JumpStart • 2019 Fall Sports Preview

New Day Packer football embarks on a fresh start for the program Page 3

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

Table of Contents

Cover story New Day

Packer football embarks on a fresh start for the program ..............................................Page 3

Season previews

Austin Packers........... Pages 3-9 Southland Rebels................. Pages 10-11 Lyle-Pacelli Athletics ............... Pages 12-13 Grand Meadow Superlarks ............ Pages 14-15 LeRoy-Ostrander Cardinals .............. Pages 16-17 Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms ............... Pages 18-19 Hayfield Vikings .................. Pages 20-21

An Austin Daily Herald publication

Story previews compiled by Rocky Hulne and layout by Eric Johnson

Features 5 Stories to Watch

Follow sports writer Rocky Hulne and photographer Eric Johnson on Twitter

Austin Bruins

A rundown of the top five story lines to watch in Fall of 2019. ............................................. Page 22

Austin’s NAHL team entering 10th year. ............................................. Page 23

State Tournament Headquarters

Volleyball and soccer schedules. ........................................... Page23

Get the lowdown on Minnesota State High School League state tournament locations. ........................................... Page 22

@RockyHulneADH

@EricJohnsonADH

Get all the reports, scores and photos from your area sports teams

Riverland Community College

Gopher football, volleyball schedules

............................................. Page 24

Blooming Prairie fans huddle together underneath plenty of layers as the Awesome Blossoms took on against United South Central in the Minnesota Class A State Football Tournament last season in New Ulm. Herald file photo

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Freshman Brayden Bishop participates in a tackling drill during Austin Packers practice at Art Hass Stadium. Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

New Day

By Rocky Hulne

sports@austindailyherald.com

Austin Packers head coach Ed Schmitt oversees practice. After over 10 years as an assistant, Schmitt takes over as head coach.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

It’s been another tough day of practice for the Austin football team at Art Hass Stadium, but the Packers are not hanging their heads or sulking. They are smiling, high fiving, laughing and most importantly - communicating.

Austin head coach Ed Schmitt, who has taken over the top coaching spot after years as an assistant, is stressing the Packers to take on a family environment this fall, and the team has gladly

Packers are looking for a fresh start under a new head coach

followed suite.

“It’s been awesome. We have a lot of guys out there giving it their all. We’re happy to be out here and we’re getting there as a team. Us veterans are really enjoying seeing everybody out here,” Austin senior Nick Dunlap said. “I want to see these underclassmen be excited for next year. I know how it felt watching the seniors walk off the field in previous years and I hated seeing it. I don’t want it to be that way for us.”

See NEW, Page 4

“It’s been awesome. We have a lot of guys out there giving it their all. We’re happy to be out here and we’re getting there as a team.”

Ed Schmitt, head coach FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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New: Focus on good attitude From Page 1

Quarterback Eli Johnson takes a snap during practice at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Packers to debut some new looks The Austin football team has a lot of new faces on the field this season.

Long-time assistant coach Ed Schmitt has moved into the head coaching spot and a bulk of the key playmakers from last year’s team have graduated. Still, the Packers are hoping this year is a positive one after they went 2-7 overall last season.

“It’s weird not seeing the guys from last year, but we’ve got to pick up where they left off and make sure everyone’s doing the right thing,” said Austin senior Nick Dunlap.

Austin has about 80 players out for football and the team has shown up ready to work.

Schmitt likes what he’s seen from his squad as they have made adjustments on offense and defense.

The Packers are making sure no player is left behind as the team has gone out of the way to ensure that the young players are keeping up with everything.

“We’re trying to develop that general foundation for our program. Building depth is one of our main things right now,” Schmitt said.

“Everything is going very well. We’ve had a lot of great energy. Defensively, kids are flying around the ball and we’ve been working hard

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 30.....................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6.................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13.................................at Kasson-Mantorville, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20...................................at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27.........................................vs. Winona, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4............................................................at Byron, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11......................................vs. Northfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16.......................................vs. Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

on our communication on defense. Offensively, kids are still learning and we’re going a little slower on that side of the ball.”

The new defense and offense will allow players to get a chance to move around and shift to positions. Austin senior lineman Oliver Andersen said he’s getting to learn how to play in different spots and it’s a challenge he has embraced.

“We’re versatile and adaptable,” Andersen said. “We’re going to be able to change for any situation. We can switch spots and move alignments around. It’s pretty fun.”

On offense, the Packers are hoping to move the ball through the air, where Eli Johnson will

have the option of throwing to players like Ethan Owens, Agwa Nywesh, Dahlback and Moses Idris. The team is also hoping to have a rushing attack that will feature at least three ball carriers.

“We have different packages for different players and we’ll go with whatever the defense gives us,” Schmitt said. “We’ve got guys that can run and catch and it would be nice to be able to run the ball as well.”

Dunlap likes the changes the Packers have made and he said the team’s actions may be a little tough to predict on game nights.

“In the secondary, it’s really nice because we can cover a lot of ground without having to go sideline to sideline,” Dunlap said. “On offense, we’re going to mix it up some and we have some things that should surprise some people. We just hope that our weapons can come through in games.”

Regardless of where the season ends, Andersen is hoping he can hold his head high when the final whistle blows.

“One of my goals is to end the season without being bitter or thinking about what we could’ve done,” Andersen said. “I want to have a positive feeling at the end of the season.”

The Packers went through a 2-7 season last year and the team graduated a big portion of that squad. Schmitt has made a lot of strategic changes, but the team’s attitude is the aspect he’s most focused on.

“So far, so good. The days are flying by, everyone wants to be here and I see a lot of smiles of joy. That’s good,” Schmitt said.

“Our strength is our leadership.

Everyone respects each other and they’re helping out when needed.”

The Packers have about 80 players out for football and the team has some leaders stepping up early on. Dunlap, Elijah Johnson, Collin Dahlback, Andy Chesak and Joe Mentel have all stepped up to guide the way for the younger players in practice.

“We’re really trying to push that culture of respect and family.

The older guys have just taken that and run with it,” Schmitt said. “Oliver Andersen does a great job with helping the younger kids, whether it’s in the weight room or in the field, he takes them under his wing. Nick Dunlap’s done a good job of helping kids out on the defensive side of the ball.”

Andersen, who was once the team’s water boy as a youth, has embraced the atmosphere where everyone looks out for each other, no matter what grade they are in.

“The younger guys can come up to us and ask us any questions they have,” Andersen said. “It’s a great environment that we have.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Packers full steam ahead on new season It will be hard for the Austin boys soccer team to match or top what it’s done in the past two seasons, but that’s exactly what the Packers are hoping to do as the team has brought up a lot of talent after graduating a good chunk of last year’s group that went 18-3 and took third place in the Minnesota Class A State Boys Soccer Tournament.

The Packers also took third at state in 2017, but they aren’t taking anything for granted.

“Every year we know we’ve got a target on our back and we have to go into every game thinking we could lose,” senior Elisha Simerson said. “We’ve got a lot of JV guys from last year really looking to win that starting spot. I’m one of those guys and we’re all aiming for those spots.”

A highly successful summer of youth soccer, which saw Austin win three state championships, has left the Packers with a lot of talent across the board. That influx of ability has left Austin head coach Jens Levisen with some tough decisions to make when choosing who gets to play on varsity.

“We had so much success with our summer programs and a lot of them were either in the state championship or won the state championship,” Levisen said. “Everybody’s got their own goal coming in and realistically, not everybody’s going to get on whatever team that they want to. We have a lot of talent and they have to do what they’ve got to do to stand out and make themselves better.”

