The 2016 Fall Sports Preview - Grayson County News Gazette
Transcription
The 2016 Fall Sports Preview - Grayson County News Gazette
The 2016 Fall Sports Preview A supplement of the Grayson County News-Gazette Don Brown, News-Gazette Sports Editor The 2016 Cougar Football Team The 2016 Lady Cougar Volleyball Team The 2016 Lady Cougar Soccer Team The 2016 Cougar Soccer Team The 2016 Cougar Cross Country Team The 2016 Cougar Golf Team 2016 FALL SPORTS 2 Saturday, August 27, 2016 Grayson County Gazette FOOTBALL DAYTON BLAIR Senior CHASE PEAK Senior COLTON GIBSON Junior LUKE DECKER Senior CHARLIE WALTERMIRE Senior JONATHAN LOUGHRAN Junior ISAAC GEARY Senior TOMMY HARPER Senior JIMMY HATFIELD Senior DUSTIN WOOSLEY Senior ETHAN CARTER Junior SETH ELMORE Junior RANDY MURPHY Junior BRYAN SADLER Junior MICHAEL SCHAFER Junior CORBIN HODGE Senior EVAN EMBRY Junior GARRETT SCHAGNE Junior JORDAN STALLINGS Junior TYLER BELLOWS Sophomore NOAH BULLOCK Sophomore ETHAN CATES Sophomore CHASE CHILDRESS Sophomore 2016 SENIORS Front row, L-R: Jimmy Hatfield, Charlie Waltermire, Corbin Hodge, Tommy Harper, Isaac Geary. Back row, L-R: Luke Decker, Dustin Woosley, Chase Peak, Dayton Blair. Cougar gridders facing uphill task Cougar 19 and a few moments later scored to make it 35-8 midway through the fourth quarter. Sophomore Noah Bullock started at quarterback for the Cougars and sophomore Cameron Harris also saw time there. Bullock completed one pass for 15 yards, but also threw two interceptions, one that was returned for a score. Harris had little success either, and lost a fumble late in the game that set up the Hornets’ final score. Seniors Corbin Hodge and Isaac Geary figure to anchor the offensive line. Others battling for spots there will be juniors Bryan Sadler and Colton Gibson, sophomores Coley Hensley, Tyler Bellows and Spenser Saltsman, and freshmen Cameron Comeaux, J. J. Tomes, Ryan Coates and Ryan Mode. Stallings, Blair and Woosley should be the main ball-carriers for the Cougars, but look also for sophomore Ryan Johnson and freshmen Logan Kopp and Johnny Vaughn to tote the pigskin. Kopp had several good, aggressive kickoff returns during the Hancock game. Seniors Luke Decker and Tommy Harper will be in the defensive line, along with juniors Michael Schafer and Garrett Schagne, and sophomores Colton Starcher, Taylor Fentress and Hunter Payton. Woosley returns to his starting linebacker slot, along with juniors Jonathan Loughran and Ethan Carter, sophomores Dustin Goostree, Ethan Cates and Levi Minton, and several freshmen. Cates had eight tackles in the season opener. Blair, Stallings, Harris, Bullock and senior Chase Peak will be relied upon in the defensive backfield. Stallings led the team with 12 tackles against the Hornets. The Cougars will not get any breaks, either in non-district games or in games against District 2 opponents, which includes the defending state 5A champions, the Bowling Green Purples. The Purples won their opener 48-22 over John Hardin with quarterback Clark Payne throwing for 277 yards and three TDs. “Greenwood returns most of their skill players from last year and feel this could be a special year for them,” Smart said. The Gators won their opener 39-7 over Warren East and their defense picked off four Raider passes. Edmonson County steamrolled the Cougars last season 43-7, but start this season under first-year coach Kyle Pierce. The Wildcats, led by a junior class that was a GRVC champion as eighth-graders, beat Caverna 46-8 in their season-opener. Smart said he believes Butler County may have their best team ever and said the Bears could battle for their district 2A title. The Bears crushed Logan County 53-14 in their first contest. GO COUGARS Custom Screen Printing on T-Shirt, Caps | Jackets & Sports Uniforms | Photo Shirts, Trophies & Awards | Embroidery on Caps, Jackets & Blankets | Custom Laser Engraving The intelligent way to buy a car! Fast Friendly Service Reasonable Prices