PAGE 4: FALL SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN ? PLAIN TALK Soccer: Gazelles Boast Young, Talented Squad BY BEN HEGGE sports@yankton.net EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan. It has been updated to reflect the ongoing season. Replacing seven seniors can be a tough situation for any team. However, the Yankton Gazelles soccer team is ready to take on the challenge. “We will have a very young team this year, but this team is full of athletes,” said Gazelles head coach Tyler Schuring. “Everyone has been working hard in preparation for this fall.” The Gazelles roster features just two seniors: Anna Savey and goalkeeper Holly Hicks. There are no juniors on the roster, and the other 16 members on Yankton’s roster are underclassmen. “Freshmen and sophomores are going to have to step into positions,” said Schuring. “A lot of young girls are going to be playing, but some of them already have varsity experience.” One of the seniors that the Gazelles will replace this season is Second-Team All-State selection Madason Tessier, who led the team in goals (9) in 2016. “We are moving players around trying to get a feel for our lineup,” said Schuring. “We have a strong group of core players. We should be solid in the middle, but we need to fill a few spots.” Often times it takes a young team some time to develop before finally finding their niche. However, having some players with previous varsity experience can make the Gazelles different from most teams. “One thing we seem to struggle with is physical play. We are going to have to play physical with teams that are YHS VB FROM PAGE 3 “I think every year is probably the same because something we want to be successful at is passing the ball off the opponents’ serve and allowing us the opportunity to run our offense,” she said. “We have some setters that do an excellent job and we have hitters that we can get the ball to.” Yankton’s first match of the season was against Harrisburg on Aug. 22 in Yankton. ter. Follow@dhugg23 on Twit- YANKTON Volleyball 8/22 Harrisburg 7 p.m. 8/29 Lincoln 7 p.m. 8/31 at Mitchell 7 p.m. 9/5 Washington 7 p.m. 9/7 at Brandon Valley 7 p.m. 9/9 Aberdeen Central 2:30 p.m. 9/12 at O’Gorman 7 p.m. 9/15 at Pierre 7 p.m. 9/19 Huron 7 p.m. 9/26 Brookings 7 p.m. 9/28 at Harrisburg 7 p.m. 10/3 Brandon Valley 7 p.m. 10/7 at Aberdeen Central 2:30 p.m. 10/10 at Brookings 7 p.m. 10/13 Pierre 7 p.m. 10/17 at Huron 7 p.m. 10/20 at Watertown 7 p.m. 10/24 Mitchell 7 p.m. 10/31 at Roosevelt 7 p.m. 11/2 Watertown 7 p.m. 11/9 AA Sweet 16 7 p.m. 11/16-18 State (Rapid City) PREMIUM BEST TRANSPORT 1501 Wek Road Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-9202 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 Trevor Rafferty, who stopped 125 shots last season, returns to anchor a Yankton defense that allowed just 11 goals in 12 matches last season. Bucks Aim For Another Deep Playoff Run BY BEN HEGGE Jaiden Boomsma (23) has scored a team-best four goals in three matches this season. YANKTON 8/11 8/15 8/17 8/22 8/24 8/29 8/31 9/5 9/9 9/12 9/16 9/19 9/26 9/30 10/3 10/7 Girls’ Soccer (3-0) Lincoln at Harrisburg at Mitchell at Washington O’Gorman Brandon Valley Watertown Pierre at Aberdeen Central at Roosevelt at Huron Brookings AA First Round AA Quarter?nals AA Semi?nals AA Final (Aberdeen) W 2-0 W 2-0 W 3-0 (late) (late) 6 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 2 p.m. 5:45 p.m. 2 p.m. 4 p.m. bigger and stronger,” said Schuring. Physical play was one area where Schuring hoped his young team improves, but with a lot of new players on the field, the Gazelles will have a little bit of a learning curve. “Playing against the big Sioux Falls schools will be tough. There will definitely be more of a learning curve in those games,” he said. “But with that being said, we are going to compete every game. We are going to surprise some teams.” Having a large pool of talented young players, such as Jaiden Boomsma, Payton Wolfgram, etc., makes for a bright future for the Yankton Gazelles soccer program. “Getting our younger girls experience and getting a chance to develop them and watch them grow is great for the program,” said Schuring. “But, you never want to look into the future too much. We are just focused on this year and going out there and competing every day.” Yankton got off to a fast start, winning their first three matches, all with shutouts. Boomsma has a team-best four goals, with newcomer Cora Schurman scoring twice. Hicks has three shutouts in goal. Follow @bigheadbenny13 on Twitter sports@yankton.net EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Press & Dakotan. It has been updated to reflect the ongoing season. The last time the Yankton Bucks soccer program took home a state championship was 2012. The Bucks finished that season 10-1-2, going in the history books as one of the best teams in school history. “The team we have this year reminds me a lot of the team we had in 2012,” said longtime head soccer coach Warren Brenner. “We have an excited group of kids. They have worked hard in preparing for the season.” To be compared to the 2012 team is a high regard and should give you an idea as to just how much talent the Yankton Bucks have returning this year. The roster features six seniors