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SPORTS PREVIEW
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2 Fall Sports Preview 2018
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 Newton High School varsity football team are, left to right, front row, Ryan Barr, Ben Leal, Austin Romberg, McKenna Davis, Josh Miller, Jaise Gulling, Ike Bebout, Reece Caves, Adam Maharry, Jacob Murphy, Ty Arguello, Thomas Cox, Mason Lee, Ethan Brady, Tyler Shives, and Taylor Greiner; second row, Kyle Long, Blake Iske, Jacob Schutte, Max Kliegl, Zavier Flake, Gabe Hoen, Cayden Harper, Blake Sevenbergen, Jake Herbold, Dalton Altemeier, Gage Linahon, Clay Meyer, Cody Satterfield, Logan Cummins and Kaleb Dydell; third row, Gavin Trostle, Conner Carkhuff, Ashton Bowman, Cade Smith, Julian Hotchkin, Dylan Farver, Logan Henning, Camden Winther, Ryan Brown, William Cheng, Destin Schroeder, Jarrett Antle and Carter VanderSchel; fourth row, Lane Arrowood, Shane Baethke, Zayvier Arguello, Jack Suttek, Josh Meyer, Cade Cupples, Jaden Horrach, Gavin Urias and A.J. Holdefer; fifth row, Dakota Adams, Nelson Lopez, William Muckler, Owen Sanger, Brody Cazett, James Gulling, Henry Jensen, Ethan Machin, and manager Dave Hegstrom; back row, assistant coaches Tom Weeks, Jeff Richardson and Chase Dickinson, head coach Ed Ergenbright, assistant coaches Brade Kahler, Andy Swedenhjelm and Andy Cazett. Not pictured: Antonio Usry, Zane Kohlmeyer, Canaan Terpstra, Jordan Becker, Cole Whitten, Ben Peterson, Marcus Chamberlain and assistant coach Ryan Arguello.
Next Man Up: Cardinals rise to challenge By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News
Consistency and continuity factor into success of high school programs. Athletes come and go with graduation but if a coaching staff remains intact throughout the years a program has the foundation to continue growth. Newton High’s football Cardinals have questions to answer with on-the-field personnel in 2018. Cardinal head coach Ed Ergenbright, who begins his 15th season at the helm of the NHS football program, said the Cardinal coaching staff are men who coach for
the right reasons and do things correctly in teaching the skills of the game. Andy Cazett, Andy Swedenhjelm, Jeff Richardson, Tom Weeks, Chase Dickinson, Ryan Arguello and Brad Kahler help Ergenbright with the junior varsity and varsity. Coaching the freshman squad are Trent Powers, head coach, and assistants Nick Hoskins, Brian Springer and Brian Foster. “Every high school coach deals with graduation of players, and you have kids who step up. We have those kids for Newton,” Ergenbright said. “It’s their turn.” Newton goes back to Class
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Newton High senior Josh Miller (34) is back to lead the Cardinal running attack for the 2018 season.
3A competition after two successful seasons at the Class 4A level. The Cardinals were a combined 13-5 over those two years but did not qualify for the 4A playoffs. Ergenbright said 3A football is the toughest class of competition from top to bottom in Iowa. He said 4A has its elite larger schools which tend to dominate. “In 3A, the teams are much more evenly matched by size and talent. It’s a tough class to compete in but I’m expecting our guys to be as dedicated to the work on and off the field to be competitive as always,” Ergenbright said. Newton was 7-2 in 2017. But things have changed, personnel has changed so the Cardinals continue their “next man up” mentally heading into 2018. “I’m expecting a lot of great things from our team this year,” senior offensive tackle Ike Bebout said. “The offensive line looks great and the running backs know what they’re doing. We’re running the ball hard.” Running the ball is the bread-and-butter of Newton’s gun-rocket offense. A year ago the Cardinal coaches added new power-running formations to the sprint option-on the edge offense. Newton finished second in 4A rushing offense with 3,435 yards on 472 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per rush. The Cardinals’ 48 rushing touchdowns did lead Class 4A. The Cardinals’ total offensive production for the season was 4,037 yards, which included 602 yards passing. Newton had 56 touchdowns and scored 412 points. Newton has five offensive starters back — three are linemen who helped the Cardinals pile up the rushing yards in 2017. Bebout and junior Gage Linahon are back as starting tackles and senior Ben Peterson returns as guard. Bebout is 6-foot-4 inches
and 275 pounds and Linahon is 6-0 and 235. Peterson comes back at 6-2 and 285. Junior Clay Meyer (6-0, 230) saw some starting time a year ago and is vying for the other guard spot. Another junior is Gabe Hoen (5-9, 225) working at the guard position. The Cardinals have seniors Adam Maharry (5-9, 225) and Zavier Flake (6-2, 255) in the mix at tackle on offense. Junior Blake Sevenbergen, who is 6-0 and 230, has moved into the starting center spot. The 6-5, 280-pound Cayden Harper, another junior, is working at center. “We feel really good about the depth we have along the offensive line this season,” Ergenbright said. Another big piece to the rushing puzzle is the return of starting tight end Jacob Murphy. Ergenbright said the 6-foot-4 inch, 200-pound senior blocks really well. Senior Ethan Brady and sophomore Gavin Trostle complete the tight end rotation. Brady is 6-3 and 205 pounds while Trostle is 6-4 and 220. “We look a little different, especially in the backfield this season. We replace some key people, but we have players who can do the jobs and do them well,” Ergenbright said. “We’re doing a little more teaching right now than in the past couple of years because we graduated a big class of veteran players from last year.” Stepping into the starting quarterback role will be junior Kyle Long, who guided the Cardinal junior varsity a year ago. Long did see some limited varsity, who is 6-0 and 170 pounds, playing time. Also vying for varsity playing time is freshman Zayvier Arguello. Arguello is a 6-1 and 160 pounds and guided the Newton Berg Middle School eighth-grade football team to an undefeated season in 2017. “Kyle knows our offense and is working hard. He
Newton High School Varsity Football 2018 Schedule Aug. 24 — PCM, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 — Boone, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7 — Ottumwa, 7 p.m. Sept. 14 — Waterloo East, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 — South Tama, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 — Oskaloosa, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 – Grinnell, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 — Pella, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 — Knoxville, 7:30 p.m. Home games in bold
throws the ball well and is learning to make all the reads for the ground game,” Ergenbright said. “I’m pleased with his progress. “Zay is very athletic, but it’s a big jump from eighth-grade or freshman level to varsity level football. He is capable of handling the job and is picking things up quickly.” The running back corps is led by third-year starter Josh Miller. The 5-11, 185-pound senior rushed for 576 yards on 64 carries last year. He scored 66 points and five touchdowns. “We’re working hard in practices and expecting a lot from ourselves,” Miller said. “I think we can make it to the Dome (UNI Dome for state playoffs) this year. I just want to play and see how good we can be.” Working into possible starting roles in the backfield with Miller are seniors Ryan Barr and McKenna Davis and juniors William Cheng, Logan Cummins, Antonio Usry and Dylan Farver and sophomore A.J. Holdefer. Ergenbright said he likes the depth the Cardinals have in the backfield. Cummins and Farver had some limited varsity playing time last year. Cummins rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries with one TD. Farver scored two touchdowns while rushing for 74 yards on 13 carries. Ergenbright said Miller blocked well and was a physical and fast. Miller can play any of the Newton offensive running back positions. NHS FOOTBALL | 6
Fall Sports Preview 2018 3
Smaller Cardinal volleyball squad to be scrappier By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News Big and small sums up the 2018 Newton High School volleyball program. Overall, the Cardinals number 48 but only nine are on the varsity squad this season. Of those nine varsity players, only one — sophomore Kate Callaghan — is a returning starter. Also, Newton has just one senior on the team — Brittney McConnell. “We have a lot of potential with great attitudes,” Kate Callaghan said. “We’re short in height and smaller in numbers as a squad, but I think it will help us come together and play as a team.” The Cardinals are under the direction of third-year head coach Ashley Carter. Eric Vander Velden has moved up from the freshman squad to be the varsity assistant coach. LaNita Keeton is the junior varsity 1 coach and Jena Teed will coach the junior varsity 2 team. Keeton and Teed are new assistant coaches. “We are a scrappy team. We did well defensively at the Iowa State camp we went to this summer,” Carter said. “These girls don’t give up easily.” Joining Kate Callaghan on Newton High School Varsity Volleyball 2018 Schedule Aug. 21 — NHS Early Bird Invitational Aug. 28 — Dallas Center-Grimes, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 4 — Grinnell, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 6 — North Polk, Grand View Christian, 5 p.m. Sept. 11 — Oskaloosa, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 13 — Des Moines Christian Invitational, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 — Pella, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 24 — Roland-Story, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 — Norwalk, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 27 — NHS Cardinal Invitational, 4 p.m. Oct. 2 — Pella Christian, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 9 — Indianola, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 11 — LHC tournament, Oskaloosa, 4:30 p.m. Home matches in bold
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 Newton High varsity volleyball team are, left to right, front row, Brittney McConnell, Madi Amos, Kam Arguello, Nykole Hernandez; back row, assistant coach Eric Vander Velden, Kate Callaghan, Mackenzie Baker, Meg Callaghan, Jerrica McGuire, head coach Ashley Carter. Not pictured: Priscilla Amador.
the varsity squad is her twin sister Meg Callaghan along with juniors Kam Arguello and Madi Amos. Those three saw limited varsity action a year ago. Moving up to varsity from the junior varsity ranks are McConnell, juniors Priscilla Amador and Jerrica McGuire and sophomore Nykole Hernandez. “We have to trust each other on the court. We have players who can jump and get up at the net,” Kate Callaghan said. “We will play scrappier this season, focusing on getting the balls up, setting them and finishing the play.”
Kate Callaghan, who is 5 feet, 8 inches, earned second team Little Hawkeye Conference honors as the Cardinals’ setter last year. She finished sixth on the LHC list of set assists with 167. For the season, she had 312 assists. She went 78-of-79, 98.7 percent, at the service line in conference matches, and had 11 ace serves. She had 55 digs and 30 kills. Callaghan had three solo blocks and three assisted blocks. Overall, she had 30 ace serves, going 182-of-188 for 97 percent at the service line. She had 50 kills at the net and made five solo blocks and sev-
en assisted blocks. The Cardinals went 3-25 overall in 2017 and finished 0-11 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. Despite no conference match wins, the Cardinals led the conference in serving efficiency as a team. Newton was 413-of-439 serving in LHC matches for 94 percent and had 39 ace serves. “Kate was our starting setter last year and will be in the same role this year,” Carter said. “She has developed as a player — playing in the offseason for the IPVA club volleyball team. She’s a hard worker who loves the game.”
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Meg Callahan, Baker and McGuire are the tallest players on the squad at 5-10, 6-1 and 5-11, respectively. All three are middle hitters for the Cardinals. “Meg subbed in last year and got some varsity minutes. She has become a solid middle,” Carter said. “Mackenzie’s height is useful at the net and Jerrica has improved tremendously from last year and is eager to learn.” Arguello and Amos are 5-5 outside hitters as both logged some varsity playing time last year. Carter said Arguello is a NHS VOLLEYBALL | 4
4 Fall Sports Preview 2018
NHS Volleyball Continued from Page 3
consistent player and Amos is a go-to server for the team. “Kam will be hitting outside but could really get thrown in anywhere and take care of the ball,” Carter said. “Madi can hit from the right or left side and is a great passer.” Amos and Meg Callaghan each had three varsity kills. Amos went 38-of-40 serving in varsity action last year at 95 percent and had six ace serves. McConnell is slotted as a 5-5 right side hitter. Amador, who is 5-4, and Hernadez, who is 5-3, are defensive specialists. “Brittney plays much bigger than she is and is a scrappy hitter,” Carter said. “Priscilla is our varsity libero and Nykole is our JV 1 libero who should get playing time as a sub in the back row.” Kate Callaghan said the team had a good camp at Iowa State. She said they started off strong but did get tired. “We learned we have to battle
through being tired and finish matches,” Kate Callaghan said. “I’m excited about how our team is coming together and to see what we can do.” Newton is ready to push forward as a program. It is looking for improvement across the board. The Cardinals lost in the first round of Class 4A regional action last year. The Cardinals finished eighth in the LHC tournament. “This is a really fun team to coach because they all love the game and have great attitudes,” Carter said. “They’re determined and focused on improvement.” Newton opens the season with two home dates. The Cardinals hosted Prairie City-Monroe, Knoxville and Saydel in their Early-Bird Invitational on Aug. 21. Newton begins Little Hawkeye Conference play at home against Dallas Center-Grimes on Tuesday. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com
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Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Junior Kam Arguello serves in a 2017 junior varsity match. She moves up to the Newton High varsity squad for the 2018 season.
