Girls basketball, boys basketball, wrestling, boys swimming, and bowling are all getting ready for their upcoming season and have many different goals. The first sport to kick off their season is wrestling who will be competing this afternoon.

Girls basketball

The girls basketball team hopes to score big this season.

“I was extremely happy with last year’s season and was pleased with how everything went. I was also very proud of the great leadership. We ended the season strong 20 and 5,” Coach Mike Allen said.

Allen’s goals this season is to see improvement each week.

“The challenges we will face will be that we lost 87 percent of scoring due to graduates. There are also no starters and very limited varsity experience. I am concentrated on how the girls are going to respond,” Allen said.

Allen is most excited about the challenge of losing so many people, in other words, starting over.  According to Allen, one of the standout athletes this year is Caroline Harshbarger, junior.

The team’s first tournament will be at Olathe East on Dec. 5.

Boys basketball

The boys basketball team is planning to improve on last year this season.

“I was pretty happy with last year’s season. Although we lost to Gardner High School, the team did what was expected,” Coach Dan Morrow said.

Morrow’s goal this season is for the team to win the first round of substate.

“Some challenges we will face this season is the size of the team and the fact athletes will play a lot of guards. There is also limited experience,” Morrow said.

Morrow is most excited about the seniors that enjoy playing together.

The team’s first tournament will be at Blue Valley on Dec. 5.

Wrestling

Last year, the wrestling team finished the season by placing ninth at the state championship meet.

This year, the team is hoping to bring home a team trophy from state, a top three team finish, which the team has never done before.

Conor Fitzgerald, head coach, said, “We are focusing on building better athletes, mastering fundamentals, strengthening mental toughness and having fun.”

Seven state qualifiers return from last year’s team. According to Fitzgerald, leading the team this year is Dallas Koelzer, sophomore, Jace Koelzer and Nick Jouret, seniors.

The toughest meets will be the Council Bluffs Classic, the Newton Tournament of Champions, and the Rocky Welton Invitational, according to Fitzgerald. All three of these tournaments are two days long.

“Our program has never been stronger—we’re talented, dedicated and motivated to once again raise the bar for Olathe South wrestling,” Fitzgerald said. “I believe the strongest aspect of our program is our bond, and I’m so excited for our family to come together again this winter.”

Boys swimming

The boys swim team is focusing on the team aspect of swimming this year and getting to know each other more.

Brandon Simpson, head coach, said, “I want this year’s swim experience to be so positive that more kids have a lifetime of swimming ahead of them.”

During practice, they are working on individual medley (IM) and distance training.  The varsity team practices nine times a week.

The team is facing challenges this year because they have lost Max Stoneking, Olathe South graduate, an All-State swimmer and record holder.

According to Simpson, their toughest meets will be league and state.

Bennett Junkins, junior, said, “My favorite part of swim season is getting to be with all my friends and competing at the state championships.”

Bowling

The bowling team finished their season last year with a 13-7 record for the boys and 18-8 record for the girls. The JV girls also took first place at the city tournament last year.

Bill Lowe, head coach, said, “Our biggest goals for this season is to improve on our win and loss record. Also, to have all bowlers improve their average this year.”

Their toughest meets will be the state and regional meet, according to Lowe.

Their biggest challenge will be to find enough practice time for new bowlers while also focusing on returning bowlers.

Lowe, said “Our season is very short so we are limited on practice time and must make every minute count at practice. Concentration at practice and meets will help improve our results from last year.”