AUTOSM A R T www. 1.com 270-287-0278 602 | South Main St. | Leitchfield, KY 60662258 After suffering through a difficult, 2-9 season last year on the gridiron, the Cougar football team and head coach Ed Smart are hoping to rebound this year. Beginning his 13th season as Cougar head coach, Smart knows the task will be a difficult one as the team has only three players who return with any significant playing time. Junior Jordan Stallings, and seniors Dayton Blair and Dustin Woosley started both on offense and defense for the Cougars. Stallings and Woosley started in the backfield on offense, and Blair was a split end. On defense, Stallings and Blair were defensive backs and Woosley started at outside linebacker. “Last year the Cougars gave up more points than any other team in Class 5A football, and we scored the second fewest points,” Smart said. “With so few returners with any experience, the task ahead of us will be uphill.” The difficulty was obvious to anyone who attended the Cougars’ first game of the season last Friday at home against Hancock County. The Hornets scored late in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead, but the Cougars marched downfield behind the running of Stallings and Woosley to take an 8-7 lead on Stallings’ twisting, turning, 12-yard run to open the second period. It was all Hornets after that, with junior running back Tanner Singleton scoring three touchdowns, one of which came on a 75-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. The Cougar defense was nearly nonexistent, especially in the second half, and the offense could muster little in the way of movement after their only score. The only bright spots on an otherwise dismal evening were Stallings, who rushed 12 times for 78 yards and the score, and Woosley, who carried the ball 13 times for 65 yards. Woosley also punted the ball well for Grayson County, with the exception of an ill-advised fake punt on a fourth-and-18 deep in his own territory. The Hornets stopped him at the Go Cougars! 270-230-9999 | Barbara & John Allen 117 W. Main St., Leitchfield, KY [email protected] | 270-326-7424 www.radaknivesforyou.com Please pardon the mess we are expanding 2016 FALL SPORTS Grayson County Gazette Saturday, August 27, 2016 3 FOOTBALL COLE DECKER Sophomore TAYLOR FENTRESS Sophomore DUSTIN GOOSTREE Sophomore CAMERON HARRIS Sophomore ANDREW HAYCRAFT Sophomore LUKE HENDERSON Sophomore COLEY HENSLEY Sophomore RYAN JOHNSON Sophomore LEVI MINTON Sophomore HUNTER PAYTON Sophomore DERRICK RUTH Sophomore SPENSER SALTSMAN Sophomore COLTON STARCHER Sophomore TERRANCE BOONE Freshman RYAN COATES Freshman CAMERON COMEAUX Freshman DUSTIN EDWARDS Freshman HUNTER GIBSON Freshman TALLIN SMART Freshman ETHAN STEWART Freshman LOGAN KOPP Freshman COOPER TERRY Freshman RYAN MODE Freshman KAMRYN ROBINSON Freshman J. J. TOMES Freshman JOHNNY VAUGHN Freshman LOGAN SALING Freshman AUSTIN CARDWELL Manager Coaching change ushers in new volleyball era By Don Brown When long-time volleyball coach Nancy Miles decided not to return this season, the team was left wondering who would be brought in to replace her. Then, just as the team was preparing for its summer workouts, it was announced that former Lady Cougar standout, Rebecca Meredith, would be the new coach. Meredith, who graduated from GCHS in 2007 and went on to play volleyball at Brescia University, was without a doubt the best player to come through the GCHS volleyball program, and she has stepped right in and taken over the program. Her brand of coaching has been an eye-opener for her team as she gets right out on the floor with the players and hits with them. “The girls made the comment that they had never had coaches hitting with them, but I figure if they can return my hitting they can return anyone’s,” Meredith said. After graduating from Brescia, Meredith stayed in Owensboro and coached volleyball at Owensboro Catholic for three years, one as the freshman coach and two as the