Packers Face Seahawks
By Nick Freimuth DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 18, 2007

Green Bay opens the home portion of its preseason schedule tonight at Lambeau Field when they hosts the Seattle Seahawks on 104.1 FM WRLU and 105.1 FM WSBW. The Packers opened the preseason with a 13-9 victory at Pittsburgh, the first time the team had won a preseason opener on the road since 1981. Both teams head into the contest 1-0, as Seattle opened its preseason slate Sunday night in San Diego with a 24-16 victory. Seventeen fourth quarter points helped seal the victory for the Seahawks, who went ahead for good on kicker Josh Brown’s 36-yard field goal. Seattle’s No. 1 offense only saw one series of action. Today marks the 58th annual Upper Midwest Shrine Game, an old standing preseason tradition. Green Bay has won seven of the last eight Shrine contests, including a 38-10 victory over Atlanta in 2006.
Packer’s rookie wide receiver James Jones has performed extremely well to date. However, he says there are no guarantees that he will be the third receiver. He is looking at tonight's game as another opportunity to show why he deserves major playing time in Green Bay.
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Mike Holmgren joined the Seahawks after a seven-year tenure as head coach in Green Bay, during which he led the Packers to three straight NFC Championship Games, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory (XXXI). A warm welcome is anticipated for the coach that has a street in Green Bay named after him.
Former New York Giants cornerback and first year man with the Packers Frank Walker said Holmgren coming back to Lambeau is like a famous coach in New York returning to the Meadowlands.
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The Packers and Seahawks will kick off tonight at 7:00 p.m. You can catch all the hard-hitting action on 104.1 FM WRLU and 105.1 FM WSBW.

 
 
Kolberg Braves Back-To-Back Champs
By Jocko Rader DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 17, 2007

The 2007 Door County Baseball League season is in the record books for regular league play and we have the Kolberg Braves winning the league this year as they did in 2006.  First back to back championships ever for them.  Manager Dave Neinas did a fine job of getting this team together.  West Jacksonport, who I had picked as the favorite, finished second and had a pitching problem for a while till manager Ryan Tanck got back on the mound.  Maplewood finished third and Baileys Harbor and Institute, both surprise teams, tied for fourth. Sister Bay and the Island team finished on the bottom.  Kolberg  was (12-2) and the Ports (11-3).   

Top hitter last week was Mickey Lee going 5 for 6 and ,get this, till his final out in the ninth was 9 for 9 counting last weeks game.  That is some hot hitting!  
Now for the playoffs...  Baileys Harbor will host institute this Sunday to see who can claim the fourth spot to move in the four team playoff the league has at the end of the year after the league champs are crowned.  Kolberg will host the winner of this game and West Jacksonport host to the Maplewood Mets.  These games will be played on the 26th of August. Game time is 1:30PM. Managers are now voting for the top pitcher of the league and top manager of the league. These awards are given out at the championship game of the playoffs.  On hand to receive their permanent trophies will be last years batting champ Jack Schartner and the top pitcher Dave Jilot from 2006.  At this point, they both have traveling trophies in their homes. 
 
 
James Jones Adjusting To Pro Game
By Nick Freimuth DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 15, 2007


Third round draft pick out of San Jose State James Jones has been impressive throughout his first two weeks of Green Bay Packer Training Camp. The 6'1" 207-pound target uses his body better than any receiver the Packers currently have in camp. Jones has run crisp pass routes, showed the ability to elevate to the ball and most importantly catches with his hands and does not let the ball get to his body.
The biggest difference between college football and the pros is the level of competition and the speed of the game. Jones talked about what impressed him the most about Coach Mike McCarthy's training camp.
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Playing his college days in San Jose was a blessing throughout the first week of practice. Heat and humidity got the best of a number of players, but Jones said it was no big deal at all. The rookie receiver feels he is in great shape physically and mentally.
Jones also knows that going up against two of the best cornerbacks in the business day in and day out will make him a better player. Al Harris and Charles Woodson will make the entire receiving core better and Jones is happy that the veterans are there to show him how difficult it is to play at this level.
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Donald Driver's shoulder injury could be one that lingers on into the season. If the Pro-Bowler were forced to the sideline, Jones would likely be the number two receiver on the squad behind Greg Jennings.
 
