All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Former CU Head Football Coach Gary Barnett to compete in fundraising event Former University of Colorado head football coach Gary Barnett knows a thing or two about struggling football programs. In 1995, he coached perennial Big 10 basement-dweller Northwestern to its first appearance in the Rose Bowl since 1949, a feat still recognized as one of the more dramatic turnarounds in college football history. So when Barnett called Jeremy Lanter out of the blue last December to offer his advice and m... Full story
Faced with growing alarm among parents about concussions and injuries, Niwot football coach Jeremy Lanter decided to be proactive. “I’ve sat in 20 different homes for 20 different meetings with parents, and one of the biggest concerns is the safety piece,” he said. “Addressing that with them and listening to their concerns, and finding out what we can do, is a step in the right direction.” To that end, Lanter has embarked on a two-pronged approach to player safety ahead of the 2018 season, one o...
There won’t be as many familiar faces on next year’s Niwot football team, and that’s a good thing, according to second-year head coach Jeremy Lanter. This spring, he welcomed 20 first-time players to training camp, in addition to a “decent sized freshman class.” For Lanter, all the “new blood” in the program has helped to create an atmosphere of excitement and optimism for the upcoming season. “Our newcomers have done such a phenomenal job for us,” Lanter said. “The players that are coming rig...
Jeremy Lanter is looking forward to his second season as Niwot’s head football coach, and not just because he feels the Cougars will be more competitive on the field. With 20 first-time players, in addition to a healthy crop of freshman, Lanter said newcomers have breathed energy and optimism into his program, which has seen its share of struggles in recent years. “Now although the numbers have been similar, the excitement has been one of the biggest changes in the program,” he wrote in an em...
Niwot wrestler Jose Lopez came to the sport later than most of his peers, but that lack of experience hasn’t kept him from success on the mat. A surprise state-qualifier during his rookie junior season, he amassed an impressive record as a senior before a broken arm thwarted his 2018 postseason ambitions. Late last month, the heavyweight’s career took another step forward when he signed a letter of intent to wrestle collegiately at the alliterative Cloud County Community College, in Concordia, K...
When announcing that horn player Rachel Clark was the recipient of the 2018 John Philip Sousa Award at the Niwot’s band’s final performance of the year, director Wade Henricks told his audience that “high school programs are built around students like Rachel - they are pillars of the band that remain long after the student has graduated. I'll happily live in the house Rachel has helped build.” The John Philip Sousa Award is bestowed annually “in recognition of superior musicianship and outst... Full story
It turns out, if you give a first-grader the opportunity to deep dive into their inquisitive minds, a torrent of inspiration and ingenuity will be the probable outcome. Teacher Kelly Bernhardt dared each of her 24 students at Niwot Elementary (NES) to do just that through a process called the Genius Hour. Originally used by inventive companies, the Genius Hour gives employees freedom to wander through their own thoughts while on the job. After selecting what lights them up the most from their... Full story
William Sykes Yoh, age 100, joined his beloved Becky in heaven on Friday, May 11, 2018. He, and his twin brother Bob, were born in Eureka, Pennsylvania on Dec. 19, 1917 to Reverend Paul and Helen (Sykes) Yoh. He attended Ursinus College, his father’s alma mater, and during World War II, he served stateside in the US Army Air Corp. Bill married Rebecca Yard on May 8, 1944, in Milton, Pennsylvania, and resided in the Philadelphia area until 1983 when he and Becky made the old school house in N... Full story
The 13th-annual Rock & Rails summer concert series kicks off on June 7 and organizers are gearing up for another great summer of live music and family fun on Thursday nights at Whistlestop Park. Opening acts take the stage at 5 p.m., for an hour, followed by a headliner, with music resuming around 6:30. There is no charge for admission, and seating is “bring-your-own” on a first-come, first-serve basis. Leading things off this season is longtime local guitarist Dean Himes in the early show, foll...
Baseball and softball games at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park were part of the Opening Day festivities for Niwot Youth Sports on Saturday May 5. The program, which has roots back to the Left Hand Men’s Club in 1969, provides baseball and softball programs for children in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area. According to Executive Director Pat Longseth, over 300 boys and girls are signed up for the baseball program, and approximately 120 girls are playing softball. . Longseth is himself a former player in th...
