Rec Sports
VB: Youth Surge Propels No. 17 Warriors Past Doane in Four

Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – No. 17 Midland University was back inside the Wikert Event Center on Wednesday night, hosting Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) rival Doane University. After a two-week absence from their home court, the Warriors looked unsettled early as they dropped the first set. Doane nearly forced a decisive fifth, but a furious late rally by Midland erased a 10-point deficit to close out the match in four sets (22-25, 26-24, 25-19, 27-25).
The final set saw Midland storm back from a 19-9 deficit, staving off three set points before sealing the win in thrilling fashion.
Doane caught Midland off guard in the opener, keeping pace point for point. The teams traded ties through 7-7 before the Warriors surged ahead, 12-8. Doane fought back, eventually taking a 20-18 lead. Each time Midland closed the gap, the Tigers had an answer and held on for a 25-22 win.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle. Doane jumped ahead 3-1 before Midland countered to go up 7-5. From there, the longtime GPAC rivals traded blows with 12 ties, the last at 20-20. Kills from Brooklynn Snyder and Avery Crouch pushed the Warriors ahead, but Doane clawed back to tie at 22-22 and 24-24. Abree Plueger gave Midland set point, and Macey Jackson finished the job with a kill for a 26-24 win.
With momentum on their side, the Warriors controlled the third. After three early ties, a four-point rally put Midland ahead for good. They stretched the margin late, reaching set point at 24-16. Doane held off elimination briefly with three straight points, but Jackson slammed down a kill off an overpass to secure the set, 25-19.
The Tigers responded in the fourth, jumping out to a 10-5 lead that grew to 19-9. Midland’s underclassmen sparked the comeback, led by defensive sub Huston Rau. Two aces from Rau highlighted a 6-0 surge, forcing a Doane timeout. With Rau still serving, three more points pulled the Warriors within striking distance.
Trailing 24-21, Midland fended off three set points. Jackson and Tori Walker delivered clutch plays, with Walker’s tough serving pushing Doane out of rhythm. After the Tigers earned a fourth set point, kills from Jackson and Cameran Jansky flipped momentum, and Rau capped the rally with the winning kill for a 27-25 finish.
“This is why we emphasize the team aspect in our program,” head coach Micah Rhodes said. “Not everyone can be on every night. I need to have confidence, the team needs to have confidence, and the subs have to have confidence in themselves to come in and do the job. At the end of the fourth set, we had four freshmen in during that tight moment. Tori served three straight points while Doane was on set point. It would’ve been easy for her to get nervous, but she stepped up and delivered.”
“This is our team right now: a lot of inconsistencies,” Coach Rhodes added. “At the end of the day, I’m happy we got a win against a really good GPAC opponent. Everybody brings their best against us, and that’s the pressure of being a top-three team in the GPAC. We need to make sure we can handle that.”
Midland’s balanced attack was guided by setters Brena Mackling and Jaysa Wentzlaff, who tallied 28 and 21 assists, respectively. The Warriors hit .208 as a team with 61 kills.
Snyder led with 15 kills, followed by Plueger with 12. Jackson finished with nine, Jansky eight, Lauren Jones seven, and Crouch six.
Defensively, Sydney Guthard led the way with 17 digs, several coming in the fourth-set rally. Claire Johnson joined her in double figures, while Wentzlaff and Plueger chipped in six each.
Midland (9-6, 4-1 GPAC) will look to build on the midweek win as it hosts No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan (9-6, 3-2 GPAC) on Saturday. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at the Wikert Event Center in Fremont. The match is part of Homecoming Weekend and Alumni Day for the Midland volleyball program.
Rec Sports
Tigers avoid arbitration with seven players
The Tigers on Thursday reached agreements on one-year deals for 2026 with a flurry of players to avoid arbitration.
Thursday marked the deadline for teams to exchange proposed salary figures with unsigned players that would be used in a potential arbitration hearing to determine their salary. Detroit announced it came to terms with seven players:
• OF Riley Greene: $5 million
• 1B Spencer Torkelson: $4.075 million
• OF Kerry Carpenter: $3.275 million
• RP Will Vest: $3.95 million
• UTIL Zach McKinstry: $4.2 million
• SP Casey Mize: $6.15 million
• LHP Tyler Holton: $1.575 million
The Tigers entered this offseason with a long list of arbitration-eligible players, including two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The club did not come to terms with Skubal, which means they might need an arbitration hearing to determine his salary figure for the 2026 season.
A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Skubal filed for $32 million, while the Tigers countered with $19 million. Skubal’s figure would set a new record for the highest salary earned by a pitcher in arbitration. The current record is held by former Tigers lefty David Price, who earned $19.75 million in 2015, and the record for any player is $31 million by Juan Soto.
