PAGE 4A: WINTER SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN ? PLAIN TALK Hockey: High-Scoring Bucks Off To Fast Start on for Yankton are team captain Trey Bakke and defenseman Oakley Palmer. “Trey makes us go. He leads The Yankton boys’ junior varare team in goals and is really sity hockey team has big plans a dynamic scorer,” said Kapla. for the 2017-18 season. “Oakley is one of the best defenWith a roster loaded with seman in the state, but it is not experience and talent, Yankton will be competing atop the ranks just those two guys. Our whole team feeds off each other. They of junior varsity teams in South really are a fun and hardworking Dakota. group to be around.” “Everyone is really excited Depth is one of Yankton’s about this season and what biggest strengths. In fact, it is so we can accomplish,” said head much of a strength that it has coach Chad Kapla. “This is a almost turned into a problem. great group of kids, and they Yankton has 24 players on have high expectations.” their roster, but only 20 are Yankton’s roster features 24 athletes that include six seniors. allowed to be active for contests. Over the course of the season, “It is a good problem to Yankton will turn to their seniors have,” said Kapla. “We have a to be the leaders of the squad lot of talent on our team, and said Kapla. “This is a special group of se- we are always working to build depth. We are going to have a niors,” said Kapla. “I have been lot of players see ice time this with these kids for four years season.” now, and all of them really love Dedication will also be key hockey. They have become great Yankton Bucks players celebrate a goal during a home match in the 2016-17 season. leaders.” Two players to keep an eye The Bucks are off to a 5-1 start, averaging better than six goals a game. HOCKEY | PAGE 5A BY BEN HEGGE BOYS’ HOCKEY sports@yankton.net Season Sched. (5-1) 11/12 11/19 11/24 11/26 12/2 12/3 12/8 12/9 12/10 12/15 12/16 12/29 12/30 12/31 1/6 1/12 1/14 1/20 1/21 1/27 2/3 2/9 2/10 2/11 2/24 2/25 3/2-4 at Aberdeen 5-0 vs. Sioux Falls II 5-2 at Brandon Valley 8-0 at Watertown 5-6 vs. Aberdeen 6-1 at Sioux Center 7-1 vs. Brookings 7 pm vs. Rushmore I 2 pm vs. Rushmore I 9 am vs. Sioux Center 7 pm at Oahe 6 pm vs. Mitchell 7 pm vs. Sioux Falls I 7 pm vs. Brandon Valley 7 pm at Boji 5 pm at Brookings 7 pm vs. Boji 3 pm at Rushmore II 7:30 pm at Rushmore II 2:30 pm at Mitchell 8 pm at Fremont 3:45 pm at Sioux Falls I 7 pm at Sioux Falls II 3:30 pm vs. Fremont 3 pm vs. Oahe 7 pm vs. Watertown 2 pm State Tourn. TBD (at Mitchell) Wrestling: Bucks Boast Six With State Tourn. Experience As 2017-18 Season Begins BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK James.cimburek@yankton.net EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Nov. 30, 2017, edition of the Press & Dakotan. It has been updated to reflect the ongoing season. As the Yankton Bucks prepared to open the 2017-18 wrestling season, they had an interesting mix: Six returning state meet competitors, but just two seniors and five juniors on the roster. “It’s not a bad thing,” said Yankton head wrestling coach Riley Smith. “It means we will have a lot more experience coming back. They understand the program, and the expectations.” Of the returning juniors and seniors, four were at state a season ago: senior Cole Diedrichsen (28-20 at 220 pounds) and juniors Taten Bahm (13-26 at 113), Ben Tellus (14-23 at 145) and Donovan Bain (7-31 at 152). Sophomore Trevor Ellis (18-24 at 195) and freshman Giovanni Ruffo (25-10 at 106) also return. Ruffo was the Bucks’ lone state placewinner last season, finishing seventh. “Those guys have worked hard all summer,” Smith said. “They came into the wrestling room, set high goals and know what to do to achieve them.” Having a number of veteran upperclassmen has made for focused practices, Diedrichsen said. Freshman Giovanni Ruffo went 25-10 last season, placing seventh at 106 pounds at state for Yankton. He was one of six state qualifiers for the Bucks a season ago. “It’s helped out a lot: knowing how hard we have to work to get our goals,” he said. “We already knew each other, so the chemistry in the room has been great.” Sophomores Korbin Postma (6-14 at 182) and Kyler Lillie (17-17 at 120), and eighth grader Owen Warren (6-19 at 170) also return from last year’s Region 2A lineup, a group that had just one senior. The Bucks have several young wrestlers ready to fill in the gaps, Smith said. “Tucker Bahn (Fr.) started off last year in the lineup. He’s come back, and looks ready to fill the lineup at 106,” he said. “Carlos Ruffo (So.), Gio’s brother, is ready to step on the mat and show what he can do. Kyler Lillie got good varsity experience last year, and wants to punch his ticket to state this year.” Josiah Cadena is the other senior on the roster. Juniors Owen Phillips and Ian Cox, sophomores Domonick