At the regular monthly meeting on May 1, the Niwot LID Advisory Committee got a sneak peek at the Niwot Business Association’s new branding campaign, and heard about some important changes in store for this year’s Rock & Rails Summer concert series. Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin kicked off the meeting with a brief discussion about officer elections, a subject curiously left out of the Committee’s bylaws. Leadership of the nine-member Committee consists of a Chair, who conducts the meeti... Full story
Even on St. Patrick’s Day, it wasn’t hard to spot the green-clad Niwot athletes competing in the Windsor Invitational, as they were almost always out in front of the pack. On a sunny spring day, tailor made for running fast, both veterans and newcomers set new personal bests in many of the meet’s sprint events, helping both the boys and girls to their second top-ten finishes of the still-early season. “It’s a perfect day,” Niwot head coach Maurice Henriques said. Now in his eighth year, Henri... Full story
BASEBALL David Bote, son of former Niwot High Baseball Coach Bob Bote, is in his first major league spring training camp with the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, AZ. Bote, playing second base, opened the exhibition season in the starting lineup and collected a single in his first plate appearance. He followed with another base hit in the second game of the spring, coming in as a replacement for Javier Baez. Bote, the Cubs’ 15th-ranked prospect, is featured on a video on the Cubs’ website, talking about working with Hall-of-Famer Alan Trammell last fal...
Niwot wrestling called it a season at the Class 4A Regional 4 tournament at Golden High School last weekend, after none of its wrestlers qualified to compete at the upcoming state meet. Max Pechersewski (106), Brandon Barton (138), and Keith Hemenway (152) all won consolation round matches, but otherwise the Cougars were shut out of the scoring and finished last in the team standings, with just 10 points. Niwot head coach Bobby Matthews had tempered expectations for his team going into the weeke...
Led by first-year wrestlers Julian Molina and Matt Bitterman, the Niwot Cougars outlasted cross-town rival Silver Creek Thursday night Jan. 18, picking up their second Northern League victory of the year. “I am very proud of the two of them,” Matthews said following the win. “To come out for wrestling as sophomores for the first time is tough and they have embraced the grind.” Senior Brandon Barton (138 pounds) notched his sixth win of 2018 in the 41-36 Cougar victory, while sophomore Keith H...
Niwot cheer coach Alexis Bellinger isn’t shy about praising her team’s performance at this year’s Class 4A State Cheerleading tournament, held Dec. 8-9 at the Denver Coliseum. “The girls were in a great place,” said Bellinger, who co-coaches the team with former Erie cheer assistant Catherine Linhardt. “Everything was falling into place. We went out to perform, and they had an absolutely flawless routine. They had zero deductions. Absolutely every stunt, every tumbling, and every jump hit, and w...
Niwot student Lucas Steiner’s penchant for hard work is paying dividends this fall. As a member of the Niwot’s football team, the 185-pound offensive lineman was pressed into service on defense this season, after a rash of injuries left the coaches scrambling to field a full squad. Steiner played both as offensive guard and middle linebacker in several games, earning a post-season “Dog” award from the coaches for being a “loyal, hardworking kid who does things the right way.” “Lucas was...
In the wake of Tommy Stager’s tremendous individual success, the Niwot wrestling program has seen a surge in popularity. Since taking over the program three seasons ago, head coach Bobby Matthews has seen his team more than double in size, from just 12 wrestlers in 2015-16 to more than 30 wrestlers this year. Such growth is not only gratifying, Matthews said, but it’s also one of the key factors to future success. “It’s huge in the process of building the program,” he explained. “More com... Full story
Born in the age of rumble seats, ice boxes, and boys’ knickers, Bill Yoh has seen and experienced an enormous number of changes in the world over the past 100 years. Yoh will officially become a centenarian on Dec. 19, 2017. Born in rural Pennsylvania, and residing in Philadelphia for most of the first two-thirds of his life, Yoh has called Niwot his home since 1984 - over 33 years ago. It was a snowy winter day in Eureka, PA, when Yoh’s mother went into labor. As if the urgency of the situation...
Niwot has the good fortune of being Alyson Bell’s family. And, as it is with the best of kin, Bell’s positive impacts are deep and immeasurable. “I like to keep a full plate and keep it rolling” Bell said. And that truly is the Alyson Bell effect. Her personal touch on Niwot’s signature events such as Let’s Wine about Winter, Rock & Rails, and The Great Pumpkin Party, through her organizing and hands-on effort and by ensuring that graphics, printed materials and online presences are emblematic,...
