Take the Field: Fall Sports 2023

Mustangs eye postseason run

The Iola High football team is banking on a heavy upperclassmen presence to improve on their 2-7 record last season.

“We have a group of young men with significant experience,” Iola head coach David Daugharthy said. “Now it is time to capitalize.”

Daugharthy also reminds the Mustangs of how well they capped off last year’s season.

Though the Mustangs lost to Frontenac in the playoff game,

EDITORS:

Susan Lynn and Tim Stau er

IOLA FOOTBALL

Head coach: David Daugharthy

Danny Boeken — 12

Korbin Cloud — 12

Korbyn Fountain — 12

Kolton Greathouse — 12

Ashton Hesse — 12

Ben Kerr — 12

Mac Leonard — 12

Briggs Michael — 12

Jaydon Morrison — 12

Drayden Reiter — 12

Gage Skahan — 12

Damian Wacker — 12

Landon Weide — 12

Cortland Carson — 11

Grady Dougherty — 11

Everett Glaze — 11

Toby Jernigan — 11

Gavin Jones — 11

Jordan Kaufman — 11

Konner Larney — 11

Lucas Maier — 11

Shaun McLaughlin — 11

Kyser Nemecek — 11

Kayden Porter — 11

Demarco Ross — 11

Trevor Tatman —11

Ean DeLaTorre — 10 Mat Drago — 10

Easton Weseloh — 10

Tre Wilson — 10

Ramone Ballin — 9

Ruger Boren — 9 Austin Crooks — 9 Beau Erickson — 9 Jace Herrmann — 9 Jakolby Hill — 9 James Hunt — 9 Franklin Kerr — 9 Evan LaCrone — 9 Brock Michael — 9 Alston Nelson — 9 Dominik Newkirk — 9 Eud Nichols — 9 Broderick Peters —9

Kale Pratt — 9

Landon Shelton — 9 Rohan Springer — 9

Layton Stowell — 9

STORIES:

PHOTOS: Quinn Burkitt

Richard Luken, Quinn Burkitt, Halie Luken and Mike Myer

ADVERTISING:

Nathan Cope and Paul Vernon

MARKETING AND DESIGN:

Violeta Rodriguez Stau er

GRAPHIC DESIGN:

Kristi Kranker

PUBLISHED BY:

© 2023 The Iola Register, Inc., Iola, Kansas

All rights reserved

Printed by Sheridan

Iola High’s Drayden Reiter (44)

they proved to be tougher than Daugharthy had expected.

“We limped into the playoffs to play an annual powerhouse, and while the scoreboard showed a blowout, our team showed a resilience like I had not seen in a long time,” said Daugharthy.

Iola ended up turning a three-score deficit into a one-score game in the second half, but ultimately fell.

That ability to overcome hardship is what Daugharthy is looking at bringing into this season,

“With so many underclassmen mounting that fight and comeback, I know the future would be bright for this program,” Daugharthy said. “

Mustangs with significant starting experience include quarterback Landon Weide, tight end and linebacker Drayden Reiter, linebacker Ben Kerr, linemen Danny Boeken and Kolton Greathouse and wide receiver and cornerback Korbin Cloud.

Boeken was named a Wichita Eagle Honorable Mention last season.

For 2022, Weide threw for 596 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for a touchdown and 101 yards. Reiter and Kerr were both named All-Pioneer League Second Team linebackers. The duo combined for 86 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

Other key returners will be linemen Korbyn Fountain, Jaydon Morrison and Grady Dougherty, along with receivers Tre Wilson, Mac Leonard and Damian Wacker and tight end/ linebacker Jordy Kaufman.

“The strength of our team is our experience,” Daugharthy said. “We have multiple seniors who will have started three or four years for us.”

Iola’s offense is continuing to function in a spread-type system with speedy and athletic players getting on the outside to run around. Defensively, the scheme will be a 3-3 set with an emphasis on blowing up the middle of the line.

“We will need to be able to execute more effectively than we have in the past,” said Daugharthy. “We have gotten a lot stronger in the weight room recently and we have become more confident. It is time to put it together as a team and send a

unified front out every Friday evening and execute.”

Daugharthy said the team goals are to win the Pioneer League, district, and a playoff game.

For their first two matchups, Iola has a split. The Mustangs defeated Osawatomie 40-14 in their season-opener on Sept. 1 but fell to Wellsville, 35-7, on Sept. 8.

Iola High’s Ben Kerr (5)

Iola volleyball pursues net gains

The Iola High volleyball team returns a number of starters from last year’s team.

The Mustangs will look to improve on their 6-24 and sixth place Pioneer League finish last year.

Returning veterans are Kaysin Crusinbery, Reese Curry, Jackie Fager, Rio Lohman, Alana Mader and Elza Clift. Crusinbery will take on the setter position after totaling 356 assists a season ago. Curry and Fager will be counted on as outside hitters.

“We had a lot of younger players get a lot of varsity experience,” said head coach Amanda Holman. “They know

what to expect at this level now. What will be important is overcoming our own mistakes and doubts.”