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 5
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 NCMP Aquagirls swim team are, left to right, front row, Lakin Jenkins, Delaney Nasalroad, Liv Barnes, Camilla Schlosser, LIndsey Blommers, Harley Neal, Rachel Boll, Alivia Hoffman, Mariah Petro, Abbie Barr and Alex Inskeep; second row, Jordon Pritchard, Abbie Hill, Erika Van Sickle, Allison Paulius, Kenzie Van Maanen, Emma Thomas, Courtney Dawson, Lilly Busch and Molly Coy; third row, Kenna Brooks, Arabella Eide, Natalie Boll, Chloe Kibbee, Allison Chamberlain, Hailey Trease, JoJo Brown, Jaden Hunter and Kali Smith; back row, manager/coach Dallas Schaeffer, Kathryn VanMaren, Dani Dalasta, Ellie Caldwell, Lauren Zaabel, Gracie Brown, Kallie Van Kley, Emily Mills, Alexa Gaylor, Maggie Garrett, Maggie Williams, Katie Schlosser, Emma Curry, Hannah Nedder, Grace Benson, Olivia Hartman and manager Emily Light.
Aquagirls welcome back diving for 2018 By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News
Diving is back for the Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella Aquagirls in 2018. NCMP had two years off then two years on then another two years off the diving boards because of several issues. NCMP head coach Sarah Patterson, who is in her 26th season for the Aquagirls, said the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union made a change in its diving coaching rule. The Newton-based high school swim team does not have diving at its home pool — the Newton YMCA because of the pool is not deep enough for competition. “Before, teams could share diving coaches but could not practice together. Because it is difficult to find diving coaches, the state changed it this year to allow teams to practice diving together,” Patterson said. “We are pumped about having diving back.” And that’s not all Patterson and her assistant coach Jenny Jensen, who is in her third season, are pumped about. The Aquagirls number 44 this season — 42 swimmers and two divers. “We have the biggest team we have had in over a decade,” Patterson said. “I’m super excited for our senior leadership and for a huge (14) incoming freshmen class. We had a fantastic camp and the girls really understand the meaning of team.” NCMP is the two-time defending champion of the Little Hawkeye Conference. The Aquagirls also took third in the North Central Iowa Swim Conference championship in 2017. Seniors leading the way for the 2018 Aquagirls are Lindsey Blommers, Camilla
Schlosser, Olivia Barnes, Rachel Boll, Alex Inskeep, Lakin Jenkins, Delaney Nasalroad, Harley Neal and Mariah Petro. Alivia Hoffman is back as a senior diver and senior Abbie Barr is a new diver. There are 23 returning swimmers for NCMP and Blommers, a two-time state meet qualifier in the 100yard breaststroke, tops the list. Blommers earned a fifth-place state medal as a sophomore and placed 10th in the 100 breaststroke at the 2017 state meet with a season’s best time of 1 minute 7.45 seconds. “Practices have been going really good and the team has been clicking really well together,” Blommers said. “We have a lot of freshman swimmers. Our new simmers are doing really well in practices. I think we’ll have a strong team this season.” Blommers holds the team’s records in the 100-meter and 100-yard breaststroke at 1:16.50 and 1:07.41, respectively, set in 2016. Jenkins qualified for the 2016 state meet on the NCMP 200-yard medley relay team along with Blommers. Blommers is the two-time defending LHC champion in the 100 breaststroke and the 2017 200 individual medley conference champion. She won the NCIC 100 breaststroke championship with junior Allison Paulius in third. “I’m excited about Lindsey’s outlook for the season,” Patterson said. “During the first weeks of practice, we’ve been crushing it. The girls are working hard and being into what we want from them. As always, we want to have a lights out district meet and send athletes on to state.” NCMP has two other returning LHC champions — Inskeep in the 200 freestyle
and sophomore Natalie Boll, who was second in the 200 freestyle, in the 500 freestyle. Inskeep and Blommers were on the LHC championship 200 freestyle relay. “We should have a lot of depth this year and our relays should be really strong,” Patterson said. “I’m excited to write the first lineup. Our goals will be to win as many duals as possible — challenging tough teams like Ankeny and Waukee — while also performing well at the Valley Invite, Ram Relays, and the conference meets.” Having the opportunity to score diving points at meets with diving competitions will help NCMP win duals. Hoffman was a freshman in 2015 as one of two Aquagirl divers competing in the regional competition. She scored 293.05 points in the 11-dive event, earning the sixth-place medal. “Things are going really well. I’ve gotten all my dives
back and even learned a new one I’ve never had before,” Hoffman said. “I’m so excited to be back on this amazing team and diving. Everyone is so supportive.” Hoffman is joined by Barr, who has never competed in diving before. Hoffman said Barr is doing well. “She has some amazing dives. I’m so excited for her,” Hoffman said. Patterson said the two NCMP divers are going to Grinnell several times a week to train with the Grinnell divers. She said Hoffman knows what it is to compete at the high school level and is working well and Barr is a strong athlete who is showing signs of becoming a good diver. “Overall, the team has been working really hard this first couple of weeks. It is fun to see the improvement from just a couple of days,” Schlosser said. “Even though swimming is an individual sport
this is the most fun team to be on of all the sports I play.” Schlosser said her sister Kate is on the team this season as a freshman. She said the sisters have gotten closer since starting swim team camp and practices at the beginning of August. “Each one of us seniors bring something different to the team in our leadership role. We want to have a strong season as a team bringing the younger girls with us,” Schlosser said. “We have a variety of girls who bring great things to the team.” Other returners to NCMP are juniors Molly Coy, Courtney Dawson, Abbie Hill, Jordon Pritchard, Emma Thomas and Erika Van Sickle and sophomores Makenna Brooks, Jo Jo Brown, Arabella Eide, Jaden Hunter, Chloe Kibbee and Kali Smith. NCMP opened the 2018 season on Tuesday at LinnMar. The Aquagirls host Grinnell and Indianola on Aug. 30 as their home opener at the Newton YMCA. They have two other home meets this season — Sept. 11 against Oskaloosa and Sept. 25 against Perry and Oskaloosa. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com NCMP Aquagirls Swim Team 2018 Schedule Aug. 21 — Linn-Mar Aug. 30 — Grinnell, Indianola, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6 — Ankeny Centennial, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11 — Oskaloosa, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13 — Marshalltown, Waukee, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 – Valley Invitational, noon Sept. 25 — Oskaloosa, Perry, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 27 — Atlantic, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 4 — Southeast Polk Ram Relays, 5 p.m. Oct. 9 — Boone, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16 — LHC meet, Indianola, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20 — NCIC meet, 1 p.m., TBA Home meets in bold
6 Fall Sports Preview 2018
NHS football Continued from Page 2 Murphy is the leading receiver returning for Newton. He made eight receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown as tight end in 2017. Miller had two catches for 33 yards and a TD. Senior Taylor Greiner made one catch. “Our three tight ends can block and catch the ball. We’re looking to fill the split end spot,” Ergenbright said. “We have five players there led by juniors Julian Hotchkin and Cody Satterfield and senior Ben Leal. We also have juniors Jacob Herbold and Henry Jensen. All of them are working hard and competing for the starting role.” Bebout has to go up against the Cardinal defensive line every day in practice. He said the defense was doing great. “Thomas Cox and Reece Caves are being great leaders in the linebackers. We have a great defensive line with Jaise Gulling, Mason Lee and Austin Romberg back. I believe they’ll be a force to reckon with,” Bebout. Defensively, the Cardinals have three seniors leading the way along the line of scrimmage. They are Mason Lee (5-8, 205), Jaise Gulling (6-1, 225) and Austin Romberg (61, 220). Gulling began the 2017 season as a linebacker then moved back into a defensive end spot, which he played as
a sophomore. Gulling finished with 18 solo stops and nine assisted tackles. He had three tackles for losses and a quarterback sack. Lee recorded 11 solo tackles and seven assisted tackles. He also had a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery Romberg had 10 solo stops,seven assisted tackles and a quarterback sack. “We’ve put in a lot of work in the offseason and in practices,” Gulling said. “We’ve moved a lot of people around and they are looking good in their new roles. “We need to focus on doing our individual jobs on the field and execute what we are doing as a team.” Lee said one aspect of the Cardinal squad is it is a family. “We’ve been together for a long time and we have a deep love of winning and I believe that well take us far this season,” Lee said. Thomas Cox is a 5-10, 180-pound senior outside linebacker returning. He had nine unassisted tackles and 17 assisted tackles last year. Joining Cox as outside linebackers are senior Reece Caves and junior Kaleb Dydell. Three players vying for the inside linebacker positions are sophomore Owen Sanger and juniors Dalton Altemeier and Destin Schroeder. Senior Aaron Bartels is the other returning starter on defense for Newton. Bartels (6-
1, 175) is back as cornerback. He had 13 solo tackles, five assisted tackles and an interception. Three juniors are vying for other cornerback spot. They are Jarrett Antle, Camden Winther and Canaan Terpstra. Murphy saw limited time at safety a year ago and he is working in one of those positions this season. Senior Ty Arguello, who didn’t play as a junior, is back on the team as a safety. Junior Zane Kohlmeyer and sophomore Cade Cupples give the Cardinals depth in the defensive backfield. “Defensively, we have a lot of things to get cleaned up to be successful. We cannot give up big plays and we have to tackle better than we did last year,” Ergenbright said. “The kids are working together and developing the aggressive style of defensive play we want.” Newton is also replacing all its special teams personnel. Sevenbergen is the team’s long snapper for punts and extra-point kicks. Sophomore Josh Meyer
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and Cheng will do the placekicking. Both kicked for the junior varsity team a year ago. Murphy will be handing the kickoffs for Newton. Leal and Cupples are the team’s two punters at this point. “Offensively, we just have to find what niche is best for us and the players we have this season. We have some playmakers and we’ll make adjustments to fit our personnel,” Ergenbright said. “We’re a running team like we’ve been for a long time. “I like where we are right now. Our kids are putting good effort into the work and have come with great attitudes.” Ergenbright said the Cardinals have good senior leadership. He said the 19 seniors on the squad lead in the game, in the practices, in the locker room and in school. “It speaks to the character of our players year in and year out. We have good leaders who step up and show the younger athletes how to do things right,” Ergenbright said. Newton is in the Class 3A District 7 with the 2017 state runner-up Pella and Oskaloosa, which made the 3A playoffs last year. Also in the district are Grinnell, Knoxville and South Tama. “It is a tough district but we in one where there are no long distance drives on Friday nights,” Ergenbright said. “We’re in with several
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rival schools from the Little Hawkeye Conference — Pella, Oskaloosa and Grinnell. Knoxville used to be in the conference. “It’s a good district for us. We have good non-district opponents in Ottumwa and Waterloo East, which we’ve played the past two season, and two new opponents in PCM and Boone.” Ergenbright said the Cardinals are looking forward to getting the 2018 season underway. He said they are ready for the new challenges of the season. Newton opens the season Friday night at home against Jasper County counterpart Prairie City-Monroe. The Mustangs and Cardinals have never played on the football field. “It should be fun game. I know Coach (Greg) Bonnett and his staff do a great job with their team. PCM was very good last year and bring a lot of kids back,” Ergenbright said. PCM was ranked No. 4 in Class 2A at the end of the 2017 regular season. The Mustangs lost in the first round of the playoffs after winning a district title. “We’ll learn more about ourselves as a team against a quality opponent in the opening game,” Ergenbright said. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com
Go Team!
