Kyabram district sports reports

They were male and female players from Kyabram, Tongala, Rushworth, Rochester, Shepparton and Echuca, aged four to 50, playing in competitions organised by Kyabram Youth Club.

This happens weekly with 16 teams competing in boys’ and girls’ competitions on Mondays.

On Sundays, a social adult competition attracts four teams of men and women to the stadium with players travelling from Shepparton and Tatura to be part of the action.

The highlight of Monday’s junior competition was the Wildcats and Raptors contest in the Grade 6/7/8 division.

Brody Thompson, with 18 points, led Raptors to a come-from-behind 32-31 victory.

He was supported well by fellow forward Ben Chapman (eight points). For the Wildcats, Sam Bruhn was top scorer with 11. Kade Normington and Jonty Sefton had eight apiece.

Jimmy Hargreaves’ 21 points wasn't enough to get his Hornets team past Gators who won 52-34. An inspired Hayden Parsons top scored for the winners with 20.

Next best was Cyhril Cunanan with 18 and Liam McInnes with 12.

In the girls 4-7 division, Gators won 34-26 thanks to a dominant shooting effort by Selina O'Brien, who top scored with 18 points.

For the vanquished, Lily Murtagh had 14 and Josie Pacito had eight.

The boys and girls divisions taking in Grades 3 and 4 were decimated by school camp absentees, however, the Hornets trio of Gelo Rupido, Tyrone Riedell and Lenny Parella scored an incredible 76 points on the reduced 3/4 court against Hornets.

Wes Smith (14) led his Gators team to a 24-16 win over Wildcats (Denzil Daniels 10) in Grade 2/3/4 boys division. On the other court, Hornets' Jacob King shot 16 points in his team’s 24-10 win over Raptors. Jordy Canute scored all 10 of the Raptors score.

In the youngest division — Prep/Grade 1— Ryder Morris shot 20 of his Hornets' 28 points in their 18-point win over Raptors.

New player Seth from Rochester will be elevated to the next division after his 42-point hall for Wildcats. Even when the ring was raised, he still had success regularly. For the defeated Gators, Nate Carmody scored 10 points and Max Humphreys eight.

On the Sunday, some star local footballers including Zac Norris and Cooper Vick joined the 30 or so men and women for the social basketball matches for adults.

Kyabram midweek pennant bowls

Division one played Euroa at home winning two rinks for an overall win, 84-52. Chris Preddy’s rink of Ken Risstrom, Graham King and Noel Reddrop had a great win 38-12.

After winning the first seven ends they led 18-0 and after 18 ends they led 30-10. They did not give their opposition any chance to get back into the game.

Allowing your opponents to win eight ends for the whole game shows how well the team played. Jenni Dixon’s rink also had a good win 33-16.

This game was close early, with one shot difference, 6-5 after the first six ends. Winning the next six ends gave Dixon’s team the lead 23-5. Euroa tried hard but could only win five more ends for the rest of the game.

The last game was a tough return for Mary Greco. She went down 13-24. Greco and her team were in touch for most of the game with only two or three shots separating the teams. It was only the final four ends where Euroa was able to draw away for an 11-shot win.

Division two played Stanhope at home with two rinks up and an overall win 84-53. Jill Barrett’s rink of Lucy Portia, Marg George and Maurie Hateley won 35-17.

Winning six shots on the second end and five shots on the fifth end saw them have a good lead 16-3 on the eighth end.

Stanhope won the next three ends to make the score 16-10 after 11 ends. Barrett and her team rallied and won eight of the final 14 ends for an 18-shot win.

Phil Denham’s team won 32-11. They started strongly and led 15-3 after 11 ends. Stanhope won six of the next eight ends to reduce the lead to 17-11 after 19 ends.

With great bowling from the skipper, Denham and his team won the final six ends for a strong win. Danny O’Brien’s rink lost 17-25. After a slow start they found themselves 7-0 down after the first five ends.