Holman credited the work the athletes devoted over the winter and summer by playing club ball.

“That makes a huge difference come the high school season,” she said.

Curry went for a team-high 124 kills and 47 aces, while Fager tallied 98 kills last season. Lohman recorded a team-high 94 blocks while Clift had a team-high 270 digs. Crusinbery had a team-high 356 assists. Curry also had the most kills per set at

Iola High’s volleyball team at Burlington.

Reese Curry

1.8. Holman believes that depth also yields good communication skills.

“Our communication and energy have been stellar,” she said.

The girls also have a healthy and aggressive style and good serving techniques.

“With our experience I hope to include more offensive options,” Holman said. “Our goals are to win the league and have a winning season.”

The Mustangs have started their season at 6-6. They went 3-2 when they hosted Crest, Parsons, Burlington and Anderson County on Saturday, Sept. 9.

IOLA VOLLEYBALL

Head coach: Amanda Holman

Jackie Fager — 12

Rio Lohman — 12

Leeann Maloney — 12

Elza Clift — 11

Kaysin Crusinbery — 11

Reese Curry — 11

Mariah Jelinek — 11

Alana Mader — 11

Maleigha Molina — 11

Hailey Stogsdill — 11

Faith Warden — 10

Lily Lohman — 10

Izzy Tyson — 10

Dally Curry — 9

Zoie Hesse — 9

Brooklyn Holloway — 9

Kinsey Jelinek — 9

Kaydra Scheibmeir — 9

Iola High’s Kaysin Crusinbery

And they’re off...

The Iola High cross country team is looking to be a lean and mean team. And successful.

Returning this year are junior Cole Moyer, the Mustangs’ lead runner and state-qualifier last year, as well as sophomore Brennen Coffied.

“Cole is the most senior runner we have,” said head coach Brittany Daugharthy. “Cole has run since seventh grade and he is passionate about cross country. He wants others to enjoy cross country and do their best.”

Daugharthy enjoys seeing the runners come together, run together and push each other to be the best athletes they can possibly be. Gelling as a team will be a big task this year, especially with such a variety of older and younger runners.

Freshmen expected to make an impact include Keegan Hill, Lynsie Fehr and Josh Wanker.

Daugharthy hopes the team can replicate their strong finish from last season when they placed second as a team at the Chanute regional meet.

“We were very focused on attempting to win the league meet, where we came in second, and about how our results would land us at regionals,” said Daugharthy. “Which isn’t a bad thing

Iola High’s Cole Moyer goes the distance.

but it did put additional stress on our plates.”

Sticking together during practice runs is also something Daugharthy is trying to emphasize so the athletes can push each other while running in synchronization.

“Our goal is to build up our endurance and stick together in the meets,” said Daugharthy. “This team does a great job at supporting each other. It is a positive setting for veteran runners as well as our many new athletes.”

Other team members this season include Mahailie Genoble, Kaiden Vega and Caden Coltrane. Middle school team members include Brecken Bycroft, Sydney Ebberts, Mosiah Fawson, Cameron Palmer, Eliana Higginnotham, Adam Kluebek, Konner Morrison and Autumn Carr.

Iola most recently competed at Caney Valley where they came in second place as a team. Cole Moyer and Keegan Hill each finished in the top-five of the varsity boys race.

IOLA CROSS COUNTRY

Coach: Brittany Daugharthy

Cole Moyer — 11

Brennen Coffield — 10

Mahalie Genoble — 10

Caden Coltrane — 9

Lynsie Fehr — 9

Keegan Hill — 9

Kaiden Vega — 9

Joshua Wanker — 9

Iola High’s Keegan Hill

Iola High’s Mahalie Genoble

tennis finds strength with numbers

The Iola High tennis team has one of its deepest teams in recent memory.

This year’s Mustang squad includes five seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and a pair of freshmen — a pleasant change for head coach Chris Belknap.

“With 15 players, our new challenge is that we have more players than spots to fill. Our goal has always been to grow the team. We can check that box off now.”

Seniors Keira Fawson, Rebekah Coltrane and Kennedy Maier are team leaders this season. Fawson is coming off a junior year state meet appearance where she competed in singles..

Fawson and Coltrane have had the most experience in singles play while Maier and other seniors Jillian Ward and Molly Riebel are more comfortable in doubles action.

“Keira and Rebekah are two of the team’s five seniors. All five

Rebekah Coltrane

have their own ways of being team leaders,” Belknap said. “I have witnessed it while working on certain skills and drills. The team is very welcoming and it is great seeing players step up to help each other.”

In terms of technique, Belknap is having the girls focus on their serves.

“Serves are very important and without a consistent one you will give away a lot of points,” he said.

He’s also stressing the girls become more aggressive on the court and is emphasizing they keep their feet active in order to be ready to respond well to any kind of hit.

“Tennis is a very fast-paced sport. Constant movement is critical to being prepared.”