Harris, Kyle Luch and Jonah Marsh, and freshman John ABOVE: Senior Cole Diedrichsen had a team-best 28 victories a season ago. BELOW: Junior Ben Tellus went 14-23 and qualified for state a season ago. Knoff, Dominic Leonard, Zavier Leonard and Christian Thorsted will also be competing for varsity mat time. With several weight classes open early, the Bucks went a combined 0-6 in their opening two events, a home triangular with Watertown and Beresford-Alcester-Hudson, and the Watertown Dual Tournament. (Quadrangulars at Lennox and Vermillion took place after this section went to press.) YHS WR | PAGE 5A YHS Gym son as well as one gymnast from Montrose, but Yankton GYMNASTICS scored a solid score of 127.1. Yankton followed that FROM PAGE 3A Season Schedule outing with a seventh place finish, out of 12 teams, at the 11/27 Home Triangular 127.1 “Payton, once she gets (Parkston-Ethan-Hanson, Mitchell) Lolly Forseth Invitational in back, will be one of those 12/2 Forseth Inv. 129.025 Sioux Falls. Yankton finished (at Sioux Falls Lincoln) leaders,” Olson said. “Trinity at 129.025. A triangular 12/5 Home Triangular (late) Johnson will play a key role (Mitchell, Lincoln) featuring Mitchell and Sioux to our success. Lauren put in Falls Lincoln on Dec. 5, and 12/7 Roosevelt Tri. (late) (O’Gorman, Roosevelt) a lot of work, and it’s really a triangular with O’Gorman 12/15 Mitchell Inv. 5:30 pm paid off.” and Roosevelt in Sioux Falls 1/6 Brookings Inv. noon Several middle school ath- on Dec. 7, were held after this 1/11 Brookings Tri. 6 pm letes will also be called upon section went to press. (Brookings, Harrisburg) to make major contributions. 1/16 Home Quad 6 pm The Gazelles will also take (Chamberlain, Vermillion, “Allison Johnson (8th) Wagner-Bon Homme) part in invitationals in Mitchhas put in a lot of work, re1/22 S. Falls Tri. 5:30 p.m. ell on Dec. 15 and Brookings (O’Gorman, Washington; ally raised her skill level. I’m on Jan. 6, and will make a at Power and Grace Gymnastics) excited to see that practice return trip to Hendricks, Min1/25 at Hendricks (Minn.) 6 pm and hard work pay off,” Olson nesota (Jan. 25) before the 2/3 ESD Champ. noon said. “Callie Boomsma (8th (at Aberdeen Central) ESD Championships Feb. 3 in 2/9-10 State Tourn. 11/10 am grader, Jaiden Boomsma’s Aberdeen. (at Watertown Civic Arena) little sister) will also fill in. Olson expects the team’s Maggie Schaefer (8th) put in 11-meet schedule (including a ton of work. She’s a workESD, which doubles as a state and Kaiti Porter. Becca Sadler horse, and she’s going to look qualifying meet) to prepare will serve as a volunteer asto play a key role.” Yankton sophomores Payton Steffensen, left, and Jaiden Boomsma were among the sistant. the team for state, Feb. 9-10 Also on the roster for the at the Watertown Civic Arena. state’s top gymnasts in the 2016-17 season. Both are out of action to start the season due to injuries. Gazelles are eighth grader Follow @JCimburek on “Gymnastics in South Chloe McDermott, and sevDakota runs at a high level, enth graders Hope Lesher, so you can never take a meet Elal Hosmer, Tierney Faulk, off,” he said. “We still have Macy Schramm, Madison something to prove. We are Jaquith, Kayla Duenas, Teresa still a strong program, and we Greely, Molly Deysalsingh, can overcome the adversity Karli Kotab, Gabrielle Galvin, we are currently facing.” Aalyiah VanCleave and GraceAnd the athletes are ready lyn Kruger. 407 Walnut St. for that challenge as well. “We had a strong JV team “We can still do some last year, and they will be great things, end up placing there to make sure our depth really well,” Steffensen said. Open is where it needs to be,” “We just have to keep going Olson said. 7 Days A Week on.” The first month of the Coaching with Olson are At 11AM season — practice began on Cody Lukkes, Amy Schander Oct. 30 — has gone well for the team, Olson noted. “Don’t Gamble” - Insure With “I do see this team East Side coming together. They’re a fun group of girls,” he said. Chiropractic “They’re all committed. They Center all have the toughness and are giving me the effort that we need.” Dr Ga r M er a n . y kw The Gazelles opened the 2708 Ea st Hw y 50 season with a challenging 204 W. 4th St., PO Box 1077 schedule, beginning with No appointment necessary Yankton, SD • 605-665-3611 1104 West 8th Street Y a n kto n ,SD Weekdays 5 - 9 p.m. 2017 state runner-up Mitchell Yankton, SD 57078 Toll Free: 1-888-665-3611 Weekends Noon - 5 p.m. coming to Yankton. The 605-665-7841 605. 3503 665. Fax: 605-665-2560 Kernels won the event, which www.yanktonmedicalclinic.com d r a ccen . Weekdays 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. included Parkston-Ethan-Han- ea stsi echio pr cti terco m Our Team is Here for You. 605.689.2244 W. 21st St. 665-9311 Yankton, SD 57078 M.T. & R.C. SMITH INSURANCE, INC. 39 Physicians 16 Specialties 1 Focus