Fall 2019 Athletics Take the Field

Senior Cade Demro hands the ball off to fellow senior Tobius Nixon on Friday, August 23 for the Red & White scrimmage on Salberg Field while seniors Grant Mitchell and Byron Ehrke block junior Brennan Campbell. In the back, freshmen Ethan Golda and Bryar Nadrchal take video for the football team to scrutinize after the game.

Platteview High School athletics are looking to kick off this fall with a phenomenal start! New football coaches bring our Trojans to the next level with an emphasis on discipline and determination. The school strength program is built to push our athletes to be the best they can be. Strength and conditioning coach Nicholas Crouse states, “I want Platteview to be freakishly good at everything we do!” Our student athletes have an endless hunger for success, and this year is theirs for the taking.

Cheer:

At the UNL cheer camp during July 2019, the PHS cheer team dressed as tigers and mice for a team bonding exercise.

Though the school year only just started, the Platteview Cheer Team has been working on their routines since June. The Cheer Team has a new head coach, Dr. Angela AuBuchon, who brings years of primary, secondary, and college-level cheer experience.

In order to have great sports teams, we must have great cheerleaders to back them up. Reed Lenker, a member of the cheer team, was interviewed about the start of their season: 

Q: What are you most excited about this year? 

A: I am most excited to work with the new members to develop our skills as a whole.

Q: How was summer training? 

A: We started practicing stunting. And in July we attended a cheer camp at University of Nebraska. Our motto is ‘Perfection before progression!’

Q: What has stunting been like? 

A: Since Nebraska has only recently allowed stunting for cheer, we have been trying our hardest to work within the limited guidelines and do our best with what we have!

Cross Country:

The Platteview Cross Country runners of 2019 join as a team for a photo outside Platteview High School before heading off to practice.

Reed Lenker, a member of the cross country team, was interviewed about his experience as a member of the team. Here are his responses:

Q: What are you most excited about this season?

A: Hanging out with the team and developing bonds.

Q: Why did you join cross country?

A: Because I’ve done it in previous years, and I loved the experience. The team made it worth it even though running is grueling. 

Q: What does it mean to be a Trojan?

A: To be a part of a community. 

Q: What goals do you have for this season?

A: Beat my times from last year, and also enjoy my last season. 

Q: Where did your running passion start?

A: My Dad was involved in high school and I was inspired by him.

Football:

New head football coach, Mr. McLaughlin, instructs his class right after the bell as senior Michael Aschtgen enters the TAC room.

The football season is almost here, and new Head Coach Mark McLaughlin is ready to lead his team to success. The team has persevered through summer weightlifting and practice, waiting expectantly to implement new plays, tactics, and their own refined skills. Coach McLaughlin’s passion for football and former experience as a head coach at Gibbon High School has prepared him for this new phase of his career. Coach McLaughlin states that his team’s “effort and enthusiasm has been high,” making him excited for the season and what lies ahead. Platteview High School Football’s first game is on Friday, August 30 at Lincoln Christian at 7:00 PM.

Girls Golf:

Lindsay Hutfless, a senior at Platteview, swings her driver at the Tiburon driving range on August 19 to practice for her upcoming tournaments and duels.

Interview with a member of the girls golf team, Isabella Deloske:

Q: What’s new in girls golf this year?

A: One of the main new things we have in girls golf is that we have more girls playing this year. Also we had a summer camp which taught us how we can improve our swing and our form. 

Q: What’s a high about being on the team? 

A: A high about being on the team is that we all learn to appreciate each other and help each other improve on things. We also bond with each other more and more each day.

Q: How do you feel when you play golf? 

A: I feel great when I play golf. For me it’s a great game for me to take out my anger and frustration. 

Q: What would you say to someone who isn’t sure whether they should join golf or not?

A: I would say that you should join golf [be]cause we could always use more girls to join golf and this [is a] sport you can play throughout your life and it will stay with you forever. It’s a sport that is semi easy to learn but at the same time it’s hard…”

Q: What does it mean to be a Trojan? 

A: A Trojan means that you are part of a bigger group that cares about everyone.

Junior Aubreigh Burley is put in to pitch at the JV softball game in Ashland, on Thursday August 27th.

Softball:

The Platteview High School softball organization has been wanting a change; they were able to make that happen this summer and are happy with the results. The organization put up a temporary fence, cleaned out the dugouts, raked the field, added protection over the bleachers, and installed the new Trojan scoreboard. As coach Bernstein said, “ We aren’t only here to play, but also [to] represent who we are.”

Volleyball:

Two seniors on the varsity volleyball team, Aubrey Staudt and Anna Koehler, work on homework in the Media Center.

What’s new in volleyball this year? Senior Anna Koehler filled us in on this question and more. She commented that the volleyball team lost three seniors last year, so they are mixing their team with some underclassmen. However, the volleyball community is definitely growing. In fact, over 30 girls tried out for the team this year. This season, Anna Koehler is most excited about senior night and the Pink Out game. She noted that the team had a winning record last year. Hopefully the winning streak will continue into this season.