What Iola’s experienced tennis players know best is that mistakes are going to happen on the court, it’s simply a matter of learning from those mistakes and adjusting to play better. Second serves, for example, are part of the game.

“It’s OK to make mistakes,” said Belknap. “It is how you deal with those mistakes and move on that matters. A second serve can still win you the game.”

Iola’s full team also includes juniors Kyndal Bycroft, Melanie Palmer, Madeline Wanker and Harper Desmarteau; sophomores Marlee Westhoff, Bethany Miller, Madelyn Ashworth and Ari Ramirez, and freshmen Lillian Hirt and Abigail Jerome.

The Mustangs finished in third place at the Chanute Invite on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

IOLA TENNIS

Iola High’s Kyndal Bycroft

Keira Fawson

Cubs keep rolling

The Humboldt High football team will look to build on their recent string of success which included a regional championship win over Osage City last fall.

Head coach Logan Wyrick has kept the same goals intact for this year’s Cubs, which is to win Tri-Valley League, the district title and a state championship in Salina. This is Wyrick’s eighth season at the helm of Humboldt football.

Humboldt returns seven starters from last season including quarterback Blake Ellis and defensive back Jacob Harrington.

Ellis threw for 625 yards and eight touchdowns last year and Harrington made 50 tackles and three interceptions. Cole Mathes will take over at running back where he went for 554 ground yards and three touchdowns.Sam Hull will start at wide receiver and defensive end, hauling in seven touchdowns last year.

Hull had his best game in the home playoff game against Nemaha Central, going for seven receptions for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Between Ellis and Mathes, the pair have combined for over 1,000 yards rushing and are both heading into their junior year.

HUMBOLDT FOOTBALL

Coach Logan Wyrick

Garren Goodner — 12

Caleb Gunderman — 12

Sam Hull — 12

Samuel Jennings — 12

Mateo Miller — 12

Byron Westbrook — 12

Chase Demeritt — 11

Blake Ellis — 11

Keith Gomez — 11

Brody Gunderman — 11

Jacob Harrington — 11

Asher Hart — 11

Kyler Isbell — 11

Cole Mathes — 11

Matthew McCullough — 11

Logan Page — 11

Gunner Stone — 11

Harper Dye — 10

Taner King — 10

Mark McCullough — 10

Carson Peters — 10

Carson Russell — 10

Cole Anderson — 9

Wyatt Burnett — 9

Emmitt Carson — 9

Kage Daniels — 9

Gavin Gunderman — 9

Broc Ivy — 9

Karsyn Kaufman — 9

Hudson Rees — 9

Mason Sterling — 9

Luke Vanleeuwen — 9

Layne Wagner — 9

Hunter Williams — 9

Humboldt High quarterback Blake Ellis is back to pilot the Cub offense in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE MYER

Humboldt High’s Garren Goodner

(56) Sam Jennings

(74) and Sam Hull

(17) pursue a Fredonia ball carrier.

Kyler Isbell starts at offensive line and linebacker while Garren Goodner is at center and Mateo Miller takes on cornerback duties.

“The ‘Trench Gang’ will return and be led by three-year captain and four-year starter, Garren Goodner at center,” Wyrick said. “Goodner has been the linchpin to our offense over the last three seasons, and we look to him to be an even bigger leader in 2023.”

Mathes will also be relied on at the linebacker position, along with Isbell and Chase DeMeritt. The defensive line will be led by Goodner, Hull and Logan Page.

“The defensive line will be undersized, but very athletic with Sam who has also started multiple years at cornerback and Logan who has started many games at linebacker,” said Wyrick. “We have a lot of experience in multiple positions, but we will need to find how all those pieces fit together quickly.”

Other Cubs counted on for playing time are senior Sam Jennings, juniors Asher Hart, Keith Gomez, Brody Gunderman and sophomore Mason Sterling.

Humboldt has finished at or near the top of the Tri-Valley League the past few years, most recently winning in 2019 when the Cubs finished 10-1. Last season, Humboldt placed third in the TriValley League and finished with an overall record of 8-3. The Cubs have started 2023 strong. On Sept. 1, they defeated the Fredonia Yellowjackets, 78-0, and on Sept. 8, they defeated the Caney Valley Bulldogs, 28-8.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE MYER

Reigning TVL champs set bar high

The Humboldt High volleyball team is seeking to defend their Tri-Valley League championship from last year.

The Lady Cubs finished 2022 with a 30-6 record, good for first in the Tri-Valley. Two of Humboldt’s six losses came first thing out of the gate to Wellsville and Baldwin as well as a seasonending loss to Eureka.

Head coach Terry Meadows once again has set the bar high. Meadows’ record over the past eight years at Humboldt is 17485.

Meadows’ goal is to finish the season stronger than last year and handle the pressure in close matches better.

“It’s a long season, so staying motivated can be a challenge,” he said.

The Lady Cubs are returning five starters with a significant amount of varsity experience in Shelby Shaughnessy, Kenisyn and Skylar Hottenstein, Kinley Tucker and Ricklyn Hillmon. Shaughnessy and Skylar Hottenstein finished as Tri-Valley AllTeam players last season.

