JumpStart - Fall Sports Preview 2017

Table of Contents

Cover story Stride for stride

Pacelli runner not taking success for granted.

Page 3

Season previews

Austin Packers.......Pages 4-9 Southland Rebels............. Pages 10-11 LeRoy-Ostrander Cardinals.......... Pages 12-13 Grand Meadow Superlarks.........Pages 14-15 Lyle-Pacelli.........Pages 16-17 Blooming Prairie................Pages 18-19

An Austin Daily Herald publication

Hayfield Vikings...............Pages 20-21

Story previews compiled by Rocky Hulne and layout by Eric Johnson

Features

Megan Groh, registered dietitian

5 Stories to Watch

A rundown of the top five story lines to watch in 2017.

Page 22

State Tournament Headquarters

Get the lowdown on Minnesota State High School League state tournament locations.

Page 15

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

Fuel your activity with carbohydrates.

Page 22

Riverland Community College

Follow sports writer Rocky Hulne and photographer Eric Johnson on Twitter

@RockyHulneADH

@EricJohnsonADH

Get all the reports, scores and photos from your area sports teams

Volleyball and soccer schedules.

Page 23

University of Minnesota

Football and volleyball schedules.

Page 24

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Pacelli’s Kayla Christopherson runs with the pack during the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet last year at St. Olaf College in Northfield. Herald file photo

Stride for Stride With success behind her, more goals still lay ahead Story by Rocky Hulne, sports@austindailyherald.com

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

P

acelli junior cross country runner Kayla Christopherson is very familiar with success, but she’s not familiar with taking it easy.

In fact, down time is the worst time for Christopherson.

Last season Christopherson missed the six weeks of her cross country season due to a foot injury, and she took up biking and swimming to help herself stay in shape and stay sane. This year she’s dealing with even more frustration as she had surgery for appendicitis before the season, which kept her from doing any physical activity for a two week stretch.

“Luckily I had most of the summer to train,” Christopherson said. “It's definitely hard when you get to the season when everything's getting started and I don't get to perform and work hard. I'm not able to do anything.

Last year when I hurt my foot I was able to get on the bike, but this year I haven't been doing anything.”

See KAYLA, Page 16

“I’m trying to get better and keep fighting. Competitors are going to train harder and faster to get you, so you have to train harder and faster to stay ahead.” Kayla Christopherson FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

3

Austin’s Luke Hawkshead gives chase to Albert Lea’s Samuel Chalmers during the second quarter of the Packers’ homecoming game last season in Art Hass Stadium. Herald file photo

Packers itching to get fast start to 2017 Austin looking to continue late 2016 successes

The Austin football team figured out how to win down the stretch of last season, and they’re hoping to pick up where they left off as they are full of high hopes headed into the 2017 season.

The Packers lost their first five games of 2016, but they won four straight contests before falling to Owatonna in the Section

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Sept. 1...............................vs. Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8.....................................................at Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15.....................................vs. Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22....................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29.....................................vs. Northfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6...............................................at Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13...................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18........................................................at Winona, 7 p.m.

1AAAAA semifinals. Austin will have a different look on offense this season as the team will be without the bulk of its receivers and backfield from last season, but up front the

Packers are looking for the big guys up front to provide a push and set the tone.

“The offensive and defensive line are pretty stout and we have a lot of team speed.

We have some play makers on offense and defense,” Guyette Austin head coach Brett Vesel said. “We're working hard. We've got a lot of strong guys and a lot of fast guys. We feel good about that. Potentially, this could be the best team we've had since I've been here. Right now we're relatively healthy and hopefully it stays that way. We're taking care

of them in practice too.”

One major change for the Packers will come at wide receiver, where defensive end and former offensive lineman Luke Hawkshead will make the move to that Braaten position and junior corner back Hunter Guyette will play on both sides of the ball. Junior Gavin Owens, who had 225 yards receiving and two touchdowns last year, will also be a goto target.

See PACKER FB, Page 5 AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Putting in the work Packer VB coming into season determined The Austin volleyball team is willing to put in a little more work to be more competitive on the court this season.

The Packers went 4-22 overall last season, but they’ve put in a lot of time over the summer to change the direction of the program this season.

“The kids have been working really hard.

They came in with a good attitude and they want some wins this year,” Austin head coach Cindy Owen said. “It's been really nice to see the young kids come in and they've been really enthused about volleyball this year. I can't ask for anything more than that.”

Austin has a strong group of young players who have been steady forces in early practices, but the team will also lean on its senior leaders.

Teddi Eisenberg and Lauryn Bell, who missed much of last season with an injury, both return to the lineup and junior Jenna Braaten, who had 138 set assists last season, is also a returnee.

Bell said the Packers have come in with plenty of energy this year.

“We have to stay positive and we're refusing to be outworked this year,” Bell said. “I'm super excited to get back on the court and play with all of the girls I've played with throughout the year.”

Eisenberg said the Packer veterans are

SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold Aug. 25......................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 2..............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Sept. 5....................................at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7........................................................at Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12................................vs. Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16...............................at Mankato Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 19....................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26....................................at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28..................................................at Northfield, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30............................at Rochester Tournament, 8 a.m.

Oct. 3....................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5............................................at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10..................................vs. Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12....................................................at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16.........................................vs. Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17..................vs. Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

mixing in well with the younger players. That cohesiveness will be to communicate on the court for Austin.

“We're going to be scramblers,” Eisenberg said. “We're not going to let that ball hit the floor. I have some young players that will go to any length to keep that ball from hitting the floor and that will be key for us.”

The Packers are still searching for their first Big Nine win since 2011.

Austin’s Lauryn Bell focuses on the ball against Blooming Prairie last year. Bell is returning to the Packers after missing much of last season to injury. Herald file photo

Packer FB: High hopes From Page 4 Guyette said it’s a challenge to play wide receiver and defensive back, but he’s ready for the test.

“You go out there and do whatever coach tells you to do. It’s a lot different in high school than in the younger grades,” Guyette said. “The game’s a lot faster and you’ve got to be in shape for it. Coaches are really getting us in shape for it in practice.”

Austin senior Logan Braaten is in his fourth year with the Packer varsity team and he said the hopes are as high as they’ve ever been. He noted that the team has depth on the offensive line and the defensive line will have most of its key contributors back from last season.

“We’ve got to make sure that everybody remembers how to win and how to compete,” Braaten said. “On the offensive line, everybody’s ready and flying around the ball.

There’s not set starters this year. There’s a lot of competition and everybody wants to get AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

out there.”

Austin will likely have a new look at running back this season, but there may not be one single featured back. Vesel said there a few players in the running to get carries on game nights.

“We can probably run a different back every down right now,” Vesel said. “I feel pretty good with where we’re at in the running back position.”

Austin senior Aiden Wilson played defensive back last season and he could see time at running back and defensive back this fall. He said if the team’s mood is right, the Packers could be a threat.

“We have that mentality that if we work hard in practice, we can beat anybody. When we started winning games at the end of the season last year, that gave us confidence and that’s how we feel headed into this year,” Wilson said. “[On defense] the only time we let them score is when we hang our heads. I think the defense is going to be the rock stars of our team this year.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

5

On target: Boys soccer pulls bullseye on state “With everybody raising the bar, it’s a good feeling to have.”

Packers fell one game short of state last season The Austin boys soccer team is coming off one of its best seasons in school history, but that season ended in heartbreak for the Packers. With some new players in tow, the Packers are hoping to make a push to finish what they started last season as they’re hoping to get their first state tournament since 2009.

“The goal is always to go to state,” Austin senior Sam Bailey said. “But I’m just hoping we can play some really good soccer, get as many wins as we can and have fun.”

The Packers finished 16-3-1 overall and they finished second in the Big Nine Conference, but they ended up short of state after Austin fell to Northfield 1-0 in the Section 1A title game. That loss has been on the minds of many of the Packers as they prepare for what should be another competitive season.

“We’ve really worked hard since that loss to Northfield and I think we have a good chance of going to state this year,” Bailey said. “We lost a lot of talent from last year, but I feel we gained a lot of talent this year too. We have a lot of good younger kids who have skills.”

