Packers may look to go to the air By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Packers are hoping a quick passing game can boost their point total as they enter their second year under head coach Matt Schmit. Schmit said Austin will look to use at least two quarterbacks, and he’s pleased with what he’s seen at wide receiver so far. “We think we have some good receivers and we feel like we have a quarterback that can get it out,” Schmit said. “We’ll have to see what happens when we get into a game situation, but we feel like (the passing game) has been a strength in the first two weeks.” Junior Sean Coffey and senior Andrew Allen will see time at quarterback, and sophomore Ryan Synoground is also available in case of an injury. “Andrew throws the ball well and runs real well. Sean’s more of a traditional quarterback and he’s been working hard,” Schmit said. “Ryan’s been working extremely hard and I’ve got to send him home every night at 9:30 and kick him out of the locker room. He’s coming along real well.” While Austin didn’t win a game last season, it’s pretty clear that this year’s team is not feeling sorry for themselves as junior tight end Trevor Feuerhak is looking for this year to be different. “I really feel like this year’s team has a lot more heart than last year’s team,” he said. “We’re working as a team and there’s a lot more chemistry this year.” Feuerhak feels good about his connection with Coffey as the two have put in a lot of hours together over the years. “I’m comfortable with Sean as my quarterback, I’ve worked with him since seventh grade,” Feuerhak said. “We will make stuff happen in the passing game.” Coffey is ready to make a difference with his arm as he looks to take advantage of an offense that features a lot of threestep drops. “We’re definitely going to utilize that
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin's Anthony Condit runs through drills during football practice. quick passing and that will set up the long ball,” Coffey said. “We all have a chip on our shoulder and this is a new team. We’re ready to show that.” Anthony Condit will be the primary ball-carrier on the ground, and Pat Wagner should get some carries at fullback as well. Austin doesn’t have a lot of depth on this year’s squad so it must avoid injuries, and it must also avoid mistakes.
“We’re not real big and we’re not real fast and we’re going to need to play perfect,” Schmit said. “We’re going to struggle for everything we get. If we go out and make mental errors, it’s not going to look good.” Schmit did say he’s pleased with the turnout for football players in the younger ages. The seventh and eighth grades each have 40 kids out for football, while the freshman have 35 and the
sophomores have 28. “We’ve got good numbers coming up through the system and those kids are excited about football. We love seeing that as coaches,” Schmit said. “The staff has also worked so many hours this offseason and we appreciate that. The players that are here with us are working hard and that’s great to see.” Austin will host Red Wing Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Austin volleyball team has a new coach By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin volleyball team is looking to three key returnees and a new coach to turn the tide for a team that went 3-16 overall last season. The Packers bring back their top setter in junior Jenna Svoboda, who has started for two years, and senior hitters Babaye Oja and Haley Underwood also return. “I’m excited for a new start, and it’s going to be a good year,” Underwood said. “We’re looking to work together more than we have in the past.” Underwood said the team is hoping to aim for a winning record, and it also wants to avoid getting swept at any point during the season. Austin’s new head coach Barry Brobeck, who coached the ‘B’ squad in Austin before taking eight years off to watch his daughter play volleyball, also has some high hopes for his new team. “I think we can do pretty darn good,” he said. “Success comes from having pride in what you do and taking that pride and just working with it. It’s knowing you have to step it up and do a little bit better, and I think that we can do that.” While Austin’s team is a little undersized up front, the Packers look to make up it with defense. “If we want to win, we have to play defense. We can be the best hitters in the world, but if we can’t play defense, we won’t win,” Brobeck said. Oja, who is also predicting a solid year, has already bought into the defense-first philosophy. “We’re ready for the scrapes and burns and all of that good stuff,” she said. Austin has traditionally run a two-setter offense, but Svoboda is the only setter with varsity experience. Brobeck is unsure of which offense he’ll run, but said the team can always adjust on the fly. “The great thing about this game is that you can use multiple offenses and multiple defenses. Basically the sky is the limit for what you want to do,” he said. Brobeck has also instilled some new approaches on defense, which the team is pick-
Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Olivia Grev makes a hit during practice at Paulson Tennis Courts in Austin recently.
