PAGE 6 ? FALL SPORTS 2015 PRESS & DAKOTAN ? PLAIN TALK Football: Tanagers Look To Continue Progress In 2015 BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN VERMILLION elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net Progress seems to be the word down at Vermillion High School’s first week of football practices. “We just want to improve again this year. The past few years we’ve been progressing and we just want to keep that going,” said senior Matt Ouellette. The Tanagers went 5-5 in 2014, including a dramatic overtime win against Tea Area to move on to the second round of playoffs, much improved from the 2-8 season in 2013, and head coach Andy Homan is looking to continue building off last year’s progress. “(We) made a lot of great 8/28 9/4 9/11 9/18 9/25 10/2 10/9 10/16 10/22 10/29 11/6 11/12 Football at Canton 7 p.m. vs. Dell Rapids 7 p.m. vs. Parkston 7 p.m. at Dakota Valley 7 p.m. vs. Madison (HC) 7:30 p.m. at Tea Area 7 p.m. at S.F. Christian 7 p.m. vs. Lennox 7:30 p.m. vs. West Central 7 p.m. Playoffs Quarter?nals Playoffs Semi?nals Class 11A Championship at Vermillion 7:30 p.m. ADMIT ONE strides as a program,” he said. “We improved in all areas of the game.” The continued progress won’t come easy as the Tana- gers have some positions to fill after losing a number of seniors from last season along with many strong opponents in the schedule. “We will find out in camp who will be taking the right steps toward filling those holes we have on both sides of the ball,” he said. One such hole is in the quarterback position where Carter Kratz is slated to replace Jack Brown. But this will not be a new feat for the junior and Homan is expecting Kratz to be comfortable in the position. “Carter played most of the quarterback reps the last two seasons as Jack was injured and missed the rest of the seasons,” Homan said. This is not a big change for us. Carter has games under his belt coming into the season and knows what it takes to lead this team this year.” Ouellette, returning for his senior year, tied for 13th in the state in 2014 at the receiver position with 380 yards and mentions fans may see a different Tanagers offense this year, so far, is showing a step in the right direction. “We’ve really been changing our offenses, so we’re really moving the ball better,” he said. For Homan and the Tanagers, this year’s fall camp has two purposes. “One is to find the right guys to fill the gaps we have with last year’s seniors being gone,” Homan said. “Second is to gain confidence in what we are doing on offense and on defense. With confidence our guys will play fast and harder.” The team has been weightlifting and attending camps during the summer to prepare for the upcoming fall and cap off the offseason with Tanager Pride Week for one final workout before coming together for fall. “(The players) show each other they are willing to push their limits for each other. We are family and take care of one another like brothers. That week just helps use remind each other of that,” Homan said. Coaches are always looking for leadership from senior players, but Homan is expecting every player on the team to contribute to the team’s success. “We are looking for the whole team to step up this to make an impact for us. It is going to have to be a team effort this year to have success,” Homan said. “The schedule is very tough this year. WE play a lot of good teams and we have no easy games this year. We will have to take one week at a time, and prepare for a fight every week.” The Tanagers open the season on Friday, Aug. 28 in Canton. Their first home game is scheduled for Sept. 4 against Dell Rapids at 7 p.m. Volleyball: New-Look Squad Has High Expectations BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN VERMILLION elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net The Vermillion High School volleyball team is looking at a clean slate. The Tanagers will begin 2015 with a new year, a new coach and a new team with the goal of making it to the state tournament. Gabi Jarchow is taking over as head coach and isn’t shy about her expectations for this year’s team. “When we first met her at open gym, she was like ‘my goal is to make it to state’ and we were all really shocked because we haven’t been to state in years,” said senior Emily Schmitz. The team will have a lot of work to do after coming off just two wins last season, but Jarchow is confident is her player’s abilities to be competitive this season. “I feel like were a really well balanced team where we don’t have just good passers and just good hitters,” she said. “I would say that the girls just need to know that they can compete with these tougher teams. They have to just believe in each other and themselves and know that they can do it. If they have that type of attitude they’ll be able to beat anybody.” Jarchow is coming to Vermillion from Dakota Valley where she helped coach the Panthers to a third-place finish at last year’s state tournament. She says the most important aspect she can ask from her team is consistency and keeping a positive attitude and after the first week of 9/1 9/3 9/5 9/8 9/10 9/14 9/15 9/19 9/22 9/28 9/29 10/1 10/6 10/13 10/15 10/17 10/20 10/23 10/29 11/3 11/5 11/10 11/19-21 8/17 8/21 8/24 9/1 9/4 Volleyball at Lennox 7:30 p.m. at South Sioux City 7:30 p.m. Luverne Inv. 9 a.m. vs. Bon Homme 7:30 p.m. at Tri-Valley 7:30 p.m. vs. Madison 7:30 p.m. vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 7:30 p.m. at Cavalier Clash (Tyndall) 8:30 a.m. at Tea Area 7:30 p.m. vs. Wagner 7:30 p.m. at S.F. Christian 7:30 p.m. at West Central 7:30 p.m. vs. Dell Rapids 7:30 p.m. vs. Ponca 7:30 p.m. vs. Canton 7:30 p.m. Dakota XII Conf. (Hartford) 9 a.m. vs. Beresford 7:30 p.m. at Dakota Valley 7:30 p.m. at Elk Point-Jefferson 7:30 p.m. Region 4A Region 4A