Austin head coach Jens Levisen said that Bailey, Ojulu Cham, Caleb Simerson, Danny Vargas and Kevin Ortiz are all likely to step up this season and there will be some newcomers who will have an impact for the Packers as well. Over the summer, Austin’s U13, U14 and U16 teams all competed in state title games.

“You’ve got guys coming in with that strong summer experience and you have to give a shout out to our youth coaches for getting that going,” Levisen said. “With everybody raising the bar, it’s a good feeling to have. We definitely lost some quality players, but we have guys that are hungry and ready to step in and be that guy. We also have returners that are back and ready to get better.

It’s an interesting mix.”

Simerson said the returning Packers

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

Jake Levisen, coach

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Aug. 26..........................vs. St. Paul Como Park, noon Aug. 31...........................at Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Sept. 5........................................................at Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7.............................................at Mankato West, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12....................................................at Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14.......................................vs. Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16........................................at Worthington, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 19....................................at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21..................................................at Northfield, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26.................................vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28........................................at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30...........................vs. Rochester Lourdes, noon Oct. 5......................................................at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Austin’s Ojulu Cham steps up on Northfield’s Joel Alvarado during the second half of the Section 1A title game last season in Rochester. Herald file photo

learned a lot from last year’s senior class and now they’re ready to leave their own mark on the program.

“We learned a lot from those guys last year and they were great role models for us,” Simerson said. “We’ve got to work as a team and we’ve got to focus on being better. We can’t worry when we fail, because failing makes us better.”

Bailey has made the transition to becoming a leader and a goal scorer over the summer after he had played midfielder last fall.

“It’s a big step, but over the summer season I was a captain and I think that will help,” Bailey said. “I’ve played with all of these kids before and we know each other well. I’m really excited.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Austin girls soccer team ready to make push The Austin girls soccer team is hoping to make a bigger push in its second year under head coach Jake Levisen, and he already has them working hard in practice.

The Packers went 4-10-1 overall last season and they’re hoping to pick up the pace this year as they move from Section 2A to Section 1A. “They’re definitely up for the challenge. They’re pushing each other hard in practice,” Levisen said. “Last year was me getting to know the team and now it’s time to push. I’ve been pushing Levisen them mentally and physically and they’re excelling at it.“ Austin senior Emily Hegna said the team is putting in the work necessary to get to the level they’d like to be at by the end of the season.

“We’ve been getting in a lot of conditioning and we’re looking to really be in shape this season,” Hegna said.

The Packers proved they had a sound defense last season and now the team is hoping to add a little more offense into its arsenal.

The team has spent more time practicing shooting in the offseason and it’s hoping that will boost.

“We’re trying a new formation this year that will give us more scoring opportunities,” said Austin senior Sydney Marsh. “Our goal is to score more goals.”

With approximately 50 players in tow, Levisen said he’s been looking to get his players to work together. He’s forced them to work with teammates they previously didn’t know in practice so the team has as much camaraderie as possible when the season gets rolling.

“We’re a team and we want to be a family,” Levisen said. “Our philosophy is to outwork everybody we play against. That’s going to be the mindset. We talked about individual effort and there’s 24 hours in the day where we can work. We’re going to push ourselves so everybody remembers when they played against Austin.”

Austin’s Sydney Marsh cuts through Rochester John Marshall’s Abbey Kellner, right, and Emma Duff, left, during the first half last season at Art Hass Stadium.

Herald file photo

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Aug. 24.........................................................at Waseca, 7 p.m.

Aug. 31............................at Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m.

Sept. 5............................................vs. Winona, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7..............................................at Mankato West, 5 p.m.

Sept. 12........................................vs. Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14....................................................at Red Wing, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19..........................vs. Rochester Century, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21......................................vs. Northfield, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sept. 23.......................................vs. Fairmont, 3 p.m.

Sept. 25..........................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26.............................................at Mankato East, 5 p.m.

Sept. 28..............................vs. Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3......................................................at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5..........................................vs. Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7.............................vs. Kasson-Mantorville, noon

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

7

Veteran runners take look to take on bigger role Packers sporting a lot of new runners The Austin cross country team has a lot of new faces in the fold this season, which means the team’s veteran runners will play a more crucial role than usual.

Luckily for the Packers, the boys and girls teams have key leaders returning. The boys bring back their top three runners in Mitch Mayer, Henry Hinchcliffe and Brock Lawhead and the girls bring back Abby Lewis, a threetime state qualifier, Morgan Hose and Nadia Vaughn.

Besides returning their top core, Mayer and his teammates went out and recruited some new runners to join the team and they were successful in their campaign.

“This year, unlike every other year, we actually got 14 new runners that are not seventh graders to join,” Mayer, who is a senior, said. “It’s a huge achievement, because we need that depth for good meet scores. We need to improve our place in the Big Nine and I think with the amount we have this

Austin’s Mitchell Mayer runs in a home meet last season. Herald file photo year, we’ll do a pretty good deal of damage to the other teams.”

Austin head coach Tony Einertson said Mayer, Hinchcliffe and Lawhead should lead the pack on meet days. Hinchcliffe finished in the top-20 in the Big Nine and Section 1AA meets and he could be in for a

big year.

“With the boys, we’ve got a lot of experience on the varsity,” Einertson said. “Henry’s probably going to lead the way for us. He had a strong season last year and he’s coming off a great track season. Hopefully he can keep producing.”

Lewis, who is a junior, had a successful cross country season last year, but she missed a bulk of her track season with an injury. She spent the summer training with Austin grad and University of North Dakota runner Madison Overby, and now Lewis is ready to lead a young group of Austin runners.

She also has some big goals for herself.

“Coming off my injury during track season it was hard to get in shape, but now I’m back in shape and I’m looking forward to this season,” Lewis said. “My goal is to break 19 minutes in the 5K. Last season I was like five seconds from it until I tripped over a girl at the finish. I also want to make it to state again.”

Einertson said the girls team will have to rely on some younger runners this season and he’s hoping they can catch up to the

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Boys and girls Aug. 28...................................Austin Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 1......................................Austin at Rosemount, 9 a.m.

Sept. 14.............................Austin at Rochester Mayo, 4 p.m.

Sept. 19....................................at Lake City Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 26...............................................at Mankato, 3:45 p.m.

Oct. 5.................................................at Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10....................................Austin Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 17......................Big Nine Meet in Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.

pace quickly this fall.

“The girls are going to be young and we’ll have some ninth graders,” Einertson said.

“We’ll have to look for them to come in and step up. That’s something we’ve had success with in the past when we’ve brought in younger girls and they’ve done very well for us.”

Lewis said she thinks the younger runners will catch up as the season goes on.

“We’ll have a younger team, but I think it’ll go well if we all work together,” Lewis said.

“It will be new for a lot of people, but I think that if we show them what to do, we’ll do pretty well this season.”

Core group to lead swimmers as eyes turn to state The Austin girls swimming and diving team is hoping to make a push to get some swimmers to the state meet this winter as the team brings in a good mix of veterans and younger swimmers.

The Packers graduated three key athletes from last year’s team, including state qualifying diver Maddie Mullenbach, but head coach Alexa Dolan Peterson said the team has plenty of swimmers in the core group who are looking to take the next step in the pool.

“We have swimmers who are stepping up and they see those openings,” Dolan Peterson said. “We have some freshman and sophomores who can come up and fill those spots. We have a good mix of experience and younger athletes.”

Austin has three seniors looking to lead the way this season as diver Berghyn Hull and swimmers Kristina Thorson and Abby Schammel have plenty of experience.

“We're hoping to have a chance to send a couple of swimmers to state. It'll take a lot of work,” Thorson said.

Schammel said she’s hoping to finish her last year on a quality note.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Aug. 29...............................................at New Prague, 6 p.m.

Aug. 31..................................vs. Mankato East, 6 p.m.

Sept. 5......................................at Rochester Century, 5 p.m.

Sept. 9..........................................at Prior Lake Invite, 9 a.m.

Sept. 14..................................................at Northfield, 6 p.m.

Sept. 16..........................................at Mankato Invite, 2 p.m.

Sept. 21.................vs. Rochester John Marshall, 6 p.m.

Sept. 30....................................................Austin Invite, noon Oct. 5.......................................................at Red Wing, 6 p.m.