Austin senior Dylan Hanegraaf said the Packers will certainly miss a lot of playmakers from last year’s team, but he’s confident that Austin will be able to stay in the thick of things as the season goes on.

“This is probably the most competitive group ever. We’ve got sophomores and freshman that really want a spot on varsity. That’s good,” Hanegraaf said. “I think we’re looking pretty good. We’re looking to possess the ball a little bit more and play more as a team because we had a lot of key players who were very skilled graduate last year.”

Simerson and Hanegraaf are both expected to be big leaders for the Packers, along with Kee Reh, Henry Tolbert, Casey Berg, Kyle Murley, Lucas Evanson and Makias Anderson.

Levisen knows the Packers have the ability to win a lot of games this fall, but he doesn’t want them taking anything for granted.

“I remember at the start of last season we dealt a little bit with complacency for a couAUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Dylan Hanegraaf plays the ball against Blake in the Minnesota Class A State Boys Soccer Tournament last season. Herald file photo ple of games,” Levisen said. “You can’t have that. Some of the guys that are back recognize that and they don’t want any part of that in how we do things in practice. If they recognize that it’s happening, they want to call it out and correct it.”

Levisen said the team is not short on players who are ready to answer the call of varsity and that depth should push the Packers to greater heights throughout the year.

“We’ve got guys that are hungry and ready to step into that role,” Levisen said.

“With the success that they’ve had in the summer and with how they’ve done in the last couple of seasons, I’m sure state is going to be on their radar.”

“With the success that they’ve had in the summer and with how they’ve done in the last couple of seasons, I’m sure state is going to be on their radar.”

Jens Levisen, head coach

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 24......................................vs. Como Park, 1 p.m.

Aug. 29..................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Sept. 3....................................................at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Sept. 5...........................................vs. Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 10........................................at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12................................vs. Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14.........................................at Worthington, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 16.........................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7 p.m.

Sept. 17................vs. Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19....................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 24..................................................at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26.......................................vs. Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1......................................................at Northfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3.............................vs. Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5......................at Holy Academy of Holy Angels, 3 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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The Austin girls soccer team holds practice this season at Wescott Athletic Complex. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Packers counting on the spark of experience The Austin girls soccer team put in a lot of time and effort into the offseason as the Packers are hoping to pick up the pace after going 2-14-1 overall last season.

Austin brings back enough experience for the team to be comfortable and head coach Jake Levisen is hoping this group can be sure of itself as it looks to improve throughout the year.

“I’m very excited for this year. We have a lot of girls with soccer knowledge,” Levisen said. “We know what we need to do and we have the skills to do it, we just have to have the confidence to do it. We’re going to be a threat on the field. We’ve just got to light that fire and enjoy the ride.”

Austin senior forward Morgan Raymond has been on the varsity team since she was a

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

“We know what we need to do and we have the skills to do it, we just have to have the confidence to do it.”

Jake Levison, head coach seventh grader and she brings a lot of experience to the Packers, along with fellow senior Emily Bollum, who is a defender.

“I’m really excited for this season. We have a lot of team chemistry and a lot of good girls coming up. It’s going to be really exciting,” Raymond said. “We need to work on being a little more mentally tough and we need to believe in ourselves a little more.”

Bollum said the Packers have been busy in

the offseason and they’re already starting to click.

“We already have good chemistry and we’ll be able to put that more into action this year,” Bollum said. “We just want to keep improving and keep getting better.”

Austin struggled on offense for much of last season and the team is hoping to be more aggressive with the ball this year. Levisen said the team has plenty of players who can step up and guide their younger teammates throughout the season.

“The whole team leads in their own way,” Levisen said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a forward, a midfielder or a defender. Each of them know how to push each other to get better. Our team is filled with strong leaders, whether it be vocal or physical.”

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 22..........................................................at Byron, 7 p.m.

Aug. 23..........................vs. Schaeffer Academy, 7 p.m.

Aug. 27..............................................at Mankato East, 5 p.m.

Sept. 3........................................vs. Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Sept. 5........................................................at Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 10.............................vs. Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12...........................................at Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 17.........................at Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19.......................................vs. Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21.........................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 2 p.m.

Sept. 24.....................................vs. Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26...................................................at Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1.........................................vs. Northfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3........................................at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5......................................at Kasson-Mantorville, 3 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Packer VB working to build on success The Austin volleyball team is coming off its best season in a decade and the Packers are hoping to continue that resurgence behind a strong group of senior leaders this fall.

The Packers went 6-19 overall last season and they compiled their most Big Nine wins in those 10 years. Austin head coach Lauren Cost is hoping the team can do even bigger things in her second year with Austin.

“I have big expectations for them. I think we really started playing some nice volleyball at the end of last season,” Cost said. “We should have high expectations for ourselves.

We should really push to get ourselves in a nice place in the conference and hopefully surprise a lot of people this year.”

The Packers have a solid group of seniors that includes Jordyn McCormack, who racked up 151 kills and 174 digs last season, Avery Thompson, AJ Richards, Kyra Walters and Erica Lundberg.

The senior group has taken ownership of the program as they have been more vocal and more active in practice.

“We’re looking pretty good at the beginning of the season and all of the seniors have been talking and looking to be leaders,” Cost said. “The thing that I think is a huge strength is how comfortable they are with each other. They’re able to maneuver the court differently because of that comfort level. They talk a little easier to each other and even though they’re just getting back in the swing of things, it looks good.”

Austin is high on numbers this year as enthusiasm for the sport is picking up.

“We have a lot of girls out for volleyball this year,” Cost said. “It’s really exciting.”

“The thing that I think is a huge strength is how comfortable they are with each other. They’re able to maneuver the court differently because of that comfort level.”

Lauren Cost

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Austin’s Avery Thompson is one of the Packers’ returners to this year’s volleyball team. Herald file photo

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 23......................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31..............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 3....................................at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5...................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Sept. 10..................................................at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Sept. 17.........................................vs. Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19........................................at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Sept. 24................................vs. Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26................vs. Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Oct. 1........................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3.....................................................at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8..........................................vs. Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10....................................................at Northfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12........at Bloomington Jefferson Tournament, 8 a.m.

Oct. 15...........................vs. Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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Serving up improvement Under new head coach, girls tennis keeping the goal on getting better The Austin girls tennis team is turning to a new head coach as the team looks to make improvements throughout the year.

Jeff Anderson, who is also the Austin boys tennis coach, has moved into the head coaching role for the girls team, which went 0-16 overall last fall.

Anderson wants his players to show up every day with a focus on getting better.

“They’ve got some skills and we’ve got some players that can really play well, at least in spurts,” Anderson said. “Our goal is to keep getting better every time we take the court. Success isn’t necessarily measured by wins and losses, but it’s whether or not you can improve.”

The Packers have quickly grown accustomed to Anderson, as most of them have seen him in the classroom as a teacher, or as a coach in the summer.

“It hasn’t been too rough of a transition into his coaching.

It’s been really nice and easy to follow,” said Austin senior captain Rachel Christenson. “We graduated a lot of seniors last year, but there are quite a few freshman joining this year and we have an eighth grader out.

We’re really excited to work with with them. All of the kids I’ve talked to all seem really excited about the season.”

The Packers have come into the season with positive vibes and a strong will to work together. Austin senior captain Tori Watkins said that she is looking forward to the year.

“We’re all really optimistic for this season and we’re hoping for the best for the younger girls,” Watkins said. “Team bonding will be important.”

