singles due to a lack of players and were swept in doubles play for the final 5-3 tally.

Against St. Francis on the road last Wednesday the Elks suffered an 8-0 loss to the Gladiators. Three of the losses were due to the Elks having to forfeit the four singles and the three and four doubles flights; none of the Elks on the court were swept in any flight.
​
The Division 4 Boys tennis regionals will be held at St. Elizabeth Middle School on Thursday morning (10/10) with nine teams scheduled to compete.

---

VARSITY FOOTBALL
Elks bested by Ironmen 30-20

Ball carrier Joel Darin (1) on the run at the Mancelona game. Photo by Kim Eardley Photography

The Elks broke snapped a six-quarter scoring drought against Mancelona on the road last Friday in a non-conference gridiron matchup with the Ironmen but would fall 30-20 to their Antrim County rival.

The Elks scored first as Elk quarterback Braden Fluty dropped back to pass and finding no one open scampered in untouched from nine yards out for the first-quarter touchdown.

The Ironmen countered with a touchdown and two-point conversion to go up 8-6 at the end of the opening quarter. The Ironmen increased the lead to 16-6 with a second-quarter TD run, the Elks answered with an eight-play drive ending with a 13-yard touchdown scramble by Fluty. A pass from Fluty to Keagan Cotterman was good for the extra two points, trimming the Mancelona lead to 16-14 at halftime. 
The Ironmen quickly took back the lead, returning the third-quarter kickoff 60 yards for a score and a 24-14 advantage. The Elks would cut the deficit to two points on an 18-yard Fluty to Connor Carlisle pass over the middle, but the Elks would not score again in the game. Mancelona tacked on a final touchdown late in the third quarter for the final score of 30-20.    

For the Elks offensively Fluty completed 6-13 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown with one interception and had 54 yards on seven carries with two touchdowns, Cannon rushed 10 times for 56 yards. Joel Darin had eight carries for 25 yards and led the receivers with two catches for 32 yards, Cotterman caught two passes for 33 yards, Cody Friess had a 12-yard grab, and Carlisle hauled in an 18-yard catch for a TD. 
On defense Friess led the team with 15 tackles, Luke Wolgamott and Darin each had eight tackles, Keegan Kiel tallied seven.

“We need to continue to get better each week, take it one play at a time and win each rep. We need to go into the game at Charlevoix ready to compete,” said Elk Head Football Coach Nate Butte.
Elk Rapids (1-4, 1-1 LDRS) will be on the road at Charlevoix on Friday for a Leaders Division game with the first-place Rayders.

---

VARSITY FOOTBALL
Elks blanked by Owls

Colin Shockley (#56) stops the Owl running back with a bone jarring tackle. Photos by Kim Eardley Photography

There was a big crowd at Glowicki Field on Friday to watch the Elks take on the Oscoda Owls in a conference matchup for this year’s Homecoming game. The north endzone bleachers were filled with the students, and fans stood lined along the fencing that curls around the field behind the endzone. The packed house was loud, led by the Elk cheerleaders encouraging the fans to make some noise in support of the Elks varsity football team on the field. The smell of grilled brats and popcorn filled the air, the night was perfect for watching an exciting football game.

The mood would change as the game progressed, the Elk fans still cheered in support of their team, but the final score would be a 20-0 win for the visiting Owls, making the 2.5-hour ride home for Oscoda much more enjoyable.

The Elks fumbled away the ball on their second play from scrimmage, Oscoda scored in five plays, ending with a three-yard run into the endzone and a 6-0 lead with four minutes off the clock.

The Elks punted on the next series, Oscoda used a 14-play drive that carried into the second quarter with a touchdown run and a 14-0 lead that would carry into halftime. Oscoda converted twice on fourth down in the drive.

The Elks had the ball three times in the first half, resulting in a fumble, two punts and no first downs.

Oscoda scored a final TD early in the fourth quarter on 12-yard run for the 20-0 lead that would become the final score.

The Elk offense continued to struggle in the third quarter, they punted twice and turned the ball over on downs. Late in the fourth the Elks put together a 10-yard drive that moved them to the Owl eight-yard line, but they would get no closer and turned the ball over on downs.

Elk quarterback Brendan Fluty was under a heavy rush for most of the night, throwing on the run he tallied 63 yards passing and rushed for 25 yards. The Elk receivers had several dropped passes that killed drives.

Max Ward had three catches for 38 yards, Keagen Cotterman caught two balls for 33 yards. On defense Joel Darin had 11 tackles, Keegan Kiel had two interceptions and Luke Wolgamott recovered a fumble.
​
Elk Rapids (1-3, 1-1 LDRS) will be on the road against Mancelona on Friday for a non-conference football game. The Elks have faced the Ironmen on the gridiron more than any team, this will be the 46th meeting between the two Antrim County rivals, with the Elks holding a 26-18-1 advantage.