Oct. 12...........................................vs. Winona, 6 p.m.

Oct. 17..............................vs. Rochester Mayo, 6 p.m.

Oct. 27...........at Big Nine Diving Meet in Northfield, 5 p.m.

Oct. 28......at Big Nine Swimming Meet in Rochester, 1 p.m.

Austin’s Kristina Thorson swims the 200 yard freestyle last year at Bud Higgins Pool.

Herald file photo

“Some of our older girls are learning some different strokes, so that's exciting,” Schammel said. “It's our last year, but we have a little more time to complete some of our goals.”

Hull will be leading a new group of seventh graders in diving and she’s looking forward to the task. She said it reminds her of her

sixth grade year when she learned how to dive from current Austin diving coach Bailey Corey.

“We have a lot of new seventh graders that will bring the energy level up. It's exciting and it reminds me when I was a sixth grader diving, Bailey was a sophomore and I learned from her,” Hull said. “It's nice to know the

diving program will still be here next year.

We're hoping to build a stronger team together and have a big bond between the girls.”

The Packers have showed up to practice this fall with the right attitude, according to Dolan Peterson.

“It's a good energy,” Dolan Peterson said.

“They've come in excited about the season and they know that hard work is going to get them where they want to be.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Cycling rolls into 2017 with experience The Austin cycling team has experience on its side as it enters its fifth year as a program.

The team has sustained another surge in numbers this season as there are nearly 30 bikers competing.

“We have already accomplished the greatest goal of all, more kids on bikes,” Austin head coach Tracy Brown said. “The team continues to grow year after year. This is a testament to our passion for the sport.

As individual riders, I believe continuous improvement is the goal for most of our student athletes.”

Austin will look to Coy Stark, Ethan Thompson and Jacob Venenga to step up as leaders for Austin this season.

Teamwork and support for one another are two of the greatest strengths of the group Brown said. “Technically we could use work on our ability to climb. Our practice terrain is not conducive to providing much hill work.”

The community support for the bike team has been strong over the first five years. The Southern Minnesota Bicycle Club supports the team through trail maintenance and nearly half a mile was added to the course this year. Rydjor Bike has also been a supporter of the team.

Austin will host the first race of the season this year on Aug. 27.

“We look forward to a great day of racing on Aug. 27 and we hope to see a great spectator turn out,” Brown said.

SCHEDULE / Home races in bold Aug. 27...................................Austin Invite, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 2.................................................at St. Cloud, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 24..............................................at Rochester, 8:30 a.m.

Oct. 15.....................................................at Duluth, 8:30 a.m.

Oct. 28, 29......State Championships in Mankato, 8:30 a.m.

Braden Greibrok rounds the corner for the Austin mountain biking team in a Minnesota High School Cycling League race near Todd Park last season. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Austin girls tennis returns 10 players

Austin’s Kellie Baier returns a ball during the No. 1 doubles match last season. Herald file photo

The Austin girls tennis team has a record number of players participating in the sport this fall and the team brings back 10 players with varsity experience as the program looks to take the next step.

Austin will look to No. 1 singles player Emily Sayles and Kellie Baier and Tara Watkins of the No. 1 doubles team to lead the way on the courts.

“The majority of this year's squad has varsity experience, which

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

should prove to be beneficial once our season is rolling,” Austin head coach Levon Larson said. “In addition, we have a cohesive, intelligent group willing to put forth the time needed to become better players.“ Austin went 2-13 overall last season and the Packers are hoping to improve on that mark. The team is also embracing growth within the program as the number of players involved increases.

“We are looking forward to the

season. We have a great schedule and hope to be able to play on newly resurfaced courts,” Larson said. “So far practices have been great, and the girls have been extremely positive about upcoming matches. We have a record number of girls participating, which reflects the popularity of this great sport in our city, and we have some young talent that will surely help make our program grow in the future.”

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Aug. 22..........Mankato West 7, Austin 0; Winona 4, Austin 3 Aug. 24...................................................at Owatonna, 9 a.m.

Aug. 30...............................................at Cannon Falls, 4 p.m.

Aug. 31....................................vs. Faribault, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 5.................................................at Red Wing, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 9..................................at United South Central, 9 a.m.

Sept. 11.................................................at Waseca, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 12.................................vs. Northfield, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 14.......................................at Mankato East, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 19........................vs. Rochester Mayo, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 26.................................vs. Albert Lea, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 28....................at Rochester John Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 30.........................at Rochester John Marshall, 9 a.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

9

Finding depth Southland football enjoying a numbers boost as it heads into 2017 The Southland football team will have one of its deepest teams in the past few years as it lost just two starters on each side of the ball from last year’s team that went 3-6 overall.

The Rebels also have a big group of upper classmen as the team has 11 seniors, which gives head coach Shawn Kennedy a few more options with his lineup.

“We’ve got depth this year.

Anytime you have depth, you have competition and that always helps,” Kennedy said.

“In the past when someone’s gotten hurt, we’ve had to play young kids. Our goal is to have our number one — Sean offensive linemen go against our number one defensive linemen in practice, because we haven’t really been able to challenge others like that in the past due to a lack of numbers.”

Southland senior Jared Landherr said the team has come out with a positive attitude and they’re hoping to have a solid enough season where they can host a postseason contest.

“We’ve had a lot of energy,” Landherr said.

“We have more players to give us more reps

in practice and then we’ll get more breaks in games.”

Senior lineman Nick Mensink said the Rebels are ready to take the next step up front.

He’s hoping a year of experience makes the team that much more physical.

“We have size and a little more experience. Last year our line had little to no experience and this year we’re a lot better off,” Mensink said.

“We’re always looking to do better. Last year wasn’t as good as what we wanted, but we went against four teams that had a good chance of making it to state.”

Kennedy said he’s looking Kennedy for all of the upper classmen coach to lead the way this fall and Carl Mueller, Bret Matthews, Parker Brigham, Isaac Eissinger, Lee Wilson and Tyler Jax will all be key contributors.

“The kids have been working hard and it’s nice to have a lot of seniors,” Kennedy said.

“Most of them are returning starters and they’re good guys. They’re a great group of kids.”

The Rebels’ biggest strength this season may be the team’s character. About two weeks before the season, Kennedy was asked

“We’ve got depth this year. Anytime you have depth, you have competition and that always helps.”

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

Carl Mueller runs in a two-point conversion for Southland last season in Adams last season.

Herald file photo

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Sept. 1..............................vs. Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8......................................at Rushford-Peterson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15......................................vs. Kingsland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22.......................at Minnesota Valley Lutheran, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29.......................................at Fillmore Central, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6...............................vs. Wabasha-Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13..............................................at Winona Cotter, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18.........................................vs. Goodhue, 7 p.m.

if some of his players could help lay down sand bags when the Adams area was dealing with a flood threat. After Kennedy texted one captain and called another, the Rebels had 20 players on hand to help out after just 20 minutes.

“That’s the kind of kids these guys are and it makes it fun to work with them,” Kennedy said. “They’re always awesome about doing that kind of stuff and that’s why I do this. I enjoy coaching football, but I love working with kids.”

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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Finding a way over the hump SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold

Southland VB team hoping new coach can help snag those matches lost last year The Southland volleyball team is hoping a former opposing coach can help the Rebels find their winning ways this fall.

Former LeRoy-Ostrander head coach Lisa Hovde, who went 147-56 overall in seven years as the Cardinals’ head coach, is now on hand to coach Southland. Hovde is coming into the Southland job giving each player a clean slate as she looks to see where they fit in.

“I’m working with different kids who I don’t know. It’s fun to come in and pick people out [based on their talent],” Hovde said.

“I tell them to try and play every position so we can see where everybody fits in. I’m watching to see where they play well.”

The Rebels finished 6-16 overall last season, but they do return some key players.

Senior McKendry Kennedy, who had 149 kills and 149 digs last season, should step up at the net and Emily Hovden will also see a lot of time on the floor.

Kennedy said the Rebels certainly have the potential to make improvements this season.

“We just need to work on confidence and consistency and I think she’ll help us with that,” Kennedy said. “We had a lot of matches last year that were close.”