Austin senior captain Kelli Meiergerd is also feeling a sense of anticipation.

“We’re really excited about the new coaches,” she said.

“We’re still keeping some of our old traditions to go along with the new ones.”

Anderson is looking forward to the prospect of coaching the boys and girls in Austin and he hopes the programs can both find some success.

“It’s been great. To have the opportunity to have the whole program under one direction is a positive thing,” Anderson said. “I know some of the girls from the summer and the transition has gone pretty well.”

SCHEDULE/Home matches in bold

Austin’s Rachel Christenson gets on top of a ball during a No. 2 doubles match last season. Herald file photo

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

Aug. 20.......................................................Winona 7, Austin 0; Mankato West 5, Austin 2 Aug. 22.................................................................................at Rochester Century, 9 a.m.

Aug. 23.......................................................................................at Stewartville, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 29........................................................................vs. Faribault, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 5.................................................................................................at Red Wing, 2 p.m.

Sept. 7.............................................................................at United South Central, 9 a.m.

Sept. 10.....................................................................vs. Northfield, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 12...................................................................................at Mankato East, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 16.............................................................................................at Waseca, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 17............................................................vs. Rochester Mayo, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 24.....................................................................vs. Albert Lea, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 26................................................................at Rochester John Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 28..................................................................at Big Nine Meet in Rochester, 9 a.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Austin CC balancing on core of new runners The Austin cross country team will be turning a new leaf this fall as the Packers will have to replace some big time runners with a crop of eager and youthful athletes.

Five-time state qualifier Abby Lewis and two-time state qualifier Henry Hinchcliffe have each graduated, and the Packers will now look to a new group of leaders.

Austin head coach Tony Einertson said the Packers have a young core and he’d like to see the team improve as much as it can to finish as high as it can in the Big Nine.

“We had a good summer and they’ve been getting the work in. Now it’s just a matter of getting them experience in varsity races,” Einertson said. “As long as we can keep improving, it’s going to be fun. We’ve had a nice little roll going over the past several years and now we’ll be in a little bit of a building stage over the next couple of years.

It’s going to be fun to watch them grow.”

The Austin boys will be led by junior Jackson Marsh. Alex Petrik and Blake Petrik will

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 27...................................Austin Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 30.................................................at Rosemount, 8 a.m.

Sept. 12........................................at Rochester Invite, 4 p.m.

Sept. 24...............................................at Mankato, 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 8......................................Austin Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 15.................at Big Nine meet in Owatonna, 3:55 p.m.

also be asked to step up. Marsh said the team will have plenty of open spots to compete for.

“We lost a lot of really good seniors last year. I feel like it’s a fresh start and it’s an opportunity for a lot of our new runners to step up,” Marsh said. “Competition is really good for this team, because it’s pushing everybody to go faster.”

The Austin girls will be led by sophomores Nadia Vaughn and Cassidy Shute. Vaughn learned how to lead from watching Lewis and she’s excited about the potential the Packers will have in the years to come.

The Austin cross country team is going to be a squad of brand new faces this year.

Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

“We’re young and we’re going to stay together for awhile,” Vaughn said. “We’re all

Youth will be the base of this year’s swim team The Austin girls swimming and diving team is going through a youth movement in the pool this season as the team has just one senior, four juniors and 13 seventh graders on its roster.

The Packers will have to find a good mix of pushing the top swimmers, while making sure the younger swimmers aren’t left in their wake. Senior Hanna Thompson and juniors Molly Garry and Molly Sheehan have all stayed on the lookout for any athletes that need help early on.

“We have to be leaders. We have to make sure they are not afraid to talk to us,” Garry said. “We want them to have fun and enjoy it because a lot of swimmers quit because it’s too hard and they’re not having any fun.”

Thompson will compete in diving and swimming for the Packers, which mean she will have a big impact on the growth of the

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Austin’s Molly Sheehan swims the breaststroke last season. Herald file photo team. She’s excited about working with the younger athletes, and she’s also embracing her final year in the pool.

“It’s exciting, but other times it’s sad that it’s my last year. I’m ready for it,” Thompson said.

Austin head coach Alexa Dolan Peterson is hoping the Packers can add growth to the

program, while still staying competitive with their older athletes this fall.

“The young kids are going to have to step up and fill those spots. I think they’re up for the challenge,” Dolan Peterson said. “We’ve worked a lot on technique. This year is all about the balance of pushing the older, more experienced swimmers while working with the younger swimmers and building for the future of the team.”

Garry and Sheehan are both expected to be highly competitive in swimming this season and Thompson will be a force on the diving board and in swimming events as well.

Garry said the older Packers often have to take it on themselves to motivate each other.

“We scream, we yell and we keep going at it to get to our goals,” Garry said. “There’s really not a lot of people to push us, so we have to make sure we do it ourselves.”

going to be really close and we’re going to be able to work together and get better.”

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 29.......................................vs. Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Sept. 5......................at Rochester John Marshall, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 12..................................................at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

Sept. 14............................................at Mankato East, 2 p.m.

Sept. 17................................vs. Tri City United, 6 p.m.

Sept. 19..........................................vs. Winona, 6 p.m.

Sept. 26.................................vs. Mankato East, 6 p.m.

Sept. 28..........................................Austin Invite, TBA Oct. 3............................................at Rochester Mayo, 6 p.m.

Oct. 10.........................................vs. Red Wing, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15...........................at Rochester John Marshall, 6 p.m.

Oct. 25...................at Big Nine Meet in Northfield, 5:15 p.m.

Oct. 26.......................at Big Nine Meet in Northfield, 1 p.m.

Sheehan has also stayed motivated.

“We’re always pushing each other in practice. We always try to hype each other up,” Sheehan said. “We’re also keeping the younger girls going and making sure that they’re feeling OK.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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Rebels making the move to Nine Man The Southland football team brings back a good portion of it’s team from last year as the Rebels will make the move from 11-man football to nine-man football this fall.

Southland started seven underclassmen as it went 5-5 last season and the Rebels are hoping those players are ready to take the next step.

Southland senior Carter Schmitz is entering the season with an injury, but he’s been working hard all summer to get back on the field.

“We’ve worked hard over the summer and it’s showing. Everything we did over the summer is coming into full effect now and we’re two steps ahead of where we were last year,” Schmitz said. “Everyone wants to hit someone. We’ll be an aggressive team. Every day we’ve got to get better.”

The Rebels will look to leadership from Nick Boe, Dan Boe, Noah Sayles, Carter Jax, Ethan Forthun, Donovan Felten, Brendan Kennedy and Christian Luthe. Either Dan or sophomore Harrison Hannah, who was out with an injury last season, will line up at quarterback for the Rebels, who are hoping to be versatile this season.

“Harrison looks really good at quarterback and if we don’t play Dan Boe at quarterback, he’s a terrific tight end. Harrison just throws a really nice football,” Kennedy said. “Hopefully we can be balanced with the run and pass.”

The Rebels haven’t made a lot of big changes to their offense, but their defense is getting a slight makeover to adjust to the smaller field of nine-man football.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 30......................................................at Houston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6..................................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13....................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21.................................at Red Rock Central, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 27.......................................at LeRoy-Ostrander, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4.........................................vs. Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11........................................vs. Kingsland, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16...............................................at Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Southland’s Carter Schmitz battles through a gang of Winona Cotter defenders last season.

Herald file photo

“I feel like it’s going to be a lot different.