JV coach. She comes back to Grayson County as a special-ed teacher. When Miles decided to hang up her clipboard, she contacted Meredith to see if she would be interested in the position. Meredith later met and talked with GCHS Principal, Todd Johnston, before meeting with the team and it was then she decided to make the move back home. Meredith inherits a team that had a very good year last season, finishing with a fine 21-13 record, but that disappointingly lost in the first round of the 12th District Tournament to host Whitesville. Six players, five of whom were starters, graduated off that team. Seniors Miranda Boaz and Ally Felix will be the team captains this season. Boaz has the most varsity experience of any of the returning players and will be one of the team’s top hitters and blockers in the middle of the front row. “That was new for her as she had been on the right side,” Meredith said. “She was a little nervous about the change, but we have worked on it and she is okay with it.” Felix started on the JV squad last season as the libero, and filled in in the back row on the varsity. She will be the varsity libero this season. Juniors Emma Wilder and Meredith Pawley, both strong outside hitters, return as starters. Wilder has started since her freshman season and Pawley came on strong last season as a sophomore. The important job of setting the ball to the front-line players will be handled by juniors Megan Duvall and Briannah Wagner. Both played mainly JV last season, but handled the ball well in the varsity’s season-opener at Ohio County. Meredith has a couple of girls who will sub in in the back row, junior Jasmine Smart and sophomore Laura Higdon. Smart had an excellent outing in the team’s opener at Ohio County, serving well and passing extremely well in both the varsity and JV games. Meredith said Higdon is “a great passer” and said she should see a lot of playing time. Two other young players figure into the team’s future. Meredith foresees sophomore Olivia Lucas as a potential starter next season and should see floor time this year. Freshman setter Alexis Hart will start for the freshman and JV squads this year and could see varsity time as well. “Alexis is quick and athletic,” Meredith said. “She scrambles and hustles and gets to everything.” Meredith is assisted by former GCHS teammate, Leah Haycraft, and Amber Smith, another former Lady Cougar standout. After winning their season opener, the Lady Cougars dropped their match at Breckinridge County, then went 3-2 in the Apollo Summer Slam last weekend. After dropping their two pool games on Friday, they came back to win all three Saturday games to win the Bronze Division of the tournament. The 12th District figures to be close again this season with the Lady Cougars battling Edmonson County and Whitesville Trinity for supremacy. Trinity had a losing season last year but got hot at the end of the year and took the district title on their home court. Meredith said her one goal is to win the district and make into the regional tournament where she hopes, “…to show the Owensboro schools that we are just as competitive as they are.” 2016 FALL SPORTS 4 Saturday, August 27, 2016 Grayson County Gazette SOCCER LAUREN BENNETT Senior MARIA CORTES Senior BAILEY DECKER Senior TAYLOR GLENN Senior DESTINY HEADY Senior JOSIE REYNOLDS Senior ALEAH CLEMONS Junior YADIRA CRUZ GIL Junior KEISHA DENNIS Junior KARI GREEN Junior LEXIE LOGSDON Junior BRANDI MINTON Junior SYDNEY ROGERS Junior KAYDEN SUTHERLAND Junior BROOKE LINDSEY Freshman TEMPLE STRADER Sophomore KANDLER LINDSEY Freshman MACKENZIE ARNOLD Freshman SYDNEY MAZE Freshman GRACE BERNHARD Freshman LAURA VINCENT Freshman Injury bug hits Lady Cougar soccer By Don Brown Lady Cougar soccer head coach, Rusty Ray, and his team suffered a big blow before the season even started when junior forward Keisha Dennis, the team’s second leading scorer from a year ago, was injured in the team’s second scrimmage