Hovde said that Brianna Johnson, Lexi

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Aug. 31...............................vs. Dover-Eyota, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 2..........................................at Rochester Invite, 8 a.m.

Sept. 5...............................................at Caledonia, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7..........................vs. Fillmore Central, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12..............................at Rushford-Peterson, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14............vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 18..................................at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26....................................at Lewiston-Altura, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28...................................vs. Chatfield, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3.....................................at Wabasha-Kellogg, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5...................................vs. La Crescent, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 7.............................at Riceville, Iowa Tournament, TBA Oct. 12..............................vs. Saint Charles, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 17........................................at Winona Cotter, 7:15 p.m.

McKendry Kennedy and the Southland volleyball team celebrate their win over Blooming Prairie in Adams last season. Herald file photo

“We just need to work on confidence and consistency and I think she’ll help us with that. We had a lot of matches last year that were close”

ries of their season. I really just want to start building this program again.”

Kennedy said the Rebels have enjoyed working with Hovde and they’re looking forward to the season with her at the helm.

“She’s awesome. She’s really good at being positive with us,” Kennedy said. “She takes the time to talk with us and she’s really fun. We’ve gotten to know each other a lot.”

— McKendry Kennedy On new head coach Lisa Hovde Shaw, Morgan Brown, Laura Bottema and Callie Kiefer should all be ready to contribute as well.

While she’s hoping for her team to be competitive this fall, Hovde is coming in with

a laid back approach.

“I like to have fun, and laugh, but we take things very seriously too,” Hovde said. “I want the girls to have an enjoyable season and I want the seniors to have great memo-

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

11

LeRoy-Ostrander running back Sean Lohuis battles for yardage against a trio of West Lutheran defenders in the first quarter in LeRoy last season. Herald file photo

Keeping pace, moving on to the next level L-O football ready to leave footprint on nine-man football After year of not having a varsity team in 2015, the LeRoy-Ostrander football team showed it can keep pace at the varsity level when it brought its program back in the fall of 2016. Now the Cardinals are hoping to take the next big step on the gridiron.

LO returns the majority of its team that went 2-7 overall last season and the Cardinals are ready to build off of that start.

“It’s going to be a good year for us. This is the year we’ve been waiting for,” LO senior tight end Trever Kelly said. “We were playing with kids twice our size when we were

12

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Sept. 1............................................at West Lutheran, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8..................................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15.....................................................at Houston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22......................................vs. Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29..........................................at Grand Meadow, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6..........................................vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13.......................................at Lyle-Pacelli in Lyle, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18....................................vs. Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

younger. Now we're going all in.”

LO suffered an early set back this season when Carter Johnson, a projected starter at running back and linebacker, suffered a knee injury, but the rest of the team will have to pick up the slack. The timetable for Johnson's return is unknown.

LO head coach Aaron Hungerholt said Kelly, senior wide receiver Zach Hanson, senior running back Sean Lohuis, senior running back Jackson Hockens, senior linebacker Josiah Woltmann and sophomore Riley Olson

should all contribute.

The Cards will also look to junior quarterback Trey Hungerholt, who threw for 1,269 yards, while rushing for 684 yards, to go along with 13 total TDs last season.

“We finally have juniors and seniors,” Aaron said. “It’ll be interesting to see where we’re at. Obviously we want to improve on where we were last year.”

This year's LO senior class is the same group that started LO's sixth grade youth program and it's also the first somewhat sizeable group

of seniors the Cards have had in years.

“I’m hoping with that senior leadership that we’ll get off to a good start,” Aaron said.

“We’ve been lacking that in the last couple of years. These guys have been through the whole program and hopefully they’re willing to put in the time and effort to change our program around.”

Aaron is hoping the senior class has a sense of urgency that pushes the rest of the squad to new heights this fall.

“We really just need to stay consistent and we need to have poise during games. We’re old enough now to know that if something goes wrong in a game, we can’t let it snow ball,” Aaron said. “With younger teams, one mistake leads to two mistakes and then it keeps going. We need to be able to roll with the punches.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Cardinals volleyball pushing to improve The LeRoy-Ostrander volleyball team is hoping a new coach can help it turn the tide as it aims to make improvements this season.

The Cardinals will turn to long-time junior high coach Missy McEl“The girls want to roy to lead improve and get better the way as she will enter her at each practice, they first season as enjoy learning new head coach. skills.”

McElroy also coached the — Missy McElroy Head coach LO JV team for three years.

“Going from junior high to varsity will be a big change for me, but I'm a competitor and know that hard work will pay off,” McElroy said. “I am going to utilize the natural talent that these girls possess.”

The Cardinals return five players with varsity experience from last year’s team that went 5-22 overall. McElroy likes what she has seen

SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold

Peyton Soltua makes a dig for LeRoy-Ostrander against Grand Meadow in LeRoy last season.

Herald file photo

from her players’ work ethic so far and the team’s biggest obstacle will be the different ages groups of players playing together.

“The girls want to improve and get better at each practice, they enjoy learning new skills,” McElroy said. “I have a young team, with the

Aug. 24..............................................at Lanesboro, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29..............................vs. Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5................................at Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7.................................at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 9.............................at Hayfield Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 14...........................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19..................................vs. Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 21..........................vs. Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 23.........LeRoy-Ostrander Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 26....................vs. Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28...............................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3........................vs. Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5...................................at Lyle-Pacelli in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10................................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12.......................................at Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14.......................at Riceville, Iowa Tournament, 9 a.m.

Oct. 16.....................................vs. Houston, 7:15 p.m.

dedication that I have experienced with these girls in the past , they will be successful.”

A pair of new coaches take over GMLOS CC Goal remains to continue SCHEDULE 31.................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m. advancing young program Aug. Sept. 7..................................................at Hayfield, 4:15 p.m.

The Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-Southland cross country team is turning to a pair of new coaches to lead the way as the team looks to continue making strides.

Eric Thorson and Lisa Glynn will step up as the coaches for GMLOS, which brings back

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sept. 12..........................................at Dover-Eyota, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 21............................................at Pine Island, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 vs. Zum.-Maz., Ken.-Wan. at Zumbrota........4 p.m.

Oct. 5........................................................at Lewiston, 4 p.m.

Oct. 10......................................................at Austin, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 17.............at Three Rivers meet in Winona Cotter, TBA

six boys with varsity experience and five girls with varsity experience.

The boys will be led by Kolton Arndorfer

and Jackson Hale and the girls will look to Megan Heimer, Sydnie Bissen and Maddie Marten to step up as leaders.

“Our strength is that we have a young team which could also be a weakness with not much experience,” Glynn said. “We are hoping that our runners can improve their times from last year and get some experience for our young teams.”

This is the sixth year GMLOS has had a cross country program and Glynn is hoping the squad can gain some momentum.

“We are still in the process of developing this program,” Glynn said.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

13

Different look, same goals The Grand Meadow football team is not used to adversity, but the Superlarks will certainly face some hurdles as they look to keep their 50-game winning streak going this season.

GM, which has won the last four Minnesota Class nine-man football state titles, graduated much of last year’s team and it will have to reload this year.

GM head coach Gary Sloan said that the team will have to improve up front early on if it wants to get its offense going.

“The biggest thing for us is our offensive line,” Sloan said. “We graduated [Blake Benson], Connor King and [Wes] Ojulu. Those are big losses for us and we’ve got to try and replace those guys. We’re going to try and do what we’ve done in the past and run the ball to set up our play action.”

GM will have one of its key players back in senior running back and linebacker Zach Myhre, who is ready to take on a much bigger leadership role this season. Myhre ran for 1,131 yards and 17 TDs last season as GM’s fullback and he also racked up 123 tackles on defense.

Myhre said he’s been looking forward to this season since last season ended.

“When football season ends, I start counting down the days for when the next season starts. That’s how much I love football,” Myhre said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys, but they’re learning a lot of new stuff and they’re looking good so far.”

GM has a deep roster with 42 players and Sloan said he has the right players to fill out the lineup. He just needs to figure out where to put them. He’s likely to experiment with some players, so they’re capable of filling it at multiple spots.

“It’s kind of fun moving guys around and then if we have injuries we don’t panic, because they already know how to play those positions,” Sloan said.

