Boys basketball

Drew Houfek

Last season, the boys basketball team finished in fourth place in the Sunflower League, five spots up from the year before. This year, they will try to continue that upward trend with an even more successful season.

“My goal is for us to do as good as last year, or possibly better,” Tre Adger, senior, said. “We should have a lot of chemistry; we’ve played with each other since freshman year.”

However, the team will still face several challenges.

“Returning with an inexperienced group, I imagine we’ll go through some growing pains,” Dan Morrow, head coach, said, “But, I would expect us to learn from those and be playing our best basketball in February.”

Morrow also pointed out that the team’s style of play will look a little different, with an up-tempo approach and five guards on the floor often.

Girls basketball

Joseph Kamseu

Last year the girls varsity basketball team had a record of 21-4 and they plan to do better this year than they did last year.

As to what the team needs to concentrate on, Mike Allen, coach, said, “They should work on playing their best at the end of the season.” Allen thinks that their “defense, hustle, [and] attitude” contributed to all the games they won in the past.

Some challenging schools they will play include Olathe East because they return everybody, Lawrence because they are big and strong and Leavenworth because they are athletic, according to Allen.

They have five returning seniors: Makayla Gooch, Nae Nae Roebuck, Lindsey Bartels, Kaiti Butaud and Kara Griswold. During open gyms they have had quite a few underclassmen.

Gooch said, “We have five seniors and two going back [to varsity], so it is pretty good, a hard schedule and the best coach.”

Bowling

Jake Ripkey

The girls and boys bowling teams look to aim for state.

This year, they hope that they can get an entire team to state and not just individual players. The boys team returns three juniors from last season. There are no senior girls playing this year, but, Daley McLaughlin, junior, hopes to lead the lines as she went to state last year as a sophomore.

Tryouts were Nov. 28-Dec 1, and the team can expect at least 24-32 players this season. There will be six to eight players on each varsity team for girls and boys as well as for junior varsity.

The bowling team’s first meet will be on Jan. 19 at Park Lanes in Shawnee.

Boys swimming

Sarah Buehler

Last year the boys swim team placed ninth at state.

This year their goals are even higher in hopes of more individual swimmers going to state and placing in all relays.

The previous season, Luke Wardle, 2016 graduate, and Max Stoneking, senior, went to state in individual events.

This season, Brandon Simpson, head coach, said, “On the varsity level, I think we can have a handful of swimmers qualify for individual state events and hopefully place top eight in the relays.”

The swim team is working more on sprinting and will continue to do Ultra Short Race Pace Training (USRPT) since seven of the 12 events are sprints.

Simpson said, “My goal this year is to develop technically sound swimmers.”

Wrestling

Christian Cortes

The wrestling team had their first meet of the season on Nov. 8, and the team has been preparing for months beforehand doing weights during summer. Coach Connor Fitzgerald feels confident this year’s season will be successful.

“We have had a great pre-season,” Fitzgerald said. “This is the best off season we’ve ever had.”

Returning wrestlers like Enrique Cabrera, senior, have been looking forward for this season, and have been training hard since last summer.

“I want to at least make it to state,” Cabrera said.

Fitzgerald hopes the team will bring home a state trophy home for the first time.

“I hope we keep our momentum and reach our full potential,” Fitzgerald said.