New look netters By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Haley Underwood returns as one of the Austin volleyball team's big hitters. ing up on. “We’ll have to work on the defense a lot more to get it where we want it to be, but otherwise it’s a lot of the same things,” Underwood said. While Austin isn’t overloaded with experience, Brobeck said the squad should be just fine when some
of its newer athletes adjust to varsity volleyball. “I have the athletes out here,” he said. “Some of them are lacking the volleyball experience, but they just have to listen and learn, and I think we’ll do real well.”
The Austin girls tennis team will have a new look this season. The Packers have a new coach in Levon Larson, and it has very few returnees from last year’s squad. “We’re a really young team with a lot of freshmen, but we have a lot of potential. Over the next few years, we should be pretty strong,” Larson said. “The younger kids have good knowledge of the game, but they don’t have the experience to go along with it.” Freshman Alicia Sforza will fill in the No. 1 singles spot for Austin, and the rest of the spots will be up for grabs as the season goes along. “Alicia’s set as No. 1 singles, but a lot of the other spots will fluctuate as some of the other girls get some time in,” Larson said. Sforza played a little No. 1 for the Packers last year, and she’s ready to take on the task full-time this year. “It’s going to be hard and some (matches) will be more of a challenge than others. But I’m ready for it,” Sforza said.
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Packers stay strong By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin boys soccer team has been well over .500 for the past few seasons, and it doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. While the team will have a new look on defense and at keeper, the Packers are still looking to build on last year’s mark that saw them go 11-6-2 overall. “There will be a transition for the new guys, and they’ll have the jitters early on. But there’s enough guys that have the experience, and all of those things will tie together, and I think we’ll be OK,” Austin head coach Jens Levisen said. “We’ve been competitive (in past years), and we want to show that it’s not a fluke. We play the way the game the way we think the game should be played and we should be competitive again this year.” Austin brings back two of its top scorers from last season in juniors Francisco Torres, who was All-State honorable mention last season, and Jake Hagen-Erickson. Torres, who has played on the varsity team for three years, has taken on the role of captain this year, and he’s hoping to have an even bigger impact on his team. “I’m trying to go even harder this year than past years to show other teams what Austin has in soccer,” Torres said. “We’d like to get to sections or even farther than that.”
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Francisco Torres is just one of the weapons returning this year to the Austin Packers boys' soccer team. Defensively, Austin’s lone returnee is senior Zach Vierkandt, and he is taking on a captain’s role this season. He said the squad already has its eye on Rochester Lourdes, which comes to Austin Sept. 24. Vierkandt also has high hopes for the season. “We’re just trying to get in shape and be ready as a team right now. We expect to do really well in sections, and we want to get a high seed and get some home games,” he said. Levisen said that none of Austin’s newcomers are guaranteed spots, but he has an idea of who will play on the varsity team. There’s a group of seniors
who played together on the JV team last year, who should fill in the open spots. “They worked really hard in the offseason, and they should win those spots,” Levisen said. “They know how to play as a unit, and communication is very important. You’ve got to know how to have each other’s back.” Colin Weisert will step in at keeper for Austin. Weisert saw action in a playoff game and played against South St. Paul last season. “He’s been placed in a position where we said ‘you’re the guy we need to step up’ before. I think he’ll be all right,” Levisen said.
CC teams have experience By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls cross country team is looking to take the next step, and the boys are looking to rebuild as they approach the upcoming season. The Packer girls return their top four runners from last season, including state qualifiers Madison Overby, an eighth-grader, and Haley Splinter, a junior who has been to state twice. McKenzie Besel and Justice Tabor also return with varsity experience. “We had three really strong runners that were working hard and putting their best out there,” senior captain Anissa Zynda said. “It’s inspiring, and other girls work hard so they can get better, too.” Besel is in her second year of cross country, but she’s become one of the top runners on the team quickly last season. She hopes the team can improve on its finish at the Big Nine meet this year and get better team scores throughout the season. “It’s really key to have people that can lead the way,” she said. “That way we can work together and create a team drive to keep going instead of just having a couple of people doing well.” Splinter saw her trip to state end prematurely last season as she suffered an injury at the meet and couldn’t finish. She’s hoping to get back to state, and she hopes she brings some company with her. “I’m looking forward to hopefully getting the privilege of getting back to state and redeeming myself kind of,” she said. “Hopefully Madison can get back and Kenzie can get back up there with us.”
