PAGE 4 PLAIN TALK • PRESS & DAKOTAN ? WINTER SPORTS 2015 Yankton Grad Smith Ready To Take Helm Of Bucks coach,” senior Spencer Huber said. “I’m glad to have him instead of some random, new guy.” Huber, who came into the season needing four wins to break the school record for career victories, pointed to Smith’s off-season and practice regimes as proof that the Bucks are on the rise. “It’s definitely intense, and he’s definitely pushing us, but in different ways,” Huber said. “It’s more for strength and being ready for matches.” BY JEREMY HOECK jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net Riley Smith got the news in April. He was getting his longawaited chance to lead his alma mater’s wrestling program. The 31-year-old Yankton native was promoted to replace Ryan Hage, who resigned in April as head coach of the Yankton High School program. “I’m not going to lie, I was pretty excited,” Smith said during a pre-season practice in the YHS wrestling room, where his athletes were preparing for their season opener two days later. Smith, a 2003 YHS and 2007 Mount Marty College graduate, returned to his hometown in 2011 after teaching and helping with the wrestling program at Rapid City Stevens. He then served as an assistant coach under Hage. Now, it’s Smith’s turn to lead the Bucks. “You don’t always get those opportunities to get to coach where you got to wrestle and to carry on those traditions that you were a part of,” he said. As a wrestler under former Yankton coach Murray McGlone, Smith recorded a career record of 79-29, but it was his desire to lead that eventually led him to serving as a head coach. “For a long time, I wanted Follow @jhoeck on Twitter YHS WR FROM PAGE 3 getting quite a few more in this year.” JEREMY HOECK/P&D Because of the number Riley Smith, center, was named head wrestling coach for Yankton High School in April. The 2003 Yankton and 2007 of returning wrestlers to the Mount Marty alumnus ranked among the Bucks’ all-time leaders during his wrestling career, and now begins his first team this season, Yankton season at the Bucks’ helm. will be able to fill out a full lineup for dual events, acto be a teacher,” Smith said. would wrestle all the time,” Smith is in a position where use that experience to mold cording to Smith. “And then just with my love Smith said. “My parents he can develop his own his own style. That’s certainly a change of sports, being a coach is would have some pretty good culture for the Bucks. Smith “You take bits and pieces from previous seasons. something I always wanted to stories about us wrestling is, though, quick to point out of everything they’ve done, “That’s unusual for us, but pursue.” around. that he had the opportunity and then you put your own it’s good,” Huber said. “Those Smith got an early start “My brother Sean started to learn from a number of philosophy into it,” he said. open (weights) really swing in the sport, thanks to those wrestling, so I wanted to do talented coaches, such as “You can develop a really the points the other way.” – at times – good-natured it too,” he added. Sean is an McGlone and Hage, as well good thing.” Yankton’s annual home bouts with his brother, Sean, assistant coach for the Rapid as Rick Jensen (the first fourAnd so far, his wrestlers invitational is Feb. 6, with the while they were growing up City Stevens program. time Class A champion in like what he’s doing. Region 2A tournament set for in Yankton. Now the ninth coach in South Dakota), Brian Moser “We definitely liked him Feb. 18-19 in Harrisburg. “Before I was ever even YHS wrestling history (and and Sean Smith. as an assistant and so far we on a mat, my brothers and I only the fourth since 1988), The key, Smith said, is to definitely like him as a head Follow @jhoeck on Twitter Gazelles Look To Build On Eight-Win Season BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK james.cimburek@yankton.net A season ago, the Yankton Gazelles won eight games, doubling their victory total of the previous season. This year, with all but one starter back, the Gazelles have higher expectations. Yankton looks to take another step forward under second-year head coach Trey Krier in 2015-16 when the season begins Dec. 11 at Mitchell. The Gazelles (8-15) return eight of the nine players who played in 10 or more games last season, including seven who started at least one game. The team built on that experience in the off-season, according to Krier. “We had a really good summer. Our team camps and our open gyms did exactly what we wanted them to do,” he said. “We got girls in the gym and got them to continue to do some of the things that we harped on for 45 practices and 23 games last year.” Seniors Becky Frick (7.