Bobcats 7-0 Topple Knights

Exeter-Milligan-Friend hosted the Nebraska Lutheran Knights in Milligan for Exeter-Milligan's homecoming.

The Knights received first and went three and out.

On the EMF first series Edwen Baptista and Mitchell Manning had some great carries. After a first down Manning drilled through the Knight defense and found the end zone.  Spencer Pribyl carried the ball in for the extra two with 9:41 left in the first quarter.

On the kick off the Knights got a big return and landed on the Bobcat 24 yard line.  They got the first down after a Bobcat face mask penalty. A holding penalty on the Knights dropped them back further and on fourth and 10 Nebraska Lutheran went for it, flipped a little pass forward but Colton Bossaller stopped their forward motion.

Bobcats took over and with a false start against the Knights it just took one Pribyl pass to Jackson Beethe and they put six more on the scoreboard.  Two point was denied and score was 14 to 0 with 7:02 left in the first quarter.

After another quick turnover for the Knights, the Bobcats marched downfield to the one and fumbled with the Knights recovering.  The Bobcats stuffed the Knights to three and out and went back on the board with Manning in for another six and the two point conversion.

Knights were next on the board with a pass caught and in for six with 9:34 left in half.  Score 22-6
Manning was back in with the run game picking up another six points and Max Zeleny caught a Pribyl pass for two points making the score 30-6.

Nebraska Lutheran decided to go for it on fourth and eight with a big pass almost to the end zone.  Penalty flags flew and the refs called unsportsmanlike conduct on both times. 

On the Knights second and four Pribyl got his hands into the pass and deflected it into the arms of Zeleny who turned it into six points for the Bobcats making it 36-6 with 1:43 in the half.  But the Bobcats weren't done with the half.  Lutheran fumbled and EMF recovered.  A Pribyl pass to Edwen Baptista was in the end zone for another six.  Pribyl kept it and tacked on two more point with :59 seconds left in the half.44-6

Bobcats started the second half with the ball and brought it down to the nine yard line and turned over the ball on an interception. The Knights stopped the running clock with a huge pass into end zone making it 44 to 12. The Bobcats stopped the two point conversion.

Bobcats turned over on downs on Nebraska Lutheran's first down Zeleny intercepts and Beethe gets another big reception in the end zone. 50-12.

Fourth quarter found the seniors getting a break and the younger players on the field.  JB Drake  broke loose on a 10 yard run into the end zone.  56 to 12 with 2:09 left in 4th quarter.

Nebraska Lutheran broke loose got 6 with the final score of 56-18

Beethe makes a big catch and takes it in for six.

It's Manning, it takes a village.

Double trouble

Max breaks loose.

Christian Weber carries the ball.

Exeter-Milligan Update: Elementary Store

E-M Elementary School Store

By Lisa Soukup, E-M Media Specialist

Each year the elementary students work hard to earn coins to use in the School Store. The school store is funded from box tops students collect and turn in. New items are added to the store each year. How much is purchased for the store depends upon how many box tops are turned in. Keep saving “Box Tops for Education” and “Our Family” barcodes and send them to school with your student or drop them off at the post office in Milligan or Greg’s grocery store in Exeter. Every label counts!

Dahlia Zeher-Lewis, a kindergartener, is counting out her coins to pay for her purchase while Saydee Kassik looks on. (top photo)

1st Graders Axel Erdkamp. Piper Grummons, Gracelyn Becker and Lynn Jurgenson (back to camera) are looking at their options before choosing something from the school store. (bottom photo)

Exeter Resident On All Female Honor Flight

Elaine Salyer stopped for a photo in front of the Marine Memorial depicting Iwo Jima because two of her sons served as a Marine.

Exeter resident Elaine Salyer was one of 135 female Nebraskans who were privileged to take the recent Honor Flight for female veterans to Washington D.C.

Her husband, Terry, saw an ad in the paper for the special flight just for female veterans “so Elaine called and got the last seat.”

Elaine was 21 when she volunteered for the Army.  She was in nursing school with one year left and knew the Army would pay for her last year.  After finishing nursing school she was at Fort Gordon, GA where her roommate told her how great Vietnam was.  Elaine volunteered to serve as a nurse in Vietnam.