Austin head coach Tony Einertson said he is looking for that fifth runner that can put the Packers in even better spots at team meets. “We’ve got a couple of seniors in Anissa Zynda and Martha McDermott who have done a nice job for us in the past. We’re looking for them to step up,” he said. The Austin boys return three of their top five runners from last season and Nate Schwab leads the way as he showed some solid improvement last year. Schwab put in about 600 miles of running over the summer and he’s hoping to get to the state meet. “It’s been a lot of time and a lot of work; but hopefully, we’ll get there at the end of the season,” he said. Einertson said Schwab is primed for a strong year. “He’s coming off a real strong track season and I’m really looking forward to what Nate can do,” he said. “He should be able to work his way into the top ten pretty easily within our conference.” The boys also return Andrew Baker and Dylan Diekmann. Captains Gabe Ramirez and Michael Lunning should help out as well. Ramirez said he wants to see the Austin cross country program grow. “The focus is to get the younger guys comfortable with workouts and getting them where they need to be,” he said. “Practice is a key thing. We want to put them at a point so they get a good start next year, and we need to get the program going.” Lunning shares that attitude. “We’re going to try and initiate the younger ones and show them that everything’s possible in cross country,” he said.
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Austin swimmers return 18 with experience By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls swimming and diving team is looking for some new athletes to step up this season. The Packers return 18 letter winners, but they graduated a trio of perennial state qualifiers in Averi Splinter, Brooke Johnson and Kelli Bednar.
“The exciting part of this season is that we’ve got a lot of young, talented swimmers, and we’ve got a lot of open spots,” Austin head coach Lynn Gulbrandson said. “The first part of the season will be seeing where they fit in and moving people around.” Austin returns two of its state qualifiers from last year in jun-
ior Helen Heimark and freshman Mikayla Finney. The team also has five seniors to help lead the way. “It’s a good, solid senior class as far as experience and leadership go,” Gulbrandson said. “None of them have swam in the state meet, but I think a couple of them are very serious about making that appearance this
year and I think they’re going to do it.” Senior Lindsey Halsey will be one of the leaders on the team. “It’ll be interesting. Hopefully we’ll have some new state qualifiers. Emily McAlister will probably go in the (butter)fly, because she was close last year,” Halsey said. “The younger swimmers are definitely going to have to
step up, and I’m sure they’ll do great.” Austin also has a pair of sophomore divers in Autumn Laury and Corey Bailey who finished last season strong. “The sophomores had a nice showing last year at the section meet, and they kind of made themselves known for this season,” Gulbrandson said.
Packer girls get former pro as new coach By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Freshman Madeline Erickson practices with the Austin girls soccer team, sending the ball up the line.
The Austin girls soccer team is hoping a new coach can give them the extra boost to have a solid season this fall. The Packers, who went 213-3 overall last season, will turn to Enrique CamarenaCorzo, who was an assistant coach on last year’s team. “The girls have worked really hard this offseason to have a good season. I know this year we’re going to have a really good team,” Camarena-Corzo said. Nicole Lipari, a junior midfielder, is excited about the coaching change, and she is looking forward to Austin showing improvements this year. “We’re looking forward to the season, and it’ll be good,” she said. “We’ve got a pretty good team, but this will probably be our best. The girls our getting in shape and we’re ready for the season. Our goal is to finish at least
.500.” Last year CamarenaCorzo, who played pro soccer for 14 years in Europe and Mexico, took the assistant coaching job for the Austin girls soccer team when he saw it was open. “I saw the position was open, and I love this sport so much. I really wanted to help and share the experience I have with the girls,” Camarena-Corzo said. This year the head coaching job opened up for Camarena-Corzo, and the Packers’ players have welcomed him with open arms. Lipari, a captain on the team, said the team looks forward to playing for its new coach. “I’m excited to play for him. He loves the game, and he feels like a part of our team,” she said. “He wants us to improve as a whole and that’ll be good.” Camarena-Corzo said he’s not afraid to put younger players on the field, and he doesn’t want anyone count-