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 7
Veterans lead Newton cross country teams By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News Three senior runners lead a younger group of competitors for the Newton High cross country teams in 2018. Rachel Rhoads and Clare Muckler have the lead for the Cardinal girls and Adam Hunter returns for his fourth season for the Cardinal boys. Newton’s girls are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Rachelle Tipton with Lauren Sahler as a volunteer assistant coach. The Cardinal girls have seven returning runners on their squad of 11 for 2018. The Cardinal boys have fourth-year head coach Steve Weeks at the helm. There are also 11 on the boys’ team for 2018 with six returning runners. “We have an excellent group of upperclassmen to lead the team,” Tipton said of the Cardinal girls’ squad. “They have both varsity and big meet experience to share. The seniors are great at interacting with everyone on the team and building a cohesive group. They will also want to push everyone to their best.” Rhoads, Muckler and sophomore Ashay Malow were Newton’s top three runners at the 2017 Class 4A state qualifying meet. Junior Jenna Smith and sophomore Willow Oswalt ran on the Newton varsity last year. Also back for the Cardinal girls are junior Tes Schuster and sophomore Abigail Adkison. They are joined by sophomore Emma Ham and freshmen Kelsey Church, Heather Perry and Megan Stalzer. The three freshmen competed on the Newton Berg Middle School cross country team. “We have a pretty young team which is exciting to see how the sophomores and freshmen do and see if they can help take our team to the next level,” Muckler said. “As seniors, we want to help lead them and encourage them to push for improvement.” Muckler and Rhoads have each battled health issues but are looking to stay healthy as seniors. “Last time, best time,” Rhoads said. “We’re looking forward to getting out there and do what we love — run. We want to keep improving ourselves while we embrace our roles as team leaders. We have a pretty small team compared to what we’ve had the past few years, but we don’t lack in talent.” Rhoads has been a top runner for Newton the previous three seasons, qualifying for the Class 3A state meet as a freshman and finishing 27th at the stat meet. At the 2017 Class 4A state qualifying meet, Rhoads, Muckler and Malow led the Cardinals but Newton finished seventh as a
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the Newton High girls’ 2018 cross country team are, left to right, front row, head coach Rachelle Tipton, Jenna Smith, Rachel Rhoads, Clare Muckler, and Tes Schuster; back row, Morgan Stalzer, Kelsey Church, Willow Oswalt, Abigail Adkison, Ashay Malow, Emmay Ham and Heather Perry.
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the Newton High boys’ 2018 cross country team are, left to right, front row, Noah Cook, Hunter Kennedy, Treycen Garton and Derek Beiner; back row, Anthony Bestell, Dakota Gooden, Nathan Jennings, Luke Zaabel, Jackson Mace-Maynard and head coach Steve Weeks. Not pictured: Adam Hunter and Trent Hamand.
team. Malow was Newton’s top runner in the 2017 Little Hawkeye Conference meet, finishing 22nd, followed by Muckler and Rhoads. Smith and Oswalt placed in the top 50 at the LHC meet. Newton was sixth as a team in the conference meet. “Staying healthy will be essential so we can maximize the team’s potential,” Tipton said. “We have a lot of great meets to go to and push ourselves. We have a couple meets where we can aim for a top three team finish. I look for our top runners to be placing top 20 in most meets.” Newton’s cross country teams will return to the University of Minnesota’s Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 29 in St. Paul, Minn. “The Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota is a great opportunity to test yourself against some of the best of the Midwest,” Tipton said. “Every year we know the Little Hawkeye Conference is a strong
conference for runners. Our goal is to improve our standing from last year and earn some all-conference spots.” For the Cardinal boys, Hunter will be competing for his fourth season and is the team’s top runner returning. Also back for Newton are juniors Luke Zaabel and Noah Cook, and sophomores Anthony Bestell, Trent Hamand and Dakota Gooden. Hunter is the senior captain and Zaabel is the junior captain for the Cardinal boys. Those two and Bestell ran varsity races for the Cardinals a year ago. Hunter posted the best time, 18 minutes, 48 seconds, in the 4A state qualifying meet for Newton. Zaabel was the No. 3 runner that
day for Newton at 19:12. Bestell and Hamand also ran in the state qualifying meet. Newton was ninth as a team. Ne wton has a first-year senior in Nathan Jennings and freshmen Treycen Garton, Jacson Mace-Maynard, Hunter Kennedy and Derek Beiner. Garton was the Newton Berg Middle School top boys’ runner at the LHC meet in 2017 with Hunter as the No. 3 runner and Beiner as the No. 5 runner. “The team is working really well right now, especially the freshmen,” Hunter said. “They are a lot faster than you would think coming into the high school competition. I’m not quite in the shape I want to be
in yet, but I’m working hard to get there.” Hunter led the Cardinals to a seventh-place finish in a ranked-runner packed Little Hawkeye Conference meet in 2017. He ran the 5K distance in 18:26.8. Hunter said he is also working to step into the leadership role this season. He said he wanted to run his best time this season but also to help all his teammates improve and have a fun season. “Our strength will be that we will have strong competition for the top five scoring varsity spots this year,” Weeks said of the Cardinal boys. “In years past we have had a strong 3-4 runners, but times have dropped after that, hurting team scoring.” Weeks said his concern still remains with low numbers. He said Newton has the smallest team in the Little Hawkeye Conference and will face the challenge of being the smallest 4A school in the state. “Originally the Cardinals were going to be moved down to 3A with the rest of the school but due to two 4A schools co-oping this year it bumps Newton cross country back up to 4A,” Weeks said. Newton won’t learn which Class 4A qualifying meet it will compete in until October. Until then, Weeks said his team will work to improve each time out. He said the Cardinals are looking forward to the Roy Griak Invitational again this season. “The season looks great. All of our meets we are competitive in and with at least a solid five scorers for varsity we should see higher finishes at meets as long as we can stay healthy,” Weeks said. “The Griak meet has over 2,000 high school participants and includes college teams from Division III up to many of the top ranked D-I NCAA teams such as Nortre Dame, UCLA, Michigan State, and Navy.” The Newton cross country squads open the 2018 season on Thursday at the Gilbert Invitational on the Iowa State University cross country course in Ames. Newton’s Cardinal Invitational is Sept. 18 at Westwood Golf Course. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com Newton High School Girls and Boys Cross Country 2018 Schedule Aug. 23 — Gilbert, 4:45 p.m. Sept. 4 — Grinnell, 4:45 p.m. Sept. 11 — Oskaloosa, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 — NHS Cardinal Invitational, Westwood Golf Course, 4 p.m. Sept. 20 — Indianola, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 – Knoxville, 5 p.m. Sept. 29 — Roy Griak Invitational, Minn. Oct. 1 — Norwalk, 4:15 p.m. Oct. 4 — Fort Dodge, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 — LHC meet, Norwalk, 4 p.m. Home meet in bold
8 Fall Sports Preview 2018
PCM volleyball ready for year two under Samson By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Prairie City-Monroe’s Avery Stock is one of only two seniors on this year’s 2018 volleyball roster.
Alex Samson inherited a handful seniors when she took the over the reins of the Prairie City-Monroe volleyball program last season. So when her second season at the helm began in early August, there was a lot of varsity positions up for grabs. The competition is fierce inside the gym, and Samson is looking forward to her second season at her alma mater. “There are a lot of spots still up in the air. Practices are fun and stressful at the same time,” Samson said. “The competition is tough. They are competing for spots, and it’s a little cut throat.” Samson lost five seniors but also won’t have the services of two other incoming seniors because of injuries. The coach’s younger sister Maddie Samson led the team with 116 kills last year but her season was cut short due to concussion symptoms. Unfortunately, Maddie Samson’s athletic career is over. “She is doing much better, but is still dealing with some symptoms,” Coach Samson said. “We are sad she’s not playing. The players miss her, too.” The other player not back in 2018 because of foot issues is Sloan Hjortshoj. She ranked fifth on the team last year with 31 kills. The varsity players who are back include senior Avery Stock, junior Shelby Voeller and sophomore Jacki Vos. Stock, who missed most of her athletic junior year because of a torn ACL, is healthy and ready to contribute again. She was third on the team with 48 kills last year, ranked second with 27 aces and had 25 digs. Coach Samson said Stock may be used as a right-side hitter but will mostly play along the back row because of the knee issues. Voeller returns this season after dishing out 25 assists last year as the back-up setter. She takes
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PCM High School 2018 Varsity Volleyball Schedule Aug. 21 — Newton Invitational Aug. 25 — West Marshall Tournament, TBD Aug. 28 — Roland-Story, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 — Des Moines North, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 1 — BCLUW Tournament, 9 a.m. Sept. 6 — Saydel, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 — North Polk, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 15 — North Mahaska Tournament, 9 a.m. Sept. 18 — Gilbert, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 — Roland-Story Tournament, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 — Greene County, 7 p.m. Oct. 2 — Nevada, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 — South Hamilton, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13 — Fairfield Tournament, 9 a.m. Home matches in bold.
over the starting role this season but has missed most of the early-season practices because of a vacation overseas. Vos is back in the middle up front after collecting 25 kills and 10 blocks last year. She is bigger and stronger in year two and spent most of her offseason playing club volleyball. Vos Sophomore Celeste Wagaman was a setter most of last season but moved to hitter late in the year. She’ll stay at hitter this year and play on the outside. Joining Vos as a middle hitter will be freshman newcomer Claire Wilson. She’s a left-handed hitter — just like Coach Samson was when she played — with great control. Sophomore Bella Stone starts the season as the back-up setter, while other hitters in contention for playing time include sophomores Emma Houser, Emma Reed and Kassidy Block. Block also is an option as a setter in a 6-2 formation. The team’s only two seniors are Stock and Allison Wood. Both of them will play in the back row along with junior Chloe Inskeep, sophomore Allison Burkett and freshman Chelsea Bird. PCM VB | 15
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 9
Loaded Mustangs not shying away from high expectations By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Last year’s playoff loss to Williamsburg still bothers Prairie City-Monroe football coach Greg Bonnett. The Mustangs led the Raiders 17-6 at halftime but did not score in the final two quarters and lost 18Bonnett 17. Williamsburg went on to finish as the Class 2A runner-up. It was game film Bonnett revisited a few times in the offseason. And it’s a game that should give a large and talented senior class a big plate of motivation heading into 2018. “We do talk about that loss still,” Bonnett said. “There are things I wish I would have called in certain moments but didn’t. I feel confident in some adjustments I would make if we see Williamsburg again, but that is about all I can do for now.” The Mustangs bring back a large number of starters from last year’s 8-2 team. PCM lost the opener to Pella Christian by two points and then dropped the playoff opener to Williamsburg by one point. The other eight games weren’t close, and PCM averaged 57 points per game in PCM High School 2018 Varsity Football Schedule Aug. 24 — Newton, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 — West Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7 — Roland-Story, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 — Pella Christian, 7 p.m. Sept. 21 — Chariton (HC), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 — Saydel, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 — Des Moines Christian, 7 p.m. Oct. 12 — Clarke, 7 p.m. Oct. 19 — Centerville, 7:30 p.m. Home games in bold.