The Niwot Cougars put together their best offensive performance of the year last Saturday, but fell 56-15 to the Greeley West Spartans in the final home game of 2017. Senior quarterback Matt Baun went 12-for-20 passing with 136 yards on the day, and connected with senior Nate Nielsen for the Cougars’ first receiving touchdown since Sept. 22. Freshman Ayden Bartko also had positive yardage on the day, with one completion in one attempt for 46 yards. Nielsen ended the day with six catches for 8...
In their final night game of 2017, the Cougars lost 69-0 to conference opponent Broomfield in front of the home crowd at Everly Montgomery Field Oct. 19. It was Niwot’s eighth loss of the season and third straight shut-out. Senior quarterback Matt Baun went 9-for-16 with 59 yards passing and led the Cougars in rushing, gaining 15 yards on four carries. His freshman counterpart, Ayden Bartko, was 1-for-3 passing, with –7 yards on the ground. Sophomore running back Liam Flanagan was back in the...
The Niwot Cougars suffered their fourth shutout of the year last Thursday, losing 63-0 to the fourth-ranked Loveland Indians at Ray Patterson Field. Still depleted by injuries and ineligibility, Niwot once again found itself with inexperienced starters at key positions, and wasn’t able to put much of a dent in the Indians’ stingy defense. Sophomore Eric Ruiz and junior Daemonte Terry were the running backs du jour for the Cougars, and they had some success toward the end of the game. Ruiz man...
The Cougars opened their conference schedule with a 56-0 loss to the Brighton Bulldogs on Homecoming. “I was proud of a lot of different kids and their efforts,” Niwot head coach Jeremy Lanter said following the Cougars’ third shutout of the year last Friday night. “You could tell we were disconnected at certain times in certain things tonight offensively, but they’re working hard for us right now. I wish we could capitalize on that and get some W's on the board, but that’s not where we ar...
It was déjà vu all over again for Cougar fans in the opening minutes of the game against the undefeated Skyline Falcons last Friday night. Just like the week before against Mountain View, Niwot’s first three possessions ended in a turnover, a punt, and another turnover, and with just five minutes off the clock, the Cougars found themselves down by double digits. The rest of the game had a strangely familiar feel as well. A banged-up Cougar defense tried in vain to stop Skyline’s rushing jugge... Full story
Niwot couldn’t overcome Lewis Palmer on the court three weeks ago, but even a loss to the 4A defending champions has its advantages. When CHSAA unveiled its initial 2017 Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings for the fall sports last week, the Cougars found themselves alone at the top of the list, if just for a few days. The RPI, which ranks teams based on win/loss record and strength of schedule, determines post-season seeding for volleyball, football, softball and soccer. For Niwot head c... Full story
In the Cougars home game against the Air Academy Kadets last weekend, Niwot linebacker Shane Timmerman did something he’s never done before -- gained positive yards on offense. “Today I got my first run at running back and I loved it,”Timmerman said after the game. In his short stint as the Cougars’ running back late in their loss to the Kadets, he gained 12 yards on three carries after Liam Flanagan went out with an injury. When Timmerman volunteered to serve as backup running back earlier... Full story
Wilma (Willie) Naomi Moffett was born on Aug. 29, 1938 and passed away on Sept. 9, 2017. Willie was born to parents Edna and Ovel Tucker who both preceded her in death. Willie was very active growing up, as a member of Rainbow Girls, and was one of the founding members of the Jobs Daughters in Englewood, and very involved with 4-H. It was while she was in high school she met her future husband, Wallace (Wally) Moffett. They married on Sept. 25, 1956 and would have celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary this September. Willie was very active... Full story
Although the Cougars didn’t come away with a win in their home opener against the Summit Tigers last Friday night, Niwot head coach Jeremy Lanter has no doubt his team is headed in the right direction. After reviewing game film of Niwot’s 27-15 loss to the Tigers, the coach said he saw improvement across the board. “We did so much better. We grew in just about every area of what we were doing.” Led by sophomore quarterback Noah Peña, the Cougars’ offense generated 213 total yards, nearly dou... Full story
It’s hard to describe the past decade of Niwot football without using the word tumultuous. After two classification changes, three head coaching changes, and an abysmal win-loss record, the program’s successes have been few and far between. Last spring, longtime Berthoud defensive coordinator Jeremy Lanter was tasked with rehabilitating the Niwot program, a challenge the first year head coach has taken to heart. As the 2017 season looms, Lanter has a roster full of exciting young players and...