ing themselves out. When he coached club soccer in Salem, Ore., he had a player make it to the U20 Mexican National Team, and she played in the World Cup. “She made her dream, and I want to let my players know that any dream you have, you should follow and you can make it,” he said. “If you believe in yourself, I believe in you. Never give up.” The Packers have won just six games in the last three years, and CamarenaCorzo thinks it’s time for that to change. “We’re going to try to go forward right away. We want to have really good control with passing the ball around and not let the other team have the ball at all,” he said. “The girls have worked really hard this offseason to have a good season. I know this year we’re going to have a really good team.” When you look around town, what do you see? You see homes, schools, parks, playgrounds. But itʼs more than that. Itʼs our hometown.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011
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Vikings look to make a turnaround on the gridiron Austin Daily Herald
The Hayfield football team is hoping it can finally turn things around this season. After winning just two games in the last three seasons combined, Vikings head coach Grant Klennert is pleased with the work his team has put in over the summer and he’s hoping that leads to some wins on the field. “Our team goal is to be .500 for
the first time in close to a decade,” Klennert said. “This group of kids has worked hard in the offseason putting in time with seven on seven, camps and weightlifting. Our conference top to bottom is very competitive and on any given night someone can pull out a win.” Hayfield graduated 16 seniors and returns 10 players from last year’s team that showed signs of improvement. While they didn’t
win a game, they were competitive in most of their contests. The Vikings should thrive behind some big linemen this season as Hunter Anderson, Drew Marshall and Jake Jorgenson should lead the way on both sides of the ball. “I am confident in their ability to push anyone around and move piles,” Klennert said. The team also returns two of its top running backs in Nate
Timmons and Broderick Diekman. “They are very talented runners who can run downhill and catch the ball out of the backfield,” Klennert, who is in his second year at the helm, said. Caleb Gilbertson will step up as a leader with the secondary and wide receivers. While Hayfield will have some sophomores playing key positions, Klennert doesn’t think that
Vikings must replace two key players Austin Daily Herald
The Hayfield volleyball team is coming off one of it’s better years, but it must replace two key players from the squad that went 17-12 overall and advanced to the subsection title match. Hayfield will be looking to replace its top setter and its middle hitter, while playing undersized this fall. it The Vikings don’t have a player taller than 5 foot, 8-inches on their roster. “We are not very tall, but we have pretty good quickness and a desire to do well,” said Hayfield head coach Deb Harvey, who is in her 23rd year at the helm. “We would like to build on our finish last year.” The Vikings have plenty of experience on the squad as they have eight seniors and some solid underclassmen who
have played varsity before. Seniors Abby Blanchard and Katie Miner return as outside hitters, junior Rachel Czaplewski returns as a setter and sophomore Dani Wagner will fill in the middle hitter role. Emily Blanchard, Alyssa Selk, who is currently injured, Jaide Ryks, Nicole Jax and Hannah Wiltgen also return with varsity experience. Meg Tapp, who was hurt all of last season, also returns. “With no overpowering size we will have to rely on our quickness, strong serving and a tenacious defense,” Harvey said. “With strong transitions, we should be able to get some good swings.” While she’s not sure who will fill some of the positions, Harvey did say that Jessica Foster will likely be the second setter.
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is necessarily a bad thing. “Hopefully our weakness right now turns into a big strength at the end of the year,” he said. “We are a young football team with spots on the line, receiver and quarterback going to sophomores. Youth right now is a weakness, however our sophomores are learning quickly, and I feel they will adjust to the speed of the game very quickly.”
Hayfield has strong runners Austin Daily Herald
Herald file photo
Hayfield's Abby Blanchard plays the ball during game two of their match in the Section 1A West championship at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester last year.
The Hayfield boys cross country team is aiming for the middle of the pack in the HVL and the girls are hoping to improve as this season goes along. The boys, who have five returning runners, have good numbers and Chad Kruger, Jon Fleishmann and Gabe Tempel should all step up. The girls, who have four returning runners, have experience, but not as many runners as Megan Ellis and Hannah Johnson should lead the way. “I look forward to a good year with the teams and we should see them improve as the season continues,” Hayfield head coach Len Oelkers, who is in his fourth year, said.