The furthest the Lady Cubs have reached in the postseason has been the substate semifinals last season and in 2019-20 when Humboldt was crowned league champions. Last season was one of the first times the Lady Cubs went undefeated in league play.

“We should be competitive and will compete for a league title again,” said Meadows.

The Lady Cubs will set up in a 5/1 offensive formation, different from last year’s 6/2 offense. Shaughnessy and Kenisyn Hottenstein will be counted on as the leading servers on the back line while Skylar Hottenstein, Tucker and Shaughnessy will make their impacts felt defensively.

The Lady Cubs have their eyes on a Tri-Valley league title for the third time in the last four years.

Humboldt has started the season 5-5-1, most recently toppling Baxter Springs on the road Tuesday, Sept. 12.

HUMBOLDT VOLLEYBALL

Head coach: Terry Meadows

Rylan Covey — 12

Nastassya Goforth — 12

Kenisyn Hottenstein — 12

Kinley Tucker — 12

Cassidy Friend — 11

Karingten Hall — 11

Elizabeth Neeley — 11

Shelby Shaughnessy — 11

Chanlynn Wrestler — 11

Josey Ellis — 10

Ricklyn Hillmon — 10

Laney Hull — 10

Teghen Jaro — 10

Skylar Hottenstein — 10

Rylee Woods — 10

Addy Borjas — 9

Leah Carman — 9

Karoline Covey — 9

Kamry DeLaTorre — 9

Morgan Dillow — 9

Maleah Gordon — 9

Kinley Hart — 9

Lakyn Meadows — 9

Ella Schomaker — 9

America Sinclair — 9

Carlie Weilert — 9

Humboldt High’s Shelby Shaughnessy

NMRMC Erie Family Care Clinic

620-244-5105

Matthew Strang, MD

Gennie Mullen, APRN-C

Suzie Peters, APRN-C

NMRMC Family Medicine

620-432-5588

Matthew Strang, MD

Garrett Barton, MD

Kinzie Barton, MD

Amy Hunt, PA-C

Mallori Jacks, PA-C

Beth Nothern, PA-C

Gennie Mullen, APRN-C

NMRMC Home Health Agency 620-432-5436

NMRMC Rehabilitation & Fitness Center

620-432-5378

NMRMC Or thopedic Clinic

620-432-5775

Alexander Mih, MD

Brett Olson, PA-C

NMRMC Women’s Health Center

620-431-0340

Dawne Lowden, MD

Cathy Mih-Taylor, MD

Jennifer Byerley, APRN-C

Ashton Holman, PA-C

Dana Rhodes, APRN-CNM

Laura Myers, APRN-CNM

Main Medical Center

620-431-4000

NMRMC Senior Behavioral Care Clinic

620-433-3800

Jayme Collins, LCP, RMP

Cub XC on course for new heights

The Humboldt High cross country team began the season with a league championship title under its belt secured by the girls team last year.

Returning runners McKenna Jones, Anna Heisler, Tori Melendez and Brigg Shannon earned Tri-Valley All-League Honorable Mention list last year.

Three seniors lead the team in Danica Modlin, Nathan Swogar and Landon Bauer in addition to juniors Sophia Barlow, Shannon, Jones and Heisler.

“We have a decent number of returners and a good group of newcomers,” said head coach Eric Carlson. “Our girls and boys have been either league champion or runner-up for the last few years and we want to continue that success.”

Carlson believes this year’s team is one of the most evenly balanced teams he’s coached in terms of the first five runners out of the gate. The Cubs will rely on their variety of experience to help them gel together as well as push each other to be better.

“We didn’t get much training in over the summer which will hinder our success early on,” said Carlson. “By the time league, regionals, and state roll around we should be hitting our stride.”

Carlson feels confident the Cubs are capable of securing another Tri-Valley League championship title this fall, either on the boys or girls side. Staying healthy is key.

“We always have a goal to compete for the league title on both sides,” said Carlson. “If we can stay injury-free, we should have a good shot at the league championship. In addition, we hope to make a push for team qualifiers for the state meet.”

Carlson coaches both the track and cross country teams at Humboldt, which gives him a familiarity with the athletes’ running and competitive styles and abilities.

Humboldt High’s Jack Works

MV talent shines on Friday nights

The Marmaton Valley High football program has five returning starters from 2022 to help take the team beyond the .500 mark in 2023.

Max Mickunas is also back for his third season as the Wildcats’ head coach.

The Wildcats finished last season with a 4-5 overall record, finishing in third place in the Three Rivers League even after suffering steep losses to injuries.

“The best part of our season was seeing how the team responded to adversity and the development of our young players,” said Mickunas. “Last season we lost five starters to injury and other unforeseen circumstances and by the end of the season we were starting two freshmen and two sophomores and still finished 4-5.”