Editor’s note: This article highlights just one of the new teachers at Niwot High School. We hope to get more spotlights on great teachers over the coming weeks. If you know a teacher or staff/faculty member that deserves credit, email editorial@lhvc.com. Sarah Demmel feels like she’s back home now that she and her family have returned to Niwot. After three years in Austin, TX where her husband’s job had relocated them, Demmel and her family are once again enjoying what this small town has to of...
FOOTBALL Alex Oelsner (Niwot) is a freshman slotback at Northwestern this fall. Oelsner, who played tight end and linebacker primarily in high school, was second team All-State as a senior. Trey Fleming (Silver Creek) is a senior wide receiver for Black Hills State this fall. Fleming caught 18 passes last year for 289 yards and one touchdown. He has also served as a kicker for Black Hills State, making six of 11 attempts last year, including one from 43 yards out. Former long-time Niwot High...
alzheimer’s support group An Alzheimer’s support group will meet on the first Wednesday of every month . This class is free and open to the public, no registration required. The events are from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Niwot United Methodist Church, 7405 Lookout Rd., Gunbarrel. Mosquito control For complete, up-to-date information about mosquito control in Boulder County and the Gunbarrel/Niwot area go to www.BoulderCountyMosquito.net. The site contains tips and information about mosquito spray schedules, spraying notification sign-up, mos...
Friends and fans of Niwot football are invited to kick off the Jeremy Lanter Era at the 4th Annual Cougar Classic Golf Tournament on Friday, Aug. 4 at Saddleback Golf Club in Firestone. Hosted by the non-profit Niwot Touchdown Club, the 18-hole scramble tournament is in need of players, sponsors and volunteers. Tournament entries are $475 per foursome or $125 per individual, and all players receive an 18-hole round, riding cart, two complimentary (non-alcoholic) beverages, a buffet lunch, and a...
Registration for Niwot Youth Sports fall flag football season is now underway according to NYS Football Director Pat Longseth. The league is looking for boys and girls ages five to 12 who are interested in developing their football skills in a no-pad, non-contact environment. The $99 registration fee includes an NFL reversible, team identified color jersey, flags and mouth guard. Players can register at niwotyouthsports.org. Returning participants will see some changes to the program. Under Long...
SOFTBALL Nicki Blue (Niwot) finished her season with a 10-12 win-loss mark for South Carolina, which ended the season with a 34-25 record. Blue was the losing pitcher in a 9-0 loss to fourth-ranked Arizona, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings, as Arizona scored four times in the sixth inning when the South Carolina leftfielder lost a ball in the sun for a run-scoring double. South Carolina was ranked number 24 at the time and lost in the Regional final. Blue tied for fifth all-time in South... Full story
Though the official start of the 2017-18 high school football season is another two months away, Niwot’s new head football coach Jeremy Lanter has had his team hard at work for weeks. In May, Lanter held 90-minute practices on Thursday nights for current players and students interested in joining the team. Less than a week after school ended, those Cougars upperclassmen welcomed 45 incoming freshmen to a three-day clinic aimed at acquainting the newcomers with Niwot football culture. During t...
Dark clouds gathered on the horizon as students, families, and friends gathered at Niwot High School to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2017. Typically, graduation is held outdoors on the football field east of the school. But this year stormy weather drove the event inside. Teacher Jason Watkins, who has been at NHS for 20 years, said this was his first indoor graduation. Fortunately, the change in venue didn’t detract from the significance of the day for the more than 280 students w... Full story
Tommy Stager, student-athlete from Niwot High School, has been named the recipient of the MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year Award, presented in conjunction with the United States Marines Corps. The presentation will be made during the Senior Talent Show at Niwot High School on May 25 at 7 p.m. by special guest presenter Rulon Gardner, American Gold Medal Wrestler who competed in the 2000 Olympic Games, and U.S. Marine SGT Daniel Fitzgerald. MaxPreps, which is the online source for high school sports news, results and statistics, has teamed up...
On a boys track team that sometimes struggled to fill its highlight reel this season, Niwot senior Alex Oelsner often provided the missing footage. As the team’s leading thrower, Oelsner amassed several top 10 finishes in shot put this year, including fourth in the Northern Conference championships held May 5. He also competed in discus for the team, and even ran in the sprints from time to time. His season-best shot put attempt of 48 feet 10 inches at the Holy Family Tiger Tornado I...