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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
GRAND MEADOW SPORTS
LEROY/OSTRANDER SPORTS
Larks find some new weapons L/O will Austin Daily Herald
The Grand Meadow offense will have an entirely different look this season, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be effective. With the graduation of their primary play-maker Caleb Leichtnam, the Superlarks, who went 8-2 overall last season, will look to share the wealth a little more on the football field this fall. GM will turn to sophomore quarterback Trenton Bleifus, who played varsity last season, and Richard Bain, a 5-11, 214 pound senior, returns after rushing for 641 yards and eight TDs last season. With Bleifus, GM head coach Gary Sloan hopes to air it out a little more. “He’s not the athlete Caleb was, but few people are,” Sloan said of his QB. “But he’s going to be a good quarterback.” The biggest key for GM’s offense is the health of junior running back Perry Stejskal, who missed much of the last two seasons with injuries. Stejskal is hurt again and will likely miss the first two games before he sees the field.
Herald file photo
Grand Meadow running back Richard Bain breaks free from the Glenville/Emmons defense in the second half of his team's 4128 win in GM last year. “We’ve got to get Stejskal healthy,” said Sloan, who is in his 18th year at the helm. “If and when we ever get him healthy, he’ll be one of the better players in the conference, and he’ll be somebody who has to be reckoned with.” In Stejskal’s absence, the
Larks will turn to senior Dezmon Johnson, who ran for 256 yards and a score last season. Freshman Landon Jacobson could also be one to watch. Jacobson has been given Leichtnam’s jersey number and it’s not a coincidence. “The kid’s good, and he’s
going to be real good,” Sloan said. “We’ve got high hopes for him, and he should get some carries this year.” GM also has to replace most of its offensive line from last season. Sophomore Dannie Dunbar, who is 5-10 and 218 pounds, will fill in to provide some bulk. The defense will return its top three tacklers from last year in Brock Johnson, who had 115 total tackles, Bain, who had 111 total tackles, and Andrew Bell, who had 96 total tackles. GM has eight returning lettermen, and it has just three seniors on the team. However, the junior class is a very strong one, as 10 of them could see playing time. As for the SEC chase, Sloan sees Spring Grove as the top team, while Glenville/Emmons, Lanesboro and his Larks could all finish in the top four.
With nine players who have varsity experience on their roster, the Superlarks are looking to make a drastic improvement on the volleyball court this season. After going 4-18 overall
with a young squad last season, Grand Meadow head coach Michael Keefe said his team is ready to compete. “We should be competing for the west SEC championship,” said Keefe, who is in his sixth year at the helm.
Good Luck Area Teams AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
“LeRoy/Ostrander will be tough again this year, though we should be much improved.” The Larks will look to captains Amber Riedemann and Autumn Thorsen to lead the way and Stephanie Russell
Austin Daily Herald
The LeRoy/Ostrander volleyball team is looking to post another winning season as it brings back much of its core from last year’s team that went 17-12 overall. The Cardinals will be led by senior hitters Krista Bunne and Chanda Riedemann up front, while junior setter Megan Grant returns along with junior libero Jessica Jennings. “We’ve had a couple of scrimmages, and I’m very impressed with how the kids are playing together,” L/O head coach Lisa Swenson said. “They’ve been scrappy on defense and we have a very athletic team.” Sophomore hitter Becca Bunne and junior hitter Rachel Shaffer also return from last year’s team. Swenson said the Cardinals are going to focus a little more on blocking this season as they have always been strong on digs and offense. “We’ve always had good hitters, but we’re looking to get better on the front line,” Swenson said. “We hope to improve from last year, and we should be one of the top teams in the SEC West.”
Cards will be young Austin Daily Herald
GM volleyball team has 9 returning Austin Daily Herald
be scrappy
will step up as well. “We will be stronger than last year in hitting and setting with having most of our core returning from last year,” Keefe said. “ We will need to improve on passing especially serve receive.”
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The LeRoy/Ostrander football team has just one senior, and it brings back just three players with varsity experience this season. The Cardinals, who haven’t won a game in the last two seasons, will look to quarterback Lucas Roe, Mitch Scaglione and Tony Steinkamp to provide some leadership. “This will be a growing year with such young kids,” said L/O head coach Aaron Hungerholt, who is in his third year at the helm. “We look to improve each week.”