Expected to play big roles this year are senior lineman Daniel Fewins, junior quarterback Brayden Lawson and junior receiver and defensive back Jaedon Granere. Sophomores Tyler Lord and

MARMATON VALLEY FOOTBALL

Head coach: Max Mickunas Daniel Fewins — 12

Raiden Cook — 11

Dre Ellis — 11

Jaedon Granere — 11

Brayden Lawson — 11

Kele Michael — 11 Dominic Smith — 11

Lane Storrer — 11 Brevyn Campbell — 10 Chris Ferguson — 10

Lord — 10 Dagan Barney — 9 Corbin Bowers — 9 Hunter Doolittle — 9 Mason Ferguson — 9 Cooper Scharff — 9

Junction 54-59 • Moran, KS

620-237-4534

Hours: Mon-Thur 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. • Fri 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday

Marmaton Valley High’s Brayden Lawson helms the Wildcat offense in 2023. PHOTO COURTESY OF HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

Brevyn Campbell also return valuable starting time.

“All five returning starters will have to step up their leadership,” Mickunas said. “Daniel Fewins is our lone senior and I expect him to take a step forward in that regard, especially being the lone returning starter on the offensive line. Brayden doesn’t have a lot to say but lets his play do the talking. Jaedon isn’t afraid to bring the energy and hold people accountable. Together I think they will both develop as leaders this season.”

Last season, Lawson started at quarterback and tossed for 1,323 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the ground, Lawson rushed for 1,078 yards and 18 touchdowns on 175 total carries. Granere returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and went for a total of 15 touchdowns.

Mickunas believes his team will be able to pride themselves on their speed by the fact several of the Wildcats also competed on the track team.

“Pound for pound, we should be one of the fastest teams in the state,” said Mickunas. “All of our skill guys have gotten faster since last season. They all have the speed and elusiveness to make big plays and I expect them to do that routinely this season. All in all, I’d say our passing game is something that we do well and take pride in.”

Of the returners, Lord also brings some much needed speed after he hauled in two touchdowns for 339 yards and five touchdowns. He also made two interceptions and 44 tackles defensively.

Some newcomers to keep an eye on will be freshmen running back and defensive back Cooper Scharff and linemen Dagan Barney and Mason Ferguson.

“The goal is always to reach the playoffs,” said Mickunas. “This would make the third playoff appearance in the three years I have been the head coach. We have aspirations to compete for a league and district title.”

On offense, Fewins is the only returning starter on the offensive line and will need to team up with some younger linemen to protect Lawson and Granere.

“We play a tough schedule against some very good football teams in Oswego, Crest and Lebo,” Mickunas said. “The competition thickens our skin.”

Marmaton Valley kicked off its season at Oswego on Sept. 1, defeating the Indians 50-0 and dominating the Yates Center Wildcats, 74-0, Sept. 8.

Marmaton Valley High’s Kele Michael (35) and Mason Ferguson (61) are expected to play key roles for the Wildcats in 2023. PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALIE LUKEN /MVHS

Youngsters lead MV XC

Marmaton Valley has a young cross country team this year.

On the roster are sophomore Sophia Heim, freshman Brendon Newman and junior high runners Thomas Allee, Colin Ard, Haylie Aiello and Emma Louk.

Steve Smith has been at Marmaton Valley for 30 years and as head coach of the cross country team for 16 years. As the coach of both cross country and track, he’s seen what makes great runners and how the best progress through the season.

The sport requires a marathon attitude. Races are typically 5000 meters, or the equivalent of 3.1 miles.

“We have good camaraderie with this year’s group,” noted Smith. “They all are willing to provide support and help each other out to become better runners.”

Heim was a letter recipient a year ago, the only high school runner the Wildcats fielded. Heim came in 17th place at the league meet in Cherokee and 33rd place at the Class 1A regional meet in Wichita.

The Wildcat also came in fourth place and earned a medal in

the junior varsity 5K race at the Humboldt Invitational last season.

As an eighth-grader, Newman came in fourth place at the Three Rivers league meet and took 11th at the Humboldt meet.

For the 2023 season, Marmaton Valley competed on Sept. 8 in Fort Scott where Heim took third in the JV girls 5000-meter run and Newman placed 27th in the JV boys 5000-meter run.

Head coach: Steve Smith

Sophia Heim — 10

Brendon Newman — 9

Marmaton Valley’s Brendon Newman

Blythe takes reins for Wildcat VB

The Marmaton Valley High volleyball team has a first-year head coach in Megan Blythe.

The Wildcats return 12 players from last year and have six incoming freshmen. Team leaders are seniors Brooklyn Adams, Janae Granere, Payton Scharff and junior Piper Barney.

With Blythe at the helm, her hope is that she can unify the team as much as possible and leave the drama that comes with high school at the door.

“A willingness to be wrong and to improve is important,” said Blythe. “There are lots of strong personalities on the team but being willing to leave that at the gym doors, come in and do work and be able to commit to something no matter what, is big. That’s the culture I hope to instill.”

She will be helped by the seniors to create an environment that her players can get better every day. With so many returners, Blythe also wants there to be the feeling that no spot is secure.

This further allows the Wildcats to fight for starting positions and improve through that.