the six wins that happened on the field. PCM took two forfeits last year, too. Returning for one final run is a talented senior class that includes starting quarterback Reed Worth, starting tailback Wes Cummings, leading receivers Preston Van Wyk, Brayton Van Dyke, Jarron Trausch and Isaac Telfer and offensive linemen Andrew Van Ryswyk. The defense returns six starters, including senior end Cole Dustin, senior linebackers Brycen Rogers, Cummings, Telfer and Trausch and senior defensive back Nick Dredge. “This senior class has been great for us in terms of performance and creating a culture that we need,” Bonnett said. “I love being around these guys. So many of these kids are brilliant academically and socially and that puts a vibe of intelligent humor and trust in our team.” Worth is back at quarterback after throwing for 1,534 yards, 24 touchdowns and four interceptions last year. He completed a 2A-best 67 percent of his passes. Worth rushed for 425 yards and five TDs. Worth’s backup is sophomore Sage Burns. Worth sat out of the team’s scrimmage against Pleasantville on Aug. 17. Burns took every firstteam snap that night. Worth’s status for the Mustangs’ season opener against Newton was unknown at press time. Cummings is coming off two all-state seasons at running back. Last year, he rushed for 913 yards and nine TDs. He averaged 9.5 yards per rush and 13.7 yards per reception. Cummings’ primary backup, Noah Anderson, was lost
to graduation, but Trausch and senior Payton Strovers will step in to fill the gap. Bonnett is excited about Strovers’ increased presence on the field. Van Wyk had an all-state caliber season at receiver last year. He finished with 17 catches, 507 yards and nine TDs. He averaged a 2A-best 29.8 yards per reception. Van Dyke had 13 catches for 284 yards and four TDs. Trausch hauled in 11 catches for 172 yards and two scores and Telfer added 12 catches, 153 yards and five scores from his tight end position. The offensive line lost two starters but brings back Van Ryswyk, junior and two-year starter Jace Smith and sophomore Greyson Strum. Bonnett said seniors Olin and Nick Meinders will fill in for graduated seniors Colton Warrick and Caden Lewis. Olin Meinders moves to center after playing running back the past few seasons. The defense brings back its top five tacklers in Trausch, Dustin, Cummings, Rogers and Telfer. Trausch had 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks, Dustin added 34 1/2 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks and Cummings and Rogers tallied 30 1/2 tackles and 29 1/2 tackles, respectively. Telfer had 26 1/2 tackles, three tackles for loss, four interceptions and two defensive TDs. Dredge also collected 18 1/2 tackles, four interceptions and a defensive score. Bonnett said Olin Meinders and senior Chance Palm will be backups to the linebacker quartet. The defensive line includes Dustin, Van Dyke, Smith and junior Seth Greiner, who also could see snaps on the offensive line.
“Greiner is going to make an impact on the defensive line,” Bonnett said. “He’s big and physical. Guys like Olin and Nikki Meinders are going to have more significant roles, too.” Dredge headlines a secondary that includes Strovers, Van Wyk and senior Nick Buswell. PCM has won two consecutive 2A District 6 titles. This year, the Mustangs seek a third straight district championship, this time in a District 8 that includes Chariton, Centerville, Clarke, Saydel and Des Moines Christian. The Mustangs defeated Centerville (6-4), Chariton (5-4) and Clarke (0-9) in district play the past two seasons. Saydel and Des Moines Christian are new district foes. Saydel was 4-5 last year, while Des Moines Christian was 1-8 in 1A. While PCM will be the heavy favorites in district play, the non-district season is stacked with good competition and three road games. The Mustangs open at 3A Newton and then play at West Marshall. They host Roland-Story before playing at 1A Pella Christian. Newton dropped to 3A after finishing 7-2 in 4A last year. Pella Christian was 11-1 a year ago. “I want to perform at our best with zero fear of the outcome,” Bonnett said. “We play best when we are just playing and not trying to protect a win.” The Mustang starters played one full game in the regular season in 2017 and that came in Week 1 against Pella Christian. PCM led that game 14-10 at halftime before losing 24-22. The starters came out at halftime in six other games and two forfeits from oppo-
nents kept the Mustangs off the field altogether on two Friday nights. Clarke forfeited its Week 9 game against PCM, and Bonnett felt the lack of competition hurt the Mustangs in the playoff opener. “Being battle tested is huge,” Bonnett said. “That is another thing I could not control last year, but I look at our schedule this year, and it’s a different story. We play some teams that can show up and play some good football. These teams are hungry and talented. I do believe we will be battle tested this year.” PCM had enough talent to compete for a 2A title last season. The Mustangs led eventual runner-up Williamsburg 17-6 at halftime and outgained the Raiders 403-282 in total yards. But four turnovers was too much for PCM to overcome. The 2018 Mustangs could be even better and likely will be ranked in the top five of 2A when the season kicks off. “I have been more demanding of this team than other teams because they are better than so many other teams,” Bonnett said. “This team is willing to work hard and play hard. I think this year is a big year for the seniors in terms of their legacy. “Right now, they have scored a bunch of points, played good defense and beat a bunch of teams but have never gotten to the Dome. The thing I like about these guys is they expect to win so now we need to see us making big plays in big games.” PCM opens the season against the Newton Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Newton. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
Troy Hyde/Daily News Prairie City-Monroe senior Wes Cummings, center, takes the hand off and runs into the end zone behind the blocking of senior Jarron Trausch (2) during the Mustangs’ scrimmage against Pleasantville on Aug. 17. PCM opens the 2018 season against Newton at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Newton.
10 Fall Sports Preview 2018
PCM cross country hopes more training, less meets pays off By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Prairie City-Monroe head cross country coach Eric Karr attended an endurance class in Indianapolis this summer, and U.S. Track and Field confirmed to Karr what he already thought. “We were competing way too much,” Karr said. “We were not training properly and not recovering, and it’s 100 percent because of our meet schedule.” Karr hopes a lighter schedule will pay off when his teams compete at the state qualifier in October. The scheduled has been trimmed down to five meets before the Heart of Iowa Conference meet on Oct. 8. “We had an eight-day span last year of three meets. It’s obvious that we had too many meets,” Karr said. “If you look at the best high
school teams in the nation, they run four meets before conference consistently across the board. We can’t have two races in one week. We are going to be better by getting rid of some meets.” Karr begins his seventh season at the helm of the cross country programs. His girls team returns three varsity runners from last year’s Class 2A state qualifying team. Two seniors graduated and two others decided not to go out. On the boys’ side, sophomore Beau Webb and junior Jason Stafford return after leading the team last season. Karr also thinks he’s got a deeper team this season than in recent years. The girls, heading into the season, are being led by junior Klaire Jungling. The roster also includes senior returners Kirstin Ives and Megan Townley. Ives was 62nd at state last year,
while Jungling finished 111th. “Klaire is looking amazing. She’s been running all summer and is my No. 1 right now,” Karr said. “She works really hard and I hope she has a great season. “Megan Townley looks good, too. Kirstin is on a slow and steady progression after dealing with a knee injury in the spring.” The girls begin the season as a “team to watch” in the 2A rankings. Karr is not sure his team is there yet, but expects them to get better as the season progresses. “I don’t care about the rankings.” Karr said. “I have high hopes. We need to have a meet, see where we are and then improve throughout the season. Being ranked the first week of the season doesn’t mean anything to me.” PCM XC | 14
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Prairie City-Monroe senior Kirstin Ives is back for the Mustangs after leading the team to the Class 2A state meet last season.
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 11
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 Lynnville-Sully Hawk football team are, left to right, front row, Brody Johnson, Miles Mintle, Nicholas Denmark, Brady Sassman, Coby Cordes, Evan Squires, Gage Vander Leest, Gage Schilling, Slater Young, Payton Van Wyk, Caleb Barnett and Nick Rea; second row, Isaac Johnson, Gage Elscott, Mason Rodibaugh, Logan Ingrsoll, Ryan Annee, Owen Norrish, Dakota Seastrom, Ty Breeden, Jacob DeHoedt, Ethan Wyma, Tyson Vander Linden, Skyler Jannenga, Bryce Byrd, Aiden LeCompte, and Blake Rea; third row, Bray Noun-Harder, Josh Hardenbrook, Matthew Winters, Nate Stock, Noah Johnson, Braden Alberts, Ty Jones, Kodie Waggoner; back row, Zane Fraker, Rylan James, Grant Where, Chance Stock, Kinnick McFarland. Not pictured: Lane Mathis, Malichi Foster, C.J. Snethen.
Experience, tradition fuel Hawk football By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News
SULLY — Over eight seasons as head coach at Lynnville-Sully, Mike Parkinson’s Hawk football teams have posted 52 victories and 23 losses. The Hawks never rest on their laurels from a previous season, Parkinson won’t permitted it.
Returning players and new players go into each season knowing the work continues for the Lynnville-Sully football program. And so the members of the 2018 Lynnville-Sully football team have pride in the 2017 success — the program’s first undefeated regular season since 1999, a 6-0 run to a Class A district championship and making it
to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs — but are committed to working this season. “We have a lot of returning talent and a lot of great young men, who are very dedicated to this program and to weightlifting,” Parkinson said. “We are excited to find depth, which is always part of the challenge in a small school but we know our younger ath-
letes are ready and willing to give everything they have. We have a strong group of leaders and will look to them to put our team in a position to win.” The Hawks have seven returning senior lettermen, most were starters on both sides of the football a year ago. They have three of their HAWK FOOTBALL | 20
Lynnville-Sully Football 2018 Varsity Schedule Aug. 24 — Pleasantville, 7 p.m. Aug. 31 — Sigourney-Keota, 7 p.m. Sept. 7 — Highland, 7 p.m. Sept. 14 — Colfax-Mingo, 7 p.m. Sept. 21 — Wayne, 7 p.m. Sept. 28 — Central Decatur (HC), 7 p.m. Oct. 5 — Grand View Christian, 7 p.m. Oct. 12 — North Mahaska, 7 p.m. Oct. 19 — Martensdale-St. Marys, 7 p.m. Home games in bold
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 Lynnville-Sully volleyball team are, left to right, front row, Bryar Hill, Mallory Loftus, MaKayla Rozendaal, Carson Fisk, Shiloh Cunningham, Kaylee Maasdam, Janelle Rozendaal and Jaden Brand; middle row, Elizabeth Squirers, Laci Kern, Neveah Hellickson, Kynlee James, Lily Zylstra and Aliah James; back row, Cayler Noun-Harder, Denali Conover, Krystal Van Dyke, head coach Jayme Deal, assistant coach Kyra Smith, Cally Gibbs and Korinne Jansen.
Lynnville-Sully volleyball set for strong season By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News SULLY — Lynnville-Sully’s Hawk volleyball team has an energy around it as the Hawks prepare for the 2018 season. The four seniors on the team feel it. “This year we’re going to be pretty solid with a lot of returning players,” senior outside hitter Carson Fisk said. “Our new ones coming in have some varsity experience. I’m really excited about the team and being a senior and playing with these three one final year.”