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Rebels show improvement Austin Daily Herald
The Southland volleyball team hopes to make some noise this season as it has a lot of experienced players coming back. The Rebels, who went 11-16 overall last season, have 10 returning varsity players. Senior setters Madi Schmitz and Lindsey Bottema will be back, along with hitters Jana Schammel and Celina Yunker. “I think we’re a lot more athletic and a lot more rounded this year. If I run into a problem I can move them around or throw someone else in,” Southland head coach Angie Smith said. “I look to take a few games from some teams and maybe surprise a few teams.” Kelli Smith, Kelly Gray and Hannah Hamilton will spend time in the back row, while Elizabeth May, Hillary Bottema, Bre Vogel and Sara Sathre will spend time at hitter.
Southland will use speed to create offense By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
The Southland football team is looking to mix power with speed as it reloads for the upcoming season. The Rebels, who went 7-3 last year, will look to use the speed of their backs to set up the power running of Ben Wolterman between the tackles. “When we hurt them outside a couple of times, we’ve got a 200-pound fullback in Ben Wolterman who will ram them right up the middle,” Southland head coach Shawn Kennedy said. “High school kids get frustrated when you beat them a few times in one area, then you can come back with a counter or a trap.” Wolterman sat out most of last season with an injury and now he’s back for his senior year. He’s looking forward to his last run with the Rebels. “It was really tough watching the whole team go without me, but I was really happy that they had a great season,” Wolterman said. “This year will be fun, and I’ve got to make the most of it. He told me to be a physical player, and I do whatever he asks me to do.” Kennedy said Wolterman’s style of running can wear a defense down. “He’s huge. When Ben is running the football and he hits you a few times, you don’t want to run into him anymore because he hits hard,” Kennedy said. “That switch is turned on all of the time, and he’s strong. He works his butt off and he’s a positive force.” On the outside, the Rebels will have plenty of speed with Tyler Kressin, Nick
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Southland’s Coty Kirtz runs the ball during practice in Adams. Schmitz, and Mike Goergen, who runs a 4.4second 40-yard dash, according to Kennedy. “I feel like we’re a similar team to Triton, because I really thought those guys were excellent at the skill positions, and they utilized them,” Kennedy said. “That’s what we have to do this year too, we have no choice.” At quarterback, junior Decker Bendtsen will take over, and he’s off to good start so far. He’s impressed with his running ability and his arm in practice. Besides their ability on the field, the Rebels have been solid off the field.
Kennedy said that is as important as playing ability. “We truly are a team, and the kids get along well,” he said. “Some of the best teams I ever coached weren’t the most athletic, but they did a lot of things off the field together. I never have to tell these guys how to behave, and they’re always great.” It also means a lot to the team. “I really look at our team as being a class act and that’s what I really want,” Wolterman said. Southland will open its season at Wabasha/Kellogg Friday at 7 p.m.
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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Blossoms will rely on the line Experienced line will help big playmakers By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
BLOOMING PRAIRIE — The Awesome Blossoms are probably most known for their senior quarterback Luc Zellmer, who is 24 touchdown passes from tying the Minnesota state record. But it’s their offensive line that will ultimately decide just how far Blooming Prairie goes this fall. BP returns all five of its starting linemen from last season as Alex Fiebiger, Jason Jirele, Pat Jones, Jarrod Grunklee and Blake Arett are all back. The group started for the first time last season, which saw BP go 8-3. This time around, they’re much more prepared. BP’s season ended with a loss to Goodhue in the Section 1A title game last year. “It’s a high comfort level. We know what each other’s going to do, and we’re in snyc,” said Jirele, a junior center. “We’ve just got to keep getting better. This whole offseason was about
Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Blooming Prairie's Michael Thomas carries the ball at a recent practice. The Awesome Blossoms return a majority of their team, which went to the Section 1A title game last season. getting faster and stronger. When we faced Goodhue last year, we realized we weren’t anywhere close to as strong as they were.” While the line has gotten bigger from last season, they’re still probably a little bit undersized. However, Jones, a senior
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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