game at North Hardin. At the beginning of the second week of the season, it was still unclear as to the severity of Dennis’ knee injury. If it is a torn ligament, she will be lost for the season. “That will definitely be a tough blow,” Ray said. The speedy Dennis had gotten off to a terrific start with three goals in the team’s 9-2 scrimmage win at Barren County. She also scored the team’s only goal in the 4-1 scrimmage loss at North Hardin before she was injured. Dennis’ loss meant that the Lady Cougars would be relying even more heavily on last year’s leading scorer, junior forward Kayden Sutherland, for goals and assists. But in the team’s season opener at Marion County Sutherland was unavailable due to a red card she had received in last year’s 11th District final at Meade County. Ray had to be pleasantly surprised then when junior Kari Green, a Norwegian exchange student playing her first game as a Lady Cougar, scored nine goals in a 10-0, mercy-rule win at Marion County. “Kari comes with a really good skill set,” Ray said. “I had originally intended to use her in a center-mid position, where she could distribute the ball along with Lauren (senior Lauren Bennett). But with the loss of Keisha, we had to move her forward.” The Lady Cougars had a fine year last season, finishing 11-8-1, and Ray has a good core of experienced, returning players with which to begin this season as he lost just four starters to graduation. Seniors Bennett and Bailey Decker will be distributing the ball forward from their midfield positions. Versatile senior midfielder Destiny Heady could play as a forward, midfielder or defensive back. Senior Josie Reynolds was a defensive starter last year, and junior Taylor Glenn returns as a starter in the midfield. Junior defensive back Sydney Rogers was not a starter last season, but has shown up well in the scrimmage games and the opener at Marion. Senior Maria Cortes, who was healing from a quad strain at the beginning of the season, will be a starter as a defensive mid as well. Sophomore Temple Strader was the JV goal keeper last year but has taken a starting position this season as a defensive back. Ray said junior Lexi Logsdon is a very versatile player who can come in either as a defensive back or mid and can rotate with Strader First year freshman Laura Vincent began the season as a forward and had a goal in the scrimmage win at Barren County, but has moved into goal for the Lady Cougars and seems to have taken to the position very well. Ray points to freshman Grace Bernhard as one player who has been a pleasant surprise as a defensive back and said she should see plenty of playing time with the varsity. Another freshman defensive back, Sydney Maze, has impressed Ray. “She’s never played before, but she always seems to be in the right spot,” he said. “She understands where she needs to be.” Ray said it will probably be difficult to find playing time for these younger players as he has experienced starters at most of the positions. The Lady Cougars will most likely be battling Meade County again this season for supremacy in the 11th District. Grayson County beat them two years ago for their first-ever district title, but lost 2-1 in last year’s final. Breckinridge County has only been playing girls soccer for the past four seasons, but has made great strides and played the Cougars tough four times last season. Butler County returns with a varsity team after playing only a JV schedule last year. Ray has been joined by assistant Courtney Daugherty, a former defensive player at Central Hardin. Daugherty has been working with the defense as well as the goal keepers. 