“The goal is to create a unified team. That anyone can earn their spot as long as they’re working hard and putting in the effort,” said Blythe. “They made a commitment to me and the team, and working together to earn a spot they want on the court is what I want them to have.”

An addition to the team is foreign exchange student Marie Forero. Blythe has liked what she’s seen from Forero so far through practices and the other Wildcats have stepped in to help, too.

Farero is new to the sport, Blythe said, but that has not stopped the team making her feel welcome to the team

“It’s been nice seeing the girls rally around her, teach her the basics even at this higher level of skill and expectation. Seeing her learning and being coachable has been great,” Blythe said.

Marmaton Valley has been one of the stronger teams at the net the last few years, but Blythe wants her team to be just as solid on the defensive end to set up an aggressive offensive attack. Strong serving and a strong back line is what Blythe hopes to implement.

Janae Granere leads MV’s volleyball team in 2023. PHOTO BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

Youth lead way at Crest

The Crest High cross country team is returning a number of sophomores who were instrumental to the Lancers’ 2022 success as Three Rivers League champions, regional champions and third place team finish at the Class 1A state meet.

Leading the team at the state meet were Josie Walter taking third place, Peyton Schmidt finishing in 14th and Aubrey Allen at 24th.

Head coach Kaitlyn Cummings knows how special this group is.

“I believe Aubrey, Peyton and Josie will show leadership because they have been a part of the sport since middle school,” said Cummings. “They have had tremendous accomplishments as a group.”

Cummings’ goals for the season are to make it to the state championship meet as a team and to improve every race.

By the time the state meet arrives in late October, “we want to be at our peak and show the hard work we put in all season.”

“Along with goals to make it to state, I also have goals for the athletes to meet personal records,” said Cummings.

Walter wrapped up her freshman season at the Class 1A Regional meet with a third-place finish while Schmidt finished in sixth. At the Three Rivers League meet, four Lancers placed in the top-25, including Walter leading the way in first place.

Crest has started the season strong with Walter earning second place overall and Schmidt coming in fourth in the varsity girls 5000-meter run at Fort Scott. Gunner Ellington took 10th in the boys race.

Crest’s Josie Walter

Lady Lancers carry high hopes in ‘23

The Crest Lady Lancers are coming off an impressive 2022 season after winning 26 matches.

To repeat that success, head coach Abigail Hermreck says it comes down to taking one match at a time and enjoying the season.

Those returners looking to carry over the momentum include senior Kayla Hermreck and junior Kinley Edgerton.

“Kayla’s volleyball IQ is outstanding,” said Hermreck. “She is encouraging and she works incredibly hard. She pushes those around her to elevate their game just from her play. And Kinley Edgerton’s confidence has come on strong. She is talking more, making beautiful sets and stepping up to run the offense.”

Coach Hermreck believes the biggest strengths of the Lady Lancers will be their “bounciness, passing and team chemistry.” Hermreck has been thrilled by the level of communication and encouragement seen so far.

“I feel that we will continue to build on the positive things from last season,” said Hermreck. “Of course we want to get

even more wins and go even farther in the postseason.”

What Hermreck hopes is different about this year’s team is its ability to close a match against strong opponents.

Hermreck recalled the communication between the girls broke down and their confidence wavered when challenged.

“The underclassmen that played varsity, as well as the newcomers, are gaining confidence fast,” Hermreck said. “We are putting plays together and communicating very well. Our offense is going to run more efficiently.”

Karlee Boots, a junior, and Brooklynn Jones, a senior, will provide valuable time at outside hitter and defense, respectively. The duo will also hopefully be a spark of communication and energy when other teams are making a run of their own. They’ll be joined by Kaelin Nilges and Aylee Beckmon.

“Consistently running our offense from serve receive passing will be key,” said Hermreck. “Not all teams are going to gift us free balls.”

Crest is currently 11-5 on the season.

Crest’s Karlee Boots

Crest retools for run at TRL title

The Crest High football program experienced a big changeover from last year when the team was composed mainly of seniors.

“With 11 seniors on the team and returning AllState running back Holden Barker, everyone expected them to win a lot of football games and they did,” said head coach Nick McAnulty.

The Lancers finished 7-3 and were knocked out by Osborne in the playoffs.

McAnulty is heading into his fifth year at the helm of the program and 10th year overall coaching.

Returning for Crest this fall is senior Ryan Golden. The six-foot, five-inch wide receiver hauled in five receptions for 60 yards last season. Logan Kistner, Jerry Rodriguez and Rogan Weir also return with good playing time.

“These guys have always done a great job of being leaders to the younger kids and for our JV team,” McAnulty said. “They had a big group of seniors ahead of them so they didn’t always have a ton of varsity opportunities, but they have always contributed when given the opportunity.”

Crest’s team speed will be its biggest advantage this season in the eight-man format.

Their Achilles heel may be their tackling skills.

“We had a lot of size on our team last year on the offensive line and had big backs,” said McAnulty. “This year we will be undersized in a lot of positions.”