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 32 assists), Sophie Drotzmann (4.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 25 assists) and Brianna Benjamin (1.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 37 assists) return, as do juniors Lindsey Hale (9.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 41 assists, 30 steals), Madason Tessier (5.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 28 steals), Josie Sayler (4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Kami Cornemann (4.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 25 assists). “We return a majority of the minutes from last year,” Krier said. “We are still very raw, there is still a long ways to go, but it’s nice to be able to continue things that we talked about last year with a lot of the girls that we had last year.” That chemistry has made it easier to come together on the court this season, according to Frick. “A lot of us have been playing together since we were in middle school. We know each other very well,” she said. “We know where everyone is on the floor each time. It’s just fun playing with a group of girls that are BASKETBALL Dec. 11 at Mitchell 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 vs. Brookings 6:15 p.m. Dec. 17 at Harrisburg 6:15 p.m. Dec. 19 at Brandon Valley 5:15 p.m. Dec. 22 at S.F. Washington 5:45 p.m. Jan. 2 vs. Pierre 4:15 p.m. Jan. 9 vs. Aberdeen Central 5 p.m. Jan. 12 vs. S.F. Lincoln 6:15 p.m. Jan. 16 at Watertown 5:15 p.m. Jan. 19 at S.F. O’Gorman 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 vs. Huron 4:15 p.m. Jan. 26 at Brookings 6:15 p.m. Jan. 28 vs. Harrisburg 6:15 p.m. Feb. 2 vs. S.F. Roosevelt 6:15 p.m. Feb. 6 at Aberdeen Central 5 p.m. Feb. 9 vs. Brandon Valley 6:15 p.m. Feb. 11 at Huron 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Pierre 5:15 p.m. Feb. 20 vs. Watertown 4:15 p.m. Feb. 23 vs. Mitchell 6:15 p.m. Feb. 26 District 2AA Play-In 7 p.m. Feb. 29, Mar. 3 District 2AA 7 p.m. March 7 Region 1AA 7 p.m. March 17-19 State AA at Sioux Falls Yankton’s Becky Frick (14) pretty much like your best friends, a family.” Sophomore Emily Oswald (0.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg) also returns after breaking into the rotation in the second half of last season. “Emily got some minutes last year at the end of the year because of some injuries,” Krier said. “She’s going to be a girl that is going to mix into our group right away.” The Gazelles graduated Andi Sprakel (5.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 40 assists; now playing softball at Dakota Wesleyan) and Sarah Rockne (1.9 ppg, Need funds for your sports team? Have a fundraiser night at your local Yankton Dairy Queen! 1917 Broadway Ave. Please contact jroy@fourteenfoods.com for more information. 2.6 rpg, lost to injury after eight games), and will be without Cornemann for part of the season due to an injury suffered this past summer, “Bailey has the potential the squad will be bolstered to add to our depth in the by sophomore transfer Bailey backcourt as well,” Krier Kortan. said. “We’re going to be able East Side Chiropractic Center Dr Ga r M er a n . y kw 2708 Ea st Hw y 50 Y a n kto n ,SD 605. 3503 665. ea stsi echio pr cti d r a ccen terco m . 407 Walnut St. 605.689.2244 Open 7 Days A Week At 11AM W. 21st St. 665-9311 Yankton, SD 57078 List Electric •Residential •Commercial •Farmstead Wiring “Don’t Gamble” - Insure With M.T. & R.C. SMITH INSURANCE, INC. 204 W. 4th St., PO Box 1077 Yankton, SD • 605-665-3611 Toll Free: 1-888-665-3611 Fax: 605-665-2560 YHS GBB | PAGE 5 Yankton 605-260-8674 | 800-244-2149 2408 N. 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