Those three are right-side hitter Shiloh Cunningham, libero MaKayla Rozendaal and outside hitter Kaylee Maasdam. Fisk, Cunningham and Rozendaal are returning varsity players while Maasdam played on the Lynnville-Sully junior varsity. “We have set some high goals this year and feel that our chances are really good for the SICL conference and playoffs,” Hawk head coach Jayme Deal said. “Our goals for all matches are to never give up — even when we are down and it is tough.” The Hawks were 16-12
overall last season. They finished third with a 9-3 mark in the South Iowa Cedar League in 2017. Deal’s assistant coach is Kyra Smith. Also back on the court for the Hawks is their leading hitter in junior Mallory Loftus, who plays as a middle blocker. Loftus had 161 kills for Lynnville-Sully last year with Fisk putting down 107 kills and Cunningham racking up 102 kills. “Yes, we can hit the ball,” Cunningham said. “We also have a good defensive team. Last year we were pretty good for serve receive, and we re-
turn a lot of our top defensive players.” Rozendaal is the leader on the back row as the libero. She has 160 digs a year ago. Fisk came up with 281 digs and Cunningham, who earned second-team all-SICL honors, had 137 digs. “We work well as a team. We flow and move on the court to get to balls. We’re excited to see what this team can do this season,” Rozendaal said. Sophomore Korinne Jansen is back as an outside hitter L-S VOLLEYBALL | 13
Lynnville-Sully Varsity Volleyball 2018 Schedule Aug. 25 — Grinnell tournament, 9 a.m. Aug. 27 — Martensdale-St. Marys, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28 — Baxter, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 — Montezuma quad, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4 — Belle Plaine, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 — HLV, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13 — Montezuma, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15 — North Mahaska tourney, 9 a.m. Sept. 17 — BGM, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 — North Mahaska, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 — North Tama tourney, 9 a.m. Sept. 24 — Colfax-Mingo, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29 — BGM tournament, TBD Oct. 1 — Iowa Valley, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 4 — Sigourney, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 6 — Davis County tourney, 9 a.m. Oct. 8 — SICL Tournament Pool Play, TBD Oct. 11 — SICL Tournament Quads, TBD Home matches in bold
12 Fall Sports Preview 2018
Hawk harriers training hard for 2018 run By Jocelyn Sheets Newton Daily News SULLY — It’s Mason and the Girls for the 2018 cross country season at Lynnville-Sully. Mason Jansen is the only runner for the Lynnville-Sully High boys’ cross country team. He returns for his sophomore season with some personal goals set. “I’m going out to have better times than I had last year. I think my best last year was 20:32,” Jansen said. “One of the reasons I’m out for cross country is to get in shape for basketball so I’m out to push myself to do the best I can.” There are eight runners on the Hawk girls’ squad led by three of the Hawks’ top three runners from 2017. Guiding the Hawk cross country program
for the 16th season is Darin Arkema with assistant coach Chris Hansen and volunteer coach Alexa Vander Leest. Junior Abby Gruver, sophomore Megan Van Zante and senior Emily Van Gorp return after leading the team to second in the South Iowa Cedar League meet a year ago. Gruver and Megan Van Zante earned second-team all-SICL honors as the Hawks’ No. 2 and 3 runners and Van Gorp was the No. 4 runner at the conference meet. “Our team could be pretty good this year with a few new faces,” Gruver said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t convince any freshmen to come out. With Megan and Emily back, we have good leadership. I believe we’re running hard and running HAWK XC | 13
Jocelyn Sheets/Daily News Members of the 2018 Lynnville-Sully cross country teams are, from left, front row, Caitlin Alberts, Brittney Hansen, Abby Gruver, Ashton Thompson and Meleisah Vos; back row, Hadley Tice, Cassie Johnson, Emily Van Gorp, Mason Jansen and Megan Van Zante.
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 13
Hawk XC Continued from Page 12 as a team. For myself, I hoping my times are better, and I can qualify for state.� Gruver missed on qualifying for the Class 1A state meet as a freshman by one spot. She said she would like to go to state as a team and believes the Hawk girls could achieve that goal. Also back are juniors Ashton Thompson and Brittney Hansen and sophomore Hadley Tice. Joining the Lynnville-Sully girls’ team this season are sophomores Caitlin Alberts and Meleisha Vos. “Our meet schedule is nearly the same as last year. The returning athletes know that this means we’ll see a number of bigger schools throughout the season and face some top notch competition,� Arkema said. “We get a good variety of courses to compete on, mixing up some hilly, some flat.� “Mason had a strong freshman year, and is certainly more physically mature and gained some strength over the year to be better equipped to have an improved sophomore season,� Arkema said. Lynnville-Sully’s girls were second
L-S volleyball
Lynnville-Sully Boys and Girls 2018 Cross Country Schedule Aug. 28 — Williamsburg, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 1 — Pella, Central College, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4 — Grinnell, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 — Pleasantville, 5 p.m. Sept. 13 — Lynnville-Sully Invitational, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 20 — PCM, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 — Williamsburg, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 1 — North Polk, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9 — SICL meet, Knoll Ridge Golf Course, North English, 4:30 p.m. Home meet in bold
Continued from Page 11 and sophomore Krystal Van Dyke is a middle blocker. Junior Janelle Rozendaal, who had limited varsity play last year, is the varsity setter. She had 32 set assists for varsity matches last year. “Practices have been going pretty well and we’re getting along as a team,� Maasdam said. Sophomores Denali Conover and Cayler Noun-Harder are back and expected to step to fill roles on the varsity. Conover is an outside hitter and defensive specialist. Noun-Harder is a hitter and a setter. Deal said the Hawks’ strengths going into the season are serve receive and middle blocking. The Hawks had 146 solo blocks and 110 block assists as a team a year ago led
to Colfax-Mingo by one point at the SICL meet. Arkema said he expects another strong SICL competition on the girls’ side. He said Jansen, who finished 21st in the boy’s SICL race last year, has his sights on a better finish, earning all-conference honors. “We have experience among our runners. This is a great group of individuals who are hard working, fun and have positive attitudes,� Arkema said. Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks begin the 2018 cross country season on Aug. 28 at Williamsburg. The Lynnville-Sully Invitational is on Sept. 13 at Diamond Trail Golf Course in Lynnville.
by Cunningham and Loftus as each had 40 solo blocks. Loftus made 33 block assists and Cunningham had 31 block assists. Lynnville-Sully had a serve efficiency of .924 percent last year with 216 ace serves as a team. Fisk was a 93 percent server with 39 ace serves and Cunningham had 26 ace serves as she served at 89 percent. “We have strong, competitive attitudes as a team and good leadership on the team,� Deal said. “We are a young team which still needs lots of repetitions. The girls are working hard and ready for the season to get underway.� The Hawks open the 2018 season at a tournament at Grinnell on Saturday. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com
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14 Fall Sports Preview 2018
C-M football is business as usual despite move to 1A By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Moving up to Class 1A will present the Colfax-Mingo football team with some added challenges in 2018. But Tigerhawk head coach Jeff Lietz is sticking with what he has done all those years in Class A. It’s business as Lietz usual for his program, but Lietz does think playing up a class will benefit one side of the ball. “I think playing up a class suits our defensive scheme a little better. We’ll see more passing teams this year,” Lietz said. “There won’t be as many run-heavy teams.” Gone from the schedule are North Mahaska, Belle Plaine, BGM, Grand View Christian and GMG. This year’s district slate includes Pleasantville, Pella Christian, Interstate 35, Woodward-Granger and Woodward Academy. The only team on the Tigerhawks’ schedule that remains from the last few years is Lynnville-Sully, and C-M plays the Hawks during the fourth week of non-district play. The non-district slate also features some new programs in BCLUW, Martensdale-St. Colfax-Mingo High School 2018 Varsity Football Schedule Aug. 24 — BCLUW, 7 p.m. Aug. 31 — Martensdale-St. Marys, 7 p.m. Sept. 7 — Wayne, 7 p.m. Sept. 14 — Lynnville-Sully, 7 p.m. Sept. 21 — Pleasantville (HC), 7 p.m. Sept. 28 — Interstate 35, 7 p.m. Oct. 5 — Pella Christian, 7 p.m. Oct. 12 — Woodward Academy, 7 p.m. Oct. 19 — Woodward-Granger, 7 p.m. Home games in bold.
Marys and Wayne. “We played some pretty good teams in Class A, and there’s nothing I can do about the change. We’ll just roll with it,” said Lietz, who begins his sixth season as head coach. “We haven’t scouted a whole lot yet. We know what teams have lost. We don’t know a whole lot yet. It’s new from that standpoint. We don’t know our competition as well. We’ll get started with game one and then go from there and start watching the tape of the teams down the line.” The Tigerhawks have three 2017 playoff teams — Lynnville-Sully (9-1), Pella Christian (11-1) and Pleasantville (8-3) — on their schedule and four teams who finished with losing records. Three of those four teams — BCLUW (3-6), Martensdale-St. Marys (4-5) and Wayne (4-5) — are non-district foes. Wayne is up to Class A after spending the last two years in 8-man. “It’s big for us if we can get off to a fast start,” Lietz said. “We don’t know what we have with those first few teams. The chances of playing competitive games and getting off to a fast start will be a good opportunity for us.” The 2018 Tigerhawks welcome back a plethora of returning starters. The quarterback is new, but junior Brady Berkey started at wide receiver last year. He takes over the reins as the team’s signal caller. “He’s a quiet leader but he has command in the huddle. The guys respect him. He has a quick release and is very athletic,” Lietz said. The rest of the playmakers are interchangeable between running back and wide receiver. Senior Damir Gumerov is the primary fullback after
PCM XC
Continued from Page 10 Besides the three returners, Karr also expects senior Hannah Bouwkamp, juniors Hannah McCarthy, Katie Henkenius and Natalie Smith and sophomores Margo Chipps and Emma George to be in the mix for varsity spots. “There are a lot of options right now. We just don’t know much right now. It will all play out soon though,” Karr said. Webb will start the season as the boys’ top runner, but Stafford led the PCM High School 2018 Varsity Cross Country Schedule Aug. 23 — Gilbert, Iowa State University course, 4:45 p.m. Sept. 6 — Colfax-Mingo, Colfax Country Club, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 — Pleasantville, 5 p.m. Sept. 20 — PCM, Gateway Recreation, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 1 — Norwalk, 4:15 p.m. Oct. 8 — HOIC meet - Greene County - Spring Lake State Park, 4 p.m. Oct. 18 — State Qualifier, TBD Oct. 27 — State Meet, Fort Dodge, TBD Home meet in bold.
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Colfax-Mingo senior Zarek Hill (4) is back for the Tigerhawk football team after earning all-state honors as a defensive back last season. The Tigerhawks also move up to Class 1A this season.
gaining 369 yards and five touchdowns last year. Lietz said the offense also will use seniors Zarek Hill and Holister Koenig and juniors Trystin Ross and Trinity Schroeder in the backfield when they are not lined up at wide receiver. “We feel like we have five weapons there and we’ll get them all involved,” Lietz said. “That will make us harder to defend. All the guys bring different dynamics. We can do different things offensively.” Hill had 35 catches for 526 yards and six TDs last year as a receiver. He gained 151 rushing yards and a TD, too. Koenig had 13 catches for 222 yards and two scores, while Schroeder hauled in 13
team most of last year. “He puts in the time. He wants it. He’s No. 1 at the moment,” Karr said of Webb. Karr also said juniors Ayrton Breckenridge and Cooper VandeLune are much improved and should be in the top four. “They are running really well right now,” Karr said of Breckenridge and VandeLune. “They may lifetime PR their first meet. They have put in the time this summer. There bodies are maturing. “We’ve always had a good one or two boys and then we never really know where it goes from there. I am more confident this year in a top four.” Junior Cody Courtney also is in the mix for a top varsity spot. Junior Jacob Cox and senior Carson Clark are back, too, after scoring points for the Mustangs last year. “The boys team gets a little bit better each year,” Karr said. “What I want to see this year is instead of having 50 places between our first runner and our seventh runner, really pack them closer together. That’s
catches for 118 yards a year ago. Hill is one of the top returning players in the state after earning all-state honors as a defensive back last season. He led Class A with eight interceptions and also had 46 tackles, one sack, three fumble recoveries and one defensive TD. “He’s our leader on the field. He leads by example. He’ll certainly be the focus of a lot of teams,” Lietz said. The offensive line includes a few returning starters in senior center Ahren Teed and senior Deklan Lewis, who moves over to left tackle this season. The two starting guards are senior Skyler Aikin and junior Andres Villegas.