---

VARSITY SOCCER
Soccer gets pair of victories

Mason Hilley (12) slides in to get a quick steal. ​ Photo by Kim Eardley Photography

The Elks tallied two wins this week, defeating St. Francis 2-0 at home in a non-conference game on Tuesday plus a 2-0 win at Harbor Springs in a Northern Shores Conference matchup last Thursday.

Against St. Francis both goals came from Jonah Denherder in the first half with assists from Will Vanderheide and Drew Plum.

Playing in Harbor Springs the game was tied 0-0 at halftime. Gavin Hamilton got the Elks on the board with a second-half goal, Tyler Standfest added the second score. Assists were credited to Alex Barber and Mason Hilley with Jacob McManus talling eight saves. The Elks celebrated Senior Night at their regular season home finale.

Elk Rapids (10-6-1, 9-1 NSC) will be in Grayling for a big conference game, needing a win over the Vikings to keep alive any hope of claiming the NSC title. The Elks will close out the regular season schedule at Charlevoix on Monday in a conference game.

The six Elk soccer players honored at Seniors Night are Noah Hilley, Alex Barber, Noah Bogard, Jack Dupuie, Will Vanderheide and Dante Holsinger. Photo by Kim Eardley Photography

---

VARSITY EQUESTRIAN
2024 equestrian team regional competition  

Regionals: front row: Nora Wnek, Janna Pharo. back row: Logan Heyde, Chase Hill, Lillian Kuhn, Ezra Hubbard, Jason Jansen

This year marked the first change of regions for our District 18 from Region D in Ludington to Region C in Midland. More Districts were added making a total of three teams moving on to state finals in Midland versus two teams in years past. Elk Rapids had a five-person B team with 42 slots to cover. We felt confident in our team with slot sheet seats filled except for jumping. To win at the regional level riders are double judged and must place consistently fifth or better. The placings run from 1st place = 10 points and 10th place = 1 point. Therefore, if a person won first under both judges it would be a total of 20 points. Competing in the B Division was Bullock Creek, Bay City Western, North Branch, Elk Rapids and Millington. 

First class of the day was Trail with all three riders, Chase Hill/Ricki Martin, Ezra Hubbard/Lucie and Nora Wnek/Gypsy placing, not high, but at least earning only 23 points. Reining had low scores but placings; in Cloverleaf we gained 27 points, with Chase/Moon, Lillian/Sheldon and Janna/Max, and the last event was Flag Race where Chase/Moon earned 6 points, and Janna Pharo/Max stuck the flag in both runs earning 11 points. By the end of Friday, we were holding fourth place, and were thinking our best day would be Saturday with Fitting and Showing, where you work a pattern on the ground and present your horse to the judge. Our team thought it could capture third if it placed well. All three, Western, Hunt Seat and Saddle Seat did go well and some of the best patterns were witnessed. Elk Rapids did end up placing in most of them, just not in the top five where the points would have moved the team up. The team also competed in Saddle Seat Equitation, where Lilian Kuhn/Alex, Nora Wnek and Ezra Hubbard won 35 points total. In Western, 29 points were earned by Chase and Lillian. Even with Chase Hill/Moon running Stake race, winning double first and earning 20 points in one class didn’t close the gap needed. At the end of the day, the team had 100 points hanging onto fourth.

On Sunday, Hunt Seat, Saddle Seat pattern rounded out with Two Man Relay. Statistically there were not enough points at the end of the meet to capture a third-place win that would have sent Elk Rapids on to States. Elk Rapids did, however, have two senior grooms, Jason Jansen and Logan Heyde, receive accolades for cleaning up the grounds and keeping the stalls aisleway and the surrounding teams’ aisles tidy without being asked. Their names were entered in a drawing along with others being caught doing the right thing throughout the weekend. Jason’s name was drawn, and he won a gift certificate and a t-shirt. The last and final note was the ice breaker to get the teams to participate in the Hobby Horse Obstacle race. Coach Sandy Jansen in Adult and Jason in Teen won 1st place ribbons. Elk Rapids District 18, first time in Region C, was told multiple times that it had the most team spirit, inclusiveness and sportsmanship, qualities that coaches said they had never witnessed at a regional competition. Even though Elk Rapids did not earn a spot to go on to states with 258 total points earned, the team had a solid fourth-place win and a testament to the sportsmanship culture Elk Rapids equestrians exhibit at every event they attend.