Walk into Niwot Market and you’ll see artist Tom Studholme hard at work. Studholme, who created a mural in the store, has been commissioned by Bert Steele to do a painting honoring a cousin of his children, Jay Knaus. Steele said the painting has a lot of meaning for him. “It is a tribute to Jay Knaus, who passed away last year. He was a very good football player. He played for Longmont High School. He [had] many concussions as a player.” The painting, which shows Knaus catching a footb... Full story
Dylan Hollingsworth, former Niwot High School football coach, was given a one-year deferred sentence March 23, 2017, on misdemeanor charges in a plea bargain approved by the Boulder County Court. Hollingsworth was accused of choking a 17-year-old student and kneeing him in the groin on Oct. 27, 2016, during a PE class, resulting in charges of second- and third-degree assault. As part of the plea agreement, those charges were dismissed and Hollingsworth entered a plea of guilty to misdemeanor harassment and criminal mischief charges. Conditions...
Daisha Agho, who has coached Berthoud volleyball for the past eight years, has been named the new Niwot High volleyball coach. Under Agho, Berthoud finished with a record of 21-6 last season, advancing to the state Class 4A tournament. There the Spartans beat Windsor before being eliminated by eventual state champion Lewis-Palmer. Berthoud finished 16-11 in 2015 following a 20-7 mark in 2014, and has made it to state in three of the last four years. Agho, who lives in Firestone with her husband... Full story
Gabe Hultquist, a 15-year-old sophomore at Niwot High School, is becoming yet another successful Irish dancer out of the Moriarty-Moffitt School of Irish Dance in Longmont. In competitions, Gabe said he typically goes hard shoe in the first round, soft shoe in the second, and hard shoe in the final round. The different styles are judged mostly on the height of jumps, with form keeping the knees as straight as possible and the arms down to the sides. “I like my third round the best because I g...
Niwot High Athletic Director Chase McBride announced Wednesday that Jeremy Lanter, an assistant coach and math teacher at Berthoud High School, has been hired as head coach of the Niwot football program. Lanter replaces Dylan Hollingsworth, who was suspended from teaching and coaching after an incident involving a student in a weight training class. An assault charge against Hollingsworth is pending. Lanter has served as the defensive coordinator at Berthoud for the past several years, and was on the staff there when McBride was the athletic di...
Late last year, Boy Scout Troop 161 held their last Court of Honor for the fall. This year’s event had a room full of heavy hearts. David Louwers, a member of the troop who was tragically killed in a plane crash last June, was posthumously given the rank of Eagle Scout. His parents — Robert and Christina Louwers — were in attendance as David’s name was added to the plaque with the other names of the troop’s Eagle Scouts over the years. He was also given the Spirit of the Eagle Award, which is... Full story
People tend to feel strongly about New Year’s resolutions. They either never make them (“I don’t need any improvement” one gentleman told me), or they make them religiously every year and keep track of their progress on spreadsheets—like my friend Jamie, who’s on the fast track to becoming a career novelist at 29 years of age. While the New Year might seem like an arbitrary marker to some, the turning of the calendar page can act as a kind of reset button for those good intentions that fell l...
HOCKEY One of the country’s top collegiate hockey players, Andrew Sturtz of Penn State, is the nephew of Niwot residents Brad and Jane Langdon. Sturtz is from Buffalo, NY, and is currently a sophomore forward for the Nittany Lions. As a freshman, he led the team in goals with 18, which was the fifth-most in the country by a freshman. The performance earned him the freshman of the year award. His first goal for Penn State was named the NCAA’s No. 1 Play of the Week on Oct. 23, 2015, coming agains...
When former Denver Bronco Matt McChesney shows up at your high school, people tend to notice. McChesney, a former lineman for the Denver Broncos among other pro teams, returned to Niwot High School, his alma mater, to announce the selection of NHS senior Alex Oelsner to the Blue-Grey High School All-American football squad Dec. 2. McChesney, a 2000 NHS grad, now owns and operates Six Zero Strength and Fitness in Denver, a gym that caters to high school and college athletes who want to play at... Full story
BASEBALL Sean Ratliff (Niwot) began his professional coaching career as hitting coach for the Kingsport Mets in 2015. In 2016 Ratliff moved up to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the short-season Class A affiliate of the Mets. And this fall he coached in the Instructional League, where his prize pupil, Tim Tebow, homered on the first pitch he saw. Ratliff was drafted by the Mets out of Stanford University, where he starred in the College World Series. He worked his way up to Class AA in the Mets organization, and appeared in several spring training... Full story