tackle, said size doesn’t mean everything. “We have a good coach and we have good technique,” he said. “If you have good technique, you can go far, even farther than being bigger.” While the line paves the way, BP also re-
turns plenty of playmakers. Along with Zellmer, the team brings back its top receiver in Gabe Kartes and running back Jon Kraling. Also looking to contribute in the passing game will be Luke Hueman, Michael Thomas, Isaiah Toquam, Ryan McCabe, Weston Fiebiger, Tyler Anderson and Hunter Rudlong. “It starts with Luc, and having him back is a big thing. It’s nice to have that luxury for three years,” BP head coach Chad Gimbel said. “We have seven guys that can that can go out there and catch the ball, and one of the biggest surprises is Hunter Rudlong. He’s been catching the ball real well and running good routes. I have a ton of confidence that he can give some of those other receivers a break.” BP made it to the Class ‘A’ state tournament two years ago, and Gimbel said his squad was disappointed to not make it back last year. “Our kids really felt like they missed out on something in not making it to state last year,” he said. “This year we’re bringing everybody back, and our five starters on the line are back. You can see the cohesiveness there, and they know what’s going on.” With a team that has 12 seniors, Jones knows what’s on the line this season. “We’ve got a lot of pressure on our backs: but it’s good pressure, and we should use it to build on,” he said. “We should go far this year, and if we don’t we’re definitely letting people down.” BP will open its season at New Richland/H/E/G Friday at 7 p.m.
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Lyle/Pacelli volleyball team gets a new head coach Austin Daily Herald
The Lyle/Pacelli volleyball team will turn to a new head coach this season, as former Austin assistant Lindsey Leif takes over. Leif was freshman coach for three years and ‘B’ squad coach for five years with the Packers, and now she’s coming to the Athletics with a positive attitude.
“I always stress to the girls to believe in yourself and believe in your teammates and work hard to achieve your individual goals, as well as team goals,” she said. “Working together as a team plays a vital role in the game of volleyball and teaching your athletes this concept helps them come together to achieve a higher level of performance, both on and off the court.”
L/P returns six players with varsity experience and will also look to some younger players to chip in as the numbers are low. Seniors Whitney Hinz and Jennie Hinz, junior Paige Smith, sophomores Ann Rysavy and Alena Kritzer and freshman Madison Truckenmiller all return from last year’s squad. Eighth grader Sarah Holtz could also step up.
“We have a number of versatile hitters that are capable of playing outside, middle or right side, so we will be able to pick and choose where to play them to make our team the strongest,” Leif said. “The girls have been very adaptable to the changes we've implemented and are working hard to develop their skills.” Leif said she hopes her
team, which will include athletes in six different grade levels, comes together as the season and goes. “We will strive to win games, but more importantly, I am looking to coach the team to a higher level of play than they are currently at and I am confident that the girls will have a successful season in that regard,” Leif said.
Athletics hope to evolve into a physical team By Rocky Hulne sports@austindailyherald.com
With a new head coach on board, the Lyle/Pacelli football team has already seen some growth this season. When new coach Reid Olson started practice, he had just 10 players, but after Olson contacted some athletes who had played other sports, the roster is now up to around 25 players. “I spent three hours on the phone getting kids here,” Olson said. “Slowly but surely, we had two or three more here per day.” Senior tight end Max Brennan was one of those 10 players in attendance on the first day, and he wasn’t too pleased with what he saw. But now that the team is starting to come together, he’s feeling much better. “The attitude’s changed a lot (from last year),” Brennan said. “We’re a lot more focused and we’re improving. Practices are upbeat and there’s not
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too much down time.” L/P finished 2-7 overall last season, but it was the lopsided scores that had the players the most upset. “Not giving up during games is going to be a big goal,” junior receiver Skylar Meyer said. “We don’t want to let them run all over us like we did last year.” Olson hopes his squad develops into a physical team on both sides of the ball. He’d like to feature a power rushing attack, but knows it may take some time. “Once our program is established, we want to be looked at as a physical team,” Olson said. “Our goal is to get better every day, and we want to get to the point where we can compete. We can’t judge it on wins and losses this year, it’s going to take some time. We want to win every game we play, but we also have to be realistic and compete first.” L/P took a hit over the summer when its projected starting quarterback Matt Kasel suffered a freak injury that required surgery.