McAnulty said his goals for Crest are to win league and district.

To complete that task, the Lancers will have to get through other top contenders in the Three Rivers League in Lebo, Marmaton Valley and St. Paul. Crest’s only two losses during the regular season last year came against Chase County and Lebo.

To start the season, Crest defeated Yates Center, 72-0, on Sept. 2, followed by a loss to the Chase County Bulldogs, 50-0, on Sept. 9.

Drake Weir (43) and Kade Nilges (33) return for Crest this season.

Wildcats turn to youth

Yates Center head football coach

Ryan Panko has only two goals for his extremely young team this year: Keep the players excited for the future of the program and keep them healthy. That’s it. The Wildcats are fielding an eight-man football team of only two seniors, seven freshmen and three sophomores. No juniors.

Two years ago, Yates Center won the Three Rivers League.

This year, Panko sees many similarities from that young group he began working with as freshmen.

“The kids are going to get a lot of experience and it’s going to help in the coming years,” he said. “The freshmen worked hard and were in the weight room all summer. My sophomores have been consistent too. We beat everybody in middle school last year, so it’ll just take a year or two for them to get their feet wet.”

Looking to make a difference are Jeremiah Jones, Evan McVey, Colton Burkholder and Jayda Rice. The pair of seniors are Damien Andrews and Tristin Ballin.

“As long as we’re fundamentally sound and we’re still losing, there’s not much we can do about it, but if we can at least put up a fight and do it the right way, we’ll be alright,” he said.

Doing the small things right and working as a team don’t always show up on the scoreboard. But they do build a team for the future. Panko knows he has assembled such a team.

Yates Center sits at 0-2 after a couple of season-opening losses to local Three Rivers League challengers Crest and Marmaton Valley.

Tristin Ballin (32) carries for Yates Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

Yates Center VB has high hopes

The Yates Center High volleyball team is looking to avenge their 11-26 record last year and flip the script.

Second-year head coach Carrie Cummings comes into the season resolved that what she puts forth as a coach, she’ll get back from her Wildcats.

“They have to know that you still care about them, no matter if they win or lose. That’s really important because if they’re just getting chewed out, they won’t even want to try for their coach,” said Cummings. “If they know that my intent is to make them better, they’ll play their hearts out.”

“A lot of people say we were fun to watch,” said Cummings. “If we’re playing hard we may not win all the time. but we give them a reason to come.”

It’ll be easy for Cummings to foster a family-like atmosphere this season. Her daughter, freshman Cayten Cummings, is on the team along with fellow freshman Mylin Tidd.

Yates Center’s squad is deep, including four seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.

Returning starters include Kamdyn Trahan, Lauren McConaghie, Adison Morrison, Peyton Petit and Kinley Morrison.

“Bonds, chemistry and togetherness will be what this group prides itself on,” Cummings said. “We do everything together and they have a lot of fun together. That’s something we’re really going to stick by and hopefully it translates on the court. We’re all on the same page.”

Cummings’ goals for her team include finishing with an above-.500 record and finishing in the top five in the Three Rivers League.

“Hopefully our serving and passing game is our backbone because if you have that everything will fall in place,” said Cummings. “We do have a few girls who can really smack the ball so if we can get to where our passing is down then we’ll be able to produce offensively. We’re also working on getting to the

ball and setting up some defensive plays.”

Cummings knows how fast a match can get out of hand.

“You’ve got to have a short memory and move on to the next play in this game,” said Cummings. “We can’t dwell on what happened because it’ll compound.”

Madison Hall, a sophomore transfer from Iola, will also look to make a difference in the backline. Cummings expects Hall to take on a leadership role on the junior varsity team and take a step to varsity at some point as well.

The Wildcats currently have 9 wins and 6 losses on the season.

YATES CENTER VOLLEYBALL

Head coach: Carrie Cummings Lauren McConaghie — 12

Adison Morrison — 12

Peyton Petit — 12

Kamdyn Trahan — 12

Tayla Baker — 11

Jacyie Randall — 11

Macie

11 Heidi Cederlind — 10 Madison Hall — 10

Kinley Morrison — 10 Wylee Shaffer — 10

Cayten Cummings — 9

Halie Drake — 9

Linde Hodges — 9 Mylin Tidd — 9

Yates Center’s Kamdyn Trahan

Wildcat harriers gain experience

The Yates Center High cross country team has freshmen and middle schoolers leading the charge.

But that doesn’t change head coach Kari King’s mission of growing them as athletes over the course of the season.

King wants her charges to forget about winning a race, and to instead focus on their personal improvement. The satisfaction of improving race times allows the runners to not fret about winning and to stay focused on their own running.

“We put the most emphasis on improving your time,” said King. “If you win a medal, great. If you don’t, it’s alright because it’s going to come. It takes a lot of years of dedication to be a good cross-country runner and it takes a little more for junior high kids to understand that.”

Leading the team this fall are freshmen Jaylynn Birk and Asher Arnold. Birk placed in either the top-five or 10 of all races last year in the middle school rankings. Arnold also returns experience from the middle school level.