We’ll have to keep working and do the best we can in practice every day to get ready for the game,” Southland’s Noah Lamp said.

“We want to get close and come together as a team.”

The Rebels are jumping from a tough schedule in Class A that saw them play perennial powers like Rushford-Peterson, Blooming Prairie and Goodhue to a really tough schedule in Section 1 nine-man, where they will face off against teams like

Spring Grove, which won the last two state championships, and Grand Meadow, which won the previous four state championships before Spring Grove.

“We know that we’re in a great conference. We came from a really great conference and we’re going to a great conference. We’re excited,” Kennedy said. “I know there’s a target on our backs because we’re going from 11 man to nine man and people are going to want to come at us hard, often and frequent. We have to stay healthy.”

The Rebels are going to have to play some of their plays on defense and offense and the team has prepared by making its roster versatile.

“They’ve all put so much time and effort in. We don’t have to change a ton of offense and on defense we’ll have to find spots for kids,” Kennedy said. “We know we’re going to have to cross-coach kids playing different positions because we don’t have a lot of linebackers, but we’re heavy in linemen and defensive backs.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Rebels intent on bouncing back in new season New coach takes over Southland as VB team falls back onto experienced players The Southland volleyball team is hoping a new coach and some added experience can help the team bounce back from the 3-23 overall mark that it put up last year.

The Rebels are turning to Austin grad and former Riverland Community College volleyball player Michelle Nelsen to lead a team that has six returning players with varsity experience after the Rebels graduated six seniors.

Nelsen has coached volleyball since 2001 at the junior high, freshman and JV levels. she said her team will have to pick up steam as the year goes on.

“We have some new faces at the varsity level this year and in some ways this is a rebuilding year for us,” she said. “Any one of them has the potential to lead this team.

Only time will tell.”

The Rebels are hoping to make a push towards improvement on the floor this season as they’re hoping to improve on last year’s record.

“I am incredibly excited to be a part of the Southland volleyball program and I see a tremendous amount of potential in the year to come,” Nelsen said.

Southland volleyball player Kayla Nelsen said the team is comfortable under their new head coach as the new season campaign begins.

“We’ve put in a lot of fundamental work and we know we can improve this year,” Kayla said.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Emily Bhend sets the ball in practice for the Rebel volleyball team in Adams. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

“We’ve put in a lot of fundamental work and we know we can improve this year.”

Kayla Nelsen Southland volleyball player

SCHEDULE/Home matches in bold Aug. 26...................................vs. Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5.................................................at Chatfield, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 10........................vs. Fillmore Central, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12........................................at Saint Charles, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14......................................at Wabasha-Kellogg, 8 a.m.

Sept. 17.................................vs. Caledonia, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19..............................vs. Dover-Eyota, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26..........................................at La Crescent, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28....................................at Rochester Century, 8 a.m.

Sept. 30..................................at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 1................vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3.......................................at Lewiston-Altura, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 8...............................vs. Winona Cotter, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10...................................at Wabasha-Kellogg, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12.............................................at Riceville, Iowa, 9 a.m.

Oct. 15......................vs. Rushford-Peterson, 7:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

11

The Lyle-Pacelli football team comes together after a practice earlier this summer. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

LP football looking to break slump The Lyle-Pacelli football team is now on its fourth head coach in four years and it has lost 27 straight games, including a forfeit in the playoffs last year, but the Athletics are hoping new leadership and big numbers can help the program turn in the right direction.

The Athletics are turning to Brad Walter, who served briefly as LP’s interim coach after Adam Hurley stepped down halfway through the season in 2017, to take over as head coach. Dan King coached LP in 2018 and Jeremy Wilson coached LP to its last win in 2015, when the Athletics went 2-7 overall.

The Athletics have the biggest roster they’ve had in nearly a decade this fall and

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 30........................................at LeRoy-Ostrander, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6............................................at Grand Meadow, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13..................................................at Southland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20........................................vs. Houston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27................................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4......................................................at Kingsland, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11...................................vs. Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16...................................................at Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

that will give the team a chance to make some big improvements.

“We’ve got some good football players

back that took a year off. We’ve got good numbers out and I think the kids are excited about the season. Hopefully we can get some wins,” Walter said.

LP junior Zach Bollingberg, who’s older brother Dan was a standout on the last LP football team to win a game, is hoping the Athletics can make the program respectable.

“We want football to be a sport that people actually want to play,” Bollingberg said.

“We don’t want it to be the sport where we don’t win games. We want to be able to win games.”

Bollingberg had 562 receiving yards and six TDs last season and junior quarterback

Jed Nelson threw for 1,135 yards and 10 TDs last season.

Nelson likes what he’s seen out of LP’s new coaching staff so far.

“We have good relationships with them and it’ll be fun. It’s been a long time since these guys have coached us,” Nelson said.

LP will also look to Tanner Murphy, Gavin Johnson, Cole Walter, Isiah Clennon and John Wahlen to lead the way.

“Jed and Zach have been successful in everything they’ve done,” Walter said.

“Isaiah and John have played on the line for awhile and they can make a big difference up front.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Experienced team coming back for LP The Lyle-Pacelli volleyball team brings back eight players from last year’s team that went 10-16 overall last season.

The Athletics will look for leadership from senior hitter Olivia Christianson, who had 389 kills, 209 digs and 106 blocks last season.

“Our Tammy Truckenmiller strength head coach will be up at the net and our defense. Our weakness will be our consistency,” said LP head coach Tammy Truckenmiller, who is in her third year.

“We would like to have a better record and get farther in the playoffs than last year.”

Vanessa Cotter, Abbey Neve, Rachel Nelsen, Whitney Walkup, Zoe Archenbach and Kayla Johnson are all expected to add depth for the Athletics.

“Our strength will be up at the net and our defense.”

Lyle-Pacelli’s Abbey Neve in a hit at the net against Houston last season. Herald file photo

Pacelli concentrating on developing young runners The Pacelli cross country team has to replace one of its best runners in program history, but they still boast some quality experience as they look to keep on building.

Kayla Christopherson, a six-time state qualifier, has graduated, but the Shamrocks return senior Rory Bickler, who went to state in 2016, to lead the girls team and Jayden Lewis, a junior who is a four-time letter winner, to lead the boys.

“We are very short on numbers this year but I am excited to see what Jayden can do this year in the boys varsity races,” said Pacelli head coach Jim Parlin, who is in his 36th year

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

“We hope to be able to develop some of our younger runners to the point that we can move them into varsity spots by the end of the year.”

Jim Parlin Pacelli cross country coach

at the helm. “He was are most improved runner for the past three years so I am hoping that this pattern continues. On the girls side we had some success last year winning a couple of meets and I hope we can build on that.”

The Pacelli boys will also look to Blake Klingfus and Andrew Frederick to step up and the girls will lean on Abby Christopherson, Kendahl Lewis and Caitlyn Drees.

“Our goal is to improve one day at a time,” Parlin said. “We hope to be able to develop some of our younger runners to the point that we can move them into varsity spots by the end of the year.”

SCHEDULE/Home matches in bold Aug. 22.................................................at Houston, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 26..................................at Wabasha-Kellogg, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 27........................vs. Lanesboro in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29...............................................at Kingsland, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 3.........................vs. Randolph in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5.......................................at Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7........................................at Hayfield Invite, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 10..............................at Scaheffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12.................vs. Mabel-Canton in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19.............vs. LeRoy-Ostrander in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 24.....................vs. Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 1................vs. Grand Meadow in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3.........vs. Schaeffer Academy in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 7.............vs. Blooming Prairie in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 8...................................at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10....................................at LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14.................vs. Spring Grove in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to a great year with these girls,” Truckenmiller said. “They have worked hard all summer and we are ready to see what this season holds.”