He will miss the entire season. Junior Damien Haugen and freshman Jordan Hart are in the running to play under center. Senior fullback/safety Kyle Meyer is looking forward to playing an aggressive style of football this fall. “If we can go out and start with high intensity in the first half, we could have something really good,” he said. “Because the
last few years, we didn’t really start until the second half.” L/P opens its season opener against LeRoy/Ostrander in Lyle Friday at 7 p.m. “I’m really excited to start hitting people and getting out and playing,” Skylar Meyer said. “I think coach Olson turned this program around a lot. We work hard and we have to earn our spots. If people don’t want to play, they’ll make them play.” Rocky Hulne/sports @austindailyherald.com
First year Lyle/Pacelli head football coach Reid Olson directs the team at a practice in Lyle.
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
BP SPORTS
BP volleyball team will feature younger athletes Austin Daily Herald
The Blooming Prairie volleyball team will look to its five seniors to help work some younger players into the lineup as it tries to improve on last year’s 11-18 overall record. BP, which graduated six players from last year’s squad, will look to junior hitter Janelle Morem, who has already started two seasons at varsity, to provide a bulk of the leadership. “She brings a lot of experience and is both a vocal leader and one who leads by example. She is a hard worker with high standards,” BP head coach Gina McLaughlin, who is in her eighth year, said. BP seniors Maggie Sorensen, Kierstin Wencl, Kayla Wobschall, Lyndsay Pryor and Kelsey Wolf will also chip in as they help incorporate a younger group that includes freshmen Madison Worke, a setter, Nicole Inwards and Taylor Hagen, a mid-
dle hitter, and juniors Shelbi Swenson and Marissa Jensen. Junior Jenna Krell also returns with varsity experience. “We will rely on some young players in some key positions,” McLaughlin said. “Although they are learning at a rapid pace and have a desire to improve, I'm certain that there will be some inconsistencies on the court. Our young players are soaking everything up like a sponge right now and have a strong work ethic.” BP looks to be a scrappier team on the floor this year as it has 15 players on the roster — the most in all of McLaughlin’s tenure. She said that if the team learns throughout the season, they should win some matches. “There is a lot of raw talent on our team this year,” McLaughlin said. “If the girls are constantly learning, competing, and working to add more to their game, we will be a tough team to beat.”
PACELLI SPORTS
Shamrocks look to improve Austin Daily Herald
The Pacelli girls tennis team brings back five players with varsity experience from last year, but it must replace two of its top three singles players and its top doubles team. Senior Abby Leif, a captain, and senior Mindy Nguyen have stepped up early on as leaders. “Mindy has already showed veteran mentality in early practices,” Pacelli head coach Mark Henderson, who is in his third year, said.
Pacelli has just six players on its roster, which is four short of whole team. The team will have to forfeit plenty of matches, but Henderson is hoping the players that are there can learn. “We have to overcome the fact that we do not have enough players for a full varsity,” Henderson said. “Our five returnees have shown improvement during the first week of practice.” Tiffany Hoesing, Maggie Leif and Besty Ettinger all have varsity experience with the Shamrocks, who are hoping for improvements this fall.
Pacelli runners have experience Austin Daily Herald
The Pacelli cross country team brings back five boys and three girls from last year’s team as it hopes for a quality season. The boys will look to Stephen Juenger, Drew Chapek and Jonathon Koppa to lead the way, while the girls
will be led by Madeline Kraemer. “These are the people that we will be counting on to provide the younger members of the team the leadership they need,” Pacelli head coach Jim Parlin, who in his 28th year, said. “We’d like to improve as the year progresses, have fun and stay healthy.”
CC teams come out strong Austin Daily Herald
The Blooming Prairie boys cross country team is looking at a rebuilding year while the girls bring back plenty of experience for this season. The boys return two solid runners in senior Adam Driessen and junior Tyler Cozine. Cody Wagaman and Tom Wanous also return with varsity experience.
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
The BP girls bring back six of their top seven runners from last season and seniors Tricia DeBoer, Kelsey Kubista and DaVyll Smith — who are all in their fifth year as varsity runners — should lead the way. Seniors Cortney Easton and Hunter Henderson, sophomore Kendra Boecker, and junior Arlyn Soto also return with solid experience. Boecker was voted team MVP last year.
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