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VOLLEYBALL MIRANDA BOAZ Senior ALLY FELIX Senior SAYLER HUFF Senior KELSEY LOGSDON Senior GRACE WHITE Senior JULIE CARROLL Junior MACKENZIE COATES Junior MEGAN DUVALL Junior LILI LeGAWIEC Junior MEREDITH PAWLEY Junior JASMINE SMART Junior BRIANNAH WAGNER Junior JUDITH DARST Sophomore LAURA HIGDON Sophomore OLIVIA LUCAS Sophomore BRILEY BERRY Freshman MADDIE DUVALL Freshman ALEXIS HART Freshman RYLIE HAYES Freshman SHELBY PIERCE Freshman GRACIE VANMETRE Freshman SYDNE WHITLEY Junior CHARIE MEREDITH Sophomore EMMA WILDER Junior KATIE MULLINS Sophomore SAM MILLINER Freshman MAGGIE CLARK Sophomore KENZIE WILLOUGHBY Freshman 2016 FALL SPORTS 6 Saturday, August 27, 2016 Grayson County Gazette cross country SHANNON SMITH Senior BRENNAN CHILDRESS Junior GRACE CHILDRESS Junior KENNEDY CHILDRESS Junior DANA CLARK Junior JARRETT CRAWFORD Junior KAYLA MATTHEWS Junior NATE SALTSMAN Junior NOAH SALTSMAN Junior JACOB STINNETT Junior ELI THOMAS Junior LUKE WEEDMAN Junior KAYLYNNE ARMAGOST Sophomore EMERY CRUME Sophomore ANTHONY DARST Sophomore KAYLEE MASDEN Sophomore RACHEL McMAHAN Sophomore GABRIEL MUDD Sophomore JULIA PRIDDY Sophomore HAILEY STALLINGS Sophomore ISAAC DePOYSTER Freshman MADYSON HAZELWOOD Freshman ZACK ROBINSON Freshman LUKE GALLAGHER 8th Grade ELI HELM 8th Grade 2016 Coaches L-R: Alex Lovell, Wendee Embry, Mary Embry, Anthony Miller. 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BOYS SOCCER DANIEL ASHLEY Senior AMOS GOODMAN Senior CALEB POWELL Senior CONNER SCHULTZ Senior DAWSON YOUNG Senior CARSON ZURMEHLY Senior AUSTIN DALLAS Junior JACK DAVIS Junior TRENTON GODBY Junior ZACH WILLIS Junior ISAAC YEARNS Junior CHASE MINTON Sophomore TIMOTHY SANDERS Sophomore CODY WATKINS Sophomore GEORGE PRIDDY Freshman LOGAN RAYMER Freshman CURTIS SCHMIDT Freshman WYATT SCHULTZ Freshman DRAVEN STEWART Freshman BRADY WHOBREY Freshman MALAKI CLEMONS 8th Grade MAX EVANS 8th Grade MATTHEW HAYCRAFT 8th Grade BAHAA EL-MASRI 7th Grade TREYTON JEFFERS 7th Grade CARLOS JUARES 7th Grade JOSHUA PARKS 7th Grade ETHAN THOMPSON 7th Grade 2016 COACHES Kenny Fukuhara (left), Jonathan Jones. Fukuhara takes Cougar soccer reins By Don Brown The Cougar soccer team is one of three Grayson County teams which will see a new head coach on the sidelines as Kenny Fukuhara takes over the reins. Fukuhara is a Paducah native and graduated from Paducah Tilghman High School, where he played four sports as a freshman, but eventually settled on just two sports, soccer and baseball. He was a defensive centermidfielder for the soccer team and a middle infielder for the baseball team. After graduating high school, Fukuhara attended UK and came away with a physical education degree. He spent a year in Owensboro teaching P.E. at College View Middle School, before being hired as a P.E. teacher at Caneyville, and eventually as soccer coach. Fukuhara said it has been a challenge for him being the head man here because there is not really a winning culture in soccer. “There should be no complaisance here,” he said. “I told them you should not be satisfied with beating bad teams and tying better ones. We’re working on changing the mid-set of the team.” The Cougars were dealt a blow in the team’s second regular season game when junior goal keeper, Jack Davis, was injured when he was kicked in the face on a play at Fort Knox and suffered concussion-like symptoms. He was expected to return to the team by the Ohio County game. Fukuhara is excited about Davis and said he has the chance to play soccer at the college level if he wants to. The coach says if Davis will keep his focus and play every minute of each game, there is nothing that will stop him from that opportunity. Fukuhara is even more excited about his senior lynch-pin, Conner Schultz. All of the offense will go through Schultz up front in the middle and he will distribute the ball to his wings for scoring opportunities. “I am so proud of Conner because he cares about this team big-time,” the coach said. “He doesn’t care about himself. If Carson (Zurmehly) scores five times and we win, Conner is happy.” Zurmehly figures to be the team’s big goal scorer, along with Schultz, sophomore Cody Watkins ans senior Caleb Powell. Zurmehly was assessed a red card in