SCHEDULE Aug. 29.................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 5..................................................at Hayfield, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 10..................................at Blooming Prairie, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 14...........................................at Luther College, 9 a.m.

Sept. 17..............................at New Richland-HEG, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21..................................................at Winona, 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 26..................................at Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 4 p.m.

Oct. 3..........................................................at LARP, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 8........................................................at Austin, 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

13

Superlarks ready to get back on top There are not a lot of football teams that would be a little disappointed and highly motivated after going 14-6 in a two-year stretch, but Grand Meadow isn’t exactly like every other team.

The Superlarks are now two years removed from their four consecutive nine man state titles and their 51 game winning streak ended in 2017, but they’re ready to take it to the next level as they return every single starter from last year’s team.

“I think we’re all excited for this year. Last year we had mostly sophomores playing and this year those guys will be better,” GM senior lineman Ryan Hinz said. “For the past two years we’ve been 7-3 and that’s pretty good. This year we’re hoping to do even better than that and we want a lot better record.”

GM still has a lot of speed on its roster and it’s also bulked up with an intense offseason weight lifting program. Head coach Gary Sloan said the team has some potential to make some improvements this fall.

“I’m really excited about the year that we could have,” Sloan said. “We’re excited about our experience. We feel like we’ve got a lot of depth this year. It could be one of our biggest assets.”

Last year the Superlarks leaned on the running of Nolan Skifter, who ran for 998 yards and 12 TDs on offense, while making 101 tackles on defense. Skifter, a senior, will look to contribute in the backfield, along with Daniel Smith and Dusty Copley.

Evan Oehlke will fill in at quarterback for GM and Luke Speer, Ben Kraft, Cameron Snead, Blake Ludemann, Taylor Glynn and Tommy Oehlke will all chip in.

Sloan said his team will be a little more physical, but he won’t exactly call them a power rushing team.

“We’re hoping to go back to a little more ‘I’ formation,” he said. “I love playing that kind of football, but we’re not going to be that team. We’re not going to line up and smash it at you play after play. We’re faster than those teams and we’re very athletic.

We’re going to try and make people really defend the perimeter on us and defend us vertically.”

Senior Wyatt Weiss said that the Superlarks have gotten bigger, stronger and smarter and he’s thrilled to see what this fall brings.

“I’m really excited,” Weiss said. “We can run that many more plays, we know each other well and coach trusts us a little more to point things out. We’ll see stuff earlier and I think we’ll flow better.”

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

Grand Meadow’s Nolan Skifter runs through traffic against Lanesboro last year in Grand Meadow. Herald file photo

“We’re excited about our experience.

We feel like we’ve got a lot of depth this year.

It could be one of our biggest assets.”

Gary Sloan, head coach

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 30.......................................vs. Kingsland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6..................................................at Lyle-Pacelli, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13............................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20.................................................at Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27................vs. Cedar Mountain/Comfrey, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4.................................................at Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11.............................................at Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16..........................................vs. Houston, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Despite losses, Superlarks ready to move forward The Grand Meadow volleyball team graduated a couple of key players from last year’s team that went 24-10 overall, but the team hopes to rebound as it turns to new head coach this fall in Susan Wilson.

Wilson will lead a Superlarks team that has nine players back with varsity experience, including senior Riley Queensland, who had 252 kills and 122 digs last season, senior Isabelle Olson, and junior Hailey Hindt.

“The returning seniors are all leaders on our team,” Wilson said. “Each of the seniors pushes themselves hard in practice and leads by example, and they are also vocal leaders and communicate with their teammates on the court.”

GM will also get a boost from seniors Meghan Eastlee, Paige Mork and Julia Blades.

Wilson, who has coached for six years, said GM has solid communication skills and the team should have strong depth this season.

SCHEDULE/Home Matches in bold Aug. 22..............................................at Lanesboro, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 27..................................vs. Kingsland, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29........................................at Mabel-Canton, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31..................at Mabel-Canton Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 3.......................vs. Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5.................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7.............at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 8:15 a.m.

Sept. 10.......................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 17.............................at Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19..................................vs. Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26........................................at Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 1...............................................at Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3...........................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 4......................................................at Apple Valley, TBA Oct. 8.......................vs. Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10...............................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14.....................................vs. Houston, 7:15 p.m.

Grand Meadow’s Hailey Hindt with the spike against Faribault BA in the Section 1A West semifinals last year at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.

Herald file photo

TRAP PARTICIPANT 2017

74947 State Hwy 16 Grand Meadow, MN 55936 Ph 507-754-5876 featherlitegraphics.com

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

15

LeRoy-Ostrander running back Carter Johnson takes a hand-off from quarterback Trey Hungerholt in the first half against Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons last season. Herald file photo

Cardinals intend to keep rolling The LeRoy-Ostrander football team is hoping to keep momentum on its side as it brings back the bulk of last year’s team that went 2-7 overall last season.

While the Cardinals have some experience on this side, they will greatly miss Trey Hungerholt, who graduated last spring after stepping up as L-O’s quarterback and safety.

“Trey’s a tough one to replace. He was Mr. do it all,” said L-O head coach Trevor Carrier, who is in his first year on the job after serving as an assistant coach. “Carter Johnson is ready to go and he’s put time in the weight room.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

He wants nothing but the best. He keeps hearing about (Alex) Folz and all of the Grand Meadow backs. He wants to be put up there.”

Carter, a senior, will be asked to carry a bulk of the rushing load and Chase Johnson will play quarterback for the Cardinals. Riley Olson will be a leader on both sides of the ball for L-O. “Riley Olson is going to be a tough receiver and he’ll be tough to stop on the outside.

Chase Johnson takes over at quarterback for us. He’s a very good learner, he’s very quick and he can run a lot of our schemes,” Car-

rier said. “I’m expecting big years for those guys.”

Olson is excited about the talent that L-O returns and he thinks the Cardinals are ready to take next the step as a program.

“Everyone else (in the conference) lost a lot of seniors and we just lost two seniors.

We’re not down that much. We just have to come back and show them who we are,” Olson said. “We’re really looking forward to this season. Carter is coming back healthy and Chase looks like he’s taking care of the job at quarterback this season.”

“We just have to come back and show them who we are.”

Riley Olson Receiver

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 30.....................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6...............................................at Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13..........................................at Grand Meadow, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20................................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27.....................................vs. Southland, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4..............................................................at Fulda, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11.......................................vs. Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16....................................................at Kingsland, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Cardinals coming into 2019 with high hopes The LeRoy-Ostrander volleyball team has high hopes as it turns to new head coach Lindsay Milks after going 9-19 overall last season.

The Cardinals graduated some key talent, but they are ready to rally behind the play of seniors Emily Hofner, Libertee Smalley and Nicole Freeksen. L-O also has seven sophomores in the mix, who could give the team a lift.

“We have several leaders on this team that have such amazing qualities and are able to bring amazing energy to the team,” Milks said. “This year is going to be a special year for the Cardinal Volleyball Program. These athletes have really been working hard in weight room with their strength training program and they started a plyo-metric workout program that has really increased their speed and verticals.”

L-O has a total of 10 players with varsity

“We have several leaders on this team that have such amazing qualities and are able to bring amazing energy to the team.”