Region 4A Championship State Tourn. at Sioux Falls 9/8 9/10 9/15 9/21 9/28 10/5-6 Vermillion Boys’ Golf Team Ready For 2015 BY MARK UPWARD For The Plain Talk practices she likes the direction in which the team is moving. “The girls do a really good job of being positive and encouraging to each other,” she said. “I think they all have good attitudes about want to get better which is a good thing because if the girls don’t want to get better, it’s hard to go further with that.” The positive attitude is mirrored in Jarchow’s coaching and has been noticed by the players, even in the short amount of time they have been together. “When she talks to us, she has a great attitude about everything,” Schmitz said. “She cheers us on and so she Kayla Stammer (5) • Vermillion VHS VB | PAGE 7 Tennis: Tanagers Build On 2014 Progress ously the learning and improvement of technique,” Hughes said. “She is much more confident this year and I look for her to really improve over the course of the Vermillion High School girls’ tennis season.” began match play last Saturday and the Hughes hopes to see the focus of this Tanagers look to start off right where last week’s practices start to year ended. show through in the skills “We were pleased with She the wins we started seeing VERMILLION of the players. keepwants the players to pracfor some of the girls last ticing the way they play year,” she said. “We hope in matches and with that to continue that again.” Girls’ Tennis will come improvement in The team has just three 8/22 at Yankton/vs. R.C. Stevens/ technique and a solid skill returning players, who will Watertown 0 W, 2 L 8/25 at Mitchell/vs. R.C. Central base to build from. all be moving up in flight 12:30 p.m. “We just kind of do this year. Junior Libby 9/3 vs. Harrisburg 4 p.m. what we do,” Hughes said. Sykes will be taking on the 9/8 at Madison/vs. Aberdeen Roncalli noon “It’s working on our techNo. 1 spot for the Tanagers 9/11 Brandon Valley Inv. 9 a.m. nique really hard, really to begin the season with 9/14 vs. Madison 4 p.m. 9/17 vs. Yankton 2 p.m. pushing that and making Alex Rosdail and Brandi 9/28 vs. Mitchell 4 p.m. sure that at the beginning Styles, both sophomores, 10/1 at S.F. Washington/vs. Aberdeen of the season we are doing playing at 2 and 3. Roncalli/S.F. Lincoln 12:30 p.m. 10/8-10 State (Sioux Falls & Brandon) things correctly so that if “Last year we did pretty 9 a.m. Thur. & Fri./8 a.m. Sat. you mess up, if you get a well. It was a building bad toss for your serve or season — we got a lot of ADMIT ONE you start doing something new people — and some weird with your serve then of those new people came it’s really hard to change back, so now hopefully it as the season goes on, so we’re working we’ll do even better,” Sykes said. really hard right now and making sure Sophomore Shinayne Whipple will be that all the things we’re going, we’re doing looked at to move up this year, as well afcorrectly.” ter showing much improvement from last season during the first week of practices. TANAGERS | PAGE 7 “I can tell (she) has been taking seri- BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net www.KnutsonFamilyDentistry.com Go Tanagers! LARGEST SELECTION OF FORD CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLES IN THE AREA! 101 West Cherry Street, Vermillion, SD 605-624-8624 • 800-624-6690 www.vermillionford.com 5 W Cherry St Vermillion, SD 624-4444 Boys’ Golf Milbank Inv. 6th - 345 Dakota Valley Inv. 2nd - 327 Dell Rapids Inv. Tie-5th - 340 at Lennox/vs. Beresford 2:30 p.m. West Central Inv. (from 8/18) 9 a.m. S.F. Christian Inv. 9 a.m. Vermillion Inv. 9:30 a.m. vs. Elk Point-Jefferson 4 p.m. Dakota XII Conf. (Dell Rapids) 9 a.m. Region 2A (Bakker Crossing) 9 a.m. State A at Milbank ADMIT ONE ADMIT ONE Libby Sykes • Vermillion VERMILLION When Coach Kirk Hogen looks at his boys’ varsity golf team this year, he sees a variety of experience levels amongst his varsity players — three seniors, one junior, one freshman and one seventh grader. The seniors, Paul Schwasinger, Sam Craig, and Cole Anderson, are working hard to establish their role as this young season progresses. Junior Cooper Williams is picking up where he left off last season. Copper finished third at last year’s State Class A golf tournament. So far this season, Williams has been the medalist for the Tanagers in each of the tournaments the Tanagers have played shooting in the low 80’s each match. The varsity top six players for the Tanagers are rounded out by ninth grader Ryne Whisler and seventh grader Hunter Lavin. “With solid finishes in the three invites we’ve had so far this season, I think we are about where I expected us to be at this time of the year,” said Hogen. “We will have to refine our individual play if we are to improve from here.” With school starting and a short break in the schedule where the Tanagers aren’t playing in two tournaments in the week, Coach Hogen is looking forward for so much needed practice time. “We just can’t be satisfied with our current level of play and say our golf game is okay for the season,” said Hogen. “We need to prepare ourselves to go out and compete at our highest level of ability each week of the season. As the Tanagers set their sights on the State Tournament this year, they will need to concentrate on the mental aspects of golf as well as the physical aspects. “We need to prepare ourselves both mentally and physically as we head into the rest of the season,” said Hogen. “We must prepare as VHS GOLF | PAGE 7 Good Luck Tanagers & area athletes! Dr. Richard Knutson, D.D.S • 605.624.6291 • Dr. Matthew Knutson, D.D.S 201 W. Cherry St. • Vermillion • 605.624.2696 Good Luck TANAGERS! 1617 317th Street • Vermillion Visit GoTanagers.com For Upcoming Sports & Booster Club Information (605) 624-9555 Good Luck Tanagers & USD Athletes!