the 3-1 loss at Larue County and Fukuhara moved Schultz’s younger brother, Wyatt, into that spot in the next two games. The coach said he is looking for more consistency from his front group. “At times they look great and at others they don’t,” he said. Defensively, the team has been in flux, with players rotating in and out. Fukuhara said Wyatt Schultz is undoubtedly his best defender, but said he is capable of playing anywhere. Firstyear junior Isaac Yearns is also set in the defensive end. Fukuhara will be assisted by former Cougar, Jonathan Jones. “I’m very fortunate to have someone who has played soccer as my assistant. I don’t think that has ever been the case at Grayson County where both coaches are former soccer players,” Fukuhara said. “He knows a lot about the teams we will be playing and he lets me know what to expect.” Jones has been focused on helping Davis become a better goal keeper. Fukuhara said his main goal this season will be beating district rivals Meade County and Butler County so his team will get a bye in the first round of the district tournament and be assured of a spot in the regional tournament. “If we do that, then anything can happen in the region.” 2016 FALL SPORTS 8 Saturday, August 27, 2016 Grayson County Gazette GOLF JOSIAH DENNIS Senior LESLIE SWAFFORD Senior RACHEL SHELTON Junior KARSON CLEMONS Sophomore NATHAN KEYS Sophomore LINCOLN NICHOLS Sophomore ABIGAIL GARRETT Freshman JACOB HART Freshman ALEX SCOTT Freshman JACOB DENNIS 8th Grade JAXON HIGDON 8th Grade GRANT MANION 8th Grade SOPHIA ELMORE 7th Grade KEEGAN SHARP 7th Grade NATALIE GARRETT 5th Grade JACKSON MAYES 4th Grade 2016 Seniors Leslie Swafford and Josiah Dennis. Coaches Danny Clark and Tony Embry Coaching change for 2016 Cougar golfers By Don Brown The Grayson County golf teams will be undergoing changes in leadership this season as Tony Embry takes the reins as head coach of the Cougar golfers. Embry was the head coach of the Cougar soccer team last season but moves to the links this year. He will be ably assisted by Danny Clark, who was the head football coach for several years back in the late 90’s and was the head baseball coach for 15 years. Embry said he was a little hesitant at first when asked to take over the golf program because he really enjoyed his one year as the leader of the boys soccer program. But after thinking about it for a little while, decided it would be a good move to make the change. “I’ve told people I know a whole lot more about golf than I did about soccer when I started,” he said. Embry has been playing the sport since he was a teenager and enjoys taking trips around the country to various golf venues with a group of friends that includes former Cougar golf coach, David Langley. Embry will have 14 golfers this season, five girls and nine boys. He also has a number of younger players coming through the pipeline that will bode well for the future. Two seniors lead the golfers, Leslie Swafford for the Lady Cougars, and Josiah Dennis for the Cougars. Swafford, who had not played golf until she joined the team two years ago, has shown remarkable improvement over that time. Dennis figures to be the boys’ leader, though some younger players have already shown that they will provide Dennis with a challenge for that numberone spot. In the team’s first win of the season against Breckinridge County at The Falls Golf Club, sophomore Lincoln Nichols had Grayson County’s low round with a 43. Against Elizabethtown at The Falls, eighth-grader Grant Manion had the low score with a 41. Embry commended Manion for playing a lot of golf over the summer months and said he will undoubtedly the team’s leader over the upcoming years. Hard work in the classroom, in practice and during games pays off with a bright future. We encourage all Grayson County high school and middle school students to do their best! twin lakes regional medical center REHAB SERVICES & SPORTS MEDICINE (270) 259-9469 www.tlrmc.com