The other tackle position is being battled for by sophomores Andrew Gorman, DJ Williams and Jake Nichols. “We have about eight guys we can use there,” Lietz said. “Our depth up front is pretty good. We’ll average about 245 and that’s the biggest we’ve been here in about eight years.” Teed and Villegas will play inside along the defensive line, too. The rest of the defensive line includes Aikin, Nichols, junior Caden Brown and sophomores Jacob Chapman and Brode Nichol. Ross moves to the middle at linebacker after playing outside last year. C-M FOOTBALL | 19
how you win.” PCM is once again part of the HOIC. And the conference will be as good as any league in the state this year. On the boys’ side, Gilbert opens the season No. 1 in 3A and Nevada is No. 13. Roland-Story is No. 12 in 2A and South Hamilton is No. 3 in 1A. The North Polk girls start the season No. 8 in 3A, while Gilbert (3A) and PCM (2A) are “teams to watch.” The Mustangs open the season at the annual Gilbert Invitational on the campus of Iowa State University. The meet takes place at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday in Ames. After that, they head to the Colfax-Mingo Invitational at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 6. “We just want to get better every single day every single meet. We will worry about how good we are at the state qualifier,” Karr said. “I expect them to compete and work hard. I expect them to do the best they can.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Prairie City-Monroe sophomore Beau Webb is expected to start the season as the Mustangs’ No. 1 runner.
Fall Sports Preview 2018 15
Strong returners give C-M girls chance at another SICL title By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Abbey McConeghey began her sophomore year at Colfax-Mingo with a bang. Unfortunately, the finish came a lot earlier than expected. McConeghey led the Colfax-Mingo girls’ cross country team to its first South Iowa Cedar League title and then advanced to her first state meet a few weeks later. She’s back as the top runner again, but a slow start is almost certain as McConeghey works her way back from an injury suffered during basketball season. The injury wiped out her entire track and field season this past spring. She is banking on her junior season finishing much better. “I know she won’t start the year on time,” said Colfax-Mingo cohead Zach Tomas, who begins his 11th season. “But she’s ahead of where I would have guessed she would have been at this point. “She’s working out. She’s running. But she’s still limited.” Overall, the girls will be around 15 strong. And four of the top five runners from last year’s conference title team are back. “I have learned that every year is different,” Tomas said. “Certainly, if you look down our roster, we have some kids that can get it done. We will have to have some others step up. We lost Danielle Decker, who was around 2-3 for us last year. She was a big contributor.” On the boys’ side, senior Cauy Fitch and junior Cyden Fitch are back after leading the team a year ago. They also bring back junior Noah Strohmeyer and sophomores Avery Lees and A.J. Gibson and welcome in freshman Coleman Craig. “There won’t be a big gap between 2-6 for the boys,” Tomas said. “It’s
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Colfax-Mingo senior Cauy Fitch is expected to be the Tigerhawks’ No. 1 runner this season after leading the team in 2017.
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Colfax-Mingo junior Abbey McConeghey returns to the Tigerhawk roster after finishing 17th in the Class 1A state meet last season.
exciting that we only have one senior. We are moving in the right direction on the boys’ side.” McConeghey’s health is key for the Tigerhawk
girls. She won the SICL title and then finished 17th in her first state meet in October. If she comes back from the injury and is close to what she was last year, the
Colfax-Mingo High School 2018 Varsity Cross Country Schedule Aug. 23 — Collins-Maxwell - Center Grove Orchard, 4:30 p.m. Aug. 30 — Pekin - Wildwood Park (Ottumwa), 4:30 p.m. Sept. 6 — Colfax Country Club, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 — Pleasantville Golf & Country Club, 5 p.m. Sept. 13 — Lynnville-Sully - Diamond Trail Golf Club, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 20 — PCM - Gateway Rec. Golf Course, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 — Knoxville - Pine Knolls CC, 4:15 p.m. Oct. 1 — North Polk, 5 p.m. Oct. 4 — Montezuma Country Club, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9 — SICL meet - English Valleys, Knoll Ridge Golf Course, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 — State Qualifier, TBA Oct. 27 — State Meet at Fort Dodge, TBA Home Meets in Bold
PCM VB Continued from Page 8 “We scrimmaged Pleasantville (on Aug. 14) and I had three lineups made up for the night,” Coach Samson said. Samson coached the Mustangs to a 10-20 overall record in her first season. PCM was 1-6 in Heart of Iowa Conference play. The HOIC remains a tough league with Roland-Story ex-
pected to lead the way. The Lady Norse begin the season ranked 14th in Class 3A. Aside from a mostly new team, the MusCoach Samson tangs also have been unable to practice in their high school gym because of construction at the school.
Tigerhawks will have a shot. “I think she’s in the right mind set. Watching the last few practices, I think she’ll get there. She’ll be good,” Tomas said. McConeghey’s supporting cast from last year’s title team includes seniors Ilia Hostetter, Colbee Cunningham and Delaney Underwood and sophomore Crystal Lincoln. Tomas and co-head coach Jacob Crouse like their entire senior class, which also includes Payton Rhone and Jordan Atwood. Hostetter was a 2016 state qualifier. “All of our seniors have potential to be contributors,” Tomas said. “I like our chances with that group. They are competitive, they work hard and they are good leaders. We have a great
The team has spent their early-season practices at the middle school in Prairie City. Coach Samson said her team was scheduled to begin practicing at the high school in Monroe on Thursday. The Mustangs’ season began on Tuesday at the Newton Cardinal tournament. They play four home matches in 2018, with the first two coming on Aug. 28 and Aug. 30 against Roland-Story and Des Moines North, re-
senior class. Any time you have that, you can be successful. “Ilia has not missed a summer workout. I think she is going to have a great senior year. Getting Abbey back healthy will be a huge part of us having success as a team.” A new addition to the girls’ team this season is freshman Kylie Doty. She was the conference champion as a seventh grader and medaled again last season. “Every year there seems to be someone who steps up that you weren’t expecting,” Tomas said. “They’ll be a sophomore or a freshman on both sides who we didn’t expect that will make a mark.” McConeghey and Chelsey Atwood are the only two juniors on the roster. The sophomore
spectively. “We will be a scrappy team,” Coach Samson said. “We’ll pick up tips, digs and free balls. It will be hard to get the ball down against us.” Coach Samson said it has been easier in year two than it was teaching brand new things in year one. Her coaching staff also stayed the same. Jodi Johnson returns as the JV coach, while Mike Vittetoe leads the freshmen team. Vittetoe is the school’s for-
class includes Lincoln, Daytin Chadwick, Miranda McGill, Jodine Woods, Brennan Rhone and Lillie McKee. The only two freshmen are Doty and Kirsten Frier. The boys will start the season with six, but Tomas hopes to get a few more out when school starts. The Fitch brothers have not been at too many preseason practices, but Tomas expects them to rise to the top of the roster before the season ends. Strohmeyer may lead the team early on, according to Tomas. “We want the kids to run in the summer, but we’ve taken a different approach in that we aren’t concerned about early-season stuff,” Tomas said. “We have two months to get in shape for three miles. That’s usually not that big of an issue. (The Fitch boys) have been wrestling a lot this summer. They are in shape, but not in cross country shape. They’ll be fine.” Craig is the newest member of the boys’ team. He’ll be a good addition after placing 10th at the junior high meet last season. Tomas and Crouse set a goal every year of finishing in the top three at the conference meet. The girls have done that every year since joining the SICL. This season, Tomas expects English Valleys and Lynnville-Sully to be in the mix, too. “The girls have a shot with so many returners back,” Tomas said. “I don’t think the boys finished as well as we thought they would last year. That was mostly an experience thing. We should be better in that department this year.” Colfax-Mingo opens the season at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
mer varsity coach. Johnson played for Vittetoe on his first PCM team, and Samson played for him on his final team. “He has so much experience, and I love when he comes to our practice,” Coach Samson said. “I let him take the reins and just sit back and listen.” Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
16 Fall Sports Preview 2018
Tigerhawk volleyball hopes to stay strong in SICL By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Michelle Grant begins her fifth season as head coach of the Colfax-Mingo volleyball team. But 2018 will be her first season without graduated seniors Megan Earles and Ries Wilson. While the losses of two of the most productive players in school history will hurt, Grant doesn’t think the Tigerhawks’ situation is as grim as some may think. “We have a really strong freshmen class coming in,” Grant said. “We’ll have a learning curve with that group, but with Colbee (Cunningham) and Braedynn (Rawlins) still here, we can fill in some of the other positions.” Grant is unsure what to expect from this year’s Tigerhawk squad, but she likes some of the pieces that return. Wilson led the Tigerhawks last year in kills, aces, digs and blocks, but the next two most productive hitters are both back. So is senior Chelsea Russell, who was second on the team in digs last year. Grant expects Cunningham to be one of only two players to play all the way around this season. She was second on the team with 100 kills last year. She also ranked third in aces with 24, second in blocks with 14 and fifth in digs with 126.
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Colfax-Mingo senior Colbee Cunningham returns as one of the most experienced players on the Tigerhawk volleyball team this season.
“Right now, she’s in Ries’ outside position,” Grant said. “She can play anywhere across the front row so I may move her around. If we need a blocker, she may have to move to the middle.” Taking over for Earles will be freshman Kyra Lester, a soft-handed setter who
turned some heads with opposing coaches at a few team camps this summer. Grant expects Lester to play all the way around, too. “Our junior high coach, Skyler Rawlins, basically told me that Kyra would be my setter for the next four years,” Grant said. “She has really soft
hands. Other coaches at our team camps were asking me about her — who she was, how old she is and saying ‘wow she doesn’t look that young.’” Grant has no doubt in Lester’s ability but also knows she’ll make freshmen mistakes. “I have to remind myself that just because she’s the next Megan doesn’t mean she’s Megan as a senior right now,” Grant said. “Megan was making similar mistakes as a freshman. I just don’t remember those mistakes because it was four years ago.” This year’s roster features around 20 players. Twelve of those are freshmen. But seniors Cunningham, Rawlins and Russell are all back. Sophomore Chelsey Temple also returns on the front row, while junior Shanen Shedenhelm, sophomore Kira Warrick and senior Shaylee Shedenhelm join Russell in the back row. Temple was third on the team last year with 58 kills. She also had 10 aces and 51 digs. Rawlins tallied 25 kills, 23 assists and 53 digs. Russell added 23 aces to her 287 digs. Warrick finished with 84 digs in her first prep season. “We have open positions and players capable of playing in those spots, but I just don’t know who those players will be yet,” Grant said. Part of the reason Grant is
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Colfax-Mingo High School 2018 Varsity Volleyball Schedule Aug. 25 — Colfax-Mingo Invitational, 9 a.m. Aug. 28 — Southeast Warren, Quadrangular, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4 — HLV, 7 p.m. Sept. 10 — Montezuma, 7 p.m. Sept. 13 — BGM, 7 p.m. Sept. 15 — AC/GC Invitational, 9 a.m. Sept. 17 — North Mahaska, 7 p.m. Sept. 24 — Lynnville-Sully, 7 p.m. Sept. 27 — Tri-County, 7 p.m. Sept. 29 — Madrid Tournament, 8 a.m. Oct. 1 — Keota, 7 p.m. Oct. 4 — Iowa Valley, 7 p.m. Oct. 8 — SICL Tournament, Pool play, TBD Oct. 11 — SICL Quads, TBD, 5 p.m. Oct. 13 — Woodward-Granger Invitational, 9 a.m. Home matches in bold.
