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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker
Football
Soccer
In his second year as coach, Marc Gordon led the program to its first MIAA Tournament appearance since 2012. With a strong foundation of returning players, along with the pretty nifty addition of a brand new Astroturf field at Bearcat Pitch, expect the women to be a sleeper team in the conference.
Coach Rich Wright has taken a step further into the playoffs in each of his three years at the helm of the program. Behind a traditionally stout defense and new offensive guidance with an experienced Todd Sturdy as the play-caller, Simply put, expect big things this school year don’t be surprised if the ‘Cats find themselves from this group. The women got one meet into playing on national television in December. their spring semester before COVID-19 canceled everything. The team returns everybody except for Bekah Donner due to graduation. Things clicked at some points last year — expect them to pretty frequently this time around.
Golf
Cross Country
Since Brandon Masters and Nick Gibson took over the program two years ago, it’s become a national powerhouse. The men are returning nearly everyone, with former All-American Karim Achengli as the lone departure for the men. On the other hand, the women are looking to lean on foundational pieces that have been building for the last couple of years. Nonetheless, expect both teams to be on the podium at the MIAA Championships — especially the men.
Volleyball There was a lot of uncertainty around replacing a cornerstone player in the program last year. Amy Woerth and company answered that with one of the best seasons in program history. This time around, Hallie Sidney’s and Maddy Ahrens’ departures leave holes to fill, but it’s no task that Woerth hasn’t managed before.