in Trevor Rafferty, Cooper Kuchta, Alex Cutler, Evan Dvorak, Brady Dangler, and Jack Wolfgram. “We have a really solid YANKTON 8/11 8/15 8/17 8/22 8/24 8/29 8/31 9/5 9/9 9/12 9/16 9/19 9/26 9/30 10/3 10/7 Boys’ Soccer (2-1) Lincoln at Harrisburg at Mitchell at Washington O’Gorman Brandon Valley Watertown Pierre at Aberdeen Central at Roosevelt at Huron Brookings AA First Round AA Quarter?nals AA Semi?nals AA Final (Aberdeen) L 0-1 W 3-0 W 6-0 (late) (late) 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 6 p.m. noon 8 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. group of seniors. They are going to be our leaders,” said Brenner. “That is going to help us play consistent and calm over the course of the year.” The Bucks roster has five juniors (Isaac Klimisch, Nathan Zimmerman, Paxton Heinz, Price Jensen, and Grayson Lange) that accompany the veteran seniors. A big group of returners makes for a team that has experience playing with one another. One of the Bucks biggest strengths this season will be team unity. “I am very impressed by the comradery on this team,” said Brenner. “Everyone is focused on doing their job and fitting their role. It is not just a group of talented players. They are a team.” The Bucks are coming off a stellar season that featured a regular season record of 8-1-3. The Bucks went on to win their first playoff game before losing to Rapid City Stevens in the semifinals. In the 2016 regular season, the Bucks outscored their opponents 41-11. Their defense was a major key led by goalkeeper Trevor Rafferty. Rafferty, the commander of the defense, tallied 125 saves last season as he returns for the 2017 campaign. “We have guys that have experience,” said Brenner. “We are going to peak at just the right time this season.” The Bucks began the season with a 1-0 loss to Sioux Falls Lincoln on Aug. 11, then followed with shutout victories over Harrisburg (3-0) and Mitchell (6-0). (The Bucks played Washington on Aug. 22 and O’Gorman on Aug. 24.) Don’t be surprised to see YHS SOC | PAGE 5 Leadership Crucial For Yankton Cross Country Success BY DYLAN HUGGINS sports@yankton.net The Yankton boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams are determined to have a successful season, and with every member who placed at the state meet a year ago returning, Yankton head coach Luke Youmans said leadership from his upperclassmen will be crucial for his experienced girls’ team and a young boys’ team this season. “Well, certainly you cannot do it without a little bit of leadership and the leadership has to come from some of your upperclassmen,” he said. “I have been doing this for so long and I have coached a lot of teams and it does not matter how much talent you have if you do not have people that can lead.” The Gazelles finished third as a team last year at the state meet. Youmans said that he has high expectations for his girls’ team given how they performed towards the end of the season. “We have every one of our Yankton senior Madison McClure will look to add to girls back from our team last her impressive career while leading a strong Gazelles year and that team last year squad that finished third a season ago. McClure was had an incredible finish,” he fifth at state a season ago. Kevin Guthmiller AGENCY Your Independent Agent AUTO • HOME LIFE • HEALTH COMMERCIAL 605-665-4230 800-477-2765 1818 Broadway Ave., Suite 6, Yankton, SD kguthmiller@iw.net W. 21st St. 665-9311 Yankton, SD 57078 meet, they now have a year of experience,” Youmans said. “Not only are they back, they are older, they have matured Cross Country and they have got a summer of 8/25 O’Gorman Inv. 4 p.m. running underneath them,” 9/1 Augie Twilight 6:30 p.m. Youmans said that he’s 9/9 Brandon Valley Inv. 9:30 a.m. 9/15 Norfolk Inv. 5 p.m. hopeful that the experience his 9/21 Yankton Inv. 4:15 p.m. team gained last year will carry 9/28 South Sioux City Inv. 4:30 p.m. 10/7 ESD (Watertown) 11 a.m. into this season. 10/12 Brookings/Harrisburg 4:15 p.m. “They have been there and 10/21 State (Rapid City) they have done that one time Home Meets at Fox Run GC now,” he said. “And they kind of understand all the things said. “They put it together at that go into an ESD meet and the right time and cross coun- go into the state meet and try is a unique sport in that hopefully the little bit of exyou really only need to put it perience with this very young together one time and that is team last year is going to carry the state meet.” over in to our young team this Senior Maddy McClure year.” (19:03.28) finished fifth at The rest of the girls’ roster: the state meet last year. Juniors: Rylie Andrus, BayEighth-grader Ellie Karolevitz lee Kenney (19:59.09) finished 14th and Eighth-graders: Jillian eighth-grader Madisyn Bietz Eidsness, Elizabeth Elsen, (20:05.45) finished right behind Brynann Olson, Lizzy Schwartz in 15th. Senior Tessa FolkSeventh-graders: Thea ers (20:45.86) finished 34th, Chance, Madisyn Jaquith, Elsie sophomore Lauren Eidsness Larson, Sydnee Serck, Nora (21:32.19) finished 60th, senior Welker Carly Vavra (21:49.15) finished On the boys’ side, the 68th and sophomore Emerson Bucks finished 13th at the state McClure finished 76th. meet last season. 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