not sure yet on where each individual will play is because a handful of players had only been seen in one or fewer practices at the time of the preseason interview. Russell was scheduled to join the team a week late because of state fair duties. Freshman Avery Rague is a move in who got to town a few days before the first practice. And senior Rilee Slycord transferred in from Newton. Cunningham also spent some of the early-season practices on the sidelines after getting her wisdom teeth out. Other players battling for varsity court time include sophomore Riley Carroll and freshmen Morgan Van Dyke and Melanie Vry. C-M VOLLEYBALL | 19
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 17
Clapper, Damman headline new-look Bolts By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News The transition to 8-man football couldn’t have gone much better for the Baxter Bolts last season. Baxter used a prolific offense to win eight games. But most of the players on that roster were lost to graduation. The Bolts now are out to show that 2017 wasn’t a fluke. If they prove that to be true, they’ll have to do it with an almost entirely different team. “Every day is getting a little better,” said Baxter coach Rob Luther, who begins his 30th season as a head coach. “The general attitude is great. They want to learn and want to soak it in. There are no Prima Donnas in this group. All of our off-the-field meetings and leadership meetings have been positive. Our minds are right, but we have a long ways to go on the field.” Last year’s 8-1 team could not play in the postseason because the split between Baxter and Collins-Maxwell moved each team into 8-man in the middle of a two-year district cycle. This year, Baxter is in a district and eligible for the postseason. “Last year’s situation still stings. Those seniors were special,” Luther said. “We had a really good team. We would have had a chance. You have to be lucky to make a long playoff run, but we beat some really good teams last year. “We get a chance this year. We are a glimpse right now of what we were last year, but at least we have the opportunity to play.” Luther begins his second season as Baxter’s head coach. But he spent 20 years as CMB’s head man. While so many seniors graduated from last year’s team, the top-end talent on the 2018 roster is still there, led by senior linemen Will Clapper and junior Cole Damman. Clapper will go down as one of the best players in CMB/Baxter history. He currently has scholarship offers from NCAA Division 1-FCS South Dakota State, junior college powerhouse Iowa Western and a handful of NCAA Division II schools. “It’s pretty nice when you can step out on the field and probably have the best football player most nights and definitely the best lineman,” Luther said about Clapper. “He’s been with me for four years and is one of the best kids I have ever had. I am excited for the season he’s going to have.” Clapper highlights the Bolts’ strongest unit this season. The rest of the offensive and defensive lines include seniors Andrew Esqueda and Koby Barber, junior Carter Nelsen and sophomore Micah Kearns. This year’s Bolts’ team will be different offensively. They don’t have as much experience in the skill positions. And there won’t be one player reBaxter High School 2018 Varsity Football Schedule Aug. 24 — Coon Rapids-Bayard, 7 p.m. Aug. 31 — Don Bosco, 7 p.m. Sept. 7 — Melcher-Dallas, 7 p.m. Sept. 14 — Collins-Maxwell (HC), 7 p.m. Sept. 21 — Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 7 p.m. Sept. 28 — Twin Cedars, 7 p.m. Oct. 5 — AGWSR, 7 p.m. Oct. 12 — Colo-NESCO, 7 p.m. Oct. 19 — Meskwaki Settlement School, 7 p.m. Home games in bold.
Troy Hyde/Daily News Baxter head football coach Rob Luther begins his 30th season as a head coach this fall and his second season as Bolts head man. The Bolts were 8-1 last year in their 8-man debut.
placing record-setting wide receiver Travis Lindemoen. “Our strength this year will be on the lines. That’s kind of new for me,” Luther said. “We love our skill guys and what we’ve been able to do in the Clapper past, but this year will be a little different.” Clapper and Esqueda are expected to start at guard along the offensive line. Kearns moves over to center after starting at guard last year as a freshman. Lining up behind Kearns will be Damman, who moves to quarterback after playing wide receiver a year ago. Damman ranked second on the team behind Lindemoen with 34 catches and eight touchdowns last year. He had 367 receiving yards and 157 rushing yards. Damman averaged 9.2 yards per carry. “I think Cole was such a great team guy last year,” Luther said. “I am telling you that he could have done everything Travis Lindemoen did if Travis wasn’t at our school. I truly believe that. They were almost the same kid, but one was a senior and one was a sophomore. That’s the roles they ended up playing.” Damman replaces prolific passer Braydon Aker, who threw for 2,615 yards and 52 TDs last year. Aker also rushed for 647 yards and 16 scores. “They are both phenomenal leaders. They both have a great command of our offense,” Luther said. “Cole doesn’t have the arm that Braydon had. But we’ll do different stuff with him. It will be a lot of quick routes and he’ll run the ball a lot behind that line.” There aren’t a lot of other players on this year’s roster who played significant snaps last year. Thirteen of the 20 players on the roster didn’t play high school football last year. Eight or nine of them haven’t played the sport at all. Senior Brendyn Padget had two
catches for 42 yards last year. He’ll be joined at tight end this year by Nelsen and senior Austin Good. Clapper will line up at tight end, too. He caught three passes for 38 yards and two scores last year. The running back position will come down to senior Mason Ziesman or freshman Rory Heer. Rory Heer joins his older brother Dalton Heer, a senior, and senior Peyton Johnston as potential play makers at wide receiver. “We are just trying to find ways they can get the ball in space,” Luther said. “We are trying to find our way there. It will be pieces of a lot of things. “Cole Damman will have to shoulder a lot for us if we are going to be successful.” Defensively, the top three and nine of the top 11 tacklers from last year are gone. Damman had 44 tackles and two interceptions last year, while Clapper had 26 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, one pick and three fumble recoveries. Clapper will be joined on the defensive line by Nelsen, Kearns, Padget and junior Shane Beougher. The linebackers will be Damman, Ziesman, Barber, Esqueda and Good. Johnston and the Heer brothers will play in the secondary. While Luther will continue to call the plays offensively, the defense won’t have long-time coordinator Jason Aker. Coach Aker stepped down last season after coaching under Luther for 15 years. Zach Hasselbrink takes over as the program’s defensive coordinator. “There are times I send an email out to my coaches and I almost include Coach Aker in those because I am just so used to his feedback,” Luther said. “He did a lot for us those years. It will be different without him.” This year’s Bolts’ roster is about 20 strong. That’s more players than the team had at any point in 2017. The team is made up mostly of seniors and freshmen. Luther credits Clapper for Baxter having so many first-year se-
niors on the team. “He did a lot of recruiting. There’s a bunch of new seniors this year, and a lot of that is about Will,” Luther said. “He asked his classmates to join him for one season, and they responded.” Baxter’s only loss last year came to 8-man state runner-up Remsen St. Mary’s. The Bolts defeated state semifinalist Midland and playoff qualifier Lone Tree. This season, the Bolts will be in 8-Man District 5 along with Collins-Maxwell (0-9), Melcher-Dallas (6-3), Twin Cedars (4-5), AGWSR (5-4), Colo-NESCO (6-3), Meskwaki Settlement School (1-8) and Gladbrook-Reinbeck (9-2 in Class A). Baxter plays Coon Rapids-Bayard (3-6) and defending state champion Don Bosco (13-0) in non-district play. All nine games this season will be against teams the Bolts did not play last year. Luther expects Gladbrook-Reinbeck, AGWSR and Colo-NESCO to be the toughest teams inside district play. “We are telling our kids we’re making the playoffs. We always start the season that way,” Luther said. “I know Clapper is a pretty good player. I know Damman is a pretty good player. I know Kearns is a pretty good player. And then we have a whole bunch of kids who haven’t played a lot. So we’ll see how it shakes out.” In a change from previous seasons, only the district champion and teams which tie for a district title earn automatic qualification into the playoffs. The remaining teams will earn wildcard berths based on a new Ratings Percentage Index formula. All nine games on each team’s schedule count toward that RPI formula, which is largely based on strength of schedule. Baxter opens the season on the road against Coon Rapids-Bayard at 7 p.m. on Friday in Coon Rapids. The Bolts’ first home game is against Don Bosco at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Baxter. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
18 Fall Sports Preview 2018
New year, same expectations for Baxter harriers By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News With so many returners back from last season, the Baxter cross country teams once again have high expectations. The girls return all but one runner from last year’s state qualifying and conference championship squad, while the boys bring back most of its team which placed third at the Iowa Star Conference meet. “We have similar expectations that we had a year ago,” said Baxter head coach Dennis Vaughn, who begins his second season at the helm. “The boys may have a little higher expectations than last year. I think they feel like they will be better as a team.” Vaughn admitted that the girls’ season didn’t end the way they wanted it to. The Bolts won their first conference championship before placing 15th at the state meet. Baxter went into the season thinking they could have been a top-five team in Class 1A. But a new coaching staff and a split of a successful CMB program played into a disappointing finish. “We felt like we should have been higher than we were,” Vaughn said. “I will take some of the blame on that. We could have been more prepared. I think having the same coaches for a second year will help. There was a lot of new last year. “They’ll know our expectations and we know what works and what didn’t work from last year. I think the team will gel more with the coaches this season than we did last year. That should play to our advantage.” Baxter High School 2018 Varsity Cross Country Schedule Aug. 23 — Collins-Maxwell - Center Grove Orchard, 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27 — Woodward-Granger, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 1 — Pella - Central College, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 6 — Colfax-Mingo - Colfax CC, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 — South Tama County, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 — West Marshall, 4:15 p.m. Sept. 25 — Nevada - Hickory Grove Park (Colo), 4:30 p.m. Sept. 29 — South Hardin, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 2 — Dike-New Hartford, 4:15 p.m. Oct. 11 — Iowa Star Conference meet - Wartburg College, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 — State Qualifier, TBD Oct. 27 — State - Fort Dodge, TBD
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photos Baxter senior twins Brenna (left) and Ian Thomson return to the Bolts’ cross country teams this season after both ran at the state meet last season. Brenna starts the season ranked 12th in Class 1A, while Ian is ranked 24th.
The girls bring back all but one member of last year’s state qualifying team. Only graduated senior Ashlee Johnson is gone. But the Bolts bring in freshman standout Lilie Vansice and add newcomers Caitlyn Bruntz, Brooke Lust and Andrea Brown. Brown transferred in from Newton. The Baxter boys welcome back its top three runners from last season in seniors Ian Thomson and Josh Bruntz and junior Logan Berg. On the girls’ side, senior Brenna Thomson is back after placing 22nd in the state meet last year. She’ll start the season ranked 12th in 1A. The Baxter girls are 15th in the first team rankings. Senior Lauren Ratliff also returns along with senior Piper Larson, ju-
niors Holly Jessen, Bryn Schultheis and Maya Phelps and sophomore Kailee Conradi. Brenna Thomson, Ratliff, Jessen, Conradi, Larson and Schultheis all ran in the 1A state meet last season. Phelps missed most of the season with an injury, “We started summer runs in the middle of June,” Vaughn said. “We had a large number of the team there. Overall, we got some good miles in. We are improved from a year ago. “We only lost one senior from the girls team. We have some good newcomers and obviously hope everyone else moves up and improves their times from last year.” Brenna Thomson, Ratliff, Jessen and Conradi are pretty much locked into the varsity lineup. Conradi will be
N E W DA I LY S P E C I A L S
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sidelined early because of an appendicitis. Vaughn is unsure who will claim the other three spots, but he’s confident that the squad has plenty of competition up and down the lineup. Vansice was an all-conference runner in junior high. She finished her two-mile run at the junior high state meet in around 14 minutes. “She’ll be in the mix,” Vaughn said. “If she can run 7-minute miles that will help us out a lot.” The boys will be led by Ian Thomson and Berg, who are both two-time state qualifiers. Thomson was 43rd in the 1A state meet last year, while Berg placed 55th. The two standouts were separated by eight seconds. Both runners made the 2A state meet in 2016. Ian Thomson starts the 2018 season ranked 24th in 1A. “They will not only be our top runners, but they’ll be our top leaders,” Vaughn said. “They are both captains and both are good leaders.” Josh Bruntz was the third best runner a season ago, but an illness slowed him down during an important part of the season. If Vaughn and assistant coach Breanna Ulloa can keep Josh Bruntz healthy, the Baxter boys could make a push for the state meet. The Bolts were third in the conference meet last season but trailed former teammates at Collins-Maxwell by two points for second. “I think both teams will battle for a conference championship again,” Vaughn said. “As far as state goes, it depends some on who you get put with at the district meet, but I think both teams have legitimate shots to go to state as a team.” Vaughn said Josh Bruntz logged the most summer miles for the second straight season. Junior Will Hitchler also comes into the season with several miles under his belt. He’s already running as fast as he did all of last year, according to Vaughn. The other runners who will challenge for a spot in the varsity top-seven are seniors McCade Gowdy, Austin Good and Derrick Klemme, junior Christian Brandt and sophomores Jalen Porter and Sean Finch. BAXTER HARRIERS | 19
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Fall Sports Preview 2018 19
Baxter volleyball looks to stay near top of Iowa Star By Troy Hyde Newton Daily News Baxter’s Amber Weltha was used mostly as a middle hitter for the Bolts’ volleyball team last season. After a trip to Orlando, Florida, with her AAU team this summer, Baxter head volleyball coach Scott Ranck may have a hard time taking Weltha off the floor. Weltha most likely is one of the next Baxter players who will continue playing the sport in college. She has two more years of high school to lead the Bolts in the Iowa Star Conference. “She’s still working on some things, but she’s going to be very good,” Ranck said. “It’s starting to become reality for her that she will have the opportunity to play in college.” Weltha ranked second on the team in kills last season with 213. The team’s leader in kills, Jordynn Wesselink, has moved on to Ellsworth Community College, and fellow departed senior Mary Schabilion will play collegiate volleyball at Grand View University. Joining Weltha on this year’s team is a strong nucleus of talent that helped Baxter go 14-14 in its first season as a program. The Bolts were 6-1 in Iowa Star Conference South Division play. “The nucleus is real good. We have a lot of young players who got a lot of playing time last year,” Ranck said. “We lost some people from last year who did a lot for the program, and they’ll be missed, but I am excited about the crew we have coming back. Sydney has been a great leader as our only senior, and the juniors have a lot of talent. I have confidence in them.”