Greene is coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he earned his second consecutive All-Star nod and his first Silver Slugger Award. He recorded an .806 OPS and logged career highs in homers (36) and RBIs (111). This marked the 25-year-old’s first year of arbitration eligibility. He’s under club control through 2028.
Torkelson (who’s also under club control through 2028) had a career year in his fourth big league campaign. Over 155 games, the 26-year-old slashed .240/.333/.456 (all of which were career highs) with 31 homers (tied for a career high), 78 RBIs and a 117 OPS+ (a career high).
Carpenter hit a career-high 26 homers this past season and slashed .252/.291/.497 over 130 games. He went on to hit two homers and log a .910 OPS over eight postseason games, both of which led Detroit. He, too, is under club control through 2028.
Vest and McKinstry are each under club control through 2027. Vest recorded a 3.01 ERA in 68 2/3 innings over 64 appearances. McKinstry earned his first All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award while recording a .771 OPS and 113 OPS+ (both career highs) over 144 games. He appeared at every position but catcher and center field.
Mize earned his first All-Star selection while going 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA and a 3.89 FIP in 149 innings over 28 starts. The 2026 season is his final year of club control before he can become a free agent.
Holton recorded a 3.66 ERA over 70 appearances (including six starts as an opener) in 2025. He’s under club control through ‘28.
Detroit previously came to terms with outfielder Matt Vierling ($3,255,000), reliever Beau Brieske ($1,157,500) and catcher Jake Rogers ($3,050,000) in November to avoid arbitration.
Rec Sports
Men’s Basketball vs Saint John’s University on 1/7/2026 – Box Score
Rec Sports
Money Is Ruining Sports At All Levels
Jameson416
Jan 08, 7:41 AM
The unfortunate part with a lot of it is you simply can’t find appropriate competition at the “local/rec” level for several sports. This is especially true for baseball leagues by the ages of 9 or 10. If your kid can play, and wants to improve and play with similarly talented kids, travel becomes the only option in a lot of places. It really sucks, bcz there are a lot of travel teams that really arent even that good, and if everyone would just agree to play rec, the leagues could be strong… but thats just not the way it works out in most cases. Thankfully that mentality hasn’t overtaken football in our area, and I’ll never be a proponent of single sport specialization.
I really like what the above poster said about “being ok spending the $, if the kid is willing to work.” That’s pretty much 100% where we are as well. My oldest is way more into it and so thats what we do, including private training etc… my middle child is actually prob a better natural athlete (speed, quickness, etc) but he just isn’t to the point of caring that much yet, which we’re totally fine with. Im a firm believer in meeting your kids where they are, seems to make for a better outcome.
I wholeheartedly agree though, youth sports have become outrageous. But where do we go from here?
Rec Sports
BACKGROUNDER: Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments for West…
On January 13th, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox, cases arguing that West Virginia and Idaho’s bans preventing transgender students from playing on the school sports teams that align with their gender identity violate both Title IX and the United States Constitution’s Equal Protection clause. As transgender youth continue to face numerous targeted attacks from healthcare to education, these cases mark another key moment in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination that could have implications beyond the sports world.
Human Rights Campaign Senior Director of Legal Policy Cathryn Oakley released the following statement ahead of oral arguments:
“The issues at play in these cases are basic fairness and equality. Every child, no matter their background, race, or gender, should have access to a quality education where they can feel safe to learn and grow–and for many kids that involves being a part of a school sports team. To deny transgender kids the chance to participate in school sports alongside their peers simply because of who they are is textbook discrimination—and it’s unconstitutional.
“The legal support for the challenges to these clearly discriminatory laws is clear. Yet in these cases, we once again have the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Project 2025-affiliated group that brought the case that overturned Roe v Wade as well as many anti-LGBTQ+ lawsuits, fighting to dismantle well-established civil rights protections. These bans aren’t just about attacking trans kids–they’re about policing gender. The Court should follow the law, reject this callous bullying, and ensure every child in school can feel safe and supported in their educational journeys.”
2x World Cup Champion and HRC Board Member Ashlyn Harris released the following statement ahead of oral arguments:
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that sports saved my life. Not only did it teach me about leadership, accountability, and teamwork, it gave me a sense of belonging and safety that I needed to survive. Every kid deserves this opportunity, and it breaks my heart to see efforts to take sports away from trans kids who just want a place to play and belong. As a 2x World Cup Champion, I can say unequivocally that the types of bans in front of the Supreme Court do nothing to solve the actual problems facing women’s sports that I spent my career fighting for–including equitable pay, safety, and a lack of resources and respect. Instead, they hurt all women and girls by encouraging folks to police what we look like and how we show up in the world. Let’s stop with the bullying and let all kids play.”