A huge thank you to Assistant Coach and Statistician Brent Jansen, exchange student groom Inez Sanchez, District 18 Chair Jeanna, trainers, and our horses for another great season. Go Elks! Photos and text submitted by Head Coach Sandy Jansen​

---

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Elks remain undefeated in conference title quest 

Mattea Ball is honored after reaching 1000 career digs during the Thursday night contest against Harbor Springs. Photo by Kim Eardley Photography

The Elks suffered their first set loss in Northern Shores Conference (NSC) play in Boyne City on Tuesday but came away with the win, downing a tough Rambler squad in four sets 25-14, 20-25, 25-16 and 25-22. The second set loss to Boyne snapped a streak of 13 straight conference set wins for the Elks, but they remain an impressive 15-1 in NSC sets for the season.
​
For the Elks, Caroline Best hammered 22 kills and tallied 20 digs, Rhielynn Skrocki had 12 kills with nine digs, Lexi Moore added five kills, Gaby Morton contributed five kills with an ace and a block, Mattea Ball totaled 17 digs, Haleigh Yocom served seven aces with 23 assists and 16 digs, Ashley McCann had 14 assists with 11 digs and Evelyn Bruso sent over five kills and had seven assists and digs.

The win improved the Elks to 5-0 in conference play; they are tied with Kingsley, also 5-0, for first place in the quest for the first NSC crown.

Playing at home last Thursday the Elks won in three sets over conference rival Harbor Springs 26-16, 25-7, 25-13. Skrocki had nine kills, 14 digs, Yocom tallied 14 assists with 11 digs, Best had 20 kills and Ashley McCann had 11 assists with three blocks. Mattea Ball reached the 1000 career digs milestone in the game; the senior libero tallied nine digs for the night.

On Saturday the Elks were downstate competing in the Mt. Pleasant Invitational. The Elks finished the Invite with a 1-2-1 record and battled hard in every game against the bigger Division 1 and 2 teams. The Elks held on for a win over the D-2 Gladwin Flying G’s (25-11,25-22), overcame a close first set loss and earned a tie against the D-1 Mt. Pleasant Oilers (24-26,25-16), fell to D-1 Bay City Western in a thriller (25-16,12-25, 13-15) and lost to the D-2 St. Johns Redwings in a close match (24-26,24-25).

Elk Rapids (18-5-1, 5-0 NSC) has a big non-conference rematch with St. Francis at home on Thursday, a battle between two Division 3 top ten ranked teams with the Elks ranked sixth and the Gladiators ranked at number five. The Elks were swept by the former conference rival Gladiators on the road in mid-September, making the Thursday matchup in the new gymnasium a definite grudge match for the Lady Elks.

The Elks will remain at home for a Tuesday conference match-up with the Kalkaska Blazers.

Northern Shores Conference volleyball standings
Elk Rapids 5-0 Kalkaska, Kingsley
Kingsley 5-0 Cheboygan, Elks
Boyne 3-2 Grayling, Harbor
Harbor 3-2 Boyne, Charlevoix
Cheboygan 2-3 Kingsley, Kalkaska
Grayling 1-4 Charlevoix, Boyne
Charlevoix 1-4 Grayling, Harbor
Kalkaska 1-4 Elks, Cheboygan

---

VARSITY GOLF
Finishes third in conference championship

Both Laci Springborn and Madelyn Conrad earned All-Conference at the Northern Shores Conference Championship.
​ Photos by Kim Eardley Photography 

The Elk golfers battled to a third-place finish, shooting a 424 in the first Northern Shores Conference Championship, held at Antrim Dells Golf Course in Ellsworth last Wednesday (9/25).

The top three teams were separated by just eight strokes; Harbor Springs won the conference title with a 416, Charlevoix finished runner-up with a 422, a mere two strokes ahead of the Elks’ score of 424.

The rest of the seven-team field was made up squads from Grayling (459), Kalkaska (465), Cheboygan (486) and Boyne City (506).
The Elks’ top four golfers were Laci Springborn (98), Madelyn Conrad (106), Melia Maris (108) and Caitlin White (112), joined by Leighton Smith (114). Springborn’s 98 tied her for second overall and was the top score among the junior golfers; Conrad tied for seventh place overall with her 106 and was first among the freshman players. Springborn and Conrad both earned First Team All-Conference honors. 

The Elks played a final pre-regionals match on Wednesday (10/2), competing in the Traverse City Central Invite held on the Sundance Course at A-Ga-Ming. 
​
The Division 4 Girls Golf Regional will take place on Monday morning (10/7) at the Huron Breeze Golf Club in Au Gres, located about 40 miles south of Oscoda.

---

---