GM senior Kyle Oehlke, who had 98 tackles and 14 sacks last season, said the Larks need to treat this year’s team like a brand new squad and they can’t expect to have success based on last season’s accomplishments.

“We’ve always have that expectation to reach our goal, but we can’t think about winning a championship,” he said. “We’ve just got to worry about week one right now and taking it one game at a time.”

GM senior lineman Grant Skifter said the

14

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

Grand Meadow’s Zach Myhre zeros in on Cleveland-Immanuel Lutheran’s Carter Kopet on a run in the second quarter of the Minnesota State Nine Man Prep Bowl last November at U.S. Bank Stadium. Herald file photo Larks will have to show up every day and give it their all if they want to make improvements.

“We’re working hard, learning the plays and we keep pushing each other,” Skifter said.

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Aug. 31........................................................at Nicollet, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8..........................................vs. Houston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15..................................................at Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22....................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29............................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6................................................at Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13...............................................at Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18........................................vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Larks to keep building on top of success The Grand Meadow volleyball team took a huge step as a program last year and it’s hoping to keep that momentum going as it returns the bulk of that squad.

The Superlarks, who went 21-12 overall last season, won the Southeast Conference last season and they played in the Mayo Civic Center for the first time. They’re hoping to get back to that venue again.

“We would like to compete in the conference and have a chance at another conference championship,” GM head coach Tori Burmester, who is in her fifth year on the job, said. “We enjoyed our first trip to the Rochester Civic Center last year and would like to experience that again and maybe go deeper into playoffs.”

GM has two seniors on the roster and senior setter Allie Lubahn will be key to the attack as she surpassed the 1,000 set assist mark for her career last season. GM will also look to four-year starter Jordyn Glynn, a junior who posted 275 kills and 312 digs last season, sophomore Riley Queensland, who had 176 kills and 200 digs last season, and junior Kaitlyn Hilton, who had 203 kills and 135 digs last season, to lead the way.

Other key returnees for GM are junior Skylar Cotten and sophomore Isabelle Olson.

“We are still a fairly young team with two seniors on the roster, but I'm hoping with most of our roster returning experience will be on our side this year,” Burmester said.

SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold Aug. 24.......................................at Mabel-Canton, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 2..........................at Mabel-Canton Tournament, TBA Sept. 5................................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7.....................................vs. Houston, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12...............................at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19...............................at Lyle-Pacelli in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 21..................................at LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 23...........at LeRoy-Ostrander Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 26..................................vs. Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28........................................at Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3..................................at Schaeffer Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5........................vs. Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10.................................vs. Lyle-Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12.........................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Tournament Headquarters Football (Nov. 9-11, 16-17, 24-25): Various sites first round, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis semifinals and championship.

Volleyball (Nov. 9-11): Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul Boys and Girls Soccer (Oct. 24-26, 30, Nov. 1-2): Various sites, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis semifinals and championship Boys and Girls Cross Country (Nov. 4): St. Olaf College, Northfield Girls Swimming and Diving (Nov. 16-18): University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, Minneapolis Girls Tennis (24-27): Baseline Tennis Center (AA); Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center (A)

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Grand Meadow’s Skylar Cotten makes a dig as Allie Lubahn looks on against Faribault Bethlehem Academy in Mayo Civic Center in Rochester last season. Herald file photo

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

15

Notes of optimism in Athletics camp Pacelli returns The Lyle-Pacelli football team is banking on a new coach and a new attitude to turn things around as it has found a sense of optimism after going 0-9 overall last season.

The Athletics will turn to first-year head coach Adam Hurley, a Chatfield grad and former Chatfield assistant football coach, to lead the way this season.

Hurley runs the strength and conditioning program at LP and he’s focused on building up team speed through the summer and leading up to the season.

“This is brand new — Patrick Murphy going to nine-man,” LP football player Hurley said.

“Defensively will be the biggest adjustment where you have to stop the same amount of backs with less guys. I’m sure there will be some growing pains, but I’m excited for it.”

LP senior Patrick Murphy said that Hurley’s presence and work ethic have made the team feel much more confident this fall.

“We think we can compete now,” Murphy said. “We have a coach that works us, gets us into the weight room and runs us.

That’s going to help us throughout the season.”

Murphy will be asked to be a leader for the Athletics, along with seniors Lucas Anderson and Joseph Maas.

“Those seniors are ready for a change and they’re good ones to have at the helm,” Hurley said.

LP also returns junior Bryce Strouf, who had 74 tackles last season.

key runners to 2017 team

“We think we can compete now”

Lyle-Pacelli’s Bryce Strouf avoids a tackle against Grand Meadow last season at Art Hass Stadium. Herald file photo Anderson said that the team has reacted well to the new coaching staff and they’re looking forward to see what kind of improvements they can make.

“It’s a lot more hands on and there’s a lot of energy. It’s more work and there are higher expectations.,” Anderson said. “We’re optimistic about this season. There’s a lot of excitement and we’re confident. We’ve can’t take days off and we’ve got to keep pushing.”

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Aug. 31..................................at Sleepy Eye/St. Mary, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8...................................vs. Spring Grove, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15.....................................vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22.........................................at Grand Meadow, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29...............................vs. Mabel-Canton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6....................................................at Lanesboro, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13.............................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18.....................................................at Houston, 7 p.m.

The Pacelli cross county team is low on numbers, but its girls team is high on talent as it looks forward to the upcoming season.

The Pacelli girls have just two runners and both of them are returning state qualifiers in junior Kayla Christopherson and sophomore Rory Bickler. Christopherson is a four-time state qualifier who took sixth at Pacelli’s Rory Bickler.

Herald file photo the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet last year and Bickler took 113th in her first-ever state appearance last season.

The Pacelli boys team has just three runners and the team will be led by William Kahle and Jayden Lewis.

“We are looking to improve each day and hope to see some of our younger runners step up to fill varsity positions,” said Pacelli head coach Jim Parlin, who is in his 34th year as coach.

SCHEDULE Aug. 31................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 7..................................................at Hayfield, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 9.........................................................at Luther College Sept. 12..................................at Blooming Prairie, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 15.........................................at Mankato Loyola, 4 p.m.

Sept. 19..............................at New Richland-HEG, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 23..................................................at Winona, 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 28..................................at Zumrbota-Mazeppa, 4 p.m.

Oct. 5...................................................at Lewiston, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10...........................................at Austin Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Kayla: Nothing routine about Christopherson’s success From Page 1 Christopherson ran in the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet as a seventh-grader and she’s been going to state every year since.

Christopherson has been an All-State finisher at the state meet in the past two years and she was sixth at state last season.

While Christopherson has been consistent in big meets, there is nothing routine about her accomplishments. Ever since her first appearance at state, she’s been driven to stay ahead of all of the competitors who have been chasing her.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

“When you do it once, you have all of these competitors coming after you. There’s a lot of pressure with that. Now you’re expected to do well and if you don’t have a good race, you feel like you’ve let people down,” Christopherson said. “What keeps me going is success. I’ve had success through all my training and practice and if I were to end that, something tells me the results won’t be the same. I’m trying to get better and keep fighting. Competitors are going to train harder and faster to get you, so you have to train harder and faster to stay ahead.”

The competition in Class A is going to get a lot tougher this fall as Winona Cotter’s Grace Ping, who won the Class A state title as a seventh grader in 2016, has moved back to Minnesota from Utah. Ping is one of the fastest cross country runners in the nation, but Christopherson isn’t about to pout about the bar being raised.

“You have to work hard to beat the greatest and the great have to work hard. It definitely motivates me,” Christopherson said. “I’ve got to take it race by race and day by day. I’d definitely like to get back on that state podium in a higher place than I was last year.”

Cross country can be a grueling sport.

With competition in the fall, runners compete in all types of conditions — from hot and humid temps early in the season to cold, and sometimes snowy, days late in the season. Through it all, Christopherson is always able to find the motivation to keep running.

“I love representing Pacelli. It’s been an honor. We’re all really close and we’ve all grown together like a family,” she said. “My school’s given me a lot and representing my school is my greatest inspiration. I thank my coaches, my family, my teammates, my school and of course, to God.” AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

New coach sets course to team play The Lyle-Pacelli volleyball team is looking to a new coach to lead the way as it looks to improve on last year’s record of 11-15 overall.