Losing six shots on the seventh end made the score 2-13. With their opposition bowling well Danny and his team were determined to keep fighting and win as many ends as they could to reduce the deficit. Winning six shots in the last four ends helped to do this.

Division three travelled to Seymour VRI ready for a tough game. And it was.

Winning one rink, losing one and the other rink having a draw certainly made it an exciting day. They lost by five shots overall, 67-72. Nardo DiPetta and his team of Monika King, Rhonda Woodcock and Geoff Hocking were the winners, 30-20.

They led 13-3 after seven ends. Losing the next five ends saw the scores draw closer, 13-12 on the 11th end. Both teams won ends after this to make the score 16-15 after 15 ends.

Winning eight of the final 10 ends saw Nardo and his team have a good win. Darryl Gade’s rink had a draw 23 shots all. They started strongly and held a good lead 16-4 after 12 ends and they led 22-13 after 19 ends.

Their opposition fought back and won five of the last six ends to draw the game. Jan MacFadyen’s team lost 14-29. MacFadyen and her team were in the game early and were 5-8 down after the first eight ends. Seymour VRI won the next six ends to lead 20-5. MacFayden’ team tried hard to get back into the game, but this deficit proved too much to make up.

Division four also travelled to Seymour to win all rinks with an overall score of 66-44. Gary Salomons and his team of Diane Isaac, Jan Beamish and Lois Ferguson had the close game. They won 19-16.

This was a tight game with the scores level on the second, fifth, 10th, 15th and 19th ends. Salomons and his team were down 13-16 on the 17th end. They won the last four ends for a three-shot win.

Murray Boswood’s team won 25-15. They led early but Seymour was able to fight back and level the scores 10 shots all on the 11th end.

Murray rallied his team, and they won eight of the final 11 ends for a good win. Geoff Coad and his team won 22-13. They started well and led 13-4 after 10 ends.

Seymour won six of the next seven ends to be within two shots, 14-12. But Geoff and his team won three of the final four ends to win by nine shots. A good fight back.

Merrigum golf

A lot of long hours by a few people on the mowers has seen Merrigum’s course come up a treat in time for the first round of the summer four-ball.

It is a credit to those who have given their time to the club over the past couple of weeks to see how the course has been transformed from a paddock and lake to fairways in such a short space of time.

Unfortunately, one of the workers lost his wallet while operating the slasher. It was later located on the second, 16th and 17th fairways.

Saturday’s event was 4BBB stroke, the first of five rounds of the summer four-ball, with a maximum of 10 points on offer to the winners of each round.

Ash Sanders and Bill Bray got their campaign off to a good start, scoring maximum points after winning the first round with a score of 64 net. In reality Sanders got the campaign off to a good start, with Bray just tagging along and filling in the gaps periodically. Despite Sanders’s great round, the vagaries of the handicapping system actually saw his handicap go out slightly, which could come in handy for the future rounds.

The always reliable combination of John Fuller and Tony Borrelli were the runners-up, just one shot behind the winners with 65 nett. They are a formidable pair who play up the middle with monotonous regularity.

Two pairs, Tommy Ladhams and Simon Doherty and Bruce Brown and Greg Hall, were a further two shots in arrears with 67nett. Nearest the pins were won by Sanders and Ladhams with fantastic shots on the sixth and ninth respectively, while Bray picked up the double jackpot for nearest the pin on the twelfth. Hall and Brown won the chook shed challenge with 15 shots.

Ladhams was the narrow winner of last week’s twilight competition with a round of 47-9.5-37.5. That was the start of the good form he repeated on Saturday, and he managed to hold off Andrew Wood after a countback when Woody finished with 43-5.5-37.5. It was the first outing for both players this twilight season.

James Campbell won least putts with 17, again on a countback from Woody. The two-point cut was 41.

This Saturday’s event is stroke for the Privilege Cup and a spot in the next Tiger Cup play-off.

Valley View golf

Miles Gould is the 2022 Valley View Club Champion after an excellent round of 76 off the stick at the weekend.

Tee off for the final round was delayed by almost half an hour to allow a band of steady rain to pass and fortunately the championships were then completed without further interference from above.