Fortunately for her, Terry had been drafted to serve and had been given a choice to be a cook, truck driver or a medic.  He chose medic and was already in Vietnam serving as a medic when he met Elaine.  He ended up volunteering for an extra year so they could be together.

Terry went on an earlier honor flight but as an honor guard, not as a veteran.  He wanted to honor the service of his father who served in World War II.  He hoped that Elaine would get to see all of the memorials the way he had. 

Elaine was very excited about the experience.  “I wanted to see all of the monuments and the new women’s one along with the Vietnam one.  I also wanted to see if there was anyone from here that was in Vietnam and talk to them about their experiences.”

She did meet several women on the flight that served in Vietnam but none she served with in Qui Nohn.

The night before the flight the Salyers headed up to Omaha and the night before they were guests at a banquet and each of the women scheduled on the flight were given a Quilt of Valor from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The banquet also featured Loretta Swit, the well-known M.A.S.H. actress, as the speaker. Although Elaine found her “really interesting,” they had to make it an early night because of a 2 a.m. wake up call.

In the morning all 135 of the women scheduled for the trip got on buses and boarded at 430 a.m. flight for Washington DC.  All of the passengers, attendants, assistants and even the pilots were women.

When they arrived in Washington DC the group loaded up in four buses to visit many of the memorials.  They saw the Marine War Memorial (Iwo Jima), the Vietnam memorial, World War II memorial, Korean War monument, the Vietnam Women’s, Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  “We pretty much got to see everything but the White House but we probably couldn’t get close to that.”

Elaine was most moved by the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.  She got emotional sharing about seeing it, the scene the memorial portrays was one that was all too familiar to her.  It pictures a nurse helping an injured soldier while another nurse looks for a helicopter.

She recalled her time in Vietnam especially during the Tet Offensive,”It was an adventure but was heart hurting with all the guys in the hospital.  During the Tet Offensive we got a lot of injured in and got them stabilized and they went out on the C-130.  We were constantly working, 24 hours a day for 7 days getting all the injured in and out. We grabbed a nap whenever we could.  Whenever there was a little lull we would sleep.”

There were no specific names she was looking for at the Vietnam Wall.  She only recalled one Nebraskan coming through the hospital when she was there.

Going with all women was very special as they ranged in age from 27 (Iraq/Afghanistan) to a World War II veteran who was 98. Elaine had a few health challenges and did the tour in a wheelchair. “They had good volunteers and I had one with me at all the monuments.”

“It was a once in a lifetime event,” Elaine said, noting she would go back if the weather was nicer and she could have had more time at each memorial.

They returned to Omaha that evening and were welcomed home by a huge crowd waving flags and cheering for them.  Elaine was wearing a Vietnam veteran hat and Terry noted that all of the Vietnam vets in the crowd waved her over to shake their hand.  “There was no welcome home when we came back from Vietnam,” recalled Elaine.

Elaine, a 1961 graduate of Exeter High School, worked as an RN for her entire career while raising their three sons in Exeter.  She served on the Exeter Rescue department for 21 years before retiring.

Vietnam Veteran Elaine Salyer paused for a photo in front of the Vietnam memorial on the female Honor flight.

Terry and Elaine Salyer at the banquet hosted for the 135 women who were taking the female honor flight.

Elaine Salyer with the Quilt of Valor she received at the banquet hosted for the 135 women taking the female honor flight.

Elaine Salyer at the World War II memorial Nebraska stone in Washington DC

Fillmore County High School Students Tour County Businesses

The Fillmore County Development Corporation (FCDC) in cooperation with the Fillmore County schools and local businesses held Career Day-Industry Tours for Fillmore County Juniors on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. Fifty five students from Exeter-Milligan High School, Fillmore Central High School and Shickley High School attended.

The students were able to choose from three tracks: Business, Marketing & Management---Communications & Information Systems, Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources---Skilled & Technical Sciences, and Health Sciences---Human Sciences & Education.

The goal of the day was to expose students to some of the career opportunities in Fillmore County.   The FCDC wanted to expose students to all aspects of a business that they would not see from the outside. The tours allowed the Fillmore County juniors to hear comments about employment opportunities and training requirements from people in the business.