Lindsay Milks, head coach experience and those players have picked up the intensity in practice. The younger players have brought their game up a level and the veterans have matched it, according to Milks.

“The energy they bring to the gym each

day for practice has been astounding. If someone were to walk past the gym during our practices, that person would think a game is going on,” Milks said. “That is how much enthusiasm is being brought into the gym and held during practice.”

The Cardinals are hoping to put their program on the right track this fall and Milks is looking for the team to compete on the court and in the classroom.

“Every year we want to look at winning games each week, competing for conference championship, make it to Rochester, then onto state,” she said “However, we are also looking to strive to increase grade point averages as well. We are student-athletes and student will always be first for this team.”

Milks was the JV coach for L-O two years ago.

SCHEDULE/Home Matches in bold Aug. 22.......................................at Mabel-Canton, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 27...........................................at Dover-Eyota, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29..........................................at Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 3......................vs. Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5.................................at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7........................................at Hayfield Invite, 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 10.....................................at Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12 ...................................vs. Houston, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 17..............................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19...............................at Lyle-Pacelli in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26............................................at Lanesboro, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 1........................vs. Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3..............................vs. Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5.....................................at Riceville, Iowa Tournament Oct. 8.....................................vs. Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10.................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14...............................................at Kingsland, 7:15 p.m.

GMLOS cross country welcoming new faces The GMLOS cross country team graduated five seniors from last year’s team, but it brings back some experience as it looks to stay competitive.

The GMLOS girls will be led by seniors Hope Dion and Maddie Merten and the GMLOS boys will look to Ethan Gilbert, Jay Baldus and Haden Chandler to lead the way.

“We have some new talent this year that we are excited about,” said GMLOS head coach Lisa Glynn, who is in her third year. “The athletes have shown great attitudes and are working hard

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

this first week. We are excited to watch them improve throughout the season and look forward to competing.”

The GMLOS girls will also look to Aubrie Schneider, Ava Wilde, Sydney Alstat and Madisyn Nackers to compete and the boys will get a lift from Cameron Ruechel and Mason Geller.

GMLOS has a new assistant coach in Austin O’Hare, who is originally from Rushford-Peterson. He ran at the University of Mary in La Crosse.

SCHEDULE Aug. 24........................................................................at Byron, 4 p.m.

Aug. 29.........................................................at Stewartville, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 5................................................................at Hayfield, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 10.......................................................at Dover-Eyota, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 19.........................................................at Pine Island, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21.....................................................at Saint Charles, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 3................................................at Rushford-Peterson, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 15......................................at Planview-Elgin-Millville, 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

17

Blossoms are hungry for more in 2019 The Awesome Blossoms did a lot of great things last year, but they can’t help thinking about about doing better things this year.

Blooming Prairie’s football team graduated just three seniors from last year’s team that went 12-1 overall and was knocked off

by BOLD 37-7 in the Minnesota Class A State Semifinals.

While it was BP’s first trip to state since 2014, that score was ingrained in the minds of the team throughout the offseason as they worked to improve for this fall.

“Our mantra has been ‘one more.’ That means one more rep in the gym and one more play in the games,” BP senior Karson Vigeland said. “The score 37-7 has been in our head and we’ve had a little chip on our shoulders. We want to get back to that game. We’ve been waiting for this and we’ve been counting down the days.”

BP head Karson Vigeland coach Chad Gimbel said the Blossoms put in a lot of time in the weight room over the winter and much of that hard work has paid off for a BP team that is now bigger and more experienced. While state tournaments often bring complacency, Gimbel said the Blossoms have nothing to be complacent about.

“We haven’t done anything yet. Even last year, we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to. We feel like there is a lot to keep us grounded,” Gimbel said. “We told them to focus on winning each day. The process is to get better each day and if we take care of that, the other stuff will take care of itself.”

BP will bring back plenty of explosive playmakers including Gabe Hagen, who hauled in 18 TDs last season, but the team’s biggest strength may be on the defensive side of the ball. Hagen will anchor a front four that includes standout wrestlers Dylan Nirk and Colton Krell in the middle and Jarrett Larson on the other edge.

“It’s going to be exciting. Gabe is super fast and he’s quick,” Nirk said. “Jarrett is quick on the other side and Colton and I will be able to stay low and keep that interior for our linebackers.”

BP will look for Mitchell Fiebiger to fill in at middle linebacker and Vigeland and Zach Weber are both three-year starters at corner-

“Our mantra has been ‘one more.’

That means one more rep in the gym and one more play in the games.”

18

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

Blooming Prairie’s Dylan Nirk holds the ball after recovering a fumble against BOLD in the Minnesota Class A State Football Tournament semifinals at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis last season. Herald file photo back. BP will also look for Luke Larkoski to step up at offensive line and linebacker after he was hurt for much of last season.

Vigeland said BP has high hopes, but the team is not getting ahead of itself.

“We’re taking it day by day and game by game. We’ll slowly work our way back up to the top. We’re always trying to build each other up,” Vigeland said. “This year, we have so many guys and everyone’s going to have to work for their spot.”

BP has come a long way after a highly dedicated offseason that was triggered by the tough loss to BOLD. “We realized we need to get stronger in all of the positions, we need to get better conditioned and we need to get better mentally because I know we stooped down to their level and we’re much better than that,” Nirk said. “We figured that out this year. We’re not making excuses and we’re pushing through everything.”

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 30.....................................at Rushford-Peterson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6..............................vs. Wabasha-Kellogg, 7p.m.

Sept. 13.....................................................at Hayfield, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20....................................................at Goodhue, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27......................................vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4 .........................vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11..................at Faribault Bethlehem Academy, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16..........................................vs. Medford, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

BP cross country runners anchored by healthy squad of letter winners The Blooming Prairie boys and girls cross country teams will both return plenty of letter winners as the team is high on experience this fall.

The BP boys have eight runners with varsity experience and they will be led by seniors Isaac Ille and Adam Larson and juniors Ethan Grant and Alex Miller.

The BP girls have five runners with varsity experience and they will be led by junior Rose Michaud and sophomores Asha Lighthizer and Emily Anderson.

BP has 23 total runners on the team after having just 11 runners last year.

“This summer we had several athletes doing a lot of running to get ready for this season,” BP head coach John Bruns said. “This

Blooming Prairie’s Micalyn Trihus attacks during game two against Austin last year.

Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

BP VB capitalizing on its experience The Blooming Prairie volleyball team brings back the majority of its roster from last year’s team that went 11-15 overall as the Awesome Blossoms look to build on their experience.

BP graduated just one senior from last season and it brings back 11 players who saw varsity time last year. The Awesome Blossoms return the front line of senior Julia Worke, who had 239 kills and 312 digs last year, junior Micalyn Trihus, who had 255 kills and 230 digs last season, Maya Lembke and Riauna Bishop. Heather Pirkl returns as the team’s setter.

BP has its sights set on going over .500 and getting past the second round of the tournament this year. Head coach Randell Kittelson, who is in her fifth year at the job, believes those things can happen.

“I would say the strength of our team is that these girls have been playing together for several years and work well together and bring some great athleticism, determination, and endurance,” Kittelson said. “I believe we will have a strong attack out of the outside AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 29............................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 5..............................................at Hayfield, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 10...............Blooming Prairie Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 17..........................at New Richland-HEG, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21....................................................at Milaca, 9 a.m.

Sept. 26.......at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 8..........................at United South Central, 4:45 p.m.

Oct. 15........................at Gopher Meet in Hayfield, 4 p.m.

summer’s work should translate to great things once the season gets into full swing.”