With the race for the club champion title down to two players in Gould and Ash Kuiper, the battle tightened up on the very first hole when Kuiper gave up the two-shot lead that he took into the final round with a three putt and subsequent double bogey six.

Both players bogeyed the par four second hole before going par for par through holes three to six.

Gould then took a one-shot lead on the seventh when Kuiper made bogey.

After pars for both players on the par five eighth Gould went a further shot ahead when Kuiper dropped another shot on the par three ninth.

Gould consolidated his lead with a back nine of three over 39, while Kuiper posted a back nine of 41 matching his front nine sore and leaving Gould with a four-shot victory.

Gould’s round, which gave him a nett score of 69 for the day, also assured him of the A-grade handicap title as well which he won by six shots from Mick Coyne who also posted a nett 69 on the final day.

In B-grade Des Partington cruised to a 10-shot win with a final round of 107-33- 74 to give him a three round aggregate nett score of 208.

Young Wil Harrison managed to claw back five shots on Des with a round of 108-39-69 to finish the championships with nett 218.

Wil’s three rounds meant that he also added the Club Junior Champion title to his B-grade runner-up trophy.

The final championships standings in summary were as follows:

Club Champion (gross score): Miles Gould (235), Ash Kuiper (239), Daryl Harrison (253), Mick Coyne (256).

A-grade Handicap Champion (nett score): Miles Gould (214), Mick Coyne (220), Lawrie Casey (222), Ash Kuiper (224).

B-grade Handicap Champion (nett score): Des Partington (208), Wil Harrison (218), Paul Dickens (227), John Neale (232).

A big thanks to our championship sponsors, Drummond Golf Shepparton, GMCU Credit Union and Kyabram Showcase Jewellers.

The results from Saturday’s comp were as follows:

A-grade: Winner Mick Coyne 81-12-69 in a countback from Miles Gould 76-7-69

B-grade: Winner Wil Harrison 108-38-70 from Paul Dickens (93-21-72)

Ball comp winners: Daryl Harrisonnettt 71, Graeme Harrison (72), Rodney Rathjen (74), Kelly Cheong (76), Lawrie Casey (76). Nearest the pin: Miles Gould (A-grade 3rd), Ian Rathjen (B-grade 3rd), Paul Dickens (B-grade 3rd), and Rodney Rathjen (15th).

Tuesday’s winner was John Burrows with 36 points from Alan Hausler with 35 points in a countback from Ed McQuienn and Peter Noble. Mick McAuliffe (3rd) and Peter Blackmore (15th) won the nearest the pin trophies.

Valley View women’s golf

Scores from last Wednesday’s stroke and putting competition, sponsored by Ian Collie's Pharmacy, would suggest that the course had reverted to the more difficult conditions golfers have experienced in recent months.

Sharon Harrison was the A-grade winner with 104-23-81 on a countback from Tracey Wade 102-21-81.

In B-grade, Clare Kerr earned congratulations for easily the best score of the day with 102-29-72. Nancy Saunders was runner-up with 109-30-79.

Leonie McMaster Smith had her eye in on the greens and won the putting competition on a countback from Bev Lyon when both finished on 29 putts.

Parkland women’s golf

The sponsorship of Kyabram Showcase Jewellers was appreciated for the stroke event held on the Tuesday, November 15 where a field of 28 participated.

Taking the top honours in A-grade was the effort of Ina Hogeboom (21) who completed her day with 53 followed by Kathy Bell (18) as runner-up on 56 nett.

Pam Spokes (25) came in with the best score of 55 nett to win B-grade while Bev McLay (28) finished her day with a nett score of 57 to be runner-up.

C-grade was closely contested but it was Jenny Todd (30) the winner after a countback over Faye Fankhauser (36) who was then named runner-up after both players scored 57 nett.

Ball winners: F. Roberts 57, C. Kelly 58, D. Day 59, F. Glover 60 and M. Trimby 62 after a c/b.