Twenty businesses were on the tour and forty five people presented information. Lunch was provided through a grant from the Fillmore County Foundation.

Obituary : Mary Ann Votipka

Mary Ann Votipka was born to Fred & Veronica (Pokorny) Fujan on May 24, 1930 near Raymond, Nebraska. She passed away on October 2, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 88 years, 4 months, and 9 days. She was one of 7 children born in the family.

Mary Ann married to Rex Votipka on June 9, 1947, and they made there home in Exeter, Nebraska.

Mary Ann enjoyed gardening, traveling, embroidery, cooking and playing cards. She was famous for her pie making.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents Fred & Veronica; husband Rex; and siblings Bohumil Fujan, George Fujan, Alice Furasek, Geraldine Palanuk, Fred Fujan, and John Fujan.

Mary Ann is survived by her sisters-in-law Edna Fujan of Lincoln, Nebraska, Delores Fujan of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Lea Ann Votipka of Exeter, Nebraska; nephews Rich Furasek of Lincoln, Nebraska, Fred Palanuk of Oakridge, Oregon, Larry Furasek of Lincoln, Nebraska, Ron Fujan of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Christopher Fujan of Lincoln, Nebraska, Bob Votipka of Exeter, Nebraska, Ron Votipka of Lincoln, Nebraska; nieces Pat Webb of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Charlene Grossnicklaus of Shelby, Nebraska, Susie Freeman of Oakridge, Oregon, Debbie Pinney of Sugar Hill, Georgia, Diane Nold of Castaic, California, Kristin Fujan of Lincoln, Nebraska and Marsha Turbett of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Fillmore County Scrap Tire Collection October 26

Exeter-Milligan Tames the Tigers in Dwight

The Bobcats started their contest against the East Butler Tigers with their claws out.

Mitchell Manning received the kick off and stormed down the field straight into the end zone.  The two point conversion was stopped.

East Butler fumbled the ball and the Bobcats took full advantage of it with Edwen Baptista finding the end zone.

The Tigers found the end zone next when they took the ball all the way down on the first down with 9 minutes left in the quarter but were denied the two point.  The score stood at `12 to 6.

 

Baptista barrelled through the Tiger defense for the end zone and then tack on the two points.  With 5:58 left in the quarter it was 20 to 6

On second and one Spencer Pribyl kept the ball and broke through hole and into the end zone. Bobcats could not complete the two point but with 2:15 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers again found the end zone on a pass from #6 to #82 but the Bobcats stopped the two point with two minutes left in the quarter.  The score at the end of the quarter was 26 to 12

The Tigers started the second quarter tacking six points on bringing the score to 26 to 18.

Mitchell Manning found the end zone for Exeter-Milligan/Friend but it was called back for an illegal block in the back.

 

After a huge gain by Pribyl, Manning broke loose and found the end zone.  Baptista took the ball in for two bringing the score to 34 to 18 with 10:10 left in the half.

 

East Butler fumbled and Manning recovered it on the EMF's 23rd yard line. 

 

On fourth down Pribyl sent a Hail Mary pass and Baptista caught it in the back corner of the end zone for six but the two point attempt was no good.  Score was 40 to 18 with 3:30 left in the half.

With :36 left in the half Manning flew into the end zone and Baptista frosted the cake with two more.  Score 48 to 18.

 

Manning had an interception reception to give the Bobcats the ball but EMF fumbled the ball just four yards from the end zone.  East Butler recovered but couldn't convert as EMF backed them up to the one yard line.  

 

Manning received the punt out of the end zone and ran it back upfield for  a touch down.  The two point failed but the score was now 54 to 18 with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
After the points were scored Pribyl had three kick off attempts that ended up out of bounds.  East Butler finally accepted a position and on first down Pribyl chased down the quarter back and caused a fumble when he recovered.

East Butler forced a fumble and clawed their way down the field until a pass attempt the Manning intercepted.

 

Partway through the fourth quarter the younger athletes had a chance to play with Peyton Pribyl making some yards on the ground along with JB Drake.  Pribyl scored with 3:06 left in the game and JB Drake took the ball in for two points.  Final score was 62 to 18  with the Bobcats record at 6-0