C-M Volleyball Continued from Page 16 Grant said Van Dyke most likely will start along the front line with Cunningham and Rawlins. Van Dyke will play middle hitter, taking over for Mackensie Brown, who transferred to Newton last January. “I am going to play Braedynn outside, in the middle and on the right side to see where she fits best,” Grant said. “If I had to play a game tomorrow, I would have Colbee and Braedynn on the outside and Morgan Van Dyke in the middle.” Rague is the daughter of new Colfax-Mingo boys’ basketball coach Mark Rague. Avery is tall and athletic, and Grant said she’s getting better and better each day.
C-M Football Continued from Page 14 The other linebackers are Koenig, Gumerov and junior Jesse Allen, who has come on strong this offseason and has played really well in the preseason. Hill headlines a secondary that includes Berkey, Schroeder and junior Andrew Meinhart. The Tigerhawks had 13 interceptions as a team last year. “Our defense will be a huge strength this year,” Lietz said. “We return almost everyone from last year. We are further ahead defensively
Troy Hyde/Daily News file photo Baxter setter Sydney Schmidt returns as the only senior on the Bolts’ volleyball team this season.
Sydney Schmidt is the team’s only senior. She’ll maintain her spot as the starting setter after collecting a teamhigh 438 assists last year. Schmidt added 21 kills, 41 aces and 80 digs. Schmidt will set the ball to Weltha
a lot, but she also has juniors Bekka Watt and Sadie Meyer and sophomores Hallee Rainsbarger, Sophie Meyer and Lexi Samson along the front row. Watt was third on the team with 61 kills in 2017. She had 28 aces and 90 digs. Rainsbarger collected 42 kills and Sophie Meyer added 30 digs. Rainsbarger moves to the middle this season after playing right side as a freshman. The Bolts’ back row lost Sailor Hinegardner and Lexi Ewing, who were 1-3 in digs last year, respectively. Hinegardner, who is running track at Wartburg College, will be replaced at libero by sophomore Maddie Pierce. The other back-row players include juniors Abbey Shepley, Rachel Kenney and Mikayla McKnight. Schmidt’s backup at setter is junior Kaitlyn Headlee. “She played some libero last year at the sub-varsity level and played libero for her AAU team,” Ranck said of Pierce. “She is quick and moves well on the back line.” Shepley finished with 64 digs last year, while Kenney had 30 digs. The Iowa Star Conference sent three teams to the Class 1A state tournament last season and a fourth team advanced to the regional finals. North Tama won the South Division title in 2017 and should be the favorites to win again. Defending state champion Janesville is the favorite in the North Division. “Our conference is so tough,” Ranck said. “I think if the kids continue with the focus and intensity that I have seen, then we can do well. They
Baxter High School 2018 Varsity Volleyball Schedule Aug. 25 — Colfax-Mingo Tournament, 9 a.m. Aug. 28 — Lynnville-Sully, 7:15 p.m. Aug. 30 — Martensdale-St. Marys, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 6 — Don Bosco, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 10 — Madrid (Quad), 5 p.m. Sept. 18 — North Tama, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 25 — GMG, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 27 — Colo-NESCO, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 29 — Madrid Tournament, 8 a.m. Oct. 2 — Collins-Maxwell, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4 — Valley Lutheran, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6 — BCLUW Tournament, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 13 — Iowa Star Conference tourney, 10 a.m. Home matches in bold
have the drive. They just need to put it together. The potential is there to be really good. The kids are excited.” Weltha’s Iowa Heart club team, which is based out of Boone, finished 14th out of 144 teams at AAU Nationals at the Disney Center. Playing against some of the best players in the country should help Weltha take the next step this season. “She plays middle hitter, but we may have to move her to keep her on the floor,” Ranck said. “Her passing skills have improved so much, too.” Weltha led the Bolts with 39 blocks a year ago and added 16 assists and 41 digs. Baxter, which attended team camps at the University of Iowa and Simpson College this summer, opens the season in the Colfax-Mingo tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Colfax. The Bolts’ home opener is against Lynnville-Sully at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday in Baxter. Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
Baxter Harriers
“I actually like the fact that our first games are in a tournament because I can use multiple lineups that day to see what fits and what works,” Grant said. Colfax-Mingo went 11-18 overall in 2017. The Tigerhawks were 4-7 in South Iowa Cedar League play. Grant doesn’t want to put much expectations on this year’s squad because of the high number of freshmen. She thinks the Tigerhawks will be competitive in most of the matches they play in. The conference schedule is a bit easier than last year. The cross-division matches against Keota and Tri-County are more favorable, and the Tigerhawks don’t face Class 2A No. 12 Belle Plaine in the regular season. “I think a decent goal for us is to play in the silver quad at the end of
the year and compete for it,” Grant said. “I told the girls that we don’t see Belle Plaine this year but if we do, that means we are in the gold quad, and that’s a good thing.” Grant expects 1A No. 11 Montezuma, Belle Plaine and 1A No. 10 HLV to be the favorites this season. She also thinks perennial power and 1A No. 14 Iowa Valley will compete for the final spot in the gold quad. C-M started fast but struggled late last season. Grant thinks it could be opposite this year. The Tigerhawks begin the season in their home tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Colfax. Baxter, Coon Rapids-Bayard and Nodaway Valley complete the four-team field.
than we have ever been since I have been head coach.” Koenig had 36 tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack last year, while Gumerov finished with 29 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Teed and Ross both had 25 1/2 tackles a year ago, Ross had three fumble recoveries and Berkey picked off four passes. “We are getting some great leadership from our older guys,” Lietz said. “Our weight room participation in the offseason was awesome. We had 30 guys in there consistently.” The Tigerhawks were 8-3 and won their first playoff game in school history in 2015.
Since then, Colfax-Mingo has gone 1-8 and 4-6. But Lietz thinks his team can turn things around in 2018. “We are further along at this point overall to be honest,” Lietz said. “I had a walk through the day before our scrimmage, and I don’t usually do that. We are practicing hard and doing a nice job.” The Tigerhawks open the season against BCLUW at 7 p.m. on Friday in Colfax. They host Martensdale-St. Marys in Week 2.
Klemme is a newcomer. He ran cross country in junior high but has not been a part of a high school team. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the fifth, sixth and seventh guys are different every meet,” Vaughn said. “That can be a good thing because it pushes all of them to be better each day.” Between both programs, numbers are up. Vaughn spent some Vaughn time recruiting, but the athletes also played a role in adding runners. “It’s not always easy to get kids out,” Vaughn said. “Football and volleyball are iconic sports and kids play those, too. I think it helps that we have had success in the past, but more than anything I think it’s the family atmosphere that we have created. We have team bonding events, we have a pasta feed before every meet and the parents are unbelievably supportive. It’s a closeknit group. We like to call ourselves a cross country family. Kids want to be a part of that — no matter what level they run at.” Baxter opens the season at the Collins-Maxwell Spartan Invitational at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge.
Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com
Contact Troy Hyde at 641-792-3121 ext. 6536 or thyde@newtondailynews.com.
Continued from Page 18
20 Fall Sports Preview 2018
Hawk football Continued from Page 11 top four rushers back and their top receiver on offense. They have three linemen returning along with their punter. “Practices are going pretty good. I think we’re more focuses than we have been in past years,” senior quarterback Gage Vander Leest said. “There’s always a few bumps along the road at the beginning of the season — long practices and hot days — but it’s getting better. I expect good things this year.” Vander Leest, who is 5-feet-11 inches and 185 pounds, was one of the two quarterbacks used by the Hawks last year. He threw two passes for 33 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 36 times for 368 yards, scoring eight touchdowns. Vander Leest was an all-district defensive back for the Hawks. He had 35 solo tackles on the season, 45.5 total tackles and four tackles for loss and had two interceptions. Other senior returners are running back/defensive lineman Nate Stock
(5-11, 215), running back/linebacker Evan Squires (5-10, 215), wide receiver/defensive back Tyson Vander Linden (5-10, 150), linemen Rylan James (6-4, 230), Caleb Barnett (5-10, 210) and Grant Where (6-0, 225). Stock and Squires were second and third, respectively, on the team as rushers. Stock earned second-team district honors as a running back. Squires was an all-district linebacker. Stock had 437 yards on 53 carries and scored five touchdowns. Squires rushed for 449 yards on 85 carries with seven TDs. Vander Linden, who earned district honorable mention honors, led the team with 16 receptions for 301 yards and seven TDs. Squires leads a stout Hawk defense, which allowed 8.9 points a game last year and an average of 107.6 rushing yards and 90.3 passing yards a game. He finished with 46 total tackles for the season and nine tackles for loss. Stock had 39 total tackles, three solo sacks and an interception as a linebacker last year. Another linebacker returning is Wehrle, who had 27 solo tackles and 32 assisted tackles. James as a defensive lineman had 22
total tackles. James returns as the Hawks’ punter. He averaged 34.7 yards per punt last year. “We have a few new kids stepping into roles and doing well,” Squires said. “The younger kids are impressing people. Payton Van Wyk, who is a sophomore, is really doing well. Coach T.C. Cunningham is a genius. He’ll have a defensive plan figures out for us every week. If we get it done the best we can, we’ll be alright.” Van Wyk is among players Parkinson and his coaching staff expect to fill spots on the varsity. Van Wyk, senior Nick Rea and junior Gage Schilling are linemen. Working at wide receiver and defensive back are senior Ty Breeden and juniors Kinnick McFarland and Jacob DeHoedt. Juniors Ethan Wyma and Slater Young are running backs and Zane Fraker is a tight end. Vander Leest said the Hawk offensive linemen stepped it up this summer and worked super hard. “I’d follow those guys anywhere. They are big,s strong and fast. I’ve never played behind a line like this. I’m
excited about what they can do this year,” Vander Leest said. Squires said a lot of the same players are on the defensive line. He said the Hawk defensive line still has good explosiveness off the ball but have some bigger bodies up front to take up more room. “That helps the linebacker just flow to the ball and fill gaps and make tackles,” Squires said. Vander Leest said the team was excited to play new teams as Lynnville-Sully is in a new Class A district for the next two seasons. The Hawks face Central Decatur, Grand View Christian, Martensdale-St. Marys, Wayne and North Mahaska in district play. “The district we are in has almost all new opponents, only one, North Mahaska, is a familiar opponent. So, our outlooks is yet to be seen,” Parkinson said. Lynnville-Sully begins the season with a non-district game on Friday at Pleasantville. Contact Jocelyn Sheets at 641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com
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