The Athletics will turn to first year head coach Tammy Truckenmiller, who has been a junior high and junior varsity assistant in past years, to lead the squad. Truckenmiller is familiar with LP’s roster and she feels the team can be effective this season.

“I want us to be competitive, but I also want us to have great sportsmanship and I want us to play together as a team,” Truckenmiller said. “We have a lot of athletes here and we just need to teach them a few new techniques. It'll be fun.”

LP will look to a trio of seniors to lead the way as Brooke Walter, who had 308 set assists and 117 digs last season, Grace Einck and Kendal Truckenmiller will all take on big roles.

Walter said she wants to make her senior year count and she’s willing to put in some extra effort this fall.

“We need everyone on the team to go all out since it's the last year for us seniors.

Hopefully we can come out with a conference championship,” Walter said. “It starts at practice. We have to work hard every practice and that should carry over to games.”

LP will also look to sophomore Olivia Christianson, who had 131 kills and 126 digs last season, Faith King and Abby Bollingberg to step up on the court. Unfortunately for LP, standout hitter Lucy Nelson still wasn’t back from an injury headed into the season.

“Lucy is still out and that hurts,” Tammy said. “She's an amazing volleyball player and it's hard for her to be here and watch us when she can't play. She's a dedicated player.”

“I want us to have great sportsmanship and I want us to play together as a team.”

— Tammy Truckenmiller LP head coach

SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold Aug. 29.......................vs. Houston in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31..............................................at Lanesboro, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5..........vs. Glenville-Emmons in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7................................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 9.............................at Hayfield Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 12..........vs. Blooming Prairie in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14.............................vs. Spring Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 18...................................................at Kingsland, 7 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Sept. 19................vs. Grand Meadow in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 26................................at Glenville-Emmons, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28...................................at LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3............................vs. Randolph in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5...........................vs. LeRoy-Ostrander, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10.......................................at Grand Meadow, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14.......................................................at Byron, 8:30 a.m.

Oct. 16...................vs. Mabel-Canton in Lyle, 7:15 p.m.

Lyle-Pacelli’s Olivia Christianson hits against Randolph in game one last season in Pacelli.

Christianson was one of LP’s leading hitters last season with 131 kills and 126 digs.

Herald file photo

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

17

Blossoms pushing for ‘uncommon’ season

Blooming Prairie’s Lucas Noble breaks a run in the second quarter against Southland in their Section 1A quarterfinal matchup in Blooming Prairie last season.

Herald file photo

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Sept. 1...................................................at Southland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8..............................vs. Fillmore Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15.....................................at Wabasha-Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22...............................vs. Winona Cotter, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29...................................................at Goodhue, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6...........................................vs. Hayfield, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13..............................vs. Mayer Lutheran, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18.....................................at Rushford-Peterson, 7 p.m.

After bowing out in the Section 1A finals for two straight seasons, Blooming Prairie senior Lucas Noble has one word to describe how he’d like this football season to go.

“Uncommon. We’re trying to be uncommon,” Noble said. “We want to have a different year than the last two years where we lost in the section semis. We want to at least get to the section final and try to get through that.

We’d like to repeat that 2014 season [when BP went to state]. I still look up to those seniors to this day and I hope that we can get to their level this year.”

The Blossoms finished 7-3 overall last season and they bring back a bulk of the lineup from that team.

Noble had 196 receiving yards and 266 rushing yards with a total of six TDs last season and he’s one of six seniors who the Awesome Blossoms are going to look to for leadership this fall.

BP’s other seniors include Mitchell Oswald, who had 54 tackles and five sacks last year, Max Romeo, who ran for 445 yards to go with 179 receiving yards and three scores last year, Brad Staska, Nick Thompson and Jeremy Hocking.

Staska is one of four returning starting offensive linemen and that position will be a strength for BP. “We know each other and what we’re capable of and we know how to talk to each other.

It’s easy for us to get going,” Staska said. “We need to work a lot harder in practice than the years before. We’re doing a lot more strength and conditioning and speed and agility stuff this year.”

BP head coach Chad Gimbel said the team is taking a long-term approach to this season.

He wants the squad playing its best football when the tournament rolls around and he’s not going to put too much pressure on them during the regular season.

“We feel good about our team, but our main focus is getting better every day,” Gimbel said. “We want to get better as a football team, but also as people. I think we’re really focusing on that and it’s not just going to be about football this year. We want to win championships, but we’re concerned with learning from mistakes and getting better.”

BP is a little low on numbers this season and that will be a factor as the team decides how to use certain players.

“We’ve talked a lot about how we deal with adversity and we’re trying to create depth,” Gimbel said. “With only 34 players, we have to make sure our JV is ready for their game without taking too much time away from the varsity.”

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Getting in the swing Blossom VB looking for improvement The Blooming Prairie volleyball team is looking to make some big improvements this season.

The Awesome Blossoms graduated eight players from last year’s team that went 8-17 overall, but they bring back six players with varsity experience.

BP will be led by Ayren Ingvalson, McKenna Hein, Linnea Sunde and Sam Wurst, who had 116 kills last season. Those four players have worked hard throughout the summer and they’ve brought in extra energy as BP has prepared for the regular season.

“I believe our strengths will be in being a versatile team,” BP head coach Ranell Kittelson, who is in her third year at the helm, said. “We will have strong hitters all around and can hopefully bring it all together to bring a strong offensive attack every play.”

BP is hoping to make strides towards being competitive as this season rolls around.

“Our team is looking to push their potential to the next level working on bringing an

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Aug. 29...vs. Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31...............................at New Richland-HEG, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 2......................................at Rochester Century, 8 a.m.

Sept. 5.........................................vs. Austin, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7.............................at United South Central, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 9............................at Hayfield Tournament, 8:30 a.m.

Sept. 11..............................................at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 12.................vs. Lyle-Pacelli in Pacelli, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14....vs. Faribault Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 18.................................vs. Southland, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19................................................at Medford, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 21..........................................at Maple River, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 25.......................................at Alden-Conger, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 28...vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5......................................vs. Goodhue, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12......................vs. New Richland-HEG, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 17.....................................vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.

aggressive offense, strong blocking and being scrappy on defense,” Kittelson said. “We hope to be in the top three of our conference this year.”

Blooming Prairie’s Linnea Sunde receives a serve during game two against Austin last season.

Herald file photo

Ille returns to lead younger Blooming Prairie CC team The Blooming Prairie boys cross country team has some experience on its side and the BP girls have a youth movement going on as they prepare for the season.

Alec Ille, a senior who ran in the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet the last two seasons, will return to lead the BP boys along with seniors Jesse Schewe, Kyle Bramstedt and Cameron Kubista, and eighth-grader Alec Ille runs at Ethan Grant. the state meet last The BP girls will be year. led by senior Jerrin Herald file photo Jax, freshmen Olivia Johnson and Rose Mischaud and eighth graders Bobbie Bruns and Asha Lighthizer.

The BP boys finished second in the Gopher Conference last season and the girls AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Aug. 31.................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 7..................................................at Hayfield, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 12...................Blooming Prairie Invite, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 19......................................at New Richland, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 23......................................................at Milaca, 10 a.m.

Sept. 28.............................................at Janesville, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10............................at United South Central, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 17.........................at Gopher Meet in Janesville, 4 p.m.

were fifth.

“The depth and talent the boys have should lead to success as the season goes on. We should be near the top in most of our meets this season as long as we stay healthy,” BP head coach John Bruns said. “The girls added newcomers who should bolster the lineup and make us more competitive this year.”

Bruns said the Awesome Blossoms put in a lot of time in the summer with training and he’s liked what his team has shown him early on.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

19

Hayfield cross country boasts a mix of veterans and youth

The Hayfield Vikings celebrate after the final point in game four to claim the Section 1A West Division title over Faribault Bethlehem Academy at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester last season. Herald file photo

Cracking the state stage Last season the Hayfield volleyball team was knocking on the door of its first ever trip to the Minnesota Class A State Volleyball Tournament, but it came up a little short.

Now the Vikings will bring back nine players from that team that finished 25-5 overall and knocked off Faribault Bethlehem Academy before falling to Caledonia in the Section 1A title match.

