Youth and experience will power Goessel teams
Staff writer
Volleyball
Twelve girls stand together in a circle inside Goessel’s gymnasium after school, heads down, eyes closed, visualizing positive affirmations that head coach Crysta Guhr reads out loud.
“Goessel will be very young and very athletic this season,” Guhr said.
After completing visualizations and affirmations, Guhr directs her girls into volley warm-ups.
“Goessel’s schedule is built to be tough, and they will be challenged in the Wheat State League by three-time returning state champion Little River and several non-league opponents, including Lebo and Bennington,” Guhr said.
The Bluebirds won’t be playing against Marion this regular season but still will play other Marion County schools, Peabody-Burns and Centre.
“Tournaments will also be tough, with potential opponents Sedgwick, Moundridge, Inman, Halstead, and Olpe,” Guhr said.
This will be Guhr’s 21st year as head coach. Last year, Goessel finished with a 32-8 record, 8-1 in league play.
Five letter winners will make their return this season: senior Hailey Rosfeld, juniors Isabelle Alderfer and Jenna Flaming, and sophomores Claire Claassen and Delaney Duerksen.
“There will be a lot of new faces this season, making it an exciting and fresh opportunity,” Guhr said.
The Bluebirds kicked off their preseason Aug. 26 at home in a jamboree against Argonia, Pratt, and Stafford. Goessel swept all three schools, losing only once against Argonia.
“That match was high quality and really showed what our young group is capable of doing this season,” Guhr said.
Goessel’s regular season began Tuesday in Herington with Lebo participating and will continue Thursday on the road against Bennington.
“The sky is the limit for this young team,” Guhr said. “They are competitive, athletic, and are working to get together and communicate at a high level.”
Football
The temperature is 89, but it feels like 101 as head coach Garrett Hiebert makes sure to give his players water while practicing in pads and helmets on an open field slightly north of the high school.
“Last year we struggled with inexperience and small numbers,” Hiebert said. “We had lots of sophomores and juniors gain their first varsity experience last year, as well as a few freshmen. As of the spring, our numbers look to be bigger this fall.”
Four starting seniors will return this season: Anthony Boden, Braxton Davis, Aiden Duerksen, and Trey Gaddis. Also returning are junior starters Brayton Base, Claudio Flores, and Wyatt Sommerfeld.
Last year, Base threw for 386 yards with 31 completions and 65 attempts. He also ran for two touchdowns.
Gaddis recorded 13 passing yards last year but ran for five touchdowns.
“Finding the right combination of kids in the right positions is always an important early-season task,” Hiebert said. “With a small graduating class last year, we are returning lots of Friday night experience, but we must continue to develop intangible skills like leadership, reliability, and mental toughness.”
This will be Hiebert’s 15th year at Goessel, his 14th as head coach. His team will run a 3-2 defense and a spread misdirection offense.
“In the last few years, some core values of Goessel football have been focusing on what we can control and working to become the best versions of ourselves as individuals, which will lead to us becoming the best team we can be,” Hiebert said. “These core values will be critical for us again this year as we look to learn from last year and build a strong foundation for success going forward.”
The Bluebirds will open their season Friday at home against Wakefield. Goessel will hit the road Sept. 12 to play county rival Centre.
“It will be important for us to continue developing team-
wide leadership skills that serve to make the others around us better,” Hiebert said.
Cross-country
Fifth-year head coach Donna Washmon sits in the shade at a picnic table next to the east entrance of Goessel High School. waiting for her cross-country team to arrive.
“Two of them are out sick today,” Washmon says.
She plans to drive her team to Bethel trails for practice.
The boys’ and girls’ team slowly starts to gather one by one. Team members do a quick warm-up jog up and down the school’s driveway for a photo and then leave for practice at the trails.
“I want to see improvement in all of my runners, and I’m just looking for them to do their best every time they are out on the course,” Washmon said. “We want to have fun, and we want to be like a family unit with supporting each other.”
Three state cross-country finishers from last year will return this season: Eli Gaeddert, Elaina Graber, and Aidan Impson.
“Elaina showed a lot of improvement by the end of the season last year,” Washmon said. “Eli will make it to state once again, and Aidan has high hopes to be there right beside him.”
In total, the team includes eight girls and three boys.
“I think the two freshmen have a lot of potential: Maddie Olson and Moriah Guhr,” Washmon said.
The season will begin Thursday in Abilene at Great Life Golf and Fitness.