Nearest the pin and taking the jackpot on the first was Faye Roberts while Ina Hogeboom won nearest the pic on the 15th with her second shot.

The best scratch score for the day of 74 was played by both Ina Hogeboom and Kathy Bell.

Congratulations to the winners of winter golf: Di Bruhn (Golfer of the Year and C-grade eclectic). Trudie Plumb (Roma Fraser Memorial Brooch, Bev Woods Memorial Trophy (GA 30.8 -25.3) and A-grade eclectic. Heather Sleeth (least putts, most chip ins). Mary Elliott/Denise Hee/Kathy Bell: most birdies (equal). Faye Roberts (B-grade eclectic).

Merrigum bowls

The team playing Tatura Hill Top at Merrigum on November 26 is: C. Baxter, C. Quattrocchi, G. Pell, J. Chant (s); C. Dixon, G. Hubble, N. Gardiner, G. Smith (s); J. Arthur, M. Parsons, B. Parsons, J. Firmer (s); J. Bailey, A. Dennis, P. Warburton, C. Capes (s). Be at the club by 12.30pm.

Duty rink: Joe Chant.

Youth Club basketball

Young basketballers shot 236 points in less than 90 minutes on Monday afternoon in Kyabram Youth Club’s summer basketball competition.

They did this on eight hoops which were set up on two courts and adjusted to heights to encourage success.

A further 250 points were later scored on four full-height rings by senior boys and girls.

Twenty four hours prior, 22 men and women sunk 245 points while playing in the club’s weekly senior social matches.

Match reports: Jimmy Hargreaves (22 points) lifted his Hornets teammates on his shoulders to record an inspired 30-29 win over Raptors in Grade 6-8 division.

Raptors looked like they were home and hosed when they led by 12 points with 10 minutes remaining, but when the here-to-selfless Jimmy was given the green light to own the ball, he scored repeatedly.

And when he didn’t score, he drew fouls and cooly deposited points at the free throw line.

But it was also the defensive efforts of Jimmy’s brother Paddy Hargreaves and Cody Pyke which enabled the Hornets to hit the lead on the scoreboard in the last minute of the match.

Raptors, whose two talls Brody Thompson (18 points) and Ben Chapman (14) were again dominant, had an inbound pass at the middle of the court with 2.4 seconds of the match remaining, but could not pull off the improbable.

The Raptors seem to like the close finishes. They bested Wildcats 32-31 last round.

The other notable match of the junior competition was a drawn result in the youngest division between Gators and Hornets (28-28).

Nate Carmody scored 20 points for the winners, while Ryder Morris (16) and Isaac Perry (12) were Hornets’ top scorers.

Indi Kent posted 22 of the 26 points her Gators team scored in the girls 3-4 division. They defeated Hornets by 14 points.

Wes Smith (12) led his Gators to a two-point win over Hornets in Grade 2/3/4 boys division. He was well-supported by Hunter McCormack (6) and Benny Barnes (6).

Hornets were best served by two elevated players in Noah Virivirilau (12), and Seth (10)

Huxley Cottrell shot 24 points and Ben Brennan 22 for Wildcats in their win over Raptors. Aiden Dennis (6) and Lucas Alford (8) had strong games for Raptors.

Kaden Cooper celebrated his birthday by top scoring (16 points) for Wildcats in their Grade 5/6 boys division victory over Hornets, 34-21.

Tyrone Riedell scored 10 points for the winners. Brody Wells was Hornets top scorer with 11 points.

Ryan Carmody scored all of his Raptors 16 points in their win over Wildcats in boys Grade 2/3/4 division. Alex Rovenko (6) scored all of Wildcats points, too.

Kyabram Youth Club is bringing basketball back to its community.

Basketball was lost when the town’s basketball association ceased to exist about 20 years ago. The club’s aim is to give Kyabram and district basketball enthusiasts, young and older, an opportunity to play basketball in their own town again.

Adults play Sunday afternoons and primary and secondary-aged girls and boys play on Mondays.

A pre-school learn-to-play for boys and girls is also on Monday evenings.