Senior Maggie Streightiff, who has been on varsity since she was an eighth grader, had 248 kills, 453 set assists and 248 digs last season and senior Carrie Rutledge, who has been on varsity since she was a freshman, had 254 kills and 438 digs last season.

“Our strengths will again be our defense.

We love to get on the floor and get dirty.

The scrappy style of defense we play and the unrelenting pursuit of the ball will keep us

20

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

in games against some of the bigger powerhouses we will see this season,” Hayfield head coach Jeremy Struck said. “Offensively, we will take advantage of what our opponents are willing to give up on their side of the court.”

Hayfield also brings back senior hitter Kate Kruger, but it will have to replace its long-time libero Anna Carney, who is now playing at RCTC. The Vikings have a big senior class this season and they’re coming into the fall with a lot of motivation after putting together their best postseason run in school history last year.

“We demonstrated last year that we are eager to compete at the highest level,” Struck said. “We proved that last year by beating Fairbault Bethlehem Academy in the Sub-Section Final and coming up a few points short in the Section Final versus

SCHEDULE / Home matches in bold Aug. 24...................................at Fillmore Central, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 31....................................vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5....................................vs. Lake City, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 9.......................Hayfield Tournament, 8:30 am.

Sept. 12......................................vs. Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14..........................at Kenyon-Wanamingo, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19..................vs. Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 21..........................................at Pine Island, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 23..........at Southwest Christian Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 26.............................vs. Stewartville, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28...................................................at Byron, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3.....................................vs. Goodhue, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5................................at Kasson-Mantorville, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10............at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12.....................vs. Rochester Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 17.........................................at Cannon Falls, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 20.......................at Rochester Tournament, 5:15 p.m.

Oct. 21..........................at Rochester Tournament, 10 a.m.

Caledonia. This year’s team is loaded with talent and can play with anyone if given the opportunity.”

The Hayfield girls cross country team has five seniors in tow and the boys team will look to a group of younger runners to step up as it approaches this season.

The Hayfield girls will be led by seniors Caitlyn Severson, Danielle Schmidt, Gabrielle Looks, Kelsey Roe and Megan Johnson and sophomore Frederikke Kildested, a foreign exchange student from Denmark, will step up as well.

The boys team has one senior in Kyle Jacobson and two sophomores in Logan Finley and Nathan Grad. Much of the team is made up of freshmen and middle schoolers.

“Our team really bonds well together and is like a little family,” said Hayfield head coach Kellie Baker, who is in her 11th year at the helm. “They are very supportive of one another and it is a great group of young individuals to coach. We have a lot of fun.”

Baker said she is looking for the seniors to step up and lead the team as the season goes along.

“We want to always work hard, try our best, have fun, improve from meet to meet,” Baker said.

SCHEDULE / Home meets in bold Aug. 31................................................at Stewartville, 4 p.m.

Sept. 7.................................Hayfield Invite, 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 12....................................................at Byron, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 19...............................................at Lake City, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 28..................................at Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 4 p.m.

Oct. 5.......................................at Lewiston-Altura, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10...............................at Kasson-Mantorville, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 17.................................at HVL meet in Triton, 4:30 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Vikings working toward growth, positivity Low numbers force Hayfield players to pick up multiple rolls

The Hayfield football team will have to stay healthy and conditioned this season as the team is low on numbers and experience.

The Vikings graduated 12 players from last year’s squad that went 3-7 overall and the team is looking for some new leaders to step up.

“We’re low on numbers,” said Hayfield head coach Adam Schroeder, who is in his second year at the helm, said. “We’ve got some quality guys, but the quantity is down and that’s something that we’re looking to try and improve on next year. There just won’t be that many subs this year. We’re doing our best to get them in good shape and we’ve got to stay healthy.”

Hayfield will look to seniors Zach Nelson, a lineman, Steven Miner, a wide receiver, Morgen Moreno, a running back who ran for 482 yards and five TDs last season, and junior lineman Tristan Rieken, who had 88 tackles last season, to lead the way this fall.

“The majority of our experience is in those four guys on offense and defense. We look for them to lead in practice and lead by example,” Schroeder said. “We just have to

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Sept. 1.........................................at Fillmore Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 8.............................vs. Wabasha-Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15...........................................at Winona Cotter, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22.......................................vs. Goodhue, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29........vs. Faribault Bethlehem Academy, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6...........................................at Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13..........................vs. Rushford-Peterson, 7 p.m.

Oct. 18....................................................at Kingsland, 7 p.m.

Hayfield’s Morgen Moreno (37) and Dom Dublin (73) combine to tackle Fillmore Central quarterback Riley Means during the first quarter Friday night in Hayfield. Herald file photo

learn and improve throughout the year on our own responsibilities and we have to trust our teammates to do their jobs. It’s going to be an interesting season to see how people respond to adversity.”

Nelson said the Vikings will have to stay positive this season as players grow into their roles.

“We’re looking at it as we have a lot of opportunity to grow as a team,” Nelson said. “A lot of guys have stepped up to fill the role of last year’s seniors and we’re looking for more every day. We want to stay positive.”

Rieken said that the Vikings are learning to play multiple positions in case the injury bug does show up and the players are conditioning to play a lot of snaps. He said he’s looking forward to taking on a bigger leadership position this season.

“We’ve really got to step it up and take on big roles as leaders. You’ve got to pick guys up when they’re down and make sure everybody’s having fun,” Rieken said. “I think as the year goes on we’ll get more confident in ourselves and I think we’ll have some close games and surprise people with our new offense.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

21

Fuel your activity right with carbohydrates!

Megan Groh is a registered dietitian for Hy-Vee in Austin and an Austin High School graduate

As

someone who was a high school athlete many years ago, I know that a proper diet is important to fueling performance.

I have fond memories from high school pasta parties before a cross country or track event. Pasta parties was our way of loading up on carbohydrates in an effort to prepare for a race. To fuel up for these activities, it is important to eat foods that will help us do our best, whether for competition or just for fun.

In recent years, there has been a lot of attention on the importance of protein for athletes and weekend warriors alike. Media and manufacturers have put the spotlight on high-protein diets, protein powders, sports bars with high levels of protein, as well as other foods with enhanced protein levels — granola with protein, protein pretzels and even potato chips with added protein! With all of this focus on protein, it can be easy to overlook a perhaps less-glamorous, but equally as important, nutrient — carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the main and preferred source of energy for our bodies and brains. When we eat carbohydrates, such as those from whole grains, fruits and dairy, fuel is stored in our bodies in the form of a substance called glycogen. During physical activity, glycogen is then broken down to

5 Stories to watch

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal Serves 1 (about 1 cup)

All you need •1/2 cup Hy-Vee old-fashioned rolled oats •1/2 cup water •Pinch of salt •1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries •2 tbsp Hy-Vee nonfat plain Greek yogurt •1 tbsp toasted chopped pecans •2 tsp pure maple syrup All you do 1. Combine oats, water and salt in a jar or bowl.

2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, heat if desired, and top with blueberries, yogurt, pecans and syrup.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 291 calories, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat, 1mg cholesterol, 161mg sodium, 49g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 18g sugars, 9g protein.

Source: adapted from EatingWell, Inc. The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice. provide fuel for working muscles.

Carbohydrates are a unique and essential

1. Is the Pack Back?

After winning four games in a row towards the end of last season, the Packer football team is hoping an experienced line and some new skill position players can help the team keep momentum going in 2017.

2. Final act

The Hayfield volleyball team had its best postseason run in school history last season when it came within one match of securing its first trip to the Minnesota Class A State Volleyball Tournament in school history. Now the Vikings have a large senior class that is motivated to make another push for state. Hayfield entered the season as the No. 2 ranked team in Class A.

3. Reloaded on the pitch

The Austin boys soccer team was just a hair a way from the Minnesota Class A State Boys Soccer Tournament last year when it lost 1-0 to Northfield in the Section 1A title game and

source of fuel during exercise because they are used during many different phases and the Packers are hoping to bounce back this fall.