 
Door County Softball Teams Honored For Sportsmanship
By Nick Freimuth DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 15, 2007


The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association has selected the team Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2007 Spring and Summer State Team Championships. Two Door County schools were recognized for their efforts on the field and their positive attitudes.
Southern Door High School softball coached by Pat Delcore and Sevastopol High School softball coached by Heather Fellner-Spetz were recognized as the runners up for the award. Delcore was pleased that his team received the recognition.
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Other schools receiving honorable mention include Appleton North, De Soto, Grantsburg, Portage, and Williams Bay.
The WIAA Sportsmanship Award is presented to one school and community in each of the State team tournaments. Delcore said the recognition speaks volumes to the parenting in Door County.
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The award winners are determined by the conduct and sportsmanship displayed by athletes, coaches, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands and spectators. Additional consideration is given for the effort of school administrators and chaperones to insure support for their teams are positive and that the highest ideals of sportsmanship are upheld. Award winners receive a plaque and banner in recognition of the honor. Schools receiving honorable mention are acknowledged with a certificate of recognition. The Southern Door Softball Coach said both schools are deserving of the award. 
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The selection process includes contributions and evaluations from contest officials, tournament management, police and security personnel, crowd control and ushers, WIAA staff members, area hotels and restaurants.
 
 
More Than Just Football For Gibraltar High School
By Eric Cullen DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 14, 2007


The Gibraltar High School football team will take on new challenges this year when they enter the Packerland Olympian Small Conference. Head coach John Sawyer had alot of activities planned for his team outside of football over the summer. The team got to partake in some activities where they were able to have fun with each other with the help of the members of the community.
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The players also spent some time at Jelly Stone National Park where they got to practice and play.
The coach expects his team to really put on a show for the fans this season because of the number of seniors returning this year and also because the team has a lot of speed on the field. They will continue to use the spread offense that they used last year where they will run a lot of options with the quarterback and will also pass a lot more than most teams.
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The defense will be run similarly, in the sense that it is based on athleticism rather than size. The team will run 5-2 and 4-4 defenses most of the time and run some Cover 2 defenses as well.
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Coach Sawyer said that if they finish a game above .500 that they should get a spot into the playoffs which would be a step in the right direction for the program. The team will scrimage at Oshkosh Lourdes on the 17th and will start the regular season at home against Saint Mary's Central on the 24th.
 
 
DCL Regular Season Concludes
By Nick Freimuth DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 13, 2007

Institute and Baileys Harbor entered play yesterday in the Door County League tied for fourth place. The Cubs played West Jacksonport and fell to Southern Door graduate Joel Delorit. Ryan Tanck who relieved Delorit and earned the save locked down the 13-9 win. Danny Hanson and James Larsen both belted three-run homeruns to pace the Ports offense.
Baileys Harbor had a chance to earn a spot in the playoffs if they could defeat Maplewood. The Mets played spoiler and topped the A's 10-4. Led by Mickey Lee at the plate, Maplewood ended the regular season on a high note. Lee accumulated five hits and four RBI's. Doug Dahms also had four runs batted in against the A's.
After the game, a coin toss was organized between the A's and Cubs and Baileys Harbor earned home field advantage for next Sunday's playoff. The game will be played at 1:30 p.m.
In other DCL action yesterday, Kolberg crushed Egg Harbor 15-2. The Braves win their second consecutive regular-season title. Chris Wery smashed a home run and wracked up four RBIs to lead Kolberg. They finished the season with a 12-2 overall record. Egg Harbor finished 5-9.
Sister Bay topped Washington Island 7-2. Charlie Schell and Mike Jorgenson hit homeruns and Cody Johnson had three hits to propel Sister Bay to a win. Both squads finished the season at (3-11).

 
 
Packers Offense Struggles In Opener
By Nick Freimuth DoorCountyDailyNews.com
August 12, 2007

The Green Bay Packers were winners of their first pre-season game in Pittsburgh by the final score of 13-9. The first team offense led by Brett Favre struggled in the first quarter; however, the reserves came through in a low scoring affair. Aaron Rodgers and rookies James Jones and Brandon Jackson stepped up to propel a dormant Green Bay offense.

Rodgers led the Packers on three consecutive scoring drives to move the Packers into position to win their fifth consecutive game dating back to the end of the 2006 season. Jones led the receiving corps with six catches for 58 yards, while Jackson accumulated 57 yards on 16 carries.

Rodgers connected with Ruvell Martin for a 15-yard TD pass to put separation between the Packers and Steelers late in the first half. However, instant replay showed that Martin had stepped out of the back of the end zone before coming back in to catch the throw, nullifying the TD.

To open the second half, Green Bay quickly worked their way down the field and found themselves in third down and goal-to-go. Rodgers lobbed a 3-yard TD pass to Carlyle Holiday to give Green Bay a 10-9 lead. Dave Rayner and Mason Crosby wound up having great nights and the kicking competition is sure to be a heated battle until the end of the preseason.