Details of the Cases:
West Virginia v. BPJ is brought by the ACLU, the ACLU of West Virginia, Lambda Legal and Cooley LLP, who are representing a West Virginia family and their daughter Becky (B.P.J), a middle school student who was not allowed to try out for girl’s sports because she is transgender. B.P.J asserts that the ban violates her rights under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Department of Justice under the previous administration supported her case, and B.P.J. won the protection of a preliminary injunction. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction as well.
Little v. Hecox is brought by the ACLU and the ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a transgender student at Boise State University who was impacted by Idaho’s 2020 transgender athletics ban. Hecox asserts that the ban violates her rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A federal judge issued an injunction blocking enforcement of Idaho’s anti-transgender sports ban, which was later upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last year, the Supreme Court decided to take up the cases together, hearing oral arguments on January 13th, 2026. A decision is expected in Spring of this year.
Potential Impact of these Cases:
The state bans in these cases are being challenged on two grounds: Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court will have to weigh whether Title IX’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs includes a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender identity, specifically in the context of sports.
- If the Court rules that Title IX does not include prohibitions for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, specifically for sports or more broadly, it would allow these anti-transgender sports bans to stand.
- Additionally, Title IX governs different types of sex-based discrimination beyond sports, including the use of people’s names and pronouns, what bathrooms a person can use, what dress codes they have to adhere to, whom they can take to prom, and even whether they can openly identify as LGBTQ+.
- Therefore, undermining Title IX protections for transgender people could create pathways for increased discrimination and exclusion in federally-funded educational institutions for all LGBTQ+ people.
- If the Court rules that Title IX does include prohibitions for discrimination on the basis of gender identity in sports, the Plaintiffs (Hecox and B.P.J.) would win their challenges and the state bans, and others like them across the country, would fall.
- On Equal Protection grounds, the Court will again be asked to determine what level of constitutional scrutiny anti-transgender laws must survive if they are to stay in effect. Depending on the rationale the Court uses to justify the level of scrutiny they choose, that level of scrutiny could have implications for anti-transgender laws other than sports.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.
Rec Sports
Annual PCL post-season boys basketball tournament planned at Woodbridge –
Woodbridge brings the ball up in Tuesday’s PCL game game vs. Irvine. (PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Pacific Coast League boys basketball season got under way this week and once again teams will be facing each other only one time before the annual post-season league tournament is held.
Woodbridge Coach Steve Scoggin said this week that all the post-season tournament games will be held at Woodbridge this season after being split between different gymnasiums in other years.
All eight teams are expected to compete in the tournament, which will determine the league champion and the top four automatic playoff berths.
Scoggin added that this will be the final year of the league tournament.
Teams in the league are Irvine, University, Portola, Northwood, Woodbridge, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s and Sage Hill.
The last regular season league games are Tuesday, Jan. 27. The full schedule for the league tournament will be announced later, Scoggin said.
The Trinity League is also having a post-season league tournament this season, Feb. 2-4.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
Rec Sports
Panther alums show up against varsity
ANAHUAC— Dusting off old sneakers, Anahuac High School alums joined in a friendly game of basketball against the new generation of Panthers, taking a couple of wins while raising funds for a worthy cause.
The Anahuac High School Gym was packed on Saturday, Dec. 20, for the 2025 Anahuac Panther Alumni Basketball Game, hosted by the Anahuac Youth Sports Organization in partnership with the Anahuac Independent School District.
“We are so proud of how this event turned out,” AYSO Communications Officer Samantha Humphrey said. “There was so much joy in the Panther Den, and it was incredible to see multiple generations come together for such a special night.”
Generations of Panther basketball players and fans enjoyed a day of basketball, with nearly 300 in attendance, all gathered for some lighthearted competition that served as a fundraiser supporting local youth sports.
With graduating classes dating back to 1998, a total of 28 men and 10 women returned to the court to see if they still had their skills.
Two men’s alum teams, coached by Tristan Lewis and Deray Williams, played in the opening game, followed by the women’s alum team, coached by Samantha Humphrey and Tori Lewis.
As for the game results, the 4 p.m. game saw Williams Alumni defeat Lewis Alumni.
At 5 p.m., Women’s Alumni faced Girls Varsity, with the alum team taking the win. At 6 p.m., the Men’s Alumni took the victory over the Boys Varsity.
Fans also competed during some three-point contests throughout the evening.
Winners included Meagan Perry, Women’s Three-Point Contest; Zachary Childress, Men’s Three-Point Contest; and Cullen Cotton, Open Three-Point Contest.
Perry received a prize of $110, Childress earned $170, and Cotton was awarded $250.
The evening was full of energy and Panther pride as alumni, current students, families and friends came together to support a sport they hold dear.
AYSO wishes to share a special thanks to AISD, the alum players, coaches, volunteers, referees and the community for making the evening a great success.
For more information about upcoming events or to find out how to get involved with AYSO, contact AYSO, follow the organization on social media, or join the group on Facebook at Facebook.com/groups/AnahuacYouthSportsOrg.
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