Bruns in his 23rd year of teaching and coaching in BP and it is his 21st year as head coach of the cross country team.

“This sumer we had several athletes doing a lot of running to get ready for this season.

This summer’s work should translate to great things once the season gets into full swing.”

John Bruns, head coach

SCHEDULE/Home meets in bold Aug. 22...............................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 27....vs. Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29....................................vs. Goodhue, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31..............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 3.........................................vs. Austin, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5.....vs. Faribault Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7........................................at Hayfield Invite, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 12...........................................at Maple River, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 16.......................................at Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19...vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 24..............................at New Richland-HEG, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26................................................at Hayfield, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 30.................................vs. Southland, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3........................vs. New Richland-HEG, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 7...............................................at Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 8.......................................vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 15............................at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

and some quickness in our middle. Some weaknesses would be remaining consistent on offense and staying aggressive when out of system and improving our serve receive.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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Hayfield’s Jake Risius carries the ball in practice for the Vikings in Hayfield. Herald file photo

Keeping the momentum going The Hayfield football team has picked up where it left off fall as the Vikings have a full roster for the second straight year, after the team fielded just 19 players in 2017.

The Vikings have nearly 40 players signed up for the 2019 campaign and many of them played key roles on last year’s team that went 3-6 overall. While Hayfield has a new head coach in Jeff Snider, a former Hayfield assistant coach, Hayfield senior quarterback Brady Nelson doesn’t think the team will miss a beat.

“We won a couple of games last year and that helped our numbers this year,” Nelson

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors out and we’re kind of able to show the younger kids what’s going on in practice.”

Hayfield has 13 seniors on its roster and it will look for leadership from captains Kolby Tapp, Jake Risius and Nelson, who all gained valuable experience on Hayfield’s state qualifying baseball team last spring.

“We’ve had incredible leadership from the offseason workouts in the weight room,” Snider said. “You know you have potential for a good year when you have the type of leadership that we have. We have a fair amount of depth. We have camaraderie and

the guys get along. Our guys have been doing all of the little things to see that we have the best opportunity for success.”

Risius said the Vikings are starting the year a lot further along than they were at this point last year. The team has experience and hunger on its side and he’s expecting the Vikings to make a name for themselves this fall.

“We really feel like we can have a better year this season,” Risius said. “We have a lot of good guys, who want to work hard. We’re not the biggest group of guys, but we’re looking to be faster than other teams.”

“We really feel like we can have a better year this season” Jake Risius

SCHEDULE/Home games in bold Aug. 29............at Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6.....................................................at Randolph, 7 p.m.

Sept. 13............................vs. Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20...........................vs. Wabasha-Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27...........................................at Winona Cotter, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4................................vs. Fillmore Central, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11..........................................at Lewiston-Altura, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16..........................vs. Rushford-Peterson, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Vikings leading with defense on the court “We should be a fun team to watch.”

to put the ball away,” said The Hayfield volleyball team Hayfield head coach Jeremy is hoping to turn defense into Struck. “Our weakness at offense this season as it looks times can be our offense. to progress with a group of Our hitters know that we athletic players. cannot play defense all The Vikings return five playJeremy Struck night and they will have to ers from last year’s team that Head coach be productive.” went 11-18 overall and they The Vikings are going to should find leadership from take a hustle-first approach to the season, junior Jenna Jacobsen, who had 200 kills which should lead to plenty of highlight and 313 digs last season, along with senior plays.

Rachel Pack, senior Taylor Burt, junior Lexi “We should be a fun team to watch,” Gerber and senior Cela Carney.

Struck said. “Our defense will keep a lot of “We have a group of high fliers that will balls off the floor and we can put the ball cover the back end of the court and we away from a number of different players and will be a team that will be super annoying positions.” to opponents because it will be difficult

SCHEDULE/Home matches in bold Aug. 22.....................................at Fillmore Central, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 26..........................vs. Lewiston-Altura, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 3..............................................at Pine Island, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5......................vs. New Richland-HEG, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7.............................vs. Hayfield Invite, 8:30 a.m.

Sept, 9.......................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 17....................................vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19...........................at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 24.......................................vs. Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26........................vs. Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28.............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 30...........................................at Maple River, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3...............at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 8.................................vs. Cannon Falls, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10.............at Faribault Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 18..............................at Rochester Tournament, 5 p.m.

Oct. 19.............................at Rochester Tournament, 10 a.m.

Rachel Pack sets for the Vikings against Pine Island in Hayfield last season. Herald file photo

Hayfield CC hitting 2019 in stride The Hayfield cross country team is hoping to take the next step this fall as the Vikings, who had a young squad last year, are all a year older and more experienced.

The Vikings have already had some leadership in early practices as Nathan Grav has gone out of his way to go back and sprint down the stretch with younger runners as they finish up and Grace Walker, the lone girl with significant varsity experience, has tried to keep up with the boys.

Dakota Robinson, a freshman, has also shown positive signs early on.

“Dakota is really pushing himself and being a great role model to the new members AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

of the teams and veterans. He is giving it everything he has in practice,” said Hayfield head coach Kellie Baker, who is in her 13th year. “I think people will also see how hard Grace continues to push herself.”

Hayfield has 17 runners on the team, and just three of those runners are girls.

“We have a great group of junior high boys out this year so that is great to see,” Baker said. “We would like to improve our times from meet to meet. We host the Gopher Conference Meet this year so it would be awesome to see some great performances on our home course. The athletes have been working really hard the past couple of

SCHEDULE/

Home meets in bold Aug. 29................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 5................................Hayfield Invite, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 19...................................................at Byron, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 17..............................................at Lake City, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 26..................................................at Zumbrota, 4 p.m.

Oct. 3..................................................at Lewiston, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 15.......................Gopher Meet in Hayfield, 4 p.m.

days. I’m excited to see what they are capable of this season.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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5

A season of history and goals Stories to watch

Turn the Page

The Austin football team has a fresh attitude and a new head coach in Ed Schmitt.

The Packers are hoping to turn their newfound energy into wins on the field.

The Packers will need a big season out of senior quarterback Elijah Johnson and senior running back Andy Chesak to be effective.

Back for more

The Awesome Blossoms bring back much of their roster that advanced to the Minnesota Class A State Football Tournament semifinals last fall and Blooming Prairie has its mind set on going even further this year.

BP features a tough defensive front and senior Gabe Hagen will be a tough cover for any secondary when he lines up at wide receiver.

Volleying into respectability

The Packer volleyball team took some small steps under former Kansas State standout Lauren Cost last season and now Austin is hoping to surge even higher in the Big Nine standings.

Senior hitter Jordyn McCormack is in her fourth year with the varsity program and she should give Austin a boost.

Packers are (re)loaded

The Austin boys soccer team has a wealth of talent after a very successful summer season for its youth teams.

The Packers, who have taken third in the last two Minnesota Class A State Tournaments, are ready to make another push towards the ultimate goal.

Junior keeper Casey Berg and senior forward Dylan Hanegraaf will be key to the team’s success.

Supercharged

The Grand Meadow football team is ready to get back into contention after putting up back-to-back 7-3 overall seasons.

The Superlarks are much smaller, but quicker than the teams that racked up four straight state titles from 2012-2016, but the Superlarks will still be a solid team to match up with.