Austin has a new core of players, but the talent is high and the hopes are big as they prepare for another postseason push.

types of activity. They are used during shorter duration high-intensity exercises such as sprints, jumping and throwing, as well as during endurance activities such as long-distance races. Consuming adequate carbohydrates helps to optimize performance and delay fatigue, as well as to replenish glycogen stores after exercise.

As with choosing other types of food, quality is key for carbohydrates. If we want our bodies to perform at their best, we’ve got to choose the best fuels! For carbohydrates, this means focusing on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. These provide our bodies with fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, are high in sugar but contain little if any essential vitamins and minerals.

Examples of simple carbohydrates, which should be chosen in moderation, if at all, include pop and other sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, cookies and pastries. Simple carbohydrates are not the best choice to fuel sports activities.

Whole grains (think whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and oatmeal), fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy contain high-quality carbohydrates. Try this recipe for Creamy Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal — the perfect fuel for your next adventure!

Tate Hebrink attempts a pass for Austin in the 2016 regular season finale against Rochester John Marshall. Herald file photo

4. Superlarks staying grand?

Grand Meadow has graduated the bulk of its roster from its team that won the fourth consecutive Minnesota Class nine man state football title, and now the Superlarks are hoping some new faces can chip in and start a new stretch of success. GM will rely heavily on senior running back Zach Myhre.

5. Still going strong

Every year she’s been in cross country, Pacelli junior Kayla Christopherson has ran in the Minnesota Class A State Cross Country Meet.

Christopherson will pursue her fifth state meet this fall and she’s hoping to a notch a third straight All-State finish if she can make it back to the big meet.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

College Schedules

Football [Home games played at TCF Bank Stadium] Aug. 31.....vs. Buffalo, 6 p.m. Oct. 7............at Purdue, TBA Sept. 9.at Oregon St., 9 p.m. Oct. 14..vs. Mich. State, TBA Sept. 16................vs. Middle Oct. 21...................vs. Illinois Tennessee, 2:30 p.m.

(Homecoming), Sept. 30...vs. Maryland, TBA 2:30 or 3 p.m.

Oct. 28..............at Iowa, TBA Nov. 4.........at Michigan, TBA Nov. 11...............at Nebraska Nov. 18......at NWestern, TBA Nov. 25...vs. Wisconsin, TBA

Volleyball [Home matches played in Maturi Pavilion]

Diet Coke Classic at Maturi Pavilion Sept. 1............vs. West Virginia, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2.....................vs. UTSA, 10 a.m. vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m.

Texas Tournament in Austin, Texas Sept. 7...................vs. Denver, 10 a.m. vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 5 p.m.

Sept. 8........................vs Texas, 8 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

Boise State Tournament in Boise, Idaho Sept. 15.......vs. Oregon State, 11 a.m. vs. Boise State Sept. 16...........vs Idaho State, 11 a.m.

Sept. 22................vs Michigan, 7 p.m.

Sept. 24.........vs Michigan State, noon Sept. 29................at Nebraska, 5 p.m.

Sept. 30........................at Iowa, 7 p.m.

Oct. 4...................at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7........................at Michigan, TBA Oct. 11....................vs. Purdue, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15........................vs. Iowa, 2 p.m.

Aug. 25..................................................at Ridgewater, 1 p.m.

Aug. 26.......................................at Central Lakes, 11:15 a.m.

Aug. 30..................................vs. Anoka-Ramsey, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 6......................................................at RCTC, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 13................................vs. Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 15............................at Rochester Tournament, 10 a.m.

Sept. 16..............................at Rochester Tournament, 3 p.m.

Sept. 22....................................at Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 29.....................................at St. Cloud Tech., 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 30..........................................at Fergus Falls, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 4.....................................................vs. RCTC, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 11.......................................at Anoka-Ramsey, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 13....................................vs. St. Cloud Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 14...............................................vs. Fergus Falls, noon Oct. 19............................................at Crossover Tournament Oct. 20............................................at Crossover Tournament Oct. 25............................vs. Western Wisconsin, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 27..........................................vs. Ridgewater, 6:30 p.m.

Riverland Community College

gophers Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Madison, Wisconsin Aug. 25...vs. North Carolina, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 26................vs. Louisville, 4 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

Oct. 18................at Ohio State, 7 p.m.

Oct. 21...........vs Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 25.......................vs Illinois, 8 p.m.

Oct. 28.....................at Rutgers, 6 p.m.

Nov. 3..................vs. Maryland, 7 p.m.

Nov. 4.................vs Ohio State, 7 p.m.

Nov. 10.................at Purdue, 4:30 p.m.

Nov. 11......................at Indiana, 6 p.m.

Nov. 17..............at Northwester, 7 p.m.

Nov. 18.......................at Illinois, 7 p.m.

Nov. 24....................vs Rutgers, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25..................vs Penn State, TBA

www.gophersports.com/

Blue Devils SOCCER

Aug. 26................................................at Gustavus JV, 1 p.m.

Aug. 30..........................................at Minnesota West, 3 p.m.

Sept. 6...........................................vs. Waldorf JV, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 9..........................................vs. Lake Superior, 2 p.m.

Sept. 13..........................................at Anoka-Ramsey, 4 p.m.

Sept. 20..............................................vs. Century, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 27................................vs. Minnesota West, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 2..........................................vs. Gustavus JV, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 6..........................................................at Century, 4 p.m.

Oct. 7................................................at Lake Superior, 3 p.m.

Oct. 11...................................vs. Anoka-Ramsey, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 14.................................................at Waldorf JV, 10 a.m.

www.riverland.edu/athletics/

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

23

SCHEDULE / Home games in bold Schwan Cup

Sept. 21..................................vs. Northeast Generals, 10 a.m.

Sept. 23............................vs. Springfield Jr. Blues., 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 30.................vs. Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 6................................vs. Janesville Jets, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 7................................vs. Janesville Jets, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 11..................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 14.......................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 18.............................at Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 20............................vs. Aberdeen Wings, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 21............................vs. Aberdeen Wings, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 25......................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 11:30 a.m.

Oct. 27..................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Oct. 28..................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 3.....................................at Bismarck Bobcats, 7:15 p.m.

Nov. 4......................................at Bismarck Bobcats, 7:15 p.m.

Nov. 10......................................at Coulee Region Chill, 7 p.m.

Nov. 11.......................vs. Coulee Region Chill, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 17.............................at Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 18...................vs. Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 24.......................vs. Coulee Region Chill, 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 25......................................at Coulee Region Chill, 7 p.m.

Dec. 1......................................at Bismarck Bobcats, 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 2......................................at Bismarck Bobcats, 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 8....................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 9.........................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 15...................vs. Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 16.............................at Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 29...................vs. Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 30.............................at Minnesota Wilderness, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 5...........................vs. Minot Minotauros, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 6...........................vs. Minot Minotauros, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 10..................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 12........................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 13...................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 13...................................at Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 19....................................at Minot Minotauros, 8:05 p.m.

Jan. 20.....................................at Minot Minotauros, 8:05 p.m.

Jan. 26.........................vs. Bismarck Bobcats, 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 27.........................vs. Bismarck Bobcats, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 2........................................at Aberdeen Wings, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 3.........................................at Aberdeen Wings, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 9.................................at Minnesota Magicians, 7:15 p.m.

Feb. 10.....................vs. Minnesota Magicians, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 16............................vs. Aberdeen Wings, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 23..........................vs. Minot Minotauros, 7:05 p.m.

Feb. 24..........................vs. Minot Minotauros, 7:05 p.m.

March 2.....................................at Aberdeen Wings, 7:15 p.m.

24

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017

March 3......................................at Aberdeen Wings, 7:15 p.m.

March 9......................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

March 10....................vs. Brookings Blizzard, 7:05 p.m.

March 16................................at Minot Minotauros, 7:35 p.m.

March 17................................at Minot Minotauros, 7:35 p.m.

March 23.................vs. Minnesota Magicians, 7:05 p.m.

March 24..........................at Minnesota Magicians, 7:05 p.m.

March 30..........................................at Janesville Jets, 7 p.m.

March 31...........................................at Janesville Jets, 7 p.m.

April 6..........................vs. Bismarck Bobcats, 7:05 p.m.

April 7..........................vs. Bismarck Bobcats, 7:05 p.m.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL SPORTS PREVIEW