“Our kids have been running this summer so they’re all running at about the same pace. The pressure is on them to keep up with the pack,” she said. “With five of them, I think it’s going to be a strength that they have friends that will hold them accountable.”

“Our weakness will be the lack of a full team feel because we don’t have enough high-schoolers to qualify as a team. I think that takes away a dimension of cross country,” said King.

“If you have that dimension,

you can hold your runners accountable and you have a plan together to run, while we might have three in a race.”

The Wildcats have a strong cross country history. Only a few years ago, Hadley Splechter was a Wildcat standout. Splechter went on to compete for Kansas State University.

“I run with the kids whenever I can,” said King. “It’s a great sport for personal growth and personal achievement.”

That’s the mantra King wants to bring into this season.

“Cross country teaches you discipline. It teaches you that you have to work hard, that nothing is going to come easy,” said King. “It translates a lot to real life, when you are having hard times you have to stick with it and keep going. It’s the same thing with cross country. You’re not going to feel great all the time, but you have to keep at it.”

King’s goals for the season include Birk qualifying for state; Arnold medaling at the junior varsity level and the other runners gaining a feel for cross country at the middle school level.

A string of Yates Center runners recently medaled at a meet in Lyndon. Jalynn Birk took first place in the junior varsity girls 5K race while Asher Arnold got an eighth place medal in the JV boys 5K.

Now that Southern Coffey County has a year of six-man football under its belt, head coach Brian Rand feels confident things will go smoother this year.

In 2022, the Titans finished 1-8. The good news is a strong group of veterans are back.

“It was our first season in six-man and we improved every week,” said Rand. “We learned to compete and the players began to understand the game.”

A couple of Titans who have been in the program and understand SCC’s potential are seniors Reeston Cox and Thomas Nickel. Cox mans the defensive back position while Nickel lines up at wide receiver and defensive line.

Juniors Seth Gleue and Issac Higdon as well as sophomores John Rolf and Trey Winn are also counted on for playing on both sides of the ball.

“We took a lot of lumps and the game

SCC VOLLEYBALL

Head coach: Jeff True

Kaydence Gunlock — 12

Kyla Houston — 12

Kynlee Lind — 12

Kennedy Gunlock — 11

Emily Ludolph — 11

Karley Ohl — 11

Brianna Summers — 11

Dergan True — 11

Kaytlynn Winn — 11

Layla Decker — 9

Delilah Dormes — 9

Josie Schweizer — 9

would get away from us very quickly early in the season,” said Rand. “Keeping the players’ morale up and not letting them get frustrated was challenging at times.”

“We will have to be more consistent on offense and hone fundamentals on defense,” said Rand. “We want to improve every day at practice and compete in every game.”

Some of the newcomers joining the Titans this year are senior transfer Xavier Cross from Lyndon High School. Freshmen Cyrus Nickel and Lane Brooks will also be counted on. Cross lines up at defensive back; Cyrus Nickel is a receiver and defensive lineman, and Brooks plays defensive back.

This will be Rand’s sixth season coaching Southern Coffey’s football team. He will be assisted by Jason Harred.

The Titans are currently 1-1 after beating Central Lost Springs, 39-36. SCC’s first loss of the season was to Waverly, 54-6.

SCC FOOTBALL

Coach: Bryan Rand

Reeston Cox —12

Xavier Cross — 12

Thomas Nickel — 12

Seth Gleue — 11

Issac Higdon — 11

Cayden Mizer — 10

John Rolf — 10

Trey Winn — 10

Lane Brooks — 9

Cyrus Nickel — 9

Josh Snyder — 9

SCC adapts to 6-man style Lady Titans eye success

The Southern Coffey County High volleyball team will be focused on continuing their success from last season’s dominant finish.

The Lady Titans finished the season with an overall record of 30-8, good for second place in the Lyon County League. Southern Coffey eventually lost to the state champion, Lebo in the substate championship game.

Jeff True is in his 13th year as head coach and 34th year overall at Southern Coffey County High. He believes in constant improvement throughout the season.

“I want to improve every day, stay positive, get out and compete with a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said True.

Returning players expected to contribute most will be Kyla Houston and Karley Ohl. Houston is a senior setter while Ohl is a junior outside and middle hitter.

“Kyla will be moving to our primary setter

role. She’s a great leader, has an excellent work ethic and has developed into a very positive part of our team,” said True. “Karley will be one of our primary hitters. She also has a great work ethic and is developing into being a good leader for us.”

Other returners include seniors Kaydence Gunlock and Kynlee Lind as well as juniors Kennedy Gunlock, Emily Ludolph, Dergan True and Kaytlynn Winn.

This year’s smaller numbers will present challenges.

“Staying healthy will be important,” True said. “We don’t have a lot of depth this season.”

True said he’ll focus on sharpening the girls’ passing and serve-receive game to strengthen their offense.

The Lady Titans are 1-4 on the season so far, notching a 2-1 win against Pleasanton on September 5.