Blooming Prairie’s Alex Baldwin with a carry against BOLD in the Minnesota Class A State Football Tournament semifinals last year at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Herald file photo

Tournament Headquarters

Football (Nov. 7-30)

Various Sites and US Bank Stadium

Volleyball (Nov. 7-9)

Nov. 7-9 Xcel Energy Center

Boys and Girls Soccer (Oct. 22-31)

Oct. 22-31 Various Sites and US Bank Stadium For more information visit www.mshsl.org

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

Girls Swimming and Diving (Nov. 14-16) Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, University of Minnesota

Girls Tennis (Oct. 22-25)

Baseline Tennis Center (AA); Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center (A)

Boys and Girls Cross Country To be announced

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

SCHEDULE/

Home games in bold

10 years and still going strong As they enter their 10th season on the ice, the Austin Bruins are hoping to put together another solid year.

The Bruins are fresh off a season where they took a game from the NAHL champion Aberdeen Wings in the NAHL Central Division Semifinals. Had Austin not gone through a bevy of injuries, they have may have been much closer to the NAHL’s best team.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Now Austin will look to reload in its third season under head coach Steve Howard as the team sent many of its players to the USHL and the college ranks.

The Bruins will likely need help in goaltending, where knew goalie coach Keegan Asmundson, who played in Austin’s first ever game, will step in and offer leadership. Tony Orlando has also joined the Bruins staff as a new assistant coach.

Sept. 18-21..........................at NAHL Showcase Sept. 27................................at Aberdeen Wings Sept. 28................................at Aberdeen Wings Oct. 4...........................vs. Aberdeen Wings Oct 5............................vs. Aberdeen Wings Oct. 10.........................at Minnesota Wilderness Oct. 12.................vs. Minnesota Wilderness Oct. 18...............................at Bismarck Bobcats Oct. 19...............................at Bismarck Bobcats Oct. 23.................vs. Minnesota Wilderness Oct. 25................................at Minot Minotauros Oct. 26..................................at Minot Minotaurs Nov. 1............................at Minnesota Magicians Nov. 2...................vs. Minnesota Magicians Nov. 9..........................at Minnesota Wilderness Nov. 15........................vs. Aberdeen Wings Nov. 16........................vs. Aberdeen Wings Nov. 22..................vs. Minnesota Magicians Nov. 23..........................at Minnesota Magicians Nov. 27........................at Minnesota Wilderness Nov. 29................vs. Minnesota Wilderness Dec. 6................................at Brookings Blizzard Dec. 7................................at Brookings Blizzard Dec. 13.......................vs. Minot Minotauros Dec. 14.......................vs. Minot Minotauros Dec. 27........................at Minnesota Wilderness Dec. 28........................at Minnesota Wilderness Jan. 3.................................at Bismarck Bobcats Jan. 4.................................at Bismarck Bobcats Jan. 9................................at Brookings Blizzard Jan. 10.....................vs. Brookings Blizzard Jan. 11..............................at Brookings Blizzard Jan. 17................................vs. Minotauros Jan. 18................................vs. Mintoauros Jan. 24...................................at Chippewa Steel Jan. 25...................................at Chippewa Steel Jan. 31................................at Minot Minotauros Feb. 1............................................at Minotauros Feb. 7.......................vs. Brookings Blizzard Feb. 8........................vs. Bismarck Bobcats Feb. 14......................vs. Bismarck Bobcats Feb. 15.......................vs Bismarck Bobcats Feb. 21..................................at Aberdeen Wings Feb. 22..................................at Aberdeen Wings Feb. 28......................vs. Bismarck Bobcats Feb. 29......................vs. Bismarck Bobcats March 6.........................vs. Chippewa Steel March 7.........................vs. Chippewa Steel March 13....................vs. Minot Minotauros March 14....................vs. Minot Minotauros March 20..............................at Minot Mintauros March 21...............................at Minot Mintauros March 25..................vs. Brookings Blizzard March 27............................at Bismarck Bobcats March 28............................at Bismarck Bobcats April 3.......................vs. Bismarck Bobcats April 4.......................vs. Bismarck Bobcats

RIVERLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE BLUE DEVILS

Volleyball Sept. 4......................vs. Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 11.................................at Western Tech., 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 13..............................vs. Century, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14....................................at Anoka-Ramsey, noon Sept. 20...................vs. Minnesota State, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 21.................................vs. Ridgwater, noon Sept. 25..............................................at RCTC, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 27...............................at St. Cloud Tech., 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 2.................................at Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 5....................................................at Century, noon Oct. 9...........................vs. Western Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 11........................vs. St. Cloud Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 12............................vs. Anoka-Ramsey, noon Oct. 16....................................vs. RCTC, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 25..............................at Minnesota State, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 26............................................at Ridgewater, noon

Soccer Aug. 28............................at North Central University, 2 p.m.

Sept. 4............................vs. Anoka-Ramsey, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 8.........................................at Lake Superior, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 14...................................................at Gustavus, 1 p.m.

Sept. 18.................................................at Minnesota, 4 p.m.

Sept. 25.....................................at Anoka-Ramsey, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 30.......................vs. Dakota County Tech, 6 p.m.

Oct. 2............................vs. Bethany College, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 5....................................vs. Lake Superior, 3 p.m.

Oct. 7.....................................at Dakota County Tech, 7 p.m.

Oct. 11........................................at Bethel University, 4 p.m.

Oct. 16........................................at Bethany Lutheran, 6 p.m.

Oct. 18...........................vs. Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

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MINNESOTA GOPHERS Aug. 29...vs. S.D. St. University, 8 p.m.

Sept. 7..............at Fresno State, 9:30 p.m.

Sept. 14..vs. Georgia South., 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 28.............................at Purdue, TBA Oct. 5...........vs. Illinois, 2:30 to 3 p.m.

Oct. 12....................vs Nebraska, TBA Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Aug. 30.......................vs University of North Carolina, 5:30 p.m.

Aug. 31...................vs Florida State University, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 4 at Texas, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 vs Florida, 7 p.m.

football

volleyball Sept. 19......vs. Clemson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21............................Clemson vs. Oral Roberts, 5 p.m.

Sept. 21......vs. Oral Rob., 7 p.m.

Oct. 19..............at Rutgers, 2:30 or 3 p.m.

Oct. 26...................vs. Maryland, TBA Nov. 9....................vs Penn State, TBA Nov. 16...................................at Iowa, TBA Nov. 23...................at Northwestern, TBA Nov. 30...................vs. Wisconsin, TBA

Oct. 18......vs. NWestern, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19...........vs. Illinois, 7 p.m.

Oct. 25.............at Michigan, 5 p.m.

Oct. 27..at Michigan State, 11 a.m.

Oct. 30.....vs. Ohio State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 3...................at Purdue, noon Nov. 8.............at Maryland, 6 p.m.

Nov. 10........at Ohio State, 11 a.m.

Nov. 13.........vs. Wisconsin, TBA Nov. 16.......vs Michigan, 7 p.m.

Nov. 22..........vs Nebraska, TBA Nov. 23.............vs. Iowa, 7 p.m.

Nov. 29..............at Rutgers, 6 p.m.

Nov. 30.........at Penn State, 6 p.m.

Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge at University Park, Pennsylvania Sept. 13.....vs. U. of Oregon, 5 p.m. Sept. 27........vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14.......................vs. Stanford Sept. 28......vs. Purdue at 7 p.m.

University, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 2......................at Iowa, 6 p.m.

Oct. 5...........vs. Rutgers, 8 p.m.

Oct. 9...................at Illinois, 8 p.m.

Diet Coke Classic Oct. 13...........at Wisconsin, 3 p.m. at Mature Pavilion

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW